finn

I loved Levy, but I've always hated that decision to keep Henry (akin to Bishop) on the bench because of his "rookies don't play" philosophy. A few years later, he kept two rookies, John Parella and another big DT, on the bench in the Super Bowl when the Cowboys were pounding Jeff Wright and the other DTs into the ground. Remember that one TD run when Cowboys ran it every single play? Levy was terrific, but his stubbornness on those two occasions cost the Bills dearly.

That's right. What I recall is that Levy refused to play Henry in the Super Bowl that year when I think Smith was injured, opting to play a veteran bench player instead. Henry, who would turn out to be excellent when finally allowed to play the next year, sat on the bench while the secondary got torched. I would be surprised if he played in the AFCC the week before.

I didn't mean you at all; I had in mind all the lavish praise media figures have heaped on Mahomes even in this down year, when he has been ordinary. It's gotten to the point that it's taboo to criticize him, which is a pretty strange phenomenon. I mean, he choked in that game against the Bengals, but how often have you heard anyone--anyone at all, at any time--ever bring it up? I don't even hear it mentioned on this board. I get that he redeemed himself since then big time, but not the extent that his meltdown, which cost his team a Super Bowl appearance, should be forgotten entirely.

Three years ago against the Bengals. KC was ahead 21-3 but Mahomes played poorly in the second half and threw an interception in overtime that pretty much ended the game. Funny how people forget this meltdown in their deification of Mahomes.

Right, they come out with very strong opinions, but when they're wrong, they don't admit it, or they make excuses. That Broussard guy who bellowed all week about the Ravens dominance over the Bills insisted after the game that he was right all along, the Ravens are much better but they basically chose to lose against a weak team. What a job these guys have! Can you imagine showing up, shouting (essentially) that you ARE manly, that you're NOT too small down there, and that you're NOT afraid of your own shadow---and getting paid millions of dollars for it?

That's what I've noticed. He's had some brilliant deep throws in his career, but he built his reputation by throwing short and medium passes to fantastic receivers who did the rest. He is also an underrated scrambler who extends plays and drives as well as anyone. His Achilles Heel is pressure, with a twist. He recognizes the blitz and gets rid of the ball effectively, but if a three- or four-man front gets in his face and the coverage is good, he is ordinary, even below average. When Tampa Bay was able to get that pressure in their Super Bowl, Beane took note, drafting Rousseau and, unfortunately, Boogie Basham the very next year, then breaking the bank to sign Von Miller soon after. In short, one key to the game is whether Miller, Rousseau, Von, and the others can rattle him on their own while Milano or Dorian keeps him from taking off down the field. Not easy, when he has Reid calling a wide assortment of screens and crossers to get the ball out of his hand quickly. At the risk of stating the obvious, the best game plan for the Bills will be to control the ball with the run game, build a lead, and force KC to play catch up. That may happen, but I suspect it's more likely that the game will be a grueling defensive battle as the two sets of coordinators, all four of them excellent, each meeting move with countermove all game long.

Let me guess: no injuries at all on the Chiefs' report.

Great use of Dorian Williams' speed and athletic ability, too. Mahomes' scrambling ability is underrated. Lamar has amazing speed and juking ability, and Allen is big, fast, and elusive, but Mahomes gets a lot of yards on his scrambles, even if he looks like a four-year old running around in his backyard.

I'm tuning out the media coverage about the KC game just like I did for the Baltimore game, but I'm still curious. Are the talking heads picking KC? And did most of them pick Baltimore?

I wouldn't underestimate KC. They're a different team in the playoffs, and the Bills had to play exceptionally well to beat them this year. I do think the Bills will win, but KC is going to show up. They won't be sending gifts our way like the Ravens did.

😄

Mahomes is do dependent on him you got to wonder if it's worth assigning, say, Elam to shadow him the entire game.

So good to see. I was thinking he was a weak link on the defense.

To be fair, the "refs gave them the game" meme is rampant. But of course so is "KC is inevitable" and "All they do is win."

Smart wife. Tell her she should apply for a job at ESPN.

I don't agree with this take. The Bills forced those turnovers, and they didn't just happen. And the score was as close as it was in part because of the situation, like McDermott going for three points because they were already five points up, and the offense running the clock down because they were in the lead. The Bills had this game under control from the middle of the second quarter on. They played smart, smash-mouth football and won. The Bills are the better team, QED.

Depends how you define "luck." If it's luck that Andrews drops a pass or Lamar fumbles a ball, why is it not luck that Andrew catches a ball or Lamar throws a TD? No, the Bills simply played better yesterday, which means they were the better team. We can debate the relative talent of the rosters, but that doesn't get you very far. All the questions are settled on the field, a harsh reality that Bills fans have had to live with forever. Yesterday, we were on the right side of that calculus. Let's enjoy it.

It really is.

Forgot? No. Chose not to? Yes. That's what baffles me. I'm not seeing nuance on his routes, at least not tonight. I'm seeing a free release into wide open space.

I'd like to hear a reporter, just once, ask these dozens of coordinators why they chose not to cover Kelce. I'm truly curious. Even if he's being "schemed open," why not cover him anyway and take your chance on the scary "scheme"? He just plods to an open spot, with no one within 10 yards, catches the ball and plods as long as he can. And the rest of the league is helpless to stop him. It doesn't make sense.

How can anyone watch this game and claim that either of these quarterbacks are elite? They both look no more than ordinary.

But that can't happen by rule because DPI or roughing the passer, right? I mean, hello? /s

It's likely just confirmation bias, but it seems every time Mahomes is incomplete on third down, the flag is coming out. First down! He either makes it or it's made for him.

My mistake. Gruden said it was Van Noy who gave Brown trouble, not Smith. See 29-minute mark of video below.

Gruden pointed out that Roquan Smith gave Spencer Brown a lot of trouble in the first matchup.