Buffalo Bills WCW: (7) Denver at (2) Buffalo; Sunday 1/12, 1:00 PM, CBS

[Mike McDermott]

KC might look at the success they had last year and this year and double down on the "no big money WR" strategy, especially if they think Rice will get healthy. Hill would have to take a pretty big pay cut to go there.

I wonder if Hill looks at a team like Washington who could use someone across from McLaurin, that might actually be a really good fit for him.

He’s still under contract in Miami from what I found as well so Miami would need to cut him or trade him and I doubt KC would give up much for him with everything you just said.

 

[SundherDome]

KC might look at the success they had last year and this year and double down on the "no big money WR" strategy, especially if they think Rice will get healthy. Hill would have to take a pretty big pay cut to go there.

I wonder if Hill looks at a team like Washington who could use someone across from McLaurin, that might actually be a really good fit for him.

Reek' we traded you to Cleveland...

Vrabel to Pats a no brainer right ?

God I hope not

 

[misterchainsaw]

Hill pulled himself from the final two drives of the game as well.

 

[billsandsabres]

I know it's still a week away, but does the 10-day forecast show anything ahead?

 

[SwordsgoneWild]

Vrabel to Pats a no brainer right ?

Unfortunately....Good news is that it's going to take him a couple seasons to turn that crap roster around. They have holes everywhere. I'm not even sure where to start. The Oline or reciever maybe? Defense needs to be fleshed out a ton as well.

 

[VaporTrail]

Anyone else think Nix is underrated? Seems like for rookie QBs he's not talked about as much as some of the others...I just checked his stats...he had a quite a good rookie season.

 

[Zman5778]

Anyone else think Nix is underrated? Seems like for rookie QBs he's not talked about as much as some of the others...I just checked his stats...he had a quite a good rookie season.

He had a very good rookie year, and it sure as hell helps to have Sean Payton as your coach.

I think that McDermott has ALWAYS had his way with rookie QBs in his time here. Nix isn't likely to be the reason they lose......but I cannot picture him as the reason the Broncos pull an upset.

 

[Jim Bob]

I have a ton of respect for McD for doing this after what went down last year.

 

[Jim Bob]

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill indicates he's done playing in Miami: 'I'm out'

 

[Dubi Doo]

The Broncos are going to be a tough matchup. Im hoping McDermott makes Nix look like a rookie. The defense should be healthy, so that helps.

Denver has a good defense, though. I havent dug deep into what theyre great at, but Id assume theyre tough to pass on. Hopefully, we can get the run game going.

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill indicates he's done playing in Miami: 'I'm out'

View attachment 957001

Oh boy, will next year be the Dolphins 'retool' year. I'd love to see how that pans out for them.

 

[Jim Bob]

Our guide to the NFL playoffs: Reasons for hope -- and concern -- for all 14 teams

The NFL playoff field is set, and an exciting wild-card slate lies ahead. Here's everything to know about the 14 teams vying to win Super Bowl LIX.

www.espn.com

2. Buffalo Bills (13-4)​

Odds to win Super Bowl: +475
FPI chance to make Super Bowl: 21.3%

First game outlook: The Bills will start their sixth straight postseason by hosting the No. 7-seeded Broncos on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Buffalo did not play the Broncos this season, with their last game against Denver resulting in a 24-22 Monday night loss at home in Week 10 of the 2023 season. That game ended with the Broncos kicking a walk-off field goal after the Bills were penalized for 12 men on the field on a game-winning miss the previous play. -- ESPN

Reason for hope: Quarterback Josh Allen. The favorite for MVP put together his best regular season to date and has historically thrived in the postseason. Allen led the Bills' offense to 12 games scoring 30 points or more this season, and Buffalo has committed only eight turnovers, tied with the 2019 Saints for the fewest in a season since 1933. "I don't like to make comparisons; I played with Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford. Those guys are special in their own right," defensive end Von Miller said. "But this year, Josh is just doing something totally different, and he's not forcing it. He's not trying too hard, he's not looking for it; it's just him."

Reason for concern: Third-down defense. The Bills' defense has been inconsistent this season and has allowed the fourth-highest third-down conversion percentage in the NFL (43.8%). The Bills won't be able to primarily rely on forcing turnovers against the strong offenses they will face in the AFC playoffs. Buffalo must be able to get off the field on third down. -- Alaina Getzenberg

Stat to know: Allen has the lowest sack rate (2.6%), fourth-lowest interception rate (1.1%) and fifth-lowest fumble rate (0.8%) among QBR-qualified quarterbacks. When we think of Allen, we often think of huge runs (he is second to Jayden Daniels among quarterbacks in EPA on designed carries and scrambles) and his elite arm. But perhaps his best skill is avoiding mistakes and negative plays. It's a huge part of why he's exceptional and, possibly, the NFL MVP. -- Walder

Heat check rating: 8. The Bills didn't have much to play for in Week 18, but they ended the season winning 10 of their last 12 games and with arguably the best offense in football. They feel deservedly great entering the postseason. -- Solak

7. Denver Broncos (10-7)​

Odds to win Super Bowl: +6000
FPI chance to make Super Bowl: 4.7%

First game outlook: The Broncos' first playoff game since winning Super Bowl 50 will come on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), when they head to Buffalo to face the No. 2-seeded Bills. The Broncos haven't played Buffalo in the playoffs since the 1991 season, when the Jim Kelly-led Bills defeated the John Elway-led Broncos 10-7 en route to Super Bowl XXVI. Denver has lost four straight road playoff games dating to a victory at Pittsburgh in the 1997 AFC Championship Game. -- ESPN
Reason for hope: Defense. Even with some recent bobbles -- they gave up 27.3 points per game from Weeks 13 through 17 before shutting out the Chiefs on Sunday -- the Broncos are third in the league in overall defensive efficiency, first in expected points added on defense, first in sacks and third in scoring defense. Denver has scored five touchdowns and two safeties on defense this season. Getting back cornerback Riley Moss, who missed Weeks 13 through 16 with a knee injury, to stabilize the corner position opposite Pro Bowler Pat Surtain II should help.

Reason for concern: Three-and-outs. The Broncos' offense has the third-highest percentage of drives that have ended in a three-and-out this season -- a whopping 26.3%. The short possessions have resulted in lost momentum and an inability to prevent opponents from flipping field position. The Bo Nix-led offense has also put Denver's defense in compromising positions, forcing it to return to action quickly. Denver averages 29:46 in possession, 20th in the league. -- Jeff Legwold

Stat to know: The Broncos play more man coverage than any other team (56%) and let Surtain -- who has the lowest yards per coverage snap (0.6) among outside corners, per NFL Next Gen Stats -- take away one side of the field. Surtain achieved his success through target deterrence -- his 11% target rate is the third lowest among outside corners with at least 200 coverage snaps -- and ball-hawking (four interceptions). The Broncos occasionally stick Surtain on the opponent's best receiver. In Week 17, Surtain lined up opposite Ja'Marr Chase 77% of the time. Surtain held the NFL's leading receiver to 27 yards as the primary defender, per Next Gen Stats. -- Walder

Heat check rating: 7. Denver's arrow has been steadily pointing up all season, and the Broncos enter the postseason with a great defense and diverse offense. The ceiling is low with a rookie quarterback at the helm, but the vibes are good. -- Solak

 

[Jim Bob]

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My dad can be hard to shop for. I am expecting this birthday present to be a hit.

 

[Jim Bob]

Who's most likely to win Super Bowl LIX: Ranking all 14 playoff contenders

Rank
1
Buffalo Bills
13-4 · AFC's No. 2 seed
The Bills aren’t the top seed in the AFC, but they’ve done two things that warrant them being first on this list: They broke Kansas City’s streak of 15 straight wins, and they broke Detroit’s streak of 11 consecutive victories. That’s plenty of evidence to suggest Buffalo is more than ready to end decades of postseason heartache and claim the first Super Bowl win in franchise history. That’s not just because quarterback Josh Allen has elevated his play and put himself in position to win his first MVP award. He has an assortment of weapons around him, both in the passing game and the running game (the Bills are the first team in history to have 30 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing touchdowns). He has a dominant offensive line, a unit that has allowed him to be sacked only 14 times this season.

Yes, the Buffalo defense took some lumps in a loss to Los Angeles and in that win over Detroit – when it surrendered 86 combined points – but that unit allowed an average of just 18.8 points in the other 15 games. Let’s also not forget that these Bills won’t be daunted by having to potentially win in Kansas City to reach a Super Bowl. The last time they were there, in 2021, they came within 13 seconds of winning a Divisional Round game with Allen matching Patrick Mahomes play for play. They’re plenty good enough to finish the job this time around.

 

[Mike McDermott]

Alexa… play another one bites the dust

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Jim Bob]

This is as much a Josh Allen stat as an OL stat.

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

The Broncos are going to be a tough matchup. Im hoping McDermott makes Nix look like a rookie. The defense should be healthy, so that helps.

Denver has a good defense, though. I havent dug deep into what theyre great at, but Id assume theyre tough to pass on. Hopefully, we can get the run game going.

Oh boy, will next year be the Dolphins 'retool' year. I'd love to see how that pans out for them.

Elite line that gets after the QB (will be a good on good matchup with our OL, I'm confident we can hold relatively well after how we matched with some top end lines like LAR)
Elite lockdown corner with Surtain, who will take away your top target - thankfully the Bills don't have a "top target", if he takes somebody away (Cooper or Coleman I'd guess), somebody else can be schemed open. A lot of teams who shredded the Broncos attacked the CB opposite to Surtain (probably Riley Moss).

In terms of offense, a good passblocking line, not much of a run game by the looks of it. Nice set of receivers, Sutton is probably their best guy but I think Mims will be annoying with the Bills being not really good at defending screens. We will probably also be annoyed if the rush can't get to Nix and he scrambles loose.

 

[TageGod]

Broncos have the worst third down offense in the league. Helps the bills cover their third down weakness hopefully.

 

[Fezzy126]

I'm with Greg here. I think Anarumo is one of the best defensive minds in the business. He got the axe because they gutted the talent on that side of the ball.

 

[Jim Bob]

Jets request interview with Chiefs assistant G.M. Mike Borgonzi

The Chiefs have been at the top of the class in the NFL in recent seasons and the Jets would like to speak to a leading member of the Kansas City front office about their General Manager vacancy.

www.nbcsports.com

Rex Ryan thinks he will get the Jets head-coaching job

Former Jets head coach Rex Ryan believes he will get his old job back soon.

www.nbcsports.com

Bears request interviews with Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Anthony Weaver

The Bears have started to compile their list of head coaching candidates.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[GrierIsGod123]

Jets request interview with Chiefs assistant G.M. Mike Borgonzi

The Chiefs have been at the top of the class in the NFL in recent seasons and the Jets would like to speak to a leading member of the Kansas City front office about their General Manager vacancy.

www.nbcsports.com

Rex Ryan thinks he will get the Jets head-coaching job

Former Jets head coach Rex Ryan believes he will get his old job back soon.

www.nbcsports.com

Bears request interviews with Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Anthony Weaver

The Bears have started to compile their list of head coaching candidates.

www.nbcsports.com

Hoping Joe Brady gets another year or two to win a SB with us...he's at least on par with Daboll and maybe better. I like that he values just getting the dang first down on third and short, and not trying to get cute very often. I'd love to see another year or two, with a team not in cap hell too.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

 

[GrierIsGod123]

Ugh...wtf. That said, he'd be stupid to take that opportunity.

 

[TehDoak]

Ugh...wtf. That said, he'd be stupid to take that opportunity.

I would think Brady is smart enough to avoid any place without a QB.

Of the open spots, the only place I think might interest him is Jacksonville because he was born and raised in FL (though in Miami) and they have the QB in place already.

 

[Mike McDermott]

Elite line that gets after the QB (will be a good on good matchup with our OL, I'm confident we can hold relatively well after how we matched with some top end lines like LAR)
Elite lockdown corner with Surtain, who will take away your top target - thankfully the Bills don't have a "top target", if he takes somebody away (Cooper or Coleman I'd guess), somebody else can be schemed open. A lot of teams who shredded the Broncos attacked the CB opposite to Surtain (probably Riley Moss).

In terms of offense, a good passblocking line, not much of a run game by the looks of it. Nice set of receivers, Sutton is probably their best guy but I think Mims will be annoying with the Bills being not really good at defending screens. We will probably also be annoyed if the rush can't get to Nix and he scrambles loose.

Yeah the line and Allen’s sack avoidance ability are going to be tested. Denver led the league in sacks at 63(3.7/game). I think we’ll see a lot of quick passing on Sunday.