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What's Your Definition of a Successful 2017 Bills Season

Virgil

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Virgil All Pro

Virgil

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I'm looking forward to this upcoming season because my expectations aren't very high. This is an experience year to me for our rookies and Coach. It's rare to have rookies contribute in a way that changes a teams path. Rookies Head Coaches always go through their growing pains. The Pats look stacked moreso than last year. Our schedule doesn't have many easy wins. This season reminds me of our 3-13 season, which was one of my favorites. Not because I think we will only win 3 games, but because I knew we were going to learn and get better.

 

So for me, here's what I'm hoping to see this season:

  • Tyrod solidifies the job, or they finish with a top 5 pick and we get our QB (Either Way, I think the QB question is answered going into 2018)
  • The rookies show enough promise to be solid starters going forward. Jones at WR is the most crucial to me if Sammy doesn't earn his payday. However.....
  • Sammy earns his payday. I hope he stays healthy all year and earns a pro-bowl spot
  • RT position is solidified
  • We are in all of our games and keep it close against the Pats by the season end.
  • The season ends with us drafting Best Available, not for need again
  • Dareus earns his contract
  • Lorax continues his dominance
  • Hauschka misses less XP's than Carpenter
  • Brady gets hurt
For those who think this is a beaten down attitude, maybe. But I don't think any team with this much transition and in our division would that great. Just my humble opinion Edited by Virgil
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JM2009 Veteran

JM2009

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Posted

Only when this ridiculous playoff drought ends, whatever year that is, will the Bills have what is called a successful season. I have them 7-9 in 2017 because the depth is not good. If they stay pretty healthy, maybe good things can happen.

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Alphadawg7 Hall of Famer

Alphadawg7

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Posted (edited)

I'm looking forward to this upcoming season because my expectations aren't very high. This is an experience year to me for our rookies and Coach. It's rare to have rookies contribute in a way that changes a teams path. Rookies Head Coaches always go through their growing pains. The Pats look stacked moreso than last year. Our schedule doesn't have many easy wins. This season reminds me of our 3-13 season, which was one of my favorites. Not because I think we will only win 3 games, but because I knew we were going to learn and get better.

 

So for me, here's what I'm hoping to see this season:

  1. Tyrod solidifies the job, or they finish with a top 5 pick and we get our QB (Either Way, I think the QB question is answered going into 2018)
  2. The rookies show enough promise to be solid starters going forward. Jones at WR is the most crucial to me if Sammy doesn't earn his payday. However.....
  3. Sammy earns his payday. I hope he stays healthy all year and earns a pro-bowl spot
  4. LT position is solidified
  5. We are in all of our games and keep it close against the Pats by the season end.
  6. The season ends with us drafting Best Available, not for need again
  7. Dareus earns his contract
  8. Lorax continues his dominance
  9. Hauschka misses less XP's than Carpenter
  10. Brady gets hurt

For those who think this is a beaten down attitude, maybe. But I don't think any team with this much transition and in our division would that great. Just my humble opinion

 

 

While there will likely be potential positives to take away from this season one way or the other...some you touched on already...there is no such thing as a "Successful Season" without making the playoffs.

 

So the one, and literally, only answer to your question is at least a playoff birth. Anything other than that is still NOT a successful season. But again, if we miss playoffs, that doesn't mean other positive things wont come out of this season, but positive progression is not the definition of "successful".

 

In summary: PLAYOFF BIRTH

Edited by Alphadawg7
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LI_Bills Rookie

LI_Bills

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The simple answer of playoffs or better feels superficial since I don't think a Lombardi trophy is a realistic expectation this year.

 

Also, it seems reasonable to recognize that pinning 17 years of desperation on the new staff is unfair in year one.

 

At the same time, I'm skeptical that we are any better than the near .500 team we've been for far too long. I would consider erasing that skepticism to be a large measure of success.

 

At this time next year I want to feel that we are a legitimate playoff caliber team going into the 2018 season. Ideally a Super Bowl contender too, but I just don't see that happening that quickly.

 

We focus on the 4 straight Super Bowls, but that team was a legit contender two years before and was still competitive a year or two after. Sustained success is what I am most interested in.

 

Similar to the NFL draft I doubt we'll be able to determine whether next year is a success for a few years.

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Virgil All Pro

Virgil

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I get the playoffs answer. But after almost 20 years, if this ends up being the first year of the McDermott era, I'll be happy to see it happen.

 

Nothing against the team, just rookie HC's, new scheme, rookies and so many FA's starting...It's just a rare thing to all come together in one season.

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Gugny Hall of Famer

Gugny

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Determining, by mid-season, whether Tyrod is staying or going.

Determining whether Sam Watkins is staying or going.

Playing more disciplined football - especially on D.

Seeing excellent game management skills from McDermott.

Not ending the season near .500. Either win enough to get to the playoffs, or lose enough to get a top 3 pick.

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LI_Bills Rookie

LI_Bills

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Determining, by mid-season, whether Tyrod is staying or going.

Determining whether Sam Watkins is staying or going.

Playing more disciplined football - especially on D.

Seeing excellent game management skills from McDermott.

Not ending the season near .500. Either win enough to get to the playoffs, or lose enough to get a top 3 pick.

 

 

Agree with everything except the .500.

 

I understand the sentiment given the past 17, but IMO this is not a bottom-feeding team. If McD guides this team to a top 3 pick I will be truly depressed about our future.

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Chandler#81 Hall of Famer

Chandler#81

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The simple answer of playoffs or better feels superficial since I don't think a Lombardi trophy is a realistic expectation this year.

 

Also, it seems reasonable to recognize that pinning 17 years of desperation on the new staff is unfair in year one.

 

At the same time, I'm skeptical that we are any better than the near .500 team we've been for far too long. I would consider erasing that skepticism to be a large measure of success.

 

At this time next year I want to feel that we are a legitimate playoff caliber team going into the 2018 season. Ideally a Super Bowl contender too, but I just don't see that happening that quickly.

 

We focus on the 4 straight Super Bowls, but that team was a legit contender two years before and was still competitive a year or two after. Sustained success is what I am most interested in.

 

Similar to the NFL draft I doubt we'll be able to determine whether next year is a success for a few years.

 

To the bolded, Yeah, BUT! It's been happening every 2-3 years this millennium. I'm sick of it.

I don't expect a SB contender, but every year, at least one and usually 3 teams make the playoffs few people expected them to do. Timely plays (T/O's, 4th down stops, ST's return, bad ref calls) push a couple middling teams into January football. It's almost defying the odds and the nature of things that the Bills haven't been a recipient of this at least once in 17 years, especially considering how many 6-10, 7-9 seasons we've had.

 

Playoffs or Bust!

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eball Hall of Famer

eball

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Posted

This is a team that, despite putrid coaching, was (with apologies to GunnerBill) essentially .500 the past two seasons. They lost a couple of players but also gained a couple. It's simply not a bottom-of-the-barrel roster. A successful season to me will be 10-6 or better. While that should qualify the team for the playoffs, I'm not basing success upon that fact. 10-6 would be the best record for this franchise since 1999.

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GunnerBill Hall of Famer

GunnerBill

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It was not essentially .500. It was .468.

 

I don't expect the Bills to make the playoffs this year and that is not the success criteria I will be measuring them against. I agree with the OP on that. To me success in 2017 looks like a team that looks prepared, committed and ready to play every week. No 10 men on the field and 12 men on the field all the time, no linebackers checking for rain as the other team is snapping the ball, no safeties completely abandoning their assignments and no game plans that play against the strengths of our players. Marcel Dareus is not a nose tackle just as one obvious example. On offense it means no needless timeouts because we can't line up properly, it means being able to operate a 2 minute drill effectively and it means not getting away from things that are working in the name of "variety".

 

If I see those things and we win 6 games (I really do think this schedule is hard and we could be a better team than last year and win fewer games - as an example I personally think the 2016 Bills played better than the 2015 Bills but on a harder schedule..... the 2015 season remains an epic underachievement against a powder puff schedule) I will think we go into 2018 with a real chance to break the drought. If I see those things and we win 9 or 10 then fantastic.

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Kirby Jackson Hall of Famer

Kirby Jackson

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I'll say 10 wins. I try to stay consistent by not using playoffs as the judge. If the Bills are 10-6 and miss the playoffs, the year isn't worse to me than if they are 10-6 and lose on the 8th tiebreaker. It will suck but I want them to control what they can control. If they handle their business and get to double digit wins they've had a nice year.

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zonabb Veteran

zonabb

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Each quarter of the season they improve, by the eye test, statistically, and maybe wins. This is not a playoff team by any stretch. Improving as the season plows forward would indicate better grasp of respective schemes, growth by younger players and rookies, and better coaching as they get to understand what they are working with.

 

There is a significant dearth if talent here, or maybe some that hasn't bloomed. Expecting rookies at two key positions (WR, CB), arguably with the steepest college-to-NFL learning curve to be better than average, which they would need to be, alone is a stretch. The safeties are questions. Second round pick last year hasn't played and now has to learn a 4-3 that he's never played in. Offensively, it's all on TT. As he goes, so goes the entire team. A great running game doesn't win with a last place passing game.

 

Stay tuned I guess but I'm having my hat on about 6-10.

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Watkins101 RFA

Watkins101

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Posted

I'm looking forward to this upcoming season because my expectations aren't very high. This is an experience year to me for our rookies and Coach. It's rare to have rookies contribute in a way that changes a teams path. Rookies Head Coaches always go through their growing pains. The Pats look stacked moreso than last year. Our schedule doesn't have many easy wins. This season reminds me of our 3-13 season, which was one of my favorites. Not because I think we will only win 3 games, but because I knew we were going to learn and get better.

 

So for me, here's what I'm hoping to see this season:

 

  • Tyrod solidifies the job, or they finish with a top 5 pick and we get our QB (Either Way, I think the QB question is answered going into 2018)
  • The rookies show enough promise to be solid starters going forward. Jones at WR is the most crucial to me if Sammy doesn't earn his payday. However.....
  • Sammy earns his payday. I hope he stays healthy all year and earns a pro-bowl spot
  • LT position is solidified
  • We are in all of our games and keep it close against the Pats by the season end.
  • The season ends with us drafting Best Available, not for need again
  • Dareus earns his contract
  • Lorax continues his dominance
  • Hauschka misses less XP's than Carpenter
  • Brady gets hurt
For those who think this is a beaten down attitude, maybe. But I don't think any team with this much transition and in our division would that great. Just my humble opinion
If this happens we should win the division. If all our players that haven't been playing as well as they should play well and Brady gets hurt, Patriots wouldn't be able to touch us.
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SoCal Deek Hall of Famer

SoCal Deek

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The wife was out of town last night so in flipping thru the DVR I remembered that I'd recorded almost every Bills game from last season. I started watching the last Miami game. I remembered that we were still In The Hunt at that time so watching it with a fresh set of eyes I can away with these observations that relate to my metric for a successful 2017:

 

1. The Defense was HORRIBLE (a new coach has to help)

2. Carpenter was HORRIBLE (we fixed it)

3. The Offense was actually clicking but Woods was none existent (hoping Zay fits right in)

4. The Refs were HORRIBLE (I cannot see much changing there)

 

In the end, it's anyone's guess but nobody could be happier than me that Rex and his brother are long gone.

 

Go Bills

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GunnerBill Hall of Famer

GunnerBill

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Seriously?

 

Only a few more years until the Bills earn the crown of longest playoff drought in the history of the NFL. Can they keep losing?

 

Who cares though right? It's Buffalo. Fans should just be happy they have a team.

 

Agreed. Let's leave the "whatever they do it isn't enough" until the "whatever" is at the very least double digit wins.

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Gugny Hall of Famer

Gugny

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A season where I say "wow, I think we may have a REAL qb on our hands who can actually THROW the football accurately." I don't care if they go 3-13 as long as I see a qb of the future. Nothing, and I mean nothing matters until that happens.

 

Amen.

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JM2009 Veteran

JM2009

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Posted (edited)

A season where I say "wow, I think we may have a REAL qb on our hands who can actually THROW the football accurately." I don't care if they go 3-13 as long as I see a qb of the future. Nothing, and I mean nothing matters until that happens.

Brady and BB out of the division matter quite a bit.They have a stranglehold on it. NE is the main reason the Bills have not made the playoffs at least one time in this drought.

Edited by JM2009
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BuffaloBaumer Veteran

BuffaloBaumer

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Posted (edited)

Brady and BB out of the division matter quite a bit.They have a stranglehold on it. NE is the main reason the Bills have not made the playoffs at least one time in this drought.

 

I am pretty sure I saw a stat from a couple years back where even IF there was a 2nd Wild Card added to the playoffs at the beginning of the drought, Buffalo STILL would have never made it. So although, the Pats have been an issue, let's not pretend the Bills have not been pretty terrible for a loooong time.

Edited by BuffaloBaumer
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Deadstroke Rookie

Deadstroke

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I'm looking forward to this upcoming season because my expectations aren't very high. This is an experience year to me for our rookies and Coach. It's rare to have rookies contribute in a way that changes a teams path. Rookies Head Coaches always go through their growing pains. The Pats look stacked moreso than last year. Our schedule doesn't have many easy wins. This season reminds me of our 3-13 season, which was one of my favorites. Not because I think we will only win 3 games, but because I knew we were going to learn and get better.

 

So for me, here's what I'm hoping to see this season:

  1. Tyrod solidifies the job, or they finish with a top 5 pick and we get our QB (Either Way, I think the QB question is answered going into 2018)
  2. The rookies show enough promise to be solid starters going forward. Jones at WR is the most crucial to me if Sammy doesn't earn his payday. However.....
  3. Sammy earns his payday. I hope he stays healthy all year and earns a pro-bowl spot
  4. LT position is solidified
  5. We are in all of our games and keep it close against the Pats by the season end.
  6. The season ends with us drafting Best Available, not for need again
  7. Dareus earns his contract
  8. Lorax continues his dominance
  9. Hauschka misses less XP's than Carpenter
  10. Brady gets hurt

For those who think this is a beaten down attitude, maybe. But I don't think any team with this much transition and in our division would that great. Just my humble opinion

It's very simple to me; playoffs!

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Iron Maiden RFA

Iron Maiden

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If we are being realistic, winning the division is likely unattainable this year....we are not taking it away from NE...they won the SB and actually got better in the off season. Our playoff hopes lies with the WC....can we make it ? yes, of course...but IMO, it won't happen this year....I want coach McD to use this year to mold the team to his liking...to install a philosophy that garners winning....I actually don't really care about the W-L record this year....I do want to see progress and intelligent football...I see us at 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 this year.....2018 is when we break the drought.....this year is all about the new regime putting their stamp on the team...weed out the bad stuff and solidify the good stuff....

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JM2009 Veteran

JM2009

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I am pretty sure I saw a stat from a couple years back where even IF there was a 2nd Wild Card added to the playoffs at the beginning of the drought, Buffalo STILL would have never made it. So although, the Pats have been an issue, let's not pretend the Bills have not been pretty terrible for a loooong time.

Losing to NE twice a year most of the time with no chance of winning the division is huge. The Bills have had some decent teams that could have made the playoffs in another division-2015 for example-they would have had a very good chance in the AFC South. Maybe have won it.

If we are being realistic, winning the division is likely unattainable this year....we are not taking it away from NE...they won the SB and actually got better in the off season. Our playoff hopes lies with the WC....can we make it ? yes, of course...but IMO, it won't happen this year....I want coach McD to use this year to mold the team to his liking...to install a philosophy that garners winning....I actually don't really care about the W-L record this year....I do want to see progress and intelligent football...I see us at 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 this year.....2018 is when we break the drought.....this year is all about the new regime putting their stamp on the team...weed out the bad stuff and solidify the good stuff....

Be nice if a 9-7 can get a WC. Some years it can.

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