Week 1 Game Thread

sodenj5

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
6,619
CT
This is a good point. No other QB in the NFL has a streak where they look sloppy when things aren't working.
The Bills scored 6 points versus the Jags last year. So it might be worth pointing out that the player expected to carry them to the Super Bowl this season still has some streaks in his game where he looks like the “old” Josh Allen.

I’ll check with you first next time before posting.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
The Bills scored 6 points versus the Jags last year. So it might be worth pointing out that the player expected to carry them to the Super Bowl this season still has some streaks in his game where he looks like the “old” Josh Allen.

I’ll check with you first next time before posting.
Dolphins had games last year where they scored 0, 11, 3, 16, 17, 17, and 17 points. And that doesn't include the loss against the Jaguars.

Does that mean the Dolphins should just have gotten rid of Tua because he played in 7 games where he couldn't put up 20 and lost to the Jags on top of that? I don't get your point, NFL players have bad games sometimes. Tom Brady has been swept by the Saints in the regular season the past two years. Do those games indicate Brady is a streaky mess or do teams sometimes just lose because they don't have it or the other team just played great?

Your claim that because the Bills only scored 6 points against the Jags last year is proof that Allen is somehow a sloppy player makes no sense. If Allen played like that every third game, sure. But that is not the case. How did Allen do in the playoffs last year?
 

54thMA

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2012
10,154
Westwood MA
I can’t wait to see what utterly painful way their season will end this year.
At some point, they have to break through, or at least I keep telling myself that.

Then I remember that they are still the Bills and like the Browns before the moved to Baltimore, not only do they lose, but they do so in incredibly painful ways.

"13 seconds".......................they were 13 seconds away from hosting and probably winning the AFCCG, then they would have gone on to face the Rams, the team they absolutely waxed last night.

The issue with a guy like Allen is all it takes is one hit and that's all she wrote, he's a beast, but again, one hit.

Still a long way to go, but man they are a wagon.
 

Dogman

Yukon Cornelius
Moderator
SoSH Member
Mar 19, 2004
15,180
Missoula, MT
Every time Allen ran the ball while up 2 scores in the 2nd half, all I could think was how stupid it was and then if he gets hurt on a hit, this is on the coaching staff. Then I thought, no complaints, the Pats would have a much greater chance at the division.
 

loshjott

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2004
14,943
Silver Spring, MD
The Bills were always the team I hated least in the Division, even going back to the old AFC East with the Colts. But, man, all it took was one and half years of their smugness and dominance and those days are gone. I don't know who I hate least now.
 

Jungleland

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 2, 2009
2,351
I hate the Jets and Dolphins (and Colts) so much more than the Bills. I think they handled the punter situation in a shitty manner and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But as an opponent/rival in general? Between the 4 straight super bowl losses, being an absolute punching bag for the entire Brady era, and a fanbase that truly gives a shit, it’s hard to really find much to hate there. They’re as due as anyone and I’ve got no beef with their fans. So ultimately I’m rooting against them for Patriot purposes, but there are a number of teams I’d be far unhappier to see go all the way. I don’t really see them as all that smug tbh, and I think the 13 second loss to end last season is the kind of heartbreak that if they come back from a single season later you kind of just tip your cap.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
I hate the Jets and Dolphins (and Colts) so much more than the Bills. I think they handled the punter situation in a shitty manner and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But as an opponent/rival in general? Between the 4 straight super bowl losses, being an absolute punching bag for the entire Brady era, and a fanbase that truly gives a shit, it’s hard to really find much to hate there. They’re as due as anyone and I’ve got no beef with their fans. So ultimately I’m rooting against them for Patriot purposes, but there are a number of teams I’d be far unhappier to see go all the way. I don’t really see them as all that smug tbh, and I think the 13 second loss to end last season is the kind of heartbreak that if they come back from a single season later you kind of just tip your cap.
How can you hate the Jets? They have been too terrible for a long time to really hate.
 

Jungleland

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 2, 2009
2,351
How can you hate the Jets? They have been too terrible for a long time to really hate.
Logically, of course, you’re not wrong. It’s a childhood thing I guess. My dad absolutely despises the Jets and raised me to hate them too. Curtis Martin’s departure when I was 9 definitely helped solidify it. And I’ll still contend that the Chung fumble game was the worst loss of the Brady era even if the stakes weren’t as high as Giants I.

In the era of fantasy football it’s honestly kind of hard to keep the same kind of sports hate I had as a kid, but I feel like you gotta keep an irrational hate or two around for the hell of it.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
Logically, of course, you’re not wrong. It’s a childhood thing I guess. My dad absolutely despises the Jets and raised me to hate them too. Curtis Martin’s departure when I was 9 definitely helped solidify it. And I’ll still contend that the Chung fumble game was the worst loss of the Brady era even if the stakes weren’t as high as Giants I.

In the era of fantasy football it’s honestly kind of hard to keep the same kind of sports hate I had as a kid, but I feel like you gotta keep an irrational hate or two around for the hell of it.
That Chung fumble game was very bad.

I just think the Jets have been such a clown show for so long, (over 10 years) it's just tough to look at them with anything but pity. Their last meaningful game was January 23, 2011. And this is a league where the Browns, Bears, and WFT made the playoffs in 2020. And the Eagles and Arizona made it last year. It's not that hard to fall backwards into a playoff spot on occasion.

Unless you're the Jets and then you're not even close. I like the NFL when the Jets are good. This sucks.

I also don't like the Bills. McDermott is a jerk and they really are getting a little too full of themselves. McDermott's performance after that Pats Monday night loss last year was embarrassing. The fact that they lost a playoff game when they were leading and kicking off with literally 13 seconds left is joyous.
 

BusRaker

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 11, 2006
2,371
Both of my parents grew up in the Buffalo area before moving to Boston and most of my best friends are Bills fans so it's hard to hate them on a personal level. But I still want them to lose and I still think it's only a question of time before Allen's knee gets wrapped up between two linebackers. I would never route for an injury, but he's taking a big risk with those runs up by 2+ scores. Watching the game in a packed Bills bar last night, I could hear a collective gasp during all of the late game runs
 
Your claim that because the Bills only scored 6 points against the Jags last year is proof that Allen is somehow a sloppy player makes no sense. If Allen played like that every third game, sure. But that is not the case. How did Allen do in the playoffs last year?
I mean, Josh Allen did have 6 games with a passer rating below 80 last year, so he kinda did do that every third game...

At his best he's clearly very good. But he was not at his best quite often last year.

(Just to compare, Brady had 2 such games last season. And yes, I'm completely aware this is an arbitrary cut-off of a shitty stat).
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
I mean, Josh Allen did have 6 games with a passer rating below 80 last year, so he kinda did do that every third game...

At his best he's clearly very good. But he was not at his best quite often last year.

(Just to compare, Brady had 2 such games last season. And yes, I'm completely aware this is an arbitrary cut-off of a shitty stat).
Mahomes had 7 of those last year. Herbert had 5. Lamar Jackson had 6 in like 12 games. Joe Burrow had 4.

And two of the Allen games you point to about QB rating were 35-0 and 29-15 victories.

The point is, and this should be obvious but I guess not, is that players in sport sometimes have bad games. I know that's a wild thought. But Josh Allen isn't the favorite to win the NFL MVP because he's some random, sloppy bum.
 

Ralphwiggum

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 27, 2012
9,826
Needham, MA
I can’t believe on the Patriots section of a Red Sox message board we still have a discussion about how a team is going to lose because they have a history of always losing. I hate the Bills but they are obviously very good and should be considered one of the favorites to win the Lombardi as of right now, if not the favorite (though like every year, injury luck will play a huge role in who ultimately wins). And oh by the way winning a Super Bowl is really hard and I hate that a segment of the Pats fan base has reached “Super Bowl or it doesn’t matter” level of entitlement. The Bills have a good coach, an elite QB and a loaded roster, will win a bunch of games this year and will be fun as shit to watch. They are primed to contend for the next few years, which as a fan is pretty much all you can hope for.

That said, fuck the Bills.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,057
Hingham, MA
I can’t believe on the Patriots section of a Red Sox message board we still have a discussion about how a team is going to lose because they have a history of always losing. I hate the Bills but they are obviously very good and should be considered one of the favorites to win the Lombardi as of right now, if not the favorite (though like every year, injury luck will play a huge role in who ultimately wins). And oh by the way winning a Super Bowl is really hard and I hate that a segment of the Pats fan base has reached “Super Bowl or it doesn’t matter” level of entitlement. The Bills have a good coach, an elite QB and a loaded roster, will win a bunch of games this year and will be fun as shit to watch. They are primed to contend for the next few years, which as a fan is pretty much all you can hope for.

That said, fuck the Bills.
It is entirely possible their 2021 was the Red Sox 2003. But it's also entirely possible that they never get back. History has no bearing on any of that, agreed.
 

Ralphwiggum

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 27, 2012
9,826
Needham, MA
It is entirely possible their 2021 was the Red Sox 2003. But it's also entirely possible that they never get back. History has no bearing on any of that, agreed.
Right that’s my point. I mean, yeah, the Jets suck and never win but the Jets have not had a QB like Allen or a roster like the Bills pretty much in my entire lifetime. Yes the Browns always suck but again that is mostly because they’ve had shitty rosters, bad coaches and horrible ownership. The Bills are good and the fact that they lost four Super Bowls in a row 30 years ago and then didn’t play in a playoff game for like 20 years has no bearing on what happens this year.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Right that’s my point. I mean, yeah, the Jets suck and never win but the Jets have not had a QB like Allen or a roster like the Bills pretty much in my entire lifetime. Yes the Browns always suck but again that is mostly because they’ve had shitty rosters, bad coaches and horrible ownership. The Bills are good and the fact that they lost four Super Bowls in a row 30 years ago and then didn’t play in a playoff game for like 20 years has no bearing on what happens this year.
The only exception to this seems to be when the Twins play the Yankees.

And I fully agree with disliking the entitlement mentality. Yesterday morning on WEEI they were lamenting how BB doesn’t even seem to be trying to win at this point. It’s been three years since they won a super bowl and haven’t even won a playoff game in that time!!

I mean….. they also didn’t win a playoff game in 2008 or 2009 or 2010 either, and two of those seasons they had Tom Brady at QB.

The entitlement mentality is just ghastly. We had a run of success unparalleled in football history. We can survive a few years of “down” play as they rebuild the program. Especially when those “down” years still feature two playoff appearances. Good grief.
 

Justthetippett

New Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,392
Of all the fan bases, I can begrudge the Bills fans the least. Yes, they are annoying. And yes, they were very quiet when Brady was beating them 20+ times in a row or whatever it was. But they’ve been through the desert and with Allen they have a bonafide top tier, “this guy might make the Hall if he stays healthy” kind of player, and the fact that a lot of people laughed when they picked a rocket armed, but incredibly raw QB probably makes it a little more sweet. Honestly the guy who rubs me the wrong way is McDermott. He’s just the sort of hardo, overly intense, insecure guy that’s really easy to root against, and I think that attitude trickles down to certain players (Poyer, Hyde, etc.).
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
8,017
Imaginationland
It is entirely possible their 2021 was the Red Sox 2003. But it's also entirely possible that they never get back. History has no bearing on any of that, agreed.
As long as we're comparing across sports, here's hoping that a more apt comparison would be the 2019 Sixers. A rising team with a young superstar (Embiid/Allen) gets knocked out in the second round by a last second play. 3 years later, that loss is still the pinnacle of the Process Sixers.
 

Toe Nash

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 28, 2005
5,595
02130
Any team is in danger of having their season ruined if their starting QB takes "one hit." I don't really buy that argument about a guy who has been pretty durable in both college and the pros. He also doesn't take a lot of sacks (Bills and Chiefs were second in the league last year in sack% to Brady who's impossible to sack, and Bills were 7th the year before). We saw this last night as he got rid of the ball quickly and was able to avoid the rush very deftly on a number of occasions. He's also a huge threat like Mahomes to make throws on the run so when he escapes the pocket guys don't just immediately rush him. I think they will cut down on the designed runs too outside of really key moments, whereas they used to run them all the time it seemed like. I think they only ran one last game (though there were options where he didn't choose to run)

One thing about Allen is that he was really bad his first year and then not great his second. For someone to make that much improvement, from going to a guy (even as a rookie) who looked like a total bust to being MVP-level is I think unprecedented. Usually rookies struggle but look like they can figure it out, he was just useless outside of using his legs. Whether that means he's more or less likely to continue playing at such a high level I'm not sure, but I kind of think it indicates that he's really special.

And yes, nothing that the Bills did in the 90s has anything to do with now. I think they should be the favorite for the SB at this point.
 

nattysez

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 30, 2010
8,434
It is absolutely pouring in Chicago and there are flash flooding warnings there. The turf was replaced less than a week ago. Chicago is an awful team, but conditions that bad can make weird things happen.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,438
It is absolutely pouring in Chicago and there are flash flooding warnings there. The turf was replaced less than a week ago. Chicago is an awful team, but conditions that bad can make weird things happen.
Siemian taking pre-game snaps without gloves, in that weather. Love it.

But I don't get why they're giving him half the snaps as the backup. Are they splitting with Fields?
 

loshjott

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2004
14,943
Silver Spring, MD
Just turning things on. Did Fox get rid of the crawl with other game scores? Haven’t seen it on the Wash Jax game. And that’s a game that definitely could be improved by seeing scores from elsewhere.
 

scott bankheadcase

I'm adequate!!
SoSH Member
Nov 1, 2006
3,057
hoboken
3rd and 13 and Shanahan literally ran a QB power (not draw, power) and Lance took it for the 1st down.

But if he keeps taking shots like that Jimmy G might be needed.
 

loshjott

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2004
14,943
Silver Spring, MD
Really baffling that Fox got rid of the in game crawl with other scores.

And as soon as I say that, it comes on. Not there all the time like previous years.
 

DeadlySplitter

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 20, 2015
33,250
Colts getting blown out at Houston. Game turned on a 4th & Goal wildcat call with Matt Ryan out at WR, completely stuffed.