transplantbillsfan

No it wouldn't because if the Ravens then lose their last 3 to AFC opponents, we end up with the same conference record with them, and although they'd obviously beat us in a 2 team tiebreaker, as I was saying if the Jags and/or Bengals happen to also be in a 3 team tiebreaker with the Bills and Ravens, Bills could still win. So no, a Ravens win this weekend does not eliminate us. Also, you're forgetting the Steelers in this mathematical permutation. Even if the Ravens win their next 2 and the Bills can no longer catch them, if the Steelers lose their next 2, the wildcard is still in play.

If the Bills ended up 8-8 with just the Ravens and Colts. Bills lose. If the Bills ended up 8-8 with just the Dolphins, Ravens and/or Colts. Bills lose. If the Bills ended up 8-8 with just the Titans and Ravens. Bills lose. If the Bills ended up 8-8 with the Ravens and the Jags and/or Bengals are somehow in the mix in any manner. Bills could win. If the Bills ended up 8-8 and the Ravens somehow (insanely) lose out and the Bills are there with any combination of the Colts, Titans and Jags. Bills should win because of the divisional tiebreakers applied first. Dolphins it depends on who they lose to, but if they lose to the Patriots this Sunday and then the Bills. Bills win in any tiebreaker with them. We could always root for the Steelers to lose out, which could potentially be a more likely thing to happen than the Ravens losing out. In any case, the Bills can't be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this Sunday if they win, no matter what.

It's a 3 or more team tiebreaker, so the same tiebreaker apply to 5 teams that would for 3. 1st division tiebreakers apply if 2 teams are in the same division (us and Miami, Colts and Titans, Ravens and Bengals), then you go down the list from there. Crazy complications and the playoff machine just misses a lot of them. For example, the reason we lose a 3 team tiebreaker between us, the Ravens and Titans no matter what is because the Titans lost to both us and the Ravens.

Have you guys really not figured out in our years of doing this that the playoff machine is inaccurate as you get into the more intricate tiebreaker? If Baltimore ends up at 8-8 by losing their last 3 games to AFC teams, the Bills could win the tiebreaker, but it depends on the teams involved. Those teams would basically have to be the Bengals and/or Jags.

Wasn't there a deep throw early this year where the exact same thing happened with the WR starting to look back for the ball insanely early, obviously slowing down the WR? I think it was Foster on that play, as well. Wish I could remember the exact play or game.

So is this thread about you finding balance, Shaw? I feel nothing but excitement about Allen right now. And regarding that interception on the pass to KB, well, directly after the game you had McDermott say: and today, KB was cut. I don't think it's hard to read that comment largely as an indictment on KB's route. Same goes for the missed TD to Zay. Damn well wish he hit Foster on that bomb, but needing a 70 yard pass to be consistently on target for any NFL QB in the history of the NFL is unreasonable. Yeah, Allen's pass to Clay coulda been better. It also travelled 50+ yards to a TE giving him absolutely no help running back to him after running around probably for 30+ yards just trying to get the opportunity to throw it. The future is bright. Screw Bledsoe. Barring injury (God please help us!!!), I think we found our 10-15+ year Franchise QB!!!

Wow, guess for once we can really say they were.

Boy, I guess McDermott's choice of words there were quite intentional. Fat trimmed

I really think this team is going to be the most shocking team in the NFL next year. Beane is going to go out and seriously spend that $90 million in free CAP space in Free Agency. I expect we'll pursue a top tier FA WR/TE or two. We will (unfortunately) have what looks like a top 10 draft pick to grab an impact player. Plus, Beane and his college scouts look more than competent, so I expect we'll also find some late round gems like we did with Milano last year. And most importantly, Allen will have the benefit of a full NFL offseason to not just work on his game, but also his chemistry with his teammates. I think we would have made the playoffs this year if McDermott named Allen the starter early in Training Camp the way he should have. It's clear that plays like his missed TD pass in the EZ to Zay on Sunday are all about communication and chemistry. And Allen will have all this time to become that much more comfotable in Daboll's system. We will be in the playoffs next year. I think it will be a home game. And I think we will win at least 1 playoff game.

That's a pretty poor analogy considering you really aren't doing yourself harm maintaining hope in another week of a mathematical breath of life. Plus, how high is the window? People aren't exactly "free" to kill themselves in the legal sense of the word.

Not actually true. The playoff machine only really operates for the simplest tiebreakers, not the more complicated ones. If the Bills ended up 8-8 with any combination of the Ravens or Colts, Bills definitely lose that tiebreaker. Same record with Titans and Ravens, Bills lose that tiebreaker. Weird and unfathomable things could happen though once other potential 8-8 teams like the Bengals, Broncos and Jags are thrown in there. This isn't happening. Playoffs are just a virtual impossibility. But if you want to know if we can be eliminated this week even if we win: No, we can't. People are allowed to root for player development while also rooting for one more week to be mathematically alive. It might be delusionally hopeful, but delusional hope is largely what it means to be a diehard fan of a sports team. If we end up in a 3 way tie with them and the Broncos, Bengals or Jags, we might. Truth. Only in a 3 way tiebreaker.

Fine, more like 50 yards Didn't fail, just haven't used the Pythagorean theorem in nearly 2 decades

Not just that throw, look at the last throw of the game Allen is getting so much criticism for. He threw that football nearly 70 yards in the air AFTER running all over the field to find a throw.  And yeah, it was about 70 yards... maybe 66 to be exact. Ball released on the 40 yard line reaches the end zone but he's throwing across the field. Look up the dimensions of a football field for yourself and you'll discover the distance horizontally from where Allen threw it to where Clay couldn't catch it was somewhere around 23-26 yards I'd say.  40+23/26= 63/66 yards.  Clay should have come back to the ball a bit. Too bad. Allen's special.

Ya know another poster just pointed this out and I think it's a fantastic point: Allen threw that football 70 yardsin the air, and he did that AFTER running all over the field to find a throw. And yeah, it was about 70 yards... maybe 66 to be exact. Ball released on the 40 yard line reaches the end zone but he's throwing across the field. Look up the dimensions of a football field for yourself and you'll discover the distance horizontally from where Allen threw it to where Clay couldn't catch it was somewhere around 23-26 yards I'd say. 40+23/26= 63/66 yards. Clay should have come back to the ball a bit.

Players seem to feel this way, too

It was both, but that goes more on Clay. He had a chance and should have caught it. I believe what Allen said about being gassed after running all around gives him a bit of a pass. Clay had it in his hands, he should have caught it. The pass to criticize Allen on is the missed wide open bomb to Foster.

Yes, that's the takeaway they should have.

Next season, my bar

I think it happens need season