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

[Wazzu Bill]

Many folks thought this was the year. But did we really have the best team to snap the drought? I don't think Rex did a great job but injuries played a role and some players didn't exactly live up to the hype either. Which team in the last 16 years deserved to see January?

[BuffaloBillsForever]

2004 Bills

[plenzmd1]

Truth be told, this one. Not often you your 8 non division games are all against teams under 500...we have this schedule last year, or 2011, or just about any other year...you should make it.

 

Next year we aint so lucky...NFC West and AFC North...

[Wazzu Bill]

Truth be told, this one. Not often you your 8 non division games are all against teams under 500...we have this schedule last year, or 2011, or just about any other year...you should make it.

 

Next year we aint so lucky...NFC West and AFC North...

 

We're going to have a showdown

2004 Bills

 

Per Wikipedia:

 

According to Football Outsiders, who has tracked every play in the NFL since the early 1990s, the 2004 Bills are statistically the best NFL team (in their record-keeping history) to have failed to qualify for the playoffs

[KDIGGZ]

Does it matter? There hasn't been a team in 16 yrs that, even if they got in by the skin of their teeth, could have progressed much farther past the wild card round. Isn't the goal to win the Super Bowl? Who went to the wildcard last year? Who remembers or cares? If you don't win the super bowl then it's all meaningless. Time to reassess what we think a successful season is

[Wazzu Bill]

Does it matter? There hasn't been a team in 16 yrs that, even if they got in by the skin of their teeth, could have progressed much farther past the wild card round. Isn't the goal to win the Super Bowl? Who went to the wildcard last year? Who remembers or cares? If you don't win the super bowl then it's all meaningless. Time to reassess what we think a successful season is

 

I would agree with you, but I haven't seen the Bills in the playoffs since I was a kid. Is it too much to ask?

[GunnerBill]

I have never seen us make the playoffs having started watching the sport and the Bills in 2002. The 04 team was good but I actually feel like this team had more potential and more talent. I am shocked how bad we have been.

[major]

2014 Bills.

[Big Turk]

2004 Bills

 

That would be the LAST team that deserved it. Final game at home against the other teams backups and you still lose? No way they deserved to be in losing to THAT Steelers team.

[BillsFan130]

2004 bills. Such a heartbreaking way to end an amazing last month and a half

[K-9]

With all due respect to our 2004 defense, none of our teams in the last 16 years deserved to go to the playoffs.

 

End of story.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[dpberr]

The 1999 team.

 

If that team beats the Titans, the future of the franchise is completely rewritten because so many shoes dropped because of January 8, 2000. I think that team had a great shot at beating the Colts and Jags to reach the Super Bowl again.

 

It's the "What if Hitler was killed in 1938?" question for this franchise.

[BillsFan130]

Ya perhaps the better question would have been, what bills team did you want to see in the playoffs? (based on likeability of players, coaches etc..) Cause the bills really never deserved to be in the playoffs, not like they went 10 and 6 or anything. A likeable bills team I wanted to see work was the 2011 bills with fitz, gailey, stevie, spiller. Very likeable team just weren't good enough

[snamsnoops]

a HEALTHY 2015 team

[dwight in philly]

2014 Bills.

you beat me to it. the defense was the type that wins , shame.. probably all goes back to QB.. had we had one, things might have been different. i thought orton was "ok".. maybe could have made the playoffs with him if a game or two would have shook out differently, but E J lost us a couple that proved to be the difference.

Edited December 15, 2015 by dwight in philly

[Manther]

Does it matter? There hasn't been a team in 16 yrs that, even if they got in by the skin of their teeth, could have progressed much farther past the wild card round. Isn't the goal to win the Super Bowl? Who went to the wildcard last year? Who remembers or cares? If you don't win the super bowl then it's all meaningless. Time to reassess what we think a successful season is

I disagree

[reddogblitz]

None. You "deserve" to make the playoffs when you win enough games to get in.

 

This year's team (contrary to TBD logic) still does have a chance to make it.

 

Go BILLS!

[BustaTimes]

2004 Bills

 

Edited December 15, 2015 by BustaTimes

[atlbillsfan1975]

Truth be told, this one. Not often you your 8 non division games are all against teams under 500...we have this schedule last year, or 2011, or just about any other year...you should make it.

 

Next year we aint so lucky...NFC West and AFC North...

I have a feeling NFC West will not be what it was 2 years ago. AFC North will be tough for sure, but there will be two teams that stink from it. Kind of like our division.

To answer the question, none. Injuries stink, but i think back to the Pack's SB win against Pitt, they were missing an ungodly amount of people.

Drafting right will help, i think Whaley is on the right track. This time next year i think we will all be in better spirits.

[KDIGGZ]

I would agree with you, but I haven't seen the Bills in the playoffs since I was a kid. Is it too much to ask?

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

[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.