corta765

Nope won't do it. Either its a home run or they just cost us the Super Bowl and franchise is imploding. THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND, THIS IS SPARTAAA!!!

Now that we finally are moving towards some real news and action in the NFL I finally am starting to think about the season and I had a thought of what month is the most enjoyable to watch football both in terms of excitement, teams having a chance, and overall quality of play. Going through the months I kind of thought of them like this: September: Always exciting to start the season as hope springs eternal, but overaction season also to the max. Also living in NYS the weather is still really nice where maybe staying inside all of Sunday isn't as appealing. Also the NFL typically puts some of their lesser night matchups them so if the team isn't great it is gone quickly. October: The games seem to really take some true importance and teams are at the point to many losses sink a season. There is something kind of mystical of a nice late October day watching football and its mid 50s out. Pretenders usually start to fall at this point while the real teams emerge. Last year on October 31st 11 of the 14 teams in the playoff spots made the playoffs with the Bengals were 4-4, the Jags and Bucs making made season runs while the Jets, Titans, and Falcons eventually fell. Basically you can trust what you see November: The big games matter more but some lesser ones really emerge in national windows, the weather can get dicey where attending a game outdoors can get precipitation, and college football seems to take some of the limelight. Also a lot of teams have byes so your options of games to watch lower giving less quality matchup options. Thanksgiving is 50/50 with some years giving some really entertaining games and other years not as much. The Lions forever holding America hostage at the 12:30 spot has not helped the quality piece although maybe they are finally turning the corner. December/Jan: Five of the eight division winners basically had their spot by Dec 26th. Despite the NFLs claims of parity, usually most division races are decided early in the month and the end is more about the playoff spots (still fun). At the same point there is no dodging the bad games at primetime and if you choose to watch them more power to you. The Saturday games haven't been too bad as the NFL smartened up with 5 options at night at least. Also you do get a big matchup like CIN-BUF or DAL-PHI late which is pretty cool, but realistically those games usually happen by the start of December with the NFLs focus on division at the end. The holidays falling on the weekend also make viewing difficult or challenging in a way which is never any fun. For me if I were to rank the greatest enjoyment of when I watch the NFL by month and what it brings I would do the following: October September November December/Jan

In my Bills adult fandom (post college 22 on) I know because of the dumb blackout rule I missed a few in 2010-2011 so it was listen to Murph or nothing. They also were so bad I probably did not watch a few. But of since 2013 the Bills have been such a part of our Sunday routine that the only time I can think of ironically was the Bills Phins this last season at home. My wife went to the game and I wasn't gonna spend a bunch of money on a TV package for one night so I worked on my trains in the basement and just looked at ESPN from time to time to see an update. To be 100% honest I was far less stressed about the outcome which even though they won people were annoyed with the game and the refs.

Some whiskey, maybe pizza wings, clean my shotguns if I'm feeling wild

Honestly I despise playing on Thanksgiving before even thinking about guys out injuired. My family has people over at 12:30 then I drive back to Rochester for dinner at 4pm, then come home to get the kids in bed by 730. At least the Dallas game we could stay the whole time, but the other two either I missed part of it or it was late where I was passing out. Thanksgiving Sunday is an elite football day to relax after the holiday and games on that day when it is your team blow.

I had thought the same but with 9/11 Monday and Giants/Jets playing this year I have thought they put that as the opener for SNF or MNF. Fields was pretty dynamic last year and Chicago is a massive market. As long as the NFL thinks the game matters come 4th quarter I can easily see it happening.

The logic Mike had is that they usually draw pretty strong opening night and with Detroit being a hot team last year and Chicago having Fields and some hype they can draw similar numbers without touching Bills - Phins - Bengals- Eagles or AFCW. Pretty much every home game for KC you could make an argument for primetime. As a Bills fan I am all for not starting in KC.

Genius they would be going to KC

Hey everyone the annual interview Sal from WGR is up with Mike North on the NFL schedule. It is a superb listen and informative on how everything comes together: My takeaways as a schedule guru: -opening not prob not BUF, CHI or DET might be the fav -thanksgiving for Bills no, but Black Friday def possible & I could see Thursday game before or after with new rule -at MIA week 18 pencil in -Saturday Buffalo probably likely again in the group of 5 games that is selected. -Probably more home games earlier this year but still some DEC. -Bills Jets will happen TNF/SNF/MNF probably first 5 weeks -Buffalo will max primetime (6 plus one flex) and it will be spread throughout. -Bills KC my guess MNF close to holidays -DEN very possible opponent as they have said they are open to going again

Heck if the defense could've made a tackle on 3rd down they could've won by two scores lol.

I break it down like this: 2019- Met and might have exceeded as he was part of Josh's development 2020- Exceeded to the max. 2021- Met although with an asterisk for the playoff loss to KC. 2022- Failed to meet expectations. 2022 was when Camelot fell for me and it was before the CIN game. It was the first season with him as coach where some true questions had to be asked on how the team played and how keyed in he was with it. The way they lost to CIN more then the loss forced open some true questions that we will get answers to the next 2-3 years good or bad. I have said many times that record wise 2021 felt like 13-4 and 2022 felt 11-6, but they lucked out in one score game in 22' in ways they didn't in 21. The back half of the season the 21 Bills felt like they were peaking, 22' felt like a team struggling to find itself and I am sure the amount of distractions and uncontrollable things happening had an impact.

But I don't see where he McCoy was wrong about the team itself. Lightening the load for Josh by adding a WR is more helpful then a RB. Kelly played when feature backs were a thing and real, that isn't the way anymore. Heck McCoy himself was a feature back and says as much. And he is not wrong either that Kelly loves to talk every offseason and everyone eats it up. It was a low blow to go about the SB losses and they seem to have a difference on quite a few things. But if the idea is what helps Josh more Shady is far more right then Jim.

OIder non cookie cutter 70s style stadiums were built in a way which fans were on top of you and it felt intense while also intimate. Some newer stadiums have managed to keep this like Seattle while others Dallas/NYG-Jets/LA to a lesser extent are beautiful coliseums or just big and the fans are really spread out by design. All of the AFC North stadiums have always had an intimidating feel on TV with how they look whereas the AFC South minus TEN does not have that impact at all. IND stadium is beautiful, but the Dome actually felt more intense IMO.

This is correct. Buffalo has been voted best sightlines routinely as there is a good view all over and the fans are on top of the field in a sense. Many newer stadiums like Metlife took the crowded on top feel away for much larger longer spacious environments. I have read that its not as loud anymore at Metlife because it is so much spacious and giant/jet fans do not like that.

Yes she was there representing the team. I read it from a few places: https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/ryan-ohalloran-laura-pegula-represents-bills-at-nfl-meetings-and-other-topics-of-note/article_91f31434-ce47-11ed-8735-1b192691c8fa.html

So without getting into the Allen v Mahomes piece, the 2017 draft literally set the table for the current Bills. Buffalo added Tre, Milano, & Dawkins 3 top starting players plus with the KC trade it also was used to get Allen & Edmunds by extension of the draft capital they had. The Bills literally added 5 top starters which included their QB to build a new base. Had the Bills drafted Mahomes you are not getting half of that and without going down the rabbit hole Mahomes is in a much different starting point himself then in KC. Circumstance and surroundings matter in every sports and organization and what worked somewhere does not mean it will work in the next. Remember the Bills cap situation itself in 2017 and 2018 was f*cked. EVEN if Mahomes went off you were not building around him until 2019 with more established pieces. By comparison while KC had a tighter cap they were in a far more ready made situation out of the get go something that took Buffalo 3 years to do. It is just so incredibly difficult to play What If when things are so vastly different in so many capacities.

I rewatched SB28 last August. Defense actually did what it could and kept the team in as long as they could. Once Thurman fumbled the offense wasn't the same and couldn't get drives going. Dallas feasted on them at that point. The only thing that maybe would've changed the outcome would've been completely adjusting the gameplan to bait Dallas on screens and quick passes because of how good that front was. SB28 Buffalo 100% had a chance and it did get away, to Dallas credit they got going and were not stopped.

That year was loaded with Billsy WTF losses. Pats week 2 they roar back only for Tyrod to throw a bad INT, Giants week 4 Tyrod runs a beautiful 40 yard TD and its called back as they shot themselves 13 times in the foot, Jags week 7 enough said, Pats MNF week 11 McCoy end of 1st half drops a gorgeous TD pass from Taylor that would've had them up, week 12 KC Bills piss away 10-0 lead and 16-7 lead to lose 30-22, and week 14 the Eagles game the Bills could've taken the lead twice tied at 20 in the 4th and failed to. They literally had two regular losses they got beat CIN and when WSH ran roughshot, otherwise every other freaking game was maddening to a point you just were pissed off at their inability to finish. I need a glass of whiskey after going back down that PTSD train.

We host the Jags this year so they have to come to us. It has been rumored Jags would play their home game and then be "at" the Bills the following week or vise versa. They have not done that yet but this year may change that.

I usually just go to Tullys for the high end chicken tenders

Correct based on their tweet somewhere week 5-8 Buffalo will be in London and the Jags are very possibly the opponent. They are saying May 11th this year as they usually release on a Thursday. I have thought Bills open at home also as the only time they opened on the road back to back week 1 was 18' at Bal and 19' at NYJ in the last decade.

I follow NFL Schedule Update on twitter who is pretty solid on leaks yearly. Based on todays tweet expect the Bills to play in October and it is very possible it is against the Jags. Pats will be hosting in Europe week 9 or 10 and Chiefs week 10 or 11 vs the Bears.

Buffalo against the bigger more physically aggressive teams in the SB struggled and never made adjustments to counter the blitz either. I watched SB28 last year start to finish for fun (I know big FUN) and I walked away with the offense being unable to make consistent plays and drives. The 1st half Buffalo had Dallas off guard but only walked away with 13 pts. Once Dallas got going Buffalo never adjusted or countered to any degree. I understand the no huddle being what it was made the Bills offense go, but their unwillingness to evolve the strategy with new concepts and at times slow it down worked against them in each subsequent SB after 25.

So one element that needs to be factored in that is not brought up enough is the format of the league in terms of the playoffs and schedule. The NFL back then only had ten teams total make it in and there were three divisions so only two wild card spots. The 82 season more teams made it because of the strike, but the strike messed with teams badly and some teams that normally would've made it didn't. The four division structure waters down things where an 8-9 Brady team did make a playoff birth AND hosted a playoff game. Also the LA Rams actually were a real in division issue for San Fran throughout the entire 80s making the playoffs every year from 1980 - 1989 minus 81/82/82 two of which were strike years and winning the division in 85. At no point did the Patriots have an division threat that large they had to contend with which allowed NE to regularly host at least one playoff game at home. Now throw in the way QBs are protected today vs the 80s when Montana was at his peak and that is another element that you cannot quantify either but it 100% has an impact. Overall Brady is the GOAT to me, but Montana is the only one with a legitimate case across the board at him and factoring in these other elements it gives some real credence to the idea in todays conditions and structure he could've had a similar lasting success how Brady did.

So I don't know if I would say he was underrated, but with a little more luck in a few very tight games the drought probably starts after 06 or 07. I think he was an average couch and the bounces really went against him as a coach. Jauron to me was a coach who the league started passing by at this point, for the early 2000s and earlier he was fine for how the league played its games. He was about ball control, playing safe, running the ball, and limiting mistakes to give yourself a chance. The problem was by 06-07 the league was morphing into an aerial show that rewarded aggression not conservativeness. Plus throw in the NE factor that you had perhaps the best team in the league yearly to contend with it almost always left you at an 0-2 starting point. 06- AFC Wildcard was taken by the 9-7 Chiefs. The Bills went 7-9 with one score losses to at NE, NYJ, at DET, at IND, SD, and TEN. Week 17 at BAL meant nothing so hard to know what happens if it matters, but literally a bounce or two makes that week different with BUF 8-7 or even 9-6. It isn't a stretch to say they were close and as we saw in 2017 it doesn't take much to alter everything. 07- AFC Wildcard was 10-6 that year by the Titans. The Bills actually were 7-6 with 3 weeks to go and again had four one score losses including the infamous DEN and DAL choke jobs. Same scenario as 06' week 17 was a nothing game at PHI so with a bounce or two again (or DEN and DAL missed FGs) BUF might be playing for something. 08- Same old story better start with crappier finish and again three tight losses to CLE, at NYJ, and SF that alter trajectory of things. I have always though had the Bills beat CLE on the last second FG they would've been alright, instead I think it broke them mentally and pressure wise as they had no wiggle room. Regardless even if Jauron goes 10-6 in 07' for insistence to make the playoffs they are one and done and we end up in a similar place. The only change might have been Buffalo is picking in the draft top 3 with Luck and RG3 instead of the year prior with Cam.