Success

Ever been to the Pats boards? They have the best RB's in the league. Mac Jones is already better than Brady was early in his career and will win multiple SB's. Their D is like the '85 Bears. A new dynasty is starting, and the rest of the league just has to deal.

Well, when you put it THAT way. I mean, that really isn't much of a list as far as QB's go. That post gave me more hope.

Wouldn't we be hearing about someone by now? I know it's just been a day, but every day counts. You would think they'd want someone to have a full week, even as depth.

Gotta admit - I'd feel a little better if we signed someone. I'm good rolling w/ Jackson, but now our depth is basically gone. I have to think they're considering a vet.

As it has been for almost my entire adult life - it's all about the Patriots. Some therapist a few years down the line doesn't know it yet, but they're going to hear more about Belichick than they ever imagined when they started their career.

Who was around for our 1st SB? The Giants lost PHIL SIMMS late in the season. Bad memory, but happens all of the time in sports. If anyone listens to Bill Simmons (not recommended), he calls it the "Ewing Theory," based on a season where the Knicks lost Ewing and actually seemed to play better.

Not scientific, but I feel like Tre is going to be one of the guys who surprises everyone w/ a shorter recovery & that he's back by September.

The biggest thing w/ losing Tre - how many more points will opposing teams score? How many more passes will they complete? Tre wasn't the top player on a middlin' defense. Tre was the top player on a D of great and good players, and the secondary in particular has one of the best safety tandems in the league. Like the OP said, it's just not going to be night & day back there without him, as good as he is. We'll still have a top pass defense.

I mean, the irony.

Humble brag.

Anyone think they play him at nickel, and move one of the other guys (or an acquisition) outside?

Dane doesn't have to be White, or anything close to how good White is. He needs to be capable and coachable. What we need from him is play that's good enough so that White's loss doesn't create a vulnerability that opposing DC's and QB's can exploit.

He tore his ACL, and he's out for the season.

It's not nonsense or fantasy to suggest that this kind of thing COULD be a rallying event. In fact, it's frequent sports history.

Well, they think they're a shoo-in for the division now. A quick glance at their boards & it's equal parts celebratory and assured that losing White will end the Bills chances. Man, does that fanbase grate on me.

Gotta see how it goes the rest of the way. I'm open to Dane Jackson emerging, or any possibility. If whatever they put together for the rest of this season works, there won't be a reason to make CB a high priority. They'll know more about where Tre stands on draft day, also - hopefully, he can get back on the field in a reasonable timeframe and still be a big part of next season.

Man, don't look at twitter or any rival boards. Fans are different in the internet age.

True. I feel like they can be a resilient team and get past this - but we won't know for a few weeks. The hope is always that we can look back and say something like, that was terrible at the time, but the team really came together & made it work. I can't help but think about a bad memory - how it must have felt for Giants fans when they lost Phil Simms before the '90 SB. And there are many other examples in sports history. This year alone, many wrote the Ravens off after their early-season injuries.

This season has been a weird one, and there has been something off in most games that most of us haven't been able to put our fingers on. A Jags defender noted it in that game - the team hasn't seemed as hungry, and at times has even looked disinterested. Today is an earthquake. I've gotta believe that every player on that team is thinking, "how do we overcome this? What more can I do to offset this?" It HAS happened that teams lose great players, and then go on incredible runs. This has happened in all sports, and it isn't that rare. We still have one of the best safety tandems in the league, and decent DB's overall. It won't be night & day in terms of pass coverage. The Bills can overcome this, and maybe they can use it for the extra motivation it seems like they've needed since September.

We need a thread on options. I'm woefully uninformed about who we have on our practice squad and how good our depth is. Has Dane Jackson been good when he has filled in? Why is Quinton Dunbar not playing for any other team now? I keep hearing his name come up as a potential signing.

Eliminate? Our defense will still be top 10 in the league. It is not that drastic.

Gut check. Can this team overcome a lost of one of their top players? We're about to find out. I think they'll be okay - our defense is solid, top to bottom. There is no sugarcoating this, but it doesn't have to mean the end of our SB chances.

We need to take a good lead against them. That's not a comeback team. Put them in a position where Jones has to lead them back from more than a score down, and it takes away from everything that they try to do.

With me, it's less fear, and more PTSD.

We're a bit fortunate in the next opponent. The Pats are built to be run heavy regardless, and while their passing game is efficient, their WR corps hardly strikes fear in anyone. It's more about covering the TE's w/ them, and stopping the run.