This is a must win game for the Bills.

[TuelTime]

I agree. If they lose they should fire McBeane.

[ColoradoBills]

Must Win?  No, but I put this game in the category of what Coach Lou Saban said,  ".......you gotta get it done".

 

Anyone thinking this isn't a BIG game for JA and this young team is sticking their head in the sand.

 

Get it done guys!

Go Bills.

 

[inthebuff]

To move up the ladder to the playoffs, we need to win against teams that won't make the playoffs...like the Jets and the Giants.  

 

The rest of the schedule looks like this:

    
Sep 22 - Cincinnati Bengals - W (3-0)
Sep. 29 -  New England Patriots - L (3-1)
Oct. 6  -  at Tennessee Titans - L (3-2) and it depends on how well Mariotta plays.  Could be a W
Oct. 20  - Miami Dolphins - W (4-2) 
Oct. 27  - Philadelphia Eagles - L (4-3) 
Nov. 3  - Washington Redskins - W (5-3)
Nov. 10 -  at Cleveland Browns - W (6-3) - Similar teams on their way up.  We squeak one out.
Nov. 17  - at Miami Dolphins - W (7-3) On their way to having all of The Replacements in the lineup and 0-16
Nov. 24  - Denver Broncos - W (8-3)
Nov. 28   - at Dallas Cowboys - L (8-4) - Dallas is 31-20-1 on Thanksgiving.
Dec. 8  - Baltimore Ravens - L (8-5) - The start of the nobody wants to play in Buffalo in December games.  This could be a W
Dec. 15 - at Pittsburgh Steelers - W (9-5) - The Mason Rudolf era has begun.  
Dec. 21 - at New England Patriots - L (9-6) - 42 YO Brady still has our number.
Dec. 29  - New York Jets - W (10-6) - Playoffs on the line.  Rich Stadium The Ralph  New Era Field will be rockin'.  
 

[Formerly Allan in MD]

Not really.  "Must see tv" is also a hoax perpetrated by someone advising others what their thought processes and preferences should be.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

....just make "The Hat" a damn feared venue to play in like yesteryear......has NOT been in years......

[MDH]

It isn’t must win but a loss makes one of the games the Bills shouldn’t win into a must win (2x Pats, Eagles, Ravens, Cowboys.) For every easy game the Bills let slip away they need to make up for it later.

[Aussie Joe]

So if they lose tomorrow I shouldn’t bother with the rest of the season ...

 

Yeah right..

[row_33]

21 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

So if they lose tomorrow I shouldn’t bother with the rest of the season ...

 

Yeah right..

 

it will be very disappointing to lose, unless injuries crater them

 

especially with the next game

 

 

[Aussie Joe]

10 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

it will be very disappointing to lose, unless injuries crater them

 

especially with the next game

 

 

 

Yeah it will be disappointing to lose but they will be 2-1 and the season campaign will go on..

 

There are upsets every week.. 

[John from Riverside]

I just think these are the type of games the bills should win if they want to make the playoffs

 

Playing at home

In the AFC

Against a beatable appt

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

Absolutely huge game. Got to get the games that you “should” win. The following 2 games (after Cincinnati) are going to be very tough. Got to stack them now.

[benderbender]

Favored by Vegas, picked by most analysts.

 

[Passepartout]

Getting ready to go 3-0 there. As really will be fun to bring back excitement!

[Forward Progress]

When teams lose games like this one, they lose the opportunity to play in must win games later in the year. 

 

Wins in September count the same in the standings as the wins in December. 

 

I love the 1-0 mentality every week. 

[3rdand12]

17 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Probably a must win for the fans and the media.  I'm sure the locker room will get over it quickly.

winning the Home Opener would be huge for us Fans and just add to the enthusiasm building ! 

 Like a maraschino cherry on top of a Sundae/Sunday !

 beating the Patriots. That is closer to a must win imo.
But as mentioned. Must wins happen only when the playoffs are at hand and in do or die situation.

 

  We are in " need to win " mode currently

5 hours ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

...I see it (FWIW) as more of a statement game......coming off 2 road wins and the home opener is the perfect scenario to silence the detractors and make "The Hat" as an unwanted venue for opponents like yesteryear.....SIXTY MINUTES of football versus a 3rd quarter "turtle snooze fest" please...........

its a beat that asss game.

Conquer Bengals definitively . make that statement.

 Go Bills

4 hours ago, TuelTime said:

I agree. If they lose they should fire McBeane.

nothing less will do.

Edited September 21, 2019 by 3rdand12
added an e

[Nextmanup]

4 hours ago, inthebuff said:

To move up the ladder to the playoffs, we need to win against teams that won't make the playoffs...like the Jets and the Giants.  

 

The rest of the schedule looks like this:

    
Sep 22 - Cincinnati Bengals - W (3-0)
Sep. 29 -  New England Patriots - L (3-1)
Oct. 6  -  at Tennessee Titans - L (3-2) and it depends on how well Mariotta plays.  Could be a W
Oct. 20  - Miami Dolphins - W (4-2) 
Oct. 27  - Philadelphia Eagles - L (4-3) 
Nov. 3  - Washington Redskins - W (5-3)
Nov. 10 -  at Cleveland Browns - W (6-3) - Similar teams on their way up.  We squeak one out.
Nov. 17  - at Miami Dolphins - W (7-3) On their way to having all of The Replacements in the lineup and 0-16
Nov. 24  - Denver Broncos - W (8-3)
Nov. 28   - at Dallas Cowboys - L (8-4) - Dallas is 31-20-1 on Thanksgiving.
Dec. 8  - Baltimore Ravens - L (8-5) - The start of the nobody wants to play in Buffalo in December games.  This could be a W
Dec. 15 - at Pittsburgh Steelers - W (9-5) - The Mason Rudolf era has begun.  
Dec. 21 - at New England Patriots - L (9-6) - 42 YO Brady still has our number.
Dec. 29  - New York Jets - W (10-6) - Playoffs on the line.  Rich Stadium The Ralph  New Era Field will be rockin'.  
 

Having watched the entirety of last Thursday's game, I am as confident about the Tennessee game as ALMOST any on the schedule.

I'm surprised you have that one penciled in as a loss (I know you said could be a win).

 

I agree with pretty much all your other predictions.

 

I had the Pitt game as a loss but Big Ben being out is a huge break for us.

 

Of course, there will be at least one "should win" game that we lose.  It always works that way.

 

But by the same token, there may be a "loss" game we surprisingly win.

 

 

 

 

[VW82]

Our schedule is so soft this year we could probably drop this game and still easily get the 5 seed. If this team doesn't make the playoffs I'm adopting the Seahawks full time instead of only as a second team when the Bills fall out of the playoff race. 

[CEN-CAL17]

I think some fans think this will be an easy game. 

 

Cincy, a team who was up at halftime on the road against Seattle and almost won, has nothing to lose.

 

Bills have a lot to lose. Especially if more worried about New England or if they think they’ll get the Cincy that showed up last week.

 

This will not be an easy game!

[Rockinon]

9 hours ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

It's an important win, but losing to Cinci and beating NE would hurt less than in the grand scheme of it all rather than beating Cinci and losing to NE.

 

Losing to both will also hurt, but AFC is pretty weak this year. 8-8 may land a wildcard. 

If they lose to Cincy, there's no way they beat NE.  I'd rather see continued improvement in this game and something to build on before going up against NE.

[Fan in Chicago]

It's a should win, not must win

[LSHMEAB]

12 hours ago, NoSaint said:

 

Ultimately the standard expected defines the need...

 

if ok sliding in at 9-7 and seeing if we get tie breaks etc.... we can drop this and even a few of these.

 

if hoping to play I’m buffalo in January, not much room for error in a conference game at home that you should win. It’s crucial to take this victories as otherwise you have to start sweeping teams like NE to make up for it and I’d much rather expect to split NE and beat Cincy at home when penciling in the path to the playoffs  

I would say the prospects of a home playoff game would take a serious hit. That I'll give you. But wild card teams have won Superbowls and the playoffs are really the rational expectation for this season. Suppose it depends on one's perspective. Considering they notched the two road wins to start the season, I don't think it would doom their playoff chances. Put a damper on? Sure. But that presupposes losses that may turn into wins. If you told me going into the season we'd be 2-1 after 3 games, I'd have been "satisfied." Not thrilled, but satisfied. Just think the whole must win thing is silly at this point of the season, ESPECIALLY given the circumstances. If the Bills were 0-2 or even 1-1 with a loss at the Jets, I still wouldn't like "must win," but I'd understand the rationale.

 

All that said, just win the game and relegate this thread to the archives.

[Shortchaz]

This is definitely a scary game in that it could set off a 3 game losing streak 

[LSHMEAB]

14 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Let me say this, Its a must win for the Bengals

Pretty much. You really can't start 0-3 unless you got Flutiemania(God I hated that phrase) ready to take the world by storm.

1 hour ago, Shortchaz said:

This is definitely a scary game in that it could set off a 3 game losing streak 

Disagree. Each week is a chapter. This game will have no effect on the following weeks. Of course it would be a bad loss. I think we all understand that. But it's a week to week league and it's silly to label one so early must win. If the Bills are a legit playoff team, they're gonna win some games they ought to lose regardless of the outcome of this game. If we're gonna pencil in losses against every good opponent, what difference does it make?

Edited September 22, 2019 by LSHMEAB

[Shortchaz]

5 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said:

 

Disagree. Each week is a chapter. This game will no effect on the following weeks. Of course it would be a bad loss. I think we all understand that. But it's a week to week league and it's silly to label one so early must win. If the Bills are a legit playoff team, they're gonna win some games they ought to lose regardless of the outcome of this game. If we're gonna pencil in losses against every good opponent, what difference does it make?

If the Bills want to be a serious team they need to win this game 

[vorpma]

21 hours ago, I am the egg man said:

"This is a must win game for the Bills".....and if they lose the theme turns into 2-1 is a good start. 

 

Even if 3-0, the trepidation will grow and gnaw the rabids about the N.E. game.

 

Unfortunately, I'll be away that week and be incommunicado, and likely unable to see the N.E. game. 

 

Where I'll be will be more fun, but the fly on the wall me will miss the immediate reactions in here.

 

But I know I won't be disappointed when I can read all the posts, win or lose.

 

Is there a donation site for this website ? It's better than public TV. Except Downton Abbey.

I am the walrus!

[blacklabel]

Don't think it's a "must win" but it's definitely a should win game. Bengals seem to play them pretty close and I think the last meeting ended in a close win for them. I think this is a perfect game to turn the big dogs on the DL loose. Bengals OL is beat up and not playing well. Let the DL throw all kinds of stuff at them and keep Dalton rattled all game. 

 

I wish Singletary was playing as Cinci struggles to contain speed to the edge but what can you do.

 

It's tough not to get your hopes up given that the whole thing just feels different this time. In years past when they've had hot starts they didn't really have the cohesion among the players and coaches that this current group has. In years past, most Bills teams that faced adversity seemed to implode. This group seems stronger than that. And they seem humble, motivated, and focused. Just seems like a whole different thing.

[Tiffany980]

22 hours ago, Sig1Hunter said:

A must win? No sir. The season is not doomed with a loss. Stop setting up your tent on the ledge. Makes it that much more tempting to jump off if they lay an egg on Sunday. 

Maybe not a "must win," but certainly a "should win." It will be interesting to see which bengals' team shows up. The one that nearly beat Seattle or the one that got smoked by San Fran...

[DefenseWins]

I think we all agree that this is a "should win" game. Not a "must win". And I believe they will win this game.

[ganesh]

23 hours ago, LSHMEAB said:

Had they lost to the Jets, I would say it's really close to a "must win" if must win means they're not making the playoffs if they lose.

 

I think there'd be a reasonable path to the playoffs even if they lose this one.

I think it is a must win because every win counts in the NFL.  The Bills need to stack as many games in the beginning of the season as possible;  If we lose to the patriots next week, then we would be a 2-2 team with 2 home losses...we would be back to square one with the doubters....A 3-1 or 4-0 gives a lot more credibility to this team even if 3 of those wins are agains the Jets, Giants and Bengals.

[LSHMEAB]

9 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I think it is a must win because every win counts in the NFL.  The Bills need to stack as many games in the beginning of the season as possible;  If we lose to the patriots next week, then we would be a 2-2 team with 2 home losses...we would be back to square one with the doubters....A 3-1 or 4-0 gives a lot more credibility to this team even if 3 of those wins are agains the Jets, Giants and Bengals.

I think it's NOT a must win for precisely the reason you stated; every win counts. If every week is a must win, then you MUST GO 16-0. I'm getting the sense people don't believe the Bills can beat good teams, in which case, why do you even want to see them in the playoffs? Also, what does credibility have to do with anything after a quarter of the season? Credibility with whom? The media? I'm not singling you out, but I just cannot understand the obsession on the board with earning respect from the media. Who in the world cares? Just win games. If they win a Superbowl and people call it a fluke; guess what? They won the Superbowl. I want to see the Bills win because I'm a Bills fan and not because I need to see them admired by outsiders. The outsiders don't matter.

 

Every team has hiccups along the way. How do you bounce back?

 

Are the Eagles screwed because they kind of blew that game against Atlanta? No. They face their next opponent and have a chance to notch a win and "right the ship." My STRONG hunch is that the Bills will win a game they're expected to lose and lose a game they're expected to win. Happens every year.

 

I'm much more concerned with how they fare in really tight games. Those are the games that define the season and ultimately make the difference in the standings. Thus far, they've basically stolen a game they should have lost. Those are HUGE. More so than who they lose to or beat, I want to see them win every game they have a chance to win. I want to see them above 500 in one possession games. So far, so good with McDermott in that department and it's one of the reasons I'm higher on him than most.

 

But how about the Bills just go out and handle their business. That, I believe, we can agree upon.

[3rdand12]

3 hours ago, Shortchaz said:

This is definitely a scary game in that it could set off a 3 game losing streak 

get out into the sunshine

 : )

 we are going to get improve all year long.

may not win them all. but this team is moving in the right direction

 Each game is it's own entity

2 hours ago, vorpma said:

I am the walrus!

is that you Paul !

2 hours ago, blacklabel said:

Don't think it's a "must win" but it's definitely a should win game. Bengals seem to play them pretty close and I think the last meeting ended in a close win for them. I think this is a perfect game to turn the big dogs on the DL loose. Bengals OL is beat up and not playing well. Let the DL throw all kinds of stuff at them and keep Dalton rattled all game. 

 

I wish Singletary was playing as Cinci struggles to contain speed to the edge but what can you do.

 

It's tough not to get your hopes up given that the whole thing just feels different this time. In years past when they've had hot starts they didn't really have the cohesion among the players and coaches that this current group has. In years past, most Bills teams that faced adversity seemed to implode. This group seems stronger than that. And they seem humble, motivated, and focused. Just seems like a whole different thing.

Yeldon has speed to the edge if he holds onto the Ball.

and can flare from the backfield nicely to turn up.

[Tipster19]

Must win, for the lack of a better term, this franchise needs to step forward and make some new history. To me this game is a big step forward for the Bills if they play the way I envision them playing. They are facing a high octane passing team that can’t protect their QB and haven’t discover their running game yet. We got the much better defense and we have a pretty fast guy ourselves, his name is John Brown and he has a route tree to boot. It’s the Bills’ home opener with a pretty dangerous QB in his own rite who is ready to break out. Throw in a HOFer (Gore) who will most certainly benefit from Allen and his smart passing attack. This should be a borderline blow out imo. Anything short of that will only cause disappointment. There is no reason why Buffalo can’t step forward as a franchise, they have all the chips in their corner so there will be no valid excuse if they lose. I’m not saying that it would be the end all, I’m just saying that this game can and will be the difference in this administration’s future. I want more for this team, please no more .500 or less football. It’s time that they change their stars and be the dominate team in this division. I believe they can, they will be what most of us expect them to be. It starts tomorrow.

[NoSaint]

3 hours ago, LSHMEAB said:

I would say the prospects of a home playoff game would take a serious hit. That I'll give you. But wild card teams have won Superbowls and the playoffs are really the rational expectation for this season. Suppose it depends on one's perspective. Considering they notched the two road wins to start the season, I don't think it would doom their playoff chances. Put a damper on? Sure. But that presupposes losses that may turn into wins. If you told me going into the season we'd be 2-1 after 3 games, I'd have been "satisfied." Not thrilled, but satisfied. Just think the whole must win thing is silly at this point of the season, ESPECIALLY given the circumstances. If the Bills were 0-2 or even 1-1 with a loss at the Jets, I still wouldn't like "must win," but I'd understand the rationale.

 

All that said, just win the game and relegate this thread to the archives.

 

I don’t think we are far off, was just outlining some framework for what’s really on the table in this thread — not if this is a must win but what expectations really are with the fan base.

[Kmart128]

I agree. 3-1 looks way better than 2-2.

[Nelius]

14 hours ago, Utah John said:

You never know.  Josh Allen hasn't had a stinker of a game in a while.  He's young and will still have a few of those to get through.  Everyone's assuming he's going to keep playing as well or better than he has been, but that's not a sure thing.

 

1st half of the Jets was pretty rough for him and he thankfully bounced back. If he's the truth then it shouldn't get much worse than that. You don't see Mahomes throwing up the occasional stink bomb. Regression at this point is for the Losmans of the world, I truly hope Josh doesn't have any serious clunkers ahead of him and can continue to keep things competitive even with a turnover or three, which definitely will happen.

[row_33]

How is there honestly any doubt they are winning easily over Cincy?

 

 

 

[May Day 10]

Not must win

 

 

However a loss would be very disappointing 

[LSHMEAB]

1 hour ago, Kmart128 said:

I agree. 3-1 looks way better than 2-2.

Patriots will probably be favored by 9 or so points against the Bills, so not all that different from the Bills Bengals spread.

 

The Bills have less of a chance of beating the Pats as the Bengals do of beating the Bills, but it's not an astronomical difference. I understand some people don't care about spreads, but I also don't understand writing any game off as a loss OR a win. If the Bills are ready to compete, yes, they SHOULD beat the Bengals. But they SHOULD also have a chance of beating the Patriots. 

[row_33]

8 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said:

Patriots will probably be favored by 9 or so points against the Bills, so not all that different from the Bills Bengals spread.

 

The Bills have less of a chance of beating the Pats as the Bengals do of beating the Bills, but it's not an astronomical difference. I understand some people don't care about spreads, but I also don't understand writing any game off as a loss OR a win. If the Bills are ready to compete, yes, they SHOULD beat the Bengals. But they SHOULD also have a chance of beating the Patriots. 

I expect an easy Bills win this week and for them to give a good fight to the Pats.

 

 

[T master]

I don't know that this is a must win game but this is a game that the Bills should win & if they are going to be a good team & make that natural progression to being a good team then this is a game they should win !! But it is not a game they should take lightly because the Bengals can score ...

 

GO BILLS !!