Success

Wind is so much worse. I keep thinking of that Ravens game. We only scored one offensive TD. It's gonna be tough, but it was always gonna be tough. I kind of wish the "wind game" was in NE so we could take more advantage of being home, but if wishes were fishes....

Daboll is going to be tested in this one. I agree that activating all 3 would be a good idea. The Pats have been playing this game all season, with & without wind. Short passing, running outside, running inside. If I'm a Pats fan, I LOVE this forecast. The Bills are the team that has to play against type. If Daboll is HC worthy, this is the kind of game he proves it.

Yep - I'm w/ other posters: go Phins! It's crazy how close we are to both the #1 seed, and missing the playoffs.

Psychology is a weird thing in sports. I definitely have some doom in me w/ all of the experience I've had - and I know I felt VERY different in the early '90's, particularly during and after that 1st SB run. After that post I responded to, I checked out that Pats board - they have an "embrace the hate" thread too where the Bills get a lot of play, not favorable. It's a pretty shocking contrast compared to this board. It's entitlement personified. They may be set up for another long run - or not. But they certainly believe they are. Just add water.

I mean, w/ the weather, what you just pointed out is absolutely huge - on both sides of the ball. Star is such a difference maker against the run, but having our O-line mostly healthy will make a real difference. Pundits and Pats fans expect us to have no running game, and for that to be a big advantage in bad weather. They're not necessarily wrong, but we've hardly seen what we can do when the line is healthy. Breida gave me some hope last week, also (which is a sentence I never thought I'd be writing this season).

Makes sense. They've owned us, not the other way around. I'm a Yankees fan, and I always notice the reverse. Even now after the Red Sox success, Yankees fans almost never talk about the Red Sox outside of the head-to-head match ups. But when I check a Red Sox board, they're basically obsessed w/ everything NY.

Gotta admit - I'm jealous of the Pats signing Judon. He says all of the right things & has a great attitude - but he's just a beast on the field. Exactly the kind of player & leader any team wants. Totally disruptive when I have seen the Pats play. He's just a one-man wrecking crew out there.

Yeah - snow is not a big deal for QB's. The wind is a different story. Allen has a clear advantage over Jones in that case, if you're just comparing the 2. But we're not just comparing the 2 - the Patriots are MUCH more built for that kind of game. Their entire season has been running to set up the pass. And they have a great run game. Could be a distinct disadvantage, but we just have to roll w/ it. No controlling it or changing anything. I feel like they need to take these late season & playoff games into more consideration when constructing the team, quite honestly. I love what Beane has done & I'm sure he has thought of this, but here we are. If it's really windy, it hurts this team (just like the Ravens game in the playoffs).

Nailed it. Not popular here, but I respect Belichick & Brady. I'm a fan of the game as well as of the Bills, and what they accomplished together is remarkable. I used to "hate" Jordan as a Knicks fan - but when I took my kids to the HOF, I was like, "I saw the flu game!" I marvel at what he's done now. The fans are another story. I have quite a few friends up that way, and I really avoid sports talk w/ them in general. All the "hate us cuz they ain't us" jealousy stuff is right there in the mirror for so many of the older fans who hated the Yankees the same way, and STILL do to this day though they have had 15+ years of success against them.

I mean, you're just mailing it in at this point.

I absolutely love the premature, cartoonishly over-the-top hype about Mac Jones. It's awesome. Because he's not going to be as good as everyone thinks right now. He can't possibly be, because they already have him in the HOF. If you watch Pats games, he benefits greatly from the protection he has. This isn't to say that he hasn't been very good, but he can't move well, and has to wind up on any throw over 15 yards. The weaknesses in his game will be much more exposed as time goes on, and his strengths - like accuracy - just won't improve that much more. He's who scouts thought he was. Most pro ready, least upside.

Like fumbling in the last minute against Miami, or giving up a 30 yard pass from Dak Prescott on 4th down to lose that game? Those kinds of things?

I feel like last year went a long way toward breaking the "hex" or whatever it is - but 20 years is a pretty long time. It feels more like a work in progress. But I agree - the players didn't experience that, just the fans. I don't think the players really think about it at all. On a side note, when I peruse the Pats boards, they're always talking about the "in their heads" and "rent free" stuff. And it's absolutely true. Clearly, as I find myself perusing their boards when there is really no reason to. But then I think, wait a sec - isn't this the same fanbase that STILL chants "Yankees suck!" at sporting events where NY isn't involved?

Personally, as a fan, I've enjoyed the last few weeks of coverage nationally. The Bills are an afterthought, and completely back under the radar. I think Brees said on Monday that the 3 teams to beat in the AFC were the Ravens, Patriots and Bengals. Yes, those Bengals. Meanwhile, the Pats hype is beyond Dallas 1990's level. They're back! Mac is just like Brady! Here we go again - another 20 year dynasty! If the Bills prevail, it will make winning that much more fun. But, of course, knowing the media they'll hot take right back into hyping the Bills and saying the Pats were all Brady if that happens.

20 years has been numbing in that area. Every friggin' game. But a lot of that was Brady. Though, I'm sure they fear Belichick as well, and want to make him happy.

All that said about no excuses, Duggar is a big loss for them. Their D plays really solid, complimentary football - but there aren't too many standouts. Duggar, Jackson & Judon are the 3 who could be called stars, imo. I hope we can exploit that, if he ends up missing the game.

What's all of this talk of excuses if Duggar can't play? We lost TRE WHITE. Next man up & all. The Pats have benefitted in just about every game from their opponent losing multiple great players...

Mac has been spectacular w/ time in the pocket. No one mentions his line too much. It's one of the best in the league now. When he's pressured, he looks like an entirely different QB. Of course, you can say that about any QB. But I'd say it's significant w/ him. He just doesn't move in the pocket well, and he's not elusive. Barring improvements in that area, he'll generally need stellar protection to play this well.

Mac will never have a better coach in his career than BB, and it's likely his O-line will never again be as good as it is now. Both are keys to how well he's playing right now. We'll see how long he has both. I think it's more possible that he regresses in the years ahead than it is that he improves.

That sounds promising, at least.

I mean, him doing this, Pats fans hyping him to the moon, the media anointing him the best from the draft - this is all going to make a hilarious 30 for 30 years down the line. "What if I told you that a rookie QB tried to step into the shoes of the greatest of all time...."

Getting Star back is huge, especially heading into a game against NE, who focus on the run. He changes our D against the run. I'm not sure if we would have beaten the Colts with him (probably not that day), but it wouldn't have been that kind of day if he was in there.

McGinist was a great player - but he's a pure homer. Bruschi is the same. Those guys should watch former players like Aikman & Simms - I can watch them commentate on games w/ their former teams & I'd never know they played for those teams.

I totally forgot how good the patty melt was until this thread. Thank you. It will be my next diner order, without hesitation.

I wish that "Backstreet Boys" tune wasn't in a prominent commercial. I find myself singing it subconsciously all day.