Chilly

There are tangible ways the defense can get better this season. Your level of optimism depends on how likely you believe they are to happen.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree because we're going around in circles at this point. I've already addressed this in my last post.

It's both. The NFL made the correct decision to not play the game. However, the NFL giving an "all-clear" to a playing surface, then having the playing surface changed and be unusable two hours before kickoff indicates, at a minimum, a failure in partnership between the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If I'm running an event, it's the day of the event, and one of my partners/vendors changes something without my knowledge or oversight, I didn't do a good enough job. If I'm running an event, I know about and approve the change, and that happens, I didn't do a good enough job. These things don't happen independently.

In general, NFL leases work like this: In some stadiums, the city is responsible for maintenance of the field - with approval & oversight by the NFL, and penalties built into the lease if standards are not met. In others, it's the team. Either way, the NFL agreements place them more as a partner than as a client. The NFL also licenses usage of the NFL brand and logos to the Hall of Fame, and with that comes additional oversight agreements, including for the preseason game. The NFL and NFLPA did multiple inspections on the field leading up to the game, including the morning of the game, and passed the field. At some point after, apparently, paint was added to the field and caused the issues, and the NFL wasn't aware until two hours before kickoff. As a partner, the NFL and HOF together set protocols for how gameday is going to go, and those protocols failed. Both deserve a share of the blame.

Feel free to browse http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr. You'll see a lot more #2 guys (like Decker, Hurns, Rashard Matthews, James Jones, Marvin Jones, etc) than #3 near the top of the standings, and the ones where you do see the #3, it's an offense where it's debatable what a #2 or a #3 is (like ARI or Seattle). That's incorrect. I'm arguing Woods has underperformed on the field the past 2 seasons and I'm using the comparison to Chris Hogan as evidence. He should be producing significantly better than Hogan based on talent and he hasn't.

You don't think the nfl has any oversight on a venue they play a football game in?

I disagree, I think Palmer is the choice. I expect Arizona to be the better team this year, Carolina's Cornerbacks are looking terrible now without Norman.

If they fix: The complete lack of buy-in, trying to mix schemes leading to a cluster of a defensive scheme, Bill Polian and others talking about how it takes a year to learn the defense, and injuries to key guys like Kyle Williams and Aaron Williams, it could be better even with similar or worse talent. Do you believe that defenses in the NFL aren't affected by what happens during the time they aren't on the field?

Austin is farther, but nor cal wins.

Agreed, and yet number two wide receivers put up better statistics than number three wide receivers all across the league.

Talent wise? Absolutely. On the field the last couple of seasons? No, including 2 years ago when he wasn't hurt. 2015 Hogan - #75 FO DVOA Rank Woods - #79 FO DVOA Rank 2014 Hogan - #60 FO DVOA Rank Woods - #64 FO DVOA Rank 2015 Hogan - 61% catch rate Woods - 59% Catch Rate 2014 Hogan - 67% catch rate Woods - 62.5% Catch Rate 2015 Hogan - 7.62 Yards Per Target Woods - 6.9 Yards Per Target 2014 Hogan - 6.98 Yards Per Target Woods - 6.72 Yards Per Target 2015 Hogan - .034 TD Per Target Woods - .038 TD Per Target 2014 Hogan - .066 TD Per Target Woods - .048 TD Per Target

I'm not taking anything out of it. The bottom line is Robert Woods hasn't been as good as Chris Hogan, who was on the same team, the past couple seasons.

You can't think of one scenario where this year's defense is better than last years?

Then lets take the OC and QB out of it: Robert Woods hasn't played as well as Chris Freakin' Hogan the past two years. I'm rooting for him to be amazing this year, but he's been anything but his past couple seasons.

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm or you don't understand how preseason scheduling works.

You guys are both right. The NFL made the correct decision, and it's an embarrassment that the NFL had to make that decision.

Supposedly the paint was applied this morning and didn't dry right, was like tar.

Broke my heart too Maybe the NFL should spend a little more of the $15B in revenue on better paint for the field...

NFL can't get the field right to play the game. Really sucks for the end of roster guys trying to make the teams, and I was definitely looking forward to some football tonight. Link to Schefter: https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/762422471144251392

Thanks Leroi!

I personally think the only issue with Goodwin is his health. He has shown some really good ability catching over the middle of the field, and he can fly. I think the kid is talented, but the health is a big issue. I think Boykin has shown way less in the NFL and I keep hearing reports of him dropping balls in our camp. No thanks.

Poor Captain Quint. Makes the joke first thing and someone already rips him off.

You're drawing a ton of conclusions from an inconclusive MRI. Rex Ryan requested it? Generally an inconclusive MRI means there was too much swelling to be able to see the injury on the MRI. It could definitely mean a tear still, and likely the Bills doctors have the best idea when they physically examined him, but drawing a conclusion that they're seeing a second MRI because they didn't like the answer on the first one is reading too much into the situation. What money have they thrown out the window by signing these guys?

Even before Ragland, Bills had lost Lawson, Lawson, Riddick. Needed linebackers no matter what happened with Ragland I think.

Really hard to judge football shape from looks. Vince Wilfork always looks like the Damn Stay Puft marshmallow man.