Tua ruled out vs Buffalo, Skylar Thompson expected to start

[Simon]

For all y'all out there talking about how we have a bye now, I'd suggest you go back and watch the film from the last time we played the phish and take a real good look at the physical ass-kicking that this Bills team took up front on both sides of the LOS.

The Bills are a better team and should win this game but if they walk in there thinking like some folks here are thinking, they could find themselves playing from behind at any point in that kind of phone booth brawl.

[frostbitmic]

42 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Nobody is afraid of Skylar but hopefully Leslie and the D leave no stone unturned here and take the game more seriously than some fans.

afterall, this is the same unit that gave up 34 completions, 65%, 327 yards in Kenny Pickett’s first start…and outright lost to Zach Wilson which is an embarrassment based on his other games this season.

We beat the Steelers 38-3 ... They were so far behind they had to throw the ball every play. Plus we probably went into the same passive defense they were in vs MVP McCorkle and the patriots.

[Billz4ever]

1 minute ago, dakrider said:

Also doesn't sound like Lamar will play Sunday either.  So both Bills and Bengals will (likely) go from facing two teams with poor QB's to facing each other against a top QB a week later. 

Don't see a different outcome between the Ravens and Bengals than what we just watched last week. Not sure what's going on with Lamar.  We may never see him in a Ravens uni again.

[Process]

I have watched exactly 0 seconds of Thompson playing football, college or NFL. Is he really that awful? Is he not capable of just chucking balls up to hill and waddle and letting them do their thing?

[BillsFan130]

1 minute ago, Simon said:

For all y'all out there talking about how we have a bye now, I'd suggest you go back and watch the film from the last time we played the phish and take a real good look at the physical ass-kicking that this Bills team took up front on both sides of the LOS.

The Bills are a better team and should win this game but if they walk in there thinking like some folks here are thinking, they could find themselves playing from behind at any point in that kind of phone booth brawl.

Yep. And we also made Zack Wilson look like Drew brees, so there’s that as well.

[RoyBatty is alive]

Just now, Warcodered said:

Yeah it isn't just a one sided protect the player situation, Tua definitely has a side to this of wanting to be out there for what is a very limited opportunity to try and make his dream a reality. Just a tough situation all around.

Miami is really hosed now.

 

Devoid of draft capital, no viable long term QB, tight on salary cap.  Imagine re-upping Tua after his rookie contract is up, good luck with that.

[H2o]

1 minute ago, Simon said:

For all y'all out there talking about how we have a bye now, I'd suggest you go back and watch the film from the last time we played the phish and take a real good look at the physical ass-kicking that this Bills team took up front on both sides of the LOS.

The Bills are a better team and should win this game but if they walk in there thinking like some folks here are thinking, they could find themselves playing from behind at any point in that kind of phone booth brawl.

Skylar Thompson is a rookie QB who hasn't been able to move the ball against either NE or the Jets. You can also bet that McDermott and Frazier will have the kid's head spinning. They won't be able to move the ball on us really either. I'd be shocked if they put up more than 14-17 points. Miami's defense hasn't really been able to stop us at any point in either game. We stopped ourselves with various miscues. We'll put up 30+ and they'll put up something in the teens. It's not a Bye week per say, but the outlook totally changed from a slugfest between two high-powered offenses to heavily leaning the Bills' way. 

[Seventeen]

2 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

Miami is really hosed now.

 

Devoid of draft capital, no viable long term QB, tight on salary cap.  Imagine re-upping Tua after his rookie contract is up, good luck with that.

 

Brady on a one year contract

[Doc]

What did the line jump to?

[stlbills13]

Miami will clearly do whatever they can at this point to keep the Bills offense off the field. Lots of runs, screens, jet sweeps, etc. For them, a 6 minute drive that even ended in 0 points is going to be a win on Sunday. They have to hope this is like a 17-10 game in the 4th quarter. If they fall behind by 14+ early, this game could turn into an all-time rout

[RoyBatty is alive]

3 minutes ago, Process said:

I have watched exactly 0 seconds of Thompson playing football, college or NFL. Is he really that awful? Is he not capable of just chucking balls up to hill and waddle and letting them do their thing?

He is not as bad as people are making him out to be.  Actually I think he is a better runner than Tua.  He will never win in an old fashioned shoot out as J Allen can do when he is on but is serviceable.  Except to see Miami doing a lot of running.

[ngbills]

23 minutes ago, bobobonators said:

At some point you have to stop being worried of everything. We were favored to win with a healthy Tua. If we can’t stop the run when we know the run is coming with a 3rd sting QB we have no place contending for the Super Bowl. 

Its just discussion. Have to talk about something. The Bills definitely should and I think will win this game. The point is MIA is still a good team. If they get the running game going they can keep it close. 

[H2o]

1 minute ago, Doc said:

What did the line jump to?

13

[RoyBatty is alive]

2 minutes ago, Seventeen said:

 

Brady on a one year contract

God I really really hope so.  

 

Bring in the goat, an over the hill old man and please pay him big $.

[Mango]

1 hour ago, CoffeeDrip said:

McDaniels says Bridgewater can’t afford any setbacks in his progress with his broken pinky so they’re planning for Skylar to start. For those asking about him.

 

Setbacks? 

I understand a QB with a broken finger on their throwing hand not being able to play. That is super easy. 

But setbacks? There are no more games if you don't win and a broken finger is a reasonable injury to "come back" from in the offseason. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 hour ago, Steptide said:

This should be an absolute blood bath (score wise) but I'll still have raging anxiety come Sunday at 1

There will be plenty of ‘the season is over’ posts in the gameday thread if Miami picks up at least one first down on their first drive lol 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

9 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

Miami is really hosed now.

 

Devoid of draft capital, no viable long term QB, tight on salary cap.  Imagine re-upping Tua after his rookie contract is up, good luck with that.

But they're getting Brady and Harbaugh next year!

*
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[WotAGuy]

1 hour ago, TH3 said:

This finhaven poster accurately nails the Chicken Littles on this board

I resemble this remark. 
 

Cluck off. 

[MPL]

The ESPN Analytics Matchup Predictor has the Bills chance of victory at 96.3% and the Dolphins at 3.7% 

I've never seen a team have a chance of victory above 85% before. Crazy.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

Just now, Mango said:

 

Setbacks? 

I understand a QB with a broken finger on their throwing hand not being able to play. That is super easy. 

But setbacks? There are no more games if you don't win and a broken finger is a reasonable injury to "come back" from in the offseason. 

I have a weird feeling they’re trying hard to get  bridgewater ready to start and they’re pulling a fast one lol the language has been ‘the dolphins are preparing like Thompson will start’…I don’t think bridgewater has been ruled out though 

[The Wiz]

31 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

Dolphins have a better chance with Hill running wildcat than any other QB they have on the roster

Don't give them any ideas.

[Simon]

12 minutes ago, H2o said:

Skylar Thompson is a rookie QB who hasn't been able to move the ball against either NE or the Jets. You can also bet that McDermott and Frazier will have the kid's head spinning. They won't be able to move the ball on us really either. I'd be shocked if they put up more than 14-17 points. Miami's defense hasn't really been able to stop us at any point in either game. We stopped ourselves with various miscues. We'll put up 30+ and they'll put up something in the teens. It's not a Bye week per say, but the outlook totally changed from a slugfest between two high-powered offenses to heavily leaning the Bills' way. 

 

The phish average over 7.5 yrds a carry against the Bills front; Buffalo's ballcarriers averaged less than half of that.

We trailed by 8 in that game with less than 10:00 left and if Ma Nature had not started firing snowballs in Miami's grill, we may have lost to them.

If McCarthy had not lost his mind and started chucking the ball around while they were successfully hammering it down our throat, we would have lost to them.

I agree there is potential for a big win here, but there is also some potential for the Bills to walk out there overconfident, get pushed around and find themselves in the kind of dog fight they weren't prepared for coming in.

[Billz4ever]

2 minutes ago, MPL said:

The ESPN Analytics Matchup Predictor has the Bills chance of victory at 96.3% and the Dolphins at 3.7% 

I've never seen a team have a chance of victory above 85% before. Crazy.

All the more reason to not take the game lightly, IMO.

 

We don't need to be on the wrong side of Monday morning headlines.

 

 

[0017]

They still have Bradley Chubb!! This is no gimme!! 

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

1 minute ago, Simon said:

 

The phish average over 7.5 yrds a carry against the Bills front; Buffalo's ballcarriers averaged less than half of that.

We trailed by 8 in that game with less than 10:00 and if Ma Nature had not started firing snowballs in Miami's grill, we may have lost to them.

If McCarthy had not lost his mind and started chucking the ball around while they were successfully hammering it down our throat, we would have lost to them.

I agree there is potential for a big win here, but there is also some potential for the Bills to walk out there overconfident, get pushed around and find themselves in the kind of dog fight they weren't prepared for coming in.

 

Exactly.  I watched the Jets - Dolphins highlights, and Thompson had no problem dinking and dunking, and based on how we made Mac Jones look last week, Thompson will have easy completions if we play the same way.  Their goal will be to control the clock with long boring sustaining drives to try and keep the game close.

[34-78-83]

21 minutes ago, Simon said:

For all y'all out there talking about how we have a bye now, I'd suggest you go back and watch the film from the last time we played the phish and take a real good look at the physical ass-kicking that this Bills team took up front on both sides of the LOS.

The Bills are a better team and should win this game but if they walk in there thinking like some folks here are thinking, they could find themselves playing from behind at any point in that kind of phone booth brawl.

Fair point Simon.

 

I wouldn't totally agree that they dominated both sides of the ball THROUGHOUT the game, but certainly I agree that they did early on and at various points in the game. I think our defensive scheme to take away the middle of the field led to part of the issues you mention. I also feel like we were able to run at them at key moments (from a keep the chains moving perspective), and elminate guys like Chubb in pass protection.

 

Cover1 has some good reviews of the film from that game. Josh certainly was the biggest factor late.

[MPL]

1 minute ago, Billz4ever said:

All the more reason to not take the game lightly, IMO.

 

We don't need to be on the wrong side of Monday morning headlines.

 

 

I can assure you I am not taking this game lightly and already have my lucky underwear laid out and ready to go. 

[Mango]

6 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

I have a weird feeling they’re trying hard to get  bridgewater ready to start and they’re pulling a fast one lol the language has been ‘the dolphins are preparing like Thompson will start’…I don’t think bridgewater has been ruled out though 

 

That is also my guess. At the very least they want Teddy, and they're holding out hope. 

 

[H2o]

Just now, Simon said:

 

The phish average over 7.5 yrds a carry against the Bills front; Buffalo's ballcarriers averaged less than half of that.

We trailed by 8 in that game with less than 10:00 and if Ma Nature had not started firing snowballs in Miami's grill, we may have lost to them.

If McCarthy had not lost his mind and started chucking the ball around while they were successfully hammering it down our throat, we would have lost to them.

I agree there is potential for a big win here, but there is also some potential for the Bills to walk out there overconfident, get pushed around and find themselves in the kind of dog fight they weren't prepared for coming in.

I understand your point, but I just don't think this team is built like that. I don't think they look past anyone. There's not one game this year, won or lost, that I have gotten the sense they underestimated their opponent. I also think with Skylar's ineffectiveness moving the football through the air it will allow us to focus more on the run game early. If we get up by two or three scores in the first half, which is completely possible, then Miami is going to be forced to throw the football with their rookie QB. A rookie QB in his first Playoff start, in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL for opposing teams at that. I like our chances. 

[teef]

i'm personally taking this game very lightly. 

[Billz4ever]

1 minute ago, MPL said:

I can assure you I am not taking this game lightly and already have my lucky underwear laid out and ready to go. 

Oh, by no means did I mean to infer you were, but the temptation is certainly there.  Cheers to the lucky underwear.

2 minutes ago, teef said:

i'm personally taking this game very lightly. 

But how lightly exactly?  Pounds? Ounces?

[Mango]

It isn't so much being afraid of Tua. 

Miami has just been a very tough out for us this year and the healthier their roster is, the more difficult it becomes. Everything is basically sudden death at the moment.

 

Happy to see as many players miss a football game against us as possible at this point in the season. 

[Kiva]

Unfortunate situation for the fins.  
 

Mostert broke his thumb last week and his status for the game is in doubt…

 

Hill has been hobbled with an ankle injury…

[teef]

2 minutes ago, Billz4ever said:

 

But how lightly exactly?  Pounds? Ounces?

the game might as well be filled with helium.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

https://www.yahoo.com/now/dolphins-haven-t-entered-playoffs-1

 

"...The last time the Dolphins made the playoffs, in 2016, they also didn’t have their starting quarterback: Ryan Tannehill was injured, which means backup Matt Moore started the Dolphins’ playoff game, a loss to the Steelers in the wild card round.

The Dolphins haven’t gone to the playoffs with their starting quarterback healthy since 2008, when Chad Pennington started all 16 games in the regular season and also started the Dolphins’ loss to the Ravens in the wild card round.

The last time the Dolphins won a playoff game was in 2000, with Jay Fiedler as their starting quarterback. ..."

 

AT least they sniffed the playoffs during the Bills drought. Bills couldn't even make the playoffs with healthy QBs...

[Boatdrinks]

Thompson will get rid of the ball in 2 seconds, a la Wilson. It will be their only shot on offense. Better be ready to make some form tackles in the open field 

[Einstein]

2 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Now they're gonna have to make Tuna Salad out of chicken scratch.

 

My brain read this as “Tua Salad”.

[May Day 10]

So that McDaniel guy basically ruined Tua's career and health to win a September game against the Bills.

[JerseyBills]

So we still ended up with a bye week 

 

Go Bills!

[ExiledInIllinois]

Just now, May Day 10 said:

So that McDaniel guy basically ruined Tua's career and health to win a September game against the Bills.

So they can go 3-0.