PoundingDog

Another theory from the beer conversation between me and my buddy is that maybe they were trying some new downfield plays to see how it looked. Notice they targeted guys like Shakir, Coleman etc. on those plays, not exactly maximizing these guys strong traits. The real intention is to have guys like Cooper to be the main target but they want to see how defense react and what adjustment they need to add to those plays. Again I want to emphasize the word "beer" here.

Texans can still get the 3rd seed (distinct possibility if the Chiefs and themselves win on Christmas day) - that is if that is important to them.

Not sure it is a game the Bills care by the way things are going. Remember the Bills beat Jets by 3, Beat Miami by 3 in Buffalo after blowing out them in Miami. I think the Bills staff believe they know Pats, but is really after a QB change and HC change? It is kind of a surprise game for the Bills while Mayo knows the Bills offense intimately well. If the Bills need the last game, I think it will be a blowout.

Now it gets me thinking what possible new thing they can do this late in the season. Are they practicing something not being used in today's game? The one variable I can think of is Cooper. He's the new guy and the lack of his usage is noted by a lot of people. I'm sure part of it is chemistry between him and Josh. I'd guess the other part is Brady has not figure out the best usage of Cooper. There is no "schemed open" plays for Cooper yet (like they have done for Diggs before) and we know Cooper can take a heavy load of plays. Or Cooper is just not that good.

Well then I advise you watch Christmas NFL games carefully. If the Texans beat Ravens and the Chiefs beat Steelers, both are farely realistic, then you may just see Elam, Bishop, Lewis, Ingram against Adams and Wilson. The Bills would have nothing to play for in that scenario and I'd predict they sit most of their starters, including Allen. And the starters will come back to play half a game in the season finale.

Well the Chiefs kind of did that last year. Treading waters until the playoffs. Then the defense showed up and Kelce woke up. For the Bills, I have reason to believe Josh can play the role of Mahomes - just not get him injured please, even for the funny bone or whatever; continue to hit the funny bone to lose feeling on your throwing hand and it may not be funny after all. But the defense, I don't know anyone is asleep to be waken up. Are they waiting on Bishop and Elam to force management to play then in the playoffs?

Listening to Josh's post game presser, I get the feeling they are not going to show their full hand the rest of the regular season - unless in a game where if they win they get the 1st seed kind of thing. Josh said as much. McDermott's presser had the same feel where he explained why Spector started ahead of Williams and one reason is that something like they didn't want to worn out either one. And he also mentioned developing young players, which sounded like Bishop, Elam might continue to play the next 2 games. Just seems like they have a strategy in place and health is as important as the wins the next 2 weeks. If they are only going to run plays they have shown, even against Jets and Patriots, it might be tough sledding.

The Bills are following the Chiefs foot steps. I think Mahomes won an MVP before they won a superbowl. The Chiefs traded away Hill to force Mahomes taking more leadership responsibility. The Chiefs treading waters with bad teams for majority of the season this year. And today the Bills were living on the edge with a 3 win team ...

At this point, the main thing is how can they cover the inefficiency of the D Line. I'd say Bernard does not look like taking a step forward from last year. But it could be because D-Line is of no help. He's good, but not in great category. I agree with Duffy that Dorian is better than Milano. The question is can Milano get back to his old self AGAIN this season.

Anyone?

I don't know. Elam has no feel for the game in general. He's not beat outright (like chasing his guy or bit to the wrong way and can't recover) due to his physical traits. But the next level where a top CB kind of knows when and where the balls is coming (reading the nuances of the guy in front of you etc.), he's nowhere close after 3 years now.

Well, we get to see Allen's right hand in action now.

The main question now is how's Allen's hand? I kept looking at it from the moment after that running play

Maybe that's who we are. But not because what we expected weakness. Right now, this team can't get to the QB and can't stop the right without putting 8+ people in the box

This is what I'm afraid for this very imbalanced team. Once a team put points on us, on offense we start to chase points looking for big plays because the D gives them very few chances (time).

First time this season we get the sugar high Allen. No need to chase big play one after another. But the D is more worrisone. This is not a playoff defense, let alone a superbowl defense.

Wait, is Hailee living in Orchard Park now? It's none of my business of course. I thought Josh lives alone in Buffalo area for awhile now without much distraction (of course Hailee & friends would fly in from time to time) and Josh let guys like MVS to stay for a few days. And that contributed to his success this season in a small way.

Full practice Tues and Wed:

I mentioned this before. He is exactly what the Bills needs to address their DL wows. Pretty sure the Bills courted him pretty hard but not offering enough money for him to go to what he believed at the time a "real contender" Dolphins and other homage factors. In the last Dolphins game in Buffalo, he wondered into Bills huddle a few times chatting. But I can see playoff teams like the Ravens will jump in and claim him. He's playing at high level and virtually no financial impact now. Unless he's set on playing for the Bills (which I don't think he is - no real tie), any of the Chargers, Texans, Broncos, Ravens plus the NFC teams will find him valuable.

The main strategy has been bouncing the ball really high pass 10 yards to allow our guys a chance to hit the guy who's in the process of catching the ball to jar it loose. The counter measure nowadays for the receiving team is to have first line guy blocking the incoming guys to allow the "hands' guy have a clean catch. In my view, the Hollins onside kick is a lucky one, not really that clean. The other strategy is squib kick aiming for the ball and the player arriving at the 10 yard line at the same time. The receiving team player can move forward attack the ball before 10 yard mark, but the ball is bouncing off the ground with unpredictability, making the ball catching difficult. Johnson had the ball bouncing of his face mask. Again, not clean.

They should not put Johnson in that spot. Get someone like Coleman there. A new strategy is to kick the ball towards a defensive guy who rarely touches the ball.

I know we are supposed to move away from Gregg Williams' way of targeting injured player, but you know NFL is still, for the most part, a testosterone-driven contest, especially for non skill players. DeMeco Ryans is a former linebacker in that era. Do you think he'll challenge his D players to "test" Mahomes' ankles? I hope he does. In a way it helps his team this Saturday and for the rest of of the playoff bound teams, the "test" result is as important. By the way I totally get that Mahomes may play because QB does not need to push off his ankles like other skill players if you have an arm strong enough to do most of the throws. Let him. I want to see the "test" result.

Steelers D Line (and 3-4 alignment) is perfect against an offense like Lamar Jackson's Ravens. Keeanu Benton has developed into a stout NT (I like his key trait coming out of the draft - Very challenging to knock him off his feet - wishing the Bills can get someone like that at 1 DT position). The ageless Heyward is playing at pro-bowl level, very stout. When you can't push the 3 D lineman off their spot while Highsmith and Watt flying in from the outside (Watt is a very underrated run defender), if Lamar does not have his first read available to him, he's pretty much dead with no place to escape.

I think you mean if the Steelers win. In that case, Steelers have 2 games on Ravens with 2 games to go. Even if the Ravens catch up to the Steelers at the end, Steelers would win the division because of head to head results.

The Ravens. You want the Steelers to have something to play for against the Chiefs. The critical game is the Texans at Chiefs. If the Texans pull an upset (no matter the odds), there is a very good chance the Chiefs will lose 2 games for the Bills to leap over them.