Bills Schedule Breakdown - So far & Moving forward

[SCBills]

I know we're all frustrated and a bit confused on what this team is, direction their heading, and if they will have any type of identity this year.  It's worth pointing out what our first quarter schedule looked like..

 

1 home game

3 away games

 

1 win against Minnesota, @ Minnesota.  Perhaps they are overrated, perhaps not.  Still a team many think will make the playoffs.  Road win.

 

3 losses:

 

1 home loss to the Chargers.  Phillip Rivers led Offense with one of the best pass rushes in the NFL.  They are currently 2-2.

 

2 road losses.  One road loss to a NFC SB contender, led by Aaron Rodgers.  One road loss to what looks to be an early season AFC favorite, Baltimore Ravens.

 

I think we will have a much better idea of what this team is after this next quarter:

 

Titans - Home

Texans - Away

Colts - Away

Pats - Home

 

Three winnable games, then the inevitable L to the Pats. 

 

Is our defense legit?

How does Josh Allen bounce back?

Do we have a running game?  If so, where does Shady fit?

Do we have any WR's worthy of keeping past this year?

 

Can we go 3-1/2-2 over this stretch to keep Playoffs in sight with the abundance of home games in the back half of the schedule? 

[IronyAbounds]

The Bills just got hammered with the worst possible schedule. Two home games in the first 7 is ridiculous. There may well be other teams stuck with that type of schedule, but it just brutal, not to mention stupid to give a cold weather team very few home games during nice weather. 2-2 is probably the best we can hope for, and I really don't think it is likely. The Texans and Colts aren't that good, but they also won't be looking ahead like the Vikings were, so I really think the Titans are the best hope for a win out of those 4.

[Rebel101]

I think the Titans are a tough team and their new coach has them very well prepared and ready to fight it out till the end. And we don’t know what the !@#$ we are doing we are just playing darts blindfolded throwing **** where ever hoping it works 

Edited October 1, 2018 by Rebel101

[BuffaloBillies]

Best would be to just keep losing. Ideally they progress in these games and look better in their losses.

 

I'd be OK with "24-21" losses the rest of the way. Competitive, with the offense scoring some points, and the defense not getting totally annihilated (maybe 1 score against them is on the offense.. pick-6 or whatever).

 

It's not happening this year (obviously). We need draft firepower with a top-3 pick (and hopefully trade down to amass more). 

 

[SoCal Deek]

Please don't overthink this. The 2018 Bills are not very good at all.  The quality of their opponents, or where they have played them, has almost nothing to do with it.  Life goes on!

[Success]

I’m excited.  Everyone is writing us off, as they should at this point - but the schedule gets easier.

 

I still think there is a shot we could hit the bye at 5-5.

[nucci]

7 minutes ago, BuffaloBillies said:

Best would be to just keep losing. Ideally they progress in these games and look better in their losses.

 

I'd be OK with "24-21" losses the rest of the way. Competitive, with the offense scoring some points, and the defense not getting totally annihilated (maybe 1 score against them is on the offense.. pick-6 or whatever).

 

It's not happening this year (obviously). We need draft firepower with a top-3 pick (and hopefully trade down to amass more). 

 

Brilliant...

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

I think we will have a much better idea of what this team is after this next quarter:

 

Titans - Home

Texans - Away

Colts - Away

Pats - Home

 

Three winnable games, then the inevitable L to the Pats. 

man, it's just not getting easier soon enough 

 

But I'm still thinking the Colts and Texans are having headaches as well.  

 

 

 

[row_33]

16 minutes ago, Success said:

I’m excited.  Everyone is writing us off, as they should at this point - but the schedule gets easier.

 

I still think there is a shot we could hit the bye at 5-5.

 

fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son....

 

[Clyde Smith]

If Serlis can be a serviceable OL and we make a move and obtain a good receiver. Then I will be a lot more confident about the season. With current roster I see us going 8-8.

[JPP]

30 minutes ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

man, it's just not getting easier soon enough 

 

But I'm still thinking the Colts and Texans are having headaches as well.  

 

 

 

The Colts and Texans are way more polished than the Bills by leaps and bounds......and thats not saying much......Bills have the offence productivity of a decent high school football team...thats what it looks like to me.....4 games in and the inconsistancy is alarming....that is a product of bad coaching

Edited October 1, 2018 by JPP

[BobDVA]

Despite the fact that the Titans defense is better than Green Bay's I think we eek one out next Sunday.  In Houston, I have serious reservations too much offense and too much Clowney and Watt.,  Indianapolis, at Indianapolis a winnable game but they must play at Vikings level I think no.  Patriots at home, no probably not.  At worst 2-6 at best 3-5.

[jrober38]

2 hours ago, SCBills said:

Can we go 3-1/2-2 over this stretch to keep Playoffs in sight with the abundance of home games in the back half of the schedule? 

 

Probably not. Our offense is a complete joke right now. 

 

We're averaging 12.5 points per game. You can't win with that today when QBs are regularly throwing for 400 yards and 3 TDs.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

15 hours ago, JPP said:

The Colts and Texans are way more polished than the Bills by leaps and bounds......and thats not saying much......Bills have the offence productivity of a decent high school football team...thats what it looks like to me.....4 games in and the inconsistancy is alarming....that is a product of bad coaching

True.  But still, they have problems hopefully the Bills can exploit 

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by ShadyBillsFan

[NoSaint]

I think hoping the playoffs will be an option is a bit optimistic but of course it’s an oddly shaped ball and you never know how it’ll bounce

[DBilz2500]

If we can just get to even 3-4 and then 5-5 at midway point with marked improvement shown I feel like we have a chance to make a run with much easier schedule coming our way. All those backloaded home games may help as well 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

29 minutes ago, DBilz2500 said:

If we can just get to even 3-4 and then 5-5 at midway point with marked improvement shown I feel like we have a chance to make a run with much easier schedule coming our way. All those backloaded home games may help as well 

That's one thing to look forward to.  

[DBilz2500]

21 minutes ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

That's one thing to look forward to.  

It at least gives me a reason to watch on Sunday's. At this point seems like it will take a miracle and every bounce going our way for another playoff berth to happen. 

[row_33]

9 minutes ago, DBilz2500 said:

It at least gives me a reason to watch on Sunday's. At this point seems like it will take a miracle and every bounce going our way for another playoff berth to happen. 

 

you don't need a reason to watch the Bills, you just do it.

 

 

[Paul Costa]

To me this week’s game will define the direction for the rest of the season. If we win we are 2-3 with a couple of beatable teams next. If we lose this one and our offense continues to struggle we are on target to get a top 5 pick. We as fans obviously have no control over the outcome. I’m hoping we win and we see signs of life from our Offense. I can’t help myself. I still think we got a shot!! 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

8 hours ago, DBilz2500 said:

It at least gives me a reason to watch on Sunday's. At this point seems like it will take a miracle and every bounce going our way for another playoff berth to happen. 

 

8 hours ago, row_33 said:

 

you don't need a reason to watch the Bills, you just do it.

 

 

Exactly.   Go in with low expectations and if they win enjoy 

7 hours ago, Paul Costa said:

To me this week’s game will define the direction for the rest of the season. If we win we are 2-3 with a couple of beatable teams next. If we lose this one and our offense continues to struggle we are on target to get a top 5 pick. We as fans obviously have no control over the outcome. I’m hoping we win and we see signs of life from our Offense. I can’t help myself. I still think we got a shot!! 

Win win. 

 

[DBilz2500]

7 hours ago, Paul Costa said:

To me this week’s game will define the direction for the rest of the season. If we win we are 2-3 with a couple of beatable teams next. If we lose this one and our offense continues to struggle we are on target to get a top 5 pick. We as fans obviously have no control over the outcome. I’m hoping we win and we see signs of life from our Offense. I can’t help myself. I still think we got a shot!! 

I am in the same boat-after this game at home we play 2 underachieving 1-3 teams. A 4-3 record isn't even out of the realm of possibility. 

[Fadingpain]

Stop it!

 

Our record is going to be horrible this year and it isn't because we got a tough schedule.

 

That doesn't help, but bottom 3 talent is probably going to finish bottom 3.

 

Get used to it.

 

 

[CEN-CAL17]

I hate to say it... but if we lose to the titans we could be 1-7 at the halfway point.

[transplantbillsfan]

This season is just going to naturally be full of ebbs and flows.

 

Everyone would have been ecstatic with a 2-2 record to start the season with the schedule we had.

 

We're 1-3.  That's okay.

 

I expect us to go at least 2-2 in the next quarter and 3-1 is attainable.

 

Back half of the season consists of 5 home games and 5 division games.

 

Yes, we're still alive and fine.  The season is just a work in progress.  It's unfortunate McDermott fell for the Peterman mirage over the Summer because it took a lot of valuable reps away from Allen getting some chemistry with his OL and WRs.

 

This thing is just gonna take time.

 

Daboll needs to be a lot more creative than he was on Sunday.

 

But considering the youth at the most important position on offense and the most important position on defense, I expect we'll probably see this pattern of 1 step back for every 1 or 2 steps forward we take throughout the year.

 

But yes, playoffs are still very much within reach.

[ganesh]

On 10/2/2018 at 12:58 AM, SoCal Deek said:

Please don't overthink this. The 2018 Bills are not very good at all.  The quality of their opponents, or where they have played them, has almost nothing to do with it.  Life goes on!

Disagree.  In parity driven NFL, it comes down to coaching.  This team can win games especially with 7 more games at home.

[SoCal Deek]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

Disagree.  In parity driven NFL, it comes down to coaching.  This team can win games especially with 7 more games at home.

Ganesh. The middle of the league indeed has parity.  But every year there’s a team or two the separate themselves at both the top and the bottom. The Bills have separated themselves in 2018.  This is not a good team. They simply don’t have the roster. They have nobody coming back from injury and the cavalry doesn’t appear to be coming in the form of a free agent. Settle in for a long season.

[BigBuff423]

On 10/1/2018 at 3:38 PM, row_33 said:

 

fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son....

 

 

Now, why do we need to hate on fat and drunk? I mean in the words of the 20th century philosopher, "Stupid is as stupid does"....so, that's where stupid reaches it's zenith....but what did fat and drunk ever do to you? Let's let them live the good life without the ball and chain of "stupid".....c'mon man! Fat and drunk IS the way to go through life.....

Edited October 3, 2018 by BigBuff423

[plenzmd1]

On 10/1/2018 at 2:13 PM, IronyAbounds said:

The Bills just got hammered with the worst possible schedule. Two home games in the first 7 is ridiculous. There may well be other teams stuck with that type of schedule, but it just brutal, not to mention stupid to give a cold weather team very few home games during nice weather. 2-2 is probably the best we can hope for, and I really don't think it is likely. The Texans and Colts aren't that good, but they also won't be looking ahead like the Vikings were, so I really think the Titans are the best hope for a win out of those 4.

1

1

Green Bay fans bitchin about this too...we think it is to force new stadium, they think it is because cold looks great on TV..not so great in person!

On 10/1/2018 at 3:28 PM, SoCal Deek said:

Please don't overthink this. The 2018 Bills are not very good at all.  The quality of their opponents, or where they have played them, has almost nothing to do with it.  Life goes on!

Not 100% on board with this. The Pittsburgh year the Bills were 3-6 till they hit a very winnable part of the schedule to get to with 6 wins in a row...then Pittsburgh.

 

Also, Rexy's last year started 0-2..then hit a stretch of 4 winnable games and at 4-2 we thought we had a life...all based on the schedule.

 

I do think it matters..3 of 4 on the road..and I know power rankings are silly but based on this one we have played 4 of the top twelve teams ...again 3 of thos on the road

 

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/10/nfl-power-rankings-week-4-rams-patriots-packers-cowboys

 

I still think the Bills stink BTW?

 

BTW, we playing a Titans team that just beat the Eagles and the Jags...yikes???

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by plenzmd1

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

14 hours ago, ganesh said:

Disagree.  In parity driven NFL, it comes down to coaching.  This team can win games especially with 7 more games at home.

It’s finally looking that way.  

 

Just need NE to fall flat 

for me to finally say it works