finn

And don't forget the hype about Mac Jones. "Experts" were saying Allen was the second best quarterback in the division after Jones' second year.

Palmer, too. The malady has gone from his knee to his ankle back to his knee again. Check back next month, he says.

At least they could use the box of tape they would get for him.

I'm intimately familiar with the Bills' strengths and weaknesses, but on principle I refuse to watch Patriots games (Bills fans in NE will know why), except when they play us. Can someone give me rundown of where they're strong and weak, especially vis a vis the Bills? The rundowns I can find online are insipid, fatuous, partisan, obnoxious, obsequious, opaque, overly long, sophomoric, pretentious, officious, and/or dated.

Must have been the dreaded walk-through practice, that Bermuda Triangle of injuries.

If Cosell is right, then Allen should win MVP for the success the team has had and will likely continue to have. I don't understand how people can hype Stafford without acknowledging that the team around him is superior to Allen's. Anyway, if the Bills go all the way, they won't be the first no-name team to do so. Sometimes it's less about individual star power and more about team character. That's not to say the Bills have, it, but they might. We'll see Sunday.

Full credit to Cooks, but when that DB looked back and saw Allen running full speed his direction like a runaway racehorse, well, let's just say he didn't fight too hard to get unblocked.

What are you, his agent?

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. 😀)