Define your "successful" season?

[BarleyNY]

There are degrees of success. The minimum level of success is making the playoffs and looking like we should be there. Of the two choices given I'd take the second. A first round playoff spanking will be quickly forgotten, but finding a FQB would mean the very real possibility of a SB run starting next season - and for those of you keeping score, a SB victory is the ultimate goal.

[reddogblitz]

There are degrees of success. The minimum level of success is making the playoffs and looking like we should be there. Of the two choices given I'd take the second. A first round playoff spanking will be quickly forgotten, but finding a FQB would mean the very real possibility of a SB run starting next season - and for those of you keeping score, a SB victory is the ultimate goal.

 

Don't you ever get tired of playing for next year? That's pretty much what we did all through the Williams/Mularkey/Jauron/Gailey/Marrone eras. Waiting for that golden armed franchise QB. We've assembled a very talented roster, much more than we've had in a long time. It's time to win.

 

The chart of the teams with the longest playoff drought featuring us at the top need to go away. Get the monkey off our back.

 

Since we haven't been to the playoffs in so long perhaps some have forgotten that when you have a playoff season, it means you win a lot of games. You win big games at the end of the year when they count. It's a lot fun. Even if you lose the last one IMHO.

 

P L A Y O F F S !!

[Ice bowl 67]

How bout playing my Packers in the super bowl?

[Ted William's frozen head]

Option 1) Yes our drought is over, but we still have no QB

Option 2) Drought is still on, but EJ is ready to lead this team for the next 5-10 years

Neither option.

Bill Polian was once posed the same question. He stated that a successful season is making it to the 'final four', and I agree with him.

[Beef Jerky]

Options two can't be true unless we make the playoffs... How does EJ look like a leader if we missed the playoffs with the best defense in the league?

[Sandy McFiddish]

#1 is by far my choice. If #2 was the case I hope we would go 2-14 and get higher draft pick if we are not going to make the playoffs. The Bills cannot get shafted like the Sabres do each year.

[dpberr]

As a Pirates fan, it was huge to throw the playoff drought monkey into the river. Set the stage for future success.

 

Playoffs all the way.

[BarleyNY]

Don't you ever get tired of playing for next year? That's pretty much what we did all through the Williams/Mularkey/Jauron/Gailey/Marrone eras. Waiting for that golden armed franchise QB. We've assembled a very talented roster, much more than we've had in a long time. It's time to win.

 

The chart of the teams with the longest playoff drought featuring us at the top need to go away. Get the monkey off our back.

 

Since we haven't been to the playoffs in so long perhaps some have forgotten that when you have a playoff season, it means you win a lot of games. You win big games at the end of the year when they count. It's a lot fun. Even if you lose the last one IMHO.

 

P L A Y O F F S !!

Mirages bother me more. And F squeaking into the playoffs, then showing we don't belong there and then being positioned to not make it back. You know the Browns have a shorter playoff drought than the Bills, right? That's because they went to one playoff game since the Bills have been - and they lost it. If you think Browns fans wouldn't trade that one playoff loss for a bona file franchise QB going forward, then you're nuts.

Options two can't be true unless we make the playoffs... How does EJ look like a leader if we missed the playoffs with the best defense in the league?

I can be true if they are nearly out of the playoff hunt before he gets to start. How about something like this? Cassel starts and doesn't play well then gets benched or injured after posting a 2-4 record. Manuel comes in, everything clicks for him and the Bills go 8-2 to finish 10-6 and just miss the playoffs on a tiebreaker. I'd take that in a heartbeat. Edited June 12, 2015 by BarleyNY

[reddogblitz]

Mirages bother me more. And F squeaking into the playoffs, then showing we don't belong there

 

How does one make the playoffs and then show they "don't belong" there? If you lose in the first round you shouldn't be there? Not sure how that would work. The fact that you are there proves you earned it and deserve to be there.

 

Just because you make the playoffs doesn't mean that you can't get a better QB next year.without going in tank to get one. Seahawks did it. Saints did it. Just because you don't have the golden armed franchise QB doesn't you can't make the playoffs muliple years. Bungles do it. Texans did it. And of course we all know you can even win the SB without one ala Jeff Hostettler, Mark Rypien, etc.

 

I'll take playoff this year regardless. Bird in hand.

[rockpile]

A successful season will be when I do not have to say "Well, Gomer, there's always next year!"

 

I have been saying that since the Bills did not go to the first AFL/NFL championship.

 

I am glad I did not know then that the first championship would be a loss - 25 years later!

 

I look forward to each season, but have drastically lowered any expectations. If you have no expectations, you cannot be disappointed.

 

...rockpile

[BarleyNY]

How does one make the playoffs and then show they "don't belong" there? If you lose in the first round you shouldn't be there? Not sure how that would work. The fact that you are there proves you earned it and deserve to be there.

 

Just because you make the playoffs doesn't mean that you can't get a better QB next year.without going in tank to get one. Seahawks did it. Saints did it. Just because you don't have the golden armed franchise QB doesn't you can't make the playoffs muliple years. Bungles do it. Texans did it. And of course we all know you can even win the SB without one ala Jeff Hostettler, Mark Rypien, etc.

 

I'll take playoff this year regardless. Bird in hand.

A franchise QB would put the Bills into the hunt for a Super Bowl, but not having such a player, squeaking into the playoffs and getting crushed in the first round doesn't. Sure, you can go looking for one, but judging by the futility of the Bills' search for that very player I think it's safe to say that they're tough to come by. Good luck with that. I'll take a complete team that narrowly missed the playoffs and is poised to make a SB run over a likely perpetual also-ran any day. But that's just me.

[Uffalo Ills]

so let me get this straight.

no franchise qb ?

Lose dareus next season?

but make the playoffs?

what advantage does that offer?

: )

Eh, playoffs or bust. I dont care how far we go, 15 years is too long of a wait. I also have confidence Dareus will be back, but if he isnt, and EJ is only a borderline Franchise QB, and our defense suffers as a result of Dareus' departure to the extent that it did during the Raiders game when he was injured, we might be back to square one with a pretty decent or mediocre offense and a terrible defense that cant stop the run (see: the chan gailey era). Plus if we do make the playoffs, other players might be more willing to play for us, and QBs entering FA might want to join a team that is more proven (see: Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson)... Unless the OP is talking about a metoric rise for EJ, the bills basically will have the Fitzpatrick years again.