Low Positive

They're not thinking about the draft. Mike Brown's got Hendrickson on a one year deal and has an out in Higgins' deal after this year. He was all in for one year before slamming that checkbook shut again. Flacco is only to act as a bridge (a free one at that) to Burrow in December.

Looked at it again, from the endzone view. He looks at Johnson first, who doesn't turn around. If that had been a screen to him it would have worked. Then he looks back to the middle, where if Knox had just turned around he would have had the first but as you pointed out he ran right into coverage. Then he takes off because he's got a free rusher. If Knox picks up that corner blitz, the play to Johnson works for more than the first. If Knox turns around, they get the first. Everything went wrong that could.

No, I'm talking about two plays. The other one was a sack at 12:43 in the second quarter where they somehow got two free rushers while one OL (Brown) just stood there because his guy dropped into coverage. In both cases, the protection wasn't set to pick up the blitz.

The Bengals haven't beaten the Ravens since the 2022 season. Last year, they lost to them twice. You can throw records out when the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers play each other. That's why you cannot take nearly as much from last night as people on here want to.

But then why is Dawkins standing there like an idiot with no one to block right after the snap? It happened on the 2nd quarter sack too, when Spencer Brown was standing there with his pee pee in his hand with nobody to block while two free rushers were closing on Josh on the other side of the play. Nobody from Brady to Josh Allen seems to have any idea where the blitz would come from all night. Ulbricht called one heck of a game. And just to check, I looked at key downs in both the Carolina and Washington games and I cannot find examples of them blitzing a corner and dropping a DE into coverage. Looks like they pulled it out for this game, and the Bills couldn't adjust. Too bad, because the game was winnable into the 4th quarter, and the season would feel entirely different if they had pulled that one out.

Let's take a look at the failed shovel pass play. Like so many key plays in this game, the Bills lost this one at the LoS before the snap. Here is what Josh saw just before the ball was snapped. What will happen is that CB AJ Terrell (circled in blue) will blitz, while EDGE/OLB Jalon Walker (circled in red) will drop into coverage. There is nothing to indicate that this is what will happen from how they're lined up. Obviously, nobody anticipated this, because what ends up happening is that Terrell comes as a free rusher because Knox doesn't pick him up, while Dawkins stands there with no one to block because Walker (his guy) dropped into coverage. FWIW, the play was always to Ty Johnson.

A lot of guys can't tackle Bijion Robinson. At least Cole took the correct angle and was there to make the attempt. Just like when guys get "posterized" attempting to block dunks; I don't want them to stop trying to make the play just because they failed.

Did the Browns hire Rex Ryan without telling anyone?

Duper and Clayton? Rice and Taylor in 1989 both had over 1,000 yards in 16 games under the old rules. Heck, Jefferson and Addison come close right now.

And I don't believe all that "love ya" family stuff would survive a sustained losing streak. If they lose in Carolina and to KC at home to fall to .500 with a 4-game losing streak, the wheels will start to come off this bus. I hope that I don't see that. Just as an example, two years ago the Eagles went on a season-ending losing streak after their OT victory over the Bills. They almost fired Siriani, but instead they forced him to fire his hand-picked staff. Roseman hired the new staff, and made Siriani a CEO type with little control over the offensive or defensive sceme or play callling. We all know what happened next. But that can't happen here, because our org chart is all messed up with McDermott having hired Beane. I don't know what to do, but this team feels stale and needs a shot of energy in the worst way.

Well then, he's gotta go. You can't win in this violent sport with a bunch of milk drinkers. That's probably my biggest complaint about McDermott. It's his job as an NFL head coach to manage those personalities. So when things went out of control with Diggs, that's on him. Now he wants to avoid those types of personalities, even to the point of making it a major point in draft decisions? You can't build a team like that.

I stand corrected. But the point stands. His injury came just as the Josh and he were starting to make a connection.

This might be a bit of rant. It probably should be it's own thread, but I don't start threads. Got knows we have enough negative ones around here this week. The entire Bills roster lacks swagger. My biggest complaint about our coaching staff and front office is that they are afraid of big personalities. I miss Diggs screaming "I AM HIM" after TDs. Ja'Marr Chase, who everyone here watched for the first time this year last night in awe, has swagger in everything he does. He walks into the stadium with his junk in a wheelbarrow. He demands a minimum of ~12 targets a game. If he doesn't get them, he'll complain to the beat reporters after the game. He does this after wins. He claims he's "always open," and should get the ball even if he's double covered. He is not about the team. He is about HIM. Higgins is quieter, but he still demands targets. Burrow does a fantastic job not only getting them the ball, but also managing the egos. The Bills actively avoid this type of personality, instead looking for "humble and hungry." I'm tired of process guys. I want players who impose their will on other people. I want players that, when they get embarrased like the Bills did in the first half on Monday, don't hang their heads in shame but want to tear the other guys heads off. To paraphrase the great Larry Bird, we need dawgs, not a bunch of milk drinkers. This was after a loss, but this is what I want. I want great players that KNOW they are great and are not afraid to tell everyone that they are great.

He would have been back, but the Pats had mountains of cap space, and they used it to overpay him. Nobody would argue that he's earning that contract in New England (4.5 million for 9 receptions for 70 yards in 6 games), except that by spending that money the Pats made their division rival weaker. I think they signed both Diggs and Hollins out of spite. Vrabel and Kraft are petty like that. I wish Beane were petty and refused to deal with KC, but that's a topic for another discussion.

Palmer was supposed to do that. And something was starting to change in the Atlanta game. They obviously came out with a plan and Josh was working the ball to Palmer in the intermediate to deep areas in ways that he hadn't this season. Then Palmer got hip-drop tackled, and that was that.

This is all coming from an Instagram photo that Waddle posted of himself in Highmark with a Bills logo in the background. It was the first non-ad post to Waddle's page in years.

Those slants and screens that everyone who watched the Bengals for the first time this year are crediting to offensive genius Zac Taylor only started being called in the second half of the GB game. It only took the genius 14 quarters to stop calling plays like Joe Burrow was out there. I guess better late than never.

Librarians read nothing cover to cover. We just know where to look stuff up.

There is a lot in there, but it’s a dense read so nobody except psychopaths like Bill Belichick and Andy Reid have actually read it. It would be like reading the OED or Encyclopaedia Brittanica cover to cover.

Let’s put this topic to bed with the only authoritative source on the matter. Here it is straight from the NFL rulebook Article 7. Plays Governed By The Line To Gain The dead-ball spot is reviewable to determine whether it was short of, at, or beyond the line to gain. Notes: 1) For purposes of a replay review, forward progress is determined when a player with control of the ball is controlled by an opponent and driven backwards. 2) A challenge is successful only if the ruling of whether a new series was awarded is changed, regardless of whether the ball was moved closer to the line to gain. 3) Following review, the ball will be placed at the correct dead-ball spot, but the challenge will be successful only if the line to gain ruling is changed. https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#article-7-plays-governed-by-the-line-to-gain

Also, I think the Saints have to lose in Chicago on Sunday to be fully pushed into the sellers camp. Remember, the deadline isn’t actually for 2.5 weeks.

AFAIK, you cannot challenge a spot. It’s a judgement call. Like a coach can’t challenge a spot if he thinks it should be 3rd and 1 instead of 3rd and 3. The Challenge is if the runner made the line to gain. So, even if they re-spot the ball, the challenge still fails because it was a challenge of “ runner failed to reach the line to gain,” not a challenge of just the spot. People here in Cincinnati think he’s an incompetent idiot and bad play designer being kept in a job by the otherworldly talents of Chase, Higgins, and Burrow. They salivate about getting Burrow a real GM like Roseman and a play designer like McDaniel/McVey. And he has a dumb smirk that drives people crazy when things go badly. Sound familiar?

I would agree with you. But when a bad thing happens to the Bengals and especially if it makes Zac Taylor look inept, I am in full support it. I love all stupid rules if they make Joe Burrow sad.

Remember, you’re dealing with a Pats team whose owner’s entire identity is tied to winning super bowls. The Pats will overpay because they are under a mandate to compete right away. The Steelers also see a huge need at WR after the Bengals horrible secondary schemed DK out of the game because their other WRs are non-factors. And they need to win THIS YEAR because it’s all they get before they need a QB again. So there are limited options and competition. Someone will overpay.

At this point Coleman’s trade value is tied to other teams pre-draft analysis of him. Every team in the NFL would have a scouting report on him as he was a top 50-75 prospect on every team’s board. They may think that the Bills haven’t been using him correctly and that they can develop him. I think if another team puts Keon in the slot, he’ll develop and make this place explode. But the Bills need him to be something he’s not, and they keep trying to force that square peg through the round hole.