ESPN the Magazine has the Bills at 11-5 in 2012 . . .

[DanInUticaTampa]

All you had to say was it came from ESPN. Anything after that means nothing because of the source.

 

Yeah, because espn never reports anything that is true

[dollars 2 donuts]

In order for there to be a 6 seed with a 12-4 record half the NFL would need to go 0-16.

 

PTR

 

Agreed, Promo.

 

...well sort of. It is just ridiculous to think that the # 6 seed would have 12 wins. Jeepers, what AFC West team do they see going at least 12-4 ahead of the Broncos?

 

Don't tell me SD and don't tell KC, everybodies sweetheart after stumbling last season.

[1B4IDie]

In order for there to be a 6 seed with a 12-4 record half the NFL would need to go 0-16.

 

PTR

 

I'm not so sure about that. Because of the whole NFC thing. It is mathematically possible for this to occur, However I agree that is outlandish.

Who do they have winning the AFC West and at what record? O.o

 

I can see us finishing with a good record and missing the playoffs, though. I'd be 'ok' with that, as it'd show we've made progress. I won't be able to take another 6-10 season (or worse).

Lets pretend Denver can get do 12 wins, who else is the AFC West is capable of 12+ wins?

They have San Diego at 12-4 and winning the division.

 

Which is outlandish on its own, I highly doubt they have a winning record.

[hondo in seattle]

I wonder if the total wins for every team equals the number of losses in their prediction. It doesn't compute.

 

I saw this in a football magazine once (forget which one). The combined record of the NFL was something like .600. I wrote the editor to ask if the NFL was now playing games against the CFL that counted for record.

[PromoTheRobot]

Well you can mathimatically check their predictions. Even with 4 non-conference games it's still zero sum. Wins have to equal losses.

 

PTR

[Chandler#81]

I think SD has blown its proverbial wad for being a contender. While our first 4 games are against AFC opponents, it's our last 9 out 10 games -all against AFC teams- that will decide our fate this season. IMO, our schedule sets up well, with more than usual Home Games in Nov & Dec. A typical 21st Century, late season Bills swoon will doom us once again. But things ARE different this year -including a favorable late season schedule.

 

12-4. AFCE Champs! Go Bills!

[1B4IDie]

Well you can mathimatically check their predictions. Even with 4 non-conference games it's still zero sum. Wins have to equal losses.

 

PTR

 

It sums to 0. I fact checked a few teams.

Every win for the Bills equals a loss for the other team.

 

Interestingly enough the start for the Bills is 4-5 then they rip off 7 straight wins.

 

I think this is actually very likely.

 

Hold on Bills fans it may be a bumping start to the season.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Why So Serious?

[NoSaint]

I don't see the Broncos getting 12 wins at all. Payton will work wonders if he stays healthy but I just don't see it. I also don't see any other team in thier division getting to 12 to beat them, especially considering they would have to play each other twice. I haven't read the schedules but if it's true the AFC W plays the AFC N, I don't see them getting 12 wins against that division either. The Ravens, Steelers and Bengals are just too darn tough. If espn said we'd lose out to the Bengals then I could believe it but not the Broncos in a wild card race. The Broncos might be that good and make the playoff but ibdont see anyone else doing it in the W. SD ALWAYS looks like the front runner nut always struggles. KC, regardless what people say about thier players isn't that good. Payton Hillis is a joke imo. Anyone that thinks he's a good RB must also think Tim Tebow is a good QB. They are the same type of player. It's laughable to even name him as a threat IMO. The rest of the team is good, but nothing more than the Bills at thier skill positions and we don't get that much love. I Wonder why?!? The Raiders are also full of some good players but always seem to have problems. With new management and a rediculous QB I font think they are going anywhere. Just My Opinion.

 

Cassel = tebow?!? Really?

 

Similar talent but complaining they'd be pegged at 12 wins and we'd be 11?

 

Not your finest work sir.

[SF Bills Fan]

Broncos schedule:

Steelers H

Falcons A

Texans H

Raiders H

Pats A

Chargers A

Saints H

Bengals A

Panthers A

Chargers H

Chiefs A

Tampa H

Raiders A

Ravens A

Browns H

Chiefs H

 

that is a tough schedule. I'd say 8 wins at best and as low as 6. They could start the season 1-4.

[stony]

It sums to 0. I fact checked a few teams.

Every win for the Bills equals a loss for the other team.

 

Interestingly enough the start for the Bills is 4-5 then they rip off 7 straight wins.

 

I think this is actually very likely.

 

Hold on Bills fans it may be a bumping start to the season.

 

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I actually think it will be a reverse of sorts from our hot starts the past few seasons.

 

Defense will take time to gel, but when it does, the whole team will be energized when they start living up tot he hype.

[mrags]

 

 

Cassel = tebow?!? Really?

 

Similar talent but complaining they'd be pegged at 12 wins and we'd be 11?

 

Not your finest work sir.

I was comparing Tebow to Hillis. They are similar. Both are too large. Neither is a good RB, neither can throw the ball, and both are extremely overrated.

 

Hillis- 6'2" 250lbs

Tebow- 6'3" 245lbs

 

that sounds pretty close to me. They even look alike. And my main point was that both are very overrated and actually suck. The while Hillis craze is no different from Tebow. The only reason why Hillis was popular was because he was a white RB that so many fans like to get behind.

Edited August 25, 2012 by mrags

[Buffalo Barbarian]

and Missing the Playoffs to a 12-4 Broncos Wild Card team!!!!

:wallbash: :wallbash:

 

Good news is the winner of the AFC West is more likely to be 9-7 and second place in the AFC West has no wild card hopes; None the less that was pretty painful to read.

 

No link because it is in ESPN the Magazine.

 

I don't know if I could survive that happening.

 

man if we go 11-5 and miss the playoffs I'm gonna lose it.

 

What this really means is it's time for the NFL to select the top 6 teams per conference regardless of record, Actually they should go top 8. This would allow four more cities to enjoy and be excited about the playoffs and every one makes more money, it's a win win for all.

[mrags]

 

 

man if we go 11-5 and miss the playoffs I'm gonna lose it.

 

What this really means is it's time for the NFL to select the top 6 teams per conference regardless of record, Actually they should go top 8. This would allow four more cities to enjoy and be excited about the playoffs and every one makes more money, it's a win win for all.

I agree it should be 8. Division winners and then the next 4 best records. Screw the bye week for the top 2 teams. It's a joke. The NFL can Give an extra week before the playoffs start of there's any issue with injuries and such. I also don't agree with the division winners having home field advantage over teams with better records. Also a joke.

[NoSaint]

 

I was comparing Tebow to Hillis. They are similar. Both are too large. Neither is a good RB, neither can throw the ball, and both are extremely overrated.

 

Hillis- 6'2" 250lbs

Tebow- 6'3" 245lbs

 

that sounds pretty close to me. They even look alike. And my main point was that both are very overrated and actually suck. The while Hillis craze is no different from Tebow. The only reason why Hillis was popular was because he was a white RB that so many fans like to get behind.

Totally my mistake. Apologies.

 

As a backup rb I wouldn't complain about Hillis as depth. I think more than race, a couple big fantasy weeks early really skewed his perception higher than it belonged. Plus it was fun to pile on josh McDaniel for trading him

[ThurmasThoman]

I'm going to go on record and make a thread about this as the season gets near, and I've said it in a million different places, but the Patriots will NOT be a good to great football team this year.

 

Everyone is absolutely conceding the top seed in the conference to this team.

 

I know this is an incredible leap of logic, but bear with me. For just one second, put it out of your mind that they made the super bowl last year.

 

Now let's review their 2011 campaign:

*31st ranked defense in the National Football League (we hung 55 points on them total. we put 35 on the jets and 31 on the phins, for comparison.)

*NO wins against teams with winning records during the regular season, got by the ravens in the conference championship by Lee Evans dropping a game winning touchdown, and Billy Cundiff shanking a game tying gimmie - a one in a million scenario.

*20th ranked rushing attack in the league, BUT, green-ellis (their "leading" back) is now in cincinnatti.

*Offensive line is absolutely TERRIBLE. I live in new england, the local talk radio won't shut up about how bad their O-line is - I watched the game last night, in a 4 play stretch Brady went sack, pick 6, incomplete, pass batted down at the line.

*Tom Brady is now 35 years old, playing behind this O-Line. Thirty. Five. Jim Kelly retired after playing in his "35" year.

 

I just can't get over how much is conceded to the Patriots this year.

 

They. will. not. be. good.

 

I promise you.

 

They look old, slow, and are counting on way too many rookies to contribute way too much.

 

If they win 9 games, I will be surprised. Analysts are talking like they could go 16-0 again? LOL.

 

I think, week 1, when they travel to tennessee, it's going to be one of those "changing of the guard" games. I think they are going to get run off the field, and it won't even be close. By the time the Bills and the Patriots meet in week 4, it's going to be readily apparent that these are 2 teams traveling in very different directions.

 

I mean, look at the Patriots first 7 games, and imagine them not as super-human, but just the middle of the road team they are with the worst defense in the league, and a 35 year old qb.

 

at tennessee

arizona

at baltimore

at buffalo

denver

at seatle

jets

 

i look at that and see them splitting the first 2, then loss-loss-loss-loss, then a home game against the jets that they could potentially enter at 1-5.

 

It's over man. Their "dynasty" (haven't won a superbowl since the league punished them for cheating,) is going to crumble so quickly at the beginning of this year, people's heads will be spinning. we'll be sitting atop the division by week 4.

[mrags]

 

Totally my mistake. Apologies.

 

As a backup rb I wouldn't complain about Hillis as depth. I think more than race, a couple big fantasy weeks early really skewed his perception higher than it belonged. Plus it was fun to pile on josh McDaniel for trading him

It's cool. I blame myself for comparing a RB to a "QB". You could be a little right about Hillis. I can't say i'd want him as even a 3rd RB but why he became so popular I get it. He's just not good. His best season other than his dream season was only near the 500 yard mark.

[PromoTheRobot]

Once again, here is my plan to improve the NFL season and playoffs, offered to Roger Goodell with my blessing.

 

1) Reduce pre-season to 2 games

2) Keep the regular season to 16 games BUT expand the season to 18 weeks. How?

3) By adding a new Tuesday or Wednesday night game to the NFL schedule. All 32 teams would play once.

4) Add a second bye week but only the 2 teams coming off a bye play on Tue/Wed. So even though it's a bye it really isn't because you have a game in 10 days. The other bye remains a two-week break.

5) Add a 3rd wild card team

6) Take away the playoff bye for the #2 seed. Only #1 seed gets a bye.

7) Playoffs week one; #7 @ #2...#6 @ #3....#5 @ #4...#1 seed @ BYE

8) All division winners make the playoffs BUT are seeded based on record, so an 8-8 division winner does not get a home game.

 

You're welcome.

 

PTR

[BuffaloFan68]

I don't see the Broncos winning 12 games either but it doesn't really matter since we are going to win our division this year - not NE*!

[mrags]

Not a fan PTR but thanks for the thoughts. I think any extra days of the week are a bad thing. I think Thursday games are a bad thing. It waters down the product. Not every game or every team is worthy of the national spotlight. Nobody wants to watch the Browns vs Dolphins ya know. I'd also rather have 8 teams and no bye for the playoffs. I do agree with the home field advantage though.

[djp14150]

This forecast is nuts.....

 

Buffalo does have a legitimate shot at 11-5.....they go 5-4 over the first 9 games...then 6-1 to close......

 

You arent going to have such a top heavy results as espn is forecasting.

 

You have the AFC North, AFC West, NFC-EAST-NFCSouth playing each other With A-N vs N-E and A-W vs N-S...these teams kill each other.

 

Baltimore and pittsburgh have a much harder schedule this year than last year playing the weaker AFC South and NFC West...they lose at least 2 games over the course of their schedule where at best the division winner is only 10-6.

 

With many teams they have them taking unreasonable steps back in results.....like the Rams, Redskins, and Bucs....there is more talent there for those results.