ShakAttack

I feel like if the Bills ever won a Super Bowl, I wouldn't let any tough loss get to me as much as I would right now. My first thought when reading "he took the loss hard" was dude... you JUST won the Super Bowl LAST SEASON!!! Come on. Maybe that's just me.

If not for that 1 week span with 3 major injuries, this would have actually been a relatively healthy season

You’re right. In fact, this article makes me feel bad … for myself, and the rest of us “internet nobodies” in here that root for this franchise and we are mostly all back on the “we can beat KC!!!” Bandwagon only to have this come out right before the game. Another distraction, for a team that is mentally weak, before the most important game of the year. Thanks a lot, Tyler Dunne. Jerk.

Great timing for all of this. Ugh.

Any word on Nick Bolton? I know he is practicing, and that last week he was practicing with a cast. Don't know if LP or FP (would be shocked if it was FP)

True. But does anyone else in the AFC really deserve anything this year either? Maybe the Ravens. But that’s all I’ve got.

I believe that we are very capable of beating KC. my problem is… If the Bills win, that would entail closing out a close game, against one of the most clutch players in the game. Based on this season alone, should I have any faith in our ability to do that? I want to , but I am so sick of being let down too

The Bills miss playoffs looking like one of the best teams in the NFL down the stretch, and better than the majority of the teams that will represent the AFC in the playoffs in this bizarre season. I am convinced this is our “Billsy” fate.

So am I the only one that rooted for KC today merely because I didn’t want to deal with Mahomes/Reid coming off a loss? Yeah. I probably was. for the record though, it wasn’t easy. Had to keep reminding myself that it’s what I wanted every time KC scored.

Wonder if there is any shot Miami resting starters by week 18. It wasn’t easy, and I had to keep reminding myself throughout the game, but I was actually rooting for KC today merely because I did not want to see them coming off a loss. And oddly enough, they lose the game and it felt oh so Bills-esque… but coming from the Chiefs!?!? So now I am starting to believe that it isn’t the Bills, these years of misfortune, maybe it’s just me! After all, the first NFL game I have ever watched was …….. Wide Right Sorry guys, I’d stop if I could.

And catches a pass on 3rd and 18. What's new.

This is the Bills though. It just seems too unlike the Bills to NOT give us any false hope. Anything less than this coming down to the wire only to be disappointed in the worst way would surprise me and... maybe even be a relief.

Yep. And of course, that’s why Dak is better than Allen.

Your description rendered only one person in my mind: Mike McDaniel Except he is good, and there is only one of him.

McDermott himself expressed concern over "wearing himself too thin" if he were to handle DC responsibilities along with HC, but he was given the job anyway. Perhaps not coincidentally, McDermott has made more mistakes in-game this season than any prior season. Maybe he knows himself best and the best version of himself is not when he is being overwhelmed with additional responsibilities he is not used to. From all reports, McDermott is a man of routine, and his routine has been very much thrown off this season. I don't think he was ever able to adjust perhaps in the way some may have expected him to. But again, the fact that he seemed to express doubt in himself ("don't want to wear myself too thin") should have been a red flag in itself. But what do I know? Do we give him any benefit of the doubt that perhaps with a proper DC, McDermott can be a better head coach again?

I do too. I actually had a good feeling going into the Eagles game, and turns out we should have won. You can get to Hurts; he just has great system and talent around him. Mahomes is not the same. Last year, Von Miller was the reason we were able to succeed defensively. This year, Von is a JAG (maybe being too generous). The teams that gave KC problems this season had something in common…. Top tier defenses. So yeah, I am with you. And I’m not watching the damn game lol. Just going to check score afterwards and hope for the best. Everything around the Bills is going to be unbearably depressing at that point though.

But there is only 1 bad team left on our schedule, so there is no way for your scenario to play out (as far as most Billsy way that our season ends). In this scenario if we still can’t beat good teams, then we are going to lose our next 2 games regardless, sitting at 6-8, with no hope in the first place. Although I guess there’s a Billsy scenario here where we lose to Chiefs and Cowboys, but win against Chargers and Pats, sitting at 8-8 and some how, some way, we end up with a path into the playoffs at 9-8 with a win against Miami, and Miami ends up having nothing to play for so they rest starters, and we still lose… aka the Bledsoe vs Steelers game all over again. Or willie Parker game. Whatever you want to call it. Yeah… maybe there is a Billsy way your scenario can play out after all. Hmm

And all very “KC” that they have dodged the misfortune other top AFC teams had to deal with this season (minus ravens, but they had Lamar injury last year instead) and despite a mediocre offense this season, they conveniently field a top 5 defense that makes up for it, along with a conveniently easy schedule and of course, no injuries! Nothing they can’t do without anyway.

Ok I’ve got it. Apologies if it’s been said before. Bills win out , and look like the best team in the entire NFL in the process (considering who they had to beat) but do NOT make the playoffs at 11-6 due to tie breakers. for the record, I don’t think this will happen, at all, but man would it be Billsy.

Had the same thought man. That's the GAME. Defense is about to run an all-out blitz. You're about to try to win the game with an option route after there has already been miscommunication on option routes during the game. Why not call TO and make sure everyone is aligned before taking the most important snap of the game to that point?? I hate thinking about this play and would could have been, but can't help it. It's always something or another. SMH

Was this thread inspired by our favorite Nick Wright by any chance? he specifically stated on Monday that even though he gives the bills 0% chance to make the playoffs, “the most billsy thing would be if they beat the chiefs and cowboys, then lose to chargers”.

The only thing I didn't like about it is knowing you have to make a decision on the fly in a Blitz zero situation, why did we rely on an option route in the first place? I feel like we should have ran a play vs. blitz zero where all the routes are concrete. Joe Brady is awesome, but that is one play call I find myself wondering about.

You know what's funny? The ONE exception to this under McDermott was the 2019 Bills. This is obviously the year before Allen took off as a player, but we made the playoffs because typically the defense was able to protect leads at the end of close games and even if we took a lead with ~5 minutes left, the defense would protect that lead the rest of the way. At least a few of those games ended with the defense forcing turnovers. As I recall, Tre White had at least a couple of those by himself. I can't really remember any close game trends one way or the other in 2020, but I do remember Allen coming back to beat the LA Rams after we blew a huge lead and had to re-claim it. But it seems like ever since 2021, we have had this bizarre trend of being among the NFL's best in point differential, yet being noticeably worse than other "elite" teams when it came to winning close contests. In 2021 specifically, I remember at one point it felt like we were either blowing teams out or losing, hence the 7-6 record, in which only 1 of those games were lost by more than 1 TD (Colts). Does that sound familiar? Anyway, when you see this happen repeatedly, and it's not because your offense is bad, you HAVE to point back to coaching at some point. But in 2019, it did go the other way around. I guess playmakers that forced turnovers was the difference that year.

for whatever reason I was able to move on from 12 men on the field sooner than this one. Maybe it’s because of how much it felt like a giant missed opportunity (even though you could argue so was denver)…. But this one…. Was much more of a “waste”. I think that’s it. Allen sucked against Denver. But you know, if I’m trying to be positive here, it also brought a necessary good to the Bills in Dorsey being fired and Brady taking over. Could be a similar deal with this Philly game (I.e. the game that ultimately gets McDermott fired). although, selfishly, firing McDermott will be slightly bittersweet for me, since my son was born on the same day we hired McDermott (1/11/17) and ended the drought, and I always thought that was pretty cool

It’s definitely bizarre and unusual that the same scenario has essentially played out 3x already this year. Including the point differential (3). And that we’ve lost all 3. A couple of “opposite” scenarios that come to mind was last year against Ravens and I think Miami game #2 ended this way as well. we had the ball towards end of game in both of those games (definitely in the ravens game) but down by LESS THAN 3 POINTS, so therefore, once we got into chip shot FG range, we were able to bleed the clock and ensure our opponent never touches the ball again. That is a 100x better situation to be in and that situation COULD have happened yesterday as well, but due to a couple missed FGs and a defensive blunder to give up that 3rd and 15 TD, we ended up being down by 4, needing a touchdown, and in that situation you can’t really bleed the clock because you have to take the opportunities to score when you have them.