I think the wait might actually be over.

[Shaw66]

10 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

 

I’d say it’s a long way from clear he’ll get there.  A lot of QBs who posses the physical tools to play the game and are smart and coachable don’t make it.  Those players often flash at times too.  I’m hoping for a great ride watching Allen develop - and I’ve seen encouraging things from him, but it’s definitely not a sure thing at this point. ?

Well, certainly he isn't a sure thing.  But when I look around the league for young elite QBs, there are only a few oi like long term as much as Allen.  Probably Mahomes, but I want to see him another year.  Ditto Mayfield.  Darnold.  I have doubts about Murray.  Goff and Wentz don't thrill me.  

 

I think Allen is right near the top of the list of guys who can be the next great ones.  He has the body, the brains, the attitude, the coach and the owner.  He is in a perfect situation.  

[HOUSE]

WATER........I need water

 

 

[SloanBillsFan]

22 hours ago, MJS said:

Not ready to declare that after week 2 in the preseason. This is an intriguing team though.

 

Even though it is preseason I've been unable to unconvince myself that this team is different from everything I have seen since I became a Bills fan. 

 

Every player I've seen interviewed is focused on "TEAM" first. No prima donnas have surfaced. With few exceptions (not mentioning namesTyreeJackson), even the 3rd stringers appear truly competent.

 

I think the word I'm looking for is "unity". I've noticed how Josh Allen and other key players mirror McDermott's language when speaking about other players' abilities/performance/skill set. "I appreciate (other player's name)......"

 

Every player holds himself accountable rather than throwing someone else under the bus or mealy mouthing. The way the sideline and position groups react to plays on the field. They're involved. I know there have been flashes of these qualities in years past but I believe this team is more bonded than any Bills team I've seen since 2006

 

 

[LSHMEAB]

11 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

 

I will tell you this: I’d trade any record this season to have Allen show he’s a franchise QB.  He definitely has plays where he looks like he is.  If he can develop and make that the norm, then I’m more than happy.  That would make finishing the team build so much easier.  Players would WANT to come here. 

Totally agree. Franchise QB=national attention=players wanting to come here. Kansas City is not a glamour team nor is Cleveland, yet they're suddenly "interesting" because they have "franchise" QB's (we'll see with Mayfield, zero questions WRT Mahomes). I tend to lump Buffalo in with Jacksonville, KC, and Cleveland in terms of "nobody cares unless you have a franchise QB." So Allen actually being that guy would change the entire perception of the Bills(for as long as he's playing at a high level.) 

 

Also must add that I'm not CONVINCED he's going to be that guy. I was just noting that the performance against Carolina definitely moved the needle in a positive direction. I hadn't seen him make those throws in live action. We shall see.

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Preseason throws are the same as regular season and playoff throws. Is Josh making his throws? Don't overthink it.

My point exactly. We'll see what happens next week and more importantly during the regular season, but it was certainly a good look for him.

Edited August 21, 2019 by LSHMEAB

[CLTbills]

Looking at it in a vacuum, and looking at the schedule and saying, "we're better than this team" or "we'd lose to them"... I'd go 12-4. But knowing it's the NFL, and there are weeks you just don't show up, injuries, etc, I'll tamp it down back to 10-6. 

 

Would still be over the moon with a 10-6 season.?

[BillsfanAZ]

I think the Bills will be a tough team to play. As long as there arent too many injuries, I can see a 10-6 record.  I still havent seen the Bills starting Oline open holes in the run game on a regular basis. 

[Big Turk]

On 8/19/2019 at 8:55 PM, 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!

 

I dont know if i can see 12 wins for us but if Allen truly is consistently the player we have seen for the first 2 preseason games, i can see 10 or 11 wins for them.

Edited August 21, 2019 by matter2003

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

On 8/20/2019 at 12:22 PM, The Real Buffalo Joe said:

Yeah. @DC Tom and I were just talking about how our playoff team in 17 wasn't that great. He was saying that even the losers get lucky sometimes.

 

Took 3/4 from Jets/Fins. 

Von Miller not helping up Tyrod cost them the ball and a chance at the game.  - Pretty lucky

Falcons win with the weird matt ryan fumble 20 yards down the field that got returned for a TD in a 1 score game. - Really Lucky

Tre white with a huge play in the bucs game to clinch it (Tyrod was great in that game).  - Offense did enough

Raiders cant stop turning it over. -Given away

Big win over the Chiefs with Tyrod coming back after the Peterman benching and playing normal mediocre turnover free football. - Lights out D

Lucked out in the snow. -Really lucky that shady is the best blizzard RB of all time

 

Dalton miracle pass to put us in.  -I'm not sure there's ever been anything luckier

 

They were VERY lucky that year.  

Edited August 21, 2019 by dneveu

[Shaw66]

32 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

Took 3/4 from Jets/Fins. 

Von Miller not helping up Tyrod cost them the ball and a chance at the game.  - Pretty lucky

Falcons win with the weird matt ryan fumble 20 yards down the field that got returned for a TD in a 1 score game. - Really Lucky

Tre white with a huge play in the bucs game to clinch it (Tyrod was great in that game).  - Offense did enough

Raiders cant stop turning it over. -Given away

Big win over the Chiefs with Tyrod coming back after the Peterman benching and playing normal mediocre turnover free football. - Lights out D

Lucked out in the snow. -Really lucky that shady is the best blizzard RB of all time

 

Dalton miracle pass to put us in.  -I'm not sure there's ever been anything luckier

 

They were VERY lucky that year.  

I'm not arguing that the 2017 Bills were good.  They were average.  

 

But luck isn how the ball bounces.  It isn't luck when you make plays your opponent doesn't. 

 

Von Miller being a jerk isn't luck.  If your opponent is a jerk and you aren't, you're going to win more than your share.

 

Matt Ryan fumbling isn't luck.  It's bad football.  When your opponent plays bad football, you're likely to win.

 

Raiders turning it over isn't luck.  It just means the Bills beat a weak opponent. 

 

Saying beating the Colts was lucky because Shady is good is like saying the Pats winning six Super Bowls is lucky because Brady is good. When your good players make plays it isn't luck.  

[Stank_Nasty]

17 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm not arguing that the 2017 Bills were good.  They were average.  

 

But luck isn how the ball bounces.  It isn't luck when you make plays your opponent doesn't. 

 

Von Miller being a jerk isn't luck.  If your opponent is a jerk and you aren't, you're going to win more than your share.

 

Matt Ryan fumbling isn't luck.  It's bad football.  When your opponent plays bad football, you're likely to win.

 

Raiders turning it over isn't luck.  It just means the Bills beat a weak opponent. 

 

Saying beating the Colts was lucky because Shady is good is like saying the Pats winning six Super Bowls is lucky because Brady is good. When your good players make plays it isn't luck.  

Good response, Shaw..... Apparently in order to not be lucky you have to win without forcing any timely turnovers or dealing with the elements. 

 

This stuff happens for every 10-12 win team in the nfl on a yearly basis. 

 

I’ll also add in I get so tired of the “lucked into the playoffs” talk. The bills did what they needed to over a full 16 game season and the ravens didn’t. End of story.... if the daulton pass would have been in the 1oclock games and the bills still kept a late play slot and just won to get in, it wouldn’t have near the same lucky feel to it.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Stank_Nasty

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

7 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm not arguing that the 2017 Bills were good.  They were average.  

 

But luck isn how the ball bounces.  It isn't luck when you make plays your opponent doesn't. 

 

Von Miller being a jerk isn't luck.  If your opponent is a jerk and you aren't, you're going to win more than your share.

 

Matt Ryan fumbling isn't luck.  It's bad football.  When your opponent plays bad football, you're likely to win.

 

Raiders turning it over isn't luck.  It just means the Bills beat a weak opponent. 

 

Saying beating the Colts was lucky because Shady is good is like saying the Pats winning six Super Bowls is lucky because Brady is good. When your good players make plays it isn't luck.  

 

I think the luck in the Von Miller game was that the refs felt the need to call that a penalty... He was clearly joking.  

 

I think that Matt Ryan play was a pass... but hey the refs didn't see enough to overturn.  

 

The colts were playing a backup QB so i feel like we should probably win that game anyway, but i also think that amount of snow made that game basically a coin-flip.  The OPI call bailed us out on the conversion too - a borderline call.  

 

Dalton throwing a TD on 4th and 12 against a top 10 defense in a game that meant nothing to them - is lucky.  

 

They were an alright team - but they got some lucky calls that year.  

 

[billsfan_34]

I thought you were gonna say the Jills were coming back

[CodeMonkey]

On 8/19/2019 at 8:55 PM, 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!

There have been these "Something feels different now." threads every year for many years.  It's cool that you feel that way, and why not enjoy your Bills fandom.  But you might want to see how it feels after a few games when teams are trying to win before you go too far

Edited August 21, 2019 by CodeMonkey

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-2019-belief-buffalo-bills-closer-contending-161225349--nfl.html

 

NFL 2019: Belief in Buffalo is Bills closer to contending

 

JOHN WAWROW (AP Sports Writer),The Associated Press 37 minutes ago 

 

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Bills coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane stressed it would require time when outlining their extensive plan to rebuild the team to owners Terry and Kim Pegula some 2 1-2 years ago.

 

Grateful for the patience the Pegulas have shown, McDermott and Beane aren't yet ready to suggest the Bills have arrived. They will acknowledge this team is closer to matching their vision of sustaining long-term success from the one they inherited, which had been in the midst of a 17-season playoff drought.