Virgil

For the first time in years, I watched a Bills game without taking notes and I'll be honest, my retention of the game went straight out the window. I had to wait and re-watch the game on Youtube, which was actually pretty cool to see without all the clock stoppages between plays. It's interesting the things you pick up a second time, but more so, you lose all real feel for the flow for the game. Fortunately, that part I remembered. 1 - Adjustments - I believe there were three plays in a row where Josh's target ran a different route. The announcers mentioned that both Josh and the receiver are both expected to recognize the coverage and adjust their route accordingly. It's just another detail of the game that most of us probably don't think about and just how much of a science all of this is. In either case, I've never seen that happen on back to back plays so badly. Regardless, I hope they are able to get this corrected in film study. 2 - The Cheerleaders - One thing I've felt that's been missing all season is the on-filed hype train led my certain players. When we had Lawson and Phillips, they absolutely fed off each other on the field. Mongo, good or not, was also a catalyst for the offensive line. While a few weeks back, we saw their energy lead to penalties and loss of control, Oliver and Brown seem to really be getting their respected lines playing a lot better. The relationship between Oliver and Harrison is very apparent and they are clicking at just the right time. With the slightly off passing game, having a rushing attack and front 4 pass rush attack gel going into the playoffs is a huge boon for us. Think about the year the Colts finally won the big game, because the defense and rushing attack finally needed to be respected. 3 - Diggs - I really need to understand if Diggs is always this open and we choose to not utilize him like we did in this game, or did the Jets just play a defense that let him do whatever he wanted? I'm sure the target bonus was part of the reason Josh was trying to take care of Diggs, but it was almost alarming how easy it was to feed him the ball. This was the Diggs of last season who made the defense adjust their strategy altogether. 4 - I admit it, what's to say? I'll relive it, without pain Hm, back-street lover on the side of the road I gotta bomb in my temple that is gonna explode I got a sixteen gauge buried under my clothes, I play 5 - Motor - When I looked up the stats post game, it's crazy to see how close Motor is to eclipsing 100 yards. While not spectacular or breaking off huge runs, Motor is getting the tough yards in clear rushing situations and really opening up the passing game for Josh. Had he been the undisputed starter all season, I think we are looking at a 1200 yard season for him, which is unheard of in this Daboll offense. Moss did a good job in his limited spot duty, but I hope to see this trend continue and make opposing defenses have to account for Motor. 6 - Pass Rush - While Wilson's inability to scramble forward was a big help, the Bills front 4 just terrorized the Jets on 3rd and long, leading to numerous negative plays. If I'm not mistake, the Jets finished with negative yards in the second half. C'mon, that's crazy! This defense keeps spiking at the right moments and does an amazing job in the bend, but don't break concept, and this is with limited blitzing and the DE's dropping back in contain on some plays. Again, a great job of this unit gelling at the right time. 7 - The Big Play - When I think of some of our losses this season, I think about the big play by the opposing teams that wind up being the difference maker in the overall score. We had big runs against us in the Pats, Titans, Colts, and Bucs game. The only moment in this game where the Jets made the score look interesting was on a mis-tackle pass that broke big for a touchdown. It feels like these plays happen against us more than anyone else, but I also don't watch a lot of other games. I'm not sure what the fix is, but I'm really hoping our season doesn't end on one of these. 8 - Haack - We all know that quarterback is one of the toughest positions in all of sports. Did you know that a punter who can hold a snap and make punts is the second hardest player to find? What the crap was that in this game?!? I will grant Haack that the punt snaps were slightly off to his left, but c'mon man. When you get a standing ovation from the crowd for punting the ball through the end zone, you know there's a problem. I'm honestly surprised McD hasn't brought anyone else in this week. 9 - Passing game - I don't know if the Bills are trying new plays on offense and tuning up for the post season, or what's going on, but the overall flow of the passing game continues to be off. The rushing attack and defense really won this game for us and it's hard to not be a little concerns going forward. Josh was rocketing balls downfield again and did deliver a beautiful deep ball to Knox. The deep crossing passes were back, but the receivers couldn't get both feet in bounds. Gabe made some unusual drops, but overall, there were a lot of balls hitting the ground. I will give credit to the Jets blitzing a lot and the weather wasn't great, but these are both things we should expect to see moving forward. 10 - Frazier/Daboll - Am I the only one who's not a fan of this new interview process where assistants can interview during the playoffs? I don't know what a typical day looks like in regards to prep for a game, but I assume it's a lot of hours. I don't like the idea of there being the slightest distraction for either guy, as they both have interviews the day after the Pats game. Maybe I'm paranoid and this isn't a thing, but I just know it would be on my mind if I were either of them. Well, that's a season wrap everyone. I can't promise these for the playoffs as I am trying to be more present when I'm watching the game. I look forward to watching the game from the warmth of my own home with my daughter. I would never dream of trying to take her into that stadium in with temperatures near zero. But keep telling me how the weather hasn't affected ticket sales this season.... Go Bills!!!

Has this been validated anywhere? I’m not seeing anything

I need to change my PSL vote to 10k

Would you like me to add something? I was waiting for people to give specifics about what they wanted from a new stadium so I could add more questions, but not much was offered up.

While I’m happy to see their improvement, I’m waiting to see what they do in the playoffs. They both have the ability to disappear in big games. Hopefully these past few weeks is then really turning the corner and we see big things from them in the coming weeks

You're not wrong. I want the division. But, that aside, I would rather play NE and Tenn on the road in the first two games than the Colts at home, then potentially KC on the road

I'm sure a debate will happen, but that's not what this is meant for. The poll was really what I was interested and what people were looking for in a new stadium overall. The dome is just one of those hot topics within it I saw this in the lightest way possible, but roughly how old are you? I agree with what you're saying, except for standing in the lower level, but it does come off as very "Get off my lawn." 🙂

Weather was part of the game because it had to be for a while. Now that it's more of a choice, why not make it better for our team? To me, that's legacy thinking. I want the environment that gives our team the best chance to win. Weather doesn't give us an advantage. Plus, the noise in a domed stadium would be a huge advantage. I completely agree on your division btw. Imagine living within 2-4 hour of 12 potential Bills games a year

I really think these are the same people who want the Dolphins in our division. They are stuck in this 90's legacy thinking and it doesn't make sense anymore. If you play in bad weather, a dome lets your run or pass. If you play outdoors in bad weather, running becomes the primary option. It was great when we had Thurman, but why make ourselves one dimensional? Besides money, I can't see a con to a dome

Lamar Jackson have a vote in this?

There's been quite a few stadium discussion threads out there, but I haven't seen one that polls what people are looking for specifically. With news of a stadium coming in the next few weeks hopefully, I'm curious to see the pros and cons people have for things. These are mine: Biggest Fears PSL pricing - Anything over 5k is insane and I think dramatically hurts season ticket holders Preferred seating between the 20's. The Jags stadium does this and you lose a lot of seats to walk ways and standing room Weather placement - Where will the sun rise, wind conditions within the stadium. Food - The food selection in the current stadium is terrible. You can't even get an italian sausage Orchard Park Pros Traffic and Tailgating remains the same Orchard Park Cons No support from UB Less likely to host bigger events or Super Bowl Downtown Buffalo Pros If built up the right way, could have solid supporting restaurants in the area. Imagine a Bar Bill, Gabriels Gate, Anchor, and Duffs all within walking distance from the stadium Hotels within walking distance (great for the true partiers) If built the right way, could clear out area for tailgating Downtown Buffalo Cons Almost a Billion dollars more expensive - Ticket prices and PSL's go up If not built right, Tailgating takes a hit If not built right, traffic is a nightmare For those that want open air, I wonder what percentage of you don't own season tickets. A large part of the dome for my family is the games in December we can't attend and can't even give tickets away.

Listen here buddy. I'm going to need you to take your logic and reason somewhere else. Don't you ever come at me with facts again.

That's what I thought too. I knew the downtown stadium would cost a lot because of taxes and having to clear the area. With how much empty space is in Buffalo, I actually was okay with a downtown stadium if they did it right. Clear off a bunch of land and plant grass for tailgating. Use the 3 years to adjust the in and out roads, then build each of the top 5 wing places around it. That would be a destination year round. However, I just don't think the fans can afford those PSL's or tickets. I'm worried about that as it is.

There are so many threads, I didn't know where to put this. So MODS, feel free. While the 1 seed is eliminated for us, I believe the 2 seed is very realistic and would give us two home games at a minimum. Both the Bengals and Chiefs have locked up their divisions. If the Titans beat the Texans, which they should, then the Chiefs and Bengals could very well rest their starters for the game. Now, they could also both play for the 2 seed, who knows. Buffalo is the only team still playing for the division and has a reason to win the game. If we get the 2 seed, I'd be rooting pretty hard for the Raiders to make the playoffs. Round 2 would be interesting and the Titans look to be getting Henry back for the 2nd round. All in all, for how this season has gone, the 2 seed would really offset a lot of the ups and downs of this season. It's crazy to think we'd only be a Josh Allen slip away from the 1 seed. Edit - It's since been pointed out that the Chiefs play Saturday. So this could all be a moot point by the time the Bills play on Sunday. Lame

Isn't the only difference between losing and winning for them the 3 or 4 seed? If I'm them, I'm resting my starters.

I was listening to WGR this morning and they were saying it would cost an extra billion dollars to put a dome on the stadium, and that's why the Pegulas don't want it. Is that true? I thought a dome was an extra 400 mil. Not chump change, but still better than a Billion

When they add PSL’s and jack up ticket prices, they are going to lose season ticket holders. I’m very nervous they don’t understand their fan base. The fact that people can’t give tickets away should be another indicator of needing a dome. Not wanting to sit in icy conditions doesn’t make you less of a fan. Most people have 65* inch TVs at home and a family. A dome would easily make people more inclined to go to a game

No one said you had to stop

Nope. No idea who that would be

I've played Madden for about 20 years now and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it. I was ranked in the top 5% for a bit and really have the most fun when I'm playing someone who knows football. It can be easy at times when you play someone who only runs the same plays over and over again, but can't adjust to anything else. Sometimes, I will even mess around and try new plays when I'm up against someone who I can tell isn't on my skill level. In those games though, I've found ways to lose because I gave them too many opportunities to stay in the game. They weren't the better team, but I made the poorer decisions. Usually I can turn it around, but others.... 1 - Allen - Was there an article this week that said Allen had a weak arm that I missed? Allen decided it was a fastball only game, on a day where the weather was so cold that the football felt like a rock. If Diggs can't pull in a basic slant pass, you know something is wrong. Allen put up one of his worse statistical passing games and I still never really felt like we were going to lose this game. The Falcons defensive line did a good job of getting their hands up and tipping two passes into interceptions. The other interception was an example of when hero ball goes wrong. Fortunately, Allen is a true dual threat QB and score two touchdowns on the ground and learned to lean on his rushing attack in the second half, helping the Bills cruise to an easy win. 2 - Defensive Backs - Outside of the big Kyle Pitts play, I thought the Bills defensive backs played one of their best overall games of the season. What was so impressive was their ability to turn their heads back to the pass at just the right time. I know the Falcons are word beaters at receiver, but there were plenty of passes where we would've been flagged for PI in prior weeks. Dane and Levi played a hell of a game it's great to see this unit step up in Tre's absence 3 - Stevenson - For those who got comfortable on punt returns, this was the game to bust out the old Zanax. Stevenson fumbled on his first punt return, which led to a safety. Then he later bobbled another punt. On two kick off returns, he found a way to get tackled by another Bill. With McD's zero tolerance policy, I wonder if we see McKenzie back there next week considering he wasn't a factor in the passing game again. 4 - Talking to herself "There's no one else who needs to know" She tells herself Memories back when she was bold and strong And waiting for the world to come along Swears she knew him, now she swears he's gone 5 - Edmunds - I have to go back on my word from a few weeks back and talk about Edmunds again. Is it me, or is he always chasing down plays or standing around a group tackle? He showed his value in the passing game on a few plays where he used his lanky body to jump around and block passing lanes, but that's about all I saw him do in this game. He got trucked twice in this game, where the running back got an additional 3-5 yards on the tackle. I just don't get it with this kid anymore and I'm at the point where I hope they can trade him for some value heading into his 5th year. 6 - Phillips - It drives me crazy when players finally figure out how to play in their contract year. Over the past few weeks, Phillips has finally become the cog in the middle of the defensive line that we hoped he could be when we drafted him. Unfortunately, he's also injured constantly. In this game, Harrison was all over the place and did a great job against the Falcons run. For a big boy, he showed some speed getting to plays on the edge and getting involved. Him and Oliver were a wrecking crew in this game, where Oliver was consistently getting double teamed. 7 - Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory - When Matt Ryan got the taunting penalty against Poyer, only to find out he didn't actually get into the end zone, leading to no points; did anyone else picture that happening to the Bills 5 years ago? Being on the other side of it, it's hysterical to watch these sub .500 teams find ways to take themselves out of games. For those who watched the Jets game, who were up 4; they ran a QB sneak on 4th and a long 2. The coach said it was a play call mix-up, but still. We had the Josh Allen slip and the Hail Murray, but it's still overall night to no longer feel like "that team" 8 - Return of the Young Ends - MIA for weeks, Groot and AJ finally decided to show up for this game in a big way. Groot had the huge strip sack while AJ made some great plays in space and a big open field tackle. I'm still not seeing much from them against 1 on 1 match ups, but hopefully they are also starting to get some confidence. 9 - McD - As this game ended, there were a lot of tweets about records broken and whatnot. A few things stood out for me that really shows all the things McD and Beane have done for this team. This was our first playoff clinching win since the late 90's. This is our 4th playoff run in 5 years. McD has over 10 wins in multiple seasons and is already climbing up the Bills coaching wins records. There's always something to criticize, and that's what we do as fans, but to take a step back and look at things now versus the drought is very impressive. 10 - Thoughts - This may be my last season writing these post game thoughts. I haven't fully made up my mind and it has nothing to do with any of my readers. Honestly, the support from so many of you is why I've kept doing this as long as I have. I'm coming up on almost 10 years of writing these and it really is work. I know the writing is casual and spelling is off, but that's meant to be part of the charm. The truth is, I can't watch a game without taking notes. As my work life changes, getting these written becomes more like an assignment. I can't really just enjoy the game or comment much afterwards, because I feel like I have an obligation, versus something that started out as fun after Bill left it behind. If I do decide to walk away, it doesn't mean I won't write thoughts or comments in other places, but I just won't commit to the timetable and rhythm I've been following until now, and it may not have as many details. Sometimes, I just want to watch a game and enjoy it, versus sitting the and adding notes to sort through later. But again, the community has been so supportive and maybe this season was more taxing for some reason. Regardless, I reserve the right to change my mind. Go Bills!!!

Per the Bills Instagram account

QB sneak on a 4th and long 2 when up by 4. Dumbest playcall I’ve seen this year

This is the greatest video I didn't know I needed

You know you have a problem when a Bills game becomes a memorable highlight of your Christmas weekend. That's not to say that Christmas weekend with the weekend wasn't fun, because it was. There's just something about a revenge game against the Hoodie that hits the right kind of way. Also, I have gotten sick the past few days, which is why this was late and this will probably be a little short. My apologies. 1 - Allen - Before we ever drafted Allen and he was a twinkle in Beane's eye, one of the biggest things I didn't know I needed in a quarterback was a guy who just found a way to elevate his game in Foxboro. Josh had a swagger and determination in him for this game that had to make any fan feel confident. He wasn't perfect in this game, but he was pretty darn close. I still believe his toe is bothering him when he steps into a throw, but he pulled off so many trick passes that it was rarely a factor. Not only did Allen get a Patriot hurdle in, he was side-arming throws, shuffle-passing, and juking defenders out of their cleats. Josh was an absolute baller in this game and you could see how much it meant to him. It was truly a MVP Performance in the one stadium you really want him to shine. 2 - Blocking - I wanted to talk about Knox here, but Spencer Williams and Dawkins also played great games for me. There were multiple runs to the outside where our guys released their blocks at the perfect time as to not draw the holding penalty. This is something we haven't seen often and I really believe it made a difference. Knox was left on an island on quite a few plays and held his own, minus one holding penalty. Judon could only get a hit in by being an ####### with his tripping, because he was a non-factor in the game itself. Whatever scheme adjustments Daboll made, Josh had all day to throw with a back-up line and it seems they are figuring it out at the right time. 3 - Haack - 4 - Alone, listless Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room Young girl, violence Center of her own attention The mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it Tries to make her proud The shades go down, it's in her head Painted room, can't deny there's something wrong 5 - Run Defense - In hindsight, I should have noticed this sooner, but the biggest Achilles heal for our run defense are counters and cut backs It seemed like every big run came from some form misdirection where our guys over-pursued and then couldn't cut back without running into a blocked. Worse than that, Edmunds continues to find ways to get blocked. If I didn't know any better, I would think he was instructed to run into the first blocker he sees in order to free up a defender behind him. I'm not only picking on Edmunds and Hyde and Poyer are also terrible at over-running plays. I will say though, for a big guy, Harrison is moving fast and catching people on the edge. I think he may have finally figured it out. 6 - Daboll - Welcome to the party! The pre-snap motions, Allen runs, McKenzie sweeps, delayed-release blocks were all on display in this game and it led to the first ever zero punt game against the Hoodie in Foxboro. This offense was clicking on all cylinders and should have put up 11 more points (thanks Sanders and penalties. Daboll seems to have figured out his rushing attack as well as dialing up some good red zone plays. The offense is gaining speed at the right time and doing it against cover 2 and 3. Allen is taking the check downs, forcing the defense to creep up which........OPENED UP THE DEEP CROSSING ROUTES!. Only took 15 games, but we got there. 7 - McKenzie - Does this guy love having late season success or what? All I could think about in this game was him torching the Dolphins last season. For those already calling for McKenzie to replace Beasley, I think it's worth noting that they play the slow position very differently. Almost all of McKenzie's catches were outside the hash marks while Beasley typically lives between them. It was almost comical to see how easily Josh made those throws versus watching Mac. I'm torn on the usage of McKenzie in this game and concerned with all the post game comments made by all the players. I almost wonder if his benching and under-utilization didn't sit right with some of the players. I could also be reading into too much. Regardless, McKenzie was a monster out there and gave upcoming opposing coaches something else to worry about going forward. He even showed Sanders how to catch a touchdown pass (Can you tell that I'm over Sanders yet?) 8 - Holding - Jerry Hughes had a holding called in his favor. That's all I think I need to say here. In other news, Unicorns are real and wearing socks with sandals is cool again. 9 - Hoodie - I'm going to do my best to not throw up while saying this, but I think the Hoodie might actually respect and appreciate Josh. I try to avoid looking at his face as much as possible, but the way he sought out Josh after the game and attention he gave him really stood out to me. While the Hoodie has had *some* some success in the NFL, I think he was actually humble enough to pay respect to the man who just humiliated his defense on the field. It was a rare site. 10 - McD - If any other Bills team over the past 20 years played this game, the drops would have been too much to overcome. When Sanders dropped that touchdown and the holding penalty made us settle for field goal, I could feel that pit in my stomach creep in. On the last drive where we had to convert multiple 3rd and longs, I was already picturing Mac Jones leading a game winning drive against us. But not these Bills. Not the McD led Bills. They were relentless, focused, and would not be denied. They've come out flat in weeks and seemed soft for many others. In this game, they were the superior team who put their foot on the Patriots necks and pushed down until the final whistle. While the team played good against the Chiefs and Titans, I would argue this was their most complete game of the season and the best Josh has looked. I believe McD has them focused and ready for a playoff push. And right now, I don't think there's many teams that would want to face us, home or away. Go Bills!!!

I wonder where the Colts will find someone to throw for 100 yards these next two games