Georgia Bill

I'm not worried about this relatively small number of fans. I'm a bit more worried about the team being too amped up, due to it being a do or die playoff game. But I think that happens - especially to younger teams that haven't been through it much. To me, it seems like usually they get that over-hyped adrenaline worked out after the first couple series. But there were times in the Houston game last year where Josh looked like he was getting rattled. I think he's matured significantly since then. Look at all the prime time games he's shined in of late, even with people talking about how poorly Buffalo's done on Monday night, he just has a calm about him and gets it done. He'll be fine!

From Olean Times Herald "Buffalo looks to end playoff-win drought ‘Hanging over Buffalo is the fact that it has lost its last six postseason games.’" I hate all this Hanging over Buffalo's head, Monkeys on their Backs talk. This crap means nothing to this team - they are going to go out and do everything they can to win and not only could probably care less how many old Bills teams lost ahead of them, but they'd be foolish to waste any time thinking about it. Sure, they didn't like how it ended last year in a game they could have had and that's cool to use as motivation. But when fans on this board talk about all the monkeys that have to be removed, those aren't monkeys on THIS team's back. If anything they're monkeys that the fans and the media keep alive and keep feeding. Hell I've been through it all since the early seventies, but I refuse to worry about past history. It has ZERO relevance or importance for this team's playoff run.

If this team makes it to the Super Bowl, I don't want anything about the game to have anything to do with the "monkeys" that the old Bills carried on their backs, or about any festering desires for revenge that fans want to carry. This is the new Bills, let them have their place in the sun free of those monkeys. It should be all about THEM.

Sounds like we shouldn't even need to pad up - we already won! I hope our team is not getting anywhere near as overconfident as some on this board. The time for beating your chest is best reserved for AFTER a win, not before it. But to each their own I guess...

Same here. You can't say it was not a great season, with massive improvements that leads to a lot of optimism for the years ahead. When it comes to playoff games I really do want them to win because I want this team to experience that joy together. Same for losses, I hate to see these guys who played so well together and really bonded as a team to have to suffer a loss. As for me personally, it's all upside. I've thoroughly enjoyed the season. If they lose this week or next or whenever, I can deal with it. If they win, of course I'll be happy, as there is an ultimate goal here. I'm just not feeling like it's now or never for this team as they look like they are poised for long term success. I like their chances this year though, because they seem to be playing loose and having fun. If they can keep that up and not get all wrapped up in "the pressure" of the playoffs, they might go very far. Fingers crossed!

Yeah, that was great, AFC champions, no one could beat us right? Then came the Giants 😦

I felt horrible when our Bills couldn't get a win against Pittsburgh's back ups when we needed it to get in. But that PALES in comparison to this. Talk about crashing back to earth, there were Dolphins fans who thought they were good enough to beat us with our starters. Ouch!

I LIKE that idea!

Um, because it was 3rd and 10?

Colts or Ravens or Browns have to lose.

I'm glad we played our starters in the first half. Hopefully we can pull out the win without them hereafter.

So you will also be terrified of injuries in any subsequent playoff games. Better not watch any of these games, too frightening...

Don't put bad ju-ju out into the universe.

Oh, I see we now have to also worry about CoVid with the Fitzpatrick news. That skews things heavily towards resting starters...

Unfortunately, the only real way to answer whether resting starters in the last game of the season is a good decision is AFTER you play the playoff game that comes next. If you rested starters and lose the playoff game, it was a bad decision (blame placed on rust). If you didn't rest starters, suffer key injuries, and lose the playoff game, it was a bad decision (blame placed on injuries). Since everything in advance is conjecture, our current positions on this really come down to which we are more worried about, injuries or loss of momentum. The 2011 Packers rested Rodgers, then lost their first playoff game. The Bengals rested starters in 2005 and 2009, followed by losses in their first playoff games. In the old days 😉 Belichick always played his starters and had pretty good success. I think McDermott is more worried about injuries and will rest key starters for most if not all of the game. Time will tell if that conservative strategy works...

Thanks. For those that might be curious, I dug a little deeper on these Super Bowl winners. Not sure it paints a definitive picture. I bolded the ones where the win in the last game of the season was not critically needed. The ones that aren't bolded were where the team HAD to win to get in, so obviously they played their starters. 2012 Baltimore - did not need the win, played starters 1 qtr, lost the game to Cinci 2011 Giants - needed a win to secure division (with a loss they'd be out of the playoffs), beat Dallas 2010 Green Bay - needed a win to secure a wild card spot, beat Chicago 2007 Giants - did not need the win (already locked into 5th seed), played starters anyway (which Coughlin took heat for), lost to the then undefeated Patriots 2006 Colts - needed a win to secure the 3rd seed, played starters, beat Miami 2005 Pittsburgh - needed a win to secure a wild card spot, beat Detroit

I get the concern about injuries, but you can't play skeered. Injuries could happen to anyone at anytime in any game. Only when a key player gets injured during one of the very seldom games where a win is not considered critical do people get up in arms about how they should not have been on the field. Their chances of getting hurt are not any worse than during any of the other 15 games already played. Play the starters, play to win, and keep the monster momentum we've been gathering rolling full speed!

This...

Despite my fears of losing a SB expressed earlier, I'm with you - we have a very real chance this of winning it all this year and I'm all in. Go Bills!

We are playing great and of course I just want the wins and joy to continue - but in the back of my mind I'm a little nervous that we are peaking too soon due primarily to a great offense. I think of the 2016 Falcons who had a high powered offense but a defense that needed a couple more key pieces. They ascended to the Super Bowl against the early season odds and looked great in the first half, then got steamrolled in the second when their defense wore down from the constant pummeling. So part of me thinks maybe with one more year to upgrade our run defense we would be unstoppable, and that would be the best time to get to the Super Bowl. While I love the way things are going, my nagging fear is getting to the Super Bowl and losing again. That can negatively impact a team's future and I don't want to see that happen to this team. WHEN this team gets to the Super Bowl, it is imperative that they win on that first trip! Of course the other part of me says GO NOW, as we've got lightning in a bottle and you can't be sure what the future holds. I realize some might say there's no reason to fast forward to a Super Bowl when we would first have to win 3 playoff games in a tough AFC to get there. But ask yourself honestly, outside of the Super Bowl win we all crave (and want to see this team enjoy) if we have to lose this year would you rather have that loss be in one of the playoff games, or in the Super Bowl itself? I'm torn between hope and fear and there is no doubt that is due to past history.

I was thinking the same thing. Does he really have it in him to keep coaching trying to get a New England team up to the top of the AFC - with so many teams ahead of them now? It might be time for him to retire, not quite on top after this year, but close enough to it. If he keeps going and fields a bunch of teams for years that don't make the playoffs his reputation is just going to keep getting more tarnished.

Wow, I feel like I'm dreaming and someone might pinch me and wake me from this wonderment. The Bills are 12-3, firing on all cylinders and steamrolling teams heading into the playoffs??? After all the years suffering through the tough times this amount of good fortune is almost hard to comprehend! But, hey, I think I can find a way to get used to it. GO BILLS - making Buffalo PROUD!!!

Youngster - I was 7. Ron McDole moved into the house 3 doors down from us on Grand Island when I was barely 5. I pointed out how large he was and my Dad said "he plays for the Buffalo Bills". I asked what's that? Been a fan ever since, through thick and thin. To all the true youngsters out there who weren't around for the early 90's runs - Soak it up and enjoy this. You're watching something special here...

Man, what a way to put an exclamation point on a win to grab the AFC East crown! Loving this team. It's ok to dream big this year - these guys are legit!!!

My concern is during that game it seemed like KC was content to just run the ball down our throats. We never really got to see the full offense with the aerial firepower mixed in with the run. It's hard to stop, you can only hope to slow it down. I wouldn't get too presumptuous about our ability to beat them in the playoffs, when they for sure will bring their A game.