inthebuff

Study how Tampa won the Superbowl....this from NFL.com right afterward....

David Jacoby and Jalen Rose (ESPN) were at the game yesterday! Here's them talking about the experience!

Sorry that it's misleading...I copied and pasted it from youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b35VekPOp7I

He was released by the Chargers. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31052744/source-los-angeles-chargers-release-ol-trai-turner-one-year-trade

I see what you did there. Awesome write-up. Thanks for giving us that birds-eye view look at the game. We had to watch it from home, where game was announced by the team of Al Michaels and Cris Collingsworth. They were ridiculously bad the whole game -- others have pointed that out. The wind was reported by Al Michaels to be 8 MPH. I saw the flags and the goalposts and I thought where the hell did they measure the wind from? Inside their cars at the airport? There was a play in the first quarter where Josh missed Diggs and that could have been 6 and I thought, damn, he has to put some air under it, but the wind was crazy, so I understood why Allen zipped it. Then in the 4th quarter, Huntley missed a wide open Hollywood Brown. The wind was more than brutal I thought. Phil Simms said on Showtime that the Ravens' D-Linemen's asses are so big you can show a double feature on them.

It seemed that Reich knew (scouted?) that the Colts best chance of winning was to try and replicate the Giants' strategy against us in SB XXV (yes I am that old). Score TDs when you had the ball and keep the Bills off the field - the Giants had the ball for 48 minutes and the Bills had it for 12. We know the result. Yesterday, the Colts lost the game (last second hail Mary), but they outgained the Bills 472 to 397, won the time of possession 34:17 to 25:43 through short passes (mostly to Tight Ends) and running the ball, had 27 first downs to our 22, were 9 of 17 on third down (we were 2 for 9) and 2 for 4 on 4th down. They had 2 sacks to none for us, more return yards. Our kicking game was outstanding. Josh had a passer rating of 121.6 and played tremendously. Our D? Hmmmm...Rivers killed us when we blitzed and killed us when we didn't. I am extremely happy we won. A close one, a nail biter, my heart is still thumping.

Louis Riddick spoke about this on IG -- https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAOp4o4nA5G/?igshid=9l2voxprr3yr Has to do with grooming candidates for hire.

These are really nice clubs, I've got the irons and 3-wood and I'm champing at the bit to buy that $500 driver. I'll tell you that's not an inexpensive gift!

This seems to fit this thread and is from the Athletic Sequence of the game Asked which aspect of the game made him proudest, McDermott cited the way the offense drained the clock. “The one thing that sticks out right away is the last drive by our offensive line and backs and tight ends,” McDermott said. “That’s a big-time drive with seven minutes left and to not give them the ball back when we were pretty much one-dimensional. It was very impressive.” Cornerback Levi Wallace intercepted a deep pass by Roethlisberger at Buffalo’s 29-yard line with 7:11 to play. On the next play, center Mitch Morse was called for holding to move the Bills back to the 19-yard line. Thirteen plays later, the clock struck 0:00 with the Steelers never getting on the field again. Bills tailback Zack Moss ran six times for 26 yards on the drive. Allen completed two of three passes for 25 yards and ran twice for 13 yards, not counting two victory-formation genuflections. McDermott wanted to see Moss respond. McDermott benched Moss for much of last week’s game after the rookie fumbled to set up a point-blank San Francisco 49ers touchdown. “That’s so important,” McDermott said. “Mistakes are going to happen. All I care about, all his teammates care about, is that he can reset as quickly as possible. That’s being a team player, and I thought he did a phenomenal job of that.”

Carr sick of losing

And that's saying a lot. Not gonna lie to you.. this is the one thread I look forward to. Great analysis, metaphors, and opinions. Especially for those of us who cannot get to see the games. Highlights are just that - a few seconds of the really good plays or the really bad plays. We don't get to see the insights like how special the Rams' offense is ... We see that they scored 28 unanswered points and think WTF is wrong with our top rated defense? We look at the stats and don't see how dominant #99 was. Thanks @Shaw66

Bill James developed the Keltner List of evaluation questions for MLB. I've modified it for this thread... Was he ever regarded as the best player in football? Was he the best player on his team? Was he the best player in football (or in the league) at his position? Did he have an impact on a number of playoff races? Was he a good enough player that he could continue to play regularly after passing his prime? Is he the very best player in football history who is not in the Hall of Fame? Are most players who have comparable career statistics in the Hall of Fame? Is there evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame but not in? How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? How many All-Pro-type seasons did he have? How many All-Pro games did he play in? Did most of the other players who played in this many go into the Hall of Fame? If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the Super Bowl? What impact did the player have on football history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

Like what AZ did with Josh Rosen by drafting Kyler Murray.

Bills 7 point win at home. 24-17. I'd like to see us jump out to an early lead and then establish our running game. Also, I'm under the impression that Dabs can come up with a game plan that can neutralize Aaron Donald. If not, it's going to be an extremely long day for Josh Allen and our new found passing game.

https://theathletic.com/2086946/2020/09/23/teds-film-room-these-three-quarterback-play-caller-duos-need-more-respect/?source=dailyemail Buffalo: Josh Allen and Brian Daboll There are a few reasons why Josh Allen’s development doesn’t get talked about a lot. First, there were a lot of draft pundits who weren’t very high on Allen. He had amazing physical tools but his accuracy and processing ability were lacking coming out of the University of Wyoming. Although Allen has steadily improved his accuracy, he still misses some easy passes. When he does miss, he misses by a lot, and it can be jarring to see at times and affects people’s perception of him. Lastly, the Bills offense just wasn’t very good last year — they only averaged 19.6 points per game, ranking 23rd in the league. To Allen’s credit, Buffalo didn’t have a lot of weapons, and he definitely showed signs of improvement, but the accuracy problem was evident. “Per Trumedia, 23 percent of Allen’s passes were off target, which was the worst rate in the league among those 26 passers,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell included in his analysis of Allen’s 2019 season. So far this season, Allen looks much more accurate, especially passing deep. This was apparent in the fourth quarter against Miami when he made jaw-dropping pass after jaw-dropping pass to bring the Bills back and win the game. In the fourth quarter, Allen was 6 for 8 (75 percent) for 145 yards and two touchdowns and averaged 18.1 yards per attempt. His first touchdown in the fourth quarter came as a result of playmaking ability and anticipation. Anticipation was an area in which Allen could struggle at times in his first two seasons, but it looks like he’s doing a much better job of throwing to open areas before his receivers uncover. 6:03 mark of the fourth quarter, third-and-6 The Dolphins play a ton of man coverage, so Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll responded with a steady diet of rub concepts throughout the game. In the play above, Allen had a rub concept to his right with John Brown running a dig on the backside to his left. Allen looked to the rub concept first but didn’t like what he saw. He might have seen that the No. 1 (farthest outside) receiver, Gabriel Davis, who was supposed to set the pick, had a hard time getting off press coverage and getting to his landmark. He was right because the rub was unsuccessful, and both receivers ended up being covered. Next, Allen looked to Brown on the backside, but Brown had two defenders on his side and was covered. After looking to Brown, edge pressure got to Allen, so he quickly stepped up and moved the ball to his left hand to avoid getting stripped while keeping his eyes downfield. After he got away from the pressure, he reset his base and anticipated that Davis would uncover on the scramble drill. He began his throwing motion right as Davis was breaking back toward the sideline. If Allen didn’t throw the ball with anticipation, defensive back Eric Rowe might have been able to get in the passing window. However, Allen threw a perfect pass outside of Rowe’s reach, and Davis made an incredible diving catch for the touchdown, giving the Bills a four-point lead after the extra point. Allen’s ability to see the entire field and read coverages looked improved as well. On the play before his game-sealing touchdown pass, he nearly threw a costly interception. He wanted to hit Brown on a crossing route, but there seemed to be a miscommunication. Brown flattened his route out, but Allen threw the ball upfield and hit cornerback Xavien Howard right in the hands. Luckily for the Bills, Howard dropped it. On the next play, Daboll went right back to attacking the deep middle of the field with Brown. 3:17 mark of the fourth quarter, third-and-9 This time, Brown ran a divide route. Instead of coming out in a one deep safety look, the defense had two safeties deep, but it was only a disguise. After the snap, the play side safety rotated down and became the “rat” to help on short to intermediate in-breaking routes, while the backside safety, Bobby McCain, doubled Stefon Diggs on the other side. Initially, Allen looked to Diggs but saw that was being doubled. McCain looked like he was anticipating that Diggs was going to run an intermediate route because he slowed down his backpedal and got flat-footed. From the end zone angle you could see Allen looked to his second progression, which was Brown on the divide route. Strangely, Allen looked back to his left. He might have been double-checking that McCain didn’t drop deep enough to make a play on Brown. After seeing that McCain was still too shallow to make a play, Allen looked back to Brown and uncorked a beautiful pass that traveled nearly 55 yards in the air to Brown for the touchdown. Credit to the Bills offensive line. They gave Allen enough time to look left, right, back left and then back right. I don’t know if double-checking where McCain was, was necessary. If Allen saw that McCain didn’t get enough depth initially, he should trust Brown’s speed and his arm to put the ball in the right spot. This is something that Allen will surely look at on film and take note of. Daboll has really leaned into Allen’s mobility and designed an interesting spread-option attack with a lot of two-back looks with tight end Dawson Knox essentially playing fullback. His game plan against Miami’s man-heavy team was a masterclass in how to beat man coverage with a bevy of rub concepts. I do believe the Miami defense is an improved unit. Allen just made some really tough throws against them. Occasionally, Allen is going to miss some easy throws, but if he continues to throw deep accurately and make plays with his legs, the good will far outweigh the bad.

Including the top 10.

I removed the write-ups except for two. 25. Earl Thomas, S 24. Drew Lock, QB, Broncos 23. Darius Slay, CB, Philadelphia Eagles 22. Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Minnesota Vikings 21. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants 20. Khalil Mack, DE, Chicago Bears 19. Chase Young, DE, Washington Football Team 18. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns 17. Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts 16. Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns 15. Jamal Adams, S, Seattle Seahawks 14. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals 13. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers 12. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Los Angeles Rams 11. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Tennessee Titans 10. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints 9. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals 8. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills There might not be a wider range of potential outcomes for any player on this list. The Bills’ focus this offseason was clear: Surround Allen with a strong supporting cast to see what his ceiling is. The issues with Allen’s accuracy have been well-documented. He ranked 35th out of 39 quarterbacks in completion percentage above expectation last season. When Allen misses, he often misses badly and then gets mocked on social media through a series of six-second clips. But there’s obvious talent and upside. Allen made a big leap from his rookie season to his second year, and no quarterback was more hurt by drops in 2019. The Bills are talented enough to make a deep playoff run. But if Allen disappoints, they might be looking for a short-term fix at quarterback in 2021, given that they have a Super Bowl-caliber roster. 7. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers 6. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs 5. Dak Prescott QB, Dallas Cowboys 4. Cam Newton, QB, New England Patriots 3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers 2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens 1. Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers He’s attempting to do what no quarterback has ever done: start more than six games at age 43 or older. Brady and the Buccaneers have a lot going for them. The offensive line should be competent, and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are among the best wide receiver duos in the league. Other than age and injury, the big concern for Brady is accuracy. He ranked 32nd out of 39 quarterbacks in completion percentage above expectation last season. Then again, he didn’t have a lot to work with. A popular comparison has been Peyton Manning joining the Broncos for the final stage of his career. But Manning was 36 at the time. What Brady is attempting to do is unprecedented. The NFC is wide open, and the Buccaneers have a talented defense. There’s a scenario where Brady looks like he did a couple years ago, and Tampa makes a Super Bowl run. They have that kind of ceiling.

The News is reporting that Robert Foster is being signed to the Packers practice squad. https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/former-bills-receiver-robert-foster-to-join-packers-practice-squad/article_ad3db920-f06d-11ea-9086-9341834d4209.html

Great read. As a lifelong Bills fan who has not lived in in the city in a long time, I really appreciate the optimism of your article tempered with a few "ifs". Like you, I believe that the season hinges on the offense more than the defense. And also that the offense will only be as good/excellent as Josh Allen is. If he's the 60% guy who can't get them over the top and to the final game, then we need to rebuild with a new guy. And that will take a few more years. Now it the time. Thanks @Shaw66

This is the article that they were talking about.... https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-josh-allen-jets-sam-darnold-need-breakout-seasons-to-avoid-path-of-mediocrity-210211036.html

Can this be done at New Era? https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29225313/miami-dolphins-open-drive-theater-hard-rock-stadium The Miami Dolphins will soon let fans drive their cars inside the stadium where football games are played every weekend in the fall. The Dolphins announced Tuesday that they are launching an outdoor drive-in theater inside Hard Rock Stadium that will be used to show marquee games in team history, classic movies, commencement ceremonies, concerts and more. They are also hosting an open-air theater that can host small groups for an intimate viewing experience in the complex plaza. Hard Rock Stadium became the first public facility to earn the Global Biorisk Advisory Council's STAR accreditation, the standard used for facilities to implement cleaning, disinfecting and infectious disease prevention work practices to control risks involved with infectious agents like the coronavirus.

Vic Tafur from The Athletic (pay site) writes: The top six Arizona Cardinals — under 7.5, -110 Everyone is betting on the Cardinals after they traded for top-five receiver DeAndre Hopkins. But their schedule is tough (four of the first six on the road) and I still don’t know how Kyler Murray won rookie of the year last season. He was decent, but a three-game jump from last year’s five wins seems unrealistic for him and a pretty boring defense. Indianapolis Colts — under 8.5, +180 Philip Rivers is often lumped in with the great quarterbacks who switched teams late in their careers. But 18 QBs have either won an MVP or started a Super Bowl since Rivers became a starter in 2006, and he is not one of them. He has really fallen off, and I don’t know if a great offensive line fixes a statue who throws the ball up for grabs. Plus, for all the love that the national media showers on general manager Chris Ballard, the Colts have won 21 games in his three seasons. Cleveland Browns — over 8.5, -120 As much as I wrote about how the Browns were going to underachieve last season, I feel just as strongly the other way now. Cleveland added right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency and drafted left tackle Jedrick Wills, so the offensive line is much better, and new tight end Austin Hooper bolsters a dynamic offense with Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb and Odell Beckham Jr. Kevin Stefanski may be new, but he’s a huge upgrade over fired coach Freddy Kitchens. Baltimore Ravens — over 11.5, -110 The Ravens not only got to keep both their coordinators — amazing how no team waited to raid the Ravens’ or Chiefs’ staffs — but improved their roster on offense and defense. They straight out stole Calais Campbell from the Jaguars, trading a fifth-round pick for the three-time All-Pro defensive tackle. And there is no reason to think that Lamar Jackson takes a step back either. All the Zoom meetings in the world won’t help teams adjust to him. Green Bay Packers — over 9, -105 Everyone is counting Aaron Rodgers and the Packers out this year. While I do think they were pretty lucky last season AND that Rodgers will only be in Green Bay another year or two, a four-game drop seems way too steep. Running back AJ Dillon was a sneaky good pick in the second round, as he will come in for Aaron Jones late in games and run tired defenses over as the Packers pound the ball. Miami Dolphins — under 6, +110 Miami had a magical five-win season last year, when everybody thought they were tanking. Congrats to them. But they are likely going to redshirt their first-round pick this season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and are clearly the worst team talent-wise in their division. Opponents may actually pay attention to the scouting reports of the Dolphins this season. The other 26 ... (I snipped all but these two) Buffalo Bills — over 8.5, -165 Stefon Diggs is going to have a big year, and the young Bills defense still doesn’t get talked about enough. Friendly schedule too. This would have been a favorite play, but laying 165 to win 100 is not how we roll. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — over 8.5, -300 There is absolutely no value here, as everybody thinks Brady is going to bounce back with laid-back Bruce Arians after being freed from the apparent shackles that Belichick had on him. The defense is very good and the receivers are elite, so I will begrudgingly get in line with the public.

100% agree. Let's look at the schedule Bills at home - possible W Bills away - L Jets at home - W Jets away - W Dolphins at home - W Dolphins away - possible L Conference games prediction 4-2. I can see the Bills beating them twice and them sweeping the Jets and Dolphins. I can also see them going 1-1 against us and 3-1 against the Jets and Dolphins). I don't see them going 3-3. Non-Conference Away at Texans - W at Chargers - W at Rams - W at Chiefs - L at Seahawks - L 3-2 Non-Conference Home Ravens - L 49ers - L Raiders - W Broncos - W Cardinals - W 3-2 Their record would be 10-6, which may be good enough to get to the expanded playoffs.

If Dalton signs with the Patriots -- that's a big if based on the money...let's say he does. I think that he will be a lot better under Bellichick than he was last year under Zac Taylor. Let's not forget that he was pretty good under the tutelage of that great QB whisperer Marvin Lewis. At the very least he got them to the playoffs. Now he's the one of the scapegoats for the Bengals failure of past years. Never mind that the organization is a horribly run machine. Dalton may be a good fit in New England. And he may surprise. There's a reason BB didn't draft a QB and I believe it has nothing to do with the QBs currently on his roster....or his dog.