MMQB: Are The Bills For Real?

[YoloinOhio]

ARE THE BILLS FOR REAL?

Quote

What we saw: An Ed Oliver strip sack setting off a 15-minute run of football—stretching from the end of the second quarter to the end of the third, and turning a tie into a 23-7 edge for Buffalo—stamping the Bills as legit team for a national TV audience that probably hadn’t paid them much attention yet.

 

 

What Bills coach Sean McDermott saw: The manifestation of nearly three years of work towards changing the mindset of a franchise that had endured a two-decade downturn.

“I feel like, overall, you could hear the guys talking on the sideline throughout the end of the first half and beginning of the second half,” McDermott said, as he left AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving night. “The guys were talking on the sidelines, you could hear it, just hear them, the belief—‘Hey, this is how we play.’ Whenever people can kind of finish your prayers, you know you’re on the same page. So that was good to hear.”

Moreover, it was proof of what McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have tried to instill in western New York since they arrived in 2017. It’s pretty simple.

Nice breakdown of the rebuild 

"The manifestation of nearly three years of work towards changing the mindset of a franchise that had endured a two-decade downturn."

 

 

Edited December 3, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Beat the Cravens and I will say For Sure 

 

 

 

Edited

(in the eyes of Non Bills Fans) 

Edited December 3, 2019 by SlimShady'sGhost

[Scott7975]

3 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

Beat the Cravens and I will say For Sure 

why is beating what is currently the best team in football by a mile what makes it for sure?

 

 

[YoloinOhio]

6 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

Beat the Cravens and I will say For Sure 

They can still be for real without beating the ravens imo. Off the top of my head the Seahawks, Pats and Texans are all for real. I would prioritize that second Pats game as a bigger indication. Jmo

Edited December 3, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 minute ago, Scott7975 said:

why is beating what is currently the best team in football by a mile what makes it for sure?

 

 

I said beat.  Not beat down  although that would be nice ...

 

in answer 

To convince others that the Dallas game wasn't a FLUKE 

 

I'm a homer I want to believe it already 

 

    (My head)     

 

whispers in both ears 

[LeGOATski]

How about the Bills’ rookie class? Oliver had two sacks against the Cowboys, right tackle Cody Ford was solid against Dallas’ DeMarcus Lawrence, running back Devin Singletary finished with 101 yards from scrimmage, and tight end Dawson Knox had a good two-way game (good in the run game, three catches in the passing game) as the Bills’ pulled away. Add that to a 2018 class led by Allen and Edmunds, and a ’17 class headed by CB Tre’Davious White and LB Matt Milano, and there’s a really nice of young talent here.

 

?

 

Building through the draft.

[IgotBILLStopay]

I kinda want all these media guys to continue sleeping on the Bills as we pull off one narrow win after another. Let us win the East and let people attribute it to a Pats decline rather than us playing great football. I dont care. Somehow the "underdog" mentality fits this team. No divas No outrageous contracts No drama. Just go to work every day and keep improving till you are the last team standing.

[Buffalo Junction]

19 minutes ago, IgotBILLStopay said:

I kinda want all these media guys to continue sleeping on the Bills as we pull off one narrow win after another. Let us win the East and let people attribute it to a Pats decline rather than us playing great football. I dont care. Somehow the "underdog" mentality fits this team. No divas No outrageous contracts No drama. Just go to work every day and keep improving till you are the last team standing.

If we pull off a narrow win against the Ravens they aren’t gonna sleep on this team. If we follow that up with narrow wins against the Pats and Steelers some of those guys are gonna start saying this team can get to the SB. 

[badassgixxer05]

37 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

 

I said beat.  Not beat down  although that would be nice ...

 

in answer 

To convince others that the Dallas game wasn't a FLUKE 

 

I'm a homer I want to believe it already 

 

    (My head)     

 

whispers in both ears 

But what if we do beat down the Ravens? Are we talking superbowl then? The chances would go up tremendously..

[kbarrettb]

They don’t need to beat the Ravens. It would be amazing if they did. But making it a tough fought game and not a blow out would make a huge statement. 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

1 minute ago, badassgixxer05 said:

But what if we do beat down the Ravens? Are we talking superbowl then? The chances would go up tremendously..

if they win against the ravens, they'll be 10-3 and clinch a wildcard but, if they win against the steelers, then against the pats*, then you could bring superbowl in to the conversation depending on if they made the afcc game?

 

a whole bunch of scenarios to go through before talking superbowl, imho.

 

let them get past the ravens first?

[StHustle]

Im sorry but I still dont see how beating the Cowboys means we are for real. Cowboys are a .500 team that are 0-5 against winning teams. It was a GOOD WIN on the road as all are but IMO it does not mean we are for real. I wanna believe we are SO BAD. Losing to the Browns and Eagles still leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

 

IMO, playing competitively against the Ravens (even if we lose by a possession) would show me we are for real. The Cowboys are simply not that good of a team and besides the big stage, I fail to see what was so meaningful about the win, in terms of how for real we are or not.

[badassgixxer05]

Just now, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

if they win against the ravens, they'll be 10-3 and clinch a wildcard but, if they win against the steelers, then against the pats*, then you could bring superbowl in to the conversation depending on if they made the afcc game?

 

a whole bunch of scenarios to go through before talking superbowl, imho.

 

let them get past the ravens first?

I know they have to win the games to actually get there, but I'm just talking about hype. The patriots are usually in superbowl talks before they even play week1. Ravens are the favorites to win it all right now, so if we hand it to them convincingly, I would say we would have to be added to those talks. I know its pointless, but fun to think about. 

[Golden*Wheels]

Two things:

 

I don't mind people, especially the press, sleeping on the team. But for the players' sake, I like that they are finally getting some recognition.

 

Also, I like what the Bills were saying on the sideline: 'We're built different. We're built for this'.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Golden*Wheels

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

2 minutes ago, StHustle said:

Im sorry but I still dont see how beating the Cowboys means we are for real. Cowboys are a .500 team that are 0-5 against winning teams. It was a GOOD WIN on the road as all are but IMO it does not mean we are for real. I wanna believe we are SO BAD. Losing to the Browns and Eagles still leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

 

IMO, playing competitively against the Ravens (even if we lose by a possession) would show me we are for real. The Cowboys are simply not that good of a team and besides the big stage, I fail to see what was so meaningful about the win, in terms of how for real we are or not.

 

All year long, there's always THIS guy ready to whip it out and take a leak in the punchbowl.

 

No one cares you don't think they're for real. They are.

 

[Dr. Who]

1 minute ago, StHustle said:

Im sorry but I still dont see how beating the Cowboys means we are for real. Cowboys are a .500 team that are 0-5 against winning teams. It was a GOOD WIN on the road as all are but IMO it does not mean we are for real. I wanna believe we are SO BAD. Losing to the Browns and Eagles still leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

 

IMO, playing competitively against the Ravens (even if we lose by a possession) would show me we are for real. The Cowboys are simply not that good of a team and besides the big stage, I fail to see what was so meaningful about the win, in terms of how for real we are or not.

You are right about the mediocrity of the Cowboys, but I think performing well before a national audience on perhaps the most watched game behind the Super Bowl is meaningful. The players knew the attention the game was going to get and they didn't freeze up under the bright lights. On the contrary, they played well and Allen showed composure and smart play throughout. I believe that is meaningful, though the next three weeks will discover how truly significant the growth in confidence is.

[StHustle]

Just now, Joe in Winslow said:

 

All year long, there's always THIS guy ready to whip it out and take a leak in the punchbowl.

 

No one cares you don't think they're for real. They are.

 

 

Where did I say I don't think we are for real? I said that beating a .500 team that is 0-5 against teams with winning records doesnt prove we are for real. The NFL is overreacting to the win because they have no belief in us. I hold us to a HIGHER STANDARD because I do believe! The Cowboys was a team we were SUPPOSED to beat. I would have hated to go in there 8-3 and be the FIRST winning team they beat all year. The Cowboys game wasnt a litmus test for being for real. This Ravens game IS. They are in OUR HOUSE and we MUST be competitive to be "FOR REAL"

 

Maybe we just differ on what "FOR REAL" means. To me it means a LEGIT CONTENDER. I will say it AGAIN: Beating the mediocre Cowboys DOES NOT make us legit contenders. NOT SAYING WE ARENT. Just saying that win kept the scales even. We still have 2 losses to what appears to be pretty bad teams. We had ALOT of very close games against some terrible teams. We also have gotten better and did beat the Cowboys convincingly. THE RAVENS GAME IS THE REAL TEST. 

 

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

[Royale with Cheese]

11 minutes ago, StHustle said:

Im sorry but I still dont see how beating the Cowboys means we are for real. Cowboys are a .500 team that are 0-5 against winning teams. It was a GOOD WIN on the road as all are but IMO it does not mean we are for real. I wanna believe we are SO BAD. Losing to the Browns and Eagles still leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

 

IMO, playing competitively against the Ravens (even if we lose by a possession) would show me we are for real. The Cowboys are simply not that good of a team and besides the big stage, I fail to see what was so meaningful about the win, in terms of how for real we are or not.

 

The Ravens lost the Browns.....

[Gugny]

Just now, Royale with Cheese said:

 

The Ravens lost the Browns.....

 

Did Freddie Kitchens find them?

[SoCal Deek]

What’s the definition of real? So far, the Bills have played pretty consistently against every single team they’ve faced and if anything they’re trending up, not down. They are as real as any other team in the league.

[Royale with Cheese]

3 minutes ago, StHustle said:

 

Where did I say I don't think we are for real? I said that beating a .500 team that is 0-5 against teams with winning records doesnt prove we are for real. The NFL is overreacting to the win because they have no belief in us. I hold us to a HIGHER STANDARD because I do believe! The Cowboys was a team we were SUPPOSED to beat. I would have hated to go in there 8-3 and be the FIRST winning team they beat all year. The Cowboys game wasnt a litmus test for being for real. This Ravens game IS. They are in OUR HOUSE and we MUST be competitive to be "FOR REAL"

 

Maybe we just differ on what "FOR REAL" means. To me it means a LEGIT CONTENDER. I will say it AGAIN: Beating the mediocre Cowboys DOES NOT make us legit contenders. NOT SAYING WE ARENT. Just saying that win kept the scales even. We still have 2 losses to what appears to be pretty bad teams. We had ALOT of very close games against some terrible teams. We also have gotten better and did beat the Cowboys convincingly. THE RAVENS GAME IS THE REAL TEST. 

 

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

 

We were supposed to beat the Cowboys?  Then why were they favored by 6.5 points?  

[IgotBILLStopay]

19 minutes ago, Buffalo Junction said:

If we pull off a narrow win against the Ravens they aren’t gonna sleep on this team. If we follow that up with narrow wins against the Pats and Steelers some of those guys are gonna start saying this team can get to the SB. 

That is the logical response - but I have been around the block enough that I am willing to bet  at least part of the narrative will revolve around "Lamar Jackson's weaknesses", "Pats' decline" and the "Banged-up Steelers". And, compared to years past, I am fine with it.

[Stank_Nasty]

4 minutes ago, StHustle said:

 

Where did I say I don't think we are for real? I said that beating a .500 team that is 0-5 against teams with winning records doesnt prove we are for real. The NFL is overreacting to the win because they have no belief in us. I hold us to a HIGHER STANDARD because I do believe! The Cowboys was a team we were SUPPOSED to beat. I would have hated to go in there 8-3 and be the FIRST winning team they beat all year. The Cowboys game wasnt a litmus test for being for real. This Ravens game IS. They are in OUR HOUSE and we MUST be competitive to be "FOR REAL"

 

Maybe we just differ on what "FOR REAL" means. To me it means a LEGIT CONTENDER. I will say it AGAIN: Beating the mediocre Cowboys DOES NOT make us legit contenders. NOT SAYING WE ARENT. Just saying that win kept the scales even. We still have 2 losses to what appears to be pretty bad teams. We had ALOT of very close games against some terrible teams. We also have gotten better and did beat the Cowboys convincingly. THE RAVENS GAME IS THE REAL TEST. 

 

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

so was the pats game and we were competitive. "competitive", you words, not mine.... the bills should have walked off the field with the W that day. they are plenty real. 

[Gugny]

10 minutes ago, StHustle said:

We had ALOT of very close games against some terrible teams.

 

Do you think Seattle is for real?  I sure as hell do.  Check this out, dawg:

 

https://www.seahawks.com/schedule/

 

 

[Boatdrinks]

36 minutes ago, Buffalo Junction said:

If we pull off a narrow win against the Ravens they aren’t gonna sleep on this team. If we follow that up with narrow wins against the Pats and Steelers some of those guys are gonna start saying this team can get to the SB. 

If the Bills beat DAL, BAL, PIT, and NE in succession lots of NFL observers will be calling them Super Bowl contenders. 

[Rocket94]

26 minutes ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

if they win against the ravens, they'll be 10-3 and clinch a wildcard but, if they win against the steelers, then against the pats*, then you could bring superbowl in to the conversation depending on if they made the afcc game?

 

a whole bunch of scenarios to go through before talking superbowl, imho.

 

let them get past the ravens first?

The way that the Bills have played this year has demonstrated that they could beat anyone. With a few bounces going their way, they could be 10-2 or 11-1 right now. The only game that they were really out of was the Philadelphia game. The Bills have emerged as a dangerous team and the word is definately out. The recent emergence of Josh Allen makes the Bills a scarier proposition.

[Magox]

But I keep hearing that we play Jauron Ball.  

 

And that we are too conservative.

 

And that Beane created the salary cap mess we had.

 

And That We shouldn't have traded Sammy Watkins!

 

And That Josh Allen is not a good passing QB.

 

And that we haven't played good teams.

 

And that "culture" is just a buzz word that doesn't exist.

 

Amirite?

 

 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Magox

[Boatdrinks]

19 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

The Ravens lost the Browns.....

Exactly... teams that are not playoff contenders lose to teams like Miami on the road. Going 12 weeks without a stumble here and there is tough. The Bills are a good team on the rise with a young QB still honing his game. They’re not great yet, but they might get there. If the Bills win 10 or 11 games they’ll likely be in the playoffs and will be a threat to win at least a game or two. 

[Say When...]

5 minutes ago, Boatdrinks said:

If the Bills beat DAL, BAL, PIT, and NE in succession lots of NFL observers will be calling them Super Bowl contenders. 

 

i had a boss once that used to say "ok, i'm going to make a 'No DUH' statement"

 

now THATS a 'no duh' statement...

[Boatdrinks]

Just now, Say When... said:

 

i had a boss once that used to say "ok, i'm going to make a 'No DUH' statement"

 

now THATS a 'no duh' statement...

Well, the OP said “ some “ will say they are a SB contender. It seemed obvious to me that a lot would say that if those wins happened so that’s why I pointed it out. Was more of a “ correction” than anything else. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

46 minutes ago, badassgixxer05 said:

But what if we do beat down the Ravens? Are we talking superbowl then? The chances would go up tremendously..

 

Of course I am!!!!!!

 

[StHustle]

13 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Do you think Seattle is for real?  I sure as hell do.  Check this out, dawg:

 

https://www.seahawks.com/schedule/

 

 

 

I do think we are for real. Only point Im making is beating the Cowboys doesnt prove this. What is so hard to understand about that concept?

Most of the NFL thought we were FRAUDS and thats the only reason why they are overreacting to this game. I had BIG MONEY on that Cowboys game. I FULLY expected to win. So once that happened, I felt great, we did it on a big stage, we won convincingly on the road. I was happy as the next fan. BUT THE JETS BEAT THIS SAME TEAM.   

 

Again, the one and only point Im making is beating the Cowboys doesnt prove we are legit title contenders. Thats what FOR REAL means to me. It means we can go in and have a legit chance to beat any team on any given Sunday (not in the sense ANY team can beat ANY team but a real LEGIT chance not some flukey crap)

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

They can still be for real without beating the ravens imo. Off the top of my head the Seahawks, Pats and Texans are all for real. I would prioritize that second Pats game as a bigger indication. Jmo

 

...imagine McD as COY and McBeane as GM of the Year.......quite the honors........

[StHustle]

26 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

so was the pats game and we were competitive. "competitive", you words, not mine.... the bills should have walked off the field with the W that day. they are plenty real. 

 

I agree we are for real and I expect us to be very competitive on Sunday. Like I said before, a 3 point loss to the Ravens would show we are "for real" much more than the 11 point win against a .500 team in the WORST division in football.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

30 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Did Freddie Kitchens find them?

Were lost, but now they’re found...

[IDBillzFan]

26 minutes ago, StHustle said:

Im sorry but I still dont see how beating the Cowboys means we are for real.

 

It wasn't that they beat the Cowboys. It was how they beat the Cowboys, who was statistically a top 3 defense going into that game.

 

Did you watch the young QB taking command of the line, especially during the 7-minute drive? Reading the defense? Changing the plays and leading the team to six straight scoring drives?

 

Did you watch the defense take what many consider the best OL in football and chase the snot out of Dak and Zeke?

 

It boggles the mind how any fan who watches the team every week DIDN'T walk away from that Dallas game realizing this team is actually good not by accident, but by design.

[Say When...]

5 minutes ago, Boatdrinks said:

Well, the OP said “ some “ will say they are a SB contender. It seemed obvious to me that a lot would say that if those wins happened so that’s why I pointed it out. Was more of a “ correction” than anything else. 

 

Gotcha BD, my bad, i jumped to page 2.

 

In that case, i'm totally agreeing with you

[Dan]

24 minutes ago, StHustle said:

 

Where did I say I don't think we are for real? I said that beating a .500 team that is 0-5 against teams with winning records doesnt prove we are for real. The NFL is overreacting to the win because they have no belief in us. I hold us to a HIGHER STANDARD because I do believe! The Cowboys was a team we were SUPPOSED to beat. I would have hated to go in there 8-3 and be the FIRST winning team they beat all year. The Cowboys game wasnt a litmus test for being for real. This Ravens game IS. They are in OUR HOUSE and we MUST be competitive to be "FOR REAL"

 

Maybe we just differ on what "FOR REAL" means. To me it means a LEGIT CONTENDER. I will say it AGAIN: Beating the mediocre Cowboys DOES NOT make us legit contenders. NOT SAYING WE ARENT. Just saying that win kept the scales even. We still have 2 losses to what appears to be pretty bad teams. We had ALOT of very close games against some terrible teams. We also have gotten better and did beat the Cowboys convincingly. THE RAVENS GAME IS THE REAL TEST. 

 

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

The thing about the Dallas game...  For nearly 2 decades that's when the Bills would come out flat, lose in some spectacular fashion, and then we'd watch the wheels fall off the wagons for the rest of the season.   How many times have we seen the Bills get a few wins, have a good W/L record, finally get a little respect, and then go into a much hyped game... Only to blow it?   This time.. They didn't blow it.  They won convincingly.  On a National stage, on the road, against a good team... They did the least Billsy thing possible.  They kicked Dallas' ass and sent the team and coaches to the locker room crying and screaming.

 

And despite the Cowboys mediocre record.. They were a good team.  They have legit star players. The #1 ranked offense.  And they were playing for their careers and playoff lives.   We ..beat.. a good team that ..needed.. that win.  That is why that that game and that win is so important and noteworthy.   

 

 

3 minutes ago, Boatdrinks said:

If the Bills beat DAL, BAL, PIT, and NE in succession lots of NFL observers will be calling them Super Bowl contenders. 

If we beat DAL, BAL, PIT, and NE... Then the universe as we know has been altered and I'm living in an alternate reality where all things are possible!   LOL.  And, we definitely should be and will be considered Super Bowl contenders!

[Gugny]

Just now, StHustle said:

 

I do think we are for real. Only point Im making is beating the Cowboys doesnt prove this. What is so hard to understand about that concept?

Most of the NFL thought we were FRAUDS and thats the only reason why they are overreacting to this game. I had BIG MONEY on that Cowboys game. I FULLY expected to win. So once that happened, I felt great, we did it on a big stage, we won convincingly on the road. I was happy as the next fan. BUT THE JETS BEAT THIS SAME TEAM.   

 

Again, the one and only point Im making is beating the Cowboys doesnt prove we are legit title contenders. Thats what FOR REAL means to me. It means we can go in and have a legit chance to beat any team on any given Sunday (not in the sense ANY team can beat ANY team but a real LEGIT chance not some flukey crap)

 

So you think the Bills are real right now.  But if they lose to the Ravens, you won't think they're real?

 

Personally, I think the Patriots* win over the Bills was a fluke.  I certainly think the Browns beating the Bills was a fluke.

 

And who cares about "winning convincingly?"  That's why I shared the Seahawks' schedule. They haven't "won convincingly," over anyone, including a one-point victory over the Bengals.

 

The Bills are 9-3.  Teams don't get to 9-3 when they're not for real.

[Rocket94]

4 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...imagine McD as COY and McBeane as GM of the Year.......quite the honors........

I can see it happening. The Bills win a few more games...then who else? According to many pundits, the Bills were not supposed to be in the conversation.