Success

This, SB loss hangover & Beane making better offseason moves = Bills taking the AFC next season.

Yep. We couldn't duplicate what the Bucs did in our game against the Chiefs, or even come close to it. Our coaches are smart. Playing soft and bend/don't break was a risk, but they deemed it was their best chance. I can't fault that, even though it didn't work. We don't have the kind of players on D that the Bucs do.

Thinking about it, our SB chances probably ended w/ something that doesn't get talked about too much - Beasley breaking his fibula. With a fully healthy Diggs & Beasley, we could probably overcome an 80% Brown & Davis against anyone. It would be close, but I think our O would still move. With Beasley struggling and no elite TE to throw to, we were too easy to defend.

Yep. Always tough to adjust the day after the SB. Things all of a sudden feel a bit empty. At least this year we had great Bills football all through January. What a difference. I can't wait to see what the offseason has in store for us, and what our team will look like heading into next season.

In general, pundits and fans have to stop talking like QB's play each other. They ALWAYS did that w/ Brady and Manning. Especially early in Manning's career, when the Pats owned him - it was always "Look how much cooler Brady is in the game - the bright lights get to Manning more." Well, Brady never had to face a BB designed defense year after year, and figure that out. And it was the same w/ Mahomes & Allen 2 weeks ago. It was literally some sort of consensus that Mahomes had some sort of "mental" edge, and handled pressure better. What pressure? We hardly touched him. Meanwhile, Allen had guys in his face all day.

Fair points. I agree about Allen. I would NOT trade Allen for Mahomes right now. I think they're close, and I think Allen has a higher ceiling. It was weird watching last night. It almost looked like a mirror image of the game we had w/ them - especially the way Mahomes was running from pressure all night, sometimes retreating 20+ yards from the LOS. There were so many hot takes after our game w/ them that it showed the "mental" advantage Mahomes had over Allen - but clearly, pressure makes a difference. Still, I thought he made some amazing escapes and throws last night. But we've seen Allen do the same under pressure.

Mahomes was actually spectacular in one of the worst SB performances a QB has had in recent years. Some of those throws while he was falling down were just jaw dropping. His receivers weren't helping him.

I wouldn't want to face the Bucs if we get there next year. A lot can change from season to season, but at this point, it's simply not fair: when you have a player at the most important position in football who has been to TEN Super Bowls - half of the years of his career - it's a completely lopsided advantage. You just can't match that with anything else.

One thing that got lost - and that I originally thought would be looked back on as a big turning point - was the Chiefs goal-line stand. That was spectacular. Wasted ultimately - but pretty inspired at the time.

Maybe I'm off, but that doesn't seem obviously uncatchable to me. It's hard to tell where he would be without the trip.

That timeout was kind of inexplicable. Once TB gets it to 3rd & short, you abandon the idea of getting the ball back. There were just over 40 seconds left - the risk/reward isn't there at all in that situation. Even if you get the ball back, with no timeouts, there is a slim chance of scoring. That basically ended the game. Looking at twitter, it really harkened back to some of Reid's clock management issues in the past.

The only athlete I can compare Brady to is Michael Jordan. I love Manning and Rodgers - but both of those guys have had moments that they could have seized, and seemed to shrink from. I never had the impression with either that they felt 100% great about having the ball in a critical moment, late in a big game. Both have had spectacular plays in those situations, but both have come up small, as well. Brady & Jordan both have, for lack of a better term, that "psycho thing." It's almost beyond killer instinct. It's like they live for those situations where everything is on the line and a billion people are watching.

Great post. I remember when the Colts had Manning - and we've seen this in other places: when a team gets such a good QB, the temptation is to try to acquire skill position players high in the draft & FA. But success lies in building up the lines. Win those trenches. That was the Pats blueprint all of those years - outside of Moss, they never went out of their way for skill positions. And great point about Oliver. The better all of the players are on the line, the better everyone is.

Nope. If you don't agree w/ me, just do a quick youtube of that late hit on Tre.

When it comes to winning championships, the no brainers are QB and coach. With few exceptions, you need very good to great in both roles. But pass rush is probably a very close 3rd. It seems like every team that has hoisted the Lombardi at the end has one of the better ones in the league. There is no substitute for being able to harry and hurry an opposing QB & keep them under pressure all game, especially if you can build a lead. And it's our biggest area of weakness. Our top guy had 5 sacks all season. Beane knows what he has to do here.

Patriots fans are loving it today - but they probably won't be if TB goes up there next year and dismantles them in front of the home crowd, as he probably will. And they probably won't love either the entire nation of pundits spending the offseason saying, "See? It was Brady all along. BB is overrated...."

There were a couple of Chiefs fans here the past couple of weeks doing some humble bragging. It wasn't egregious, but I just thought it was bad etiquette after a loss like we had. Give it a couple of months before talking about how much better the Chiefs are than the Bills as of today & all that. Much MORE egregious was their main board. Other fanbases were talking about how insufferable Chiefs fans had become, and I always thought it was hyperbole - but that board was somethin' else. I've said it before, but it's the 1st place on the internet that I will not go back to. A completely toxic place, where we need stronger words than "arrogant" to adequately describe the general tone. Last night was a bit of humble pie for all of them. And I didn't really mind seeing Brady hoist another as much as I thought. 6, 7 - what's the difference.

Did you watch this past NFL season?

I've seen too many "I feel like we won the SB!" from Pats fans tonight. Kind of weird, but I get the allegiance to TB. Personally, I think it takes some luster off of BB. Brady can clearly do it without him....can he do it without Brady? I doubt he coaches long enough to prove he can.

It's been said a lot, but the really irritating thing is that we KNOW the Chiefs' DB's played the same way against us - we just didn't get the calls that the Bucs did. Hard to be too upset. I'm glad I don't feel right now like I would if we lost this game, and we likely would have if we made it.

Honestly, there was talk on another thread about how because of Allen, we need to keep investing in better & better weapons - that our receivers weren't quite as good as the Chiefs, and that needed to be the focus. Trenches, trenches, trenches. I don't care if they don't make another move at receiver for the next 2 years.

No comparison. Getting to the AFCCG is still viewed as a great accomplishment, even if you lose. Lose the SB, and you're a loser.

2-3 times out of 10. Not nearly good enough.

Anyone else feel worse about Gronk winning another (and playing really well) than Brady? I just don't like Brady because he beat the Bills for 20 years. Gronk had one of the dirtiest plays I've ever seen in the NFL, against one of my favorite Bills. Never like seeing that guy celebrate, or be celebrated.

Everyone was downplaying losing 2 starting tackles a bit much. Against the Bucs line? That's pretty devastating. Too much to overcome, and it showed on the field. Mahomes was never comfortable.