The Red King

I'll take this one step further. With people polarized, some people here get real upset if you don't see TT the same way they do. I've said I think he's baseline, he doesn't make big plays to win, and doesn't make big mistakes to lose. He elevates teams below .500 and drags teams above .500 down. In my opinion, the Bills finally outgrew him, and the 1-31 Browns are a perfect fit for him. I have said that, and been attacked from it on both sides. TT supporters blast me for having the audacity to see him as middle-ground and not an amazing QB saddled with the Bills coaching and players...and TT detractors blast me for suggesting he's anything more then useless. It's that absolute factor I think that annoys a lot of people. People aren't flexible. And it's that attitude that makes things worse. Fanatical TT supporters and detractors frustrate the rest of us who just want the season to start so at least one of the two groups might shut up based on TT's play.

We're not gonna see eye to eye here. We have drastically different views on bend-but-don't-break defenses. The real story is, the defense played well enough most games to give the offense a chance to win. They went into Jacksonville and told the offense, "You put 10 points up, all game, and we're going to OT. Put up 11...we'll win." I'd take that in a heartbeat. Yards per game is not a statistic in a bubble as you claim. How often was the Buffalo D out there? How many three and outs by the Buffalo O? Buffalo's poor offensive play contributed to defensive fatigue, and as such directly impacted yards surrendered. Sorry, there is no one statistic that tells the whole story, isolated from any other factor. The Bills' defense regularly kept the team in the game far later then it had any right to. I see that as having played wonderfully, given how woeful the offense was. You obviously disagree, but there is no isolated statistic that will prove either of us right, so we'll each have to hold to our opinion on the matter.

...you know another signifigantly below average offense? Buffalo's. You're right, yards given up is a far more meaningful stat then points. When time runs out, points are just a guideline. Buffalo did not lose the playoff game because the Jags scored seven more points then the Bills, the Bills lost because they only gained 263 yards, when the Jags gained...230. Wait, this can't be right. We got more yards then the Jags...but somehow lost? Yet you insist yards gained/surrendered is a far more important stat then points. What a strange paradox. We got robbed! Buffalo won that playoff game! The NFL screwed up and looked at points, not yards! ...oh...no...wait...I suppose points actually do matter a lot more then yards. ? Buffalo held the Jags to 10 points in their own stadium...the same Jags that put up 45 on Pitt and 20 on NE on the road the following two weeks. I'd call that wonderful.

It's not about accuracy, it's about clicks/views. Best example is the ESPN Power Rankings. Every week there are one or two WTF positionings, not because they believe the teams should be there. Rather so that people will be outraged and load up that 'Comments' section.

I think Benjamin, really. He's had a chance to heal, and there was zero chemistry with Tyrod. I was at the Saints game, and it was like night and day when Peterman was throwing to him. Regardless of our starting QB, I just have a hunch Benjamin's going to surprise people...including the OP, since he wasn't even on the list. ?

Is it? Points surrendered...the three terrible games bolded. Keep in mind the defense did this even given the number of 3-and-outs we had. That was one tired D that could have thrown the towel in, but didn't. vs. Jets: 12, Panthers: 9, Broncos: 16, Falcons: 17, Bengals: 20, Bucs: 27, Raiders: 14, Jets: 34, Saints: 47, Chargers: 54, Chiefs: 10, Pats: 23, Colts: 7, Dolphins: 16, Pats: 37, Dolphins: 16, Jags: 10 Aside from that three game collapse, the D gave up an average of 16.7 points a game, despite being stranded out on the field by our ineffective offense. First Pats game was 9-3 at halftime, second was 13-13. Those three games aside, you don't think that defense played wonderfully?

Oh, to be clear, while I still predict 9-7, I openly admit there can be regression and do not attack/insult people who suggest there might be (people who say there will is another story...I hate opinion states as fact). I fully respect people that put them around six wins even if I don't agree with them. Two wins, while technically possible, is just silly (and if they win two or less games I'll openly admit I was wrong). Buffalo plays Miami and the Jets twice, and those two game alone are normally worth 2-3 wins. So, the argument is either Buffalo will win two against those two teams, and fail to beat any other team...or Buffalo won't even win two of four against those two. Now, I realize the Jets drafting a rookie QB automatically makes them a much-improved, better then Buffalo team by default (wait, did I forget /sarcasm tag?), but still...

Click-bait idiocy. This year's "The Bills season is over before it started." Seriously, did a Buffalo Bill pee in this guy's cereal or something at some point? ?

You took a shot at me, as if using common football terms were akin to using quantum physics. So I simplified it. No high horse here. Good lord, indeed. *shrugs*

...heaven forbid I use something confusing like common football terms to explain. Lemmie try again... Our QB will throw the brown thing deep this season. That means the people in football uniforms that don't match Buffalo will have to play further back. That means less of them at the line of scrim...sorry...that line the ball stars on each play...and that means less people right on top of the runn...sorry...the Bills player that carries the ball. This will make it easier to run. Better? I can draw a picture if it will help, but I hope this is good enough. No square roots or dog's tails.

Look at points surrendered. There was a horrific three-game stretch, the other thirteen they did wonderfully. They held the Jags to ten points in their own stadium. They kept the Bills in both NE games for a full three quarters when the offense did absolutely zilch. Nine points surrendered in a loss to Carolina, another playoff team. You still want to claim it wasn't a great defense? Shifting gears to the run game. Yes, the running game had hiccups. That's to be expected when your QB refuses to throw deep allowing the defense to stack everyone in the box like a poker player pushing his chips all-in. Regardless which QB plays this year, they should at least stretch the field, forcing opposing defenses to play more honestly, giving our running backs something other then a brick wall to run into every down.

Still appreciate what they did, and will continue to pull for them until they get in our way. ?

Rodak said the Bills' season was over before it started last year and has yet to eat a feather. There will be no crow, as there is no accountability.

It seems like an easy enough job if all the other media outlets are an example. Predict Buffalo to go 4-12, mention trading Tyrod as a positive, yet penalize the team. Question Allen no matter what he does...exaggerate the negative, question the positive. Generate click-bait by simulating contraversy and rile up fans. ...that about covers it, right? XD

Utterly absurd. The Bills went 9-7 last year with a new head coach. They went 9-7 thanks to the strong play of their defense. They leaned hard on the D and prayed the O put up enough points to win. That defense has a year under their belt in this system and personnel changes have only made the unit stronger. The crutch the team leaned on is all the stronger, yet we're somehow going to drop from 9 wins to 2? Defense alone will win us at least four games this season, if not more. I know the offense has people nervous and doubting, but let's be honest, the offense wasn't our strong suit anyway last season.

Regarding Gronk, a soldier can still kill a man with a combat knife or his bare hands, should someone knock the gun out of his hands. I still like my chances a lot better if the soldier doesn't have the gun. Saying the Pats can still win without Gronk is akin to saying a soldier can kill without a gun. Yes, technically true, but a hell of a lot harder to pull off.

Let's get daring... 1) Edmunds is DROY. 2) AJM is the starting QB unless injured or the Bills are eliminated from playoff contention, at which point Allen will step in. 3) The Bills win one of two games against the Patriots.

Help is there, he had the opportunity to take it, and instead mocked the idea (and one person offering help) publically on Twitter. So, I see both sides. I can give him a bit of a pass based on mental illness, but can still fault him for rejecting the help so many offered.

Still the same owner, still the same coach. Really, nothing more any of us can say to sway the others at this point. We all have opinions, time will tell who is right. Regardless, this will be a fun thread to revisit halfway into the season. I hold to my earlier prediction. Cleveland wins six, Buffalo wins nine.

Nothing new here. D is improved...offense, that comes down to QB, the ultimate ?. I don't think we downgraded. I think AJ will at least be on par with TT. But that's the crux. I don't know for sure, nobody does. Your opinion on past and current QBs make all the difference here. Personally, I see an improved D and an offense at least on-par with last year, and younger faces to boot...so I see a better team. But that's my opinion, nothing more.

No, his bias does that. He is a known Pats fan who takes every opportunity to take shots at the Bills, especially after choking on the crow he was forced to eat last season when he said the Bills season was over before it started. If he ever actually says anything positive about the Bills in an article, you better believe there is just as much negative in there as well.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Time will tell which of us was right. This is going to be a fun thread to revisit halfway into the season. I have never seen anyone, nonetheless so many people, pick an 0-16 team to win 8+ games the following season.

Which is another area of concern. You add that many players, it takes time for everyone to gel. That's why I see them as a force in 2019, not 2018. Drastic, one year turnarounds are incredibly rare. I won't pull a Rodak and say it can't happen. All I'm saying is that in my opinion it's all a bit premature, wishful thinking. The Browns are a 1-31 team until they show they're not. People seem ready to christen them a legitimate threat in the AFC already based solely on offseason moves.

It doesn't matter what receivers he would have had if he never threw to them. He didn't have the best receivers last season, true, but even when they did get open he'd often still fail to throw it. Unless his receiver was 100% open, in the clear, he wouldn't throw to them. It's a fear/limitation I hope he overcomes in his time with Cleveland, as that fear played a large part in his ineffectiveness last season.