finn

There's the rub. Brady did wonders at LSU with Burrow, Chase, and Justin Jefferson, which a dead rabbit could do wonders with. Give him merely an MVP quarterback, a solid set of tight ends, and one of the best lines and running backs in the league, he doesn't do so well. Poor guy! How can anyone expect him to thrive without two All-Pro receivers also?

I wonder how Burrow would do the Bills receivers and line. Not very well, I'd guess.

You think Milano still has gas?

I guess the big question now is, Was this because the Bills run game was that good--or that the Steelers run defense is that bad? Watching the breakdowns, it sure looks like it was the Bills line, tight ends, and receivers each doing his job perfectly and just blowing open holes. Can they do that against New England? At least Shavers, Hawes, and Knox can block effectively. Silver lining!

Bequeathing him Chase and Higgins at the expense of defensive improvements isn't supporting him adequately? Funny, it's sort of the opposite of Beane's preference of investing in the two lines and only throwing a few dog treats (Palmer, Coleman, Samuel, et al) to Allen for receivers. So one quarterback throws to elite receivers and ducks for his life, while the other has all the time in the world behind an elite line but no one but safeties and cornerbacks to throw to.

But we have Brady calling plays. So.

A few thoughts: a) I'm glad the film guy gave credit to Kromer as well as Brady; b) depressing that we couldn't hit a long play-action pass off so many successful runs--and didn't even try; c) mindlessly calling the same 10 plays is a Brady special that is not going to work on better teams, and I'm concerned that, far from learning from the losses this year, most of which are on him, he's now going to double down on his tendencies, making the Bills offense an easy target in the playoffs; d) we have us a gem in Hawes, Shavers is a terrific blocking receiver, and the two backups look like keepers.

It was supposed to be a wide-receiver screen for no gain. Someone screwed up. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Brady is that clock, and one of his two moments has come and gone.

Or sign him so when they waive him we can sign him. Can't beat that Carolina imprimatur.

I'm starting to get excited about the Bills defense. Seems like McDermott has decided to assume the coordinator role, and the results are impressive: better tackling, more aggressive attitude, a renewed determination to force turnovers. Or at least what I think I'm seeing and hope will continue. They've struggled with tackling against the run, and if they really have fixed that, as it appears, they have a chance to be excellent, barring injuries. Shaq for Bernard is a key change, as is Poyer for Rapp. Sanders at end might be something. Still concerned about the pass rush, so it's not all daisies, but I do think this unit could do its part and more. Maybe, just maybe, soft zones and bend don't break have been shelved. Offense... I keep thinking of those games--New England, Houston, Atlanta--where the D gave them a chance and they didn't take it. I've made Brady my whipping boy and stand by that take, but I think they can do better despite his input. Allen could audible to different plays, Cooks could end up being a late-model Diggs, Kincaid might not be injured the second he returns. Heck, Brady might even stumble across "play action" while browsing online some night and boldly put it in his game plan. Admittedly, it would mean the end of his quest for the NFL record for runs on first down, but he might be man enough to put his ego aside for the good of the team. A fan can only hope. EDIT: I meant say all this by way of agreeing they have a chance to go all the way to the AFCCG.

Not sure about Milano--did you see something I didn't?--but I agree Poyer has been solid. He can long chase down anyone if he takes a bad angle or is out of position, but he's seldom either, at least the last few games. Good signing by Beane, who has been criticized for dumpster diving. White was solid yesterday, too. But let's see how they do against Burrow and Chase next week before we look into playoff tickets.

No argument here. As I said, the stars aligned for Brady's offense, since the conditions, including the injuries you mention, dictated a game plan that required no imagination, insight, flexibility, or any other quality except a play-calling sheet about four inches long. Like the proverbial stopped clock, even Brady is going to be right once in a while. But consider: a competent coordinator would have also stuck with the run in the second half, since it was starting to click, in large part because the defensive turnover and late hit on Allen fired up the team. But that competent coordinator would also have mixed in a few potentially explosive plays that the constant running set up. Even Shavers or Coleman can catch a long ball if they're not covered.

Sounds good. But you misspelled "Brady."

Reasons for optimism: Allen, all three running backs, Cooks, Hawkes, offensive line, McDermott taking over as defensive coordinator, overall veteran moxie, Benford, Bosa, Hawkes, Gilman. Reasons for pessimism: Milano, Poyer, Bernard, Brady, Coleman, another six Kincaid injuries forthcoming, decline/misuse of Shakir, Brady. (Did I mention Brady?)

Well, more precisely it worked in the second half. This board wanted Brady's head on a stick in the first half, before the defense unilaterally turned the game around with the two turnovers. Brady's game plan paid off because of that momentum shift, but up to then it was spluttering--again. Say the Steelers scored a field goal at some point to make it 10-3, not an unreasonable scenario. We would then have been treated to more of Brady's "passing game," likely with no more success that up to that point. The stars aligned for Brady yesterday because the defense gave him the perfect conditions for his limited repertoire of plays. When the Bills next face an opponent that can stop the run, or the defense doesn't dominate, Brady's glaring weaknesses--no creativity, adaptability, or flexibility, and utter predictability--will once again be on full display. Yesterday might have been a Pyrrhic victory, since a loss might have finally prompted McDermott to fire Brady, and the new coordinator might have helped them win out. Now, we're stuck with Brady and his JUCO-level play calling for the rest of the season. I still have hope, since the defense might have found an identity and we still have Allen, Cook, and an offensive line. But on the other hand, we have Brady, who might end up cancelling out all those advantages all by himself.

Not so solid when he did an ole-tackle on Washington in the fourth quarter. I don't blame him in a way; Washington outweighs him by 75 pounds and he was running full speed. Still, you can't pass up tackles.

I don't know, they looked pretty good against the Ravens offense.

It's that kind of season. They have fire, but only sometimes.

Depends on the QB, eh?

Cash in on the lopsided time of possession. The Steelers defense has got to be spent.

Me too!

And theirs will be tired.

Bodes well for the fourth quarter. (See Ravens game.)

Josh is going to be sore tomorrow.

This is a team that can tackle. McDermott should take notes.