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S3 E13: Coming Into Focus · Nickel City Crew Podcast

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Fifteen degrees. You can see you a breath out in the lake effect,
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breaking tables like you poetry. Where else would you have to be? And
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to ran Elvis and the lay Panchow. Remember that you need to know.
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I suppose you out in now your family. Where else would you happy?
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Where else would you? Welcome into the Nickel City Crew. I am your
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host, Rob Crippen. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram
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and Twitter at Nickel City Crew. This episode, along with all of our
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episodes, are presented by Crippen Legacy Entertainment here on Spreaker and stream Yard.
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We're so glad that you're joining us for some of your Buffalo Bills and NFL
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content Against a Day, and as always, these are my bills thoughts set
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out loud. It's a vibe so ridiculous since Joy plus eighty three was sick
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shouting like a where else would you like to be? All right, let's
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get straight to it. I'm excited about tonight's episode. As always, the
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season is just to just keeps inching closer and closer. We've got preseason game
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number one in the books for the Buffalo Bills. As we approached the twenty
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twenty three regular season again September eleventh, Monday Night Football dent d d uh,
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I can't wait. I just can't wait. And all of the different
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parties that'll be going on around Western New York and across the country and across
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the world. Bills Mafia, we do stretch really really deep. So can't
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wait. We're getting closer as always joining me tonight my co host Adam Trump
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Rupsick. I'll let the crew Adam you can check them on Instagram at Adam
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Rupsick. Are you p c z y K? What's what's what's good?
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Dt? You're the best of those ig posts, by the way, you
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because really good. You got to get us out there. You gotta get
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us out there. What's up? Probits? Another week, man, another
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week closer as when this uh, when this one comes out, we're gonna
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be three weeks dot to the beginning of the year, you know, so
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it's it's time we're click clacking. I'm driving home today, I'm seeing I'm
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seeing the kids with going to going to practice with their with their helmets and
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their shoulder pads on their bikes, going to practice, and you know,
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just get your juiced and you know, Ronzi of the Days, but get
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your juice to get back to seventeen and the boys getting after it. So
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I know you you had. We're we're looking on the Youth today in the
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in the Youth a fall and it's in the air man. The pads are
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clicking, and you get your hands on Madden. I see you posted that
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yesterday. You get your hands on the new Madden. Yet you see see
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what it's all about. No, it comes out. I think it comes
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out tomorrow. Tomorrow is actually my birthday when we release these episodes, So
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even though it's my birthday, I'll be really getting my son's, my King's
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a birthday president because I'll just get it and then they'll just gobble it up
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anyway. But I just want the case so I can put it right.
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I was gonna say to put on and another one just to put up with
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the job. Definitely, I definitely want to put put a case up on
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the wall behind me for sure. Even if the game is is not in
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the sleeve itself, I've got to have that. I've got to have that
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that cover right here behind me. So I can't wait for it, man,
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Yeah, absolutely right. Footballs in the years we've talked about, you
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know, my oldest son, my oldest king Bobby. He's getting ready and
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he's playing tackle football this season again for the second straight year. And I
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was just at a scrimmage we were talking about a pre show and just watching
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and like you just said, man, like the kids, it just it
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brings it back. It just reminds you that football is so close, and
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it reminds you how much it means to us, and it really is the
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national pastime now. And I'm as we get closer to the regular season start
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DT, it's been interesting because we've got a preseason game to kind of dissect
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quickly and talk a little bit about. And then I wanted to get into
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some camp stuff that I've been hearing about these last couple of days, including
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the fights and the spirit of camp that they had yesterday. I know we
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released on Thursdays, but on Tuesday there was some There was a ruckus or
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two at camp, and it seems to be going around the league. So
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we'll get into that as well. Preseason game one in the books, DT.
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I mean, you know, you don't want to go out and put
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out a product where you're trying to lose or anything like that. The number
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one thing is obviously health and the safety of your players when you go into
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these games. The Bills obviously knock on Wood came out relatively on the on
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the good side of the health department. But man, I mean it's always
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good out to, you know, go get a win. Kids Day.
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I know, I let my tickets go to one of our buddies there in
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our section and like listen, man, go out with the kids. You
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know, you get a chance. Even though Josh Allen's not playing, fourteens
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not playing, you still get a chance to kind of you know, get
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back to the stadium, and that's got to be a great feeling. I
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know that it looked great on TV. Yeah, I go through a routine
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and I want to know, I want to know one step closer to hoisten
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it up in February and kind of a shame, you know that that Josh
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and and four team weren't playing on Saturday with the you know, the kids
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Day. A lot of people probably aren't going to make it out to the
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regular season and see it for real, but you know, it's all part
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of it. I know, I know one of the ushers, you know,
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works for me in during the week and he was he was all pumped
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to kind of get his routine rolling and where he's gonna park, what time
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he's leaving every day, because it was at one o'clock, even though you
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know, one o'clock is a little a little in the scene of this year.
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But everyone just kind of getting in the groove, getting into that,
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you know, how to handle a game day. That was the main main
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point of this preseason and main point, you know, good good showing kind
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of all the way around. We know, your typical preseason game, right
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Rob, nothing too flashly and kind of black and white in and out,
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and you know, but there is something we'll talk about tonight that I think
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our eye opening in good ways and bad. So excited to kind of break
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this down and see where we're at with on the front half of you know,
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the back half if you will, of the preseason and training camp.
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Yeah, training camp has shifted again. The Bill's closed camp at Saint John
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Fisher came back to Orchard Park where I guess, you know, whatever you
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want to call it, phase two of training camp or the in home version
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of training camp back one Bill's drive. So it was interesting to see,
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you know, one of the biggest takeaways, and I know that everybody's already
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you know, got a chance to kind of speak about it, and you
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know, I wanted to get your thoughts on it as well, because it
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was just an interesting point that I had in my head about it. Was,
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you know, Matt Barkley looks like he needs to be the Buffalo Bill's
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backup quarterback. And there were a couple of different things that I took away
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from his performance in obviously the contrast to Kyle Allen. Kyle, you hadn't
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heard a lot of good things coming out of camp about him, uh DT,
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and it was almost to the point where you know, people were making
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not excuse but you know, the point has been made on WGR and sALS
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made it as well as that, you know, the offense is not going
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to change. Ken Dorsey's going to practice what he's going to practice to make
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sure that he's getting Josh Allen ready for the regular season, which means that
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when the backups come in, they're not changing the offense. They're gonna run
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that offense and they're gonna get you know, the team prepared. However,
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you know, Kyle Allen has not looked great out of camp and then it
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kind of, you know, spilled over to the game where you know,
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he wasn't you know, atrocious, but he really didn't seem to have a
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great command of the offense. I saw some situations where it just looked like
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he was uncomfortable, and it kind of bore out because when Barkley came in,
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boy, it was like a light switch. I mean, I remember
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back to that Jets game DT where you know, he's got to come in
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off the bench, he's got to come in for an injury, and you
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know, Barkeley's kind of just like he's just a gamer. He's just ready
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to go play. He's he's loose with it. I know it's preseason and
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that, you know, affords you a little bit more of an opportunity to
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be even looser. But he kind of came out and just a lot of
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showed the exact opposite of what Kyle Allen was in respects to the graph of
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the grasp excuse me, of the offense. Yeah, you know, I'm
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I'm open minded. And being the first week and the what was it the
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Colts old offensive coordinator last a couple of weeks ago came out and they were
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the clip of him came out at least and they were like, why why
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aren't these guys getting reps in practice? And He's like, well, if
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Peyton Manning goes down, we're fucked. We don't practice, we don't practice
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fucked. You know, I get that, and that's you know, couldn't
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be more true with us. If one seven goes down, you know we're
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we're on that train as well. But it the backup quarterback to a guy
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like seventeen, you know, isn't gonna be anywhere near him or the same
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skill set, or doesn't even have to be the same type of player because
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there's nobody like him, right, So you can't go out and find like
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a you know, a scrambler or a guy with a power arm. It's
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got to be whoever is the most stupable backup. Barkley obviously has the experience.
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I'm not taking that that game too much into account. In a great
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game. You know, he was on fire with it and didn't miss.
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I had some real open looks and hit him. But you know, Kyle
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had some nice throws two on some third and long plays. Our boy Khalil
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Shakir hit him for a nice point yard John and you know, so two,
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Yeah, he did have a drop, but he's actually point about him
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quick. He's the PFF's highest graded player in that game even with that drop.
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So again, you know, preseason week one, but take that as
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you will. But Kyle Allen makes some some third down throws as well.
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You know, if if Josh Allen ever does go down and say it's three
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or four games, you'd like to get one or two of those, right,
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You don't want to just go oh and four just because Josh Allen's out.
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Who's gonna be better at that? I'm gonna need the rest of the
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preseason to kind of make my decision on that. It also makes me lean
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towards maybe we make you know, what's wrong with making a move here and
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going getting one of these quarterbacks that definitely is could be a starter, but
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definitely isn't going to be like somebody like Trey Lance or something like that.
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You can swing a fifth, sixth round pick four and you know, keep
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keep him on the bench and Josh Allen goes down, create a little spark
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to get yourself a few wins if he's got to go out for three or
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four games. So I don't know if Kyle Allen or Matt Barkley's gonna get
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us a couple of wins if that ever does happen. But Barkley has a
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track record, right he came in and you know, he bawled out against
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the knock the Dolphins out, and you know that last game in the season,
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he didn't get the job done in that Patriots game when Josh went out
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with a concussion. Remember that one early early season Josh went out. We
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had a great performance against the Jets, I think the year before Yep,
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definitely when yep, I'm that in that forty games. So Barkley's got the
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track record he's got, he's more even kieled. I'm not taking anything away
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from Kylo Allen yet, but you know, at the end of the day,
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we'll see after preseason. But what does it really matter, right Yeah?
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I mean, obviously all you know builds my fiel Nickel City crew.
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We all want to knock on wood and obviously, you know, hope that
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Josh Allen will never miss a game, and he's obviously has. You know,
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he's got the consecutive streak right now for most starts in a row for
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starter right now, and you know, my main thing was that I just
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don't want Kyle Allen to be given anything just because of the fact that he's
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friends with Josh. So that's been one of the things that I've been hearing
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about. You know how much you know Josh likes them and they're close,
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and you know, Josh was close with Barkley as well, and I know
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that they're you know, their wives and girlfriends back in the day got along
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and stuff like that. So listen, I just want to make sure that
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everybody's earning everything and nothing is given. And I understand that the backups quarterback's
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job is to prop up the quarterback and prop up the starter and make sure
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that he's ready for Sunday. I just don't see any harm in making sure
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that you've got the best situation that you can possibly have in case of an
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emergency. And you're absolutely right. You want the backup quarterback to be honest,
11:35
dt to be five hundred. That's you know, if it's a four
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game stretch, you try to find a way to come and call out of
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there two and two. You know what Cooper Rush did and what you know
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Brock Purdy did. That's those are anomalies. That's not normal for a quarterback
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to come in and win those you know type of games consecutively like that.
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So if you can just hold water, keep your head above water, then
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you put yourself in a situation where when your your starter gets back, hopefully
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your your season is still alive. So as we transition a little bit,
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I've been hearing some stuff about this middle linebacker thing made it's not going away,
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and all of the you know, postgame comments and the rhetoric on Dotson
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was that he just struggled, He struggled in his run fits, he struggled
12:13
and shoots in the wrong gaps. And I understand that, you know,
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it's not going to be necessarily exactly what we are used to seeing with Jermaine
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Edmunds, and I understand that, and obviously we need to adjust our expectations,
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but I do need somebody in there in the middle DT that's going to
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get the job done and make sure that he's you know, checking us into
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the right plays. He's you know, an extension of McDermott obviously now as
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a DC on the field, and man, is it time for maybe Dorian
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Williams with this whole dureau Bernard injury to kind of get another run at this
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middle linebacker spot because I'm looking at it and I'm like, well, let
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the guy get some burn. He looked great on the week side, you
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know, obviously filling in for Matt Milano on Saturday. And I'm just wondering
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if they want to maybe give this thing another shot and see what they've got
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with these last two preseason games, because the reviews on Dotson were not good.
13:01
Now I didn't, you know, I was traveling to a family reunion
13:05
in Winston, so I you know, I was in and out of the
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game and I was kind of more listening. But the reviews weren't good then
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on on Tyrolle Dotson from Saturday. Yeah, and you know, maybe this
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was the plan all along. Ro I'll be like, we say, you've
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got three, you've got you know, got none? That's yeah, we
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say, And Bean says, you know, he's not gonna be playing middle
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linebacker with all the intention of he's playing middle linebacker. You know, the
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kind of a little little games from shipping to get it off and then all
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of a sudden there's this this rookie coming in that's getting reps and playing hard
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but on the dots in front, you know, with McDermott this new aggressive
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defense and keep hearing about it. Maybe it was more one of those things
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of like, all right, your show kind of let pin the ears back,
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play loose, to do your thing, and he got him in some
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trouble here and there, and he tightens that up as the preseason goes on.
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But that's I'm you know, we we're getting the corner back as well.
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But that's probably the biggest thing now we're watching is that middle linebacker rotation.
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Balen Spectors looks like he's kind of played him his way out of it
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and not in the starter talk anymore. I'd like to get Bernard back there
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to see kind of you know, I'm excited for him and I kind of
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wanted to be him, But you know, Dot's got to step it up.
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Like you said, it can't be it can't become a liability. We're
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not gonna see Tremaine Edmunds back there. We know that, and I'm not
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expecting that. But we can't have a liability either, because then that's gonna
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get Mulatto out of position, not let him make the plays he's so good
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at. And but a chain reaction all the way down. So who knows
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where Doryan Williams about. I mean, he had a couple of good plays.
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Obviously that fourth down stop was a big hit. And you know he's
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probably playing loose and nothing to lose either, right, he's either backing up
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Mulatto or he couldn't squeeze in and get some middle linebacker reps. So there's
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nothing to lose in his his eyes either. You'd like to see dots and
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tighten it up Saturday. That's something I'm gonna be definitely keeping my eye and
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we'll be watching the game. Shout out to my sister and brother in law.
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They're gonna do a little preseason party. Got the projector outside to get
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you again getting But yeah, I'm gonna have eyes up. I'm gonna have
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eyes up on my middle line docker for sure. Yeah. It'll be interesting
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to watch, you know, coming up on Saturday night, because you know,
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like I said, you know, Dorry and Williams can find a way
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to either shake up the room with the with the Tourell Bernard injury, you
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know, because you know, anytime there's injuries, then there's a door that's
15:22
open. And I know the Bayalin Spector has been battling some injury as well,
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most recently, So listen, it's it's a next man up mentality,
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and sometimes it's a war of attrition and listening. When you get your shot,
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then you get your shot. I don't know why they drafted him and
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then started him at middle and then immediately said he's going to the weak side,
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but for whatever reason they did that, and listen, if he's got
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another shot at it, maybe he wants to make the most of it for
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sure, because it literally could be the difference between, like you just said,
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a backup role h to Matt Milano or or getting a chance to just
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be stuck on special teams. So listen, go get it, Dory,
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and if that's the case, if you get another bat bite at the Apple
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excuse me the Saturday night against Picksburgh. Now, speaking of Matt Milano,
16:00
DT, I mean, one of the things that you already know that you
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can't do, and I heard it, you know, spoken about, and
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I agree with that sentiment is he can't move him. You know what I
16:07
mean, You can't put the greennot on him and let him play middle.
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Is he capable? Probably yes, because he's you know, a world class
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athlete, but you know, you almost could be creating two holes. Even
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if you think that you know enough of Dorian Williams, you can't put him
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at the week side and then slide Milano over. It could really become an
16:22
issue where you're creating two holes when you really only are trying to fill one.
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Yeah, we gotta eat there. I mean, that's Milano's gotta be.
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He's at All Pro first Yeah, that first team All Pro in his
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position. And so that's what makes this middle backer a little more important because
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he can't be worrying about, you know, filling picking up the slack and
16:41
filling the shoes that this admins isn't going to be there. And you know,
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so maybe he thinks he's got to cover a little more field, or
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he doesn't want to he doesn't want to rush because he knows that guy might
16:49
get beat over the middle, or whatever the case is. We can't have
16:52
that. You know, we need fifty eight to be full fifty eight.
16:55
And that's a great point about creating two holes, because that could very well
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be a thing of him being a leader on this team and trying to almost
17:02
take on too much, if you will, of like, all right,
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I know it's a little hole over here in the middle, So I'm gonna
17:07
start, you know, cheating over and doing that. And then he's half
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the player he should be for attacking and being what he could be with when
17:14
the Trayman Endams was in there. So somebody's got to step up. I
17:17
mean McDermott being a defensive mind. Let's go. It's nowhere to hide.
17:21
Figure it out, bro, Figure it out, bro, because you know,
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I don't care. Rotate them through Dotson, Bernard Williams, whatever you
17:29
gotta do, keep it fresh, keep it rolling. But you know,
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we gotta start making plays there. Yeah, you do. You're gonna need
17:37
a middle an bercker. Now. You know, there's debate over how important
17:40
that position is in the Bills defense. You know, obviously we're a heavy
17:41
nickel defense and different things like that, and obviously, like you just spoke
17:45
about, you know, Milano really is the anchor of that linebacker corps.
17:48
And you know, especially now with forty nine gone, so you know,
17:52
you would like to believe that they can at least whether the store so to
17:56
be so to speak, you know, with you know, Tremaine dam is
17:59
his departure, but you've got to have somebody in there the least stuff that
18:02
run. You've got to have somebody in there that's going to the right gaps,
18:04
reading his keys the proper way. Otherwise you'll you'll have some gaps in
18:08
the defense that you definitely don't want. Now. Cornerback too, man Again,
18:12
another competition that we've talked about when we did our defensive preview DT and
18:18
is there a little bit of clarity on this because they treated Jackson like a
18:25
starter Saturday. I thought that I thought that was intriguing because of the fact
18:27
that Elam and Benford went pretty much the rest of the game battling it out
18:32
and doing their own little rotation where it's it's almost the writing on the wall.
18:37
I mean, I don't I don't know why you'd pull them after the
18:38
first series or however how long it was for him, if you didn't have
18:42
intentions on him being, you know, the starter opposite of Trey White a
18:45
week one. Yeah, And that's exactly right, Rob you're looking at in
18:49
this little linebacker discussion, it was kind of all over the place and in
18:52
and out, and you didn't know who was you know that you couldn't tell
18:56
who their starter was they couldn't be clear at cornerback two. I was very
19:00
surprised on that. That's the first thing I missed the beginning of the game
19:03
myself. I first thing I did was when and looked at snaps and series
19:07
and I see Dan Jackson a couple of plays and out, I said,
19:10
well, there it is. He's a starter there. So that that's as
19:14
clear cut as it gets in my eyes, Rob. I mean, if
19:15
it was the true competition, like they were talking in training camp and every
19:19
day each one was getting a different rappit at the ones, it would have
19:23
you would have saw that Saturday. You know, you would have saw that
19:26
Saturday. So not that this is the final roster or the final rotation or
19:30
anything like that, but it's very clear cut to me if they were anywhere.
19:37
Yeah, I mean it it is clear cut. I mean, yeah,
19:40
you cut out, but you're good, you're back. Yeah, Dane
19:42
Jackson would have got a lot more burn if if it was still up in
19:45
the air like it is in the middle linebacker side. Yeah. No,
19:48
you're absolutely right. I mean he was treated like a starter. He came
19:52
out when the starters came out. When you know, poor yer and hide
19:55
and all those guys came out. He was out with those guys as well,
19:57
out of the game. And you know that's kind of the tell tell
20:00
sign, you know what I mean, to be honest, that's why you
20:03
know, seventeen didn't play, That's why fourteen didn't play. If it was
20:04
up to me, i'd keep those guys in bubble rep. They wouldn't see
20:07
the preseason field at all, because you know, sometimes we forget that they
20:11
go to practice. They just left training camp. They're still at you know
20:15
whatever, you know, phase two of training camp now. So it's not
20:17
like these guys are not getting reps. It's not like they're not you know,
20:19
putting time on task as they would say. They're getting their reps,
20:23
you know what I mean, it's just not in a live action setting.
20:26
And I'd love to keep those guys healthy and to make sure that they're you
20:30
know, even don't even see the field in the preseason. Now. I
20:32
don't know if that's the case or not, but they definitely treated Dame Jackson
20:34
on Saturday like he was a you know, a future starter for them.
20:38
So it'll be interesting now before we move on. I mean, is it
20:42
a situation where you think that seventeen is gonna get some looks. I don't
20:48
know how they want to treat it, man, Like I don't, I
20:49
don't. I would just keep them on the bench. Man, To be
20:52
honest, I just I would rather the season rides on him so much.
20:56
And I almost feel like DT that the backup quarterback petition. You know,
21:00
after the game, McDermott says, you know, he's asked if there's a
21:02
competition now with the way that Barkley played, and he said, you know,
21:04
succinctly yes, I would almost think that that plays into it even more
21:08
to rap Josh alladded bubble rapit, I would not everything hinges on him.
21:14
I would not even. I don't even want a chance it, man,
21:15
I don't even. I don't care about a series. What is a series?
21:18
I don't care about it? Well, times have changed, right the
21:22
you know, the starting quarterback used to play at least you know, the
21:26
first preseason game, maybe a quarter, maybe a series, and then the
21:30
last preseason game they were playing like the first half. You know, every
21:33
starter, all all these qbs through through history, right, So I mean
21:37
you're I agree, what's a series? You know you'd like to see him
21:41
out there, just to have that like pat on the back, like,
21:45
oh, you know, okay, he's ready, so you don't have that
21:47
excuse. Week one, he comes out rusty and you're like, oh,
21:49
you should have played a little in the preseason. Like you said, Robert,
21:52
it's not like these dudes are just coming off the couch and play in
21:55
September eleventh at the Jets like they've been practicing every single day with the rest
21:57
of the team. It's a series in live contact. I just want to
22:03
see him throw a dart for a touchdown, right, That's why I want
22:04
to see him in there. But it's obviously not worth a long term injury
22:07
or anything like that. So I'm indifferent. I mean I would I would
22:14
say, if I had to pick, I'd like to see him quickly,
22:17
just to say he got out there, just to diminish that excuse of if
22:21
they do come out rusty, oh we should have played a little in the
22:22
preseason. I'm not too scared about it. But at the same time,
22:26
that's a that's a great point. I didn't even think about what you just
22:29
said. With the with the backup competition, that's all more reason to keep
22:33
Alan and Bubble rap because you don't go to be and yeah scared. Both
22:42
are trash and you know, so Alan goes out that what not. Both
22:45
they gotta bring out there, backing each other up and kind of, you
22:49
know, crushing along. So I'd like to see it if it is Pittsburgh's
22:53
a good opponent in Pittsburgh Saturday night, maybe a quick one him and Diggs
22:59
do that, do that. But has been tearing up what is like what
23:04
you know, I'm wondering about risk reward. I think that that's where it
23:08
really falls down to. And I know Sean McVay has been, you know,
23:11
pretty big and a big proponent on not playing the starters back when they
23:15
were contended for Super Bowls the last few years, and you know, it's
23:18
just it's just a situation where it's just not worth it. You know.
23:21
I think back to even this last week. I mean I saw Patrick Mahomes
23:23
run up the middle, you know what I mean against the Raiders and it's
23:26
a division rival, and you know there's a there's guys out there that are
23:30
trying to make a name for himself. He goes and slides and he was
23:33
just a fraction of a second away from a guy trying to take his head
23:36
off now would have been a penalty, yes, and all this other stuff,
23:38
you know, but who cares, you know, like the guy.
23:41
That guy didn't care because he literally was trying to launch like a missile.
23:44
So I just am worried sometimes about you know, unnecessary hits on the quarterback,
23:48
and I just would I mean, I think that I have enough faith
23:52
in the way that they practice, the way that they go about their their
23:55
daily job that you know, the rust or whatever you're talking about and what
23:57
people talk about week one, it'll quickly wear off because you know, the
24:03
other way it could be, it could be a major problem for sure.
24:06
So we'll see about that now. One guy that stuck out to me even
24:11
in my limited time of paying attention to the game, I was really mostly
24:14
listening to it as I was driving and my sons are watching it in the
24:18
back on the phone. I was I was most interested in hearing about your
24:22
thoughts on Andy Isabella, because now I'm starting to wonder if that's naim Heinz
24:26
kick return replacement. I don't know, you know, how I am DT.
24:30
I'm not always you know, savvy on the back end of the roster
24:33
and where you're gonna make cuts and different things like that. I don't know
24:36
if it's a shorter I would assume that it's not shakier because of the fact
24:40
that they en you know, they invested the draft pick in him. He'd
24:44
be subject to waivers. You don't want to lose them, so, you
24:47
know, even shorter would be an easier guy to sneak onto the practice squad
24:49
than it would be Shakir. But boy, if I mean speed kills in
24:53
this league, I mean Madden's coming out tomorrow. We always you know,
24:56
John Matten always talked about how speed kills. Speed he kills in this league
25:00
still to this day, Andy Isabella four three one. I mean, he
25:04
looked quick out there. He looked fast. It might be a situation where
25:07
you want to keep this guy around, even if it's just for kicks.
25:11
I don't know what it means in the back of the wide receiver death room
25:14
DT, but it almost seems like a situation where you might want to find
25:17
a way to squeeze this guy on the roster because speed is something sometimes that
25:21
you can't replicate. It was nice to see, and you know, being
25:26
I feel like I feel like we're chasing, you know, since Tyreek Hill
25:30
came onto the scene. Every NFL team is kind of chasing that vibe,
25:33
you know, chasing that that speeds or that guy that you know that that
25:37
can burn it off. But I just have trouble seeing where he fits.
25:41
You know, if Deontay Hardy, we bring Deonte Hardy and Deontay Hardy first
25:45
team All Pro kick returner for the Saints, you know, two years ago
25:48
and he's healthy, he's taking kick return reps all all camp. Okay,
25:52
so I'm cool with having him. There Isam McKenzie return kicks, you know,
25:56
until Ian Hines came in and he also played you know, Slot Rene
25:59
as well. Deontay Hardy can do can do the same. And if you
26:03
put Isabella and then where does Shakier go? You know, That's that's what
26:07
you were just saying, right, Like, I got some love for ten
26:11
still, I think he's going to be solid for us. I don't think
26:14
the speed and the quick burst and energy of Isabella what we saw Saturday is
26:18
enough for me to get rid of Shakir because I think that's what it comes
26:22
down to. A Shakiir or this guy, right, and Deontay Hardy can
26:25
can do these kick returns can do the stuff that this Isabella guy can do.
26:29
So where where does he fail? Where where does he come into the
26:30
game just to have him to have him for that specific kick returning, Well,
26:34
we already got Hardy to do that, So you know, then it's
26:37
less Hardy. You know, less Hardy is going to be taken away from
26:41
his opportunities because he's But you're right. I mean, you know, Zeke
26:44
did both, so you're absolutely right that they're capable. You know, Hardy
26:48
is definitely probably be capable of do them both for sure. First team all
26:51
pro like, it's not just something do it that's fast, Like he's the
26:53
first team all from a return. So yeah, and then so that they
26:57
the next point is it's it's probably Hammer Shakir and I got I'm going with
27:03
my boy tend. I still think that I'm gonna hold on. I'm gonna
27:06
hold on. I think he's got some flashing. Yeah, I mean he
27:10
does. You know, he obviously had that drop and that's what everybody's gonna
27:12
remember from Saturday is that he had that drop on I think it was a
27:15
third down play or something like that. And listen, no receivers perfect,
27:18
they're not cyborgs, so they're gonna drop balls and stuff like that. I
27:21
think we get sometimes spoiled by the mastery of Stefan Diggs and the mastery of
27:26
some of these top receivers, justin Jefferson's and the chases and those guys that
27:29
are catching everything. But yeah, you know there's you know, there's drops.
27:32
I mean, even Dalton Kincaide dropped, you know, a pass or
27:34
something like that, and I think of the Blue Light Scrimmage or something they
27:37
said, So listen, you know there's gonna be drops, and they're part
27:38
of the game. I'm looking for Shakir to separate himself in respects to I'm
27:44
trying to figure out with Sherfield with Hardy, you know, what is your
27:48
what are you bringing to me? You know? Now, if it's just
27:51
spelling guys and we're mixing guys in and out and that type of thing,
27:53
and it's all just about rest and keeping guys for us, then then absolutely
27:56
keep him on the roster. You you've made the that's been in him by
28:00
drafting him, so obviously don't turn you back on it. But if it's
28:03
a situation where you don't think you're gonna use it much, you know what
28:06
I mean? Now, I might opt for the faster guy in a situation
28:08
where you know, neither one of them is getting much purp, but I
28:11
don't. I don't know, really they're playings for Shakure Sometimes it's it's hard
28:15
to see what they really have planned for him, you know what I mean.
28:17
A couple and a couple other points on this preseason game, as we
28:21
wrapped that up, I it was Shorter Hurt did Shorter play? He played?
28:26
He just he only get I think he only got like a target or
28:27
something like that, or he might not have even gotten a target. Actually,
28:32
yeah, he didn't get a target. That's why I was asking.
28:33
Yeah, but he was on the field that that kind of scratched might have
28:37
a little bit too, Like, all right, this guy's gonna be five
28:38
six on the depth chart if he if he you know, makes his team
28:41
as a rookie wide receiver. Why wasn't he inn in the third and fourth
28:45
quarter getting getting looks? You know? It is Desmond patting better than Justin
28:49
Shorter, Like That's that's what it told me. With the kind of the
28:52
reps and stuff these guys were getting in late in the games, and then
28:56
we talk all about, oh we got Dawson Knox and kN Cage twelve person
29:00
snell twelve personnel. One target to a tight end this entire game, one
29:03
to Quinn Morris and not a catch. So that's something you know, maybe
29:07
keep keep a little bit of an eye on. We're oh, we're running
29:11
all these two tight end sets, and there was one target to an entire
29:12
tight end tight end the whole game in a preseason game where you know,
29:17
you would think that would be a little more incorporated, just a little dumb,
29:19
right, Yeah, just so two things, you know, going off
29:23
two observations I made. I thought i'd see short and more late throughout any
29:29
of the game, and I didn't see a lot of tight endwork. Yeah,
29:32
no, you're you're absolutely right, you know, you your observations are
29:36
correct, you know, and it'll be interesting to see how it develops because
29:38
I'm interested in in seeing how they're going to incorporate, you know, because
29:42
all we've been hearing all offseason. I mean, you know, it's the
29:45
Dalton Kincaid effect, it's the you know, it's the two tight end sets.
29:48
It's gonna be twelve personnel, it's gonna be you know, more effective
29:52
running game and different things like that. So it's a situation where you better,
29:56
you better, you know, use the assets that you just spent the
29:59
money on, you know what I mean. I would like to see this
30:02
stuff kind of come to fruition, so to speak. So I know that
30:03
Ken Dorsey spoke to the media. We really see's on Thursdays, but he
30:07
spoke to the media today on Wednesday, and you know, it's interesting listen
30:11
to him talk because you know, I'm I'm just I'm very interested in wondering
30:17
what he's able to provide in this second year because, as we always talk
30:19
about it, you only get one chance to show that it's, you know,
30:22
your first time on the job, and that's you know, that's the
30:25
only time you're able to use that excuse. So next year he's not going
30:27
to have that in his back pocket to use. And it'll be interesting to
30:30
see because it was crazy that Warren Sharp they had brought it up on w
30:34
gr DT that the Bills are last in the NFL over the last two seasons
30:37
from the three yard lining in. Now that's a weird, you know,
30:41
wonky you know, yard line to pick, but it also encapulates you know
30:45
something about I think Dable and it even stretches back to Dable, I guess
30:49
since they it's you know, stretches two years where they're struggling when they get
30:53
down close. And those are some of the situations where you do want those
30:56
layups. You do want those easy plasts, those easy plays. Excuse me,
31:00
you think about the Super Bowl, you think about Kansas City and those
31:03
great Andy Red you know draw plays where they're doing the fake you know motion
31:07
and like in versing it back out and they're both wide open touchdowns on the
31:11
biggest stage. You know, I'm looking for Ken Dorsey this season to kind
31:15
of separate himself to help create some of those easy plays where it's not just
31:18
Josh up the middle. And I know that they've added running backs where that's
31:21
probably not going to be their first answer to that problem. But really you've
31:26
got to make sure that you're you're converting those you know what I mean,
31:29
because sometimes, you know, those points can can come back and prove costly.
31:32
So it was an interesting stat today that I heard again on WGR about
31:36
the fact that the Bills are dead dead last in the league over the last
31:38
two years from the three yard line and then and it goes everywhere, I
31:42
mean, complete your percentage for Josh Allen, conversion, you know, points
31:47
per possession, all that type of stuff is at you know, at the
31:48
bottom. And it was just interesting because I really am looking for some easy
31:53
stuff, and I know the Dabel wasn't perfect, but I do need Dorsey
31:56
to kind of incorporate some of the other things that they've did, because you
32:00
know, they was fairly good at that for you know, the majority of
32:02
his tenure, you know what I mean, Yeah, I mean you that
32:07
that's a tough stat right, Rob. I know the three yard It was
32:12
when I heard three, I was like, well, why did he pick
32:13
the three? Yeah? Why was he like to see a lot of these
32:15
a lot of these touchdowns? You know, Josh Allen gets you know,
32:17
we're scoring from twenty thirty forty yards out. You know, that's that's a
32:22
lot of our offense in general. But yeah, and that's the perfect counterpoint
32:24
that we still score many points two years ago on that fourth and short.
32:30
You know, we can't convert. Uh, there's there's a few times that
32:34
had cost us the Miami game last year, and you know, everything in
32:37
between. It just felt a little locked up in there, and hey,
32:40
that's what Dalton came right, if his big body get it through, or
32:44
a little more creativity, like you said, the perfect example was the Super
32:46
Bowl with the chiefs of the motion on each side, the exact same play
32:51
was wide open both times. Yeah, let's let's start incorporating that. But
32:54
then at the end of the day too, you know, something like an
32:58
Eagles with Jalen Hurts just up the middle, up the middle, Like,
33:05
I'm not mad at that either, and you say, all the statistics,
33:07
you don't want people rolling up on your quarterback whatever, but it's almost guaranteed
33:10
to work, right, So yeah, that's that's something else that they I
33:14
don't think the Bills do a lot of. Is that QB sneak And you
33:16
know, maybe that helps him in the three, you know, and helps
33:19
him my fantasy team when Josh Allen gets at rushing Tuddy maybe. So,
33:22
I mean it seems like they brought in some running backs like Damien Harris and
33:27
Likeabius Murray to to maybe take some of that some of these far Yeah,
33:35
absolutely looking great your guy, I mean, you know him. So,
33:37
I mean it looks like it should be a situation where maybe you know,
33:40
they've got some of the running backs now in there to maybe you know,
33:44
lighten the load for Josh and maybe not make him take all those hits where
33:46
he's saving those runs and those QB sneaks for the playoffs when you know,
33:50
when the chips are on the line. And I'm definitely down for that because
33:52
I want to see him healthy as long as possible. Now I'm speaking of
33:55
playoffs DT as we begin to wrap up. It's funny because I all WGR
34:00
today a topic came up, and you know, sometimes I'll just get that
34:02
itch where something will just will It'll hit me and it'll just sit with me
34:07
a certain way. And it's funny because this is a conversation that I've had
34:10
on that show Shopping the Bulldog before. With Bulldog, it might have even
34:16
been over a year ago, because he had talked about DT. We talked
34:20
about a pre show basically the Second Sabers Run. So the second Sabers run
34:23
after they had went to the Cup or whatever. Bulldog was talking about how
34:28
he really didn't enjoy the regular season at all that season because his eyes were
34:31
focused on the playoffs and focused on getting back to the Stanley Cup final.
34:35
And stuff like that, and he really, you know, lamented the fact
34:37
that he missed that season because he didn't enjoy the run because that was obviously
34:42
a great team and I think they were the President's Trophy winners and different things
34:45
like that, but he was so focused on the end of the year DT.
34:49
I am being honest with you, man, I feel like I'm an
34:51
AA right now. I am getting dangerously close to that DT with this season.
34:55
Here's what I'll explain with it. I am so disappointed in the way
35:00
that the seasons have ended these last three years, obviously chiefly thirteen Seconds,
35:05
and then last year was such a gut punch as well that I'm starting to
35:08
feel anxiety for just wanting to get to January, just wanting to figure out
35:14
where our seating is, just wanting to figure out what the matchup is.
35:16
Are we playing the eight? You know? Are we the two seed?
35:19
You know, obviously it seems like it's Mahomes's birthright to be the number one
35:22
seed, and you know, get that bye week and then okay, are
35:25
we a two saying we're gonna host the AFC South champion or are we the
35:29
three seed and we're gonna get the West Champion, whatever, and like,
35:31
I want to make sure that we're soaking this in Bill's Mafia, soaking this
35:35
in Nickel City Crew, because there is a chance and there is a shift
35:38
that can happen in your mind where you start to go and you start thinking
35:42
about the end and you start thinking about what the final result is going to
35:45
be as opposed to enjoying this team, enjoyin this fabulous You know, everything
35:51
about the team is great. You know, in my mind, I think
35:52
that they are a wonderful team. They're close. We've seen that last year
35:55
with the way that they rallied together in some really difficult circumstances. This talk
36:00
to that, DT, because I don't know if you've ever had that problem.
36:02
I know that you're in it, and we're down in it. With
36:05
the tailgate, even though I tailgate, even though I drive up all the
36:07
way six hundred fifty miles from Charlotte, I still feel like in the back
36:13
of my mind, I'm always like wondering, like, oh my gosh,
36:15
like what is gonna like who what is going to happen in the playoffs.
36:19
And I'm starting to to really be more aware of it, DT, And
36:22
I don't want that to be like that for you know whatever, seventeen games
36:27
this year. I don't want to experience a season like that. But man,
36:29
I'm telling you, I'm having a hard time because all I think about
36:31
is the playoffs. I feel like, you know, pop leveling up in
36:40
our fandom as Bills fans, right, like, yeah, when you're when
36:44
you're going after it on Twitter or actually whatever with these people about we want
36:49
to go back, you'd rather be back in the drought. And it's like,
36:51
no, it's okay to want to want more and be better and want
36:54
greatness and level up as a fan. But we gotta enjoy it because of
37:00
all those years up the drows. Seventeen's addicting. I always say it.
37:06
And I love waking up on Sunday or Saturday or Monday whenever the Bills play
37:10
freaking this year. I love waking up and knowing it's game day, man,
37:14
and know when we get to see seventeen and the Boys do their thing
37:16
and football is just kind of you know that fall field. And this year
37:21
you're gonna have a fantasy squad, right rob, So like there's gonna be
37:23
stuff, Like football is more than just the game. It's the lifestyle of
37:28
the fall, right and I live for it, man, I love it.
37:31
And and so that's kind of I would say channel that a little more
37:36
than yes. I mean, we want to look forward. We want to
37:37
see like in the back of our minds, that's that's an okay feeling to
37:42
have, like what's gonna be good? Because that's that's good. Like we
37:45
need to expect to be that deep in the playoffs this year, like or
37:47
it's a failure, Like we need to expect to be in that same spot
37:51
and what happens again. So but I will say challenge yourself to kind of
37:55
channel that. The beauty of it, the beauty of fall. The Chris
38:00
are jailgates. I mean, I mean we get together for the tailgates.
38:04
It's so much fun, you know, And I don't want to spin over
38:07
it. Yeah, I don't. I know what you mean, though,
38:08
I don't know if you get over it. It's not in an album.
38:12
Gonna come and I'm gonna see a home opener, We're gonna have a great
38:15
time and YadA, YadA da all throughout the season. It's just a situation
38:17
where you know, there's a level, there's a tinge. It's in the
38:21
back. And it's definitely in the back of my mind. It's not in
38:23
the forefront. I'm not thinking about it all of the time, but it's
38:28
it's definitely a situation where I'm I'm never it's never out of out of reach,
38:31
you know what I mean, out of my mind, Like, man,
38:34
I wonder what the seating is going to be, Like we're gonna host
38:37
a game, We're gonna have to go on the road, you know what
38:38
I mean? Oh man, oh shit, the Jets are better this year,
38:42
you know what I mean? The Dolphins. What if we don't win
38:44
the divisions, that means we gotta go on the road. And and I'm
38:46
like, man, like, I don't you know, we haven't even played
38:49
Week one yet. But as much as but as much as you know,
38:52
as much as the team, And Josh Allen gets up there and says he
38:55
doesn't even know who they're playing next week, and they take a week by
38:58
week there too. That's mcdermot's head too, like it's all that's what it's
39:02
all about, you know. That's that's what they play for, the championship
39:05
mentality, and to get there, you got to get the playoffs. So
39:07
it I don't think you're wrong to have this feeling, you know, because
39:13
I think we enjoy it enough to, you know, to earn the right
39:15
to have that feeling, right if you will. So so how about that
39:19
enjoy the right to have that feeling. It's okay to have that feeling.
39:22
Yeah, I mean, it's just I think I think that it's it's really
39:24
combined because after I called WGR and then somebody called right after me, and
39:29
you know, let's talk about thirteen seconds and asking the guys what they thought.
39:31
You know, I think it's it's the losses and how close we've been
39:36
knocking on the door DT and even Stefan Diggs even spoke about it at me,
39:39
you know, when he came back to Mini camp and he spoke about
39:43
how we've been pushing that boulder up the hill and we've been close and we
39:45
haven't got a chance to knock that door down. And I think that it's
39:49
it's that anxiety level that kind of attributes to it, and it kind of
39:52
contributes to the fact where I'm like, man, I just want to I
39:57
want to I want to wake up one Super Bowl sid it, know what
40:00
I mean, Like I said, you already know my stance. Man,
40:01
we represent the AFC and the Super Bowl. I'll let the chips fall.
40:05
I won't. I won't be mad or you know what I mean. I'm
40:07
not gonna be I'm just gonna enjoy the ride because I always envy those ninety
40:12
bills nineties excuse me, bills fans. I always envy the fact that they
40:15
were adults. I'm five, six, seven and eight for the Super Bowl
40:19
run, so I have got vague memories. And then I'm a kid,
40:21
so I can't go to the Ralph and enjoy a tailgate. I can't be
40:24
in that hot tub with those guys enjoying the you know what I mean.
40:27
And I gotta feel in buffaloes going to the Super bow Bowl. I can't
40:30
do that back then, you know what I mean. Now I have that
40:32
opportunity, and I think that that's it's just the taste. I want that
40:36
taste of knowing my team is getting ready to lace it up tonight at six
40:40
thirty for the biggest for all of it, you know what I mean,
40:44
for all of the models and I and I and until I until we get
40:47
there, man, I'm gonna be like, is this the year? Is
40:51
this the year? And like I. And that's literally how I started my
40:53
call of WGR to they. I was like, you know, like,
40:55
is this I want this to be the year because sometimes this anxiety level it
41:00
does get to me a little bit because I know it's because I care so
41:04
much, you know, I mean, obviously I'm a I'm a wacko.
41:06
I drive up all the way because I care so much. I meet you,
41:08
you know what I mean? Because I care so much, Like I'm
41:09
already a part of it. So I definitely don't want to skip out all
41:14
the experience DT, but I definitely would be lying to you if but I'll
41:17
tell you that I'll go about seatings and all that ship. We haven't even
41:21
kicked off week one. It's natural, it's natural, but a lot of
41:28
up trays and trash. It absolutely absolutely man, I appreciate it. Listen
41:35
as always our episodes tonight and all episodes are presented by twenty six Shirts.
41:39
Please head on over to twenty six shirts dot com for all of your Buffalo
41:43
themed T shirts. Again, they support a great cause with each and every
41:47
purchase. There's some cool ones up there is now as well. I saw
41:52
del Reid who have got some interesting news about DT that I forgot to tell
41:55
you, but we're gonna have the the founder of the Mafia, co found
42:00
of the Mafia next month. I will release more information. Yeah, I'm
42:04
going to release more information in the coming weeks as we approach the season opener.
42:08
But that was really cool. So head on over to twenty six shirts
42:10
dot com. They are sponsored on this simulcast on the Buffalo fan based podcast
42:16
network DT. Man, thank you for chopping up with me tonight. Man.
42:20
I just wanted to touch on a few topics man and see what you
42:22
thought about the preseason game. The Bills again will go at there on the
42:27
road this week. They will go to Pittsburgh. It's a six thirty start
42:30
in Pittsburgh. Damar Hamlin. We saw him out there, and again our
42:34
salute to Damar Hamlin, a salute to the Bill's medical staff that everybody has
42:37
said so many times saving that young man's life. And he was back out
42:42
there playing football with his boys DT. And now he'll be heading home to
42:45
Pittsburgh, and I know he's really excited about that as well. He even
42:47
had a nice little fourth thousand stuff DT. I mean he was sticking his
42:51
nose in it. I mean like, yeah, man, and he talked
42:54
about after the game DT, you can't play this game scared when we talk
42:58
I talked to that with Bobby, stuff like that, even before his his
43:00
little pee wee team, Like, you can't play scared. You gotta get
43:04
in there and you gotta get that aggression and get things going because you can
43:07
almost hurt yourself if you're not aggressive. You know what I mean, because
43:09
everybody else is moving full speed tomorrow, hamblin Man, he looked good man
43:13
out there. Man, he was not hesitant at all. Yeah. I
43:15
think he laid it, laid it to rest of you know, earned the
43:19
spot on the team, and you know we move on from it. So
43:22
good. Yeah. Absolutely, side baby, three weeks. That's all.
43:27
As always, please spread love not hate. These were my Bills, Thoughts
43:30
said out loud. He would a God Bills D team will be back at
43:32
you go, Bills