Success

I'm gonna get hated on for this - but I like KC. I like Mahomes, and I really root for Reid, who I think got a bad rap for a long time. We also owned them on our SB runs. I wouldn't MIND seeing them win another. But overall, it would be cool to see the Bengals win next week, and even the SB. Their fans have been through a lot. I don't really view it in a way that affects how the Bills or Bills game is perceived. It's already being talked about as the greatest ever.

I hate these threads - but get them. It's easy for me: wide right, MCM, 13 seconds. In that order. Gotta be playoff games. Dallas MNF was brutal, but inconsequential. The 3 I named are all potential - and even somewhat probable - Lombardi's.

We need to move on from this. The Bengals are a GOOD TEAM, and Burrow is legit. That game was no cakewalk. And the Rams? That's the most fierce pass rush in the league. Stafford? Kupp? Personally, I don't think we're quite at the Rams level in terms of balance. Obviously, Allen is the differentiator - but our D doesn't have that disruptor that we need. I'm starting to think this all happened for a reason. When we do make the SB - there will be no doubt.

Is Josh Allen's trajectory unprecedented? I don't even Brady saw such significant increases in the measurables. But I'm too lazy to look it up. The only thing I know is that he'll be even better next season.

I think they should add him to the staff just as "spiritual leader & all-around guru."

I brought it up on another thread, but Belichick had almost the same sequence in the 2018 AFCCG. There were 38 seconds left in that one - but KC only had 1 timeout. KC went from their own 31 to the New England 20 in 2 passes (and in 18 seconds), just like our game, and they kicked the tying FG. The only difference was that NE won the OT coin toss.

You know, we're all over McD and Frazier for the lapse w/ 13 seconds left. But Belichick had basically the same fail in 2018. There were 38 seconds left, but Mahomes went from his own 31 to the New England 20 in 2 plays & 18 seconds. The main difference was the KC only had one timeout in that game. It's probably been talked about already here, but I had forgotten that. The only difference was the KC lost that OT coin toss.

He gets more criticism than warranted - he does miss plays, but he's still so young. He also has made some very big plays for us. I'll trust Beane & McD on this one. I won't have too strong a reaction either way, unless they overpay.

Live & learn. I was thinking just rush 2, or 3 tops. Certainly, 4 was too many. You could have put at least ONE guy more shallow than the rest, or helping on Kelce.

He came thisclose to another toe drag, too. What a game. Glad he's a Bill.

THIS is the biggest issue the Bills have to fix. I think we all glossed over it w/ the "#1 defense" ranking, which we all know wasn't really accurate. I think Oliver took a huge step this year, and can be a disruptive if the overall quality of the line improves. Groot made some big plays this year, but had games where he didn't do as much, as you might expect from a rookie. You can build around those 2. But they need a true disruptor to elevate the whole line's play.

I've been told that about the "tongue in cheek" thing. I guess it's just not my sensibility. I always check out opponents' boards before we have a match-up w/ them, and KC's really stands out. I don't judge the fanbase by it (no one should w/ anything online), but it is kind of odd. I vowed I'd never go back, and haven't. Still, I really like Mahomes & KC (I might get a few downvotes for that). I like a lot of teams that are left, but it wouldn't bother me at all to see Mahomes & Reid get #2.

I think we missed him against KC - but it's hard to know. That game was a shootout no matter what. Overall, it's hard to blame injuries. It's rare that a team gets through the season without losing a good or great player, or a few of them. KC lost Mathieu very early on. We took some advantage of that, but I felt like we could have exploited that more (hate to sound so clinical about that - obviously, you never want to see a player get hurt in a big game, but the reality is that he was out & it gave the Bills an opportunity).

I'm sure people are saying "Mahomes is better because he won." Which shows how silly some comparisons are in the NFL, a team game. But Allen played better the whole game, imo. He was asked to do more, and stepped up. Mahomes was his usual brilliant self, but Allen is a better overall QB, imo. KC still has a better team, though.

Yeah - but it was a lot closer. I know, I know...no moral victories. But they won a coin toss this year. Last year they dominated.

No doubt. Our chances were as good as anyone, and probably a bit better because it looked like JA was on a roll that wouldn't stop. The D would have scared me a little in the SB - especially against the Rams. They can be close to as good as us on offense, and they have a much better D-line. Maybe this all happened for a reason. Our O isn't going anywhere. Get a disruptor or 2 on defense, and we win the whole thing next year.

You can fear players TOO much. They saw what Hill did earlier, and didn't want to let up the big play. But, they had to prevent a FG - not a TD. When I see the still picture of how far off our DB's and other defenders were playing, it just doesn't make sense. It's way too much respect. Combine that w/ 4 guys on the line - that should have really been 3 at most, but ideally 2, just to have some pressure. But they weren't getting to Mahomes on that play regardless.

Me too, but I really try to shut those people out. Honestly, the ones who do that seriously are losers. It's called projection.

The Bengals had a great season. It's amazing we would have gotten that as a home game, but it's hardly a gimme. Then the Rams - another very tough game. We lost a divisional round game, and without doubt, coaching played a big role in that. But the idea that we would just stroll to a Lombardi isn't accurate.

Yeah - this one is tough. MUCH tougher than last year, where I didn't have the same expectations. I forgot about this. The drought was awful, but losing in the playoffs is a special kind of pain, especially when your team really has a shot. But only one team wins every year. Today is a little better than yesterday. And I'm consoling myself w/ the idea that we have Josh Effing Allen for a long time into the future, and will be in the mix the whole time we have him.

It doesn't remind me of that at all.

I did see a MN fan online say that the soft prevent D was his m.o. I don't know enough about his time there. But man, when you see how far off we were from the receivers - it's like we were trying to prevent a TD instead of a FG. And McD does deserve the heat. But he'll learn from it. I'd rather he make these mistakes in a division round, and not the SB.

Very cool. Some of my Bills fan friends think KC/Mahomes will be an obstacle that really holds us back. But I see it as a rivalry that we'll enjoy for many years. I could see us matching up against them in the playoffs many times, as I'm sure many here can. I love that. After years in the wilderness, we're now one of the headliners. We'll get our share against that team, and when all is said & done, it could go down as one of the NFL's great rivalries.

Same with Beane. We have a coach & GM who have turned this team around COMPLETELY from the drought years. They've brought in the right players, coached them up, gameplanned well and changed the culture. The Buffalo Bills are now one of the best teams in the league, and have a window that's open for miles. I don't know what happened in the last 13 seconds of that game, but clearly, coaching errors were made. From the kickoff, to the soft coverage, to singling on Kelce, to rushing 4. But I saw those kinds of coaching mistakes all weekend, in all 4 games. McVeigh is generally considered one of the best up & comers, and that game was almost a comedy of errors while the Rams gave up a 20 point lead and almost let that slip away. And look at Reid, who we all agree is one of the top coaches in the league now - Philly fans celebrated when he moved on. He had years of futility in big games there, and was particularly known for terrible clock management. We have a good one. McD may never be elite, but there are so few elite coaches out there. He's very good, and you stick w/ that. He'll keep learning, and keep getting better in these situations.

I so hope none of this is true. If it is - we were NOT ready for a SB this year. That stuff has to be tight at the end of a close game. But I hope it's not.