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NFL Musings and Observations (Black Friday)

I remember working as a teenager at a KB Toys during Black Friday and I can say without a shadow of a doubt...people can really overreact to something good happening in your life. Living in a world where someone can drop $300 dollars back in the early 2000s on toys is a pretty good life. For perspective that works out to be $519 dollars today with inflation. But there I was working Black Friday before Amazon and On-Line shopping with people dropping serious money to get the latest toy and if we did not have it the day was ruined. In retrospect, it's pretty amazing to have spare cash to buy those amazing toys. As I said being an employee during the old days of Black Friday shows you how to really keep things in perspective. Off topic, anyone else remember that monorail from the Mid-Town in Rochester? Loved it as a kid but Rochester just doesn't have it in herself to do it anymore.

In hindsight we should look at the Bills with some perspective. So the Bills are 8-3 with three losses being a combined 8 points and currently have the lead in the AFC East. But lets put this in more perspective.

1.) Injury bug that has hit harder than I can remember a Bills team being hit ever.

2.) Josh Allen's elbow injury is truly hurting him more than he or the team let on, I believe when he is throwing the touch throws it affects him the most. He still has the CANNON which is evident when he is throwing those longer passes but on the touch passes he doesn't trust his arm.

3.) Bills have played two games, away from home coupled with a historic snow storm, they had sickness last week which stopped their practices.

4.) Bills have one of the strongest strengths of schedules in the league. The Bills have the 9th hardest strength of schedule. Not like the Patriots for almost two decades where the rest of the division was incompetent.

5.) Ken Dorsey is a first time play-caller and it shows. More on that later.

1.) I have defended Ken Dorsey more than most but here is where my indictment begins. Josh Allen is obviously struggling, he is obviously hurting, the offensive line is missing the two best players with Morse and Dawkins out. Ken Dorsey proceeds to call three pass plays in a row and the Bills punt. I don't know if JA17 performed a check at the line to a pass play but as the OC he did not help Allen in multiple drives.

2.) What does Dane Jackson have on Leslie Frazier? I love the story of Dane Jackson, a 7th round pick who overcame the odds and has built an NFL career for himself on a Super Bowl contender. However, he has been exploited to the board of absurdity. I believe the Bills are bringing back Tre White slowly and with Elam as well but when both are healthy Jackson needs to be pushed down the depth chart. Let me ask everyone a question, did anyone see the Lions make a play and say to themselves "Jackson gave that up" to which have to be confirmed when you saw it on TV when they got up from the tackle?

3.) Can the Bills get the ball into the hands of Dawson Knox regularly? Now, I don't think he will ever be a top 3 TE in the league but I do believe he has the ability to be a very good TE but for some reason the Bills struggle to keep him in the structure of the game. My solution is simple, less packages and personnel changes as I feel that Dorsey is making changes way too often and it prevents players from getting into rhythm. Also, Knox with his body frame should be attacking the middle of the field in the 8-12 yard area and big a chain mover.

4.) The Bills defense is really missing Tremaine Edmunds and it really shows in the passing game. Edmunds has the ability to shut down passing lanes to the point where he changes the way offenses will call the offense. Also, Edmunds has the ability to run sideline to sideline better than most LBs in the league. The last is he is asked to do so much in this defense that no player can really replace his skill set. What I enjoy is that this is pretty much showing how good Edmunds is as some fans think he is garbage... he is a damn good player.

5.) Ed Oliver is playing his best football of his career and he is going to be a problem. When Oliver is playing with an ability to penetrate he causes major issues for rhythm passers. Simply put he is the DT you want to use against a Tua type of player who really sees success with on pace, on time throws. Ed Oliver will be a huge factor as he continues to gain plays after plays.

6.) Von Miller most likely has not suffered a season ending injury. He is as Tony Romo has said the "Closer" and it doesn't mean closer in every game but a closer in terms of the season. I believe that the Bills will shut him down for a week or so to make sure he is good to go because without him the teams chances diminish a lot.

7.) The one McKenzie game has come and gone. You know this game, where he plays great and fools many (Myself included) into believing he is the answer in the slot. He is not, he is a good player to have on the team but he has shown this year he is not something that feels like it can be counted on game in and game out. I feel like I am Bernie Sanders as I am asking once again to get Shakir more snaps!

8.) The fact that Micah Hyde hasn't ruled out returning for the playoffs makes me smile.

9.) Do not tell me that Sean McDermott doesn't know and understand this team. His post game locker room talk to me shows he understands exactly how to handle the team he and Beane have built. He doesn't have the sideline out bursts or the memorable quotes that other coaches have but he is guiding a team with huge expectations through injuries, through everything from injuries to Mother Nature and he has the ream at 8-3. He's a damn good coach!

10.) Diggs is the dude! He and JA17 were off a little bit in the beginning of the game and my guess is that it is from lack of practice and two games in five days both away from home. But Diggs to me is becoming a first round Hall of Famer. He is 28 years old and with the new rules to help offenses and the lack of hitting and how Diggs doesn't really take a huge hit I think it is safe to say he has 4-5 more elite years of production. In 2022 he had 76 receptions, 1033 yards and 8 TDs with many more games to come. In his career he has 671 receptions, 8,416 yards, 56 TDs. I believe before he is done he will have around 1200 receptions, 12000 yards and 100 TDs. That's Hall of Fame numbers.

NFL Observations:

1.) The Jets were a nice story but they will flounder because Zach Wilson is not the guy. I mean, I'm happy for Zach Wilson due to a new generation learning the meaning of Stifler's mom. Wilson after the terrible game he played against the Patriots was given a lay up? Do you believe you let the defense down? His response was "No" and I couldn't laugh but just have my jaw drop. One of the things people like is accountability. Are the players accountable for these actions? Remember Josh Allen when the Bills lost? He says he sucks. Patrick Mahomes blames himself, Brady blames himself. It is just part of being a leader, you deflect success and you take the burden of blame. Without a QB, the Jets are done. Nice story thou.

2.) Good for Tua as the Dolphins have proved me wrong. I thought Tua was done and a bust and I know now he is good enough to be Jimmy G. Tua plays very well within the system where he is asked to be the point guard. He distributes the ball efficiently and the Dolphins are keeping Tua from being the "Dude" as much as they can and keep him as a complimentary piece to the team. Here is the major concern for Tua, if the Dolphins can't play their style of having Tua not be the dude can Tua act like the dude? Only time will tell.

3.) Here are NFL Musings and Observations we hate the idea of the "Hot Take" as we find it fairly lazy. IT is far better to fit your thoughts within a group of principles. One of my principles is to pass the "Ok" model. I can look and see what is happening and say "ok" and move on. This brings me to Nick Wright who is becoming the next Skip Bayless. I get it, it's his stick and he messes with Bills Mafia Fan Base but here's the thing he doesn't realize. Skip is an anomaly who was made famous because he was with Stephen A. Smith as both were over the top and a perfect counter to each other. Nick Wright doesn't have the strong counter to his over the top brand and that to me means he has reached his pinnacle.

4.) With everything going the way of the offenses now it is shocking that offensive football is down this year. This isn't to say it isn't focused on passing as the league has gone pass happy. But the issue is that offenses have seen linebackers get smaller, defensive linemen are smaller, they're much easier to run the ball on them. So what offenses have discovered or better put rediscovered is running the ball works. Running the ball shortens games and will lower scoring. Odd, the Bills haven't discovered this.

5.) It has happened, the HUGE QB contract where you don't really have faith in that QB has backfired. Example: Kyler Murray. The last year just seemed odd for Murray as he refused to run the ball in a playoff game and the Cardinals were blown out against the Rams. Murray then did the whole social media thing with removing the Cardinals from his platforms. He then signed a contract but they had that odd thing worded that he had to study for four hours every week at home. Here's the thing about Murray. He is not a leader and he lacks the ability to play within the structure of an offense. Murray is at his best when he is feasting on "alert" calls and his WRs have one on ones. When a defense places Murray in the pocket and says you will work through your progressions the Cardinals lose. Here's the thing now, the Cardinals are now trapped with Murray due to the contract and Murray has shown no growth in a year or so in terms of passing ability. Sorry Cardinals fans but someone had to be the first team to mess up a huge QB contract and it happens to be you.

6.) Find someone that loves you like Collinsworth loves Mahomes. Seriously it is kind of odd.

7.) Packers it is time in the off season to just move on from Rogers. They have the 12th overall pick as of right now in the 2023 draft. This is percieved to be a QB draft so go and get yourself a young QB, sell assets and go and get your QB of the future. It isn't Rogers because he is not invested in bringing along young players and it isn't Jordan Love who is a bust. Swallow your pride and start over.

8.) Tom Brady, it's time to retire. The Bucs are going to win the NFC South because the rest of the teams in the division kind of suck. But it is becoming ugly as he is being seen as a shell of himself. So my prediction is that the Bucs will host a playoff game and be blown out at home and Brady still wants to play. But who takes them? Some say the 49ers? Not really because they need to at least give Trey Lance some sort of chance. Miami is out due to Tua looking better. Where does he end up? I'm hoping the Raiders as he goes to Las Vegas and basically becomes the football version of Celine Dion.

9.) The Lions have something there with Dan Campbell as every single week the Lions are ready to play. These are not the same old Lions and we have got to give credit to where credit is due. He inherited a Matt Patricia team and rebuilding any team after a Coach Belicheck assistant was in charge is difficult at best.

10.) Baker Mayfield was tolerable because he had some really funny commercials. Now, he is straight cringe. Like, seriously there is a level of cringe and it starts with him being asked of Cleveland and his old place and he goes back to Oklahoma? Bruh, i'm trying to root for you because you got full blown Cleveland but you're making this difficult.

Have a Great Week!!!!

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.