billsfan89

Right now the way I look at it is just keep winning if you are the Bills. You beat the Bengals away to keep your season alive. You have a home game against the Jags win that and you are 6-5. At 6-5 see where the chips fall. Looking ahead the Raiders away is a suddenly tough game and the Steelers home are a challenge but certainly not a game the Bills won't be able to win. Theoretically let's say you beat the Jags and then split the Raiders and Steelers games. That puts you at 7-6 with a home game against the Browns. Beat a hapless Browns team that takes you to 8-6, you then play a Fins team home that will possibly be tied or ahead of you in the wildcard standings. If the Bills can be 8-6 going into that Fins game I think you have a shot to make the playoffs if you win those last two game esp considering the Fins are a team you are chasing. To me you can prognosticate all you want about which teams fall to what win projection but all you need to do is keep winning yourself and let the rest of the league sort its self out.

Hopefully with a bye week they can adjust and get the secondary playing well. The talent is much better than it has played the past 3 weeks. I think they have played well in stretches but they have gotten horribly exposed too. Here's hoping to the coaching staff figuring things out because right now this is a 7-9 team.

Hunter is going to play a lot, kind of glad to see what he can do. Goodwin and Hunter will be the receivers. However Clay should and will be the main weapon in the passing attack. Bills offense may be hard to watch this week but luckily they can run the ball.

I think Shaq gets his first sack, his likely is looking to make a big impact in his debut. I am not sure if in the first few weeks he has a big impact but Shaq should be able to get one against the Fins.

Roman's run scheme is said to be very complex and effective. Hopefully Lynn having worked under Roman last season and this season can emulate the running schemes/plays effectively enough. Whatever he is doing the team has bought in and is executing it.

Bills win 19-16, its going to be an ugly grind it out game that comes down to turnovers and big plays. I think McCoy being hurt is huge and could result in the offense having a lot of difficulty (Of course Woods being hurt isn't helpful either.) Any defense has difficulty when the offense hangs them out to dry. I think the Bills don't turn the ball over and play conservatively, while the defense dominates and gets a key turnover or two for the team.

Good defenses beat up on bad QB's which the team has done. Also I wouldn't classify Carson Palmer as chop liver. Palmer last year was a top 5 QB and a top 10 QB the year before. He has had a bad start to his season so far but he is still a quality NFL QB the Bills made look awful. I argue in the NFL that if your defense can make bad and mid level QB's obsolete offensively then you are a good unit maybe not great but good.

Rex is a upper mid level coach, a great defensive mind and a players coach who always gets his players to play hard for him. However he isn't that great at in game clock and decision management (Not terrible but not fantastic either), his track record on putting together an offensive coaching staffs isn't the best either. Another negative on him is that his teams commit penalties at a above average rate and the teams discipline can get away from them at times. From 2009-2014 the Jets were 20th, 15th, 15th, 29th, 10th, and 16th in penalties per game the Bills last year led the league in penalties obviously ranked 32nd. So Ryan's teams aren't the best in terms of penalties although he hasn't been as bad historically as most think. Ryan is a coach who probably works best in a 4-5 year period giving a great boost to defenses and a coach players love to play for. But Players coaches always end up losing the locker room quicker. Hopefully Ryan learned from his tenure with the Jets how to balance the players and discipline. If he can bring in good offensive minds, find the right balance between his players and discipline, and keep the penalties down then he might have a longer tenure. The season is still young lets see how Ryan manages the challenges of the team as they push to make the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

Common answer seems to be that Shaq should be used as a super sub on particular situations to keep Hughes and Lorax fresh as the season wears on. Shaq can easily play 20-30 snaps giving both Hughes and Lorax a breather and then slowly Shaq can work his way back up to 30-40 snaps and probably settle in at 40-50 snaps per game spelling both sides. Shaq also gives the team a good option if Lorax starts to break down (Which as other posters have mentioned that even though his age is 33 he was primarily a special teams player not on the field as often so its not a given that he breaks down) then Shaq can over take him as a starter (Hopefully if Shaq is effective enough) and then Lorax can come in as a situational pass rusher. Even if Lorax is still effective throughout the season having a super sub coming in for both sides 20+ snaps per game makes everyone more effective.

Poor effort and poor results is a bad combination. Throw in poor attitude and a huge cap number and you just have a player who needs to go and will likely be addition by subtraction which he turned out to be. I thought Mario might have been frustrated by Rex Ryan's scheme and then the injuries and regression by other defensive players. So I thought Mario would have a solid season for the Fins in a scheme he is more comfortable with and playing for his next contract. But 1 sack so far through 5 games is proving not to be the case. Maybe Mario finishes strong like he did in 2012 when he racked up some cheapish sacks but I think he is just done with the pro game he got his money both as a top draft pick and with the Bills (Not to mention his 6 million from the Fins this year.)

The Bills need to win the games they are "Supposed" to win the 49ers and Fins are so key to the Bills playoff hopes. If they get to 5-2 by winning the next two weeks they then only need to win 1 out of the next 3 difficult games (Pats* @Seattle @Cincy) to get to 6-4. Which sets them up to need a 4-2 finish in their back 6 games which only features 1 or 2 games in which they will likely not be favored in (Steelers and @Oakland possibly). Win the games you are favored in and take a game or two you are an underdog in.

I can't say it was the money to an extreme degree like Haynesworth. When Mario got his huge deal with the Bills he still turned in 3 double digit sack seasons (2 of those in 2013 and 2014 he was a dominant player one of the best pass rushers in the league.) You can't say Mario was a bad signing for the Bills. But it seems like he just never had the passion to play well into his 30's. He had a freak ability and turned it into a pretty good career. He will most likely have 100 sacks over a 10+ year career which is a pretty dam good run. But had he had the work ethic and passion of an all time great then he would be in the hall of fame and one of the best to do it. But that's what separates the really good players from the hall of famers sometimes. He probably gets signed next year and then retires half way through the season.

I think Mario checked out when he had to learn a new system when Rex got here. He seemed to be disinterested in playing in that scheme but now it seems like he has just checked out of football in general. Miami is not getting much from having him out there and they put him in a scheme that he seemed to want.

Kap could be a fire under the 49ers which is a concern. Hopefully Dareus is at full force he could be key to holding down the line and limiting the run game.

I think with the Justin Hunter signing it was obvious that the front office wasn't completely comfortable with who they had on the roster behind Sammy. I liked the Hunter signing he was the best free agent out there in my opinion but he isn't too much of a difference maker other than being a big body in the red zone. I think via trade is the only avenue that would produce a receiver that would be an upgrade over Hunter. I am not sure the Jets or Fins would trade the Bills Marshall or Landry if they were in fire sale mode. Andre Johnson for a 7th rounder might be a interesting desperation move but once again not sure if he is better than Hunter. To me the Bills 2 best and most realistic options are Alshon Jeffery or Golden Tate. Jeffery is the better player but is most likely a rental who comes at a high cost. Tate for a 5th rounder I would do in a heartbeat but not sure that would get it done. The reason I like Tate is not only is he cheaper (Both in terms of what draft pick you would have to give up and in terms of his cap number) but he is signed to a longer term deal which means that if Woods left via free agency Tate could fill his role as the #2 receiver once Sammy gets back. Jeffery would most likely be gone via free agency which means the team would have one less high draft pick and one more big hole to fill. Tate isn't as talented as Jeffery but Tate adds enough play making ability to the fold where adding him helps the offense out against better teams.

The Chargers have wasted Phillip Rivers career since 2009. The Chargers have had 1 playoff appearance since 2009 and have not had a record better than 9-7 since 2009 either. The Chargers results from 2010 to 2015 aren't terrible if they were a team struggling to find a QB but they had a prime true franchise QB (Unarguably a top 7 QB if not higher) during that period. Having a franchise QB is such a devastating advantage in the NFL you should be consistently in the playoffs and over 10 wins a year. The Chargers are just awful they need to clean house now.

Miller looked like a stud in 2015 until the injury. Miller came into the 2015 pre-season looking like a ready made player. Even in the regular season he was a bit up and down he still looked like he belonged as a rookie. His struggles really started with the high ankle injury which regressed his play. I was shocked that so many viewed Miller was such a huge weakness in the O-line coming into this season, coming into the 2015 season everyone thought Whaley got such a steal and both him and Darby were 2 sure fire starters taken in the draft. I looked at RT as the more perplexing line issue not addressed. Miller was a fairly high draft pick for his position who looked good before an injury, not putting in your limited resources into fixing that position made sense. But The RT position did give you much reason to have confidence. I believe it was Michael Strahan who said that sometimes not going out and getting free agents in the off-season can be a good sign that you like what you already have on your roster.

Against better teams the lack of true offensive weapons will be an issue. Yes Shady is a legit stud out of the backfield and can be a factor in the passing game and Clay and Woods are solid weapons. But good defenses will stop or at least limit Shady and find a way to make the impact of Clay and Woods. As far as the options via free agency I don't see any better options than Justin Hunter (Maybe Roddy White but once again not much of a upgrade if any.) As far as trade I think there are some legit options that will improve the team. Alshon Jeffery would be a legit number 1 receiver who would command attention from defenses and free up Clay and Woods. Problem is that Jeffery is a free agent after this season, has a big deal this year with his franchise tag deal (Which may be hard to do with the Bills cap situation), and he will likely cost a significant pick (I would say at least a 3rd rounder.) The only cheaper option that wouldn't be a rental might be Golden Tate, he is signed to a bit of a more affordable deal and is signed to a longer term deal. He probably also probably might come at a lower cost draft pick wise. Andre Johnson would be the only one I would kick the tires on for a 7th rounder. Tate wouldn't be a stud number 1 receiver but he might be able to add another legitimate target on the outside. He is having a down year but he is still a good player who can provide just enough play making ability for the offense. Bills are in a bit of a rock and a hard place. But I think their best options are either too costly or no effective enough.

With Sammy out and the defense playing lights out the team's offense should be run through Shady and with an emphasis on not turning the ball over. So if Tyrod having "Bad Games" by playing conservative is winning games keep doing what you are doing. Shady is one of the best RB's in the league and the best player on the offense, Tyrod can run and is good at not turning the ball over, and you have a very good defense so the winning prescription is to do what they have been doing with Tyrod.

If you got a good return like a 1st or high 2nd round pick I think you would have to consider it. Not only would you yield a solid return that helps you bring in a good talent but you would get his cap hit off the books which could free the Bills up money to pursue other free agents. However I would like to see Dareus play in Ryan's system this year before we make any decisions. Dareus is a beast no doubt and he has been proven to make the defense better in games that he missed in years past. So to give up on such a talent in his prime for a high draft pick that is by no means a sure thing isn't the easiest decision. I hope that after this latest suspension he keeps himself out of trouble and the defense goes next level with him back joining an already high preforming unit. Problem isn't that Dareus bakes (Personally I think it is stupid that the NFL cares 2 teams play in states where it is legal and by next season that number could be 7 teams), it's that he gets caught under a system that is fairly easy to beat. If Aaron Hernandez can beat the system then it really is designed to be a beatable system. So if your high paying job depends on beating an easy system that a lot of other idiots beat then you better make sure to beat that system. Yes is the fact that the system is there stupid? Of course but once again if Hernandez managed to never get caught so can you.

That's why I think the Rams game is key to getting to 10 wins. Even if you want to say the Bills are going to win the division the next 3 games are critical to doing so. Bills could go into that Pats* game 5-2, they win that game they go to 6-2 and the Pats* even in a best case where they win the next 3 games go to 6-2 but the Bills have the tiebreaker over them. You then could split the next two games and go to 7-3 with a good stretch of 6 games to end the season and finish 11-5 with a 4-2 finish to the season or 12-4 finish with a 5-1 finish. I think that given what we have seen might be a bit too optimistic esp with Sammy out. But even in an optimistic scenario the Bills need to get to 5-2. I think realistically 10 wins is where the Bills need to be at the very minimum to contend realistically for a playoff spot. The AFC North with Baltimore, Pitt, and Cincy will likely produce 2 10+ win teams. The AFC West could produce another two 10+ win team in the Broncos and possibly Raiders. So likely if the Bills were to be a team to contend for a wildcard spot their competition would likely be the Ravens, Bengals, and Raiders. The Bills lost to the Ravens but they do have their destiny in their own hands against the Raiders and Bengals playing them later in the season albeit both away games. My thought process is that the Bills simply can't hover around or close to .500 heading into that tough 3 game stretch. They need to pile up wins the next 3 weeks to make it strong into those 3 games where sneaking just 1 of those 3 puts them in a healthy position to finish out the stretch strong. I do agree that the Bills are likely to finish 8-8 or 9-7 given what we have seen through the first 4 games based on the fact that I think they drop a game or two in which they "Should" win. But to me these next three weeks are such a key point in their season.

The Bills survived their first quarter of the season at 2-2. Which considering the 0-2 start and the suspensions and injuries is a pretty good thing. Also factor in the away Pats* game a game usually counted as a loss is now off the schedule as a win which is a plus. My question is do the Bills under a realistic projection of the season need to win the next 3 weeks in order to have a chance at the playoffs. My theory is that the Bills need to get to 6-4 in order to realistically get to 10 wins on the season which should put the Bills in a decent position to take one of the wildcard spots. At 2-2 the Bills have 3 games coming up that are winable. @Rams-49ers-@Fins. Rams game is a toss up but a playoff team wins that game the other 2 games the Bills should be favored in. If the Bills take all 3 games they go to 5-2, which leads them into the hardest stretch of their remaining season. Pats* (With Brady likely)-@Seattle-@Bengals. It's hard to project the Bills doing any better than taking 1 of those 3 games. But at 5-2 going 1-2 in that stretch puts the Bills at 6-4 and the back 6 games of the season have some tough games but a lot of winable ones to (Including what could be a key game @Raiders). But even if the Bills win 2 of the next 3 games they go into that difficult stretch at 4-3 which would mean that losing 2 out of 3 in that stretch would put them at 5-5 going into the back 6 games which would make getting to 10 wins a lot harder needing a 5-1 record. Bottom line are these next 3 games all must wins to realistically make the playoffs? Or is this projecting too far ahead as the season can unfold and make winable games seem harder and losing games seem much more winable?

Depth is always a good thing, he is familiar with the system and the team. Hopefully as a change of pace short yardage back he works out. But I like McCoy getting 70% of the snaps, I don't think they need to use Karlos in a more full time role. McCoy is a stud run him as the primary back no need to run him to the ground but he seems to be rolling right now and until he shows signs of wear and tear you don't need to force Williams into the rotation more than as a solid backup.

A lot of tight ends line up in the slot and the outside. Expect Clay to do a lot more of that. Justin Hunter might also be able to give them some solid play too so the full conversion to a WR might not be needed.

He suffered a pretty big knee injury at age 28 hard age to come back from a serious injury. Never seemed to be the same after that injury this year or last. At least he was able to get his big contract and cashed in on three years of it. Good decision for the Bills to not sign him although few knew at the time, he was a very good player with the Bills.