pumathoughts

[pumathoughts]

Super Bowl 58 Rundown

Super Bowl LVIII

CBS 6:30pm

Here we are again. I feel like that scene in the movie Groundhog Day when Bill Murray’s character, Phil, punches Ned in the face when he sees him in the street for the umpteenth million time. Well, this Super Bowl is the equivalent of that. The Kansas City Chiefs making their fourth trip in the last six years to this game, and the San Francisco 49ers making their second trip in as many years. Patrick Mahomes is already being GOATed after 6 full years as a starter. I never thought I’d have to defend Tom Brady so soon, or, even at all but TB 12 won 7 Super Bowls and went to 10. I get Mahomes’ 2 chips in 4 appearances (pending this outcome) is impressive but the odds of him going to 18 Super Bowls in 20 years is literally impossible. Andy Reid isn’t going to coach forever, right!?  Tom Brady is the one player who handed Mahomes his first regular season loss, first playoff loss, and first Super Bowl loss. TB12 was the only one who could've saved us.

This game is honestly going to go either way depending how each defense plays. The 49ers gave up a lot of yards to the Lions but Brock Purdy being the “game manager” Cam Newton says he is led a comeback to put him in 49er lore. Now the former Mr. Irrelevant sits 21-5 in his career as a starter with a chance at a Super Bowl. Wild that this team a year ago tried to start Trey Lance. The 49ers top to bottom are the most built team the league has seen in a long time, with the right players in the right system that when they are banging on all cylinders it is damn near impossible to stop. Christian McCaffrey is a cheat code and the key to everything the Niners want to do. The 49er offense is the second-best offense in the league. Third in rushing, fourth in passing, and third in scoring. On paper, it’s no wonder they open as the 2 ½ point favorites but beware they are 9-9-1 against the spread. San Francisco is making their eighth Super Bowl appearance, tied for second most ever, and is seeking its record-tying sixth championship. The 49ers lost their two previous trips in 2019 and 2012 and haven't won the big game since 1994. San Francisco's 38 playoff wins are the most in NFL history, and they are the eighth team to reach the Super Bowl after overcoming a second-half deficit in the divisional round and the conference championship game. Four of the previous seven won it all.

The Chiefs however shouldn’t be overlooked, especially on defense. They are the second-best defense in the league, 18th against the run, 4th against the pass and the 2nd best scoring defense. The 49ers defense in those rankings are: 8th overall, 3rd rushing, 14th passing, and 3rd scoring. The Chiefs are making their sixth Super Bowl appearance. They lost the first Super Bowl to Green Bay, beat Minnesota in Super Bowl IV, then waited 50 years before beating the 49ers four years ago. The Chiefs are one of seven franchises to have reached consecutive Super Bowls more than once. The Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons were the most recent to win two in a row. Coach Andy Reid would tie Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh for the third-most Super Bowl wins with his third. He is coaching in his fifth overall. Mahomes can pass Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Peyton Manning for the third-most playoff wins by a QB in NFL history with his 15th. Mahomes needs two TD passes to move past Manning (40) and into the top five in NFL playoff history. Travis Kelce has an NFL-record 159 postseason catches, while his 1,810 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns trail only Jerry Rice in history. Kelce has 257 yards receiving in the Super Bowl. He needs 67 to move into the top five and 108 to climb to No. 2 in history. Chiefs WR Rashee Rice needs 20 yards receiving to pass Torry Holt (242) for second among rookies in the playoffs. He needs 146 to break Ja’Marr Chase's record.

Now to the only thing the world cares about, Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has openly spoken about the number ’13’ being her lucky number. The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII (58). With that basis of information, take a look at the below list of coincidences between Swift’s lucky number and this year’s Super Bowl.

This will be Super Bowl 58. If you add five and eight together, you get 13.

San Francisco 49ers are playing in the game. Four and nine added together equals 13.

The 49ers are the 1 seed in the NFC, while the Chiefs are the 3 seed in the AFC.

Taylor Swift is scheduled to take a plane from her concert in Tokyo, Japan to Las Vegas, Nevada. While not exact, the flight time from Tokyo to Las Vegas is roughly 13 hours.

If Swift does indeed make it to the game, this will be her 13th appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game this season.

The date for the Super Bowl is February 11, 2024. Two and 11 added together equals 13.

If you subtract 13 from 100, you get 87, which is the jersey number of Swift’s boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Chiefs by a billion. Bet your mortgage on it. Bet your first born on it. It’s going to happen. Thanos in Avengers Infinity War said it: “Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it's here.” For everyone’s sanity the 49ers need to win this game and be the heroes we need but not the ones we deserve but everything in my gut tells me Chiefs are winning this game because the NFL NEEDS Mahomes to be better than Tom Brady. Kelce will propose to Swift after they win. I wonder if their song is slamming screen door, Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window. When we're on the phone, and you talk real slow, 'Cause it's late, and mama  Kelce don't know. SEE WHAT I DID THERE!?

A modern day love story for all those Gen Z’ers out there. A few other interesting things I found is the team traveling west to the Super Bowl is 7-0 in the last 30 years. The Chiefs are traveling west this year. The team with the best record entering the Super Bowl is 1-15 against the spread. the 49ers are 12-5, KC is 11-6. The team that wins the coin toss is 1-9 in the last 10 games, but 15 of the last 18 SB winners wore white jerseys. So, there you have it. The Super Bowl will cap a crazy season and the Chiefs will stand tall as the best.

[pumathoughts]

The Curious Case of Josh Allen

Josh Allen, face of the Buffalo Bills, franchise savior, the guy that is supposed to deliver a championship to a city that is starving for one. Josh Allen was vaulted to super stardom in the 2021 AFC Divisional round game against Kansas City that has been dubbed “the 13 second game”. In that game Allen went 27-37 329 yards and 4TD’s. He was sublime. If it wasn’t for his head coach’s decision making at the end of that game (which is another discussion for another day) then we might be having a different conversation today. I truly believe in my heart of hearts that the Bills would’ve beat the LA Rams in the Super Bowl that year. Instead, we sit here today talking about how Josh Allen is just one of the most scrutinized players for his turnovers in recent memory.

Josh Allen’s name alone seems to strike a chord with national media members. Every time it is uttered the first thing out of a pundit’s mouth is “turns the ball over”.  That may be true. Allen does through interceptions on occasion but to be labeled like he’s a turnover machine is absolutely asinine. Josh Allen is a gunslinger, gunslingers throw picks. Ask Brett Favre. Josh Allen does throw the bad INT from time to time no one is arguing that. But the national narrative that he throws way too many picks is a little much for my liking so this is my defense of Josh Allen. Based on the 2022 and 2023 seasons using some advanced stats Josh Allen is doing A LOT for this Bills team.

2023

2022

Passes Dropped

30

37

Poor Throws

75

91

Poor Throw %

13.6

16.6

On Target Throws

397

404

On Target %

72.2

73.7

Sacks

24

33

Times Blitzed

166

144

Hurries

47

41

Hit (While Passing)

46

40

Pressures

117

114

Josh Allen had 7 less drops from his intended receivers, threw 16 less “poor throws”, was sacked 9 less times all while being blitzed, hurried, hit, and pressured more. The man is a national treasure. If you are wondering what about the RPO’s and Play Action Passes? Well do I have a chart for you!

RPO

Pass Attempts Pass Yards Rush Attempts Rush Yards

2022

62 471 5 22

2023

69 591 9 38

Play Action

Pass Attempts Pass Yards

2022

145 1235

2023

91 929

What’s wild about this passing chart is that Allen was a play action master in 2022 with Devin Singletary as the lead back and he wasn’t used like Houston used him this season. But this season it was more even in the RPO and Play Action games. So, Allen while doing much less in play action got a little more out of an RPO passing game. I feel the emergence of James Cook in 2023 might have attributed to the drop in numbers but Josh Allen in the passing game is doing what elite QB’s do, throw the ball, and win games.

Josh Allen as starter is 63-30. His 2018 rookie season is the only season he’s been under .500 (5-6). He’s guided the Bills to 13 wins twice. Yet somehow it keeps coming back to “costly turnovers”. In Buffalo’s 6 losses this season by my estimation: Josh Allen had 3 INT’s vs Jets week 1, the third came at 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Bills lost by a punt return in overtime. Allen had 1 INT vs Jaguars in week 5, his only pick came early in the 4th quarter. Bills lost on a Stefon Diggs fumble with 22 seconds left. In week 7 vs Patriots there was a first quarter INT, Bills lost by giving up the go-ahead touchdown with 22 seconds left and a Josh Allen fumble with 5 seconds left. Week 9 vs Bengals, a 2nd quarter INT, Bills lost 24-18, game wasn’t all that close. The following week vs Broncos a first quarter INT and another late in the 2nd quarter with a 3rd quarter fumble. Bills lost on a do over field goal from having 12 men on the field. Then lastly vs Eagles week 12 a 4th quarter INT with under 13 minutes to play. Bills lost in overtime by a Jalen Hurts rushing touchdown. Please tell me in any of these losses where it was a “costly” interception that ended the game. A fumble I view differently in terms of trying to make something happen, but if you want to put fumbles in this example fine, the Jaguars game is the only game where the game ended on a Josh Allen turnover. 1 out of 17 is not bad.

As much as we hate when interceptions are thrown, there is not a measurement for when interceptions are thrown just stat tracking how many. But as I stated before, gunslingers throw picks. In the chart below you can see a lot of interceptions have been thrown but when you put the touchdowns next to it, is it really all that bad?

Passing TD Interceptions Fumbles Rushing TD

2018

10 12 2 8

2019

20 9 4 9

2020

37 10 6 8

2021

36 15 3 6

2022

35 14 5 7

2023

29 18 4 15

TOTALS

167 78 24 53

As we can see, double digit interceptions thrown since 2020. In 2018 Allen only played in 12 games, starting 11 which was his rookie season. If we go back to 2018 until the present, the interceptions leaders were: Ben Roethlisberger (16 in 2018), Jameis Winston (30 in 2019), Drew Lock & Carson Wentz (15 in 2020), Matt Stafford & Trevor Lawrence (17 in 2021), Dak Prescott & Davis Mills (15 in 2022), Sam Howell (21 in 2023). Josh Allen in that time frame from 2018-2023 ranked: tied for 5th, 10th, 5th, tied for 2nd, tied for 2nd, 2nd in interceptions in those years respectively. Would you like to know why he’s been in the top two in INT’s for the last 3 seasons and thrown double digit picks since 2020? He’s attempted over 500 passes since 2020. Logic would tell you, if you throw the ball more, you’re likely to throw more interceptions. In 2021 he attempted 646 passes! Arguably the best the Bills offense has looked in the Josh Allen era. He’s had over 4000 yards passing a season since 2020. In 2019 the offense was clunky at best, also, no Stefon Diggs (which had a lot to do with it), but the offensive weapons got better and the philosophy was more pass-centric. Josh Allen has a big arm. With great arm comes great responsibility, it also comes with arm arrogance. He thinks he can fit the ball in tight spaces…because he can. You win some you lose some.

For comparison’s sake, Tom Brady from 2018-2022 threw 11, 8, 12, 12, and 9 interceptions in those years respectively for a total of 52. Josh Allen in that time frame threw 60 interceptions. Albeit only 8 more but again, Tom Brady wasn’t necessarily bombing it down the field as much. Smarter passes and a weaker arm compared to Josh Allen.

Now I get you won’t be swayed by this. You will look at my charts and think “78 interceptions are still a lot”. I would say “yeah, on the surface”.

INT’s Thrown in First 6 Seasons of Career

Peyton Manning

110

Jameis Winston

88

Eli Manning

88

Jay Cutler

86

Joey Harrington

85

Matt Stafford

85

Aaron Brooks

84

Mark Sanchez

84

Andrew Luck

83

Ben Roethlisberger

81

Andy Dalton

81

Carson Palmer

80

Josh Allen

78

Joe Flacco

78

Cam Newton

78

Matt Ryan

77

Baker Mayfield

74

Now, this list is a bit of a mixed bag but I think we can all agree, Peyton Manning threw a ton of interceptions to start his career yet, he’s considered one of the best if not the best passer in NFL history. But I don’t hear anyone calling Peyton Manning a turnover machine. Or Eli Manning, or Matt Stafford, or Big Ben, or Andrew Luck. 4 of the aforementioned 5 QB’s have bought themselves the benefit of the doubt with Super Bowls to their names. Andrew Luck was just held up to be the best QB prospect since John Elway but injuries cut his career short.

So why does Josh Allen have to be dragged through the mud for his turnovers from August to January EVERY SEASON!? I don’t know, I don’t think we’ll ever know. It doesn’t help Patrick Mahomes is in his 4th Super Bowl, and been in an AFC Championship game every season for the last 6 seasons. So even in his own conference Josh Allen is being held to the fire for not doing what Mahomes is. I’m sorry Sean McDermott isn’t Andy Reid. God, I wish he was. Maybe my heart wouldn’t hurt so much in mid-January for the last 4 years.

Ironically enough, for all the detractors about Allen’s interceptions, he gets a tremendous amount of credit for using his legs. Josh Allen was tied for 2nd in rushing touchdowns in 2023 with Jalen Hurts with 15. Miami’s Raheem Mostert had 18 which led the NFL. If anything, Allen was criticized for not using his legs enough. That also is a product of the head coach wanting it or not (again, another discussion for another day). Josh Allen is prolific with his legs. Check this out:

Michael Vick

6,109, 36TD

Cam Newton

5,628, 75TD

Russell Wilson

5,307, 29TD

Lamar Jackson

5,258, 29TD

Randall Cunningham

4,928, 35TD

Steve Young

4,239, 43TD

Fran Tarkenton

3,674, 32TD

Josh Allen

3,611, 53TD

Steve McNair

3,590, 37TD

Aaron Rodgers

3,466, 35TD

Donovan McNabb

3,459, 29TD

John Elway

3,407, 33TD

This is the top 12 rushing QB’s in NFL history. 4 of these 12 names are still active players, and 2 of them aren’t running around like they used to. Lamar Jackson is going to jump from 4th on the list to number 1 in probably two seasons. Lamar Jackson has an MVP to his name, with a second one potentially on the way. Josh Allen finished 2nd in MVP voting in 2020 and 3rd in 2022. Josh Allen cannot catch a break. This isn’t turning into a debate on whether or not the MVP award is truly awarded to the player most valuable to his team. If that were the case Mahomes would win it every season. Would Kansas City really be this good without Mahomes, no, the answer is no.

When you add it all up, Josh Allen is responsible for 102 turnovers. A lot when said, but he’s also responsible for 220 touchdowns. That’s a PLUS 118 turnover differential. Allen scores more than he gives it away. That is never said, at least I never hear it. The two most prominent hot take factories in Fox Sports and ESPN will convince you the interceptions cost this team wins and Josh Allen is a problem. As I laid out for you earlier, Allen had a fumble that cost the team a win. Just one. The rest of the games the team still had a chance at the end to win. Even Vegas has prop bets on his interceptions! There are Josh Allen defenders like Dan Orlovsky and Mel Kiper Jr., both men should be protected at all costs, they lay out Josh Allen is doing everything he can and more because HE HAS TO. Gabe Davis disappears at times. He’s had FIVE games this season of ZERO catches. Since his 6 rec 105 yards TD performance in the loss to Philadelphia Gabe Davis during the 5-game win streak to end the season had 3 games of zero catches. He had 4 rec 130-yard TD blowup against the Chargers and a 2 rec 21-yard dud against New England. He’s too boom or bust. He may do the blocking in the run game but this offense needs more from its number 2 receiver. Kahlil Shakir is coming on and proving to be a nice slot receiver and Dalton Kincaid needs to time to really evolve.

Stefon Diggs is the most reliable receiver on the team but he had his own curious season as well. Diggs hasn’t gone over 100 yards receiving since week 6 vs the Giants. He had over 80 yards twice. I like to think it is a combination of Allen target sharing more which obviously affects Diggs and not his age (30), but who’s to say. The constant distraction of Diggs’ temperament is played out for me. His brother Trayvon Diggs is cryptically posting to social media trying to get him to Dallas. We’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop and Diggs pulls what he did in Minnesota and demands out. It’s impossible based on his contract. Which is another hurdle that the Bills will need to overcome. Currently the Bills are $52 million over the salary cap next season. Von Miller, Diggs, Allen, and Tre White are all apart of that. Not Allen’s fault but the team didn’t capitalize on a rookie QB deal when it needed to now, tough personnel decisions must be made.

As far as on the field play, Josh Allen is every bit the player we as fans want him to be. He’s every bit the player the Bills need him to be. He’s averaging 2:1 ratio of touchdowns to turnovers. He’s a big part of the rushing offense, and he can distribute the ball under pressure and lead drives for points. I believe Sean McDermott out smarts himself in crucial moments and relies too much on his morals as a football coach. We’ve had five seasons of peak Josh Allen with devasting losses in the playoffs to show for it. The narrative will eventually be written to lead you to believe Josh Allen will turn the ball over in a crucial moment to cost this team a game in the playoffs. When the real narrative should be, can Josh Allen do everything and more to overcome the rest of the teams’ and the coaching staffs’ limitations. We have a large enough sample size to say, it isn’t the turnovers from the quarterback that cost the team wins, its everything else around him that does.

[pumathoughts]

NFL Conference Championship Rundown

And then, there were four. Here is my NFL Conference Championship Rundown:

Conference championships: Jan. 28

AFC

(3) Kansas City Chiefs at (1) Baltimore Ravens

Sunday, Jan. 28, 3 p.m. ET on CBS

The Kansas City Chiefs are in their 6th straight AFC Championship game. Patrick Mahomes will have his second career road game in the post season. The Baltimore Ravens are hosting their first ever AFC Championship game, the last conference championship game in Baltimore was in 1971 when the Baltimore Colts took on the Oakland Raiders. TE Travis Kelce and LS James Winchester will extend their Chiefs record for playoff games by appearing in their 21st. Andy Reid is the only coach to reach at least four conference title games with two different franchises. He has six in Kansas City, and 5 with Philadelphia. Mahomes has thrown for 4,561 yards in the postseason. He needs 404 yards to pass John Elway for eighth on the NFL’s career list. Mahomes will be playing in his 17th game while it took Elway 22 to reach his total. Mahomes has 44 TD passes in the postseason. He needs three to pass Peyton Manning for fifth on the career list. Mahomes has 13 postseason wins. He can tie Elway, Manning, Steve Young and Terry Bradshaw for third behind Tom Brady and Joe Montana on the career list with a victory Sunday.

During the regular season, the Ravens won an NFL-record 10 games against teams that finished with winning records. They won those 10 games by an average of 17.8 points. Baltimore led the league in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) and sacks (60) and tied for first in takeaways (31). The Ravens are the first team to lead the NFL in all three of those categories. The Ravens had 16 players with at least one sack this season. Only Detroit (18) had more.

Now that I’ve dumped those stats on you, this game should be close and it should be low scoring. The Ravens are one of the most balanced teams while the Chiefs are coming together at the right time. I think the Ravens might take this one by a field goal. Lamar Jackson is gunning or a second MVP and this game will be the one that solidifies it. Also, teams who have beaten Josh Allen in the playoffs have gone on to lose their next game. 2020 Houston beat Buffalo then lost to KC. 2021 KC beat Buffalo then lost to Tampa. 2022 KC beat Buffalo then lost to Cincinnati. 2023 Cincy beat Buffalo then lost to KC. Just saying.

NFC

(3) Detroit Lions at (1) San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox

America’s sweethearts the Detroit Lions are one step closer to a Super Bowl. Only problem is they have to play arguably the most balanced and well coached team in the league to do it. San Francisco can beat you in a multitude of ways and every player is good at the little things. It’s all going to come down to can Detroit stop Christian McCaffrey. Can Detroit’s defense keep an explosive 49er offense grounded. The wild card in this game is Lions coach Dan Campbell. Detroit leads the NFL with 118 fourth-down tries since Campbell got the job, converting 52.5% of them. The Lions have converted both 4th down attempts in the postseason, scoring TDs on two fourth-and-shorts. Detroit's 13 TDs on fourth down in the regular season and playoffs since 2021 are tied for the most in the NFL. San Francisco has attempted only 50 fourth-down tries the past three seasons, the third fewest in the league.

Jared Goff is looking to return to the Super Bowl trying to avenge a 13-3 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl 53. Jared Goff is also trying to reverse some bad mojo. Quarterbacks who have lost in their first Super Bowl appearance since 2000 have not gone back to the Super Bowl. My heart wants Detroit to shock the world and win it all. They deserve it. But I can’t overlook a battle tested 49ers team looking to avenge last season’s NFC Championship loss. I think the 49ers win because the Lions do not convert a 4th down they had to have.

[pumathoughts]

Pain Thy Name is The Buffalo Bills

As my lovely wife and I were leaving the Cesar’s Sportsbook Lounge at Highmark stadium, walking into the frigid cold only western New York can offer, I overheard a dejected Bills fan say to another dejected Bills fan “you should talk to me, you look like you have a lot to say.”  You know what I have a lot to say. I have a lot to say yet no idea where to start. I was in the drive thru at Tim Horton’s talking out loud to myself trying to figure out what to say and I got so frustrated I let out a scream before I rolled my window down to say I had a mobile order. That’s what this team does to me. Makes me an irrational mess and affects my mood for days after a loss.

My wife and I wanted to go to the game, we splurged and got some nice seats in the aforementioned Cesar’s Sportsbook lounge, out of the cold. It was her first home Bills game, our first playoff game, and a bucket list item for me to see a Bills home playoff game. I felt good about the game, stressed and nervous like always, but I felt good right up until the Bills took a 24-20 lead with 3:23 left in the third quarter. I had a knot in the pit of my stomach. Too much time left to run out the clock, and not enough to make any significant stretch of a lead. I knew what was coming, I just didn’t know how it was going to present itself.

The Chiefs countered the Buffalo touchdown with one of their own, set up with a beautiful 32-yard dime from Mahomes to Valdes-Scantling to then set up a Pacheco TD run to take a 27-24 lead. The next sequence of events was just a sight to behold. 1st down an 8-yard Josh Allen run, 2nd down a James Cook run for MINUS 3 yards. 3rd down incomplete pass to Stefon Diggs. 4th down FAKE PUNT RUN WITH DAMAR HAMLIN. That’s right, a fake punt run, with a fringe special teamer, for 3 yards when they needed 5 yards, on their own 30-yard line. I don’t even possess the comprehensive thought to accurately describe how a conservative, defensive minded head coach in Sean McDermott, on his own 30-yard line thought a fake punt was a good idea in a 4-point game. Not to mention Kansas City only had 10 men on the field for it. But it happened, and we are worse for it.

So, the Chiefs take over on downs and drive into the redzone, and, as if it was a gift from whatever football gods take pity upon this sad franchise we root for, gave us a gift. After a 29-yard run by Pacheco to the Buffalo 3-yard line, Mecole Hardman as he was being tackled after catching a 2-yard pass, Jordon Poyer knocked the ball out of his hands and it rolled out of bounds into the endzone. A touchback, after Buffalo challenged the play for being ruled down, they won it, and THEY GOT THE BALL BACK! I don’t know why the NFL wants to change that rule, it’s awesome.

So, what do the Bills do with this magnificent gift from up above? Promptly go 3 plays for minus 2 yards and punt. Somehow, they force the Chiefs to punt on the ensuing possession. Then we get to the heartbreak.  The Bills first play on their final drive was a dime, A DIME, to Stefon Diggs and he dropped what would have been a 60-yard play. Then they somehow managed to go 54 yards in 6:40, narrowly avoiding a Josh Allen fumble along the way, to set up Tyler Bass for a 44-yard field goal with 1:47 left which he missed, wide right. Time is a flat circle.

Most may point to the underthrow of Shakir in the endzone that could have potentially won the game, but I’d say if you have defenders blocked into you and try to deliver a strike like that and you can’t do it, then you deserve to catch the shit Josh Allen is forced to catch today.

Josh Allen in 10 career playoff starts: 244/378 (64.6%), 2,723 passing yards, 563 rushing yards, 16 receiving yards, 27 total TDs, 4 INTs. The Bills are 5-5 with no Super Bowl appearances. Those 563 rushing yards are second in playoff history to Steve Young’s 594. Josh Allen has started 104 games in the regular and postseason. Sunday’s game was the fourth game of his career in which he didn't produce a single 20+ yard play. The Bills went 9/17 on third and fourth down and the Chiefs went 1/5. James Cook had 67 rushing yards entering the 4th quarter. His final four carries went for: -4 yards, -3 yards, 0 yards, 1 yard. Final count: 61 yards. Buffalo ended up averaging 3.6 yards per play in the 2nd half of each game versus Kansas City this year. Those were their two worst games in 2nd half yards per play on the season. But defensively there was a lot left to be desired. Ed Oliver & DaQuan Jones were held to 0 pressures on 38 combined pass rushes, Oliver's first game without a pressure since Week 13, 2021. Jones was double teamed on 12 of 17 pass rushes (70.6%), while Oliver had 10 one-on-one matchups vs Joe Thuney. The Chiefs averaged 7.7 yards a play, the Bills 4.7. Chiefs had eight plays of 20-plus yards. Sean McDermott ran off Leslie Frazier for less.

Now, I could rag on coaching but I think that speaks for itself. I’m going to go a different route. After the 2021 Divisional round game versus Kansas City, you know “13 seconds”. Brandon Beane made the proclamation that “we couldn’t get 15 on the ground.” So, Von Miller was signed, and the shift to get defensive help was made to do exactly that. The Bills lost to the Bengals in last year’s playoffs. So, we fast forward to the 2023 off season and free agency period. Now I’m going to list off the “major” signings, which includes the resigning of players who were on the team in 2022 and give you their contribution for this game:

Poona Ford

DNP (inactive)

Latavius Murray

3 rec. 27 yards

Shaq Lawson

1 QB hit

Damien Harris

DNP (I.R.)

AJ Klein

5 total tackles

Trent Sherfield

1 rec. 7 yards

Jordan Philips

No stats

Deonte Harty

1 rec. 3 yards

Taylor Rapp

DNP (Injured)

Dane Jackson

1 tackle 1 pass defense

Jordan Poyer

8 total tackles

Tyrel Dodson

8 total tackles

Cam Lewis

1 tackle

Tyler Matakevich

No Stats

AJ Klein was called up from the practice squad and Jordan Poyer is a constant so take him out of this but the 2023 haul of players to make us “championship caliber” left a lot to be desired. AJ Epenesa had 1 tackle too, I felt that needed to be said because there was talk about resigning him at one point this season. So, EVERYTHING that has been done defensively to “get 15 on the ground” left you with only 2 QB hits and ZERO sacks against Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. Offensively, the 30-something, journeyman RB shouldn’t have more receptions and receiving yards than your two receivers COMBINED but here we are. I wanted DeAndre Hopkins in the worst way for this team. What I got was Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty to give me 2 catches for 10 yards in a franchise defining game.

To lay this all on Josh Allen is absolutely absurd. Allen had 3 total touchdowns, 72 yards rushing, 186 passing yards. He was one of the lone bright spots. I’m not sure Gabe Davis would’ve made that big a difference but the absence of Stefon Diggs (3 rec. 21 yards on 8 targets) was noticeable, but the big drop he had late was worse. Kahlil Shakir is emerged as a steadier target and Shakir the last 10 games has 37 targets with 462 yards. Diggs in that same span 80 targets with 422 yards. Defenses adjust I know but Diggs needed to be unguardable and he wasn’t. Josh Allen can only be as good as what he’s got around him. If his number 1 receiver isn’t making a difference, or at the very least hauling in the big catches, then what are we really doing here? Dalton Kincaid should be more involved. I don’t remember hearing his name in the second half. Dawson Knox isn’t worth the money he’s getting paid. Knox had 1 rec. for 4 yards. Where are the difference makers on offense? Where was this new play calling Joe Brady provided? Trying to keep the defense honest with runs with Cook, but his last for carries netted -6 yards. Josh Allen averaged 6 yards a carry. The Bills outsmarted themselves. They didn’t get the yards they needed when they needed them. Pacheco grinded out yards to kill the clock after the missed FG. James Cook couldn’t buy a yard with King Midas’ gold.

Now where do we go from here? Honestly it should be a completely new direction. Sean McDermott did a commendable job rebounding from a 6-6 start and firing Ken Dorsey, but 0-3 versus the Kansas Chiefs in the playoffs is inexcusable. Each passing year is a wasted opportunity, and with a Bengals team that didn’t even make the playoffs this was the year to assert yourselves with the Chiefs not even playing their best football. Yet, here is another year, out of the playoffs, by the same team that always knocks you out. Looking for answers but having to listen to the same loser post-game crap from a head coach whose defense has failed this team time and time again in the big moments. Is firing him the way to go? Maybe. Running it back for one more year is going to happen, but let’s not be shocked by the same result next year when this team inevitably loses to Kansas City again. It’s in this teams DNA. They can’t close. Josh Allen is the Philip Rivers of his generation. If the Buffalo Bills had any self-respect this would be the loss that kickstarts an absolute reinvention of self.

Championships are the goal. The ring is the thing. Wining franchises fire coaches for failing in the playoffs. Bill Belichick just got fired after 2 rough seasons with the Patriots. He has a hell of a more impressive resume that McDermott does. Now I got to sit here and listen to McClappy say it starts with him, he has to be better. Stop insulting my intelligence. This team, he is directly responsible for creating, has failed. His defense, failed. This was a masterclass in how far a coach can take you. The mindset should be it doesn’t matter who we play, you’re a team in my way of winning a Super Bowl. But we seemingly wax poetic of how nice it would be to win for the city of Buffalo but we have to go through Kansas City to do it. This year Kansas City had to go through you! Instead of getting 15 on the ground and moving on, number 15 went right through you again and he didn’t look back.

[pumathoughts]

Divisioinal Weekend Rundown

Divisional round: Jan. 20 and 21

NFC

(7) Green Bay Packers at (1) San Francisco 49ers

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET on FOX

Quite the surprise in Wild Card Weekend with Green Bay just demolishing the Dallas Cowboys and moving on to San Francisco. Jordan Love went 16 for 21 for 272 yards and 3 TDs in his playoff debut AND has thrown 21 TD’s and 1 INT in his last 9 games. Safe to say he is playing at a high level. San Francisco is coming off a bye week and gets their taste of playoff action for the first time this season. It’s no secret the 49ers have a tremendous offense. Christian McCaffrey should be MVP in my opinion but the 49ers are a sneaky good team that on the surface it looks like the offense runs through CMC, but it doesn’t. it’s blocking, route running and scheme. Brock Purdy can sling it and with a ‘Swiss army knife’ in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the outside there are plenty of options for Purdy to distribute to. Oh, and George Kittle helps too. But the key for the Packers is Aaron Jones. Jones has rushed for more than 110 yards in each of the past four games. He ran for 118 yards and 3 TD’s against the Cowboys. Jones has rushed for more than 100 yards every time he’s faced the Cowboys in his career but he’s never rushed for 100 yards in six previous meetings against San Francisco. In the 2021 Divisional Playoff loss to the 49ers he had 9 catches for 129 yards and 12 carries for 41 yards. I think San Francisco wins but not by the -9.5 point spread Vegas is predicting. Packers are hot but they lose a heart breaker.

(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at (3) Detroit Lions

Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on NBC

Who would’ve thought Detroit, who hasn’t won a playoff game in 32 years would be hosting TWO playoff games in a season. What a wild ride it has been for the motor city this season. Jared Goff got his revenge against the LA Rams and is moving on to face the Baker Mayfield led Buccaneers. Lions DB CJ Gardner-Johnson is talking about how if Tampa had a better QB they’d be better. So bulletin board material before the biggest game in recent Lions history. No big deal. The Bucs took down a flawed Eagles team with blitzing the hell out of them. No AJ Brown, Jalen Hurts was hurt and ineffective, and there was no defensive help which led to this solid Bucs team advancing. Detroit is riding high and rightfully so, Detroit has two home games in the same playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Detroit hasn’t won 2 playoff games in a season since winning the 1957 NFL title! Be energetic, be excited, BUT this Buccaneer team is NOT to be overlooked. The defense is solid, Baker Mayfield is having a good season and is distributing the ball to his playmakers. Tampa isn’t flashy but they don’t have to be. The atmosphere in Detroit will be electric and I think Detroit gets the win but Tampa keeps it close.

AFC

(4) Houston Texans at (1) Baltimore Ravens

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC/ESPN+

For some reason I feel that the rest vs. rust debate has to apply to the Ravens but not the 49ers, and I don’t really know why. Baltimore rested key guys against the Steelers the final week of the regular season and had a bye week. Guys got rest and more time to get healthy, but I can’t shake the feeling the Ravens will take a drive or two to shake the rust off. These teams meet for the second time this season, they played week 1 where Jackson threw an early INT, each QB had a fumble, Stroud took 5 sacks and Jackson took 4 sacks. It was a sloppy loss for Stroud but it’s safe to say each team rebounded nicely. Houston took it to Cleveland scoring at will on the best scoring defense in football. So why not try it with 6th ranked scoring defense in Baltimore. It’ll be 28 degrees in Baltimore so we’ll see how Houston handles the cold. CJ Stroud is exciting but Lamar Jackson is gunning for his 2nd MVP which he would have earned for sure. Baltimore hasn't hosted an AFC title game since January of 1971, when the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders. The Texans have never made it that far. They are 0-4 in the divisional round, including a loss to Baltimore in January of 2012. The Houston Oilers played in the AFC championship game, but their last appearance was 44 years ago. I think Houston will put up a good fight and I want the Cinderella story to continue in the worst way but I think Baltimore escapes this game with a win.

(3) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) Buffalo Bills

Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS

This is it. This is the measuring stick. THIS IS THE GAME! This is to prove to everyone you are for real Buffalo. The playoff losses to KC have always been IN Kansas City. But now you get Patrick Mahomes at home. You get him playing his first road playoff game ever. I cannot overstate how immensely huge this game is for Josh Allen and Sean McDermott. Sean McDermott needs this win to show he can coach in the big moments. He needs to show he can manage a game from beginning to end. He needs to show he can close. Josh Allen needs to show he can outduel a 2-time Super Bowl winner. Period. The end. That’s it. Win, just win. I wouldn’t say this is the biggest game in franchise history, but this will be a franchise defining one. This regime needs to win to justify the culture, and the process. It’s more pressure on them but you put this pressure on yourself when you have the season you have. As far as this game goes, injuries will be the key. Buffalo needs to get some key guys back especially on defense. Rasul Douglas needs to play and so does Taron Johnson for the secondary to have some confidence in covering Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Isiah Pacheco didn’t play in the first meeting of these teams this season and the Bills need to clamp down on the run to keep Mahomes in long down and distances. The Chiefs are converting 52% of red-zone trips into touchdowns this season, which is in the bottom half of the league. Against Miami, the Chiefs went 2 for 6 and settled for four field goals. Keep everything in front of you. Stop the run. Force Mahomes into long down and distances and the Bills win. I think the Bills win but it’ll be so much closer than I want it to be. This is also a game I will be in attendance for so I’m sure my wife will enjoy my emotional mood swings for 3 hours.

[pumathoughts]

Super Wild-card Weekend Rundown

It’s that time of year again, NFL Playoffs! We begin as always with Super Wildcard Weekend, here is my rundown of all the games:

NFL Super Wild-card weekend: Jan. 13, 14 and 15

NFC

(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox

These are 2 teams with different expectations on the season. Jordan Love has played well and the Packers the last 2 games of the season played good defense and got the most out of their young core to make the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys are Super Bowl or bust, CeeDee Lamb is arguably the second best WR in football and the defense overall is a take away machine. The Cowboys I think will try to pressure Love into bad throws, and be opportunistic in creating take aways. This to me is the Cowboys game to lose, only question is can Tony Pollard get going in the run game because he is the home run threat on the ground in space. Green Bay went on a 3 game win streak to end the season and Dallas leaving a lot to be desired to end their season. Dallas won impressively in week 14 against Philadelphia, then a bad loss to Buffalo, another loss to Miami, an illegal touching penalty win against Detroit and a dismantling of Washington to maybe get right? The Cowboys are the better team and they are home. Even with the struggles Dallas should get past the Packers and into the Divisional round.

(6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Detroit Lions

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC

This one is going to tug on the heart strings. Matt Stafford returns to Detroit to face his old Lions and frankly the Rams might spoil Detroit’s first home playoff game in ages. The Rams are a hot team coming into the playoffs, 7-1 since a week 10 bye, only loss was an overtime loss to Baltimore in week 14. Puka Nacua came out of nowhere and is shattering expectations. He and Cooper Kupp are a formidable duo at WR, and Kyren Williams has brought stability to a ground game that have made the Rams a really tough matchup for anyone and unfortunately it has to be the Lions. I want good things for Detroit, and they deserve to go far in the playoffs. I just don’t see how a defense that is susceptible to the pass can slow down this Rams passing offense. The Lions will have Sam LaPorta but not at 100% which could hinder what the Lions do passing the ball. The 2 headed monster at running back in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs is what the Lions need to control this game. The biggest X factor is how aggressive will Dan Campbell be? Hopefully just enough to get the win, but this is Jared Goff’s chance for redemption. He was traded for Stafford but not only that the Rams GAVE a first round pick just to get rid of him. I want Detroit to win this game because I like feel good stories but the Rams seem to have put it together at the right time and I think will spoil the party in Detroit.

(5) Philadelphia Eagles at (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Monday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN+

The Eagles are dragging their asses into these playoffs. Rumors are swirling Nick Siriani might lose his job if the Eagles piss this one away. Crazy to think a team a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance would fire the coach but this is a crazy world we live in. The Eagles also get dealt another low blow by stud WR AJ Brown likely being out for this game due to a knee injury. The hits just keep coming. The Buccaneers on the other hand haven’t been spectacular but haven’t been average. 5-1 in their last 6 to close the season and Baker Mayfield might have found a home in Tampa Bay. Mayfield had 4,044 yards 28 TDs and 10 INTs on this season. Tom Brady last year for these Bucs had 4,694 yards 25 TDs and 9 INTs. The Bucs I think have a better chance to win this game because of the weapons at receiver. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should give Philly all they can handle. The Eagles need to get D’Andre Swift going to take the pressure off of Jalen Hurts. For the Eagles to win they have to establish the run and control clock. I think the Eagles are desperate enough to win this game but it will be closer than people think.

Bye: (1) San Francisco 49ers

AFC

(5) Cleveland Browns at (4) Houston Texans

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC

To me this is the most intriguing matchup of the playoffs. The upstart Texans and CJ Stroud against the resilient Cleveland Browns. The Browns are the first team in NFL history to win at least 10 games in a season with four different quarterbacks earning at least one win, according to OptaStats. They’re also the first team to make the playoffs after starting four different quarterbacks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Joe Flacco is a timeless wonder, and survived a tenure with the New York Jets, EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. But Cleveland with a steady hand at QB and a stout defense get a rematch with a team they creamed in week 16 BUT CJ Stroud is playing this time. I thought CJ Stroud should’ve been the number one overall pick in the draft but Bryce Young gets to fall on the sword and waste away in Carolina while Stroud thrives. Stroud threw for over 4000 yards and had 25 TDs. Impressive for a team that had 2 wins last season. DeMeco Ryans has transformed this team into one who believes in itself and they are young and growing together. Even Buffalo Bills cast off Devin Singletary took over the starting RB spot and is the steady hand in the backfield. Tank Dell being hurt is a loss but the Texans have other playmakers that have carried them to this point. I like Houston to shock the world and Beat Cleveland at home to advance.

(6) Miami Dolphins at (3) Kansas City Chiefs

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET on Peacock

Now there is a joke in here somewhere involving Swifties and Peacock…I’m not the one to make it, but there has to be. Now for those of you wondering as you see above it says this game is on Peacock. Yes, Peacock is a streaming service by NBC Universal. Yes, this is streaming ONLY. Yes, the NFL is a money hungry organization that does what it wants and will continue to do so until the end of time. So, get ready to pay $5.99 for this game or just hope a friend or family member has it. ANYWAY, this game is more about 2 teams who are not where everyone thought they’d be. The Chiefs are just reaping what they sewed by not upgrading at WR. This group leads the league in drops. Taylor Swift has garnered a lot of attention and I think it has somehow manifested itself into affecting this team. The Chiefs just don’t have that same mojo this year. Travis Kelce is having his worst statistical year in what feels like forever. If KC survives this game they are likely going on the road to play what would be Patrick Mahomes first ever road playoff game. The Dolphins again fail to reach expectations this season. Did you know they scored 70 points on Denver this season? That was a different time. The Dolphins are “the greatest show on surf” but have been hobbled as of late. Tyreek Hill has been hurt, Jaylen Waddle has been hurt, and the speed the Dolphins were killing people with has been somewhat neutralized. Miami squandered a golden opportunity win the AFC East and to get the 2 seed in the playoffs, all they had to do was win 2 of their last 3. They got waxed by Baltimore at home, and Buffalo beat them for the division and the 2 seed. Ouch. My wife tells me Mike McDaniel is a player’s coach, I say he can’t close. The temperature is expected to be around minus-2 degrees with a wind chill approaching -30, according to the National Weather Service. If that projection remains to be then this will become the coldest game that the Dolphins have ever played in. The Dolphins have lost 10 straight games when the kickoff temperature is 40 degrees or below. With all the struggles this season I think the Chiefs will win this game by the slimmest of margins because of Isiah Pacheco.

(7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Buffalo Bills

Monday, 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS (Postponed due to weather)

We all know my feelings on the Buffalo Bills, I love and hate them all at the same time. But what really grinds my gears is everyone acting like the weather is a real advantage for the Bills. It’s projected to be 40MPH winds, and somewhere between 1-3 feet of snow. I don’t know if you know this but Pittsburgh plays in cold weather too. As does Cleveland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New England, Jets, Giants, Baltimore, Washington, Green Bay, and other cold weather teams who play outside. Let’s stop pretending Buffalo weather is different. Cold is cold, snow is snow. The new stadium should be a dome, not have an overhang that causes wind confusion. Who know what else causes wind confusion? A DOME! ANYWAY, this game is moved to monday because of the weather but is a classic Bills trap game. The Steelers are currently a +10 point spread for this game (take the points). The Steelers and Mason Rudolph have found their stride on offense after a tumultuous season the Steelers made their way to the playoffs. They don’t turn the ball over and they don’t commit penalties. George Pickens is my player to watch because he’ll either have a huge day or not be heard from. The Steelers will be able to establish the run but if the Bills can keep a lid on the receivers the Bills will have a great chance to win this game. The Bills problem will be can they get points when points are there to get? The Miami game left potentially 21 points on the field with 2 Josh Allen INT’s and a James Cook fumble all in the redzone. Josh Allen catches a lot of shit for his turnovers, but the national narrative that he’s a liability for his turnovers in outlandish. In his first 6 seasons he has 102 total turnovers, 78 being interceptions. Did you know Peyton Manning and Jameis Winston have 111 total turnovers in their first 6 seasons? In their first 6 seasons Peyton Manning had 110 INT’s, Winston and Eli Manning had 88, Jay Cutler had 86, and Matt Stafford had 85 INT’s. Gun Slingers through INT’s, shit happens. But to lay it all on Josh Allen like he’s a turnover machine is asinine. Josh Allen is the solution to the problem of not having truly elite weapons around him outside of Stefon Diggs. The Bills will win this game if Diggs can get loose and get chunks of yards and you get James Cook in space. The defense needs to keep a lid on the speed of the Steeler receivers. I think the Bills get the win by a field goal.

Bye: (1) Baltimore Ravens

[pumathoughts]

Buffalo Bills 2023 Season: Roller Coaster of Emotions

What a long strange trip it has been this season aye Bills fans? We love the stress of rooting for this team and I don’t know why. The playoff drought changed us for sure BUT these Buffalo Bills are different. They have to be at least, right!? But I mean if you told me in July that the Bills would: lose week 1 to a Jets team with Aaron Rodgers not playing after the first series, lose in London to the Jags, lose to the Pats in Foxboro, lose a sluggish game to Denver on a last second field goal they missed but 12 men on the field gave them another chance, fire Ken Dorsey, lose in OT to Philadelphia, THEN have to win 5 straight just to get the 2 seed in the playoffs because the Dolphins got to 11 wins first….I would’ve said, “Jesus that’s a lot going on but I’m not surprised they made it hard on themselves.”

This has been a real test of patience this season. I mean we all have people we talk to each game day, group chats, phone calls, etc. and we all exude the same emotions during a game, “Go Bills, I hate this team, Fire McDermott, Big W Go Bills!” through every Facebook post, every meme, every Tweet, Retweet, sub tweet (the platform is called “X” now yet we still say Tweet and Retweet, weird right?) we have seen it all, everything has been said some true some not but opinions are out there. Whether it’s Colin Cowherd making proclamations, Nick Wright dropping his stupid ass banners, Stephen A. Smith screaming, Mad Dog Russo yelling, there hasn’t been a hot take unheard. But we’ve been hearing it since early this summer.

Josh Allen started by saying he’s 100% committed to football, then went on a getaway with his celebrity girlfriend the paparazzi caught on a balcony. I read some doozy of hot takes on this, like he should be more focused, not on vacation. Um, he’s allowed to go on vacation with his girlfriend in the OFFSEASON! No one in this world makes their job their life. It’s not something you do 24 hours a day 365 days a year. You take vacations, you go places, you do things. Josh Allen is allowed to do that too. Then we get past this to training camp when hope springs eternal and optimism is just at a fever pitch. Super Bowl or bust was the attitude, a Lombardi trophy banner was put in the field house to motivate the team! That was met with scoffs from national media members but McDermott being the master motivator he is (I’ll get to Ty Dunne’s article in a minute) it’s about the bigger picture. The trophy is what you work for, obviously. But then the season starts.

Aaron Rodgers had a season ending injury after 4 plays into his first game as a New York Jet. The scene was set for the Bills to assert themselves as a team that would show no mercy. They should’ve rolled the Jets with Zack Wilson at QB. Instead, I held my newborn son who was hours old by the time that game started, and watched this team bumble over themselves and lose on a punt return to get shocked by the Jets. I mean Rodgers went down and the air left MetLife. That game was over right there EXCEPT it wasn’t. This vaunted Bills offense only mustered 16 points in that loss. I was angry for 4 days after this game. I shouldn’t let this team dictate my mood but I do and I hate myself for it.

Then, all the questions, all the chatter of McDermott’s game management, Josh Allen’s turnovers, what will happen now, is the sky falling? Answer was no, they smoked the Raiders and Commanders setting up a showdown with the “greatest show on surf” Dolphins….and absolutely put on a clinic of defensive mastery. The Dolphins scored 70 points the week before on Denver so of course that’s all you hear about the Dolphins the rest of the year. The Bills beat Miami by 28 points. Then over to London to lose Matt Milano, Da’Quan Jones, and the game to Jacksonville and the funk begins. Frustration is the best way I can describe the 5 weeks following London. A 14-9 win against the Giants which I was there for, loss in Foxboro to New England, win against Tampa, losses to the Bengals and Denver which get Ken Dorsey fired.

Don’t get me wrong by this point in the season I wanted McDermott gone. I knew it would be an end of season firing. But instead, I get Ken Dorsey’s head on a platter and a beat down of a sad Jets team, then the Bills go to Philadelphia. Now when Allen fired it to Gabe Davis in overtime and he missed it, I was mad but IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER GOTTEN TO THAT POINT! Allen threw a INT in a bad moment late in regulation, but gunslingers throw picks. Sean McDermott elected to not give his superstar QB a chance to lead a game-winning drive with 20 seconds left and 1 timeout. Instead, he elects to take a knee and go to overtime where he AND Josh Allen are 0-6. Not to mention the Eagles rushed onto the field for a fire-drill field goal attempt that McDermott CALLED A TIMEOUT TO ICE THE KICKER FOR! I mean, what the hell are you doing!? Let it ride maybe he misses it, but we’ll never know now. Instead, they let Jalen Hurts waltz into the endzone in OT to go into the bye week with a season on the brink.

Then Ty Dunne of Golongtd.com drops a bombshell expose of Sean McDermott and his management of the team and how he isn’t the coach to bring this team to a championship. The most odd and controversial tidbit from this article is in 2019 at training camp McDermott tries to make the point of the team coming together and communicating like the 9/11 terrorists did in achieving their goal. This leaves me with so many more questions but this almost confirmed it that if the wheels fell off the final 5 games McDermott was gone. The Bills won 4 games out of the bye week, in Kansas City, ran all over Dallas, nail biters against the Chargers and Patriots (those didn’t inspire confidence) then a showdown in Miami for the Division and the 2 seed in the playoffs.

They left A LOT of points on the field, that game should’ve been 48-14 but it wasn’t. the Bills outgained the Dolphins and just all around bullied them off the field. Tua’s quest to be taken seriously as a QB took a hit with a pedestrian night and a game sealing INT and now the Dolphins get the pleasure of going to KC instead of having a home game. The Bills get the suddenly hot Steelers.

What can be said other than this season has been typical Bills through and through with a surprise or two. I felt anger, joy, confusion, shock, dismay, hilarity, and overall content with this season. The talk of Allen’s turnovers gets super annoying but he keeps turning the ball over so I can’t be too mad at it. Now we look forward to a matchup with the Steelers who have had their own issues this season and also fired their offensive coordinator. This should be a game where the Bills win by 10 but honestly it can go either way for me. But that is another post for another day. This regular season is over and the Bills somehow salvaged 11 wins. It truly is a week to week league and with this team the roller-coaster of emotions just seemingly never stops, but what a ride it is.