finn

Yes, but I suspect the inconsistency has to do with losing focus, which they are more likely to maintain in the playoffs, as they have in the past. And the injury train may stop (we certainly have had our share), while the injured players--Bosa, Oliver, Palmer, Bernard--all could be back for the playoffs. (I have the least confidence in Palmer; for some reason, I think he's dogging it.) As for Brady... you might have a point. He's doing a bit better lately, but my confidence in him remains very low.

"Slightly better"? Allen is one of the top three candidates for MVP despite playing with the worst receiver room in the league and having Brady in his headset, while Mahomes has a good to very good set of receivers and a HOF playcaller. Allen has by no means been perfect, but he keeps racking up the game-changing plays. I doubt there's a team in the league that wouldn't take him over Mahomes, who doesn't seem like the same player he was two years ago.

Right--and do the same for your own team so you can surprise your opponent by breaking tendencies.

Yes, and maybe McDermott, too, in the case of Babich and Brady. Babich might turn out to be a terrific coordinator, but it's pretty clear he wasn't ready yet to take over play calling duties. And Brady.... Let's just say I hope he lands a head-coaching job. In that sense, I'm totally in his corner. If he does move on, I really, really hope McDermott looks outside the organization for a replacement. He should be able to attract top candidates.

I was being facetious. Still, sometimes the obvious eludes the wise, as per your misreading of my post 😉

The man needs more color in his house. What's with the wintery shades in a wintery climate? That can't be good for his recovery. Get a few Bills blankets and pillows, man.

A gratifying stat, but I always resist the notion that one quarterback beats another. Yes, there is some willpower involved--willing one's team to victory, coming back in the fourth quarter and all that--and I don't want to discount that. But head to head doesn't account for myriad other variables, especially coaching, injuries and teammates, that affect the outcome in ways the quarterback can't control. Allen has outplayed Mahomes every time he's faced him, except for the first playoff game (when, IMHO, McDermott held him back), yet his team lost. Does that mean Mahomes is better anyway, as the stat you cite implies? So I think the stat has some merit but has to be considered in the context of many other factors. (All of which I am happy to manipulate to make Allen come out on top. 😀)

I'd like to know how much the Bills invest in scouting their next opponent. If I were them, I'd put a whole squad on prepping for games down the road, especially important ones. I'd hire a dedicated expert on every divisional opponent studying tendencies, even monitoring fan forums like this. I'd also have a working group, not just one person, on quality control, studying the Bills patterns as much or more than the opponent will. The personnel needn't all be top people; a bunch of smart, eager interns could come up with all sorts of valuable intel. Sometimes I think this forum knows more than the Bills coaches. Somehow, I don't think this is happening. My guess is that the team has one or two scouts and one quality-control person. Anyone know for sure?

Agree. You can get a lot more value picking for positions like nickel, safety, and running back in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds that you can looking for defensive line, which is Beane's fixation. Instead of a backup, which is all Solomon, Carter, and Jackson will ever be. Yes, you can hit on a Walker once in awhile, but you're playing the long shot instead of the more sure thing.

One of the best talents, I grant you. But he never was or will be a great player for the very reasons we agree are his strong suits: grit and willpower. Both disappear if he's not in the mood to play, much like Pickens. He made that spectacular catch in Minnesota, but too often he disappeared in the clutch for the Bills, most notably in the 13-second game and in 2023, when he literally dropped the ball. No Hall of Fame votes from me. I'll remember him as a shot of adrenaline to the team and a critical piece of Allen's development, but also as a peevish, choke diva. I agree he'll show up on Sunday. He thrives on spite.

Who replaces Poyer at safety then? His expiration date is coming up fast.

Cam Lewis has been abused for his poor play in that game, but he had at least one brilliant pass breakup. Hairston almost had one, too, getting his arm between Higgins' outstretched arms but not quite sweeping down in time to knock the ball away. There was one other similar play, forgot by who. It looked like the Burrow and Higgins were playing pitch and catch, but a closer look shows the secondary played quite well overall. Similarly, the pass rush played better than it seemed. Burrow gets the ball out so fast that you just can't get there in time. Better to get your hands up, as they started doing in the second half. That's a hell of a quarterback. I would take him second only to Allen. (And would take Stafford, Maye, Lamar, Prescott, and even Mayfield over this season's version of Mahomes, whose play is starting to match his demeanor.)

I was a bit lazy in my post. Watching the game again, I thought the defense did a better job than I thought, and the Bengals' success was more about Burrow and Higgins than any other factor. How do you stop accurate, quick passes to big tall receivers? Allen is the better quarterback because he's bigger, faster, more creative, and with a stronger arm and more dog in him. But Burrows' icy calm, uncanny accuracy and quick release are extraordinary. Reminds me of Marino.

Yeah, this is a worry. A soft zone and no pressure is a bad combination when you have reliable receivers, as Burrow showed us last week. I'd like to see a more aggressive defense, even it it means a few long plays. Better than a demoralizing series of third and long conversions up and down the field all day. Alternatively, they could study film and look for patterns to exploit, as Bernard did to intercept I think Mahomes earlier in the season. But with their bye, it's more likely the Pats will have studied the Bills' patterns. (Of course, to master Brady's full playbook, you only need to watch a single series, so maybe they went skiing instead.)

You mean Brady had no answers. Inexplicably, he watched his quarterback get hammered play after play and didn't bother to dial up more protection. Not much was working anyway, so why not try max protect him like he did last year? It was like the Patriots game when Brady inexplicably benched Cook, his best skill player, in crunch time. Even so, I think they would beat Houston in the playoffs, as long as the game was in Buffalo. The second time around even a slow study like Brady will be able to adapt. I think.