finn

This is why I'm at peace with this game, instead of feeling anxious or confident or resigned. If they lose, it will confirm that this just wasn't their year; even with they squeak into the playoffs, I'll know it's just a matter of time before they're beat, since a Super Bowl team does not lose to Cincinnati at home with this much at stake. Resignation, in short. If they win? Well, I go back to the twin peaks of anxiety and confidence. But for now, I'm just plain curious. Ah, the life of a fan!

You forgot wide receiver. Beane must be sleeping next to the waiver wire.

Oh, come on. Whatshisname has been here for ages! At least since that other guy (forgot his name) drafted ahead of him out of that college somewhere in the Midwest. (Or was it the Southwest?) Now that he's gone, we'll miss him every day, good old... whathisname.

Might go the way of Rapp and Bass in the end.

Forgive my ignorance on the subject, but why not turn him into a tight end or H-back? He would have to put on at least 15 pounds, and take some blocking lessons, but he's certainly not doing anything at the WR position. With Kincaid turning out to be made of bamboo sticks and glue, we could use someone who could block effectively and slip out for some RAC.

My fear is they'll rush four as usual, giving Burrow all the time he wants in the pocket waiting for one of the best WR corps in the league to get open against Poyer, White, and Taron, none of whom can cover for long anymore. My hope is that they regularly blitz Dorian or Bishop, both of who can get home, so that Burrow has to unload quickly, and use Hairston's speed to help shut down Chase, and (no choice) take their chances with Higgins. They'll adjust, but so can the Bills, maybe with a full suite of unpredictable blitzes. Whether they win or lose, I can see us all seeing the outcome a part of pattern we've seen all season.

Agreed on all counts. If ever there was a game we need inclement weather, this is it. Wind, heavy snow, freezing temperatures.... anything to stop the Burrow to Chase/Higgins pitch and catch show and allow us to grind it out. Otherwise, with no pass rush to worry about, Burrow might have a field day, even against an improving secondary. Just checked: Looks like light snow with no wind. Oh, well.

Who gave it to you? That's the key question. 😉

I was about to make the same point. If Elam > Ingram, and Ingram > Dane Jackson, we're in trouble if one of the top three CBs go down.

They might realize the Bills wide receivers mostly block because it's pretty much all they're capable of doing. You don't use a hammer as a screwdriver unless you have to.

Of all these, I'm most glad Reader is gone, along with Anarumo. Both of them had our number. Without having to face them, I don't see why the Bills wouldn't plan another Pittsburgh job. I mean, the Bengals are giving up 160 ydg rushing, the worst in the league. It's not brain science, especially with the incentive to keep an explosive offense off the field. (Imagine Allen throwing to Chase and Higgins instead of the cast of Gilligan's Island. Now THAT would be an explosive offensive.) The hard part will be to keep the run game going if Burrows quickly scores TDs on every possession. What a weird game that would be: lightning drive/plodding drive, lightning drive/plodding drive. BEANE! Couldn't you have found Allen even ONE wide receiver?

Injuries piling up for us, clean bill of health for the Bengals, a flag-happy referee crew, Ingram lost for nothing... the "little things" are adding up fast.

How about Taron? My sense is that Taron and Bernard aren't carrying their weight out there, and most everyone else is. (Not sure about Milano.)

That would be ideal to me. I don't want a Super Bowl victory tainted by "It's only because they didn't face KC." Time to exorcise those demons by finally smacking down KC at home in the AFCG. The perfect farewell to the stadium, too.

I want to know what is with the walk-throughs. By my count, they've led to injuries to Rapp, Bass, Sanders, Kincaid (twice now), Dequan, Samuel, Palmer, Milano, and Bernard. It's just practice for god's sake! What are they doing, throwing woodstoves to each other? So far. I suspect a reckoning is coming. They're a lovely football team, ripe for a smackdown.