The biggest problem in 2021 is expectations and dealing with adversity that comes with them

[TheFunPolice]

2021 Bills: 7-5, disappointment, sky is falling, regressing, bad coaching, probably will be on the outside looking in

2021 Dolphins: 6-7, hottest team in football, in great shape for a playoff push, the team nobody wants to play, great coaching, great QB play 

 

Why the difference? One team is clearly better, and swept the other team already this year.

 

It's all expectations, and this is really the first time in forever that this franchise has had real pressure, hype and expectations. 

 

If we're being honest, they really didn't do a whole lot before being crowned the "best team in the league" by a LOT of people early in the season. It's tough to deal with, especially for the first time. This team hasn't won in a lot of big moments, at least not as much as the hype around them would have you think. 

 

Now people got paid. We brought back the crew for another run. What last year was fun is now serious business: Super Bowl or bust. 

 

That magnifies everything. Every game, every call, every fumble. It means more because the expectations are higher. You CANNOT AFFORD simple football mistakes (or so it feels).

 

Things will go wrong in an NFL season. No matter what. But when you're supposed to be the best team in the conference it gets to you. Why aren't you winning every game? Why aren't you blowing teams out? Why aren't you winning in these big moments? 

 

IMO this was a big difference in the Brady vs Manning games early (later Manning started to win more often, including playoff games that matter most). 

 

Brady was just a doughy game manager who threw screen passes. Manning was SUPPOSED to be the #1 QB immediately. All the pressure was really on 1 guy. Then it becomes "why can't you beat NE?" "Why don't you have multiple SB rings already?" And it builds and builds. For the other guy, the more success he has the less pressure. 

 

The (almost!) perfect season NE had showed that the pressure can even get to Brady: he just usually doesn't feel it because whatever. He's already won a ton, so it's all gravy. He's even said that recently. What pressure is there on him? 

 

All that said, this team is going to need to learn to deal with the pressure AND learn how to rebound when things don't go as planned. 

 

Everything (except maybe the #1 seed) is still on the table for this team. Just get into the tournament and let the chips fall where they may. 

[Aussie Joe]

I got a feeling most teams would rather play the Dolphins then the Bills in the playoffs..

[ngbills]

16 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

2021 Bills: 7-5, disappointment, sky is falling, regressing, bad coaching, probably will be on the outside looking in

2021 Dolphins: 6-7, hottest team in football, in great shape for a playoff push, the team nobody wants to play, great coaching, great QB play 

 

Why the difference? One team is clearly better, and swept the other team already this year.

 

It's all expectations, and this is really the first time in forever that this franchise has had real pressure, hype and expectations. 

 

If we're being honest, they really didn't do a whole lot before being crowned the "best team in the league" by a LOT of people early in the season. It's tough to deal with, especially for the first time. This team hasn't won in a lot of big moments, at least not as much as the hype around them would have you think. 

 

Now people got paid. We brought back the crew for another run. What last year was fun is now serious business: Super Bowl or bust. 

 

That magnifies everything. Every game, every call, every fumble. It means more because the expectations are higher. You CANNOT AFFORD simple football mistakes (or so it feels).

 

Things will go wrong in an NFL season. No matter what. But when you're supposed to be the best team in the conference it gets to you. Why aren't you winning every game? Why aren't you blowing teams out? Why aren't you winning in these big moments? 

 

IMO this was a big difference in the Brady vs Manning games early (later Manning started to win more often, including playoff games that matter most). 

 

Brady was just a doughy game manager who threw screen passes. Manning was SUPPOSED to be the #1 QB immediately. All the pressure was really on 1 guy. Then it becomes "why can't you beat NE?" "Why don't you have multiple SB rings already?" And it builds and builds. For the other guy, the more success he has the less pressure. 

 

The (almost!) perfect season NE had showed that the pressure can even get to Brady: he just usually doesn't feel it because whatever. He's already won a ton, so it's all gravy. He's even said that recently. What pressure is there on him? 

 

All that said, this team is going to need to learn to deal with the pressure AND learn how to rebound when things don't go as planned. 

 

Everything (except maybe the #1 seed) is still on the table for this team. Just get into the tournament and let the chips fall where they may. 

I will simplify it more. Some teams added talent and got better. The Bills regime did not think they needed to do that. 

[NewEra]

I don’t think the sky is falling. Mondays game turned out exactly the way I figured it would due to the weather.  As did the colts game.  We have nothing to be ashamed about regarding the titans game.  Jax and pitts-  those are the games that stand out as wtf.  
 

there’s still football to be played and I believe, if we don’t make absurd mistakes, we can beat anyone in the league.  Imo, TB is the best team in the league (their cbs are getting healthy).  We’ll see how we fare on Sunday, but a football season is made up of many chapters and you never know when the next chapter might turn the entire story upside down and reverse everything we’ve read so far.  If we cut down on stupid mistakes and the coaches can figure out some of their problems, this book could very well have a fairy tale ending.  Likely? No, but there’s definitely a chance. 

[Jerome007]

I agree with the OP.

 

Of course it's maddening that the Bills are "soft" on the O and D lines, but ALL the other positions besides RB are top tier. Do I fantasize like many of you of an OL like t he Colts? Of course ha ha. But I'm sure their fans at times would rather have the super exciting style Josh and Daboll bring! It's just ironic the Colts are a dome team while the Bills play in horrible weather 2 months. 

 

To me the D line is puzzling as they have so many guys and the management invested a lot of $$$. The OL has regressed slightly in the pass game, and are still bad in the run game. But you think Beane didn't try something? OLinemen don't grow on trees, and salary cap is what it is. Daboll is also a tad to blame as while his pass schemes are well designed, the run game is so vanilla, while they would need to be creative since they can't power their way.

 

NO team is a clear SB powerhouse so far, none. All top teams have multiple losses. Yes it seems to many fans only the Bills have these issues.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Jerome007

[Nextmanup]

2 hours ago, TheFunPolice said:

All that said, this team is going to need to learn to deal with the pressure AND learn how to rebound when things don't go as planned. 

 

Everything (except maybe the #1 seed) is still on the table for this team. Just get into the tournament and let the chips fall where they may. 

Disagree strongly with the first quoted sentence; strongly agree with the second.

 

"Learning how to rebound" doesn't mean anything.  It's just what sports fans say.  What we need to do is execute better and string together a few more big plays at critical moments.

If Josh hits a few wide open receivers toward the end of the game (we were in the red zone a lot) we win, and this board wouldn't be all doom and gloom.

 

Totally agree that we are not done, and highly likely to make the playoffs still.

 

And YES!  Absolutely!  If we get in, anything is possible.

 

A lot of simulations have us playing our first game at Tennessee, minus their star RB.

 

OK, that is a very winnable game, and so on....

It's not over yet.

 

 

[Utah John]

McBeane built this year's team to beat KC, and wasn't looking in the rearview to see what other teams were doing to beat us.  Other teams saw our strength was getting ahead quickly and forcing other teams to try to beat us in the passing game, which they're not going to do.  They saw our front office struggle to find and keep the right linemen on both sides, and figured their best chance to win was to out-muscle our lines.  

 

Considering how badly our O line has played, and how much Josh still has accomplished, I think this might be the best year of his career so far.  Statistically, no, but he's been running for his life so many times and still making plays.  

[Marvlevydraftdaygenius]

We will see what kind of coach Sean is because this is where coaches are made  how they handle adversity.  The Bills need a big win, something that if they look back on and say, "That game saved our season".     Because right now this is the first time, Sean is facing this.  

[Bleedbuffaloblue]

Totally agree with most everything said here. The season is not over yet, not by a long shot. You don’t need to be the #1 seed to win a SB, not even be a Division Winner. The Bucs showed that last year. What you do need to do is be playing your best football in January and/or get a little lucky when you’re not.

It definitely will be a challenge for the Bills to go all the way this year while not being able to run the ball or stop the run consistently, but stranger things have happened. Usually a good running team controls TOP in their games by a significant margin making it hard on their opponents. NE ran every offensive play but three Monday night, but still did not dominate TOP against the Bills. This just shows there is still room for the Bills to win games while having teams running the ball down their throats. They just need to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. The Bills just need to get the offense humming again and go out there for these remaining five games followed by the playoffs and just out score teams.

Statistics don’t win games, points on the scoreboard do! I’m still willing to pin my hopes on Josh Allen and the offense pulling the team out of this tailspin. How about you? Josh has the heart of a lion and I believe has the ability to will this team to victory. He’s done it before and just needs to get the mojo back.

GO BILLS!!!

[Ross Murdock]

I like the enthusiasm here, and the Bills currently have a 80+% chance of making the playoff's according to the latest Vegas line. Mainly because all of the current wildcard teams, and the top in the hunt teams have tough interdivision games coming up. I just need to see the Bills at least beat either the Bucs or the Pats (And hopefully both) over the next 3 games. Bills backing into the playoffs by just beating the lowest dregs of the league rings hollow. I thought more highly of this team and the management. It be one thing if the Bills were some true underdog breaking through for the first time, but The Bills spent heavy this year, made the AFC Championship game last year, and have one of the leagues highest payrolls. If they are truly worthy, they need to beat at least one of the only two tough teams remaining on the schedule.     

[SoCal Deek]

The Bills have one glaring problem in 2021....they cannot finish!  They beat the Jaguars, Titans and Patriots if they just finish the game on the final drive.  Do that and they're sitting at 10-2 with the best record in football.  Everything else is just noise! 

[Southern_Bills]

It's not so much the Bills are dropping key games, which is a big deal. But the bigger deal is we just have no consistency at all. 

 

It's football and a talented team can hit a stride at any moment, so the sky is not falling. Not much confidence inspiring football going on in Buffalo right now though.