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I think the wait might actually be over.


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Y'all saying "we should be better but we are not there yet" have to know that if Josh is for real, we are very much there. And we need to be while Josh is on his rookie deal. Preseason or not, I feel good about this squad and how it has been built. Let's just get this thing started!

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6 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

I’m expecting what a lot of beat reporters and analysts have been predicting.  The Bills could be anywhere from a 7 to 9 win team.  With a little luck maybe more.  

 

But I think what’s most important is that we see improvement from Josh Allen

I don't disagree.


But when weren't we looking like a 7 to 9 win team?

 

That range is where most of this league lives, most of the time, and where we have been for years.  

 

What feels different (I would suggest to the OP) now is the widely held perception that we have a good QB.

 

Whether or not we actually do is far from determined at this point in time.

 

 

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I am cautiously optimistic. I still don't quite buy that this is the most talented Bills team in years. I think people forget just how loaded that 2015 squad was. If ever a Bills team should have won double digit games it was that one playing against an NFC East and AFC South that were both poor divisions (combined for 51-77 records). 

 

That said this group is probably better in the two spots that make all the difference - it is definitely better at Head Coach and even a small step forward from Josh would make it better at Quarterback too. 

 

The schedule lines up nicely too. I am not one of those who believes it is impossible to predict what a schedule will look like before the season. Is there always a team or two who does significantly worse or better than you would expect? Yep. But equally there are plenty of teams every year in the NFL who are what we thought they were. This schedule is favourable. This might be the least fearsome the AFC North has looked in a decade despite the fact that the Browns are better than they have been in a while and the NFC East is s split division this year in that I think it houses two potential Superbowl teams in the Cowboys and Eagles and two potential candidates for the #1 overall pick. Oh and we have a team in our own division who we will play twice who could be in that conversation too. There are multiple routes to double digit wins for the Bills and strangely few games you put an L next to before a ball has been kicked off in anger. 

 

So if the QB and Head Coach are part 1 of my reasoning, and the schedule is part 2, addressing our needs is part three. I don't think this roster building is finished yet, but I think they did some of the heavy lifting this spring. The offensive line will be improved and has been even in pre-season and the wide receivers while 2nd tier players and not first tier players do seem a fit. Brown is an obvious fit with Allen's skillset and a guy the Bills identified over a year ago. Cole Beasley is a fit for Daboll's offense my concern was whether Josh was sufficiently advanced in his development to take advantage of Beasley's skillset. I think that was the single biggest takeaway from the Panthers game. That chemistry is developing and Josh was able to get him the ball. I don't believe there is a thousand yard receiver on this team but could there be 3 or even 4 guys in that 600-800 yard range? I think there could. 

 

On defense they didn't have many holes as such but they needed more penetration from the Dline and they needed more depth at linebacker and in the secondary. Ed Oliver helps the first of those, Kevin Johnson and Kurt Coleman may have helped with the third (shame EJ Gaines got hurt too). The question going into camp was the second but the way the Bills have developed Corey Thompson, an UDFA from last year, is exciting to me. If they have something there not only does it reflect really well on our coaches but it reduces another potential vulnerability. 

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10 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Greetings from an early adopter. I called 10 a month or two ago.

Poppycock & Bolderdash! You jumped on the Preseason Hype Bandwagon, and you know it!?

 

(jk. Yer a Richard & hate everything about the team? -so this scares the crap outta me!)

 

@GunnerBill Outstanding post! 

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31 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

Poppycock & Bolderdash! You jumped on the Preseason Hype Bandwagon, and you know it!?

 

(jk. Yer a Richard & hate everything about the team? -so this scares the crap outta me!)

 

@GunnerBill Outstanding post! 

 

Huhwut? :P

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, The Bills Blog said:

But I think this might be the year that a page is turned, emphatically.

 

We've all heard this before.  Let's wait and see if Allen can deliver.  And I'm singling out Allen because all that matters in the league is QB.

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1 minute ago, MAGA-Man said:

 

We've all heard this before.  Let's wait and see if Allen can deliver.  And I'm singling out Allen because all that matters in the league is QB.

 

It is not all that matters. It is the biggest thing - yes. But if QB was all that matters how would you explain Philip Rivers hasn't won a Superbowl. Or that Rodgers and Brees have only won 1 (only actually been to one each in fact....) that the Broncos won one 3 years back with a totally broken down Peyton Manning who had something like 9 TDs and 17 INTs that season? 

 

Is it the biggest factor? Sure. 

 

#1 QB

#2 HC

#3 Elite difference makers at other positions

#4 Depth

 

 

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1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

It is not all that matters. It is the biggest thing - yes. But if QB was all that matters how would you explain Philip Rivers hasn't won a Superbowl. Or that Rodgers and Brees have only won 1 (only actually been to one each in fact....) that the Broncos won one 3 years back with a totally broken down Peyton Manning who had something like 9 TDs and 17 INTs that season? 

 

Is it the biggest factor? Sure. 

 

#1 QB

#2 HC

#3 Elite difference makers at other positions

#4 Depth

 

 

 

Good take!

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1> don't watch preseason football.  It is garbage and tells you very little.

2> bills had an above .500 roster and were playing at a .500 plus level at the end of last year, in real games, so a lift this year should come as no surprise

3> remember,  most other teams have gotten better as well

4> turnovers lose games and a rash of IR - type injuries end playoff runs, so those are always factors

 

Lets get to the end of next month and see how the Process is progressing.   If a bunch of key guys are going doing down for the year, it usually happens in the first month of the season.   After that, the IR type injury stuff settles down.  Then we can judge if this group is better than the one that exited 2018. 

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9 hours ago, The Bills Blog said:

Making the playoffs a couple years ago was cool, but I don't think anyone would argue that it really lifted the dark cloud over this franchise. Our journey back to respectability/true competitiveness continues.

 

But I think this might be the year that a page is turned, emphatically.

 

I've watched an unhealthy amount of preseason football this year. And it seems like the Bills might be really good. Top to bottom. And they've got star players to make impact plays at every level of the field on offense and defense.

 

Something feels different now.

 

Other than the Patriots, I can't think of an opponent I fear. And the only reason I fear them is not because of talent; it's because they're smarter than everyone else.

 

I think we're going 12-4 this year. We'll be good out of the gate. The future will arrive suddenly, as it often does when teams turn the corner. Within a month or two of the season starting, the Bills being a top team will just be accepted. I don't think there'll be any sweating out a playoff spot.

 

Go Bills!

Good to always see the Optimist side of the story.  Keeping fingers crossed for a 12-4 season.  That would really make 12 Mondays during the season a very very happy day !!!!

59 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

It is not all that matters. It is the biggest thing - yes. But if QB was all that matters how would you explain Philip Rivers hasn't won a Superbowl. Or that Rodgers and Brees have only won 1 (only actually been to one each in fact....) that the Broncos won one 3 years back with a totally broken down Peyton Manning who had something like 9 TDs and 17 INTs that season? 

 

Is it the biggest factor? Sure. 

 

#1 QB

#2 HC

#3 Elite difference makers at other positions

#4 Depth

 

 

#3 -  Great pass rusher 

#4 -  Game changing RB (He is the best friend to the QB)

#5 -  LT  protecting the QB blind side. 

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4 hours ago, Big C said:

Y'all saying "we should be better but we are not there yet" have to know that if Josh is for real, we are very much there. And we need to be while Josh is on his rookie deal. Preseason or not, I feel good about this squad and how it has been built. Let's just get this thing started!

This. It's fascinating (in a bad way) when I hear media types say things like, "If Josh Allen delivers, this could be a 9- or 10-win team." I really don't get it. Some local media are going to be pleasantly surprised. I think 9 our 10 wins have been sought after for so long that it's hard for people to hope for or expect more than that.

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2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I am cautiously optimistic. I still don't quite buy that this is the most talented Bills team in years. I think people forget just how loaded that 2015 squad was. If ever a Bills team should have won double digit games it was that one playing against an NFC East and AFC South that were both poor divisions (combined for 51-77 records). 

 

That said this group is probably better in the two spots that make all the difference - it is definitely better at Head Coach and even a small step forward from Josh would make it better at Quarterback too. 

 

The schedule lines up nicely too. I am not one of those who believes it is impossible to predict what a schedule will look like before the season. Is there always a team or two who does significantly worse or better than you would expect? Yep. But equally there are plenty of teams every year in the NFL who are what we thought they were. This schedule is favourable. This might be the least fearsome the AFC North has looked in a decade despite the fact that the Browns are better than they have been in a while and the NFC East is s split division this year in that I think it houses two potential Superbowl teams in the Cowboys and Eagles and two potential candidates for the #1 overall pick. Oh and we have a team in our own division who we will play twice who could be in that conversation too. There are multiple routes to double digit wins for the Bills and strangely few games you put an L next to before a ball has been kicked off in anger. 

 

So if the QB and Head Coach are part 1 of my reasoning, and the schedule is part 2, addressing our needs is part three. I don't think this roster building is finished yet, but I think they did some of the heavy lifting this spring. The offensive line will be improved and has been even in pre-season and the wide receivers while 2nd tier players and not first tier players do seem a fit. Brown is an obvious fit with Allen's skillset and a guy the Bills identified over a year ago. Cole Beasley is a fit for Daboll's offense my concern was whether Josh was sufficiently advanced in his development to take advantage of Beasley's skillset. I think that was the single biggest takeaway from the Panthers game. That chemistry is developing and Josh was able to get him the ball. I don't believe there is a thousand yard receiver on this team but could there be 3 or even 4 guys in that 600-800 yard range? I think there could. 

 

On defense they didn't have many holes as such but they needed more penetration from the Dline and they needed more depth at linebacker and in the secondary. Ed Oliver helps the first of those, Kevin Johnson and Kurt Coleman may have helped with the third (shame EJ Gaines got hurt too). The question going into camp was the second but the way the Bills have developed Corey Thompson, an UDFA from last year, is exciting to me. If they have something there not only does it reflect really well on our coaches but it reduces another potential vulnerability. 

Gunner, for me it's not about 2019.  It's about the run, which I think begins this year, but the real winning doesn't begin until 2020.  

 

And it's for the reason you give.  It's the coach and the QB.  It's clear to me that what McDermott is doing works.  This team will continue to get better because it will learn more and more.

 

And I've been sold on Allen since last season. Physically, he is superb.  But he also is smart, hard working and competitive.  That is, he is like Brady but with a body and an arm.  I had no doubt he'd master the short passing game and the ball possession game, because she is smart and he has the tools.  We've begun to see the development of this mastery this preseason.

 

As for talent, it's overrated.  I have no ideas if the Bills had better talent in 2015, but it doesn't matter.  They didn't have McD and they didn't have Allen. 

Edited by Shaw66
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1 hour ago, MAGA-Man said:

 

We've all heard this before.  Let's wait and see if Allen can deliver.  And I'm singling out Allen because all that matters in the league is QB.

Having an excellent QB is a prerequisite to winning consistently.  Without that the rest is futile.  But the converse is not true, that having an excellent QB means you will win consistently. Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Matt Stafford are all pretty decent QBs who have various levels of success at different times in their careers due to the coaching plus the remaining roster.   

Personally, I am more optimistic about Allen's talents than I am the coaching or remaining personnel including the defense.  All players, even young ones, are not on a constant upward trajectory, but fans often think they are, hence the 2020, will be better than 2019, and 2021 even better than 2020.  It just does not work like that. 

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1. Don't read anything into preseason football

2. There are many more teams to fear than the Patriots

I agree with the optimism. Where in years past they had significant talent gaps, this year there are more question marks than obvious areas of concern.  The three most obvious are will Allen and Edmunds continue to develop, and can you build an o-line with 4 new players. Then come questions about TE and pass rush.  

The schedule is manageable enough that this team should be in the playoff chase late into December. Anything less than 8 wins and still being in the playoff discussion week 15 is a failure in year 3.

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