#and then ravens to beat the steelers

[killa-trav]

trying not to think too much about the chiefs' season possibly ending this coming weekend like wtf

[allpromarlo]

i love the ravens but i'd do unimaginable things to not have to watch them on saturday

[0zzysaurus]

Okay so here’s our schedule fellas. Let me walk you through it in beginner talk.

Fun and important adventure below :]]

NFL is broken into two organisations — The AFC and the NFC. They are then broken down into four regional divisions — each division has four teams. Teams from both the AFC and NFC will play each other throughout the season, but we also have divisional games, where you play the other teams within your division.

Bengals are in AFC North — AFC North consists of, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Shittsburgh Steelers. We play each of our divisional rivals twice in order to make a ranking within the division, which — on top of overall ranking — determines placement in the play-offs (which not every team gets into, as the season comes to a close, teams with lowest wins are eliminated.)

We always tend to struggle divisionally, so it’s good to have a preliminary look at the non-divisional teams we’ll play, be they other AFC teams or NFC teams. Some of the teams we have this season (i.e. Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, etc.) are DOG ASS TEAMS ‼️‼️‼️ We should be able to cinch easy wins from those teams — but never say that out loud, because the Bengals have a habit of ‘bungling’ things up.

On the other hand, we also have some absolutely cracked teams in our schedule (i.e. Philly Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and regrettably, the Kansas City Chiefs). These will be hard teams to beat, especially the Chiefs, because they’re the NFL’s baby pretty princess special boo boo ga ga team who can do no wrong. The game is scripted in their favour I swear to God. BUT it’s been done. We’ve been known to give those skanks a thrashing.

See, the Bengals are a bipolar team if ever there was one. We either wipe the floor with ‘em, or get absolutely barebacked and humiliated on live television for several weeks straight. We always start bad with even records but tend to climb up the winning ladder the closer to the end we get. Joe Burrow — our Quarterback — also has this cute little habit of getting season-ending injuries every fucking season. He also got a big pay check last year so he’s been playing like total ass. Jake Browning is our second Quarterback and he did an ace job last year for it being his first professional season. Evan McPhearson is our kicker and he’s my favourite. I want him.

If u would like to be a Bengal Freak like me, here are three tenants to follow to keep the spirit of the game alive in your soul:

1. KEEP THAT WHO DEY KITTY IN YOUR HEART !! (Who Dey is both our mascot and our signature chant) When you got the Who Dey on a Game Dey? You can conquer the world. First tenant — Be glad that we’re here.

2. Never say you think we’re going to win a game. It attaches some evil Pharaoh’s curse onto that week of football and we will lose. Even if it’s Q3 and the game only has 15 minutes of playtime left and we are up by multiple TD’s, do not say that we have it in the bag. Do not say we are gonna thrash their hides. Second tenant — If the Bengals can Bungle it, assume that they will.

3. We have enemies. But we also have friends. But more importantly we have enemies. The Chiefs — despite not being a division rival — are a team we are sworn against. Fuck those guys, we all hate ‘em no matter what team you support. Remember them as the key villain of the sport, and revel in their downfall whenever you can, just know that it never lasts long. Division teams are sworn to hatred — the Ravens, Browns, and Steelers all suck — but especially the Steelers. Remember to save all your hatred for those towel-wiping shit squealing Steelers. On the brighter side, the Buffalo Bills are our friends. We have done good things for each other over the past half-a-decade. We’ve got each other into play-offs via score manipulation, we’ve respected one another through very serious injuries, and we send each other food when our teams win. You will see Bengals fans touting them as our friends forever. We love the Bills Mafia. We are in a romantic relationship with the Bills Mafia. The Dolphins, Lions, and 49ers are also our chums! Third Tenant — Root for our rivals, and kill our enemies.

This has been Joey’s introductory guide to being a Bengals Buddy in 2024 — watch out for August when my entire account turns orange ^^ who dey!! 🐯🏈

[finnnothuman]

Been thinking about this since last night…

if the 49ers beat us (Steelers) but lost to the ravens and we beat the ravens but didn't beat the 49ers where does that leave us? If we start Mason Rudolph and fire Pickett do we have a chance 🫣 we play the Seahawks and ravens for our last two games and those are MUST WIN games. I’m praying we beat Seattle, and Baltimore won’t play their starters because they’re guaranteed going to the playoffs, they’re number 1 in our division 😫

Anywho 😅

[pint4punt]

5 Teams That Might Prevent the Inevitable Threepeat

At long last the worst part of the sports calendar is finally behind us! No longer do we have to desperately suckle at the teat of baseball while we wait for the real action to begin. That’s the good news. The bad news? It’s still the Chiefs’ world and we’re all living in it.

After losing to the Raiders on Christmas Day last year, Kansas City finally looked vulnerable. The offense was broken, MVS needed body guards just to go to the store, and their first ever road trip in the postseason was looming. But any doubts of how inevitable Mahomes truly is at this point have surely been quelled by this latest run as he led the Chiefs through a road trip from hell, going through the Bills and Ravens in their houses, before beating arguably the most complete Niners’ team in the last 30 years in their division rivals’ home stadium to earn the third ring in his already legendary career.

So if a Chiefs team with as many weaknesses as this one had could go through that brutal of a postseason lineup and still win it all, what team can possibly dethrone the Back-to-Back champs after they addressed their offensive deficiencies by drafting the fastest player in NFL Combine history? Well the god honest truth is, probably none! But who are we to tell you watching this season is a complete waste of time for 31 fanbases! For those of you getting high off hopium like us, here’s 5 teams that MIGHT have a shot at preventing the first ever threepeat.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Don’t be so quick to give up on Russ and Justin Fields in an Arthur Smith offense could be a game chang……we’re just fucking with you lol

Houston Texans

As unbelievable as Mahomes’ debut as the starter in his second year was, C.J. Stroud had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time. And Houston has done everything possible to ensure he doesn’t experience a Sophomore slump with key additions such as Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and even his college tight end in Cade Stover along with returning stars in Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Pairing Danielle Hunter with Defensive Rookie of the year Will Anderson should also give Demeco Ryans all the firepower he needs to put opposing QBs’ asses in the turf as well. The real question is whether or not they’re ready to swim in the deep end of the AFC pool. If so, Stroud just might establish himself as the new sheriff in town and Diggs might not have to watch the Chiefs celebrate from the sideline for once.

Cincinnati Bengals

If there has been one boogeyman in Patrick Mahomes’ career, it’s Joe Burrow. Under Burrow, the Bengals have gone 3-1 against Kansas City, with the one loss coming in a highly controversial AFC Championship game where the Chiefs kept getting mulligans on 3rd & 9 due to officiating fuckery.

The Bengals missed the playoffs last year at least in part due to injuries and will be without now former Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan for the first time in Joe Burrow’s career. There’s also the ongoing contractual issues with Cincinnati’s favorite super weapon Ja’Marr Chase that may result in him missing games. Time will tell what kind of impact all of this will have, but at the very least the real Slim Shady appears to have stood back up.

Detroit Lions

Legitimately, is there a more fun team in football than the Detroit Lions right now? The perfect meld of old school ground and pound, new age passing concepts, and a Head Coach jacked on borderline lethal levels of espresso. While it’s easy to point out that the Lions already beat the back-to-back champs to kick start the 2023 season (in their house no less), it’s important to note that two of the Chiefs most important players in Travis Kelce and Chris Jones missed that game. The latter of which, doesn’t get nearly enough credit for both of the Chief’s Super Bowl wins over another team featured in this article (oops spoiler alert).

What Detroit…..devout? Dedicated? Whatever the fuck their fans call themselves, should focus on is how much better they got throughout the year and how they had the Chiefs’ eventual Super Bowl opponent (spoiler spoiler spoiler!!!!) on the ropes until a miraculous halftime comeback for the ages. With an offensive line that imposes its will in a manner that would make Weinstein blush, a dynamic duo at RB in Gibbs & Montgomery, an alpha Receiver & an end-zone magnet Tight End, a force off the edge who finished 2nd in QB pressures last year (101) and a QB who can reliably orchestrate it all, the Lions have all the ingredients to put a dent in the Kansas City dynasty.

San Francisco 49ers

Pure seething hatred alone might will this victory into existence. Seriously, what did Kyle Shanahan do to the scriptwriters to make them hate him so much. Popping Dre Greenlaw’s Achilles in a Super Bowl this team was dominating early on? A muffed punt? And let’s not forget the overtime debacle, that added a nice twist from the last time Mahomes & Co ripped the Faithfuls’ hearts out of their chest. Tinfoil hats aside, this team’s sexual frustration has to make Tiger Woods look celibate.

All of that said, why include them as a threat to a Quarterback they’ve literally never beaten? Well for starters, Vegas has them neck and neck with Kansas City to win it all and we all know how much they hate losing (right right off with the tinfoil hat). But more importantly Brock Purdy, every analysts’ favorite punching bag, took Mahomes and this dynastic roster to overtime on the biggest stage in his first full season as a starter. San Francisco just has to hope him having a proper offseason is enough to overcome all the Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams drama and they just might have a shot at finally getting out from Andy Reid’s shadow. Week 7 will offer a nice preview of this one.

Baltimore Ravens

Ah yes, it all comes down to the the matchup that will kick start the whole 2024 ride in approximately 3 hours from the time of this writing. Baltimore has been the standard of the NFL from the Front Office down in the Lamar Jackson era. Yet despite being the darlings of the analytics community in that time, they’ve only won one of five matchups against Mahomes’ Chiefs. Which begs the question is this really a rivalry?

Despite being NFL Royalty against the rest of the league, Baltimore needs something more to gain the edge over the Chiefs and maybe just maybe, that something is a King.

After helping end Baltimore’s season just a few short years ago, Derrick Henry is now hoping to help the Ravens extend their season one more game than last year and cement the legacy of his reign with a Lombardi Trophy. If Henry has lost a step, it’s hard to envision this team toppling Kansas City with key losses to their Defense and O-Line. But if he can be the transformational piece the Ravens signed him to be, they just might have the best chance at ending the dynasty…..well maybe for a year.

[aritheartfreak]

guys i know im sports talking on tumblr of all places but.

ME WHEN THE STEELERS SUCK ALL GAME AND THEN COME BACK RIGHT AT THE END AS PER USUAL TO BEAT THE RAVENNNNSSSSS (i hate you ravens🖤💛)

[realtapiocafan]

Sunday thoughts!

I am so incredibly happy for Justin Jefferson and the Vikings! No one saw them coming! No one was picking them! 3-0!

I saw that pass, Anthony Richardson. Sadly, it seems like Caleb Williams is not beating the allegations either

Good on the Giants! Shame on the Browns!

Baffled by the Packers continuing to win. Not angry, just baffled

Eagles/Saints was incredibly frustrating to watch in real time (take the damn field goal, dude), but in hindsight, defense is always always cool

Bo Nix? Huh?

Very interested to see how the steelers are going to deal with their qb issue. Also prayers for Justin Herbert!

Still praying for Tua and hope he makes the best decision for his future, but like. It doesn't seem like the Dolphins will win anything without him

I feel sorry for Bryce man

Obligatory fuck the Niners, good for the Rams!

Happy that ravens got their first win and the cowboys lost (now to see if the other 0-2 team in the afc north wins too)

I do want the lions to go on another deep run in the playoffs, so that was nice

And I'm vaguely annoyed at the chiefs winning but whatever

[904sadmonthly]

At this point, the scheme isn't the problem. Where are Doug Pederson's communication skills?

September 19 2024

Earlier this week, I shared a Facebook post of Mike Tomlin telling reporters he can't tell them how the hot dog is made because they might not like it. Knowing EXACTLY what he meant, I wrote a caption saying I would trade the entire farm to get that man in a Jaguars hoodie.

As many hardcore NFL fans know, the Steelers are driven by their coaching tradition. They've only had 3 since the late 1960s. While patience has been the critical soft skill used by Pittsburgh's ownership to accomplish this feat, the communication skills possessed by Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin helped the coaches keep their part of the deal as well.

Each of these three coaches were or are amazing communicators who could get the most out of the players given to them by their general managers (although, it should be mentioned that Noll controlled everything football related during his run). For evidence, Cowher is working for CBS as an in-studio commentator and Tomlin is widely praised for his realness and ability to keep players with "character issues" in check while other head coaches around the NFL cannot.

Last season, Tomlin's messaging should have fallen through the cracks completely. His team had no quarterback, a struggling run game, and wide receivers who were going into business for themselves every week. Along with that, the defense was aging and starting to get banged up. Unfortunately, the gradual wear and tear culminated with TJ Watt getting injured in the last game of the season when Pittsburgh beat the Ravens to earn a playoff spot.

Despite these challenges, Tomlin and the Steelers won 10 games. DOUBLE DIGITS. In contrast, Shad Khan publicly stated that he believed the 2024 Jaguars were the best team ever assembled by the franchise. After 2 weeks, it feels like their season is about to fall off the rails going into a Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills.

When Trevor Lawrence took the podium after the Jaguars' Week 2 loss against the Browns, he flat out said the team sucks right now. He's right, but it's troubling that the franchise QB who just got the big deal is the one who has to light a fire under his teammates two weeks into the season.

I am NOT a fan of coach speak and cookie cutter public relations statements, but I also feel like certain things and sentiments should stay in house when there are still 15 games left to play. Ultimately, the players are going to mirror the personality of their head coach, and this is why I'm very concerned about Doug Pederson's performance as a communicator right now.

Lately, Doug Pederson's press conferences have been flat and uninspiring. It seems like he's leaning more on the players' execution instead of evaluating the collective elements of a successful football team. Good clock management. The ability to bounce back from huge mistakes. Outplaying bad play calls because your man can beat the other man. These are things any football team can do regardless of the personnel; and Mike Tomlin's Steelers seem to do it every year.

The Jaguars' performance in the 4th quarter this season reeks of a squad that can't get punched in the mouth and swing back. The entire 2nd half of the Miami game also showed that the team doesn't know how to be a front runner for all 60 minutes either. While we love to bash Press Taylor and Trent Baalke, Doug Pederson's tendency to put everything on the players' mistakes instead of what he can do to keep them focused during games is a significant problem.

In his September 19th press conference, Doug highlighted the players' lack of execution again and said the game plans are player driven. If that's the case, who's the one allowing the players to underperform? And what sense does it make to keep putting things in the players' hands if they've shown they aren't ready for the responsibility yet?

I don't have an issue with the Jaguars being a coach driven franchise. We can put Doug Pederson on every billboard in Orange Park and give him a used car dealership in Atlantic Beach as a signing bonus. However, Coach Pederson has to embrace the uglier elements of being The Man if he's going to take Jacksonville into the upper stratosphere of NFL football.

Coach, these losses are on you. Coach, any culture that allows losing is a bad culture. Coach, constant collapses in the 4th quarter are a sign that your in-game communication needs work. Coach,

What is your actual mission statement?

You want to win a Super Bowl. Great, every team wants to do that. But HOW are you going to do it, Coach Pederson? What will be the competitive advantage that separates the Jaguars from everybody else? What or who are you building around? How will you communicate this to the players? How did you communicate this to Shad Khan during your job interview?

These questions need answers, Coach - YOUR answers. Believe it or not, a lot of fans are willing to accept whatever those answers are. However, the good faith has to be rewarded with a tangible and transparent message that we can understand. Scratch that, that the PLAYERS can understand.

Communication is a soft skill that has prevented wars, taken companies to the New York Stock Exchange, made kings, and, yes, won Super Bowls. The greatest coach in Jaguars history, Tom Coughlin, didn't win his championships in Duval, but every player he worked with says the same things about him. Coughlin time. Discipline. Professionalism. It wore a lot of dudes down (and probably wasn't the best approach to managing a bunch of millionaires), but it also gave a wild card Giants team the confidence needed to beat the 2007 Patriots in a game nobody thought they would win.

In life, business, and football, the ability to properly communicate the message of the day is a high value skill. Hopefully, Coach Pederson recognizes this before it's too late.

Did you like what you read? If so, great! If not, dang. Either way, you can support the blog or cleanse your palate by buying a New York Times Best Seller from AudiobooksNow! Just use our affiliate link to make sure we can get a slice of the pie. Just so you know, our relationship with AudiobooksNow will NEVER influence how we decide to cover the Jacksonville Jaguars

[scoreboardpage]

NFL power rankings after Week 1:

1. Chiefs: They are who we thought they were... by a toe. Would have loved to see how that Ravens two-point conversion played out.

2. Lions: No shame in the NFC favorites beating the NFC sleeper pick in overtime.

3. 49ers: Thanks for quieting the false Jets hype ... for the moment.

4. Bills

5. Eagles

6. Dolphins

7. Cowboys

8. Ravens

9. Texans

10. Bears

11. Steelers

12. Buccaneers

13. Bengals

14. Packers

15. Jaguars

16. Rams

17. Chargers

18. Seahawks

19. Colts

20. Jets

21. Browns

22. Saints

23. Vikings

24. Commanders

25. Falcons

26. Titans

27. Patriots

28. Cardinals

29. Raiders

30. Broncos

31. Panthers

32. Giants

[tjswatt]

i think everyone saying the ravens losing 10-17 to the chiefs was a loss that hadn't happened all season when the steelers played and beat them twice with that same points scored is really really funny

[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.

[finnnothuman]

Steelers play the Ravens today, praying that since the Ravens already have the division title and a spot in the playoffs they DONT start their line today. Let Lamar sit out and Tyler Huntley play. Hopefully we start Mason Rudolph 🥹

Fingers crossed the dolphins when their game or the titans beat the jags which…. lol Trevor Lawrence been in his bag a bit so idk about that 😅

[anthonybialy]

Shoveling Results for Buffalo Bills in Playoffs

Beating the Steelers and nearly themselves shows nothing is ever to be taken for granted.  Another Buffalo Bills delay in a series of not finishing off a foe can only partially be blamed on incessant snowfall.  Why do you do this to us, ask fans about a two-touchdown playoff win.  The result only seems ungrateful typed out.

Football is a nice distraction from debating whether or not they should play football.  We no longer have to argue whether a storm creates unprecedented peril or is merely a typical Erie County January unless it snows again this weekend.  Politicians who are as inept as coaches show how sports apply to the rest of life.  

Pre-empting Wheel of Fortune was worth it.  Nobody watching gets to schedule kick off.  Frustration is key to being a fan.  Realizing such is the path to mitigation.  We can’t control sports any more than we can the weather, and that hasn’t gone well recently.  Coping with what we can’t affect applies to viewing and shoveling.

Pittsburgh partisans claiming delaying benefitted the home team’s quarterback was a conspiratorial slight aimed at their own side.  Suspicious Yinzers implicitly doubted Mason Rudolph’s ability to complete passes under better conditions.  Selecting precipitation as an equalizer may work in video games.  But there’s no button to press for halting snowflakes.

With fake grass visible and only the occasional nasty gust, there was nothing to blame other than performance.  The defense will never expect throwing to empty areas.  Was it windy out there?  Rudolph would have to honestly answer that it wasn’t.

Josh Allen wanted to show he could run as far as he could throw.  The biggest challenge with watching a singular talent turn the extraordinary into the usual is to remain appreciative.  Please let us show we can continue to express awe when he dashes at will.  Allen pairs Keanu Reeves’s personality with playing like John Wick.  That’s quite a relentless performance from someone so easygoing.

The Bills have a chance as long as they have this quarterback.  Backers trust their deliverer to the point that they don’t rely on insecure comparisons.  Eagles fans say Jalen is better than Josh Allen.  Chiefs fans say Mahomes is better than Josh Allen. Cowboys fans say Dak is better than Josh Allen.  Dolphins fans say Tua is better than Josh Allen.  Ravens fans say Lamar is better than Josh Allen.  Bills fans say Josh Allen.

Dalton Kincaid is covered.  It doesn’t matter.  Offenses are supposed to go for a big strike after a turnover, and some tendencies are worth indulging.  Oh, right: there’s also that other tight end.  Why choose between the rookie or Dawson Knox scoring when we can enjoy both?  There’s nothing fun like looking at Steelers cornerbacks looking back.

Wide receivers are also permitted to field passes by rule, so it’s nice that other category contributes, too.  Stefon Diggs continues to help even not counting his willingness to accept a slightly diminished role.  He may not have been given a choice, but he’s maximizing his targets no matter how his contributions get framed.  And Khalil Shakir’s handprint should be marked on the turf for a reception that’s already legendary.

Firing Ken Dorsey is the team MVP.  You say a transaction can’t accept an award for a person.  I say the best move this franchise could’ve made enabled many persons to play offense to their capabilities.  Rewarding a concept is fitting even if there’s nobody to accept the trophy.

Everyone is tired of wrestling officials but a league which apparently enjoys provocative storylines.  Using challenges for uncannily similar plays reflected a pattern poor calls.  Only reversing one obvious turnover recovery made the live ineptness worse.  The ball will never hit the helmet no matter how many times you watch.  That’s true either on your billboard-sized living room television or a boxed tablet held up by a sideline underling.  Trying to dock with a tablet like a space station may not be the ideal way to determine truth in the galaxy’s most prominent league.

Sean McDermott strives to keep games competitive.  That only sounds like a compliment.  He coaches a team talented enough that shouldn’t allow adversaries they knock down to go the distance.  Even what the score indicates to be a somewhat comfortable triumph against another club that made the tournament felt too close.

Letting teams hang around has become intrinsic to McDermott’s coaching personality.  The daft field goal attempt was not just patently obvious in hindsight for those scowling as the field goal crew took the field.  The block merely exacerbated a timid decision.  Hurting a hamstring without contact while carrying a hand warmer is the most punter play ever.  

Buffalo was ultimately somewhat successful in finally balancing out the first playoff matchup with this round’s first postseason opponent.  Overall themes remain despite half a century of changes.  That version of the Steelers kept scoring in the first half, which means the 1974 Bills had to abandon their plan of handing off incessantly to whoever their running back was.  Sunday featured the host reversing and repeating history, sort of.

Monday Early Night Football means we don’t have to wait as long to watch the next round.  Participants would likely prefer a bit extra time than viewers.  Having almost two fewer days to prepare for the game as their counterparts is a hypothetical that’s become an actuality.

The NFL’s idea about spreading games out is as brilliant as playing in the game’s true fanbase of curious Europeans and never figuring out what a pass is.  Buffalo will be best served by relying on instincts.  That one rusher who throws sometimes plays best when he’s managed least.  With a team that wins despite coaching, they need as little preparation as they can get.

[justagirllivinginacrazyworld]

It was hard watching my Browns get destroyed by the Texans on Saturday, but Dallas losing yesterday and the Steelers losing today takes some of the sting out of the loss.

Now, all I need is for the Texans to beat the Ravens on Saturday.

[whyyourteamisgood]

2023 - Week 18

BUF - The Bills are the 2 seed in the AFC

NE - The Patriots have a top 3 pick and a chance at a generational QB to kickoff a new era

MIA - Tyreek Hill looks like the clear best WR in the NFL

NYJ - Breece Hall was second to Christian McCaffrey in yards from scrimmage for a RB

BAL - The Ravens have home field advantage throughout the playoffs

PIT - The Steelers are on to the playoffs in their 17th straight non-losing season

CLE - The Browns are onto the playoffs with the likely Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett

CIN - The Bengals seemingly have 2 of the best 3 QBs in the division

TEN - if this was it for Derrick Henry, he finished with a bang, spoiling the Jags season and vaulting himself up the rushing leaderboard to lead the AFC for the season

JAX - Evan Engram had 114 receptions this year, second most all time for a TE

IND - The Colts barely missed the playoffs and are getting their dynamite QB back next year

HOU - The Texans went worst to first in their division and picked up their franchise QB in the process

KC - The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and no one else does

LV - The Raiders finished with a positive point differential, a second place finish in the divison, and may have identified their coach of the future

LAC - Justin Herbert will be back healthy next year and will likely have reeled in an elite coach to take the team to the next level

DEN - The Broncos successfully tanked to get a top 12 draft pick

DAL - The Cowboys are the 2 seed in the NFC

WAS - The Commanders have a top 2 pick and a chance at a generational QB to kickoff a new era

PHL - Jalen Hurts set an NFL record for rushing TDs in a season for a QB

NYG - The Giants beat the hell out of the Eagles to end the season on a high note

GB - The Packers are back in the playoffs and it sure looks like they may be onto their third elite QB in a row

CHI - The Bears were close to playoff position and still get the first overall pick

DET - The Lions are hosting a playoff game for the first time in more than a quarter century

MIN - Justin Jefferson is unguardable when healthy

NO - The Saints finished the season winning 4 of their last 5

TB - The Bucs won the NFC South

ATL - The Falcons wasted no time firing Arthur Smith and have enough top offensive talent to attract a top mind to shape them

CAR - The Panthers defense allowed the fewest yards per game in the NFC

SEA - The Seahawks finished the season winning 3 of their last 4

LAR - The Rams are in the playoffs and have a case for both the offensive and defensive rookies of the year

ARI - The Cardinals played some impressive football to close the season, and still tanked enough to get a top 4 pick

SF - The Niners have home field advantage throughout the playoffs

[masterdonald101452]

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