Ed_Formerly_of_Roch

But why? Same players for the most part, same coach, Why are they worse? That's the part can't understand.

Month back I'd have been more in favor of this as thinking the Bills may be picking around #30 so a RB then isn't so bad. But now looking more like picking in low 20's so agree don't pick a RB then.

Yes that's my point. Agree too pass blocking hasn't been great, but the run blocking even worse. At least the results are worse trying to run, may simply be due to Allen bailing out the line so much by avoiding sacks. Who was the Bills QB few years ago that seemed like a gust of wind could sack him, imagine him back there now! To your last point about not working hard enough, that may be due to bringing almost the same roster back as last year minus the rookies. You look at the guy next to you and both convince yourselves how good you are based on what you did last year. Where if maybe 5 to 10 new faces, you don't have that ability to do that as easily.

Are we talking about Duke Williams here?? LOL

At this point I think I'd give up trying to run and just pass, but need to get Allen to buy into short 5 yard passes to force defense to come up, then can open up entire field. Think that was part of the difference from last year, by year end, were mainly passing, but defenses hadn't figured out yet how to defend it. Now they have, but 5 yard passes should work.

So what you're saying is Allen's a ball hog! I do wonder if during practices etc, the Bills place too much time on working on passing game, pass blocking, etc?

While the results certainly are not there, you could argue, the biggest weakness last year was the D line, he used the first two round picks, brought in Obada, and got Star back. Rest of unit basically the same. Defense IMO overall is better this year. Even last night gave up over 200 yards on the ground, but that was the entire yards gained for NE so can't fault last night too much. Certainly the Indy game the defense was gashed both running and enough passing ,as was in the Tenn game. Offensively brought the same team back, the one that went 13-3 and was the #2 rated offense last season in a year with limited money. On paper hard to argue with that, however the results are nothing like last year, mainly on the offensive line and to a lesser degree RB. They weren't all that great last year either. Not sure I'd say it's objectively better, but not any worse. Is it coaching or have the players just somehow regressed, aged fast, effects of Covid, etc??

You can do that, but then NE gets the ball to start the 3rd quarter

Not how it works! If you win the toss you can either make your choice now or to start the 2nd half. The choices you have are kick receive, or defend. If you defer you then get to make that choice in the 2nd half, but once you select one of the three, the other team picks next what they want. So if you defer NE can then either choice to receive, kick off, or defend. The Bills do NOT get to kick off and choose the end they want! It's one or the other. The thought has crossed my mind though who ever wins the toss, will they instead pick the end to defend and give the other team the ball both times.

Agree, you're stuck, maybe you don't give him Rodgers/Mahomes/Allen type money, but enough that you have trouble fielding a good enough team around him. When you have a guy like Rodgers you can get away with not having elite talent around him, "Good talent" is good enough. Instead if you have the guy who's a good step below Rodgers who needs better talent, but not enough money left to pay everyone that's needed. But he's still showed enough those first 4 years, you can't just cut him and start over as the next guy may not even be as good as the guy you just cut. So now 6 or 7 years later, you have nothing to show for it and likely if you're the GM you're now also jobless.

You probably have a better than 50/50 chance of being correct only because more QB's become flops than franchise types. I wil lsay in the past 5 years or so that trend is changing as more good QB's are entering the league. I also am wary of QB's who came from star studded college teams as hard to really know, how much did the QB elevate the play around him or did the other players help elevate the QB. But also recall Brady didn't look at that great first couple of seasons either, so will see. Think the rubber hits the road in 4 more years when due for his second contract. That's where teams get in trouble, paying big $$ for QB's that are good, but not great enough to lead a team to the top. Once the QB is making the big money, can't afford as many shiny new toys around him so the team regresses. See Tannerhill, Daulton, etc.

When I opened this thread I was expecting to read Belichick and M Jone are both on the Covid list.

Also are alot of NE fans in western NY just as all over the country. Teams winning every year change that, just like the Cowboys in the 60's and 70's

Don't too often see this, Fox is not allowing an early game to be shown on CBS in Chicago. Or is it really the Bears forcing the blackout, not Fox?? NO GAME due to blackout enforced by home team on FOX

We didn't activate Hart last two weeks when Brown was out, so don't see why that would change now.

He does that at least twice a game. Think one time he threw it at the Lombardi trophy as they didn't win the SB by enough. Always throught he should have a sponsorship with Microsoft Surface the way he throws them.

Fixed your list for you Maybe in Australian rules football you could do that!

Comments: 1. Will be interesting to see what they do in place of White. NE has two good TE's too, something we often struggle against to start with. 2. Maybe be Groot has hit the rookie wall. Seems often rookies have trouble adjusting to the longer season. Hopefully Mac Jones has the same issue next week. Groot seems to be better agasint the run than the pass which is kind of unusual for a rookie. Even Bruce Smith had issues defending the run his first couple of years, though for him think it was more due to lack of effort than anything. I'm not one to complain much about penalties as I feel the even out, but do agree I even saw the tackle leave early. 5. Knox is playing real well, TE is a tougher spot for rookies to develop, add on he really was never featured much in the offense in college. It's taken him some time, but looking real good. People complain about Davis not playing, but between Knox improving and Sanders play, it is hard for Davis to see the field. Having said thta, would like to see him in more in place of Sanders, or even Beasley. 8. Not sure I put much stock in McKenzies comments about done for the season unless there's something else much worse going on behind the scenes than fumbling the KO. 9. Not sure McD's comment are going to effect things all that much if at all. Please stay home!

That is true. Other than last week technically none were in the red zone.

Was torn on the first one. Agree a Tenn loss helps us to potentially get the #1 seed. But we're still two games behind them based on the tie breaker and can't see them losing more than 3 games at most, and that's optimistic. So not sure we can catch them. On the other hand a NE loss yesterday and a win by Buffalo next week, we'd be in the drivers seat for the division, we could lose the 2nd NE game and Tampa and still win the division as long as they beat Carolina, Atlanta, and the Jets unless NE wins out. I will also say this, last year around this same time, thought there was no way we could catch the Chiefs for the #1 seed and in the end only were one game behind them, so who knows for sure.

so in other words NE is bad in the red zone

Agree Brady worked with a tone of different RB's over the years and he did throw to them. Even there, one of the complaints about Allan lately is his lack of willingness to checking down. Remember, Chicks love the long ball!

Allen may have the opposite attraction for a running back. If I'm a RB that wants say 20 carries a game, after watching Buffalo last season why would I want to come here? Say what you want about Brady, but over the years he's used the running game more. On the other hand if you're a WR or even a RB that likes making catches out of the backfield, Buffalo and KC are the places to go. I'm sure they can improve the running game in the off season, both by changes to the line and RB too, but not everyone would want to come here.

I'm sure the NFL would agree with you, but unfortunately for the them the NFLPA would never agree to that without getting something huge in return. It has to be agreed upon between them. Wouldn't shock me in the next CBA in all sports there will be more written in about pandemics, etc and what can and can not be done. Both sides will want more assurances.

Think having a good having a strong armed QB like Allen does give an advantage over other teams when playing here in bad weather. But overall would the Bills be more effective playing in good weather or inside as today are more of a passing team. Even in the Kelly days, we ran the ball extremely well so we could adapt to the weather. Seem to recall an early November game against the Cardinals, the Bills won like 10 -3 on a late Ken Davis TD. No one could do much of anything all game as winds were huge that day. Assuming Henry were to come back for post season (is that still possible or is he done, haven't heard lately) and it were 65 degs and sunny in Nashville or 15 with 25 MPH winds in Buffalo, would the Titans themselves rather play the game in Buffalo?