Max Fischer

Atlanta seemed to concentrate on blanketing Knox and Beasley and encouraged Allen to push the ball down the field. If so, the Falcons possibly thought it was better to risk the intermediate and long plays in that weather. Combined with Allen's off-day, it appeared to work.

On average, Buffalo weather is tricky in the winter, but TN, KC and Cincy aren't exactly nice this time of year, and can be quite miserable.

🙄

You were sayin?

Y’all continue to be so misguided on Edmunds. He’ll be extended in the $14-15M and the team will scoff at any suggestion Edmunds isn’t worth every penny. This should help explain why: https://www.youtube.com/embed/vRyp8GHVD5Y There is plenty of evidence why he’s a perfect fit for this defense.

A weekly plea to subscribe to Athletic. Reasonably priced for a plethora of good content. Especially if you follow sports other than the Bills. Don’t let this and other sources die.

Edmunds’ coverage in the middle of field helps make the defense elite against the pass. Would be a notable drop off if he’s moved. I think you mean the coaches ask Edmunds to make life difficult for opposing offense that has helped make it elite against the pass. Why move him when no one else can do what the coaches want?

Yes, but McKenzie is a jet sweep threat and if D plays man, Allen can run into open space. If zone, could be difficult to plug holes with many natural zone breakers. I didn't work early in the season but I wonder if you might see a few trial runs.

Agree. At the beginning of the season, I half-expected the Bills to run a LOT of 5-wide, which clearly didn't work that well and quickly abandoned. But as the offense has seemed to find its rhythm, McKenzie improving, a "greater" threat to run with some effectiveness and the OLine playing better, I wonder if we'll see a few more 5-wide sets to see if it works.

Probably the same thing. I don't see much difference between losing a step in speed and agility. The ability to make adjustments is also a sign of age. It happens to everyone and at a certain point the slow decline can quickly turn into falling off a cliff. Sanders may still have a few good games left but we probably shouldn't expect him to get much better than he is now.

Agree, I don't think Beasley is "done" a la John Brown, but he's certainly last a step or two, which is crucial for getting separation in man-to-man. Still one of the best to find a hole in zone but there's a lot of evidence Beasley is having a problem in man-to-man. OTOH, McKenzie is far less wile in zone but is much more dangerous in man-to-man. If only we could meld them together.

Maybe because Sanders is 34, in his 12th season and has played 175 games? Losing even a half-step makes all the difference. It happens to every player, especially those who excel at getting separation. It's just unfortunate it happened to Sanders about half-way through this season and will not get better. See John Brown and now Cole Beasley.

I may be noted elsewhere on this thread, but when I look at the Bills schedule, they also count the Jets, Saints, Dolphins (2x) and Panthers as 5 of their 9 wins. Not to mention the Texans and the Redskins. I bet it's pretty close to a -122 differential, if not worse. PLUS, the Bills LOST to the Jags. FFS, let's not get carried away AGAIN by counting this week's game as a win. ANY team can lose any week. There are no gimmies. I would have thought every Bills fan would have figure that out by now, FFS.

You claim the "media" makes up stuff Beasley says, but that just not true at all. The media, like everyone else, quoted exactly what he said on social media and on film. In fact, I've never heard Beasley say that he's been misquoted. The problem is, what he's says is untrue or at best, misleading.

You mean, quote Beasley exactly and it's the media's fault?

And some folks will put the blame on Edmunds regardless of the failure of the coaches and 10 other players.

Seems a bit overdramatic.

I think Beane has repeatedly demonstrated the Bills can handle the cap. We are in Year 4-5 and even next year and the year after looks manageable. There’s plenty of evidence that Beane has no intention of fielding Allen and bunch of scrubs, especially with a new TV contract on the horizon. Hopefully, too, by then COVID will be a thing of past with even more scientific advances and reduction counter-productive anti-vaxx attitudes.

it may soon be moot but the article doesn’t say Dawkins is officially out.

its simple. Vaxxed players are MUCH less likely to miss a game. Unvaxxed players have a MUCH greater chance of missing one or more games.

Where have you read that?

The decision not to vaxx is also playing a part.

The lack of Dawkins news is disconcerting. If Dawkins wasn’t asymptomatic, I wonder if he could get in game shape even if cleared today. Hopefully the team created a better option than Brown at LT. I had hoped Bates could play an even slightly below average LT to keep the rest of the line in tact.

Likely for the same reason it started at 1.5, Vegas is trying to push bettors to choose the Patriots. Seems very doubtful Beasley is worth a whole point.

I think differential matters to a point. It clearly indicates good and bad teams, but it’s harder to analyze without closer examination. For example, each game, an extra late touchdown scored or given up could substantially change a team’s ranking, but not a game’s outcome. IMO, the NFL is as close to parity as it’s ever been (in my lifetime). Bills lose to Jags, Bucs get shutout at home to the Saints, Cardinals lose to Lions, Chiefs looked terrible and now good, Titans are difficult to figure out, Packers almost lose to a backup QB and his hurting defense. Abundant examples every week.