The Red King

Oh, I haven't given up. All the AFC East teams share 14/17 games. It's why the Bills and Pats have soft schedules. The Bills are good enough and experienced enough that if they can just make it in they can beat anyone. Key is, *can*. I don't think they're favorites anymore, but I haven't given up. This thread, however, is for next season, which is an interesting discussion regardless of how this one ends. Barring a miracle or complete collapse, it looks like we're nabbing second place, leaving us to play some second place teams, while NE will be stuck with more first place teams.

If we're going to lose one, it would be best to lose to the Eagles, as they are an out of conference team, and conference record becomes the tie-breaker if they haven't played a team head-to-head.

Things got a *lot* rougher after last week. We have a chance to take out Pitt., giving us a two-game and tiebreaker on them. We've got a one-game lead and tie-breaker on KC. Houston is a real problem. We're only one-up on them, and they have the tiebreaker. The Chargers and Jags are tied with us, but currently hold tiebreakers. We're still in decent (not good, just decent) shape overall, given the schedules, but the margin for error just got a *lot* smaller.

As to why KC is a yearly thing... First, we rotate AFC divisions we play. We get the West next season, just as we did two seasons ago, and so on. However... For the two AFC divisions we don't play in a given season, we play the teams that finished in the same spot we did. We finished first in the East year after year, and KC finished first in the West, assuring that even if we didn't have the entire AFC West that season, we still had Kansas City. It's why we had them last season and this season. This also explains the TBDs on the OP. Those will depend on the final standngs.

Execute Order 66. Fire Beane, McD and Brady. Bring in a new GM and Head Coach with their own coordinators. We will always be indebted to McD for changing the culture and ending the drought. We'll be indebted to Beane for Josh and Cook. We'll be indebted to Brady for turning a season that was in a tailspin into one where we got the #2 seed. But...they're holding the team back and running it into the ground right now.

My biggest issue with Brady is that he can make good gameplans (stick with me here...), but they're designed in a vacuum. Nothing is geared *around* the personal we actually have, nor are any adjustments made. He tries hammering pegs into holes they don't fit, and if it doesn't work he just hammers harder. I would love to see a plan designed around who we actually have, and fluid enough to be changed mid-game.

I just hope people remember this before passing judgment on Bosa. He tore it up before an injury we're not resting him for.

At this point I'd be satisfied just making the playoffs so long as we keep the Chiefs from getting in via tiebreaker.

"Medic!"

I dub the O-Line "The Red Carpet".

The Bills can beat anyone in the league. Key word, *can*. They also have a lot of playoff experience compared to some up and coming teams. They also have vulnerabilities that have been exploited. Do I see them as a front-runner? No. But I also see a team that, with the league the way it is right now, that could very well go even from Wild Card to Super Bowl Champion.

Doing well as a curiosity does not guarantee doing well as a regular 17-game team.

I didn't think much of it, until I looked closer. Yes, they're chasing us for Wild Card, but then I looked at other Wild Card teams in the standings. We have a two-game lead on them, Chiefs and Ravens. We already own tie-breakers with the Chiefs and Ravens. With those tie-breakers, a win this Thurs. effectively gives us a three-game cushion. More so, should we end up with a three or four way tie, we'd still own the tie-breaker, as we would have beaten all of them head-to-head. Now, don't get me wrong, I still want the division, and haven't given up on that, but a win Thurs. would give us a lot of security for at least making the playoffs.

Good thing we didn't make a move before the deadline. Not seeing any vulnerabilities here...

One high-end receiver and this offense would have been unstoppable. I understand keeping an eye on the future, but I don't just want to keep losing in the divisional and championship rounds long-term. At some point we need to go all-in, and Beene refuses to do it. Do we want a Super Bowl ring, or the consistancy of almost being there?

Refs. Just stop the charade and let them come out wearing KC jerseys. I want 11v11 football.

Bruce Smith. We need a pass rusher and are already allowing former Bills to start for us.

This season they want true parity. There aren't any true runaway favorites. No overpowering, steamrolling teams. Powerhouses like Buffalo, KC and Baltimore are faltering. Upstarts like Indy, Denver and Carolina are joining the fight...though even they appear flawed. Keeps the season more interesting for more fans, and as a result keeps more $$$ coming in.

Actual math statistics, from a college course... ...what are the odds of getting a 'heads' on a coin? 50%. Now, lets say you flip a coin three times and manage to get 'heads' three times. What are the odds you get 'heads' again? 50%. Because the prior flips that already occured have no bearing at all on the next flip. So no, we do not need to lose the turnover battle on purpose to raise the odds against doing so later.

That "deer in a headlights" look on the kid's face choked me up a lil, not gonna lie.

Agreed. I can see both arguments. But I stand by KC potentially missing the playoffs outright.

We've put up 30+ points a game, all three games this season. Last season opposing QBs could set up lawn chairs and sip lemonade waiting for receivers to get open. I think we're okay on offense, and understand the focus on defense. Just gotta get healthy on D.

Ravens. We currently hold the tiebreaker, and they're going to make the playoffs. KC is in a weird position where if they continue to implode they may not. That, and KC can still nab the tiebreaker with us if they beat us. If we meet the Chiefs in the playoffs, I do *not* want it in Arrowhead yet again.

Yeah, division games always make me nervous. I still remember most every year the 'Phins took down the Pats at home no matter how good Brady and the Pats looked otherwise. I'll chuckle at this thread, but not gonna put us at 3-0 just yet...

The Red Carpet? The Turnstyle?