finn

I think the D will hold Washington to 25 points or less. What worries me is the D line dominating the Bills O line, especially Brown. Yes, you can chip on that side, even keep Knox or fifth lineman in to help, but then you have seven players covering four receivers, with pressure coming up the middle and from the left, forcing short throws all day into rolled-up coverage. Basically the formula that helped the Bucs beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Consider too that the Wash. D-line may be better than the Bucs was, and the Bills O-line worse than Chiefs O-line back then. I still think the Bills prevail, simply because the Wash. linebackers and DBs aren't particularly strong, so YAC should be significant. And while Brown truly sucks in pass pro, he's an effective run blocker. So let Brown and Torrence cook for Cook, work in some play action off that. I'm also looking for a break-out game for Kincaid. Bills 28-21

It's always a puzzle to me how commentators blithely compare quarterbacks--all the usual stats--without taking into account the play of their receivers, running backs, and lines, and whoever is calling the plays. Yes, a truly great QB will stand out despite weaknesses in all these areas (arguably Allen is one), but OF COURSE it matters if one QB is throwing to two or three stud receivers while the next QB has none, or the first is playing behind a stellar line and the next is dodging rushers on every play, and so on. You have to wonder what nobodies would have been stars with better protection, receivers, backs, and/or coaching, and what Hall of Famers would have been nobodies without at least some of these benefits.

And he's still only 14 years old!

Yeah, and someone named Puka Nacua leads the lead in receptions after two games.

Maybe like pro bowler Jaire Alexander, taken two slots later.

I get a sense the loss to the Jets might be a blessing in disguise. They have no illusions that they can just show up to a game and expect to win. Plus, they seem to thrive on being doubted. Last year's anointed status never did seem to sit well with them.

I'm not a hater, but Buffalo Rumblings did a piece last week that showed his leading the team in tackles was a deceptive stat in that he was making most of them way behind the line of scrimmage after being destroyed by blockers, including tight ends. I think the lesson is that he could be special IF he's kept clean by the DL.

Did we just see a game with competent, fair officiating?

Ravens might beg to differ.

Pitch and catch with Adams.

Slow safeties?

Nice drive--and against a good defense, too; the Raiders are covering and tackling well.

A very small part of me wants the Bills to be blown out so there's no illusions left and they really take stock of what they have and don't have.

That would be ironic, if it turns out it was Frazier all along keeping a mediocre defense elite. Not so easy, is it, Sean?

I'm hoping they use him to jam Tyreek Hill when they play the Dolphins. Disrupting their timing be the only way to slow down that express train since Tua gets rid of the ball so quickly. Bonus is shopping him to teams that play mostly man defenses. He's a good player, just can't play zone well, evidently.

Me, too. If the Bills lose, it's just awful. But if they win, even in a rout, it's nice, but like, ho hum.

My rebuttal is that Davis would be a bottom-tier WR on teams that do not have a top-three QB. Allen is connecting with him even though he can't get open because of poor route-running and lack of ability. Even then, he drops passes at a high rate. You see in Diggs what Allen can do for a top-flight receiver. You see in Davis what he can do with a mediocrity.

Agreed he has to play smarter. No question. But I would argue that those spectacular long balls to Davis would be double or triple in number if Davis was a true WR2--OR if Allen's protection were as good as Mahomes'. I'm overstating the case a bit, but the bottom line is that I think Beane would have done better securing an elite O-line and set of receivers for Allen than invest so much in the defense. I would trade a KC-quality line and a Bengals-quality WR corps for a weaker overall defense, wouldn't you?

So Gabe has lousy hands, is a poor route runner, and isn't particularly fast. Nice to have him as the WR2. Really helping the team.

I'm not saying he should only throw deep. I'm saying he can't throw deep (without turnovers or sacks) because Beane hasn't given him the weapons or the protection he needs to do so. As for running, he can't be as reckless as he has been, but designed runs and scrambles that end with a slide should remain a key part of his arsenal. Teams can take away the deep ball because Beane has given Allen only one receiver and they can pressure Allen instantly because Beane has been fine with mediocrities like Brown and Saffold. And the don't have to worry about his incredibly effective scrambling now because McDermott has now taken that off the table, unilaterally. I stand by what I said: Beane and McDermott don't understand what they have in Allen. They're playing to his weaknesses and neglecting or even discouraging his strengths. And we're seeing the result: cognitive (and physical) dissonance.

Beane and McDermott are blowing it. They have what could be a Hall of Fame QB, and they misusing him. His genius is the deep ball, improvisation, and running. But instead of a) protecting him; b) giving him deep weapons; and c) leveraging his running, which terrifies other teams, they're unilaterally disarming him and the team. The O-line an afterthought; NO top receivers besides Diggs; and no more run plays for him, with scrambling heavily discouraged. In short, they're collaborating with other teams to neuter this unicorn of a QB, a true generational talent used properly. What a travesty.

Didn't the same thing happen in the Green Bay game last year?

I have the sense other NFL players just don't respect Gabe Davis. He may be a good blocker, but he's not much of a threat as a receiver. I wonder if Beane will pull something off. Trade Elam for a decent WR?

Until Monday night, I've always had in mind the Allen from the 13-second game, and I've rationalized away every bad performance since then (bad day, bad line, bad elbow, bad receivers). But the Jets game was something different altogether. He didn't just have a bad day; something was very wrong. Now he appears ashamed and bewildered. Not a good emotional state for a comeback.

Isn't this kind of problem--a QB who's lost his way--one of the key responsibilities of a QB coach? I mean, what is more important? If he's biding his time waiting for another OC job, having potentially the best QB in NFL history melt down on his watch isn't what he wants on his resume. Short-term solution for McDermott: Fire the useless Brady and bring in a coach Allen will learn from, not some ambitious wannabe.