Greetings Tipsters
The Buffalo Bills crossed the country to play the LA Rams at the super hi-tech stadium on the old Hollywood Park racecourse and one hell of a game it was! I’ve been watching Matthew Stafford since he was a rookie quarterback with the Lions and, at 36, he can still do it, especially when he has recievers like Cooper and Puka.
Puka Nacua is in his second year in the NFL, his rookie season was great and his sophomore season may be even better. He took a few extraordinary catches and has fantastic hair.
Josh Allen, Bills QB, is a freak of nature. He threw for three Tuddys, rushed for three more – that’s another record – and the Bills still lost, 44 to 42. Sean McDermott, Bills coach, is smart and experienced but made a couple of bad calls at the end of the match that arguably cost his team the win. Maybe they were still overhyped from beating the Chiefs, except the Bills often beat KC in the regular season and lose in the playoffs, when it really counts.
LAR was 6-6 coming into this game, Bills 10-2, both had a lot to play for. Making the playoffs in one case, getting a chance for the #1 seed in the other. It was a fantastic exhibition of quarterback play from two very different stylists. Stafford is a ‘gunslinger’, he’ll go for the deep throw and has, for most of his career, targets like Calvin Johnson and Cooper Kupp who can catch the ball and make YAC – yoghurt, apple, cereal if I’m making breakfast, yards after catch if I’m talking football. Allen could play receiver, running back, tight end and be great at all of them, he can throw the ball out of the stadium.
Patrick Mahomes – yes, KC won again in the last second – is another freak of nature but he doesn’t have the all round ability of Josh. I suspect Pat has a level of confidence in his coach and teammates beyond Josh and Sean and the rest.
Bills lost four straight Superbowls in early 1990s, a record like that can destroy a team and organisation for decades by imprinting a losing culture. Detroit Lions was like that until Sheila took over, sacked the HC and GM and recruited two young, hungry blokes that have taken the team from a laughing stock to a Superbowl chance in a few years. That is a very rare occurrence. So while the Lions believe they can beat anyone, Bills will still have something in the back of the collective mind when they meet Chiefs in the playoffs which could be all the difference.
Belief. Believe in yourself and your team enough and you can flip the statistics and analytics and do it. Lions went for a fourth down conversion five times against the Packers, blew it once which led to a Green Bay Tuddy but when it counted, with 43 seconds on the clock they went for a play on fourth and inches, made seven yards, chewed the clock and nailed the winning field goal in the last second.
The Packers were expecting a field goal attempt, the D looked a bit confused lining up for that play. Dan Campbell, Lions coach, will almost always go for it and it throws teams outa whack . “He’s gonna do this, what the heck?!”
It works so often that it must have an effect on the opposition, oh god, oh no, I hope I don’t screw up my assignment on this unexpected play, and cos the Lions might hand off to a 320lb O lineman and put him in a position to throw a pass, the oppo D are never sure what might happen, what with running backs and tight ends and receivers racing all over the field.
Lions host Bills next week. How many players of Lions banged up D will be available to pressure Josh? Will Bills D stop the multi-faceted Lions O? Is it a Superbowl preview?
As I write, the Bengals-Cowboys game is on telly in full Simpsons mode. Yes, even Lisa, Barney and Milhouse are making plays. It’s a fantastic idea and I can’t wait to see it implemented in Australia, with Neighbours playing Home and Away.
Cheers Tipsters
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About Earl O'Neill
Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.
The Adelaide Hey Dads
I see that private equity firms have bought part ownership of the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. I look forward to the half time sacrifice of “virgins” and real lions being introduced to the defensive line to increase the return to capital under Emperor Caligula.
Andrew Dillon is watching and looking for ideas. The NRL have added the Port Moresby Cannibals to the roster thanks to Albo’s generousity and the Australian taxpayer.
If you can’t give them bread give them circuses.
Earl- the post-season is shaping with great intrigue. I reckon your Lions have the moral superiority, but injuries may intervene. As you’ve noted previously, KC could be the worst best current team. Having seen Buffalo somehow lose those four Superbowls, part of me would like their time to be now. Josh Allen is astonishing.