Success

"Really not close?" The 1st game was, even though the refs favored the Pats all game and the Bills had 3 turnovers. Even that last non-call against Shakir would have swung the game the Bills way. The Pats are skating on the lightest schedule a team has had for 50+ years. They have been squeaking by the past couple of weeks - couldn't believe that the Bucs didn't run on that last 3rd & 3 - and they will absolutely be exposed. Not as a bad team, because they're not that - but insanely overhyped and overrated. And for sure, you're trolling. Look at your responses on this thread.

We were way too banged up by the end in 2020. Beasley was playing on a broken leg. Diggs had an oblique, Davis & Brown were both injured. It was amazing that we were even able to hang in that game for awhile.

I'm determined to believe it. We look terrible, the Patriots are apparently "back," Allen doesn't seem like himself - I'll grab onto literally anything at this point. There is a thin tether to sports sanity at the moment.

I'll say it: "must win."

1 additional loss is a pretty rosy prediction for both teams. I think we're more likely to end up w/ that, though. I can see the Pats losing to us, Baltimore & Cincy, and possibly even to Miami and the Giants.

"Utter collapse" is pretty dramatic. We had a no-show kind of week, but it's hardly unusual for contending teams to have a few bad ones during the season. We just came off a game that the whole country watched & we played a fantastic game on both sides of the ball. Miami was a clear letdown game, and we looked flat from that 1st 3rd down attempt through the end. It happens. The Phins were incredibly motivated - it reminded me of how the Bills would get up for some of the Pats games during the drought (though we didn't actually win many). I was pretty down after the game, but there is too much panic right now. If we can get back to better health - and it looks like we are for the most part - we can go on a good run.

My guess would be that Hardman and Shavers are inactive. Probably another week for Hardman since he just got here.

Davis playing and having any kind of big game feels like what the team AND fanbase needs right now to restore some hope. No pressure though, Gabe.

I mean, that would be a "football? What's that? I'll spend my remaining Sundays learning to play the piano" kind of moment for me.

Yeah, that loss to Miami really hurts. What a frustrating game - we just didn't show up. NE has us, Miami once & the Jets twice. I have confidence we can beat them in a rematch, but I'm interested to see if they can sweep the other 3 games. Both Miami & NY gave the Pats fits at times even in the Brady years, and this year's NE team isn't really a world beater.

It would be pretty Billsy to finally get a Super Bowl as a WC.

I'm surprised guys like this are just floating around during the season. Looks like a good pick up considering our injuries.

Shakir had an injury "pop up" during the Miami game? We're breaking a league record for "pop up" injuries this year. I hope all of this early stuff means we end up healthier by the time the playoffs come around....

I like the idea of a mostly new receiver corps - Palmer, Shakir, Davis, Hardman, Moore. There is some good speed in a group like that, and if Davis really can regain some form, at least a legit #2.

Man, being a Bills fan is not for the weak.

He wasn't that good this past week, but it got pretty overlooked because they pulled off a win against a legit team. Seems to rely on the long ball quite a bit - he definitely has a good one, but it seems like that's something DC's can adjust to over time. It's hard to tell if he'll have an upward trajectory or if this was just a great stretch.

Checked out? I'm not that spoiled yet. I hope I never get to that point. We're still competing for the division, we're still a playoff contender, we could still end up w/ the 1 seed, etc. I endured the whole drought. I'm going to enjoy every moment of every season we have with Allen.

I'm without speech.

I know we won't - but I'd hire Daboll. He knows Buffalo & Josh, and it would be good to have an offensive-minded HC. Beyond that, if we hired him, for ONCE we would hire an actual DC with experience and their own schemes.

Boutte was a late-round steal. That guy is legit.

The Bills haven't only had 1 bad loss, or 1 bad game for that matter. They were bad in the losses to the Pats and the Falcons, and they haven't exactly been good in many of their wins. That probably sounds somewhat spoiled, but it's been an unimpressive team this year. I thought that 1st win against the Ravens would be some sort of springboard, but they have been largely mediocre since then. They're not passing the eye test. I'm still holding out hope that they can get hot toward the playoffs and maybe make a run, especially if their health can improve, but this isn't as good a team as most of the teams while Allen has been QB.

The turnovers are troubling - but unlike past years where we have had more of them, it doesn't feel like sloppy play this year. It feels like players on offense trying to do too much because we're so anemic at times. Josh's INT's and fumbles in particular just seem like he's forcing things when not much is there. It's a bit of heroball, but I don't think he has much choice at times.

I tend to lean homer too - but I don't think things are as bad as they look. Jackson wasn't really supposed to be a big contributor this year, and was more filling in for Epenesa, who will be back. We should get Sanders & Shaq back soon. Oliver & Hoecht have been big losses, but if we get Oliver back in the playoffs, we'll still be in decent shape. Not much margin for error, though. We can't sustain many more long-term injuries.

The Pats have had a remarkable season, but the fairy dust will likely be gone by the playoffs. They'd have a very tough time w/ a seasoned team like the Chiefs.

Have they announced that it's definitely surgery? If he has lower grade tears, he might still get back this year. Probably overly optimistic to dream of that, but that's where I'm at.