Success

I still see us as A favorite, if not THE favorite. The teams that are now ahead of us officially do not scare me. Obviously, Philly, KC or whoever can beat the Bills - but I still would like our chances against all or any of them. Talent-wise, I think we're the best of the lot. Coaching-wise? Maybe not so much, but good talent can overcome average coaching, imo.

I don't think Payton - but I think we do potentially need a better coach. I don't think McD is terrible. But he's undeniably average. He gameplans well, but the adjustments and situational awareness is woeful. It would be a shame to waste having a generational talent at QB.

The heartbreaks mentioned in the OP are kind of a badge of honor thing for me. And that's not the same as wanting them to be our identity as a fanbase - the "lovable loser" thing. But collectively, we have been through the fire. By comparison, any Pats fan under 30 is like a trust fund kid. They're soft. I feel like we can take anything, brush ourselves off and jump through another table. I love being a Bills fan.

Defiant. 13-4

There shouldn't be much debate about the Cleveland game. If the Bills lose that, our problems are MUCH deeper than we think. They won't. But the question that nags me: are the Bills a soft team? We're always great when we're running up scores. I think we would have been the same yesterday without that big run from Cook to pull MN within 10. We're good frontrunners. It's pretty clear that we're not the best when the games get close. I felt like I could see it yesterday, too - it just seems like it's in their heads now. That "uh oh, here we go again" feeling. It's normal for us as fans to feel that way, but the team shouldn't.

Great post! Adversity can be the best thing for a team, sometimes. If we CAN pull it together now, I'll probably have more confidence going into the playoffs than I would have if the regular season was just the equivalent of a red carpet & we just rolled the whole time. As you stated, a lot of SB champs have weathered adversity and come out the other side. I also can't help but think of the '07 Giants, whose season was done 2-3 teams that year. Fans wanted to bench Eli halfway through that season.

I just posted this on another thread - but this team has to have among the worst situational awareness in the league. That wasn't the 1st time a DB has tried for the interception on a 4th down. That's an easy one for a coaching staff - you always knock the ball down there. And rushing 4 guys & the rest of it w/ 13 seconds was obviously another biggie. But you can see it almost every week w/ this team. It's easy to contrast with a team like the Pats in their prime, who were prepared for every single situation.

Honestly, McDermott. I look at coaches like Daboll, Saleh and even someone like McDaniel, and find myself wishing we had one of those guys instead. McD obviously does some things well, but comes up far short in other areas. He is good w/ gameplanning and setting up proper defensive strategies depending on the opponent. But adjustments in-game are usually lacking, his teams sometimes seem to lack enough motivation, and the situational awareness of this team in general has to be among the worst in the league.

I'm also a Yankees fan - and it reminds me a bit of how some fans were actually booing Aaron Judge in the playoffs this year. Many of us have slogged through 25+ years of a futile search for "the guy" since Kelly. Allen is the one, Trinity. A couple of bad games (where he still had spectacular plays) isn't changing that.

I'd have to agree w/ other posters on that 4th & 18 - but I also have to put that a lot on the coaches. That's what situational coaching is - and this wasn't a very nuanced situation. It's totally simple at the end of a game: if it's 4th down, you knock the ball down. Period. That's it. They should be emphasizing that in practice, and that has to be reinforced before that drive even begins. That's the difference between a win & a loss right there. It's not enough to gameplan well. Situational awareness doesn't just happen with players - it is coached.

Nothing I said about the schedule is wrong, and I hardly guaranteed a run. It was a mildly hopeful post. I get that it isn't the most welcome sentiment after a game like today, but I'm not the kind of fan to go into instant doom & pronouncements that the #1 seed is completely unattainable now.

They have one of the easier schedules. But we're tied w/ them now in record, and have the head-to-head. The Bengals can for sure beat them. Browns will give them a fight. They're not that dominating.

Chargers? Bengals? Seahawks? Even the Broncos and Raiders play them tough. The Chiefs had a bit of a struggle w/ the Jags today. It's not the same team this year. Should they be favored for the 1 seed at this point? Sure. But there is an eternity between now & the playoffs.

I didn't think I'd feel bad so much this season. But all is not lost. The #1 seed seems like such a requirement - and it's hardly out of reach - but who knows. It seems like half the time teams look bad for stretches during a season, squeak into the playoffs, get hot and become the team to beat. I think adversity CAN be good for a team, if it doesn't ruin them. Really favorable schedule coming up. The 2 toughest games are home, against teams that would have to sweep us for the season (kind of unlikely), and then a series of teams that on paper, should be W's for the Bills. Hoping for a strong run here.

It's so inconsistent. We're either playing scared or conservative, or bold/aggressive when it's totally inappropriate. It almost feels like the staff is thinking too much about how calls will be perceived, and just not establishing their own identity in terms of how they want to approach the game. Maybe that's reading too much into it, but they just seem all over the place.

Best way to look at it. Ignore the hype and expectations. We're 6-3, in the thick of the playoff race, and have a pretty favorable schedule ahead. Just keep fighting, every week.

He also leads the NFL in weight on his shoulders.

It will be more fun this way. Obviously, no guarantees - but the easiest part of our schedule starts this week. We should go on a run here - and hopefully be back in the top spot at some point, or at minimum make the last week of the season interesting for KC. Adversity can ruin teams, or make them stronger. I don't think it's going to ruin these Bills.

Quite a few hot takes on this thread. But the game does seem to big for this staff sometimes. And when things start to become a pattern (consistently losing games like this, consistently giving up plays like the 4th & 18), it's concerning. Right now, it's just 2 bad games. Let's see how they respond. If we go on a run here, I can forgive some clueless moments. But if we're just middlin' over the next month or so, the concern is real.

I mean - did fans expect the NFL to roll out the red carpet? For the Bills to coast to a #1 seed, and then just show up for their coronation? For the sake of pete. To be "done" after a classic game against a worthy opponent, where we're still just 1 game out of the AFCE and #1 seed, is almost incomprehensible. I've been done a bunch of times, but today is nothing.

Someone on the thread might have said it - but I saw that after we were up 17, we ran 3x. And the series that led up to the 4th and 2 pick was just awful. Dorsey has been solid this season - but he hasn't been spectacular, and today's decisions warrant scrutiny. It was too "cute" by a mile.

Honestly, the worst thing today was the botched handoff. You simply can't disrespect the defense in a situation like. They just made a goalline stand for the ages, and you just need to complete 2 clean snaps to get the W. Even if they tackled him in the EZ, it still would have been tough for the Vikes to drive into FG range. I was really pulling my hair out. He's not thinking.

Is that really a possibility? Sorry - that's more than a hot take. It just isn't correct, on any level.

I don't care what anyone says - the Bills are still the class of this league. Jefferson was ridiculous today. I couldn't even blame Jackson on a couple of those plays - it would have required perfect defense to stop, and then some. The schedule ahead is very favorable, and we can reclaim the division just by making sure that the Jets & Phins don't sweep us, with both of those games at home. Tre is coming back, Groot should be getting healthy, Hines will be more in the mix w/ each passing week. Davis found himself again, and guys like Cook & Shakir are starting to contribute more. We have 3 losses that quite obviously could have turned on a play. I don't like where we are right now, but there is something to be said for having to fight the last 2 months instead of just strolling to a coronation.

I usually roll my eyes at "mark my words" stuff - but I like this one.