Success

It's really annoying. They still would have been a great team - but probably would have made about half of the SB's. I remember some years when the 5 & 6 seeds in the playoffs were complete pushovers. The only things that kept Brady in check were Manning & Harbaugh's good coaching in Baltimore. As to the OP, I feel like I could make a case for about 3-4 teams as being the strongest after the Bills. I really like what the Bengals did this offseason; they're clearly going to be tough. Chargers will make the playoffs, but they aren't there yet. The Colts and Ravens will both be very tough outs. KC is still the one, though.

Curious how everyone ranks it after all of the draft & offseason stuff. For me, all of the other teams did well. I think NE's draft was a head scratcher, but they also filled some needs and the acquisition of Parker addressed their biggest hole. The Jets had a stellar offseason & draft, and Miami improved what was already a borderline playoff team. It's kind of obvious, but our biggest competition depends largely on which QB makes a leap: Wilson, Tua or Jones. Personally, I saw some "it" factor in Wilson. But I think he needs another year and the Jets need another good offseason to really contend. I'd rank the division this coming year as follows: Bills Phins Pats Jets

The replay was on the other night - I tuned in just as Diggs was catching the 2 point conversion at th end, and couldn't turn the channel fast enough. Which is a shame. I'll probably never be able to watch one of the best & most clutch offensive performances we're likely to see from a Bills QB (or just about any QB). But I can't say I'm mad, necessarily. It's more just pain about that game, but Beane pulling out all of the stops this offseason has helped me rationalize the loss. Kind of a "well, we're about to have a lasting dynasty, and maybe the 13 seconds will be looked back on as what fueled it."

I can't even comprehend these things, even as they're becoming commonplace. So, so sad for everyone affected by this.

I really don't like the New England Patriots.

I'd much rather have the tougher part of our schedule in the 1st half of the season (and more road games). We have a lot of tough opponents this season, but I really like how they put it together. Can't wait.

1-0.

I've never seen these 3 words together before. They're good when combined this way.

I'm glad he's still hanging around. As much as I like McD as our coach, he mishandled Peterman. That San Diego game - on the road, against one of the best pass rushes in the league at that time - was not the time or place to experiment w/ a rookie. Peterman didn't deserve that and all of the national infamy that followed.

Cal Ripken Jr. From his days as a Rochester Red Wing & all the way through.

I'll always root for Hughes. During the drought years, he had some games & plays that I was really proud of. He brought attitude to this team during some otherwise low times that made the seasons worth watching.

That's how it used to be for me. I travel a lot, and a lot of versions of "buffalo wings" were small pieces of fried chicken with some sort of tabasco concoction sprinkled on the top. Awful. And don't even get me started on the dressing. My experience these days is different. The country is finally catching up - though Western NY still has the best.

Pinch me.

The Red Sox are bad again, the Pats had a bad draft and won't be winning Super Bowls for the foreseeable future, and it was never a Bruins town. The Celts look like the only potential title contender out of the 3 bigs, so it's back to being a basketball town.

It's official: Boston is back to being a Celtics town. That certainly took awhile.

Beane's whole draft was a master class. It gets better every day. Which is kind of amazing, because this is a roster that has few real needs and not many slots for new players. But I think we'll see at least 5 guys not only make the team but contribute in a big way.

The entire Patriots dynasty sits on a Throne of Lies.

Groot. I feel like he is poised to become a star in the league, especially with a bunch of great players around him now.

This write-up made me want to time travel to next January. But I'm going to savor these days. I agree w/ the takes in the OP, and think we improved an already excellent team. There are almost no weaknesses - we're ready.

I like it - if you're an UDFA, you have nothing to lose, and need to try to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Naturally, he only makes this or any team if his play warrants it, but nothing wrong with getting a little hype going for yourself. I might try that at work.

Yeah - you got that right! I wasn't anticipating the level of negative reactions, but in hindsight, completely get it. This thread really represents how I rationalize things in general - kind of a lemons/lemonade philosophy. But I also think that it's true w/ the KC game & how aggressive we've been since.

A little harsh, but all opinions are welcome. The SB was no slam dunk this past year, though.

That's a good point about the coaching. We all know that it was bad at the end. I was so over-the-top euphoric on the Bills' last TD. I like to think that coaches are immune to that and are all about business, but I truly believe they got caught up in the moment, and it led to a few clear errors. Rushing 4 really stands out to me. Maybe this is a "hope" thread, when I really think about it. I hope it was a galvanizing moment for Beane, McD, and the whole coaching staff and team. I hope it's something we look back on and can say, "In a weird way, I'm glad that happened, because it led to....."

Opinions vary on that. There is no way to really know. Myself, the Rams were the team I feared the most. They were a much tougher match-up for us than KC, imo. I have a hard time seeing Wallace and Jackson covering OBJ and Kupp, and that pass rush would have been the best JA faced. Not saying I wouldn't have wanted the chance. But now if we make it to the big game, there will be much less doubt. This roster is so much better than what we had just a few months ago.

There is another universe where we held on in that game, and Beane took a different approach to the offseason because of it. A loss like that can either ruin a team, or make it one of the best ever. Fortunately, we have a GM who treated it as a challenge. Everything that hurt the Bills in that game and in general has been addressed. Beane has made a guarantee with every offseason move: that will not happen again. The D-line is better, our pass rush is better, our secondary is better, our running game is better, our pass protection is better, our passing game is better. And yes, our punting and special teams, too. You can't remove doubt, but you can minimize it. 13 seconds won't be wide right, or the MCM. Those were exclusively pain. 13 seconds will be remembered fondly as when it really began.