Success

Exactly this. We've all seen it. We can THINK we have a great D, but they simply do not show up in the playoffs. Probably more of an excuse this past season w/ the injuries - but I roll my eyes when I see someone talking about our regular season D ranking. For whatever reason, and it may be because McD overthinks it, or injuries, or some other factor - our defense in the playoffs has been mediocre. And it has been, as you said, particularly bad against the Chiefs. Though the Bengals game last year also stands out.

That's all pretty fair. My take immediately following the KC game was that we just lost one guy too many. Just give me either Bernard or Milano in that game. I felt like the situation at LB was simply too weak w/ the top guys out. I think what drove this thread was all of the hand-wringing about Beane I've been seeing, and to a lesser extent McDermott (with the latter, I think there is legit concern). If we hadn't been hit quite as hard, there is a chance we'd be singing the praises for both guys today. But your overall point is solid: great teams overcome it all.

He's already very good, and he's 23. We've seen so many players here take a leap - Oliver, Epenesa, Bernard. I don't think we have seen Rousseau's best yet. But he's already very good.

I don't mind it. It's not some crazy idea. Football is a team game. Mahomes has had much better coaching to this point, and better all-around teams. Obviously, most think Mahomes is better at this point, and even the GOAT. It reminds me of Brady/Manning. After Brady won a few SB's, some considered the debate over. But how could you compare a guy w/ the GOAT coach to a guy who played for 5 different coaches? Coaching is so important to winning that final game. In the end, of course, Brady proved himself the better QB. And Mahomes might still do that also. But I'll be actively watching the next decade or so to see how it all plays out.

In some ways, it felt that way - especially after the fake punt. But we absolutely dominated TOP. It was a close game. Both teams had breaks & mistakes.

Did I say that they should be awarded a Lombardi?

For the record, I don't equate that board w/ Chiefs fans in general. From my own encounters, they're like any other fans. And I've always liked KC (in the past) because they were similar to Buffalo in some ways (small market, not a great playoff history, etc.) Though, I certainly do not like them now. Chiefs Planet is more of a product of poor moderating. You're sugarcoating the tone of that board. It's a notorious board in NFL fandom, as you should know, since you seem to have a proclivity for visiting opposing team's boards.

I've been to a lot of boards. It stands alone - most seem to agree on that from what I've seen. It was MUCH more than "some vulgarity." I saw so many posts wishing for injury of opposing players. It was dark.

Chiefs Planet is a toxic place. I went there a few times around the 13 seconds game. Will not go back.

Nope.

I'm starting to see the duality of it more & more. Sometimes, I think posters here are too negative, and I have to remind myself that I'm an incurable homer. I defended Whaley all the time on here, and loved trading up for Watkins. I thought Orton was the answer. I appreciate the back & forth much more now. The "nancies" have actually been right more often than not. Recently, I just feel like things have worked against us. But I get that the end result is really all that matters.. When we get one - WHEN - we'll all celebrate together.

Found it: Page 2 of the discussion. "I totally disagree with the notion that Beane has built a Super Bowl caliber roster over the past three seasons." Pretty definitive. I respect the Chiefs. They're a great team, with a great coach & QB. But they have had luck we haven't had. With the officiating last year, and w/ injuries this year. Honest question - really think about the answer: if the Chiefs had the injuries we had on defense going into the playoff game, and we were as healthy as they were: who wins?

Not in the thread I'm thinking of. You specifically said that Beane had not built a Super Bowl-caliber roster. I will find it. It was just before the SB.

That doesn't sound very logical. It sounds more like an emotional response to the fact that we lost to them again - but it's not an objective viewpoint.

That's an interesting way to look at it. I'm aware of the "ifs" that go against the Bills. But the underlying, main point is that the Bills are rightthere w/ the Chiefs. The games come down to a play or 2. Would you agree? Or are you of the mindset that the Bills are somehow light years behind the champs? Please expound.

He also said that Beane hasn't built a Super Bowl-caliber roster yet. Which I disagreed with, as his team - which is clearly SB caliber, as they won it - barely squeaked by a very beat-up Bills team in the playoffs. I mean, if Diggs makes that catch, it's a very different game. If Chris Jones gets there a half second later, it's a different game. We were right there w/ KC - so how were we not SB caliber? And I'd disagree a bit on superstars. Diggs is a superstar. I don't think he was healthy down the stretch. Kincaid is a superstar in the making. We have one of the better pass rushes in the league. Our O-line is as good as it has been in the JA era. Cook is easily a top 5 RB. EDIT: I completely forgot to add how much I enjoy KC fans coming here and Chiefsplaining to us why our team isn't good enough.

The Jets game was just weird. The season opener, Rodgers getting hurt early, Allen kind of falling apart. But after that, we tore through September. Allen was firing on all cylinders, and the defense was as good as I've seen in the McDermott era. It was smothering, aggressive, flying to the ball. Man, was that D good. Our D when we faced KC at the end was a shell of that D. Every team has to deal with injuries. No doubt. But seriously, who dealt w/ more, and which team was clearly impacted by losses? We lost Hines & Damien Harris before things really started. Then, in one fell swoop, we lost Milano, Tre & Jones. Arguably the top 3 guys on our defense. Then we lose Benford, Rapp, Spector and Bernard, the latter of whom had picked up the slack in ways that were completely unexpected. So excited to see him AND Milano on the field this coming season. It wasn't just that we had to navigate the playoffs without quite a few of our best players. Even some of the guys playing, like Rasul Douglas, were clearly playing hurt and less effective. People always say the same thing: "excuses, excuses." To which I respond: "reality." If KC had the extent of injuries we had, and we were as healthy as they were, I have no issue saying that there isn't a snowball's chance in hell they would beat us.

You go around to other team's boards to correct inaccurate narratives? Man, that would be exhausting for me. Most boards have very hardcore fans, and the narratives are all over the place. But I think hardcore fans are allowed to have more exaggerated views on their team. It would never occur to me to be some sort of "narrative police" on another team's board, and try to correct fans all the time. Fans are allowed to be excited about their team. They're allowed to think in more partisan terms about their team & their players, on their own board, without getting laughing emojis from fans of a team who has been their main obstacle & who just won another title a week ago.

Maybe not an "inferiority" complex. But I find the fact that KC fans are posting here less than a week after winning their 3rd title, and particularly the tone & focus of their posts, to be a bit odd. It is so far from what I'd be doing if the Bills ever get one.

That's actually a good recovery. But your original post was to get a rise out of Bills fans.

And you're also contradicting yourself here - you said yourself recently that Beane hadn't built a Super Bowl-caliber roster. Much of what you posted above are team accomplishments. I actually laugh when I see the head-to-head in the playoffs arguments now, from anyone. I also laugh when Pats fans say that Mahomes can never be the GOAT, because Brady beat him in both head-to-heads. As though they were playing each other, and not the other team's defense.

Good for you. Then you shouldn't expect to come here & find every single poster bowing down to the majesty of Mahomes & KC. You shouldn't expect to come here and find Bills fans moping around in misery, saying "woe is us, we will never beat the mighty Chiefs." You shouldn't expect to come here finding thread after thread praising your team & coach. And there is already a lot of that. But this is a fan board, and most here are Bills fans. I'm sorry that your main board is one of the most toxic places in the universe, but if you come here, at least be aware that this board is not dedicated to pumping up KC.

I didn't say Allen was the better QB. In fact, I said the opposite.

I have heard than when teams start winning a lot of Super Bowls, their fans get a little bored, and it's not quite enough. They feel a need to go to other team's boards as kind of a "hope police," to make sure those fans don't get any strange ideas about winning a title, or being excited about their team. Your team won less than a week ago, and you're here talking down the Bills' team construction, players and chances for a title, and doing the laughing emoji thing & all that. Not something I would be doing if my team won. Ever.

We've come full circle. You're back to arguing that football is not a team game. Which, as we all know, it is.