I am just going to say it, We beat NE in the opener

[Kellyto83TD]

Period.

[Delete This Account]

it will mean the team will be 1-0. period.

 

jw

[Ralph W.]

OK... You know it is a 50/50 shot so you aren't really making a bold statement.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

We already know this.

 

I'm more concerned with the Ravens in week 4. It'll be hard staying undefeated against the Super Bowl Champions although the game is at The Ralph…

[C.Biscuit97]

We will be undefeated until we lose our 1st game.

[Ralph W.]

We will be undefeated until we lose our 1st game.

It all comes down to preseason.

[nucci]

Wow. What a gutsy and ballsy call. I give you credit. I couldn't take such a big risk.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Sweet I was hoping this would be the case.

 

They'll certainly be making some key assumptions on what film to watch.

[CodeMonkey]

If it is already decided, then someone should tell NE to cancel their travel plans so Marcia doesn't have to suffer through another night in a ****ty Buffalo hotel.

[xsoldier54]

We will be undefeated until we lose our 1st game.

This. :thumbsup:

[1B4IDie]

OK... You know it is a 50/50 shot so you aren't really making a bold statement.

Yeah the fact that the Bills are 2-18 the last decade means its a 50/50 shot. (and 1 of those wins was a decade ago)

 

Period.

 

Thats what I'm talkling about!

 

Haaaay ayyyy ayyy Lets go Buffalo!

[RealityCheck]

I concur with the OP. I think the game is in the bag. Brady will be slow to process seeing our players lined up in various spots while sending pressure from different angles. Offensively, as much as I can see our guys turning the ball over, I can also see some serious luck plays down the field given the teams athleticism at the skill positions. Summer time optimism shines bright. Go Bills!

[C.Biscuit97]

I will say that the Bills should have a decent chance. Brady might be without his top 5 targets from last year and there will be very little film on hopefully a new aggressive D. That said, NE will only beat us 45-3.

[Alphadawg7]

In all seriousness, I actually think we can and will beat NE week 1. We have a few advantages afforded to us that will lend to that possibility.

 

1. Completely new offensive and defensive schemes. They will have film on the Jets D to really try and find some insight on the Bills new look D, but we have a completely different cast of players, so it will be hard from them to truly prepare for it. Add into that that Pettine has been scheming against the Pats for a while now and knows that team while the Pats will not have much to look at to try and figure out what our offense is going to do.

 

2. New players on offense who are explosive, and lots of them. With all the speed and potential on this offense, we should be able to throw a lot of different looks at them and keep them guessing. Their D isnt exceptionally fast, so we should be able to break some big plays.

 

3. Aggressive defense = slowing pats down. Pettine is going to bring the pressure that much we know. How successful it will be is yet to be seen, but we do know we will bring it.

 

4. Questionable weapons on offense in NE. Will Gronk be healthy enough to play, will Amendola and/or Aaron Hernandez survive preseason without injury, how will Brady respond with no Welker safety blanket, etc etc. If all his weapons are healthy, then its still a formidable group in which Brady can do damage with, but this is the most injury riddled collection of weapons I have ever seen, so thats a big if. Plus Amendola is new, so how long til they can build chemistry and timing.

 

5. Unknown Coaching. BB is who he is and a brilliant coach. However, they don't really know enough on Marrone to really plan for what he wants to do, and that unknown will help us against such a smart and great scheming coach like BB.

 

So in conclusion, I think the first game against the Pats will be the best chance to beat them (assuming the last game of the year still matters for both teams) because we will be relatively unknown and hard to plan against and Brady and the Pats will be adjusting to their own new changes.

[Ralph W.]

 

Yeah the fact that the Bills are 2-18 the last decade means its a 50/50 shot. (and 1 of those wins was a decade ago)

 

 

 

Thats what I'm talkling about!

 

Haaaay ayyyy ayyy Lets go Buffalo!

Every year is different. I thought you would know this.

[Optometric Insight]

Nice, that means we can get at least 30 seconds on NFL Network!

 

Though it will probably be on how the Pats let us beat them...

Edited June 18, 2013 by Teen Insight

[mrags]

We already know this.

 

I'm more concerned with the Ravens in week 4. It'll be hard staying undefeated against the Super Bowl Champions although the game is at The Ralph…

the Ravens don't worry me actually. Something tells me without Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Kruger, and more, they will be primed for a slump this year. I'm betting they don't make the playoffs. Bengals will knock them off their pedestal this year becoming the AFCN champ.

 

My opinion of course.

[bonechiller]

Nice, that means we can get at least 30 seconds on NFL Network!

 

Though it will probably on how the Pats let us beat them...

 

Yeah, some ingeniuos plot by the evil genius!

[Billy in 4C]

We don't even know who our QB is and it is game #1 for a new coaching staff. I would assume we are 10-12 point dogs even at home

[nucci]

We don't even know who our QB is and it is game #1 for a new coaching staff. I would assume we are 10-12 point dogs even at home

Well, it's narrowed down to 2 choices.

[4merper4mer]

Period.

 

Normally I would agree because the Pats won't have stolen signals and films to cheat from yet.

 

Unfortunately I think this year will be different. Putin stole Capri Sun Kraft's ring, Capri Sun Kraft was chirping, Obama stepped in and now Kraft is quiet. So what could Obama have promised Kraft? A new ring perhaps? The whole season sadly will be a write off to the Pats. Don't doubt me as I predicted 4 NBA champs in a row all and the entire story line in Feb 2009. Ask Buftex. They may even go undefeated. I say the Bills lose on a long string of horrible calls.

 

Sorry guys.

[CodeMonkey]

Normally I would agree because the Pats won't have stolen signals and films to cheat from yet.

 

Unfortunately I think this year will be different. Putin stole Capri Sun Kraft's ring, Capri Sun Kraft was chirping, Obama stepped in and now Kraft is quiet. So what could Obama have promised Kraft? A new ring perhaps? The whole season sadly will be a write off to the Pats. Don't doubt me as I predicted 4 NBA champs in a row all and the entire story line in Feb 2009. Ask Buftex. They may even go undefeated. I say the Bills lose on a long string of horrible calls.

 

Sorry guys.

If the Bills lose any game it is always due to a series of bad calls, that is a given. Read last seasons threads if you want proof.

[KeisterHollow]

I believe, like our season in general, it will all come down to the QB play. I have total confidence in our defense. Our offense has enough weapons to be very good, too. We know our RB's are electric. We now have speed and talent in the WR corps. If our QB plays well, we should stand to have a chance at beating anyone, on any given Sunday, as it were.

[NoSaint]

We aren't totally reinventing the wheel on either side of the ball. Know what a new offense and defense means? That our guys haven't played all that well.

 

Every new staff we declare the lack of tape will cause us to take the world by storm. Talent, not tape will be the biggest issue week one and at qb they still have a heckuva lot more of it. We might steal one but pats are the favorite until proven otherwise.

 

[thewildrabbit]

Gotta love the indomitable Bills fans faith and spirit. Never lose it!

 

 

For me, I'd just be happy to see this new team play well and not get blown out.

[Bufcomments]

I will say this about the Pats, I think they are overrated. No way Brady is as good without his go to guys, Welker and Gronk.

 

But having said that , that is still Tom Brady throwing the rock. He will score some points.

 

If the Bills will this game CJ and Freddie will have to have big games. Its quite possible they do.

 

But they have to put pressure on Brady, if he has time he can still carve up a D.

[NoSaint]

I will say this about the Pats, I think they are overrated. No way Brady is as good without his go to guys, Welker and Gronk.

 

But having said that , that is still Tom Brady throwing the rock. He will score some points.

 

If the Bills will this game CJ and Freddie will have to have big games. Its quite possible they do.

 

But they have to put pressure on Brady, if he has time he can still carve up a D.

 

dont we talk about his demise annually? every year he wont be the same because of age, or a free agent loss or....

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I am going to go out on a limb and say week 1 will be our usual yearly moral victory against the Pats.

[Rocky Landing]

There are some Vegas casinos that have odds on the opener, and we are currently 7.5 point underdogs.

[BillnutinHouston]

Of course we win. I am not coming 1,500 miles to see a loss!

[BADOLBILZ]

Period.

 

I think we have seen instances where new coaches have had some early success in their first game against NE but only under Gailey has there been competitive football between Buffalo and NE post 2001.

 

I agree that there is a VERY GOOD chance the Bills upset NE in the opener. The Bills have a new staff that Belichick has not tape on and that should allow the Bills to be on the offensive and keep NE guessing. IF they can execute.

 

Also, I don't think Belichick is as good of a gameplanner as he was years ago. I believe his pass happy short pass offense with an emphasis on TE's could be his last innovative adjustment. His NE career has a Dolphins Don Shula-esque arch to it.

 

Started out winning SB's playing great defense and fundamentally sound football, then as he was losing his defensive touch (and a lot of his top defensive players) he adapted to his own version of Dan Marino-ball in the mid 2000's and has had success but hasn't been able to win another SB with it.

 

Like the later years of Don Shula's run, I think Belichick has underachieved on draft day. But the big indicator to is the long term inability to turn that defense around. Like Shula of the late 1980's I think he is in that area of his coaching career where he is still very good, but he can now be overtaken within his division. I am not sure the Bills have the talent or coaching to get it done, but I think for the first time in a long time there is real vulnerability.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

^^^^^^^^^^

 

Very interesting take and excellent analysis.

 

Especially the Shula-Marino Belichick-Brady comparison.

 

The one (perceived) difference on my part is that I believe that Marino "won" the battle of wills with Shula in terms of the shift from running to passing whereas (while I'm not sure what the dynamic is in New England), I can't imagine Belichick losing a battle of wills with anyone.

Edited June 19, 2013 by San Jose Bills Fan

[benderbender]

Normally I would agree because the Pats won't have stolen signals and films to cheat from yet.

 

Unfortunately I think this year will be different. Putin stole Capri Sun Kraft's ring, Capri Sun Kraft was chirping, Obama stepped in and now Kraft is quiet. So what could Obama have promised Kraft? A new ring perhaps? The whole season sadly will be a write off to the Pats.

Kraft probably got an Obamacare exemption.

[bigK14094]

It helps if Gronk is out because of the back surgery, for sure. I cannot fathom why back surgery would be held off to mid June. Why not January? Hoping it would self heal? I don't know, just wondering if it was planned this way, or just bad judgement by Gronk or team management. In any event, Bills luck out having Pat up first in light of Gronks likely absense from that game.

[Talley56]

No one gave us a chance before the 2009 opener and we won that one.....until the final 2 minutes

[Bufcomments]

dont we talk about his demise annually? every year he wont be the same because of age, or a free agent loss or....

It has to happen at some point.

 

Remember how fast it happened to Jim Kelly?? His last year was not to great compared to what he had done when he was younger.

 

In the playoffs last year I saw some clear signs of aging. He cant run anymore at all. All we need is serious pressure on him. Hoping the a better coached team will get it done, and I think they are much better coached this year already.

 

We shall see soon enough.

 

I think we have seen instances where new coaches have had some early success in their first game against NE but only under Gailey has there been competitive football between Buffalo and NE post 2001.

 

I agree that there is a VERY GOOD chance the Bills upset NE in the opener. The Bills have a new staff that Belichick has not tape on and that should allow the Bills to be on the offensive and keep NE guessing. IF they can execute.

 

Also, I don't think Belichick is as good of a gameplanner as he was years ago. I believe his pass happy short pass offense with an emphasis on TE's could be his last innovative adjustment. His NE career has a Dolphins Don Shula-esque arch to it.

 

Started out winning SB's playing great defense and fundamentally sound football, then as he was losing his defensive touch (and a lot of his top defensive players) he adapted to his own version of Dan Marino-ball in the mid 2000's and has had success but hasn't been able to win another SB with it.

 

Like the later years of Don Shula's run, I think Belichick has underachieved on draft day. But the big indicator to is the long term inability to turn that defense around. Like Shula of the late 1980's I think he is in that area of his coaching career where he is still very good, but he can now be overtaken within his division. I am not sure the Bills have the talent or coaching to get it done, but I think for the first time in a long time there is real vulnerability.

Great post

 

Last 2 yrs in the playoffs I thought a team talented enough to get there but it was mainly because of Tom Brady. The Bills should have won that game in Foxbough last year and on top of it Gailey outcoached him. Wait did I just say that lol.

[jumbalaya]

Period.

What are the other choices?

[swnybillsfan]

i'm in agreement that we have a great shot at beating NE in the opener. not because of a lack of film on our systems, not from brady getting older or even the injury situations or loss of welker. i'm going to go ahead and say that our best shot may come from the players that have not experienced the long years of torment that we have. some of these young guys may just be crazy enough to believe that a new day has come for this team, and i think the screaming 75 thousand at the ralph may just want to believe that as well. energy, agression and emotion could be absolutely huge in this game. most fans i have talked to have low expectations but very high levels of excitement about this team. and what better time to make a statement than the season opener, in our house? i billieve it can happen!

[Luxy312]

OK... You know it is a 50/50 shot so you aren't really making a bold statement.

 

I'll laugh my way all the way home tonight on this comment. The Patriots are a 7.5 point favorite right now. That is FAR from a 50-50 shot. As another poster said as well, they've won 2 games in 10 years against this team. It sucks, but it's true. I hope they win ALA the Drew Bledsoe debut way back when, but I wouldn't bet on it. If anyone truly believes that it's a 50-50 shot, then you should be taking the Bills straight up in Vegas with some coin on it. Not me.

[Ralph W.]

 

 

I'll laugh my way all the way home tonight on this comment. The Patriots are a 7.5 point favorite right now. That is FAR from a 50-50 shot. As another poster said as well, they've won 2 games in 10 years against this team. It sucks, but it's true. I hope they win ALA the Drew Bledsoe debut way back when, but I wouldn't bet on it. If anyone truly believes that it's a 50-50 shot, then you should be taking the Bills straight up in Vegas with some coin on it. Not me.

Yea if I was talking about betting money. I am just talking about on any given Sunday.

Edited June 19, 2013 by EJ3