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Dan Fates
In the time it takes you to actually board a flight from Group 8.
Jenna Cottrell
Now boarding Premier Altitude Elite Club members.
Dan Fates
You could have bought a Hyundai on Amazon. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. Limited availability pickup through participating Hyundai dealer in select markets. Look, the Bills and Jags have played weird games. They just have. We still think the Bills are going to come back from 2021.
Jenna Cottrell
This might be the longest running joke of the Buffalo plus podcast of the Bills against Urban Meyer might still pull out that win. And it never gets old because it is so true of where this team.
Mike Catalana
None of our jokes get old. We're very funny.
Jenna Cottrell
Certainly get old.
Connors and Ferris
This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.
Jenna Cottrell
All right, welcome to Buffalo plus the presented by Colors and Ferrets.
Dan Fates
Hot start.
Jenna Cottrell
My Catalana, Dan Fates. I am Jenna Cottrell. Please be sure to like, comment, subscribe and share. We always appreciate it. Is this podcast.
Dan Fates
This is the best.
Jenna Cottrell
Okay. Buffalo plus podcast presented by Connors and Ferris. I had a moment. I had a moment. All right, we're gonna talk about this. This game though as well. Bills Jags, Buffalo 20 to start the season. Jags winless so far. It's been a rough go for Jags fans. But Mike, for this Buffalo team, they're probably feeling pretty good. They had a nice win in week one. It come from behind win to beat Arizona last week against the Dolphins. The running game and the defense got the job done. Where do you think their head is at right now?
Mike Catalana
They should feel good. I mean, they've played really well and the game against Miami was as complete as you're going to want to see them. It wasn't the Josh Allen game. We've had a lot of those. They didn't need it. Isn't that something? He had great moments, but it wasn't that he didn't do well. Yeah, they didn't need him to because the defense.
Dan Fates
You're good.
Mike Catalana
Okay.
Dan Fates
I was just messing with the speakers that I was on the wrong one.
Mike Catalana
That's okay. The defense played great. The running game was very good with James Cook player of the week and Josh didn't need to. But I will say that when you look at the NFL, if you separate this from the Bills and the Jags in this game, in these two teams. Dan, when you look at the NFL the way it goes week to week, this should make you worried if you're a Bills fan.
Dan Fates
Yes. And comment in and what you guys think. But this Is if Trevor Lawrence didn't come out and say we suck.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
And that everything's got to get better, I would feel a little calmer or a little bit at ease. That's. That's a desperate quarterback for a desperate team. Calling out himself and the entire team. So that was to me. Look, the Bills and Jags have played weird games. They just have. We still think the Bills are going to come back from 2021 happening like the Urban Meyer game. We still think the Bills are going to come back and pull that game out.
Mike Catalana
In fact, Dan and I think before this game maybe about the game starts, what, 7, 7:37. I'd say about 7 o'.
Dan Fates
Clock.
Mike Catalana
Come out and just finish that game. Josh has the ball, see if he can score against the Jags to win it. We still think it's going to happen.
Jenna Cottrell
You were saying before on another video we did that this might be the longest running joke of the Buffalo plus podcast of the Bills against Urban Meyer might still pull out that win. And it never gets old because it is so true of where this team.
Mike Catalana
None of our jokes get old. We're very funny certainly get old.
Jenna Cottrell
I think there's some people in the comments that would agree as well. But this team, this Jags team really has Mike been kind of the thorn in this Buffaloes in Buffalo side last year alone.
Mike Catalana
That game in London. Yeah, was brutal with the injuries. The way they lost that game, you know, that was a really bad day for Kyer Elam, if you remember. You know, he got pushed into duty. You know, you lose Milano. It just was a very, very tough game for the Bills coming off a huge win against the Dolphins. I think it was 48 to 20 that they beat the Dolphins in that game. Now there was a lot of issues with going to Jacksonville, but to your point, Janet, we've seen this in Jacksonville, in Buffalo, in London, twice the way it is with the Jags. So I, I'm not tell I the Bills are the better team and we'll have our picks later. You know, news flash here. I'm going to pick the Bills to win the game. I think they're the better team, but it's just the NFL and desperate teams. What does they say? Hungry dogs run fast.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, hungry, hungry dog runs faster. Even Ed Oliver though today, this week practice was saying like, yeah, it's just, it's weird when like the vibes around this game, that's the words he's using. He said he called it weird. So it definitely has a kind of bit of an Added element. But I will say I think it's almost better for Buffalo.
Dan Fates
I agree.
Jenna Cottrell
Because if this wasn't a winless team going in, I'd say, ah, the Bill's confidence really high. Mike, you talked about a team being very desperate on the other side, but because this is a team, Dan, that Buffalo has struggled against, I do think that's a positive because they will not overlook what Jacksonville can do and the talent that's able to, if get it done, could result in a Jags win.
Dan Fates
Yeah, we had people asking us questions back before week one. Will the, will the Bills overlook the Cardinals and things like that? Maybe they did a little bit. Maybe that was the, the Cardinals getting off to a hot start, things like that. I also like the fact that the Bills have had so much time. If it was a quick turnaround, you're still kind of high off that win and you're going in, coming back home and, and all of that. I think that the fact that they've got enough time to reset that. McDermott's found enough tape to point out what. We didn't do this right in Miami. We didn't do this right. We got to be better here. And showing them the, the history of these last few years of just weird games, I think keeps them on high alert and avoids that overlooking an opponent, because I don't know if you know this. Sean McDermott says they're a really good team. He really respects them. And it starts and ends with respecting your opponent.
Mike Catalana
It does. And Josh Allen says their defense flies around. Flies around every week. He says the other team's defense flies around. It feels like a month and a half since they played. So you're going to have Sunday to watch football and relax. If you're a Bills fan, two in a row, one you've already won, the other one you haven't played yet. So you get a Sunday peaceful watch. The other teams that you don't like hope that they lose and then get ready to play on Monday night. But I just think in this league especially early, you know, we talk about bad teams, don't know they're bad yet. Jags really struggled at the end of last year. Yes, they lost. Well, the last five games that Trevor Lawrence started, they lost. They only won one against Carolina when the backup beathard played. And they're at a weird crossroads because they're thought to be a good team and they have Trevor Lawrence and they have a coach who's won a Super bowl before. They have talent around them.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
And now two games that were, I mean, they had the Dolphins done atn fumbles going into the end zone. They win that game.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
And then they, Cleveland just kept trying to hand them the game and they didn't want to take it. So they will be desperate Monday night.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. All right, let's talk a little bit more about this Bills team heading in. James Cook winning the AFC offensive player of the week. Dan, I want to hear from you because you're not always the biggest fan of the run game, but when done effectively, look what it can do for Buffalo. Yeah.
Dan Fates
You guys try and twist my words and you guys try and say that I, I, I don't like running the ball, which is just factually inaccurate. I do like running the ball.
Mike Catalana
You hate running the ball.
Jenna Cottrell
You have said many times on this channel.
Mike Catalana
Now watch how he spins this into taking credit. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, that's, that's a catalonic. Go ahead, go ahead.
Dan Fates
I'm fine with running the ball when it's effective. I have hated second down runs. I have hated first down runs where you just run into a brick wall to say, hey, at least we ran the ball and it was one yard and it was a waste of a down and you're taking the ball out of Josh Allen's hands. I am all for running the ball effectively. What are you giggling about?
Jenna Cottrell
So your results oriented. I don't know, Jim.
Mike Catalana
I don't know.
Jenna Cottrell
A little bit.
Mike Catalana
It was a good call because it worked.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Not that guy.
Jenna Cottrell
That's exactly.
Mike Catalana
You are that guy.
Dan Fates
You're not that guy. I'm not that guy. But this is, I think for as much as credit as James Cook deserves, he looks more decisive.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
When he gets the ball and picking lanes and one cut and you know, even some of the runs that he's made, three yard runs could have been three yard losses against Miami. Like was really good at doing all the little things. The Bill's offensive line, I think also deserves a ton of credit for what they've been doing. And along with that, that also credit goes along to Joe Brady. We talked about it on our last video about the fact that he just continues to stay true to himself and the game plan. And if you're not going to be able to stop it, we're just going to continue to run the ball down your throat until we're so you prove to stop it. Because they haven't. Jenna. They've thrown the ball 42 times in two games.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Crazy for Josh.
Jenna Cottrell
Josh Allen has the fewest passing Attempts.
Dan Fates
Second.
Jenna Cottrell
Second fewest passing attempts in the league, which is just weird to think about when you have the dynamic talent that is Josh Allen. But he talked this week about what it was like. And, Dan, you were the one that asked a question about what that was like.
Dan Fates
Yeah, I just asked Josh if it's weird, the fact that he's only thrown the ball 42 times, the second most in the league. And here's what he had to say.
Josh Allen
No, I mean, I think given our situation this last week, when, you know, we're running it as well as we are and you get the ball kind of in really good field position throughout the entire game, that's just kind of the game. It's going to be. I don't know if I'd say weird. I think it feels pretty good, you know, and, you know, being able to hand the ball off to James and Ray Ray and let them go do some work. And our offensive line is opening some holes from them. They're running it really hard and we're having some success doing it. So if it's working, keep calling it. And, you know, I know that it's going to present itself in the pass game. We're going to have opportunities and we got to go make them.
Mike Catalana
You know what I heard there? We're a running team. Come on.
Jenna Cottrell
Got to sit back, pick up my.
Mike Catalana
Is that what you heard, Josh is like, when you need me, call me. When the running game gets done beating other teams up, we'll throw it every once in a while.
Jenna Cottrell
I will say it's got to be nice for Josh, especially that game last week because James Cook was really great at running the ball, but Allen still had those moments of him being spectacular that passed to Ty Johnson. Like, he still had his Josh signature moments, but then he also was able to kind of relax a little bit. The defense played really well. Obviously, the run game was really important as well, too. So definitely something that I think can be a winning recipe for this team. Dan.
Dan Fates
Yes. They will need to find a passing game.
Mike Catalana
Oh, no doubt.
Jenna Cottrell
See, this is where you twist our words because we never said, oh, the bill should just never pass the ball.
Mike Catalana
Just run it every day, every time.
Dan Fates
Not what I said either.
Mike Catalana
Just saying, like, we know they need their passing game. Yeah, we have been on team run the ball effectively.
Jenna Cottrell
Exactly.
Mike Catalana
We have been crazy.
Dan Fates
No, no, no.
Mike Catalana
Should they throw it effectively?
Dan Fates
No, I've been team run the ball effectively. You guys have just been team run the ball.
Jenna Cottrell
No, I've been in a team that you need to have another Option you like Josh Allen is.
Dan Fates
Yeah. I would have liked a second wide receiver, but I guess we'll see this week.
Jenna Cottrell
Okay, you got me all thrown off, but Dalton Kincaid, you bring up needing to throw the ball. Dalton Kincaid has had a quiet season so far. I know we're only two games in. He's only had five catches. But this is an opportunity, Mike, for him this week, and I expect them to kind of do what they did in this game against the Dolphins this past week of kind of getting him involved early and setting him up.
Mike Catalana
The first game. I really do believe the Cardinals brought a lot of attention to him. Bills got behind in the game and then found ways. Allen was great in that game. It is kind of funny that, you know, Josh and the offense end up playing that way and they end up with a defensive player of the week. And then the next week, the defense really owns the game and they end up with an offensive player of the week. I think Kincaid's going to get the ball. Jacksonville struggles with tight ends. They have. It's just the way their defense is set up. They can get good pressure with the front four, but they struggle in the back seven. That has not been a strength of this team. So I do think. I don't know, Dan, sometimes we will use the word force, and then people take that as like, throw into the guy when he's covered. I think it just means a conscious effort to get the ball to Dalton Kincaid.
Dan Fates
Yeah, I think it's game planning. Yeah, it's. It's calling plays for Dalton Kincaid's number where he's the number one option, where you. You kind of force feed, kind of just get in the rhythm. It's like a boxing match when you want to land a couple of few jabs before you throw a big haymaker at him. So, like I want. And we saw that in Miami, where it was. I think two out of the first three plays went to Dalton Kincaid, and then he kind of got nicked up and came out of the game for a little bit, then came back in once the game was already in hand. So I expect more Dalton Kincaid because, Mike, to your point, the Jags have a great front four.
Mike Catalana
Right.
Dan Fates
This will be the biggest and best test that the Bill's offensive line has had to face. They have some elite edge rushers for the Jacks. I don't think Miami has them healthy right now, and I don't think Arizona got a single pressure on Josh Allen.
Mike Catalana
No.
Dan Fates
And so. So this will be the biggest test.
Mike Catalana
Yes.
Dan Fates
So you're going to have to find ways to neutralize that and call plays that you haven't really had to do before. So I think it's more tight end screens. It's more wide receiver bubble screens. It's more screenplays of James Cook and swing passes to kind of try and get the defense to not just be pinning their ears back and running downhill.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. And get the ball out quick.
Dan Fates
Yes.
Jenna Cottrell
That way you can have, you know, the plays already be downfield when the pressure is coming.
Mike Catalana
Because, Jenna, we know who's going to be chasing Josh Allen.
Jenna Cottrell
Yes. Josh Heinz Allen.
Mike Catalana
Yes. Which, I mean, in the game in London, the game in Jacksonville that we were talking about, we were referencing before. Josh Allen, before he used the Hinds as a middle name, was a terror in that game. He.
Jenna Cottrell
Phenomenal.
Mike Catalana
Eight tackles. He had an interception, forced fumble sack. He was. He was the best player on the field.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
It's. That's. He was really, really good. And then they have Trayvon Walker from Georgia.
Dan Fates
Yep.
Mike Catalana
Who's got two sacks already this year. So they have talent on that. On that defensive line. Their defense has played well enough like they could have won statistically.
Dan Fates
They've allowed the second or they've allowed.
Mike Catalana
The fewest points, if you missed it. That game they played Miami, they were winning up 17 to 3. It was 177 or 17 to 3, whatever it was. And Travis ATN is going in the end zone and the ball gets stripped and the Dolphins recover. And a couple plays later, the next play was the ADN for a touchdown. So that turned that game around. And then the Cleveland game was back and forth, but the Dolphins hasn't. The defense of the Jags has played, you know, relatively well for them.
Dan Fates
I know we talked about the running game, but if there is a game, I think to get right and kind of jumpstart the Bills passing offense, they gave up about 338 yards to Tua and the dolphins. And then you also have. So I look at that game as an indictment on their lack of passing defense because Cleveland and Deshaun Watson can't throw the football at all. So while they held them to 18 points or whatever, like, that's not a test, really. DeSean Watson doesn't count to me as a quarterback.
Mike Catalana
That's something.
Dan Fates
Is an NFL quarterback right now.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. That's fair.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Jenna Cottrell
I mean, it's. It's. Because this team is so desperate. I feel like this team has to get things going. What.
Mike Catalana
Hold on. Jason Conklin. Thank you. Gave us a little tip here. And he says tomorrow is Friday credit to me.
Jenna Cottrell
I love that.
Mike Catalana
Well done, well done, well done.
Jenna Cottrell
It's pretty good. Oh, there's a question from Nathan. Where can I buy Buffalo plus gear? If you check out the Buffalo plus store, BuffaloPlus store.com, you can find all of our bill stuff on there.
Dan Fates
Are you going there right now?
Jenna Cottrell
I am. I'm just making sure it's buffaloplus store.com. it is, it is.
Mike Catalana
We got the let James Cook shirt on there.
Jenna Cottrell
Yes, we have that left. James Cook, throw the damn ball. Koozies. We have stickers. We have hats, we have mugs. We have polos. Quarter zips. You have the Keon Coleman shirt too.
Dan Fates
Keon. Cole him.
Jenna Cottrell
Cole him. Yes.
Dan Fates
Be nice to have him catch a pass this week.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Jenna Cottrell
Touchdown.
Dan Fates
That'd be nice.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
Yeah. It would be good to get him going. I mean, all these players and it. It's been odd circumstances again, the way the games played out. They found the way to get it done. Josh was all over the place in the Jackson, in the Arizona game. And then last week it was limited possessions. It really was in shorter fields. Shorter fields. I mean. And then you had a pick six and you had a one play drive when James Cook took it for a touchdown. So there's a lot of positives that take away from your offensive stats. Yes, that makes sense.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Context.
Mike Catalana
Yes.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, context does matter in terms of the Jags offense. Trevor Lawrence was very honest about where this team was at, saying post game that they sucked. Which actually I very much appreciate him being. Him being for. Right. And like, yeah, we are not good where we. And we are not where we want to be right now. And I, I think you had a really great interview about where this Jags team is.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Jenna Cottrell
And where they want to go. But what's been the issues with them.
Mike Catalana
So it's JP Shadrick who's a reporter for the Jags. He does the coaches show. He does. You can see the entire interview on, on the channel and Buffalo plus channel. And he talked about their mechanics. He talked about them plays in how quickly get it you get done. And you know, Mitch Morris is their center now and I don't think Mitch is a problem. I know he's new there, but he's been around the league and they have other guys that are back. Gabe Davis is one of the wide receivers, but you're these kind of things. Coordinator to the quarterback who's been around. That's really surprising to me. I would say a little bit. And he said that really impacted this team. Penalties. They Just they didn't look prepared, they didn't look ready. So that usually gets everybody's attention going into the next week.
Dan Fates
Yeah. And you asked him about Trevor Lawrence, his comments after the game, and here's just a little bit of what he had to say.
Connors and Ferris
But Trevor's got something at him. I don't know if I can quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but it's not nothing. And I don't think we've quite even come close to seeing what he can do as a whole in this league. I think the way he responded to the loss last week, just hope so. How inept the offense looked at times from the play calls, getting in late to short yardage, miscues to 1 for 4 in the red zone to, you name it, they had issues. And the way he responded was so honest. And it was his almost his most raw post game press conference we've ever heard.
Dan Fates
It's telling. Yeah. That's where the slight concern is. I think the Bills are the better team. I think they're better in all two and a half phases. We can talk about the kicker in a second, but for the most part, I think that this. I know a lot of fans are probably very confident going into this game, which is fine. You throw in the weird factor, you throw in a desperate Jags team, you throw in a Trevor Lawrence that pretty much called out himself and his teammates.
Jenna Cottrell
He called out everyone.
Dan Fates
Yeah. Little bit concerned.
Jenna Cottrell
I hear you. All right. You talked earlier about kind of a reunion. Gabe Davis, Mitch Morris. I think that will be kind of weird because last week we saw Jordan Poyer in a Dolphins jersey and that was like, oh, that doesn't look right. But a Gabe Davis, Mitch Morris, particularly Mitch Morris, I think will look a little strange. But these are two former captains coming back to Orchard Park. Mike, who had such an impact and helped get this team, this Bills team for so long, the divisional title and all this stuff. So what do you think of just those guys coming back to Buffalo and. And what that will feel like?
Mike Catalana
So Jordan Poyer was a very accomplished player for the Bills leader. Did so many things well. I think Mitch is close to that. I still think I would put Poyer ahead of him in his time in Orchard Park. The thing was we saw Jordan Poyer and while he's still an NFL player and he can still make some plays, I think when you're there, it feels weird to see them, but you see why they moved on. I think Mitch Morris easily could have still been the starting center for this Team.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
And I think they made the move in part financially. They had gotten Conor McGregor. They thought about McGovern. I always want to say it like he's the. He's the mma. He's going to beat somebody up.
Jenna Cottrell
That's okay. He's also like the nicest guy I know.
Mike Catalana
Couldn't be more different.
Jenna Cottrell
Connor McConvert.
Mike Catalana
Gabe Davis.
Dan Fates
He had a few great moments.
Mike Catalana
He had great moments.
Jenna Cottrell
Do you. How do you feel like that reception will be from Bill's mafia?
Mike Catalana
Oh, it'll be. It'll be fine.
Jenna Cottrell
I feel like it could.
Dan Fates
I don't know about that.
Mike Catalana
I mean it's a game and you got to beat him. But I don't think there's this dislike of Gabe Davis. I think he moved on.
Dan Fates
I think there was a good player towards the end of the game, his final game.
Jenna Cottrell
He.
Dan Fates
There's video of him getting into it with some fans. I don't think he knows.
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Mike Catalana
Thanks.
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Dan Fates
Left on the warmest regards at some.
Mike Catalana
Fans at the game. I mean, I guess it could happen. I. I don't think of Gabe. I think Gabe Davis outplayed his draft status for a short period of time. Had those moments and the team thought he was better, was going to be better than he ended up being.
Jenna Cottrell
The team gave him every opportunity and.
Mike Catalana
It never went past being just a guy.
Jenna Cottrell
The Jags. Yeah.
Dan Fates
Credit to me.
Jenna Cottrell
Dan, you were annoying about your lack of faith. I would say in Gabe Davis.
Dan Fates
Perfectly said.
Jenna Cottrell
And I said it's the ankle injury, it's all this stuff. But unfortunately everyone, Dan was right, so there's that.
Mike Catalana
But hey, got one one in a row.
Jenna Cottrell
So speaking of takes from Dan sh. Otani.
Mike Catalana
So not football here but baseball Sh. Otani. 50 home runs, 50 steals, never been done in the same season.
Dan Fates
Unbelievable. I.
Mike Catalana
The moment I saw that guy, Janet, I thought this guy's going to be a superstar. Didn't you agree?
Jenna Cottrell
Oh my gosh.
Mike Catalana
Right away, Dan, what you think when you first saw.
Dan Fates
I thought the same thing. I was like, this guy is Going to be so impressive.
Jenna Cottrell
Nope.
Mike Catalana
So Dan tweeted about Shohei and What'd you say?
Dan Fates
2018. Spring training of 2018.
Jenna Cottrell
And you said he just hit 51. Sorry, I swear.
Mike Catalana
No, he did not.
Dan Fates
No, that's. The game's over.
Jenna Cottrell
Oh, it is. I don't know. Yeah, I just got it.
Dan Fates
I just got the joke.
Jenna Cottrell
Oh, okay. Sorry. I got excited.
Dan Fates
I thought the game ended. That was when he hit 50. How many at bats does he get?
Mike Catalana
He just kept. It's 20 to 3.
Jenna Cottrell
It says 51.
Dan Fates
He hit another one.
Mike Catalana
Oh, my God. So go ahead now. Finish your story. It gets even better.
Dan Fates
Yeah. Hey, we all fire off takes. Some are, some land, some don't. Some people say 99% of the time, I couldn't care less about spring training, but when the Japanese Babe Ruth in quotes, has given up 13 runs and 4 innings on the mound, I can't help but laugh. I said it when he signed Shohei Ohtani has all caps bust written all over it.
Jenna Cottrell
So show is.
Mike Catalana
Yes.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Jenna Cottrell
Prolific. So there's.
Dan Fates
I. I constantly. I never deleted it. Like, I stand by. I think deleting tweets.
Mike Catalana
Oh, I thought you were going to say you stand by what you. No, hey, look, on the plus side, hey, he's. He's never gone 60. 60.
Dan Fates
Correct.
Mike Catalana
Right.
Dan Fates
And the book's not out. Maybe he ends up by take. Could swing back.
Jenna Cottrell
There's that. Okay, let's go back to the game.
Mike Catalana
Yes.
Jenna Cottrell
But.
Mike Catalana
Well, I just wanted to put context of some of Dan's.
Jenna Cottrell
Yes, agreed. All right, so Hiram Moore saying, hopefully this game doesn't come down to a field goal. And I think that's an excellent point because this week the Bills brought in a couple kickers, four workouts. Now, Bass did miss the field goal at the end of the Dolphins game. Obviously, the Bills had already wrapped up that game. It's kind of a no pressure situation. And he missed and he missed badly. What do you make of them bringing in a kicker? Because this is really the first time we've seen them bring in guys for workouts.
Mike Catalana
He made all the kicks against the Cardinals. That was good. They needed him. Especially the one at the end. That was as close as you got to a pressure setting to take it from three to six. At the end of that playoff game with the Steelers last year, he shanked a kick bad. We know he missed the one against the Chiefs. That could have tied the game, would have tied the game late. And then you go into this year and like you said, it didn't matter. But Brandon Bean is sitting there watching the snap, the hold, the kick. John McDermott sitting there going, if I'm sending a kicker out there, what did he say right away? Got to make that. He said that in the preseason. I think they are looking, they are saying, who's out there? Who do we like? So you bring a guy in, two, a couple of them on Tuesday and say let's watch them kick if we need somebody. Because the minute somebody needs a kicker, you know, these guys are always out there working out. I think they're on alert. I don't think it has gotten to. It would be if it was a big kick, if it was to tie the game or win the game and he misses it. But I don't think we're there yet that just a miss like he had in the Miami game is going to get him cut.
Dan Fates
I respectfully disagree.
Mike Catalana
Okay. And you may be right.
Dan Fates
I think that they.
Mike Catalana
Sorry, it was just too easy.
Jenna Cottrell
That was really easy.
Dan Fates
That wasn't very nice though.
Mike Catalana
No, it wasn't nice, but it was easy.
Dan Fates
I think that the Bills, McDermott being since the end of the season, have all said the right thing. They have towed the company line. They have backed Bass at every single chance when he is missed kicks and when he has looked shaky in training camp. This is the first time I think that they have really made a conscious effort to put him on the full blown hot seat. Yeah, this is. They could have brought somebody in in training camp. They could have brought somebody in on the practice squad. They could have done all those things. They didn't he absolutely awful miss in the Miami game. And I know it doesn't matter, but I think we were talking about it on our, on our show. I think he's one kick away from being cut. I, I think that is where they're at because if you're unsure now, it will become a bigger problem later. Yeah, Bears fans talked about it like you knew that with Cody Parkey, like there were problems and it was only a matter of time before it was a really big spot that you're like, oh, I wish you would have made a move sooner.
Jenna Cottrell
You know what is was interesting was earlier this week watching that Chiefs Bengals game, Harrison Bucker comes out for the final kick right at the buzzer. And I had no doubt he was going to make that kick. The Chiefs were going to win the game.
Mike Catalana
So RJ has a comment here. He says it's sad that no one has confidence in Bass 30 yards out. Meanwhile there's so many random kickers hitting him 60 yards. That may be a bit hyperbole, but there are kickers routinely in the 50s. Yep. Just routinely like it's nothing. Harrison Butker is the, the top of the list now. He's surpassed Justin Tucker. Tucker can't kick from. From distance anymore. And even that team with that guy who was going to the hall of Fame at some point, they'll move on from him because they're going to need to. So to your point, Dan, I think you are right. It shifted when they brought guys and teams bring players in on Tuesdays, but most of the time I think that is so we'd have an extra corner or an extra defensive back. In this case you only have one kicker and you bring them in, bring in guys and everybody knows it. Everybody knows that somebody was in there.
Jenna Cottrell
And they haven't done anything in the off season to bring in another guy.
Dan Fates
That's where I was saying like this. They have given Bass plenty of leash and plenty of support and all of those things.
Jenna Cottrell
I'm seeing people in the comments TR saying yep, can't cut him. Moving on. Like they can't, Gerald. They can't cut him.
Mike Catalana
They can't.
Jenna Cottrell
They absolutely can.
Mike Catalana
Oh, don't worry about that.
Jenna Cottrell
You think if they, they can't. If, if Tyler Bass is not making kicks, he will not be on this roster.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, it's.
Jenna Cottrell
It's just like that.
Dan Fates
The salary, salary cap isn't real. Like I'm not going to go into the big long like spiel about it, but like it. If you're unsure about your kicker and you think you're a Super bowl contending team, which the Bills maybe believe that they are and I'm sure they think that they can make a deep run. They're not going to be held back by the kicker. Financial reasons or not. They will cut Tyler Bass.
Mike Catalana
There's. There's no question that they would and it's just too important. And, and there's only one. And by the way, I am with you. I think it was Aiden who just said are we gonna. Aiden, we're not going to roast Mike for saying Monday. I hate when I say Monday. Tuesday.
Jenna Cottrell
I honestly didn't even pick up on Jersey.
Mike Catalana
It's a jersey. It's a lot.
Jenna Cottrell
You say daggle. Some my friends from. From like Philly area say bagel.
Mike Catalana
I don't know who you talking to?
Jenna Cottrell
I don't know.
Mike Catalana
Are they from Reading?
Jenna Cottrell
No, no, no, they're bagel.
Mike Catalana
No, I don't know.
Jenna Cottrell
They say bagel.
Mike Catalana
They say Monday. Anyhow, Bass has to be on alert. And I think he knows the thing this team wants more than anything is for him to figure it out and start knocking through kicks. Because like you said, he's done it before.
Jenna Cottrell
Well, and they.
Mike Catalana
He was really good.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, he was.
Mike Catalana
He was really good. It's not like he's a rookie and he's never done it. Something happened. Think about the Detroit game. I had full faith he was going to make that pick.
Dan Fates
Things change.
Mike Catalana
It has changed. So he's got to get it back. And if he doesn't get it back.
Dan Fates
We are now seeing the sample sizes getting bigger of the. The mistakes and where things are going wrong.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. I felt confident him after the Miami game or after the Arizona game. And then with Miami, how it ended. And it just looked.
Dan Fates
It just looked there. Right.
Mike Catalana
I'm just laughing at Shohei Ohtani as the most absurd box score I've ever seen. 6 for 6, 4 runs scored, 10 runs batted in, 3 home runs. It's a little league game.
Dan Fates
Yes. Bust.
Jenna Cottrell
Bust.
Dan Fates
Bust. What I meant somebody commented to my tweet just now and said you met hall of Fame. Bust.
Jenna Cottrell
I made that joke earlier in the office. You guys didn't learn.
Mike Catalana
Nobody were listening to it. Were we? And we weren't.
Dan Fates
Bust.
Mike Catalana
That's it. Shohei. He's on his way.
Dan Fates
Yes.
Jenna Cottrell
Okay. Do we want to do our predictions for the game?
Dan Fates
Yeah. Do you want to do predictions and then credit to me.
Mike Catalana
Yeah. Our credit to me section.
Dan Fates
Okay. Am I going first?
Jenna Cottrell
Sure.
Dan Fates
All right. I've originally I showed Jenna. I wrote down. She couldn't read my awful chicken scratch handwriting, but I had written down I thought the Bills would win 27 to 10. I thought it'd be an easy win. And then I thought more about this game and all of the weird things that have always seemed to happen between the Jags game 2019 or 2021. All those games. London. I think this game is going to be closer than we think. I think that Trevor Lawrence and a desperate, desperate Jags Team 02, their season kind of on the brink if they want to have any chance at the playoffs. I have them winning. I have the Bills winning 24 to 20. I think this may be uncomfortable type of a game. But The Bills win 24, 20. Squeak it out.
Jenna Cottrell
I have the Bills winning this one actually by a significant margin, 28 to 13. I just think if it was another team, I would be worried because Jacksonville is so desperate. But this is a team that has really hurt the Bills over the years. And Buffalo is on High alert because of that. I think it's obviously a road game for Jacksonville. The environment will play into it. I think we really haven't seen Josh last week he didn't really need to rely on the passing game. I think this week he does. He finds Dalton, Kincaid, he gets more involved with guys like Keon Coleman, maybe even MVS deep ball. But I expect this to be a Bills game where they're able to be effective both passing and rushing. And I think the defense. Look, there's been injuries, obviously you can't downplay that. But I just think where the, where the Jags are at right now, they're not in a good spot and I think Buffalo can capitalize on that.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, Evan Ingram, as we're talking about this now, didn't practice again with a hamstring, so we'll see if he plays. But the Bills are missing Bernard and Johnson, so that makes it tough. You talk about their history. I mean, you know, you go back to the 1998 game when it was Jim Kelly's last game. The Jags beat him in the playoffs, the two times in London. The other time in the playoffs, the game Dan and I talked about, it just doesn't seem right when they're playing the Jags for some reason. Jags have the overall lead 10 to 9. And then last year we know that that's what ended up happening in London. I still think the Bills are the better team. But I will tell you, this shot, Khan, the owner of the Jags came out and was re. Was on tape saying this is a year we need to win. Like the winning needs to be now. And then it got out and JP that we had the video with from Jacksonville said it was no mistake that that ended up. They put it on their social media. Yeah, like it's like we got to win. The reason I bring that up is there's Trevor Lawrence isn't going anywhere. They paid him. He's a quarterback. But Doug Peterson's got heat on him. This entire organization has heat on them. And when, when the quarterback says that, it's kind of like I do think they will play like a desperate team. Are they good enough? I still don't think so. I have the Bills winning at 27:19. But with that three game road trip coming up where you talk about a massive way you go into that three and oh, it's tough. All those games are going to be tough. You do not want to be coming off something bad. So let's see what happens. But I have the Bills winning It by eight.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. All right. We're all two. And oh, on the season, we're all taking Buffalo on Monday Night Football prime time. Bills love the prime time. Yeah, yeah. All right. Do we want to do our new segment?
Dan Fates
New segment.
Mike Catalana
Credit to me.
Dan Fates
New segment alert.
Jenna Cottrell
Okay.
Dan Fates
Credit to me. Where we each get a chance, if we want to, to take credit or give credit. Give credit to somebody else that deserves it, Michael.
Mike Catalana
All right, so that lead off for us. We travel a decent amount for the games. We fly a decent amount of times. So I'm going to say credit to me, but not just me. To me and all of the other. Right. Thinking travelers on an airplane.
Dan Fates
Common sense travelers.
Mike Catalana
Plane lands, they make all those announcements. You got to keep the seatbelt on. We all know this, right? Bags are all over the place. Who's got up here? Who's got it up there? It's a very simple rule on a plane, unless you are going to be late for a connection, and believe me, if that's the case, sort of tell everybody, like, I'm in trouble here, I'm going to miss my connection. Gladly let you go, but you can't just stand up and walk down the aisle while the rest of us sit there waiting. What's supposed to be the natural turn to go now? Is that not accurate? Did it not happen to us on the plane from Miami, from Fort Lauderdale?
Dan Fates
The best part about it, Jenna, is that Mike will give the play by play of like, can you see this?
Jenna Cottrell
Oh, my God.
Dan Fates
Hey, like, what's, what's this guy doing? So what's he doing?
Mike Catalana
So there was a woman sitting next to me with a little baby. Kid was great. Didn't really, didn't make a peep. Most of the time was just playing fine. That woman's mother was in the row in front. She was not happy with the guy who got up. Now, that man was a little older, was trying to get a bag for his wife. I'm cool with that. I'm cool. He was going up there, he wanted to get the bag. He was making sure. All you had to do was take two seconds. You would have seen he's fine. Let the man go. He was fine. That lady flipped out. I'm not telling you to do that. I'm Saying when you're 23 years old, what are you getting up, walking by everybody for? Wait your turn. Is that so much to ask?
Jenna Cottrell
Sometimes though, when people get mad, when people stand up right after a flight's.
Mike Catalana
Over, I don't mind you standing up, okay?
Jenna Cottrell
I. That Like, I. Sometimes I'm like. As someone who's not sure, I'm like, I need to like stretch my legs.
Mike Catalana
I'm talking about standing up and beelining it towards the front of the plane.
Dan Fates
There should be two different types of air travel. Like people that know how to fly. And if you people and parents and kids and first time flyers.
Jenna Cottrell
If you take off your shoes and your socks on a plane.
Dan Fates
Jail.
Jenna Cottrell
Jail. No doubt about it. That to me is.
Mike Catalana
You saw what happened to Altuve in the baseball game. He took off his shoes and socks. Ejected. They need one of the steward is just. Or flight attendants. Just go, you're out.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
Chuck them from the game, done from the plane. But I don't know. Do you think most people are with us or do you think most people think you can just get up and walk out?
Dan Fates
No, most people I think are with us.
Mike Catalana
That's why I say credit to the right thinking. Travelers.
Dan Fates
Yeah. That you need to have common sense of we're all getting off this plane. It's like a deck of cards. You shuffle out, everybody merges and you move.
Mike Catalana
Don't you wish they would announce, like, I've been on that flight. You've been it. You've been it. Where you know we're going to miss our connection.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
And some of the other people maybe are waiting for bags or it's no. No big deal. I would gladly just sit there and let them go, but they got to announce it.
Jenna Cottrell
Clint Prosser saying, oh, Matt Collins will not be on a flight with Jenna.
Dan Fates
Well, he says he wears shoes in an airport.
Jenna Cottrell
I think you have to.
Dan Fates
No, he said that. He said that hospitals and public transportation like subways. He said he wears wear shoes.
Jenna Cottrell
That seems like the absolute bare minimum.
Dan Fates
Yeah. You got a credit.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, I got a credit. It's not to me, though.
Mike Catalana
Okay.
Jenna Cottrell
It's credit to Val, credit to my mom. I'm getting married next year and. Really? Yeah. So I. My teeth are a little messed up. I had braces growing up.
Dan Fates
They're not messed up, but yeah.
Jenna Cottrell
Okay. I had braces growing up and I didn't wear my retainer. And my mom was like, you're gonna regret that. And I was like, no, mom, you're so dramatic. It's fine. Credit to Val. She was right.
Mike Catalana
She always right.
Jenna Cottrell
She's usually right. So she. I called her after I went to an orthodontist appointment as an adult last week.
Dan Fates
And he dunked on you.
Jenna Cottrell
And I got dunked on hard. And my braces would have been a challenge. So Credit to Val. Shout out her, though, because when I called her, she did not dunk on me and say, I told you so. She was just like, it's okay. It's. It's all right. We don't need to worry about this. And I was like, thanks, mom. But credit to her, because if you have a. A. A teenager that doesn't want to wear their retainers, please show them this. You will regret it. Wear your retainers.
Mike Catalana
So my daughter did not take care of her braces and the teeth and ended up with a line in her teeth and then later had to get. Oh, yeah, bonding.
Jenna Cottrell
Oh, wow.
Mike Catalana
And my dentist at the time, she was about 19, 20 years old. She said, it's expensive. Let her pay for it.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
When she's a little. She doesn't need it right now. Didn't listen. Parents are always right.
Jenna Cottrell
They are also when people are like, oh, there's Invisalign. It was Invisalign. Yeah, it was the Invisalign, which is a nice option, but still very expensive. Also, I didn't know that most insurances don't cover braces if you're an adult, so. Oh, got the whammy.
Mike Catalana
That hurts.
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
Dan.
Dan Fates
Yeah. I'm taking credit.
Jenna Cottrell
Oh, I'm so shocked.
Dan Fates
Okay, I've talked about this before. Credit to anybody that's bought a house or doing work on a house. I am just. I'm in it. I just. Every time that we say, oh, we're just gonna relax tonight, watch. Watch tv or things like that, five other things get added to the to do list of remodeling this house. And two young girls, one on the way, a pregnant wife.
Jenna Cottrell
Wait, you haven't announced it on the channel.
Dan Fates
Yeah, I think we have. Oh, I made a post about it. Yeah. I haven't. My wife is.
Mike Catalana
Stan's gonna have a kid once a year, every year.
Dan Fates
The way that this thing has worked out. Yeah. So the between one girl going to my 4 year old now in preschool, a 1 year old that is just fearless. I'm in it. And then we just remodel houses. Apparently. We're just. I'm having so much fun, like, remodeling this house. It's just unbelievable.
Mike Catalana
Max says Dan has been busy. What are you taking credit for? For.
Dan Fates
For surviving.
Mike Catalana
Oh, please. How about Renee?
Dan Fates
Yes, she's.
Mike Catalana
How about credit to Renee?
Jenna Cottrell
Seriously?
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Jenna Cottrell
But she's been the project coordinator.
Dan Fates
Yeah. Who does the projects?
Mike Catalana
Chuck.
Dan Fates
Chuck.
Jenna Cottrell
Wow, that's gonna be so many kids.
Dan Fates
So many kids. It's too many kids. So yeah. Anybody? Credit to anybody, that is. And we haven't even ripped up the kitchen yet. We've only cut checks for the kitchen.
Jenna Cottrell
You're in it, bud.
Dan Fates
We're trying to get the kitchen done before baby number three. Baby girl number three comes in early December, so.
Jenna Cottrell
During the bill season. I'm kidding.
Dan Fates
I didn't run that through the team.
Mike Catalana
But hold on. You're taking. This is interesting that you're taking credit.
Dan Fates
Yeah, I never was.
Jenna Cottrell
Are you shocked by that?
Mike Catalana
I know.
Jenna Cottrell
Dan taking credit.
Dan Fates
I think I had a credit to me when we went golfing and then I forgot what it is, and so I just was like, I'll just take credit for surviving a. Buying a house.
Mike Catalana
And Jenna, Walter says, tell them you're a kid at heart and maybe you'll get a deal.
Jenna Cottrell
I should ask that. I should ask that. Hey, I'm a kid at heart. Oh.
Mike Catalana
TR says Gabe Davis with five tds. Whoa. He didn't have five against the Chiefs.
Jenna Cottrell
He had four.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, he had four.
Dan Fates
He didn't have five all last year.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Oh.
Jenna Cottrell
Moon's family fishing. Credit to Buffalo plus for the number one Bills podcast.
Mike Catalana
Oh, thank you.
Jenna Cottrell
That is very kind. That is very sweet. Okay, let's see if there's. I'm getting so many calls. Sorry.
Dan Fates
Credit to Val.
Jenna Cottrell
Credit to Val. Okay. That'll do it.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, I think so.
Jenna Cottrell
We will all be at the game on Monday night. We'll have plenty of post game coverage on the Buffalo plus YouTube channel. Also, want to remind everyone that we have the audio podcast Buffalo plus available wherever you find your podcast. Please be sure to subscribe to that as well for my Catalana.
Dan Fates
And the recap will be out Tuesday morning right here on the YouTube channel.
Jenna Cottrell
Yes.
Dan Fates
7:00Am yes.
Mike Catalana
Yes.
Dan Fates
Okay.
Mike Catalana
C. Duffy from Western North Carolina says, big fan of the pod. Thank you.
Jenna Cottrell
Awesome. We always appreciate it. Thank you guys for joining us. All right, we'll have plenty more coverage on the Buffalo plus YouTube channel. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe and share. Always appreciate it. For Mike and Dan, I am Jenna. Credit to you all for watching. We'll catch you next time here on Buffalo plus, presented by Connors and Ferris.
Date: September 20, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
This episode dives deep into the Buffalo Bills' surprising offensive trends—especially their effective running game independent of Josh Allen’s rushing, their looming matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars (and why it's historically weird), and closes with a new fun segment ‘Credit to Me’ where the hosts hand out kudos to themselves and others. The trio also discusses key injuries, the significance of former Bills players returning to Buffalo as Jaguars, the team's kicking situation, and the psychological factors at play ahead of a crucial Monday Night Football showdown.
On Bills-Jags Oddness:
On the Running Game:
On Dalton Kincaid:
On Jags' Struggles:
On Special Teams:
The hosts close with good-natured banter, shout-outs to listeners, and encouragement to subscribe and join their postgame coverage. The episode blends in-depth analysis, insider insight, and plenty of relatability and humor—a classic Buffalo Plus balance.
For those who missed the episode, this summary gives you the key storylines, takes, and off-field flavor—minus the ads and banter fluff—so you're ready for the Bills-Jags showdown and up to speed on the pulse of Buffalo sports.