Roberts inactive this week is my prediction...

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Hebert19 said:

1.   Love roberts and think he is fantastic at his craft...but he has also made some bonehead decisions the last few weeks that cost us some field position.  

 

2.  Mckenzie showed he can handle punt returns and may actually be more dynamic there.  

 

3.   Tucker can and will boom it into endzone as much as he can with roberts out there so kick returns aren't a huge dynamic this game.  

 

4.   Allows us to activate Stills.  Stills Beasley Diggs Davis and Brown sounds like a nightmare to cover and may take away their desire to blitz.   3 of those guys can score in a second in single coverage and Beasley and Davis are great outlets.  

 

We need weapons here and dressing Stills helps with that even if he just runs go routes 10 or 15 times to make them respect that opposite Brown. 

 

Working with players to coach them up and avoid boneheaded decisions is what coaches are there for

 

One good game doesn't wipe out McKenzie's history, and the Ravens are noted ball-hawk artists

 

You contradict yourself - if having Roberts in affects the game, then why wouldn't we have Roberts in?

 

Why on earth do people keep wanting to see players activated after like, a week on the squad, who were released from their previous team because they slid down the depth chart and weren't getting it done?

[John from Riverside]

1 hour ago, Hebert19 said:

1.   Love roberts and think he is fantastic at his craft...but he has also made some bonehead decisions the last few weeks that cost us some field position.  

 

2.  Mckenzie showed he can handle punt returns and may actually be more dynamic there.  

 

3.   Tucker can and will boom it into endzone as much as he can with roberts out there so kick returns aren't a huge dynamic this game.  

 

4.   Allows us to activate Stills.  Stills Beasley Diggs Davis and Brown sounds like a nightmare to cover and may take away their desire to blitz.   3 of those guys can score in a second in single coverage and Beasley and Davis are great outlets.  

 

We need weapons here and dressing Stills helps with that even if he just runs go routes 10 or 15 times to make them respect that opposite Brown. 

You’re insane McD totally relies on his veterans he is not going to take Roberts off of a playoff game roster

 

[Mr. WEO]

So they can insert....Stills to run fly routes with Brown 10-15 times a game?  The Colts showed Brown zero respect last week.

 

No  need to mess with the lineup.  It's winning.

[Freddie's Dead]

7 minutes ago, FLFan said:

Roberts actually has 3 fumbles this year, 2 lost on 63 total attempts.  He has 1 fumble last year, and 2 the year before all on similar attempt numbers.  MacKenzie has not fumbled because they do not let him return kicks.  In 2017 he fumbled 6 times in 21 punt return attempts for Denver.  His first year in Buffalo, he has a similar ratio until they turned the punt return duties over to Hyde.  Perhaps he is better now, but there is no way in hell McDermott is letting him return kicks if Roberts is healthy, in a playoff game no less.  Ridiculous.  

 

I said in another reply that Roberts should be the return guy.  Sorry I had the number wrong at 4, I saw that at a bad site.  It's just that everyone reflexively says that McKittrick is a fumbler.  While once perhaps true, it isn't anymore.

[hemma]

Veiled Stills thread.

Don’t see it happening.

[Magox]

The game in large part is about trust and doubly so in the playoffs.  The Bills trust Roberts.  End of story

[Reks Ryan]

No way they would deactivate Roberts and deemphasize special teams.   Baltimore has always had top tier sold special teams since Harbaugh arrived.  Bills will need very good performance just to make ST a break even for the game.     Although the OP's point #3 about Tucker booming through the EZ is valid.   

[Success]

I hope not. Give the guy a mulligan - he has been spectacular all season.

 

In decades of watching this team, I can't remember being so excited about returns.  He can flat out make plays.

 

[CommonCents]

2 minutes ago, Success said:

I hope not. Give the guy a mulligan - he has been spectacular all season.

 

In decades of watching this team, I can't remember being so excited about returns.  He can flat out make plays.

 

Terrence....

Edited January 12, 2021 by CommonCents

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, Back2Buff said:

 

His roster decisions have always played more to the vet, than taking risks with a more skilled player.  I'll ask you this, Yeldon or Williams this week?  What will McDermott do?

Tyler Bass, Devin Singletary, Dion Dawkins, Cody Ford, Ed Oliver, Harrison Phillips and Tremaine Edmunds were all rookies who played a lot and/or started.

 

 

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

i agree with almost all of this. 
 

But I will disagree with “he tried to do too much.” Roberts is a guy that you always give the green light to. Don’t care if he is 9 yards deep— if he wants to take it out, you let him. 

 

I just think the game situation would have dictated that you don't risk anything that would have us backed up again after the field position we had been having all game up til that point. As it happened he gest tackled after not a good return and a penalty pushes us back to the 5.

[Captain_Quint]

4 minutes ago, CommonCents said:

Terrence....

This is who he reminds me of. KOs are all about straight line speed and vision. And Robert's has that. 

 

McD sat him down this week, they had a conversation about the game, and that's the end of it. People are crazy to think that you pull a reliable all pro because a fan didnt like that game he had. McKenzie is hurt and he doesnt return kickoffs, he returns punts because he is quick and shifty. 

[Rock-A-Bye Beasley]

It won’t happen but I wish it would. Another aspect is benching him gets rid of the risk of having him lined up at WR if there’s an injury or two. 
 

id be interested to see average return yards adjusted for potential touchbacks. 
 

for example, when Roberts takes it out of the end zone and gets to the 15 he would be credited with -10 yards instead of +15. 
 

I would prefer we take the touchback every time. Mostly because I saw how the coaches react to being backed up. I’d rather take the guaranteed 25 than risk a fumble, penalty, or poor return. 

19 minutes ago, Freddie's Dead said:

 

I said in another reply that Roberts should be the return guy.  Sorry I had the number wrong at 4, I saw that at a bad site.  It's just that everyone reflexively says that McKittrick is a fumbler.  While once perhaps true, it isn't anymore.

He caused in int as a WR. Maybe that’s where the other turnover comes from?

[Scott7975]

Not a chance.

[Alphadawg7]

Wow, never thought I would see a thread like this.  Just a very weird hot take, even for TSW.  
 

Roberts is a two time pro bowler for us, one of our best, if not best ST player o this roster.  And he’s gonna sit for McKenzie?  Whose been dinged up already because he had one kick return in the game his career against a Dolphin team had given up?  
 

Like others said...don’t count it or hold your breath on this one.  

[JMF2006]

1 hour ago, Hebert19 said:

1.   Love roberts and think he is fantastic at his craft...but he has also made some bonehead decisions the last few weeks that cost us some field position.  

 

2.  Mckenzie showed he can handle punt returns and may actually be more dynamic there.  

 

3.   Tucker can and will boom it into endzone as much as he can with roberts out there so kick returns aren't a huge dynamic this game.  

 

4.   Allows us to activate Stills.  Stills Beasley Diggs Davis and Brown sounds like a nightmare to cover and may take away their desire to blitz.   3 of those guys can score in a second in single coverage and Beasley and Davis are great outlets.  

 

We need weapons here and dressing Stills helps with that even if he just runs go routes 10 or 15 times to make them respect that opposite Brown. 

 

The guy is a ST Captain and a perennial Pro Bowler.

 

This is not going to happen in real life.....you can do it on your  video game console  

1 minute ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Wow, never thought I would see a thread like this.  Just a very weird hot take, even for TSW.  
 

Roberts is a two time pro bowler for us, one of our best, if not best ST player o this roster.  And he’s gonna sit for McKenzie?  Whose been dinged up already because he had one kick return in the game his career against a Dolphin team had given up?  
 

Like others said...don’t count it or hold your breath on this one.  

 

Didn't you see the cut him threads before the season started?

[Alphadawg7]

14 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Tyler Bass, Devin Singletary, Dion Dawkins, Cody Ford, Ed Oliver, Harrison Phillips and Tremaine Edmunds were all rookies who played a lot and/or started.

 

 

Out of necessity.  All of those were in early years of a rebuild, not the heart of a Super Bowl run in the playoffs against a tough opponent.

 

Bass is only exception, and again, out of necessity as he beat out a veteran and been excellent this year.  And a rookie kicker is far different than a rookie at any other position.

[Codyny13]

1 hour ago, Gambit said:

This is all that needs to be said. I'm sorry OP but what a truly terrible take. 

This. I believe Roberts has carte blanche when it comes to Returns. There’s only a few guys in the nfl that are green lighted to take it from 5 yards deep in the end zone and he’s one of them.  We had a rough special teams game against the Colts, normally he’s a weapon. Can’t imagine, and will be upset if he’s not there.

[cba fan]

1 hour ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

You have a better chance of having Sex with Gal Gadot tonight than McDermott sitting out Roberts Sat.

are you saying, he wont be f'n her Israelites out then?? lol

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

19 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

I just think the game situation would have dictated that you don't risk anything that would have us backed up again after the field position we had been having all game up til that point. As it happened he gest tackled after not a good return and a penalty pushes us back to the 5.

i hear you, but Hindsight is 20/20. we have also all seen him bust off 40-yard kick returns in situations like that.  Can’t play or coach scared with a weapon like Roberts.