Dr. K

Slate Magazine weighs in (prematurely, I think) on the Patriots poor play recently. https://slate.com/culture/2020/10/patriots-bad.html For my part, I will not believe the Patriots are done until they are buried at the crossroads with a stake through their heart. Please, Buffalo, make an old man happy and sweep the SOBs.

Even though I have come around to think he is a good coach, I don't think he's had a "signature win." He's done a lot of things right but the Bills need to win some games against teams ranked in the top five of the league. I think they can do it, but we've yet to see it. Meanwhile, I'll settle for them beating the Pats next Sunday. Even if they're only 2-3, this would be a step in the right direction since Belichick has had their number since God was an infant.

One of the virtues of working the short game and taking a long time to work their way down the field, if they master this style of play, is that they will control the clock and keep high scoring offenses off the field. That will force opponent defenses to loosen up and take chances, and the Bills will have more opportunities for big plays, which they demonstrated they can do in those first four games. They will become a more complete offense, harder to predict or shut down.

With all the injuries on defense, and the loss of some key players like Brown and Ford on offense, I can't see how anybody thinks this is going to be an easy victory.

Exactly. It's a test of intellect and of character as well as of simply physical ability. If you don't have the horses, you can't win the race. But sometimes a team has enough talent to win but not enough of a strategy or coaching or intellect or character. Then there's always the element of pure dumb luck or bad luck. The combination of all these things makes the game fascinating. (This is true of other sports as well, or course). Right now the Bills are in a very interesting and uncomfortable place. They started so well, they have many of the elements that could make a superior team, but that does not mean they have them all or that they can make use of them. It really is up to them--the coaches, the players--to react to what has been revealed and make the next step. I have high hopes but like all Bills fans I also fear the looming catastrophe. I want to know what happens next.

Bledsoe was a statue in the pocket.

We're the Punctuation Police. Get your jurisdictions straight.

"Brat" is not the best word for this guy. He threatened to rape a woman who charged his roommate with rape. That's more of a problem than his punchable face.

This is exactly the way I see this. It will be interesting to see which Bills team shows up. I have the feeling they will at least come out stronger at the beginning. And Josh Allen is not going to give up.

Yes, the defense has been weak. But the the team as a whole never looked as unfocused this season and never made as many unforced errors as they did last night. Though I don't expect the defense to have some kind of complete reversal, I do think that the offense and special teams will look better. If Milano and White are healthy, the defense will be better. If Brown can play, the receivers will play better. I think Allen is mentally tough and will also bounce back. I still think it will be hard to beat the Chiefs, but the Bills are not as bad as they looked in Nashville.

At the very least this loss should focus the Bills attention on their weaknesses. I don't know if they will beat the Chiefs, but they will be more focused and play a better game. I think it's a good thing to have the talk of MVPs and Super Bowls quieted for a while. Too much hoopla. They need to concentrate on playing better and beating the team that they are playing each week.

Average Bills drive start, their own 17. They started drives on their own 9, 9, 3, and 10 yard line. Average Titans drive start, their own 46. They started drives on the Bills' 16, 30, 12, and 18 yard line. Scored TDs on every one of those drives.

It's one loss, a bad one, but one loss. Move on.

A complete clusterf***. The Bills would be wise not to dwell on this game. Just swallow the humiliation and start over. Go forward, not back.

Too many mistakes. The missing players don't help, but the Bills look ragged.

After four games I'm in 21st place. Might not seem so hot, but it's probably the best I have ever done at this.

I, myself, always go for the clowns.

I said was catchable. But you're the guy who said it "hit him in the numbers" which is demonstrably untrue. Either you didn't remember the play correctly, or you feel you have to falsify reality to make your point.

I cant let this go without speaking out. Yes, Beasley might have caught that pass, but it was nowhere near "hitting him in the numbers." It was a rocket thrown at his knees, and would have been a very tough catch with no chance for YAC. Go look at it again. Allen is routinely throwing much better passes now than that one.

Wish Allen had not taken that sack but at least he did no throw it into coverage and get intercepted. They do keep me on the edge of my seat. It's never easy, but 4-0 is nice.

Two seasons. The Bills did not score a defensive touchdown in 2018, nor in 2019. They are way overdue.

Until the Bills win more games, they are a 3-win team. I've been a Bills fan far too long to take anything for granted. They started 5-1 in 2008 and ended up 7-9. They started 5-2 in 2011 and ended up 6-10. And if there ever were a season when you ought not to count your chickens before they are hatched, this Covid-19 altered season is it.

I don't know how some fans lay it all on the coaches when the players just can't do the job. Plus, the Rams were on fire, and you have to give them some credit.

Right. I can't argue with that: it is a problem. But on the evidence of the first two games, I think there is reason to expect the offense to score more than it has in the past, and that includes in the third quarter. We''ll have to see. I think the Rams game is a big test.

The Bills offense ran 8 plays in the third quarter, on two possessions. One of them started on the one yard line after the goal line stand. It's not surprising that they did not function well in that circumstance. The big problem was that the defense could not get off the field, letting the Fins grind out long, time consuming drives. I would not draw too many conclusions from this so early in the season. If the offense had more chances in the third quarter, I am confident they would have gotten it moving, as they did in the fourth.