Dr. Who

Hard to imagine any division being softer than NFC East this year. OTOH, I think we will be better next year and playing good teams is a plus if you win a fair number of those games. It gives a young team confidence entering the post-season. I think Josh and the team will make a leap partly because I trust Beane to significantly upgrade the playmakers on offense.

Pretty sure when nightmares have nightmares that kid shows up.

The fella is a tool, but at least he doesn't have a demonic clown child for an avatar.

Current social arrangements and mores are always enlightened and retro views are ethically tainted, because schools, Hollywood, twitter, etc. The groupthink of reputed iconoclasts seems ironic and funny to me, but it will be explained that dissent is only moral when it implicitly agrees with the consensus of the correct folks and institutions.

I think he would be a steady veteran presence and he's good enough to win you games. I think he's an adequate starter, actually. I don't believe there will be a future qb controversy because I think Allen is better than you surmise and will be even better next year with an added year of maturation and better playmakers on the team. Regardless, Dalton is an upgrade to Barkley and strengthens the overall quality at the most important position on the team.

Dalton would be a nice add.

I really haven't read anyone who did not admit the meltdown in the fourth and OT. So, I think everyone "accepts" that. All the same, if you go by the letter of the law, the Bills have points off the second half kickoff. The Texans played an entire game and had zero "in play" penalties. There were numerous pretty obvious "non-calls" that should have been in the Bills' favor and one obvious "call" against Ford that shouldn't have been. Bills are not yet good enough to overcome nearly all the breaks and nearly all the calls going against them.

I think that is a plausible strategy and you are probably right. I am not convinced Ford is the future at RT. I'd rather have a solid FA there who is younger and maybe a bit better than Nsekhe, but I can see them giving Ford another year. Personally, I'd like to bring in a bruiser with some speed at rb. JK Dobbins from Ohio St. will probably go too early for when you would want to invest a pick at rb. I don't know where AJ Dillon at Boston College is projected to be available, but I'd like that kind of back. Maybe Christian Wade will be a fun surprise. Love to get either Jefferson or Higgins.

Don't really disagree with any of these. I'd like to see Ford moved to guard and sign Conklin in free agency. I think Gore needs to be replaced by a young rb with power. WR#1 is top of the list.

I believe the comment you are responding to is sarcasm directed at the negative folks on this board. Appreciate the favorable words and I believe you are likely correct. Still need a few pieces, but the trend is pointing up.

That was my first thought, as opposed to the camp bodies comment which is the equivalent of the ubiquitious and seemingly obligatory "Super Bowl" comment every time the team signs someone who isn't a super star. It's never funny, but folks think it's clever. I'd love to see what Wade can do with a year of learning the sport under his belt.

Offense needs to move Ford to guard and sign a truly capable RT (Conklin or Beluga), they need to replace Gore with a young hammer, and they absolutely need a big, fast, true #1WR. Those upgrades and Josh Allen making a leap next year comparable to what he accomplished this year would equal an offense capable of matching the D in level of consistent play. Wanted Metcalf in the second and in retrospect, hard to argue he wouldn't have been a better choice than Ford.

Okay, I don't think I have to defend unacceptable behavior for my point to be valid. I've certainly been tempted to ignore certain individuals. There are a few who seem to never offer anything but a tiresome, mean-spirited, and often stupid crusade. Thinking that does not mean everyone with a negative criticism is a jerk. I appreciate thoughtful criticism and I try to take it into account, even if I ultimately dissent.

Well, I am not amused by the "realist" crowd who think that those with a different take are all a mob of "rainbows & butterflies" optimists. I don't happen to like Daboll's playcalling for the most part and I think McD will fail if he doesn't eventully learn to trust Josh Allen and let the team go for the kill rather than turtling with a lead. Allen needs another season of developing and the offense still needs upgrades on the oline, rb, and wr. If all that happens, and it's not ridiculous to think it could, the process will work out fine. If it doesn't, it won't, but most so-called homers are arguing for the plausible, not the certain.

The convergence of alienating bias and utter stupidity. Thanks ESPN, it's why you're so beloved around the country.

The announcer bias was really egregious.

No doubt the baked potato has more insight . . . on pretty much anything.

I never know how that posting thing works. Every time I try to post a funny meme or the like, it always seems to be a too much space situation. Board is missing out on comedy gold because I am incompetent in figuring out such things

Hapless posted the grid for last year and this year. Just by looking at this year, one can determine how Allen is performing relative to the rest of the league. Green is above average, yellow within the average, red below. In order to see the actual improvement (or regression) one would have to look at last year's grid for Josh. When one does so, it is evident that he has improved significantly, especially in throws before the los and in the 10 to 20 range right and left side.

I think these concerns are legitimate. There's a lot to like with Allen and some of the habitual detractors on this board are trolls or the equivalent -- an unintentional troll is perhaps worse. OTOH, there is definite ambiguity about Allen. I think his floor is tantalizing adequate starter who never puts it together enough to be consistent. That's not good enough for the number 7 overall pick and it won't win you Super Bowls. So, he won't bust, but he could be a fail given draft position and resources expended. However, I believe considering factors of character and ability, plus the general competence of the front office, it's still considerably more likely Allen develops into a true franchise qb.

I think there is some semantic drift involved here. What you are calling good appears to be past the threshold of established franchise qb. I am calling good adequate starter with upside. I agree that there is a gap between where Allen is and the franchise qb we all hope he will become.

Perfect.

I wouldn't trade Allen for either one of those guys. Lot of Allen's play is dictated by tactical decisions based on the superlative quality of the Bills' defense. Allen's first year was skewed by terrible o-line and virtually no playmakers. Allen is a good qb who is likely to get better. Sorry you see a different narrative, but I think you are wrong.

The Texans have made a habit of losing wildcard Saturday. They're not one of the NFL darlings that routinely get calls. They have a porous defense. Josh Allen has faced a string of tough defenses. The Texans are not that. They are a team that can play well, but also is mercurial and throws out the occasional clunker. They lost big to the Broncos, for example. Especially if Fuller is out or unable to contribute beyond a decoy, which will become evident fairly quickly, they are not an offensive juggernaut. On balance, the Bills are probably the more talented team and they are better coached. It's not implausible that Buffalo wins. The Texans could also win, but a blowout Houston victory is not the most likely scenario and so it is not at all "just being realistic" to subscribe to that narrative.

Fella has built a whole career off of that voice.