BillsFanForever19

If you're expecting or even hoping for that... you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Gonna be some changes. Bass is gone. There will be players coming in and going out. But Brady, McDermott, and Beane are safe. No question.

Bass is done.

Holy crap - that's a nasty hit to the head on Shakir. F-ck!

God I hope I'm wrong bc it would be a game changer - but that's gonna be a "call on the field stands" type of play. If they called it a fumble, it would stand. Calling it down by contact, that will stand.

Put Elam in at CB. Douglas isn't ready. Send more blitzes - middle of the field is being eaten alive regardless. Punch at the ball every opportunity you get.

Douglas is playing, but he's clearly still hampered. He's not keeping up with anyone and missing anyone who makes a move on him.

So, so many posters wanted Shakir cut for Isabella.

Might as well just start blitzing on every down. There's no one covering the intermediate area anyways.

How in the blue hell is Travis Kelce running down the field wide open with no one around him?

I feel like we shouldn't count our chickens before they hatch. Cautiously optimistic though, fingers crossed 🤞

Not specifically. But if the Doctor he sees is under the feeling that 6 days is too soon, they can be overly critical of symptoms and fail them simply because they aren't comfortable being the one to make the call and put themselves on the line for a quick turnaround that could potentially lead to another head injury in quick succession. Especially following what happened to Tua and the fact that Taron has a long history of head injuries. Again, I want him to play. I think he will. I'm hopeful he will. But I feel like a lot of posters are setting themselves up for disappointment by refusing to see any possibility that he isn't cleared. It's literally coming down to the wire.

Neither do I. But it would be unwise to think that it's impossible that league PR isn't also in play. Clearing a guy of a head injury in less than a week and then he takes another head injury that causes damage and they'd come under fire for clearing him so quickly. Again, I'm all for optimism and I have my fingers crossed he's cleared. But it's coming down to a decision by a doctor within hours of kickoff - regarding clearing a guy of Concussion Protocol in less than a Week. So cautious optimism is as far as I'm willing to go.

I've seen that. And I've seen the quotes from him. But all it takes is one concussion specialist for the League to say "I'm sorry, but 6 days isn't enough time" and all of that doesn't matter. Again, I'm very optimistic and i'm really, REALLY hopeful he gets cleared. But it's not a sure thing until it is and there's things at play that can supercede everything we've seen and heard.

Yeah, it seems a lot of people are bypassing optimism for blind optimism. I really hope he plays. And considering he was on the field every day this week says to me he cleared a lot of the stages of protocol fairly early. So that's a good sign. But the fact remains that 6 days in Concussion Protocol is an incredibly small window. There are examples of people doing it in a week. But less than a week? I don't know how anyone can be so sure that's definitely going to happen. I'm extremely hopeful. But I won't be remotely surprised if the league doesn't clear him, regardless of what he's been saying.

Yeah, but we really don't have a choice but to have only 4 active. There's no other LB on the Practice Squad other than Klein to call up, even if we wanted to. And McDermott wouldn't throw someone on the field on Defense in the Playoffs who's been in the system for just three practices (two of them walkthroughs) - ruling out anyone being brought in for this week. Maybe he'd have considered Kirksey, but he'd have to have been coaxed out of retirement and might not be in game shape. So I don't really see the tea leaves there, even though I really hope Bernard does play.

Chris Godwin would like a word.

No, this has no barring on that. He's a camp body with high upside given his pedigree and speed. They won't be relying on him, but if he shows something and stays healthy, maybe he develops. He's basically an exact copy of Andy Isabella this year for the 2024 season. Probably a guy who ends up on the Practice Squad, but has an outside chance of making the bottom of the roster.

A futures deal? That's odd. Usually don't see that until the season is over. Didn't know you could sign a guy for next season when the season is still going. Either way, cool little signing. 2020 2nd Round Pick out of Penn State. Tiny guy, but blazing 4.36 speed. With just Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir, Deonte Harty, and Justin Shorter under contract next season - he has a chance to make it as the 5th or 6th WR on the roster, depending on what we do in FA and the Draft. As a "futures" signing, no.

Sam Martin is good to go then. No way they'd make this move otherwise. Leave the spot open. If we win and something happens to one of our RB's, bring Lenny back.

It would have to be A.J. Klein way before anyone else.

I'm really hoping he does. But logically I just see it going the same way as Douglas last week. DNP all week in Practice, given a Questionable designation - hoping beyond hope he makes a miraculous recovery by game time - only to be Inactive. On one hand, there's the thought process that the season is on the line and desperate times call for desperate measures. On the other, there's a chance that if they push him too hard, he could be lost for the Championship games if we win.

I think it's more substantial than you're giving credit for. Sure, Dane did well on Monday in Benford's relief, but defending Mahomes is a different story. And I forgot to mention going from Bernard to Klein. It's highly unlikely he suits up. Luckily, we have Dodson coming back and will likely have Douglas and Johnson. But to say it "shouldn't make a difference" that we don't have Milano, Bernard, and Benford against a Super Bowl champion personnel is downplaying things.

Yeah, I don't know how being down maybe the best true Outside Linebacker in the NFL, going from a top level performing MLB to a journeyman fresh off the couch, and having only 1 of our 2 starting Outside CB's, banged up if he even plays at all, "shouldn't make a difference". We have the QB and the weapons. If we lose, it will be due to the Defense not being in good enough shape to stop Mahomes and our Offense not running on all cylinders enough to keep up. Beane has assembled the team. It just comes down to them executing at the right time.

I doubt it. Both that they're scouting him for OC and that he doesn't keep the gig. Whoever they hire as Head Coach is going to want their own staff. They aren't going to hire someone and say "we already have chosen your OC". Especially since he wouldn't be replaced for some time after they hire a HC, if it were to happen at all. And honestly, I don't see them replacing Brady. Brady has done a tremendous job since replacing Dorsey. He's been in the building working with Josh since last season. I doubt they're going to say "this is working, but I think we can do better". The job is his next season.

Yeah, when I hear a player say they're fine or they're playing - I'm just like "that's nice". Too many times in the past I've heard a player say they're ready to roll and then game time comes and they're inactive. These guys are warriors and active game checks are so much that most of them would go out there with their leg hanging off if they could. Posters put too much stock into what an injured player says. The only thing that matters is their designations and what the doctors and coaches decide when the time comes.