1. I thought LAC had an excellent game plan and executed it. KC is just so well coached that they made a game of it.
2. Herbert is for real. GRO wishes he had Herbert in Baltimore all those years. Lamar would have been baited into running all night tonight and probably turned the ball over.
3. How can RT Juwaan Taylor still have a job? Josh Simmons, the rookie, was cheating all night just like Taylor with "leaving early" before the snap all night. Both got called for False Starts, but they also both line up 2 to 3 feet off the Line of Scrimmage every play. I truly remember last year, Ronnie Stanley was called for that a ton of times.
4. Travis Kelce is a master instigator. The man taunts every single play, gets away with it. I believe that the Ref crew allowed the Charger's player to not be disqualified for the open palm slap due to Kelce forever "baiting".
5. Speaking of Baiting, KC is literally trained to flop any time they have no shot to make the play. This game could have been something like 34-10, but KC just gets flags no one else does on important offensive moments.
6. Why does Philly have to lower themselves to play @KC when they dominated the Superbowl? Why reward KC? Phily is going to have a tough time playing on the Road next week if they don't take it seriously enough. Dallas is a good team and Jerry Jones somehow made a Good trade IMHO setting Dallas up for a new Core 4 over the next 2 years if they can hit on their extra 1st rounders. Philly won the game, but easily could have lost.
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Overall a nice 2 games to get the season Kick Started. I won't be surprised if KC does something crazy and trades 2 or 3 1st round picks for some sort of WR1 and just kicks the can down the road for "The Script".
Now I am just awaiting the announcement of Taylor Swift taking over the Half Time Show of the Superbowl. Reminds me a lot of the Mini-Series "The Idol" from HBO. Very diabolical.
Taylor shouldn't have a job. KC tried hard to trade him and they should have taken the cap hit to release him. Such a nice guy but an absolutely waste of a roster spot.
Everybody in the NFL talks trash and baits. Kelce is good at it but he received plenty of personal foul calls over the years. The slap was excessive and the announcers were stupid to assume that a player would close his fist and punch a helmet. If a player was ejected for spitting on a chest, the Chiefs proved (yet again) that they don't earn favoritism.
Herbert is definitely real. Injuries prevented him from succeeding in the past. Reid and the KC coaching staff couldn't win the opener because the players made silly mistakes. The Chiefs typically win close games, specifically when they matter (postseason).
I wish Harbaugh didn't piss away the game tonight. The Bills' offense is good and every Buffalo loss is good for the AFC. That coaching staff should suspend themselves for clock management. It reminded me of the Sumlin era.
I can't speak to how nice of a guy those OL's are, but they play terrible football.
Kelce, yes. The master of instigation. The player who tapped his helmet will probably get an internal $6,000 fine. Wouldn't have affected the outcome.
The NFL is a very questionable organization. Quinshon Judkins just got his entire contract fully guaranteed after clearly making a deal to get the woman to stop her charges and muzzle up.
I think the NFL should Fine the Bills organization in the 6 Figures for the fan assaults including the trash throwing that hit Henry.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on September 07, 2025, 09:32:10 PMI wish Harbaugh didn't piss away the game tonight.
I don't think it was on Harbaugh the way you are putting it. Maybe Harbs could have forced Lamar to go for it or put Cooper Rush out there if Lamar refused.
My idea would have been to go for it on 4th and 3 and gamble. Let Lamar feel the heat.
But, but I fully know it would have been a 99.9999% virtually automatic loss if failing vs automatic win if succeeding - and I would have accepted the same fate which was Fans being assholes in hindsight about it.
Probably not even worth the possibility of crushing Lamar's confidence in the long run had he failed to convert it.
But from the HC perspective:
4th and 3 - Fail, Fans blame the Coach
Punt it - Fail, Fans blame the Coach
Succeed in Either Decision - Fans blame the Coach for it being a decision in the first place.
I am definitely not a "This was only Week 1 so it doesn't really matter" type of person. I think the Ravens learned more about their entire team going with the Punt regardless of the outcome.
But even so, there really is no horseshoes and hand grenades to Week 1. KC lost and looked terrible in their game. Baltimore is the only team in NFL history to lose a game and put up over 235+ Rush Yards and score 40 or more points. 277-1 now All Time in History. Both 0-1. Equal.
So I think that regardless of the decision, way too many things went Right for 1 team while going Wrong for the other. Just a pure outlier.
Just like last season when it wasn't Harbaugh's fault when Isaiah Likely may have had 1 blade of white grass toe on the line. Outliers. And they began 0-2 on the season only to drop a pitch and catch 2pt conversion in the Divisional Round.
I don't think bad coaching is the reason this team is always in so many legacy defining moments. Only Good Coaching can lead to those moments.
If the Ravens didn't have Bad Luck, they would have No Luck at all.
Agreed that the 4th and 3 was a crapshoot. Turn it over and the Bills get a guaranteed win...although accurate QB's could seal the deal under pressure.
Regardless, it was the lazy play calling that provided Buffalo with extra opportunities to win a game that should have been sealed. The Bills LB's were drooling at the chance to punch the ball out of Henry's grasp.
Giving up 41 isn't necessarily bad luck. All three AFC teams will likely see each other in the postseason (again). Maybe one of the underdogs can finally play to their potential after NYE.
Also, I was bummed about Loop's XP. Glad he hit the long kicks but the fans will only remember the one point, which was the difference in the game.
He's a badass and will prove himself to the Ravens fans.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on September 09, 2025, 05:24:06 AMAgreed that the 4th and 3 was a crapshoot. Turn it over and the Bills get a guaranteed win...although accurate QB's could seal the deal under pressure.
Regardless, it was the lazy play calling that provided Buffalo with extra opportunities to win a game that should have been sealed. The Bills LB's were drooling at the chance to punch the ball out of Henry's grasp.
Giving up 41 isn't necessarily bad luck. All three AFC teams will likely see each other in the postseason (again). Maybe one of the underdogs can finally play to their potential after NYE.
No one is a real under dog in your perceived 3 teams, but it is technically 4 teams because the Bengals have proven more than Buffalo and Baltimore combined. Texans maybe would be an underdog to the conversation.
Play calling wasn't the issue from my POV. It isn't lazy to be conservative and run the ball when the Bills were sending 9 at the run plays all game and got gashed for over 235 rush yards or whatever. Henry just didn't need to fumble. Shit happens even with the best players on the field. The amount of fluke plays were an anomaly in the end.
Hindsight 20/20. I get it.
Burrow is legit and has weapons but the Cincy defense is garbage...and they have proven to be underwhelming over the past two seasons. I can't envision them in the AFC Championship, unless the other three contenders forget to show up on offense.