Schein: Nine most alluring developments of Week 1

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

2 hours ago, Chris66 said:

If the Bills play the Pats like they did against the Jets they will get blown out.

Who let this riff raff in

 

[aristocrat]

pats offensive line is injured so that's their weak link.  gotta get after tom if you can get him to hold onto the ball for more than a second. oliver should be licking his chops.   it's the only way.

[K-9]

51 minutes ago, Jobot said:

So difficult to gauge this team based off one game.  If they blow out the giants, then there is a possibility that this team could be special.

And if it’s close win and not a blowout? 

[Dkollidas]

Yea... I’m not looking ahead of this week with the Giants. And I don’t think our team is either. Week by week, game by game. 

[zow2]

When teams do special things in a season there is always one game or moment of extreme adversity that they overcome.  The Jets game was extreme to the max.  That was a helluva comeback that shouldn't really have happened with a -4 turnover margin.  

[ILBillsfan]

Like it but I’m the one game at a time type of guy any given Sunday sometimes strange things happen

[dollars 2 donuts]

2 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

 

 

Almost two full years into their initial success, yes, they were the Bickering Bills. 

 

It wasn't like they were bad and bickered, and then stopped and then became good.  Sure, it was prior to the Super Bowl years, but you are correct.

[Albany,n.y.]

47 minutes ago, mannc said:

So do you think the Bills would have just tried to run out the clock on that last possession, down 19-17?   

In all fairness, The game would have been a lot different if the Jets had the lead when they got the ball back after the Bills (actual go ahead) TD.  They would have been running instead of passing, trying to get the Bills to use their timeouts and trying to leave as little time on the clock as possible for the Bills to try to get into FG range.  If the Jets were able to get a 1st down or 2 running, and they do have one of the NFL's top RBs, they might have run out the clock and kept the ball out of the Bills hands.  Bottom line is you can't revise one part of a game without changing everything else.  A different leader on the scoreboard produces vastly different events on the field near the end of the game.   

[Jobot]

34 minutes ago, K-9 said:

And if it’s close win and not a blowout? 

 

Close win or loss, then I see them as still working to gel as a team (especially offense), and I'd be looking towards the 2nd half of the season for them to hopefully turn the corner.  Which is where I was going into week 1 and where I still am today.  So a blow out win over the Giants pushes me a little closer towards EXPECTING them to beat NE week 4.

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

51 minutes ago, mannc said:

So do you think the Bills would have just tried to run out the clock on that last possession, down 19-17?   

Maybe he should've stayed up past his bedtime and watched the Bills Jets first half. I mean if he's going to mention the missed FG than why not the missed extra point? So your question to him probably should be do you think the Bills would have just run out the clock on that last possession, down 20-17. I'll save you the trouble because he'll probably reply yes.?

[iinii]

1 hour ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Or did the Pats look better than they really are against a sorry looking Steeler team?

We should know more in three weeks. That game was business as usual for NE. They are 12-3 against Big Ben? Are the Steelers sorry or just sorry looking in Foxboro? The Pats “warm” up with Miami and the Jets. 

Buffalo should beat a sorry looking Giants’ team but the Bengals aren’t going to be an easy out. The Pats will tell us a lot more about this team. McDermott, Frazier and Daboll better have something cooked up for this one. 

 

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

56 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Who let this riff raff in

 

He blew in with Dorian, haven't been able to get rid of him since.

[WideNine]

3 hours ago, H2o said:

I'm taking this season one week at a time this year. I always try to look ahead and over the last 20 years it has mainly been disappointment. Let's go back to NJ this week and try to get to 2-0 against the Giants. I too have said I felt this team was special, that we would make the playoffs, and actually win a playoff game this year. Now that the season is on I'm not saying a word except let's take care of this week and worry about the next when it gets here. 

 

That is my mindset too, but I have to admit this team under McBeane mgmt has me glued to each game.

 

Just feels different than the meh I had for most if the drought years....knowing they would either get blown out, or find a way to cave in.

 

They are a tough group, have no sh*ts to give about the past, and are going to go out there and work to make their own mark.

 

1 and 0 and the only thing on the to-do list is game plan and execute to beat the G-men. Taking it one game at a time.

 

 

 

 

[Albany,n.y.]

6 minutes ago, Jobot said:

 

Close win or loss, then I see them as still working to gel as a team (especially offense), and I'd be looking towards the 2nd half of the season for them to hopefully turn the corner.  Which is where I was going into week 1 and where I still am today.  So a blow out win over the Giants pushes me a little closer towards EXPECTING them to beat NE week 4.

I'm expecting a blowout win vs the Giants unless the Giants double the time of possession over the Bills by running Barkley until he drops.  The Giants have no WRs if Shepard is out (Tate is still suspended) & their D is pretty bad.  The only way the Giants stay close is total ball control, trying to make this a carbon copy of Super Bowl XXV.  

 

Therefore, I'll take a blowout for what it is, a good win against one of the NFL's worst teams.  It won't give me any confidence we can beat NE.  In fact, if the Bills don't blowout the Gants, I fear a serious butt kicking by the Patriots.  A Giants game blowout will only indicate we're playoff contenders, still not ready to join the elites.  

[Bangarang]

I won’t argue a 4-0 start with a win over the Pats

[Jobot]

3 minutes ago, Albany,n.y. said:

I'm expecting a blowout win vs the Giants unless the Giants double the time of possession over the Bills by running Barkley until he drops.  The Giants have no WRs if Shepard is out (Tate is still suspended) & their D is pretty bad.  The only way the Giants stay close is total ball control, trying to make this a carbon copy of Super Bowl XXV.  

 

Therefore, I'll take a blowout for what it is, a good win against one of the NFL's worst teams.  It won't give me any confidence we can beat NE.  In fact, if the Bills don't blowout the Gants, I fear a serious butt kicking by the Patriots.  A Giants game blowout will only indicate we're playoff contenders, still not ready to join the elites.  

 

Agreed, blowout = playoffs is realistic expectation . Close-win = team still needs to make improvements to get there.  For beating PATs, I just meant it pushes the needle a little closer towards that becoming an expected win, but definitely doesn't move it all the way.

[Nextmanup]

3 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

Yep!  The stuff mentioned in the OP, all under the category of "gumption" is just nonsense repeated over and over by fans.

 

Were we all expecting the team to stay on the sidelines and refuse to take the field for the second half, because the game wasn't going well?  You know, they are paid to go out there and play.  Pretty well, too.

 

What fans need to keep in mind is this game was never out of hand, and never felt out of hand.

 

Any team in the league would have continued playing.

 

The key here is not that we have gumption.  

 

The key is we are a much better team than the Jets.

 

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

2 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Bickering Bills was more of the late 80’s as all the personalities came together and learned how to coexist with each other. Once they jelled it tuned into the great teams of the 90’s. 

 

I think they just co-existed.  I have spoken to a few players from those 90s teams, and the common refrain is always: "those weren't teams; they were a collection of players."  Pretty disappointing to hear.  

[Mojo44]

9 minutes ago, Jobot said:

 

Agreed, blowout = playoffs is realistic expectation . Close-win = team still needs to make improvements to get there.  For beating PATs, I just meant it pushes the needle a little closer towards that becoming an expected win, but definitely doesn't move it all the way.

A blowout would be nice but getting the win is the most important thing. I don’t think they have to blow the Giants out to prove that they are a playoff team. The game is on the road. It is only the second game of the season. Much to be figured out for everybody. Just win the game

[JMF2006]

3 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

 

They are your brothers of course your going to disagree or fight once in while but now you need to do it behind closed doors as the media/fan microscope is intense.

I picked 3-1 to start but I will take 4-0

The cap would be in a frenzy if they beat the Pats:)

[mannc]

38 minutes ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

Maybe he should've stayed up past his bedtime and watched the Bills Jets first half. I mean if he's going to mention the missed FG than why not the missed extra point? So your question to him probably should be do you think the Bills would have just run out the clock on that last possession, down 20-17. I'll save you the trouble because he'll probably reply yes.?

Of course, if he makes the first extra point, Gase doesn't go for two on the second extra point, so that one's a wash. 

 

Here's the deal: even good kickers miss kicks; it's part of the game.  The Bills outplayed the Jests and they deserved to win.  Period. 

 

And by the way, kicker might be the second most important position in the NFL.  The difference between a great kicker and an average or below average kicker is probably a couple points per game.  That's absolutely huge.  No team that's serious about making the playoffs goes into the season with a scrub kicker.  It's no accident that for their entire run NE has had either the best, or arguably the best, kicker in the league.  

[BaaadThingsMan]

3 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

Jim Kelly was a selfish SOB and prone to throwing teammates under the bus but after the team got together and hashed it out they grew closer and gelled into the team that went to four straight superbowls

[Rico]

I’m hoping for some nice UPSET SPECIALS!!! and that we can tie a great big happy bow on the Bills 2019 season in February.

[Pokebball]

3 hours ago, Chris66 said:

If the Bills play the Pats like they did against the Jets they will get blown out.

If the Bills play the Pats like they did the Jets, less the three fluky TOs, I think they have a good chance of beating them.

[stony]

1 hour ago, Dkollidas said:

Yea... I’m not looking ahead of this week with the Giants. And I don’t think our team is either. Week by week, game by game. 

One of my best friends is a die-hard Giants fan.  He thinks it's going to be ugly...Bills by 20+.  This kind of scare me lol.

[nickrage]

3 hours ago, K-9 said:

Reading the Schein’s article, I was reminded of that famous line from Winston Wolf in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ So let’s not start blanking each other’s blank quite yet, ok? 

 

I don’t even want to think about 4-0 until we go 3-0 and we have to get to 2-0 before we can do that. 

 

 

Pretty please

with sugar on top

beat the blanking patriots

[Dkollidas]

3 minutes ago, stony said:

One of my best friends is a die-hard Giants fan.  He thinks it's going to be ugly...Bills by 20+.  This kind of scare me lol.

I mean they weren’t expecting to be any good. And then getting beat up like that by Dallas didn’t help.

 

I hope we’ll win comfortably, and I would think playing same stadium two weeks in a row is actually better than two different stadium. They’ll be familiar with the surroundings and being close to home makes the travel negligible. 

[yungmack]

4 hours ago, Circlethewagon8404 said:

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001052933/article/pats-lamar-jackson-kellen-moore-among-week-1s-big-winners

9) Buffalo Bills' character

 

It's well-documented that I'm in on this team. I pegged Buffalo as my Cinderella team in April and picked the Bills to make the playoffs in August. And their effort on Sunday undoubtedly bolstered my feelings.

The toughness, togetherness and talent was on display, as the Bills erased a 16-0 third-quarter deficit to beat the rival Jets on the road. Don't be surprised. This is what the Bills are under Sean McDermott. This is what to expect from this defense late in games. This is what to expect from the Josh Allen-John Brown connection.

I'm calling for a 4-0 Bills start, which will include a win over the Patriots

 

 

I absolutely love Schein's prediction here.  If we do start off 4-0, to include a win over the Pats, there will be no stopping this team.  He mentions the togetherness of this team, and it just reminds of our team of the 90s.  That's why we were so successful back then.  The team of the 90s were extremely close and they all had each other's backs.  If this team can resemble that same togetherness, we will definitely have success for years to come.

Schein is that rarity among national commentators, a pro who actually seems to deeply know every team, which is why I respect his analysis. As far as the Bills go, he's becoming this generation's Chris Berman. Kelly should start bringing him in for the golf tournament.

 

Brian Baldinger is another who does his homework. Not surprisingly, he's been strong on the Bills future. Most of the ex-execs and ex-players who infest the sports shows seem to just follow the "everybody knows" narrative, mail it in and pick up a check.

[QCity]

4 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

 

They are nothing like this team. Those teams bickered, fought with each other, and partied until the morning sun came up. They won because they had 4 HOF'ers at skill positions and the rest of the roster was packed with Pro-Bowlers -- and that's back when making the Pro Bowl really meant something.

[Dante]

3 hours ago, CincyBillsFan said:

I'm also skeptical about the Bills going 4 - 0 to start the season.  I would be thrilled with 3 - 1 start and 2 - 2 would be acceptable.  I think the Bills offense will be a work in progress through the first half of the season. 

 

IMO, the Giants are a dangerous team at home; the Bengals are much better then people thought and New England is new England.

 

 

There are lots of new pieces. We have to realistic about it. It was a encouraging start but not without some hiccups. 

[SoTier]

2 hours ago, Buffalo Junction said:

Agree, but because it’s “week 1” there’s still a need to remain a bit skeptical. It’s encouraging though, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The first week is just to fluky with top players getting their first game action, etc. 

 

This is the problem with judging any team's Week 1 performance.  There's likely to be at least one team that won -- and looked good doing it --- that's going to crash and burn just as there's likely to be one team that lost big time that turns it around.  I'd nominate the Raiders for a team likely to suck most of the rest of the season, and either Atlanta or Pittsburgh for a team that actually turns out to be good.

 

1 hour ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

Maybe he should've stayed up past his bedtime and watched the Bills Jets first half. I mean if he's going to mention the missed FG than why not the missed extra point? So your question to him probably should be do you think the Bills would have just run out the clock on that last possession, down 20-17. I'll save you the trouble because he'll probably reply yes.?

 

Doh.  Because the Jets made the two point conversion on their second TD, remember?  If their kicker had made the first PAT, they would have just kicked the second one rather than going for two points.   Two TDs  + 1  2-point conversion + 1 safety = 16 points.  The missed FG would have given the Jets 19 points and the lead.  They would have tried to run out the clock with running plays instead of trying to get down into scoring range again by passing. 

[IDBillzFan]

4 hours ago, SoTier said:

FTR, if the Jets had a competent kicker -- he missed a  FG in the first half -- they would have won the game 19-17.

 

That's kind of ridiculous because if the Bills were down 19 instead of 16, they would have approached the playbook differently. That's not to say they would have been successful. It's just saying that if you are going to introduce a "Yeah, but..." into the equation, than ALL "Yeah, buts..." have to be accounted for, which is a ridiculously stupid way to look at games in the first place.

"Yeah, but...if Dalton doesn't throw that TD on fourth down last year..."

 

"Yeah, but...if Clay only hauls in that TD pass last year...":

 

I'm convinced people who live with the "Yeah, buts..." just need to be unhappy all the time.

 

Not to mention, how do you know a competent kicker makes that field goal? I'm watching competent kickers miss easy stuff all the time these days.

 

 

 

 

[Albany,n.y.]

1 hour ago, mannc said:

Of course, if he makes the first extra point, Gase doesn't go for two on the second extra point, so that one's a wash. 

 

Here's the deal: even good kickers miss kicks; it's part of the game.  The Bills outplayed the Jests and they deserved to win.  Period. 

 

And by the way, kicker might be the second most important position in the NFL.  The difference between a great kicker and an average or below average kicker is probably a couple points per game.  That's absolutely huge.  No team that's serious about making the playoffs goes into the season with a scrub kicker.  It's no accident that for their entire run NE has had either the best, or arguably the best, kicker in the league.  

The Jets had a really good kicker but didn't want to pay him & he left as a free agent.  They've mismanaged their kicking game and it was too late for the new GM to fix it in camp, but the fact that of all the kickers out there they chose the worst one doesn't give one much confidence that the new GM knows what he's doing.  There are good kickers out there, McLaughlin was much better than the clown the Jets have in preseason.  Notice McLaughlin ended up on the Vikings practice squad after he kicked a 50+ yarder vs them and they cut Vedvik who couldn't hit much of anything after seeing both of them kick in the preseason finale. 

[mannc]

43 minutes ago, yungmack said:

Schein is that rarity among national commentators, a pro who actually seems to deeply know every team, which is why I respect his analysis. As far as the Bills go, he's becoming this generation's Chris Berman. Kelly should start bringing him in for the golf tournament.

 

Brian Baldinger is another who does his homework. Not surprisingly, he's been strong on the Bills future. Most of the ex-execs and ex-players who infest the sports shows seem to just follow the "everybody knows" narrative, mail it in and pick up a check.

Chris Simms is another guy who does his homework and is bullish on the Bills.  His podcast is great.

[Rocket94]

1 hour ago, Mojo44 said:

A blowout would be nice but getting the win is the most important thing. I don’t think they have to blow the Giants out to prove that they are a playoff team. The game is on the road. It is only the second game of the season. Much to be figured out for everybody. Just win the game

Thats it. Quite simply focus on the matter at hand. One week at a time. Surely McDermott has instilled this mind set in his players.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Rocket94

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

4 hours ago, K-9 said:

Reading the Schein’s article, I was reminded of that famous line from Winston Wolf in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ So let’s not start blanking each other’s blank quite yet, ok? 

 

I don’t even want to think about 4-0 until we go 3-0 and we have to get to 2-0 before we can do that. 

 

 

We’re on to the giants. The goal is to go 1-0 this week vs big blue

[Hapless Bills Fan]

5 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

 

I got this one.

 

In 1988, the Bills record was 12-4 and they lost the conference championship.

 

In 1989, hopes were high and the team was widely expected to take a "Big Step".  Instead, various player-player, player-coach, and coach-coach(!!!!) feuds earned them the moniker "Bickering Bills", most notably after Week 5 when Kelly suffered a shoulder injury and threw his LT Howard "The House" Ballard under the bus.  I found a good story here.  The Bills finished 9-7 and lost the WC game.  After that, Thurman Thomas publicly laid into Kelly for his public criticisms of other players.

 

That was a  "tipping point" for the Bills stars.  They figured out it was "them against everyone else" and that they'd better figure out how to support each other and bond.  Kelly figured out he needed to praise in public and critique in private and the team started to bond, building friendships that exist to this day as they went to 4 straight SB

[Buffalo Junction]

56 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

This is the problem with judging any team's Week 1 performance.  There's likely to be at least one team that won -- and looked good doing it --- that's going to crash and burn just as there's likely to be one team that lost big time that turns it around.  I'd nominate the Raiders for a team likely to suck most of the rest of the season, and either Atlanta or Pittsburgh for a team that actually turns out to be good.

Yup. To many variables the first week, especially with division rivalry games. 

 

What we can take away is that this Bills team isn’t going to quit and has enough talent to be competitive. I still think they need to find some game breakers on offense before they’ll compete against the best teams. Hopefully that shakes out over the season and a few guys start showing that ability consistently. 

[mabden]

6 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.”

 

This was the label put on the Bills during/after the 87 season.  The 88 season was a thing of glory and they were one punch away from their first Super Bowl.

[Buffalo Boy]

6 hours ago, Codyny13 said:

Forgive me, as I was a child in the 90’s, and I see how Thurman, Jim, Bruce and co are all still friends  now a days, but weren’t the Bills teams of the era known as the “bickering Bills.” Some of you guys that were actually really following the team at the time have any input on this?

    They were all young and newly together and , frankly, Kelly was a bit of a prima Donna/ punk. He was towards the city and towards his teammates. 

    Thurman put him in his place( deservedly so) and then they had a players meeting where they got their beefs with each other put. I’m sure Marv played the father figure and they all loved him.

     After losing in the AFC championship game to the Bengals with an “almost” comeback using the no huddle, they came out the next year ,K Guns blazing, and winning soothes a lot of aches and fosters a lot of camaraderie.

   As I think back, that first year was the famous “ Down giving him the business” call when Kelly’s O line let a defender punk him and didn’t do anything about it. An example of how the team was not together at the start.

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Buffalo Boy