mjt328

I'm definitely not a superstitious person. But I do believe the mental aspect of sports is hugely underrated. Players know the history of the franchise they are playing for. Everyone in the locker room is fully aware of how the Bills always seem to choke away games in the most unbelievable ways. If there is a 1/100 chance something bad can happen to a team, you know it will happen to us. - Wide Right - Four Straight Super Bowl Losses - Music City Miracle - Monday Night vs. Dallas (allowing 8 points in 17 seconds) - Hail Murray - 13 Seconds - QB Sneak Fumble Touchdown There is a cloud hanging over this team, and it's been there for well over 30 years. And it will remain there unless the Bills defy expectations and somehow win a Super Bowl.

The Bills will do enough over the next 8 games to make people optimistic going into the playoffs. Maybe that will be winning out. Maybe it will be only losing 1-2 down the stretch. Who knows. That's when the rug gets pulled out, just like it always does. Kansas City bounces them for the third season in a row? Another miraculous/heartbreaking defeat in the last seconds, like we always seem to do? How about we get to the Super Bowl and lose to Tom Brady? What could be more Buffalo Bills than that?

The great success of Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott is how well they are connected, and always seem to be working on the same page. However, it's starting to become (very) apparent this is ONLY true on the defensive side of the ball. Why did we give Dawson Knox a big extension, and then completely stop using him? Why did we draft James Cook and Khalil Shakir, then make no effort to get either involved in the offense? Why did we trade for Nyheim Hines and then not use him either? The offensive side of the ball is a mess. It's Josh Allen forcing the ball to Stefon Diggs, and then nothing.

If the problem is mental, then you can probably forget him ever getting back to playing at an All-Pro level.

The Bills running game ONLY works when: 1. The defense is expecting the pass, and we catch them off guard 2. Quarterback scrambles and designed runs When our O-Line is asked to block head-up on a handoff and our RB needs to get 3-4 yards, we get stuffed. Every. Single. Time. This offense looks nice and pretty on paper, because of all the big highlight plays. But it's absolutely terrible in short yardage (because the defense is expecting the run in those situations), and in the Red Zone (where the field has been condensed). It also makes it difficult to run the clock out with a lead, because again... the defense is expecting more runs. I honestly believe that Ken Dorsey WANTS to run more, but gives up easily (especially late in games) because it's forcing him into 3rd-longs and killing drives. At the same time, our QB sees that we are struggling to score and feels the pressure to put the team on his back. He's also bought the media hype that he can literally do anything. So he's trying to force passes into places he's got no business, and in the process is throwing the game away.

Been watching this team for 30+ years. The Buffalo Bills always find the most inexplicable ways to lose football games. They have been dealing with normal football adversity since Week 3 and the injury bug started hitting. This is not adversity. Either this franchise is truly cursed... or we have a locker room full of players who have lost their mental confidence, and know they are going to choke the game away.

I would like to blame it on the injuries. But games like yesterday have become the hallmark of a Sean McDermott/Leslie Frazier defense. Sure, they can beat-up on all the crappy QBs. They have no problem capitalizing with sacks/turnovers when the opponent is playing from behind, and desperate to push the ball downfield. At the end of the season, they can boast about another Top 5 ranking. Hooray. It's all just fools gold. Their run defense is awful again. They continue to get blown off the line, and miss tackles. They had yet another mental mistake on 3rd/4th and a mile, somehow failing AGAIN to knock the ball to the ground. And before anyone praises them for the 4th down stop at the end... the refs missed them having 12 men on the field.

Josh Allen has become one of the premier faces of the NFL, and one of the highest paid Quarterbacks in the NFL. He's on numerous commercials, and even has a weekly segment with a national football show. He gets all the adoration and praise from the world when he's playing well. Mr. MVP. So he can sit back and take the venom that comes when he's playing like trash. And that's exactly what he's doing right now. How many "wake up calls" does Allen and this team need to learn from? This is the second week in a row that he's given a winnable game away with stupid turnovers. It was only Green Bay's stupidity and ineptitude that it's not three in a row, because believe me... if the Packers had been throwing during the third quarter, they would have absolutely come back and won. The debate over Allen vs. Mahomes needs to stop, because it's not even remotely close right now. Allen is basically a mix of Jameis Winston and Lamar Jackson. Good for big stats and fun highlights, but doesn't have what it takes to be a champion.

The question isn't about beating a crap team like the Browns. Who. Gives. A. $#!+. The question is whether this pathetic franchise is going to finally win a Super Bowl at some point, or just continue to be a ridiculous embarrassment to their loyal fans. There is no team in the history of sports with a history of hyping up their fans and then choking it away like the Buffalo Bills. Wide Right. Losing Four Straight Super Bowls. The Music City Miracle. The Hail Murray. 13 Seconds. Whatever the F you call yesterday, fumbling on the 1 yard line Things were easier to swallow when this team was bad. Most of our embarrassments weren't on national tv. You could pretty much relax and start looking to next season by Thanksgiving. There was nothing to get our hopes way up, and then crush them. The expectations for this team are going to be just as heartbreaking as the 90s. Trust me, I lived through them. This defense is a paper tiger that looks good in the stat column, but crumbles in the big moments. The offense is a two-man show, and Josh Allen makes too many dumb mistakes to carry this team through an entire postseason (3-4 straight games against strong opponents). And when push comes to shove, this team will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS find inexplicable ways to lose football games. The only thing you can count on.

I know that people are reading this thread as nothing but "negative" fans complaining, but it's a very legitimate discussion. I've seen many comments about us resting players to make sure we are more healthy for the postseason. But I think it's very short-sighted to just assume we are going to coast through the rest of our schedule at 75% effort and make the playoffs. This team could easily drop from the #1 seed to the outside looking in, even before our Thanksgiving game.

It's not just Josh Allen. It's also Jordan Poyer, Tremaine Edmunds, Greg Rousseau and Kaiir Elam that aren't expected to play. We aren't sure if they Tre White is able to come back yet, or what condition he will be in. Not to mention a half dozen other guys who are pretty banged up like Matt Milano, Dane Jackson, etc. The Vikings aren't a pushover in the slightest. The Bills have strong depth, and have been dealing with injuries all season long. At some point though, I'm afraid this is going to start overwhelming us and become a 2021 Baltimore Ravens situation. That team was 6-2 at one point (like us) and in control of the #1 seed in the AFC. They were 8-3 going into December, and then dropped their last six games to miss the playoffs.

Both of Josh Allen's interceptions were thrown directly to defenders, with no chance of being completed. The Jets defense showed very little pressure, and the scheme really had nothing to do with either play. Just awful decisions by the quarterback which cost us the game. Both of Gabe Davis' drops came with good coverage. But they were both still plays that should have been made, including the final pass of the game that should have put us into field goal range. The defensive scheme also had nothing to do with horrible call that negated Tremaine Edmunds INT, the missed field goal by Tyler Bass or the poor tackling that resulted in multiple first downs and extended drives.

Gabe Davis by far. I thought he was going to step into the "Reggie Wayne" #2 roll on a high-flying pass attack. The guy is pretty much a deep touchdown catch or a horrible drop. Nothing in between. He hasn't even been a factor in the red zone this year, which is baffling. Isaiah McKenzie was always a wildcard. I figured he was going to be a backup to Jamison Crowder, and was surprised when he won the job in training camp. The injury to Crowder was a much bigger problem than most would have guessed. I don't understand why Khalil Shakir hasn't taken the job yet. Dawson Knox is a total mystery to me. He signs a big extension, then completely disappears from the offense. It's not like he's dropping passes. We clearly need an underneath threat, but he's just not doing anything at all. Davis also dropped a touchdown pass against Miami. If he catches that deep ball on Sunday, we are in field goal position and have a legitimate chance to win the game. So it's not a real stretch to say Davis played a significant role in both of our losses. He's been a huge disappointment this season, and the main reason OBJ has gone from a luxury signing to a must.

This defensive staff has accomplished way more than either of those DCs ever did. Just looking at points per game (the only stat that really matters), our defense is still #1 in the entire NFL. They were also #1 overall last season. I agree that our coaches seem stubborn, and unwilling to adjust. But when you step back and look at the overall results, maybe it's our expectations that are out of whack. The Bills defense hasn't allowed over 21 points yet in a single game. Does it really matter if they allow some big runs, if they are holding the opponent out of the endzone? Our offense is clearly a bigger issue. Our MVP quarterback leads the NFL in turnovers, and scoring has been inconsistent since Week 2. When the offense is hitting on all cylinders, we can blow the opponent out of the stadium. But I would give-up all those blowouts for an offense that could just consistently put up 25. We have only done that in half of our games.

Have Ken Dorsey, Josh Allen and the offense go watch some film on the Kansas City Chiefs. When teams take away the deeper shots, they seemingly have no pivot. It's just the QB running for his life and throwing into coverage, usually forcing it to Stefon Diggs. The Chiefs lost their best deep threat in the offseason (Tyreek Hill), and have continued to roll on offense this season by simply being patient and attacking underneath. They haven't been perfect either, but the shorter elements I see in their passing attack could definitely be a helpful adjustment for us. As many pointed out, we absolutely MUST get Dawson Knox involved in the passing game. Hitting him with some quick releases would help tremendously when teams are playing back in coverage. Slot receiver is a big problem. Losing Jameson Crowder hurt way more than anyone expected, and Isaiah McKenzie is not the answer there. I know he's a rookie, but I don't understand why Khalil Shakir is not getting more snaps. Nyheim Hines needs to be heavily involved, starting this week. I want to see this team incorporate some more swing passes and screens. The lack of adjustments (on both sides of the ball) are infuriating with this team.

Football teams work like dominos. When one part of the team struggles, it often bleeds over and causes other areas to look worse too. After a day like yesterday, it's going to feel like everything on the team is horrible. Bottom line, Josh Allen is the key to this offense, and this team in general: When he is able to make quick reads and escape pressure, it makes our O-Line look decent. When he is flustered, running all over the field and making mistakes, then all of those missed blocks become way more noticeable. When he is seeing open receivers and making good throws, it seems like we have tons of weapons and can't be stopped. When he's forcing balls into coverage, it seems like Stefon Diggs is the only guy who can catch. Depending on how he's playing, he helps make Ken Dorsey look like a genius or a fool. Same thing applies to the defense. Early in the season, we were getting heavy pressure and stonewalling the run with only four guys. Now the injuries are piling up. The pass rush isn't getting home, and the run defense is starting to get gashed. We are forced to dedicate more defenders to stopping the rushing attack or blitzing. This results in more problems in coverage. Every season with Sean McDermott, we've seen these 2-3 game stretches where the team struggles to execute. Eventually they get back on track, but those lulls end up costing us homefield advantage. Once again the margin for error is gone, and Kansas City is back on our heels. One more game like Sunday, and we will be back on the outside looking in.

The Eagles are a Tier 2 team (very good), playing against a tremendously easy schedule. I've watched them each of the last two weeks, and I just can't justify ranking them above the Bills and Chiefs. They did beat the Vikings soundly, so it's not totally fair to say they haven't played anybody good. But the majority of their games have been against bottom-feeders, who really pose no legitimate threat. Detroit, Washington, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Houston. These are the types of teams you can have an off-day and play poorly against, and still walk away with a win. Their victory against Dallas had Cooper Rush at QB, so I don't consider that quite as impressive either. At the end of the day, you can only beat the teams on your schedule. It doesn't come so easy in the playoffs. Despite records, I think they will have trouble against a team like San Francisco and Dallas (with Dak Prescott playing). Minnesota might not be so easy the second time around. And I still think the LA Rams and Tampa Bay will have somewhat of a late-season resurgence. I still think the Eagles will drop 2-3 by the end of the season. Good chance they still land the #1 seed, but making the Super Bowl won't be a guarantee.

I agree that many fans are overreacting. But I also understand the frustration. A lot is riding on the Bills winning the Super Bowl this season. Most people believe they have the best roster in football, and with the salary cap it's only going to get tougher to keep everyone together going forward. We have also been knocked out of the playoffs by the Chiefs two years in a row. So if it somehow happens again, there is going to be real doubt whether we have the ability to get past Kansas City when it counts. So as ridiculous as it sounds, anything less than total PERFECTION is going to cause Bills fans a lot of stress and angst. Things looked great after the Rams and Titans games. We were invincible and everyone was singing our praises. Then the injuries started piling up, and we got edged out by Miami. Over the last 3-4 games, the Bills have obviously continued winning. But cracks have gradually started showing in the armor, and a team that looked totally unstoppable has appeared mortal at times. Not sure that trading future assets for a single player makes us a Super Bowl lock (which is what everyone really wants), but it may help us mentally feel that way for a couple weeks...

The Packers gameplan had them down 24-7 at halftime. With the Bills offense playing their sloppiest and ugliest half of the entire season, the Packers then wasted almost an entire quarter of play to get themselves a whopping THREE POINTS. The opportunity was there for them to get back into the game, and they completely squandered it. Meanwhile, we just sat back in nickel defense and laughed as they drained the clock away. The Jets can run the ball all they want. They might even have some good rushing stats at the end of the day. And then they can proudly look at the 35-13 scoreboard, and be happy we didn't put 50 on them.

After the game, Von Miller pretty much admitted the Bills were letting the Packer run. And just watching the game clock disappear. It was like watching the Packers play chicken with a semi-truck, and were just too stubborn to switch and throw the ball. My hope is that Dorsey is just sticking with what is working (until it doesn't), and is saving everything else for bigger moments later in the season. I guess we will find out as the season continues. I definitely think the coaches are getting on him about running, especially late in games they have already wrapped up. There were a lot of people complaining about that during the Titans game especially. On that first INT though, I think he could have gotten to the marker and slid without even taking a hit. Watching the game, I really felt like Josh Allen was forcing the ball trying to bulk up his stats. But after the game, I think it was more due to the trash-talk going on with the Packers players. The Bills were trying to embarrass them with a blowout, and lost their composure.

If you have NFL Sunday Ticket and flip around during a normal Sunday, you will eventually discover that: Even the best teams/players have frequent stretches of poor play Every team has weak points that can be exploited Most games finish within one score, and are a couple plays away from a different team winning So yes. Expectations for this team are beyond outrageous. We pretty much have to blast every opponent by 20+ points, or we are considered frauds. I literally had a person tell me today that he's off the Bills Super Bowl bandwagon, because they should have beaten the Packers by at least 14 points. (I'm sure it had nothing to do with him being a compulsive gambler who bet the spread... 🙄). Apparently now the Chiefs should be everyone's favorite (again)... despite them just losing to the Bills head-to-head at home, also losing to an awful Colts team, and barely scraping out games against the Chargers and pathetic Raiders. Personally, I think it's telling that our team clocked out at halftime... and still beat (back to back MVP) Aaron Rodgers and his team that's finished with 13 wins three seasons in a row... by DOUBLE DIGITS.

The Packers were trying to get the Bills defense out of nickel, so they could take shots downfield. But Leslie Frazier wouldn't take the bait. Green Bay's first two drives of the second half ended up taking over 11 minutes, and led to a whopping 3 points. Let other teams worry about yardage stats and defensive rankings. Our opponent basically ran the clock out on themselves. I have a much bigger issue with Ken Dorsey last night, as opposed to Leslie Frazier. While our defense seemed more concerned with walking out with a W, I got the impression our offense was trying harder to get fantasy stats and help Josh Allen's MVP bid. This was a perfect game to really get the run-game rolling. Especially late in the second half. We should have been handing the ball to Singletary and Cook. But we started getting too cute trying to run up the score, and ended up getting horribly sloppy. Allen should have been able to run for the 1st down on one of his INTs. The second was clearly him trying to force the ball into the endzone so he could get a third TD.

My issue with Isaiah McKenzie is his consistency. Yes, he's had three touchdowns and a handful of big catches. He also would have the game-winning TD against Miami, if Josh Allen hadn't rifled it into the turf. I would also like to see us bring back the occasional motion/hand-off, which he has often excelled on. He's also got a handful of really bad mistakes over the first 6 games. The INT off his fingers in Los Angeles. Failing to fall down on the final drive in Miami. Not paying attention on the pitch/fumble in Kansas City. Followed by the endzone trip in Kansas City. As opposed to his predecessor (Cole Beasley), he just doesn't seem clutch and reliable. Which is what I want from the starting slot receiver.

For me, it's a constant battle with my PTSD from the 90s. Logically, I know the Bills are the best team in the NFL. Logically, I know a quarterback as great as Josh Allen is almost certain to get a ring eventually. Logically, I know failure from 25-30 years ago has nothing to do with this franchise today. Logically, I don't believe in sports curses or that certain teams having more bad luck. But at the same time, I've been watching this team since the late 1980s. I've seen some incredible teams and fantastic players come through, and still have NEVER had our season end on a positive note. All I can remember is a bunch of heartbreak (1990s), sandwiching a never-ending playoff-less streak of terribleness and mediocrity (2000s and most of the 2010s), and finally now three more seasons of heartbreak (2019-2021). Football is also the only sport I really care about, so this is really all I've experienced in my life. Tremendous post.

This exactly. The offense is doing great. The team is winning. That is all that matters. Film is showing that Dawson Knox is being used way more as a blocker this year. His lack of production is not due to poor play, injuries or mental issues involving his brother. At some point, defenses are likely to adjust to what the Bills are doing. That is when Ken Dorsey can switch things up, and start using the Tight End more in the passing game. It's great to have something we can pivot to.