smuvtalker

This. I have zero problems with the Bills being excluded from the spotlight. I hate to say it, but it seems like every time the national media starts to hop onto the bandwagon and start giving us props, we immediately proceed to embarrass ourselves in primetime, and it's usually a blowout. We don't even make it competitive. I'm just fine being ignored. At this point we haven't earned any attention.

This. I don't think Allen has played poorly at all these last four games. I'm not a Josh Allen apologist at all, in fact I would consider myself one of his harsher critics who hated the pick. The strides Allen has made this year have been tremendous, and they aren't flash-in-the-pan type of improvements either. He has legitimately worked his but off, and it's paying dividends in full. These last four games, defenses are eliminating the deep ball and making Allen beat them with the short and intermediate stuff. And in my opinion, Allen has demonstrated excellent patience, progressing through his reads, and smartly going to his 2nd, 3rd, 4th and check-down options. He hasn't been quick to just tuck it and run like years past. He's been happy to dink-and-dunk and just take what the defense gives him. Let's also not forget that for the past four weeks he's been without his #2 WR and fastest deep burner, his starting TE, and his line has been patchwork since week 2 basically. Like drought pointed out, pretty much all of the INTs haven't really been his to blame. Josh Allen is playing fine. If you ask me I'd even go as far as to say I've been impressed with how he's handled these past four weeks. Has every game been pretty? No. Has he made mistakes? Sure, what QB doesn't? But I am very happy with who we have behind center, and the beautiful thing is this kid hasn't even come close to reaching his full potential.

I respectfully beg to differ sir. If we manage to beat some of the teams that are favored to beat us, say the Steelers and the Seahawks for example, first off that's two more W's in the win column. And if we manage to beat them, I'm guessing we found some formula that we know works and can continue to employ that formula against the rest of our opponents. And if we can beat the Steelers and the Seahawks, I believe it would make beating the Chargers, Broncos, Pats that much more realistic. I completely agree that if we are able to do this, how we're perceived by everyone will obviously change a great deal. But beating the big boys IMO would directly affect the outcome of the season when all is said and done.

That's why the second half of this season is SO very important. IMO, how we fare in these last 8 games will ultimately reveal the Bills for exactly what they are. And what they are remains to be seen, because so far this year, we have beaten the teams we were SUPPOSED to beat. Now its time to take it to the next level and start getting those "signature wins". Beating the teams heavily favored against us. And until we do, can we call ourselves anything more than a decent football team?

Damn.....just damn. That's not the most encouraging thing to see. I thought for sure he had more than that in his n time here. Okay I'm gonna revert back to my resident sunshine lollipops and rainbows guy and predict that McDermott will beat TWO teams this year that he can add to his signature win resume. My two most likely are the Seahawks and Cards.

Okay, one of our resident stat guys, or info treasure trove guys, please tell me McDermott has at least one or two "signature wins" in his entire 3 year tenure with us...surely we beat one or two teams who finished the season in the top 10 in the standings....

What was the Cowboys record last year when we beat them on Thanksgiving? Other than that, I got nothing...

I played RG from my sophomore year of college til graduation. I can honestly say that having a positive relationship with my QB, for me personally, motivated me to block better for him. Not to say that I didn't do my job no matter who was behind center, but when the QB and I were friends, it made my job just a little bit more important. And same with the RB. I used to block for Kevan Barlow, and he and I were roommates. I didn't mind pulling, and knocking heads off to pave the way for him. Just my two cents.

My condolences to your fantasy team, lol. Naw but seriously, the mere fact that we sit at 4-0 in the division right now gives me a good level of confidence that we'll win the division. Anything can happen between now and then, and if I had to make a guess at our seed, optimistically I could see us with the #3 seed. But we have alot of work to do defense-wise. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm happy I'm able to, I'm not worried at all about our offense. While Allen's numbers have dipped since his MVP-worthy first four games, to me he's still playing excellent football, making smart decisions with the football, having a much better feel for when to tuck it and run vs checking to his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th options. IMO today, the wind didn't seem to bother his throws at all. The majority of his passes were crisp and on the money, and as much as I love Davis, he absolutely should've had that touchdown catch to seal the game. I mean he's made several veteran-like catches this year, that ball should've been an easy TD for him. And to see our running game show up today, against a team who's strength was run defense, well that was just awesome. Feliciano deserves much credit for that. I pray Morse can recover from that concussion, because I'd much rather prefer Feliciano at guard then center.

Agree, I'm VERY concerned for Morse. That totally sucked seeing him go out, especially with getting Feliciano back. With the concussion protocol, and this being his I don't know how many, isn't he likely to miss two games at the very least??

Now that I've had a little while to calm down from today's emotional roller-coaster ride, I actually feel good about this game. Do I think we'll win? I can't say that I do, however it certainly can be done. Seattle has already proven that their defense is suspect. The additions they've made have been upgrades on paper, but the bottom line is they can be scored upon, from the ground AND through the air. Someone mentioned in another thread that perhaps now that Buffalo has gotten the proverbial monkey off their back by beating New England today, that they may be able to settle down a bit, and play looser. I can definitely see that being the case. Having Brown back in the lineup and at 100% was immediately noticeable today, IMO, and finally getting the running game going was very encouraging, considering that NE's strength on D was stopping the run. Feliciano was a sight for sore eyes, and we are a COMPLETELY different team with him in there. I expect to see more of the same next Sunday, and I know Allen will be able to capitalize on some play-action. I think this is the week we finally get our offense clicking on all cylinders. The defense though.....Russell Wilson at this point in the season is the unanimous MVP and it's not close, and if we couldn't stop Cam Newton, two future used car salesman and a FedEx delivery driver, I don't have alot of faith in us stopping Russ & Co. If Josh Allen plays his best football, a shootout is my hope for us to sneak away a victory. Either way though, a loss to an NFC opponent, specifically a team as good as the Seahawks, isn't that bad. But I'd love to see us steal one like this to give us wiggle room down the home stretch if we were to lose one we should've won...gonna be a great game and I'm pumped regardless.

I gotta say thank you for this post. This is the most upset I've ever been after a win in my entire life as a Bills fan. But your post put things in perspective...I forgot that as bad as the Patriots have been this year, the mere fact that they'd lost three straight made them both a dangerous and desperate team, PLUS a division rival. They fought tooth and nail til Cam's fumble. We won, and in the end that's the most important thing... Thanks again...I feel better now.

I hate to admit it, but I feel you may be right...maybe I'm still a bit emotional after the game, but in my heart I feel we'd have a real tough time beating the Steelers, Ravens even though they just lost(but both losses were to the two best teams in the NFL), Chiefs, Titans...it can certainly happen. When our offense is clickin, I believe we can score on anybody. I just don't see our D makin enough stops.... I really, really, really hope we get this turned around, and quickly. Being the resident TBD rainbow sunshine and lollipops optimist, I still don't see it happening, not with so many missing pieces and injuries...this may be something that won't be able to be addressed until the off-season.

I did notice that. Usually he stands out in the wrong way, but he did seem to be in on a few positive plays today....i thought Marlowe played well too....

I have never been angrier after a win than I am today. Heck I really can't recall a time when I was more than perturbed after a win, but today I'm quite pissed. Thank God for the W. It puts us squarely in the driver's seat to clinch the division, so yay for that, especially with the schedule shifting to the major leagues from here on out. That defensive performance today was straight crap for the most part, and what has me so damn pissed is Frazier and McDermott's lack of adjustment...while I do consider Bellicheck one of the greatest ever, I give him no credit for what the Pats were able to do to us offensively, I more consider it a colossal failure by Frazier and McDermott to have this defense prepared and up to the MODEST challenge to stop an offense that before today was well below average AND missing key starters on that side of the ball. Yet they made Cam Newton and a bunch of no names look like a well oiled offensive machine. And had Zimmer not saved the day, I have absolutely ZERO doubt that the Patriots would've scored a touchdown on that drive. I would bet my life savings on it. Frazier, IMO, needs to go. And McDermott needs to step up to the podium and man up and answer some questions about why this team is so ill-prepared on defense, why it is playing so damn soft, and why it appears, when it matters most, we can't stop ANYONE. A defense playing with no heart is a direct reflection of it's head coach IMO. Sorry for the rant guys. This one's gonna take a minute to digest....and I still can't believe I'm saying this after a win.

Dancing on the high ledge.... My nerves are really bad right now...I'm relieved we won but McDermott and especially Frazier got some serious splainin to do....

I just couldn't bring myself to say it....until you said it for me, thank you... He needs to be off the field if this is the best he can do week after week....after week.

MONGO!!! Great blocking on that drive, and way to pull Moss into the damn end zone with you!!! We missed you buddy!!

Agree 100%. I have really been impressed with how Josh has become a much more patient QB and is willing to take what the defense gives him. I have watched him do this successfully several times, although we don't have the TD's to show for it. But alot of that is due to drops, penalties, missed FG's, AND not having Brown out there was HUGE. With him back in the lineup and at 100%(or close to it), I expect to see the Josh Allen and Bills passing offense of week's 1-4. But you hit the nail on the head, I too am nervous about stopping their running game. I would love to believe that the D we saw in the 2nd half of the Jets game finally turned the corner, but part of me is still bothered by seeing an 83 year old Frank Gore look like he was 25 again. Regardless, this game, IMO, will be the first of many W's against the Pats for hopefully the next decade or two. We owe em...bigtime. Bills take care of business in Orchard Park on Sunday.

Fitzgerald played the year after I left in 02, but I got to meet him my senior year when he was a senior at Valley Forge, he made multiple visits to Pitt. Good kid, humble, down-to-earth, and even though he struggled academically, he was a good student of the game... If Lawrence transferred to Pitt I would spontaneously combust like that Asian karate master in Big Trouble in Little China. 😄

Well said. I think alot of my thought process was focused so much on "tradition", and leaving things as they are seeing as though I feel like if it ain't broke don't fix it. But I'll be dammed, if I stop and put myself in these kids shoes, I would want a say in where I went too. Excellent freaking post, wow. Breaking down how Archie went through a season leading the conference in attempts, completions AND yards and only finishing with TWO WINS?? Dammit if I wouldn't want to be on that team OR go to a team like that out of school. Very, very good points man...

My senior year at Pitt in 2001, when I was about to graduate, I had narrowed my job choice to two options, Hewlett-Packard in Atlanta, or IBM in Charlotte. Literally ALL of my buddies chose to go to HP in ATL. Being from Northern VA, I chose the option closer to home, and went with IBM in Charlotte(for less money I might add). While multiple factors weighed in on my decision, I made an emotional choice rather than a logical one, and one that if I had to do over, I most certainly would've chosen differently. I have to admit you, amongst several others in this post, have made a valid point about making the best decision to secure a better/more stable for one's future. I can't blame them for wanting to do that, and I appreciate all of your perspectives. The only thing I hold onto is, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but I feel like the draft is a tradition that is as much a part of the league as, well, anything. It was created to promote competitiveness amongst the teams, to prevent the best teams from basically snagging all the talent away from everyone else, and by gosh I think it's working just fine. Seriously though, if we change things to allow college athletes to go wherever they want when they come out, where does that leave the bottom feeders year after year? Free agency is great, but by itself I do not think it's enough to balance the scales.

I remember hearing something about that several years back but never dug it up and read any more about it. And i had NO idea whatsoever that Kelly did something like that, wow.....I mean he is my favorite player of all time. It's not the most shocking thing I've ever heard, but still definitely a surprise... But I still don't agree with it. For arguments sake, those of you who think that college players SHOULD be able to dictate where they go or don't go, what do you think should happen to/with the draft? How do teams remain competitive, especially in relation to superstars coming out of college?

Again, count me in the minority, but that's just how I feel regarding the topic. Sure, when I graduated I did have a say in where I went, but it certainly wasn't the National Football League. And had it been, I would've been happy getting drafted by whatever team selected me. Like I said, I think I'm more of an old-fashioned spirit in the sense that I respect tradition. I get what you're saying. These kids are thinking about their future, and in the Not For Long league a single decision can be the difference between a 5 million dollar contract and a 500 million dollar one, a long, wonderful 15 year career or a 1 and done. I get that. All I'm saying is personally, I don't like the idea of turning the draft into an afterthought. If we start letting these college kids dictate where they end up going, how will teams remain competitive outside of free agency? I envision days of the only teams to have the big name stars being the Cowboys, Steelers, Giants, etc...kinda like the Yankees in MLB. Like I said, that's just my two cents... I totally understand that part of it. These kids are wise to seriously consider coming out early with respect to risking a career ending injury. If I was back in school and a junior and someone told me I was a guaranteed 1st rounder if I came out early, it would definitely be something I'd have to think about...

Count me in the minority here, but I have a problem with these kids coming out of college and dictating where they will or won't go. It really rubs me the wrong way. I remember when Eli came out, and basically said he refused to go to the Chargers. They ended up swinging a trade with the Giants and got an extra 1st rounder, or two? I can't remember. But even back then, I thought to myself, "what a primadonna". And I don't have anything against Eli, but I'm old school. I'm of the belief that playing in the National Football League is a privilege that less than 1% of the population ever gets bestowed upon them, and to be selected in the NFL draft is an honor of the highest level. The NFL draft is a tradition that has gone on for as long as it has without a hitch, and was designed to promote competitiveness amongst teams. Now you got these kids coming out of college, with everyone in their ear, telling them how great they are, how their crap doesn't stink, and they can tell the NFL where THEY want to go....really? I'm sorry, I just don't think it should be that way. IMO, you go where you're drafted. If you have a problem with that, there's always the CFL, Arena football, the XFL, whatever. But no NFL for you. You had the chance, and you chose to make a statement "I'm bigger than the NFL." So godspeed young man. I know I may be alone in my thinking, but I feel like if we start (or continue) letting these kids dictate where they go when they're drafted, or say where they won't go, we're setting ourselves up for further chaos and audacious actions down the road. Furthermore, we're jeopardizing a tradition that has been a part of the league for damn near ever, and messing with the competitive spirit the game revolves around. Just my two cents..