finn

In any event, it's so nice having a back with breakaway speed. We just haven't seen that much over the years. You have to go back to, who, Spiller maybe? McGahee might have been as fast or faster before he was hurt. I just don't remember any back running away from the DBs like Cook does routinely.

I'd like to see both of them gain experience and confidence. They're young and athletic and should improve fast with time on task. Hamlin has already hit his (low) ceiling, and Douglas' play has dropped quite a bit from last year. He's solid but not an asset. Elam has potential. Maybe he can play his way out of McDermott's mysterious (to us) doghouse.

The sheer number of things he does as well or better than anyone is just crazy. His velocity and accuracy means he can fit the ball in tiny openings, his uncanny mobility and pocket presence means he can extend plays until his receivers get open, he's so athletic he can throw while in the air, across his body, and without setting his feet, he's so fricking big tacklers bounce off him, he's so fast he can outrun linebackers and deke out safeties, and he's seasoned enough now that he can quickly diagnose a defensive look and adjust as well as anyone. Maybe most importantly, he's so extraordinarily competitive that you just can't stop him. His enormous willpower makes his teammates want to run through a brick wall for him. I mean, he's pretty much the best of Brady, Jackson, Favre, Young, Kelly, Newton, and Mahomes in one person. And he's a good guy!

Might be a long shot, but as I recall, non-playoff teams start shedding veteran players with big salary caps in the final weeks of the season, giving these players a chance to sign with a contender once they clear waivers. Would love to see a behemoth one-technique tackle to spell DeQuan.

To those who have paid more attention than I have: How does Allen's season compare to those of players who have won the MVP in the past?

He's the player whose play I'm most interested in hearing about once the All-22s come out. The stakes are high: If he did in fact play "pretty well," despite so few reps this season, that bodes well for not just the rest of the season but next year as well. Douglas' play hasn't been very good (I recall he's allowing a high catch percentage and high QB rating targeting him), and it would be great if a young, athletic, up-and-coming Elam were ready to step in opposite the excellent Benford. Still a mystery why McDermott scowls whenever Elam's name comes up.

I wanted them to try a 68-yard field goal (or was it longer?). Bass has the leg. But maybe the chance of it being blocked is too high.

I noticed Elam, Lewis, Phillips, Spector, and Milano missing tackles. Elam looked athletic but wrong-footed, Lewis looked tiny, Phillips fat and sluggish, Spector over his head, and Milano... well, at least he recovered the fumble. But Rousseau and Oliver played great, especially Oliver, and Benford was his usual excellent self. Bernard seemed to have a decent game. Was it him who almost intercepted that last TD pass?

You get a lot of "Yeah, but where are his rings?" and "Lamar has better stats," but you sense the reality is starting to sink in, and along with it the prevailing narrative, that Allen may be not just the MVP but the best football player of all time, as you say. It sounds silly, but that slide he took--the one where his momentum brought him up standing?--captures the level he's at. Everything seems easy for him now, and he's enjoying the ride. Even when his receivers aren't open, there's pressure, and he can't run, he just throws it away. No need to force it. It's easy to indulge in hyperbole, but we may be seeing something historic unfolding. I mean, the guy is only 28.

Had. They returned like eight players from injury this week.

Cam Lewis here we come. I'm guessing Bishop and Elam won't see the field. Prove me wrong, McD.

He's usually described as weighing 237 pounds, but that's his weight when he reported to training camp as a rookie. He looks more like 245, I'd say. Still 6'5", though, I reckon.

Well, given that my comments are informed only by a google search, I'm willing to believe you're more likely to be right, if you've watched both of them play. It's easy to project high hopes on an unknown.

Well, he lost to Matthew Stafford. Allen is so good, he can almost do it by himself, but the rest of the team has to avoid melting down. A very low bar the defense and special teams couldn't get over last week. Put it this way: Allen will win the game if the rest of the team (and coaches) doesn't sabotage him. That's what he's been doing all year. He's the only star, let alone superstar, on the team. Hell, he could probably take any number of average teams to the Super Bowl. I remarked earlier that I think his teammates and all the coaches should get together without him and resolve to do it for Josh. The defense didn't have his back last week. They should be ashamed of themselves after his performance.

Right. In the preseason, Trubinksy looked awful. If we have to go back years to find games he played competently, that's not a good sign. A quick google search of sports reporting on him shows that he's a slow processor, leading to bad decisions and sacks. His big arm is offset by poor mechanics and pocket presence. The book on White is the opposite: He thinks fast, sees the field well, and gets the ball out quickly. On the other hand, he doesn't have much of an arm, so don't ask him to throw downfield or in tight windows. I don't know, it sure sounds like I'd rather have White take over if Allen goes down. I don't want a flustered, mistake-prone replacement, no matter how strong his arm is. Give me a guy who'll hand it off, check it down, make the easy throws, and not turn the ball over or get sacked. Maybe this is why he was promoted to the active squad. Seems more plausible than the Bills feeling generous.

I did say I'd settle for scraps...😒

Someone cheer me up. I'm convinced the Bills will be blown out tomorrow. A vulnerable defense missing practices and starters on the road against a rested, beautifully balanced offense? A testy, beleaguered head coach against a head coach on top of the world? Give me reason to believe, guys. I'll settle for scraps.

Such a celebrated WR class: Watkins, OBJ, Mike Evans, Marqise Lee, Jarvaris Landry, Davante Adams, Brandin Cooks, Kelvin Benjamin, Jordan Matthews... Only Evans and Adams panned out over the long term. Goes to show you. Something.

The thing is, I don't recall Trubinsky being successful, like, ever. White I remember as tough as hell at least.

I hear that. Trading up for Jordan Addison or Bryan Thomas (or both) might have put us over the top, even at the expense of not drafting Bishop and/or Bernard. Allen with an elite line, WR corps, tight ends, and running backs? Who needs a defense?

Am I the only one more confident in White than Trubinsky as the primary backup?

Is it lack of talent or poor coaching? I don't really pay attention to other teams, so it's hard to be objective about the Bills. Or was the Rams game an anomaly?

Please please please be right. I want to enjoy my afternoon and evening. And week.

Before you read on, keep in mind the big picture: The Bills will beat NE (twice) and the Jets and still may go all the way, depending on a number of factors. Let's regroup Wednesday or Thursday, after we've digested this debacle of a game on national TV. Because I'm afraid that is what it will be. At home with extra days' rest, key players returning, and just feeling the mojo, the Lions will put on a clinic, scoring at will, mixing up lightning scoring strikes with long, demoralizing drives that eat third and fourth downs like candy. Two 100-yard runners, no pass rush, the secondary exposed... the works. On the other side, with an assigned spy on him all game and a rusty Kincaid and Coleman dropping balls, Allen will look mortal (he's due), throwing at least one pick as he tries to carry the Bills single-handedly. Special teams, with that shining paragon of a coach, Matthew Smiley, will lay an egg, too, just to put a bow on the afternoon. The predictable narrative will follow: America's Team wins, Buffalo exposed, Allen comes down to earth, MVP in question, yada yada. It will be a nightmare. But after a few days, we'll realize the new reality is actually not bad: the second seed (third at the worst), and a healthy team going into the playoffs on a three-game winning streak. If they go all the way, everyone will look back at this game and see it for what it was: a bump in the road to glory. Detroit 53-17.

You might check your emotions before you post; they're degrading your persuasiveness and clouding your thinking. I acknowledged that McDermott is doing a good job on offensive fourth downs. And, yes, I do think that, for the Rams, 4th and 7 just after making a big mistake is a very different situation than 4th and 5 just after making a big play. An intuitive coach would have recognized that and declined the penalty. That call might not have changed anything, but it would have shown me something that I just haven't seen from McDermott.