Which Bills team in 16 years deserved to see the playoffs?

[zonabb]

None, the question is such an American "everyone gets a trophy and everyone's entitled" mentality. We don't give C students As because they try hard but can't achieve. Losers are losers, they get what they EARN.

[machine gun kelly]

None of them.

 

Go watch this year the Patriots, Broncos, Steelers, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Panthers. That is what a playoff team looks like.

 

We don't, and haven't in a very long time. The defense in the late 90's was awesome, Everyone knows about the late 80's, early 90's. My dad tells me the mid 60's teams were fantastic to watch.

 

We don't deserve the playoffs. Period. The sad thing is i have no hope Rex will change anything.

[dwight in philly]

None of them.

 

Go watch this year the Patriots, Broncos, Steelers, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Panthers. That is what a playoff team looks like.

 

We don't, and haven't in a very long time. The defense in the late 90's was awesome, Everyone knows about the late 80's, early 90's. My dad tells me the mid 60's teams were fantastic to watch.

 

We don't deserve the playoffs. Period. The sad thing is i have no hope Rex will change anything.

while i sincerely agree with everything you said, and am as frustrated as you, i think the point of the OP was to offer an opinion on a team of the past 15 years that didnt make the playoffs and deserved to. "none of them " is the easy answer.

Edited December 15, 2015 by dwight in philly

[Wazzu Bill]

None of them.

 

Go watch this year the Patriots, Broncos, Steelers, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Panthers. That is what a playoff team looks like.

 

We don't, and haven't in a very long time. The defense in the late 90's was awesome, Everyone knows about the late 80's, early 90's. My dad tells me the mid 60's teams were fantastic to watch.

 

We don't deserve the playoffs. Period. The sad thing is i have no hope Rex will change anything.

 

Our league-wide standings don't always reflect the quality of our team. We have been playing perennial superbowl contenders twice a year for the last decade and a half, meanwhile Andrew Schmuck gets in every year playing against the Titans, Texans, and Jags.

 

However I do agree that we would get our rear ends handed to us in a playoff game against some of these real contenders

Edited December 15, 2015 by Wazzu Bill

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I would say 2002. I think we finished 8-8.

 

This was Bledsoe's first year and killdrive had the offense humming. I think we had a top-5 offense, with explosive years from moulds, price, Henry.

[chaccof]

while i sincerely agree with everything you said, and am as frustrated as you, i think the point of the OP was to offer an opinion on a team of the past 15 years that didnt make the playoffs and deserved to. "none of them " is the easy answer.

I think none of them is the right answer.....

[Best Player Available]

Not one and all deservedly so.

[Rico]

2004 Bills

Yep. Drew.

[LA Grant]

I would say 2002. I think we finished 8-8.

 

This was Bledsoe's first year and killdrive had the offense humming. I think we had a top-5 offense, with explosive years from moulds, price, Henry.

 

Yeah they were a fun team in spurts. I think that was the year of the Miami snow game with Bledsoe lighting it up in the 2nd half.

[3rdand12]

The 2016 team.

This thread has already brought forth the depth of angst and defeatedness we Bills fans are known for within our realm. I sure worry that some folks let it affect their day and week.

Plenty of friends who really get up and down with the game day play. I dig it. done it too. without a doubt.

 

I watch the games very seriously. Kids have known for a long time i am not available. maybe during a commercial, but maybe not : )

A buddy of mine at work was telling me about being raised by his PASSIONATE BILLS Father. MY Buddy is about 40-45.

He was telling a story about the Norwood kick. They were listening and watching the game in separate rooms. Heard his Dad saying no no nO No NONONO you F""in Idiot how could You etc. The story was hilarious because his Dad really loves the Team. Which is cool btw !

 

then there was the time his Dad slammed the dashboard while listening to the game on radio. and broke it. While driving home with the Family .

in an almost new car! To hear these stories from his rather passionate : ) Son is just hilarious and fun. all good !!

 

I am be very loyal to the Bills. But i dont fret it come Monday.

Next year

seriously.

[The Frankish Reich]

Our problem is we are building teams to just make the wildcard playoffs. We are shooting for 9-10 wins and coming up short. Maybe we need to set our sights higher. If we don't have a team that can win the Super Bowl then you don't have a team

Yep. In the baseball season, I'm a Colorado Rockies fan. This is my fan life: Rockies collapse in June, my attention turns to Bills training camp; Bills collapse in early December, my attention turn to Rockies spring training. And you know what? They - Bills and Rockies - both consistently fail because regardless of who is the GM or coach/manager, they have this unshakable belief that they are just one or two key players away from making the playoffs. They both say "we have the talent, if we can only [fill in the blank: (a) keep our key players healthy; (b) get an adequate QB/innings eating starter; © bring in a veteran leader or two], there's no reason we can't compete for a wildcard. It's kind of a loser philosophy, borne of equal parts wishful thinking and low self esteem. The Rockies? They completely tore it apart in about 2002 after some disastrous free agent signings. They didn't do it by choice; they were forced into it when ownership pulled the plug on payroll. It was the best thing that could have happened to them. 2007: World Series. 2009: Playoffs again. And then what happened? Exactly what's happened with the Bills. You look at the last year's team and say "we have the talent ... if only [blank] had happened ...." You get too enamored of what you already have and overvalue keeping guys who are aging and becoming less productive. For the Bills, that's what a 6-10 or 7-9 or 9-7 does to you. Your never tear it down and go 2-14 and start from scratch. You say, "we went 9-7 last year, now if only we had another weapon or two to complement Sammy and bring everyone else back, we should win at least a couple more and go 11-5, right?" It's not strategic thinking. It's wishful thinking.

[pafan]

Our problem is we are building teams to just make the wildcard playoffs. We are shooting for 9-10 wins and coming up short. Maybe we need to set our sights higher. If we don't have a team that can win the Super Bowl then you don't have a team

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been saying this for a long time. Buffalo has avoided the natural ebb-and-flow of the league thanks to continually finding bandaids that allow them to maintain a .500 record. I'm tired of seeing this franchise be just good enough to get 7, 8, or maybe 9 wins and yet have no realistic shot at hanging with quality playoff teams.

 

Being just good enough to squeak in, just to end the drought, will be meaningless in the long run.

Your never tear it down and go 2-14 and start from scratch.

 

Depends on who you ask. Some fans will say the Bills have rebuilt 17 times in the last 16 years.

[UBBullsfan]

I would say Bledsoe has been our best QB since Kelly, so I'd have to go with the 2004 team. The overall talent level was also higher with that team (Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements, McGahee) than it has ever been since then. Bledsoe is twice as good as Taylor, so don't try to engage me on that like everyone tries to.

The runner up would probably be the 2014 squad. The defense was racking up sacks, Kyle Orton was a serviceable quarterback, and I believe Nate Hackett showed a lot of creative play calling but was obviously being smothered by Saint Doug.

[Freddie's Dead]

2004, then 2011, when Fred was All-World. Maybe last year and this year. Outside of that, meh.

[Dopey]

while i sincerely agree with everything you said, and am as frustrated as you, i think the point of the OP was to offer an opinion on a team of the past 15 years that didnt make the playoffs and deserved to. "none of them " is the easy answer.

It's the easy answer cuz it's the right answer.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Dopey

[strive_for_five_guy]

2004 Bills

11 years ago, who would have thought that would be our last best chance to make the playoffs for who knows how long?

[ganesh]

Our problem is we are building teams to just make the wildcard playoffs. We are shooting for 9-10 wins and coming up short. Maybe we need to set our sights higher. If we don't have a team that can win the Super Bowl then you don't have a team

What has hurt this team is that they are drafting as a middle of the pack franchise...They are never getting the top 3 pick (Dareus was the last one)

[strive_for_five_guy]

What has hurt this team is that they are drafting as a middle of the pack franchise...They are never getting the top 3 pick (Dareus was the last one)

Watkins was close to a top 3 pick....

[Billsman623]

2004, that was the closest we've came so it's almost by default.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

 

Yeah they were a fun team in spurts. I think that was the year of the Miami snow game with Bledsoe lighting it up in the 2nd half.

Yup; I believe you are right; the snow game was that year.

 

That team was probably the most fun team to watch in the last 16 years. Much more explosive offense than the 2004 team, where by that time, Bledsoe was pretty much done.