Sierra Foothills

Go Bills!!!

Dak's valuation is debated and he's improved but again, the player and coaching talent around him has arguably improved. I do respect Mike Sando's QB Rankings. Sando polls around 50 anonymous NFL coaches and executives to gather their opinions on the league's starting quarterbacks. He's always had Dak as a Tier 2 QB: A Tier 2 quarterback can carry his team sometimes but not as consistently as a Tier 1 QB. They can handle pure passing situations in doses and/or possess other dimensions (like rushing ability) that are special enough to elevate them above Tier 3. They typically have one or two clear areas for improvement. This is how he's ranked Dak in each preseason: 2020 12th 2021 9th 2022 11th 2023. 12th 2024 9th 2025 12th Clearly his 2025 ranking is too low and I think the additions of Brian Schottenheimer, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams have allowed him to really bloom.

The Cardinals and Raiders play in domed stadiums where the natural grass playing field actually rolls outdoors to receive sunlight and irrigation.

... and the Bills said "we'll activate you to play special teams..." You'd think he'd have become a urologist.

Who has benefitted greatly from th addition of George Pickens, Javonte Williams, and Brian Schottenheimer. Most people liked Pickens' talent. It was obvious to see. The problem is that there are strings attached to that talent.

That would be all of us. We also saw what a high-maintenance pain in the ass he was going to be. He's playing for a big contract and he still can't hide his crappy attitude and narcissism. Buyer beware.

The interesting irony of this discussion is that FIFA mandates natural grass for its major tournaments, requiring North American stadiums, including many NFL venues with artificial turf, to install temporary natural or hybrid grass fields. This included the NFL stadiums in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York. When the FIFA games were over, the natural grass was removed. FIFA's policy is driven by player safety concerns.

Regarding Ray Davis, it looks like the sophomore slump is officially busted. It possibly started with his kick return TD against the Texans but more significant was the game against the Steelers. Before the Pittsburgh game Davis had 24 carries for 44 yards... 1.83 yards per carry. Last week he had 9 carries for 62 yards... 6.89 yards per carry. The 15 pounds he dropped during the offseason has him looking more agile and it seems like he's understanding the blocking schemes better. Hopefully he'll be able to assume a larger share of touches to keep James Cook fresh for the playoffs.

In the outgoing Highmark Stadium, the Bills use A-Turf Titan 50 which has a low G-Max Rating which measures the shock absorption of the field. It's considered a soft playing surface. However the NFL will be using 2 different measures when approving playing surfaces for 2026: "the BEAST, which is a traction testing device that replicates the movements of an NFL player. The other is called the STRIKE Impact Tester, which helps determine the firmness of each field." It's not clear if A-Turf Titan will be approved but of course it's a moot point because of the natural grass field in the new stadium. That raises a separate question... the assumption that most are making is that any and all natural grass fields will be approved however it seems possible that the league will implement standards for them too.

Yes. Rosenhaus is a players agent. There's no emotion in anything he does. He's a reptile, a pragmatist. He represents Greg Rousseau and Jordan Poyer. He couldn't care less about the outcome but he's certainly happy to have his name in the news. All true. And even if Beane knew what the slimy play was, why should he go along with it? Phaq Slay, Phag the Steelers, and Phaq the Eagles. Not on our watch. The Bills have been bitten in the playoffs due to a lack of CB depth. They had the opportunity to improve at the position and worst case, prevent the Eagles, who we play in 3 weeks and could face in the Super Bowl, of a player they covet and know how to use. Exactly. It's preposterous to think this, as it's preposterous to think that McDermott and Beane are at odds. There's a nuclear stupid bomb that's hit this topic. I didn't have to hear what the player said. I couldn't care less. To the player: You're not entitled to dictate the terms of your employment. You made a slimy play and you lost. Eat it. As I said before (actually any 3 pages of a 40 page topic captures all that needs to be said but seeing as we're going around in circles, I have just as much right as anyone), the people who hate Beane so much that they can't even think straight anymore would have a field day in 3 weeks if Slay picked off Josh for the Eagles. "We could have claimed him! He was on waivers! Wah! Wah! Wah!

That's an assumption... speculation. Besides special teams, Ingram never earned the opportunity to play so it's questionable how well he understood the system. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of guys who can function as the team's 4th or 5th cornerback.

"On Thursday night, something seemed off. Targeted nine times, Pickens had five catches for only 37 yards. It was his lowest yardage output since Week 1, when he caught three passes for 30 yards against the Eagles. The other issue was his demeanor. He seemed to be, at times, a little disinterested. He seemed to be, at times, a little disengaged. On one play, when the pass was thrown his way, he seemed to run his route half-heartedly. And it appeared that quarterback Dak Prescott had something to say to him about it." https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/george-pickens-bristles-at-criticism-from-richard-sherman

Yes, he has to play enough to help ensure victory. In 16 games last year, Cook had a total of 239 touches (14.93/game). In 12 games this year, he has a total of 258 touches (21.5/game). By its nature playing football means you're one play away from a catastrophic injury. Handling the ball 7 more times each game exposes him to that no matter how well he protects himself and avoids big shots. Furthermore, wear and tear doesn't only mean taking shots. Every run is a combination of explosive movements and endurance exertion. Usage leads to fatigue. Fatigue leads to injury. The less we can use Cook and still win, the better.

Perception around the league is that the Bills are a model franchise. In the NFLPA's annual survey of teams, the Bills are currently the 4th highest ranked franchise as reported by the players. Guys like LeSean McCoy and Shawne Merriman are taken up for the Bills. The only people who think the Bills have a "perception problem" are Beane haters.

Again, the most encouraging development in the Steelers game were the contributions made by Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. It gives one hope that we won't run James Cook into the ground before the playoffs even begin.

I'm not a huge Beane guy but I am a fair guy and there's a ton of bad takes in this topic. With what I believe to be a vocal minority, Beane just can't win and any roster move is simply an opportunity to pile on the hate. The Bills wanted to improve their depth at a position that has proven thin in previous postseasons. The Bills play the Eagles in 3 weeks. The Bills could end up playing the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The Eagles have an exploitable weakness in cornerback Adoree Jackson. I couldn't care less what Slay or Rosenhaus think or want... and nor should Beane. His job is to try to improve this team. JaMarcus Ingram? Really? Would anyone care to guess at what his career earnings are? Should we take up a collection and buy him a sympathy card?

Should we call the priest? Does anyone know of any good funeral directors?

And yet advanced metrics show that the coverage on the back end has been good. Imagine this defense being healthy.

All excellent and valid points with the one caveat that Burrow will have less rust and more practice in our game... plus it's likely that Higgins, who was inactive against the Ravens will play. On the subject of Kincaid and being injury prone, soft tissue injuries, non-contact injuries, etc, there are players who are seemingly always injured, players who are seemingly never injured, and that group in between. Kincaid is verging on being injury-prone, however people want debate it. It's the same concept as "you are what your record says you are."

Not to his teammates but the sheer amount of drama surrounding him involving the media and the fans and even the front office... wow. Talk about drafting a distraction...

The bolded is technically true but an odd characterization. It's equally true that he's a former 2nd rounder who's started 47 0f 51 games in his career and was available due to medical concerns. He had 3 interceptions in a game against Jacksonville. It's not like he's Dane Jackson.

Excited? Did you have an involuntary response? It's interesting. I don't consider the Bills to be a particularly good tackling team but Christian Benford was interviewed after winning the Defensive POTW award and mentioned that he takes pride in his tackling and that the Bills work on tackling a lot in practice.

I saw that. How's it looking for the Bengals? Did not practice LB Terrel Bernard (elbow) DE Joey Bosa (hamstring/wrist) WR Josh Palmer (knee/ankle) CP Ned Boy (oblique) Limited participation OL Dion Dawkins (concussion) OL Spencer Brown (shoulder) TE Dalton Kincaid (hamstring/knee) Full workout LS Reid Ferguson (neck) FB Reggie Gilliam (knee) TE Jackson Hawes (back) DT TJ Sanders (wrist) I'm older than you. I recall the days when the Bills training staff would use a buckskin wrap to hold a block of ice cut from Chautauqua Lake during the Mayville Winter Festival. I had to check with AI just to be sure: No. A spleen injury typically causes pain in the left upper abdomen and sometimes the left shoulder, but it does not directly affect the hamstring muscles. Spleen injury symptoms: Pain from a spleen injury is generally located in the upper left abdomen, under the rib cage. A classic symptom, known as Kehr's sign, is referred pain to the left shoulder, caused by blood irritating the phrenic nerve near the diaphragm. Hamstring injury symptoms: A hamstring injury involves pain, tenderness, and sometimes bruising in the back of the thigh and has no direct anatomical or neurological connection to the spleen. The only connection suggested outside of standard medical consensus comes from a non-traditional source which claims a link between the medial hamstring and the health of the pancreas and spleen based on flexibility practices, a concept not supported by conventional medical science. Yes. Apparently he has dual strains off the gluteus maximus muscles and literally can't sit. The athletic training staff has built a suspension device that essentially allows him to sleep in an inverted but upright position.

A Venn Diagram might be helpful.