Virgil

I’ll be honest, this thing got a mind of its own and I blanked out. I have no idea who you mean.

Whether you are a fantasy owner, just love watching football, or whatever your involvement is with the sport, this is has been one of the strangest starts to the season in recent memory. There were so many off-season changes to teams rosters, that speculation was rampant regarding who the contenders, pretenders, and draft-waiters would be. For whatever it's worth, here's my random thoughts on the league so far: Broncos - Are they not the biggest disappointment of the season? On paper, this team should be 4-0 and owning the division (minus another under-performing team). They have all the weapons they could need on both sides of the ball. With their performance, you have to wonder? Was Carroll onto something in Seatlle when trying to move on from Russ all these years? Was Hackett only as good as Aaron Rodgers made him look in GB Colts - With the Titans losing AJ Brown, the Colts seemed like the sure pick to win their division. Matt Ryan couldn't be worse than Wentz, but maybe not much better. So far, JT has been completely shut down in half his game, Pittman is the only weapon on offense, and their only real victory was the upset win over the Chiefs (thank you btw). On some of the talk radio shows I listen to, there's a lot of talk about Frank and the GM being one of the first duo's fired, possibly in season. If Matt Ryan retires, doesn't it sound like the perfect place for mediocre Jimmy G to play mediocre games? Eagles - While the Dolphins were out rebuilding their team, it feels like the Eagles slipped under the radar while coping a very similar blue-print. The difference is, the Eagles are much more successful at it. I haven't been able to see them play yet, but the Eagles look like the NFC favorite at the moment and are dominating everyone. Dolphins - I said this before the season, their roster is scary and Tua is the only question mark. 4 weeks in, I think the head coach deserves a ton of credit as I believe he runs a great offensive scheme that really caters to his teams strengths. However, we all know that teams adjust to schemes midway through the season, and I'm very curious to see how the Dolphins handle that. I'm not positive that Teddy won't be as good running that offense as Tua. Moreso, Tua feels like Brady to me in his first few seasons, in that he's being put in a position to win, but clearly has arm talent issues. I'm not saying Tua will turn into Brady, far from it, but I think his success right now is more about the team around him, and not his play itself. Lions - Where the hell did this come from? Yes, their record isn't great, but they are putting on an absolute show on offense. Even more so, they did it in week 4 without Swift and St Brown. This is Goff running the show too! I don't even understand it, but it's fun to root for them. Like the Bengals, I feel a certain sense of empathy for that team as they know misery. Rams - Is there a bigger offseason acquisition disappointment than Allen Robinson? It makes no sense how little he is being used. With his size and speed, plus everyone focusing on Kupp, how is Robinson not going off? Also, I said acquisition, because I didn't forget about Akers. What the hell is going on there? Fantasy owners are jumping off cliffs left and right. Also, does McVay officially have to refer to Shanahan as "Daddy" going forward? Patriots - Nothing surprising, it just feels good to watch it burn and know they spent a ton of money in FA to suck Vikings - At this point, Cousins is Tyrod to me. Good guy, can have some good games, but there's just a limit to what he can do and he's fools gold out there. In an offense where Justin Jefferson can get 150 yards per game with his eyes closed, it makes no sense how this offense isn't better than it is. We all know finding a solid starting QB is hard, but Cousins has proven he's all he will ever be Packers - Watching a receiver drop at least one touchdown a game feels therapeutic. Rodgers has proven to be both a Diva and "me" guy. He got his 50 mil, but at the expense of having any receivers. Good, just good. Ravens - I'm going to eat crow and say that Lamar has developed into a better passer than I thought he ever would be. However, he's also proven to be a bit of a fraud on a personal level. All of his off-season comments about his contract wishes and wanting to be a team guy burnt up as soon as we found out he wants guaranteed money in the Watson range. Listen, there's so many "me first" guys in the league that you can't fault them anymore. Plus, if you don't get hurt or start to fall of a cliff like Wentz, all QB's deals end up being guaranteed anyways because you aren't getting cut or traded. I get why the Ravens were hesitant with his contract, especially with his injury, but I think they only have two choices at this point, assuming Lamar doesn't fall off a cliff. You either need to cave and give him the money, or trade him this off-season team who is stupid like the Browns and willing to give up capitol and money. The difference is, Lamar isn't facing suspension, so someone will do it. The Ravens can't afford to franchise him two seasons in a row, so they need to decide what they are willing to do this off-season and run with it. I fear that Lamar will end up in a Rodgers situation though, where the Ravens pay him and then can't pay anyone else around him, so he's stuck in playoff-making-only purgatory. Cardinals - Well, Kyler got his money and they still can't score in the first half. I have to wonder how much of a leash that HC is going to get. More so, if the coach leaves, I wonder how Kyler handles someone else coming in. We've seen how mature he's handled his contract situation, so I'm sure he's a super team player. With the contracts they've given out, I could see some serious turmoil and dumpster fire issues in Arizona in the upcoming off-season Giants - I had a gut feeling that Barkley would bounce back this year and I'm kicking myself for not acting on it during fantasy drafts. It's interesting to see what traits Daboll brought with him from McD. I love that he's not caving to Kenny or Toney, and playing the guys who earn it. I haven't heard much, but I have to assume that is doing wonders for his buy-in in the locker room. Give them two seasons, and I think the Giants and Eagles will be running that division. Chiefs - Everyone was ready to write them off this off-season. They lost hill, brought in some lesser talent replacement options, all while the rest of their division got so much better. Then we remembered they have Mahomes and Reid. Minus one head scratching loss to the Colts, the Chiefs are finding new ways to score point and doing it in a much more proficient ways. Everyone is getting involved, at the behest of fantasy owners, and they still look like the top team to beat in the division and for the 1 seed. Like the last 10 years with Brady, never count the winners out until they've proven to lose. Raiders - Offensive genius head coach, Elite capable QB, Elite WR, and solid roster depth on both sides of the ball. Results, 0-3 start. Again, it's all good on paper until you have to prove it Well, that was a lot. No real point. Just talkin here

It was so much better live because you got a better look at the trajectory. Simply incredible

Did they not do one last week?

I hate that this thread is already 12 pages

I disagree. If you love doing something, do it as long as someone will let you. Now, if he loves the game more than keeping his family together, that's a different story. But, we don't know football is the reason for the divorce. With that being said, ***** Tom Brady and I hope she dates Eli Manning

I've been told many times that we can't focus on one play to win or lose us the game

Agreed in a blitzing situation or plays targeted behind the line. I’m referring to runs where the blocker comes at Edmunds 3-5 yards after the line of scrimmage

So many Bills fans at the game had no idea who Ricardo was and were shocked at how big he is

I'd be thrilled with 3-1. Right now, I'm more worried about the long term effects. I fear that the injuries to Gabe and Oliver will linger all year, and we really need them to be elite. We need that interior push to compliment Groot and Von. Josh needs a viable number 2 option. It can't always be the Diggs show

Really? Have you ever found it in writing? Now I have to look. I wasn't aware that was changed

Don't mind me. I'm just here for the comments

You're right, I'm sorry. With the comeback and tale of two halves, I couldn't help myself I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's different for the goal line. The goal line extends infinitely, so it doesn't matter which side of the pylon the balls breaks the plain, so long as your last contact with the field was inbounds I mentally had this chalked up as a loss because of how well the Ravens play at home, especially against us. I was at the Dolphins game there too. Maybe I'm the Jinx Yeah, this was all day and total bull####. We could see it 30 rows back, but not the ref right next to it

It's so hard to call out DB's sometimes because when they do their jobs, you don't notice them. While they don't have a lot of all-stars, the Ravens receivers have been a pleasant surprise this season. They were non-existent this game. When I saw Dane was playing, I felt comfortable with Elam, Dane, and TJ out there. However, not to knock any of them, we saw a great performance without them against the Dolphins, minus that deep play to Waddle. This scheme is incredibly DB friendly to the point where I'm starting to wonder how plug and play these guys are. As in, will we ever really pay a DB like Tre again?

I feel incredibly spoiler to be annoyed at 3-1. I expected us to be 2-2, or 3-1, but how we lost to the Dolphins sticks with me. I fully expect to beat the brakes next time. Besides that... Pros -Josh is still a dog -Defensive scheme is next level. Considering the injuries, to only give up 7 points in the second half through 4 games AND be able to completely remove the opposing teams top weapon is unreal -Von is as advertised -Groot is looking to be a great 1st round pick -Diggs is on pace for another great season -3-1 while have 3 road games -Gugny is pregnant and I'm pretty sure it's mine -Edmunds might not be complete trash Cons -Injuries -***** the Dolphins -Run game (playcalling and offensive line push) -Red Zone conversion -Chiefs are still legit, even without Hill Around the league -Denver has to be the biggest disappointment -Lions can score! -Jaguars might not fully suck -JT with two non-existent games -Weirdest start to a NFL season for runningbacks - Fantasy wise -Eagles are the NFC favorites and it's not even close

I kept forgetting what number Hamlin was, so I was consistently confused as to who this little guy was running all over the field. Dude was pure energy out there making the most of his opportunity

Yes, I play Madden too. People get the gist of what’s being said. That’s not what I do here. If you a better picture, watch the game

Was Lamar’s first pick to Poyer tipped? It looked like Lamar threw it into the back of one of his own lineman

I mean, what don’t you understand. Would RPO out of the shotgun paint a better pic for you? Shotgun, 12 personnel, run handoff up the middle….

Probably not. I didn’t realize he just got extended

I understand freeing up space, assuming protections, and possum blocks enough to know that you don't run directly into a blocker who is clearly coming to the next level for you. He overall did great, but still had a few plays where he allowed himself to disappear from the play completely. That's why I said it felt that way, even though they didn't do anything. The time of possession for the Ravens really threw me off. Made it feel different than it was

Even if he gets healthy in November, he still needs to learn the playbook and it's a lot to assume he'll be 100% with speed.

If I'm Beane, I'm on the phone with the Panthers on Moore's availability. We need another viable threat out there at receiver. Knox is apparently a blocker now, Davis is hurt, we can't run. So give Josh another real weapon

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. 1 - Stadium Experience - Living in Baltimore made attending this game a no-brainer. I recently discovered a light rail that comes every 10-20 and is $4 round trip. Considering most parking is $40+ and traffic can be terrible, this made the experience so much better than in the past. I was well prepared with rain gear, so I didn't get noticed as a Bills fan much. Those who did notice, didn't seem to care. I was surprised to see how much the threat of rain hurt attendance. Tickets for lower bowl were $400 a week prior, but down to almost $75 on game day. The upper deck was half full, and that may be generous. In our section, we had some guys who tailgated a bit too hard, and watching the range of emotion on them as the game transpired was entertaining in itself. I do appreciate the large hallways where the food is, but can't understand how an Italian Sausage is $5 less than in Buffalo. They also do a great job of representing local restaurants in the stadium. $16 for a tall cider is a bit much though. From a game flow perspective, I was surprised when I saw the box score at home. Obviously, we shut them out in the second half and came all the way back, but it felt like Lamar had way more yards in the second half than he did. It really felt like the Ravens were going to put it away at any moment, but couldn't finish 2 - Questions - Not my normal format, but people don't typically read these whole things, so might as well ask now. On the very first drive with the INT, who's fault was that? From the replay I saw, the ball may have been tipped AND it went through Knox's hands. Is that correct? Also, on the Lamar scramble for the first down that was reviewed and called a yard short, did he not get the ball past the sticks? It was really tough to see what was going on for some of these plays and the replays in the stadium were less than stellar. 3 - Take away their favorite Toy - In typical Hoodie 🤢fashion, the Bills have done a great job of shutting down the opposing teams favorite weapon. Against the Dolphins, Hill was non-existent. In this game, you almost never heard Mark Andrews name get called. I was worried about him having a big day against us as I didn't know who was possibly going to cover him. At times, it was comical to see TJ follow him around because of the size difference. Overall, while the defense did a great job in coverage with everyone, I was surprised to see how little Lamar even targeted Andrews. I saw a lot of post game comments about how the Bills D threw out a lot of confusing looks, but still. Just a great job with making Andrews a non-factor. 4 - Lately, I've been thinking it's just someone else's job to care Who am I to sympathize when no one gave a damn? I've been thinking it's just someone else's job to care Who am I to wanna try? 5 - Refs - I promise, I will get to the good stuff soon, but holy crap were these guys terrible. I'm going to have to watch the replay of this game to make sure I'm not crazy, but there were a bunch of calls I saw on the screen that looks like they missed. However, the lack of holding calls against the the Ravens OT's was insane. There were multiple times where you could see the Bills DE being dragged to the ground, holding up their other arm, and getting their jerseys spun around. It was really, REALLY bad. I don't know how these weren't called and it was beyond "letting them play." 6 - Receivers - I know the ball was wet and we cleaned it up a bunch in the second half. Seriously, Diggs, Shakir, and Knox all made beautiful sideline catches during the comeback. However, I am getting really concerned with Knox and Davis. It seems like both didn't commit to some catches, tried making body catches, or just got physically outplayed by the defender. Similar to last year, Davis appears to be hurt and he's a mere shell of himself out there. It's to the point where he might be better resting, as he doesn't seem to pose a threat at all. Knox, I have no idea what's going on there. I get that we are using him to block a lot, but still. I don't get the contract if this is how we are going to use him. I know Josh has a lot of faith in him, but from my seats, Knox killed that first drive. With injuries as they are, and I'm not a trade guy, but I wonder if Beane should be making calls. I heard someone mention DJ Moore from Carolina as a target and I think he'd be perfect here. I don't think we can rely on OBJ bouncing back, maintaining his form, and learning the offense quick enough to be a real factor this season. 7- Interior Defensive Line - Was anyone else concerned at the massive holes being opened up down the middle by the Ravens offensive line? I knew our pass rush up the middle would suffer without Oliver and Phillips, but I figured Settle and Jones would be able to take up space. There were a few plays were it was like the red sea parted. We were useless on short yardage rushing situations (again, until when it mattered in the end). Just a minor concern here, but noticeable. I can't wait to get Jordan and Ed back. 8 - Dorsey/Kromer - I know I keep going negative, and I'm sorry, but it's what I saw. Our play calling for running plays, and subsequent blocking support is getting worse each game it seems. After the first Poyer interception, Dorsey called some terrible plays and basically wasted the opportunity. Yes, Dorsey also gets credit for the winning drive, which was perfect, but the run play calling was terrible. I was hopeful after the Rams game, as we showed so many different looks. But now, it's shotgun handoffs between the G/T for no gain on second down. There's no creativity, no push up front, nothing. Where's the jet sweep? Where's the toss play? Where's anything else? The Chiefs right now are scary on offense because they are finding a rushing attack that you have to respect. Right now, I don't know if we could run the ball if the defense only had 3 in the box. 9 - The Tampa Affect - As we came back in this game, all I could think about was the Bucs game from last year. The Bills were a shell of their former selves that season and couldn't really get anything going until halftime at the Bucs game. While we didn't win that game, our offense finally woke up and we were a different team after. Granted, I thought we'd come out swinging after the Dolphins loss, but I was insta-depressed to see the same crappy execution in the first quarter of this game. The Ravens seemed faster, hit harder, and actually wanted to be on the field. We gave up another short field turnover and were down 20-3 early. However, we have Josh and that man doesn't go down easily. To see this team pull themselves back together and execute at the level they did...Wow. It wasn't an explosive performance nor all at once. It almost felt like the Patriots Superbowl comeback, slow and steady. Either way, just an amazing job by the defense to mostly keep Lamar contained (Seriously, what was the spy plan?) Poyer continues to earn more money on that extension. And many guys made the most of their opportunities; I'm looking at you Hamlin and Shakir. Hopefuly, this will carry over into our next game, we can get up by 21 so Cook can get more carries and confidence. I'm sorry, but he's just killing me right now for a 2nd round pick. He played at Georgia, this shouldn't be too much for him. 10 - The Boys - There were moments when I wanted to walk onto the field an punch Edmunds in the face for running into blocks as if he got a bonus from it. However, those moments weren't nearly as outstanding as the positive plays. For a team that doesn't blitz, we sent our guys a few times and Edmunds was able to make some great plays in the backfield, solo even. The blitzing didn't always hit home, and Lamar had way too much time and escape routes sometimes, but you can't argue with the end result. Edmunds made some great tackles, covered the middle of the field well, and really is turning in some nice consecutive games. Milano was just a stud. I don't think he was fully healthy last year, because he was FAST out there. Milano was a wrecking ball out there at times and should have had another interception on a really bizarre play. I can't give enough credit to what this defense did, and the linebackers were a huge part of it. 11 - Bonus Random thoughts: The Ravens played mainly man cover-2 against us in the first half. In the second, they adjusted to more of a Cover 1 at times. While they had more guys in the box, that's when we started moving the ball a lot more. It shouldn't work that way, but it did. I love being able to see the whole field when at games, just to watch the coverages. For the Bills, Lamar has proven he likes to throw deep down the middle, and we didn't give him that chance all game. It was impressive how much we kept them to short field plays Holding aside, Von and Groot were non-stop in this game and I expect more 7 sack games once Ed and Jordan are back. Watching Lamar get swarmed at times felt great. On Lamar's last interception, it was like a wall of defenders coming at him that only allowed him to back peddle and make a poor throw. I was able to see the replay when I got home, but it didn't do this play justice. The sideline throw to Knox in the 4th was absolutely amazing. Josh was on his back foot and put that ball on a perfect trajectory to Knox. Seeing it live, my mouth dropped open. For those there, please tell me you saw the same thing Special teams has to get a game ball for all facets of their play. In wet conditions, they were perfect and a difference maker Before you gang up on me, Josh is Josh. He doesn't need a thought every single week. He was a little off again on crossing routes, but really pulled it together on the comeback. Seeing the Ravens fans get quieted by some of Josh's runs was hysterical. The Bills fans in my section kept saying "Yeah, we got one of them too." The conversation of when it's appropriate to stand really hit in this game. In the lower section, we were the only area standing almost the entire game. Why? Because of 5 Bills fans. A pair of 2 in one row, and a group of 3 in another refused to sit down, making everyone behind them have to stand to see the field. I was embarrassed by them, as they didn't seem to care about their surroundings at all. I get big plays and whatnot, but when you are literally the only people standing around you, read the room. Go Bills!

Honestly, eh. I feel bad for him, but he wasn't really a difference maker on offense for us. I like Shakir being given the opportunity to step up