One good result from the loss

[Dr. K]

...is that the Bills know (if they had any illusions to the eontrary) that they still have work to do and changes to make if they want to compete at the highest level.

 

They made strides and I would have liked to see them in a playoff game, but this slap-in-the-face loss will make everyone, players and management, work that much harder for next season. I don' think they are that far away, the biggest question being QB.

[buckeyebrian]

...is that the Bills know (if they had any illusions to the eontrary) that they still have work to do and changes to make if they want to compete at the highest level. 

 

They made strides and I would have liked to see them in a playoff game, but this slap-in-the-face loss will make everyone, players and management, work  that much harder for next season. I don' think they are that far away, the biggest question being QB.

190380[/snapback]

It was a reality check for all of us. There is a big gap between the contenders and the pretenders. We have some things going for us, we are not at the bottom of the scrap heap like some teams. But we are in the AFC which for the next few years will apparently be the tougher conference. We have some deficiencies that need to be corrected through free agency and the draft. We need to win the close games we lost (by 3, 3, 2 and 5 points) We assuredly need to improve QB play. I still believe that the Bills are a team on the rise. But, if we stumble and take a step or two back next year, then it could be a long time before we see a playoff game again.

[Ozymandius]

This is very true. Thanks for pointing this out. The worst-case scenario would have been if the Bills had won and still not made the playoffs... then management would have held delusions that we're good since we would have ended the season on a huge roll.