Success

You're entitled to that opinion - and I can't argue w/ some of that. The D gave up a couple of big runs. Other than that, they were stout. They gave up 1 TD. They pressured the passer all night. Even the best D's give up a big play or 2 here and there. It seems like all people are arguing is that they weren't perfect, but they did an amazing job considering the turnovers and the offense's inability to score points. I thought Cook was very good - but hope Dorsey starts working Harris in more. He's more north-south, and would do better in the short yardage situations. For Kincaid's first game, that was everything I could have hoped for. He & Knox can be a real problem for defenses going forward - and last night's is likely to be one of the best we'll face (Dallas will be too). Last night, to me, was Allen, Allen, Allen. Who I still have great faith in. I said it on another thread, but he's kind of shaping up to be a Favre kind of QB. You just have to take the bad w/ the good. Kelly was a little like that too. Regardless, Allen is who we're riding with for the next decade+ - but he can get it done. He hasn't figured out the Jets D yet. It took Peyton Manning 7 years or so to finally get past New England's defense.

Phew. I didn't think that was real. I agree to an extent about last night. But really, it was just Allen. He had one of his worst games. All I can do is hope it's not going to be the norm or anything, and I don't think it will be. I thought the rest of the team was solid.

Love the sentiment, OP. And I believe they CAN. Not sure if they will. But I'd bet we win most of the games ahead. Everyone is terrified of MIami now - they had an amazing 1st game, and we had a terrible one. I'd favor them in that game, but it's hot-take city to say we have no chance. AT HOME.

This is kind of hard to believe. It doesn't even sound like a real quote - more like a cartoonish version of "things a racist might say."

No reason not to at this point. We lost 3 games last year by a total of 8 points. We fizzled in the postseason - but there were some extraordinary circumstances at play that didn't relate to the process. I'm not going to overreact to 1 game, the 1st game of the 2023 season.

Remember that line in "Apollo 13," where the ship had just malfunctioned, and Ed Harris' character says, "What do we have on the spacecraft that's good?" I need some good Bills news right now.

Oh, for sure on your 1st paragraph there - I didn't take it as a call out. I always respect your posting here. This is just good discussion. And I don't like relying on momentum either. But as good as this team is, it doesn't seem like it could turn into the kind of force that wouldn't need some intangibles to get the title. I think in most years, the team that wins it all is also not just the hottest at that time, but kind of lucky too. That is certainly true of last year's Chiefs, who both got hot, and also got some very favorable officiating in the AFCCG and SB. Honestly, the one thing that concerns me about this team is not Allen's detours into Favre-land (and I think that's the most appropriate comparison for him as a QB - a gunslinger who you have to take the bad w/ at times). I do worry that McDermott and Dorsey just aren't up to the task. McD has done a wonderful job turning this team into a contender, but I don't have faith right now that he can get us to a title. I hope I'm wrong. People used to look at Reid the same way, when he was in Philly - so that gives me some hope.

A few things: 1) To me, the D-line is kind of a revelation this year. Groot looked like a beast yesterday. Oliver was really good. Floyd is a great addition. Even Epenesa chipped in. When Von comes back, we could have one of the better pass rushes in the league. That's a big change. 2) Upgrades on offense: Kincaid is going to be a good one, and you can see what kind of problems he & Knox can create for opposing D's. Cook & Harris are the best RB tandem we've had in quite awhile (Dorsey should use Harris more, imo). The O-line was clearly better, which is huge. 3) Winning a SB is as much about getting hot at the right time as it is about talent. We sort of did the opposite last year - we were crazy hot early in the season, and just fizzled, for a variety of reasons which have been rehashed here often. Who knows - maybe this is the year we start slow, and finish off fast (kind of like the Hail Murray year, where we really should have won it all). I said it all offseason: this is the best team we've had in the JA era. Beane addressed almost every need and deficiency in the offseason. The only area I think we're weaker is MLB, and Bernard did okay yesterday. We just need Josh Allen to play better than he did yesterday. And that's a good bet.

Remember the run we went on after the Hail Murray? That was a similar low moment, but I recall looking back on that game and that play and thinking, I'm glad that happened. Something about it galvanized the team. I don't know if last night was like that. But there were a LOT of lessons in that game that the team can grow from if they take heed. Here's hoping we can look back at the end of the season and see it as a "good" loss, at least in a way.

Can't thank this post enough. This board is INSANE today. People talking about trading Josh and firing everyone. I mean, spoiler alert: we'll still get double digit wins, and make the playoffs, and JA is likely to have a great season and be a top 5 QB at the end. It will never be enough for some.

Not sure if serious....

Manning wouldn't just have 1 bad game a year. And he was pretty abysmal in the playoffs on a regular basis for many years. We tend to mythologize the greats - but they weren't models of consistency for the most part. Most seem to think last night was the worst game we've ever seen from Allen.

I was upset yesterday. I just don't go into hot-take overdrive, and I remember what life was like before Allen.

" Great, elite QB's, don't do what Josh did tonight" I mean, I just started a thread earlier about Peyton Manning throwing 6 picks in a primetime game. And they all have had games like that. As to the main question of the OP: I was pretty encouraged by literally every other facet of the game for the Bills. I thought the pass rush was way better, the O-line was good, Bernard held up well, Kincaid looked like the guy we hoped he would be, Groot has taken a next step, et al. This is a better team than last year. Josh just has to be better than he was last night.

So, he's had more than one bad game? I'm not sure what people expect. There aren't many QB's out there who don't lay an egg from time to time.

You're comparing Allen to Peterman? I mean, what about the Josh Allen experience isn't working for everyone? The double digit wins every year? Carrying his team for entire games? Looking like a video game for large stretches of the season? Making the Bills an annual contender?

It happens to the best. Everyone is worried about Allen - don't be. He has shown resiliency throughout his career, and has what you want in a QB: a short memory. The Jets defense is elite, and they have wrinkles which have consistently given JA problems. That in itself IS a problem, but it doesn't indicate some wider, more overarching issue. It was just a bad match-up to have for the 1st game of the season. The Bills are going to bounce back, and have a great season. I have no doubt on that. The team I saw last night was better than last year's. The defense was stronger. We gave up some runs, but that pass rush was fierce, and our LB's and secondary looked solid. I thought Bernard had a great game. Kincaid is who we hoped he would be. The O-line held up pretty well against one of the best fronts in the league. The loss was solely on Allen. And that isn't a bad thing - because he'll be better.

Groot was so much fun to watch. Oliver had a nice game too - and looks bigger. Milano was stellar. Tre defended that TD pass as well as you could. Just a ridiculous catch. Kincaid, of course. The O-line looked pretty solid for the most part. Seemed like Brown was holding it down. Diggs is so good. Really, if we made a list - the positives go on & on & on. And the negatives are really "Allen's turnovers." Love the guy, but he single-handedly lost this game. He'll win many more for us.

I was really happy at halftime. He wasn't lighting it up - but he was playing well, against a really good defense. The wheels just came off. But ultimately, it was just one bad half.

You missed the 2nd part of my argument. I said that it's valid to say every game is a big game. But not in the context of saying "Allen doesn't show up in the big games." Because, then - you're saying he never shows up. That's all. I think it was a somewhat significant game - but I'd be hard pressed to call it a "big game." Those don't really happen until we get deep into the season and playoffs, imo.

If week 1 is a big game, every game is a big game. That is not an invalid argument - but when someone says something like, Allen never shows up in the big games - by the nature of a statement like that, every game isn't a big game. So, no - this was not a big game, by most definitions.

I can save everyone a ton of time: - The Bills window is definitely closed - Allen can't get over his turnover problem - he'll never rise to the level of (insert hot QB here, along w/ Mahomes) - It's Miami's division now - Blah, blah, blah - hot take - blah, blah, blah

He has a mixed record in big games. He has been spectacular in some. Tonight, btw, was not a big game.

My advice for the week: don't watch ESPN. Don't listen to Bill Simmons. For the love of all that is holy, don't watch or listen to or read Nick Wright. It's a good week to spend more time w/ family, maybe catch up on a few shows.

C'mon. This is WEEK ONE. Are the Bengals not SB winning material? How about the Chiefs? It was a terrible game for Allen. But that's it. The OP is right - there were a ton of positives w/ pretty much every other unit & player.