What if the Bills refuse to play the Patriots?

[WotAGuy]

1 minute ago, Beast said:

So, what do you then tell the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, 2 teams fighting to make the playoffs? 
 

“Too bad, fellas! The Bills forfeited. The Patriots are in! Now go out there and risk injury for one more week just to keep us entertained!”

 

Hell, the whole league should just pack it in and see you next season. Maybe.

Dolphins are toast anyway, even if Teddy can play. Steelers still need to beat Browns as well. It sucks that the Bills’ decision on how to move forward impacts so many other teams.  I do think the Bills will go to any length to try and play, but honestly how much focus can they have if they do?

[Locomark]

I think it may not be decided until the day before and it will depend on what the team knows about Damar. I assume Sean will let the players decide. I think the league has already probably given them a Saturday time to decide so they can announce it on the night game. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Locomark

[Beast]

Just now, WotAGuy said:

Dolphins are toast anyway, even if Teddy can play. Steelers still need to beat Browns as well. It sucks that the Bills’ decision on how to move forward impacts so many other teams.  I do think the Bills will go to any length to try and play, but honestly how much focus can they have if they do?

Oh bull####. 
 

The Bills played the Redskins right after Sean Taylor was murdered.

 

I’m sorry. The Bills probably will have a difficult time focusing but, like it or not, they have a job to do and a league depending on them to do it.

 

[Airseven]

19 minutes ago, TH3 said:

This thread marks the official “run out of things to speculate about” point…

 

The Sunday fan experience thread was made afterwards.

[Augie]

9 minutes ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

The chance of the Bills not playing is 0%- mark it down.

 

Damar would want them to play, and Damar would want them to play well and win. 

[PrimeTime101]

Look, now that my sarcastic comment is out of the way... no one really cares what the Bills decide to do because Ultimately, it's their decision to put a product on the field or not. There is so much involved in a decision like this though... contracts, Player Association Notification (Agreement), possible fines and so on.

 

Do we really think that we care about what the Phins might think if this happens? IF we have no chance of keeping the first seed, I would rather mess up Miami anyhow... NE is an easy out in the playoffs. 

 

Bottom line? I with an extremely high percent feel the Bills WILL Play Sunday. 

[HOUSE]

1 minute ago, PrimeTime101 said:

Look, now that my sarcastic comment is out of the way... no one really cares what the Bills decide to do because Ultimately, it's their decision to put a product on the field or not. There is so much involved in a decision like this though... contracts, Player Association Notification (Agreement), possible fines and so on.

 

Do we really think that we care about what the Phins might think if this happens? IF we have no chance of keeping the first seed, I would rather mess up Miami anyhow... NE is an easy out in the playoffs. 

 

Bottom line? I with an extremely high percent feel the Bills WILL Play Sunday. 

I would say no better then 50/50

[Beast]

3 minutes ago, PrimeTime101 said:

Look, now that my sarcastic comment is out of the way... no one really cares what the Bills decide to do because Ultimately, it's their decision to put a product on the field or not. There is so much involved in a decision like this though... contracts, Player Association Notification (Agreement), possible fines and so on.

 

Do we really think that we care about what the Phins might think if this happens? IF we have no chance of keeping the first seed, I would rather mess up Miami anyhow... NE is an easy out in the playoffs. 

 

Bottom line? I with an extremely high percent feel the Bills WILL Play Sunday. 

Yeah, I do care what Miami, Pittsburgh and any other team it effects thinks. In fact, a whole LOT of people care what they think.

 

Funny, but I bet you are praising Miami for lighting their stadium up in Bills colors, aren’t you?

[The 9 Isles]

Most people have had traumatic incidents in their lives, you can’t turn the whole world into a safe space. 
 

You can’t just put life on hold indefinitely due to a random and completely unique incident. 
 

If the fans and the players are so distraught and this is just so unbearable then the whole NFL should fold and eliminate any risk whatsoever no matter how minuscule the odds, to save people from ever going through this again. 
 

I may sound insensitive but this is the real world and crappy things happen everyday, we can’t just succumb to being melancholy and scared. 
 

I hope and pray that Damar pulls out of this and makes a complete recovery but stopping games form be played won’t help him recover any sooner or more completely. 
 

[Buddo]

Positive news about Damar, and the game will go ahead, imho. 
 

But they need that sooner, rather than later.

 

And it has to be with proper medical confirmation.

 

I’ve no idea what to expect if the game goes ahead (under the above circumstances), but I see that as being the best chance for it to be played even remotely competitively.

 

I’m not saying anything about if it should do, just what I think is a ‘sort of best case scenario’ for the NFL.

[Motorin']

1 minute ago, Beast said:

Yeah, I do care what Miami, Pittsburgh and any other team it effects thinks. In fact, a whole LOT of people care what they think.

 

Funny, but I bet you are praising Miami for lighting their stadium up in Bills colors, aren’t you?

 

What does Miami and Pittsburgh think? The owners, players and Head Coaches? 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

1 hour ago, PonyBoy said:

What if the Patriots refuse to play too as a display of solidarity for player safety? The NFL has looked bad this year(Tua & more). 

Would be quite a statement. 🤔

 

 

Belichick would fine the crap out of them!

[Beast]

2 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

What does Miami and Pittsburgh think? The owners, players and Head Coaches? 

What they should be thinking is why risk injuries to our players in a game that means nothing to us if Buffalo is allowed to forfeit.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I'll say this - if there are individuals on the team who feel they can't play, the team should honor their wishes.  Dane Jackson springs to mind as someone who is not only very close to Damar but who suffered a frightening injury earlier himself.

 

But the whole team not playing the game?  Man, I just think that's a pandora's box of consequences.  Competition for the postseason IS the game. 

 

Between players and coaches the NFL is comprised of like 3,000 guys.  The chances of something awful happening to one of those people over the course of the season is really really high.  The world can be unkind. 

[Buffalo ill]

1 hour ago, JDubya76 said:

Then I will watch something else on Sunday. Football is just a kids game played by elite athletes. Life and well-being is way more important than a kids game.

Kids aren't on multi million dollar contracts for a multi billion dollar company.  

 

The situation is terrible but unless the owners decide they want to dissolve the league, the show (corporation) must go on (continue to fulfill contracts and generate money).

[Beast]

6 minutes ago, Buddo said:

Positive news about Damar, and the game will go ahead, imho. 
 

But they need that sooner, rather than later.

 

And it has to be with proper medical confirmation.

 

I’ve no idea what to expect if the game goes ahead (under the above circumstances), but I see that as being the best chance for it to be played even remotely competitively.

 

I’m not saying anything about if it should do, just what I think is a ‘sort of best case scenario’ for the NFL.

The Redskins took the field in 2017 FIVE DAYS after Sean Taylor was murdered and lost on a last second FG to the Bills.

 

I don’t think that there will ever be an opportune time for the Bills to take the field. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Beast

[SoCal Deek]

1 hour ago, PonyBoy said:

What if the Patriots refuse to play too as a display of solidarity for player safety? The NFL has looked bad this year(Tua & more). 

Would be quite a statement. 🤔

 

How does this incident have anything to do with some larger player safety discussion? What protocols were missed or overlooked? 

[Kiva]

7 minutes ago, The 9 Isles said:

Most people have had traumatic incidents in their lives, you can’t turn the whole world into a safe space. 
 

You can’t just put life on hold indefinitely due to a random and completely unique incident. 
 

If the fans and the players are so distraught and this is just so unbearable then the whole NFL should fold and eliminate any risk whatsoever no matter how minuscule the odds, to save people from ever going through this again. 
 

I may sound insensitive but this is the real world and crappy things happen everyday, we can’t just succumb to being melancholy and scared. 
 

I hope and pray that Damar pulls out of this and makes a complete recovery but stopping games from be played won’t help him recover any sooner or more completely. 
 

This type of behavior must be a byproduct of the pandemic. 

[Motorin']

2 minutes ago, Beast said:

What they should be thinking is why risk injuries to our players in a game that means nothing to us if Buffalo is allowed to forfeit.

 

But the Bills should be forced to risk injury if they aren't prepared to play? 

 

 

[Buddo]

2 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

What does Miami and Pittsburgh think? The owners, players and Head Coaches? 

Don’t know about the rest of them, but Mike Tomlin knows Damar on a personal level, and I think is keenly interested in a positive outcome for him.

 The Steelers also have some close ties to Pitt, and if there was to be a team that wasn’t too bothered about how, or if the Bills play the Pats, it would most likely be them.

[HOUSE]

5 minutes ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

I'll say this - if there are individuals on the team who feel they can't play, the team should honor their wishes.  Dane Jackson springs to mind as someone who is not only very close to Damar but who suffered a frightening injury earlier himself.

 

But the whole team not playing the game?  Man, I just think that's a pandora's box of consequences.  Competition for the postseason IS the game. 

 

Between players and coaches the NFL is comprised of like 3,000 guys.  The chances of something awful happening to one of those people over the course of the season is really really high.  The world can be unkind. 

Hamlin is not out of the woods yet

Anything could happen in the next few days

[HappyDays]

11 minutes ago, The 9 Isles said:

You can’t just put life on hold indefinitely due to a random and completely unique incident. 

 

It has been two days since they watched their teammate die on the field.

 

My biggest concern for this game is the Bills players and coaches being mentally and physically prepared after a short week made shorter. But I don't expect the game to be delayed. If the Bills come out flat and lose I'm at peace with that.

[PrimeTime101]

13 minutes ago, Beast said:

Yeah, I do care what Miami, Pittsburgh and any other team it effects thinks. In fact, a whole LOT of people care what they think.

 

Funny, but I bet you are praising Miami for lighting their stadium up in Bills colors, aren’t you?

way to flame it beast. I don't care what other teams think. Buffalo is going to do what Buffalo thinks is best for them. whatever happens, it is what it is.

[Beast]

6 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

But the Bills should be forced to risk injury if they aren't prepared to play? 

 

 

Then the whole league should fold, right?

 

Should the whole league be put on hold until the Bills are ready to get back on the field? A week? Two? A month or longer?

 

Should the NFL give them a deadline to resume the season or would that be too insensitive?

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Beast

[wagon127]

The bills were willing to practice today.  1 week is alot different then getting back to play in 5 minutes. Ill support them if they dont want to play. But id say, The nfl will just open a new playoff spot, if the Bills are done this year.

Edited January 4, 2023 by wagon127

[PrimeTime101]

Just now, HappyDays said:

 

It has been two days since they watched their teammate die on the field.

 

My biggest concern for this game is the Bills players and coaches being mentally and physically prepared after a short week made shorter. But I don't expect the game to be delayed. If the Bills come out flat and lose I'm at peace with that.

exactly that

[JDubya76]

12 minutes ago, Buffalo ill said:

Kids aren't on multi million dollar contracts for a multi billion dollar company.  

 

The situation is terrible but unless the owners decide they want to dissolve the league, the show (corporation) must go on (continue to fulfill contracts and generate money).

Sure, but the premise of the thread is that House backs whatever decision the Bills make based on the article. Play or not, it’s up to them. I will have no problem with whatever decision they make, it’s just a game.

Edited January 4, 2023 by JDubya76

[The 9 Isles]

9 minutes ago, Kiva said:

This type of behavior must be a byproduct of the pandemic. 

Part of it for sure. 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

5 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

Hamlin is not out of the woods yet

Anything could happen in the next few days

 

I know.  The whole situation makes me sick to my stomach but earnestly I don't see how the Patriots game not being played helps.  

[Augie]

18 minutes ago, PrimeTime101 said:

Look, now that my sarcastic comment is out of the way... no one really cares what the Bills decide to do because Ultimately, it's their decision to put a product on the field or not. There is so much involved in a decision like this though... contracts, Player Association Notification (Agreement), possible fines and so on.

 

Do we really think that we care about what the Phins might think if this happens? IF we have no chance of keeping the first seed, I would rather mess up Miami anyhow... NE is an easy out in the playoffs. 

 

Bottom line? I with an extremely high percent feel the Bills WILL Play Sunday. 

 

Yep, it can get complicated and personal. Imagine you are right on the edge of getting that big bonus for games started, yards gained, tackles or who knows what. That can get into BIG BUCKS for some guys, and very significant money to all. Now, what if half the guys want to play, and half don’t? Or a large majority don’t want to play but you do, for bonus or just a different opinion? Could be touchy. 

 

The good thing is, this is a close group of guys and I don’t see this making big waves. Maybe for some teams, but not this team. 

 

And I don’t question that they will play. That’s what they do. I just hope they can be sharp. 

[Kiva]

Just now, The 9 Isles said:

Part of it for sure. 

Our American culture is opposite of this though.  We rally when things get tough; always have, always will. 

[Motorin']

8 minutes ago, Beast said:

Then the whole league should fold, right?

 

Should the whole league be put on hold until the. Ills are ready to get back on the field? A week? Two? A month or longer?

 

Should the NFL give them a deadline to resume the season or would that be too insensitive?

 

 

You're pretending like what happened wasn't an emergency, and that an emergency isn't still ongoing. 

 

The Bills very well may be ready to play this weekend. But they may not be, and if they aren't, why in the world would that mean the whole league needs to fold? 

 

Apparently Burrow just said there are some Bengals players that don't want to play this weekend after witnessing a man die on the field.

 

If both the Bills and Bengals told the league they can't play this weekend, because of an actual emergency that happened to just them, why would the whole league need to fold?

 

The rest of the games get played. AFC North goes to the Bengals and the rest of the seeding is decided by win percentage.

 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Motorin'

[jaybills]

1 hour ago, HomeskillitMoorman said:

I think they have to play this Sunday. Everyone understood about Monday night...but eventually you gotta get up and get moving. 

I wonder if Bills are even preparing (practice wise) for Patriots? Are they trying to get a full week of practice in? I don't know. 

[Buddo]

8 minutes ago, Beast said:

The Redskins took the field in 2017 FIVE DAYS after Sean Taylor was murdered and lost on a last second FG to the Bills.

 

I don’t think that there will ever be an opportune time for the Bills to take the field. 

Certainly agree with the second part, although I also know it has to happen sometime.

 

For the first part, while it was undoubtedly tragic, and difficult for the Redskins to deal with, it has an abstract element, that isn’t the same as what the Bills team went through, on a field of play.

 

I’m not sure that explains what I mean fully, but I think you’ll understand where I’m  coming from.

[Mango]

Burrow mentioned today that there are guys on the team who don’t want to play this week. 
 

Guys who don’t even know Damar. 
 

That’s the temperature of the league right now. I’m not advocating canceling anything. But it’s something the people pounding the table for the entire league to reshuffle everything to get the Bills/Bengals game in should spend some time with.  
 

I can’t begin to wrap my head around what’s going on in the Buffalo locker room. 

Edited January 5, 2023 by Mango

[BillsFanSD]

2 minutes ago, Kiva said:

This type of behavior must be a byproduct of the pandemic. 

The pandemic dramatically sped this process up, because we were all rightly concerned about the mental health of people who were socially isolated, jobless, dealing with home-bound kids, just dealing with having the world turned upside down, or whatever.   But I think this is being driven by social changes that were already in motion before the pandemic.  

 

I'm 50 so that makes me old, and when I say that these social changes are for the worse, people will understandably write that off as "old man yells at clouds."  On the other hand, I'm old enough to have experienced trauma and personal loss.  Everyone my age has done so.  Co-workers die, parents die, friends die, and the expectation has always been that you take a moment to grieve in your own way and then you move on.  This kind of psychological collapse was always reserved for the death of a child or spouse.  I can't wrap my mind around breaking down every time a colleague suffers a grievous injury.  At my age, I don't even have time for all that.   

[The 9 Isles]

Just now, Kiva said:

Our American culture is opposite of this though.  We rally when things get tough; always have, always will. 

Problem is that there is a lot of pressure and push back against American culture and to try and turn the country into some sort of extension of the bizarre, overly emotional and completely naive college culture. 

[Victory Formation]

Was it Brett Favre who had a career game the night after his dad died?

 

Lets bring in mandatory mental health/grief counselors for our coaching staff/players, but giving up on the season is one of the worst possible things we could do.

[Kiva]

1 minute ago, The 9 Isles said:

Problem is that there is a lot of pressure and push back against American culture and to try and turn the country into some sort of extension of the bizarre, overly emotional and completely naive college culture. 

Pressure from who? The media and the mentally ill? Our culture hasn’t changed and it never will. 

[SCBills]

Any player that doesn’t want to play, shouldn’t have to play - I’m sure McDermott and co. would absolutely honor that .. but at a certain point, you have to decide if this is a profession you want to continue moving forward in.  
 

The league can’t go on hold for us. 
 

It was a freak accident that hopefully will never happen again on a football field for the rest of our lives.   
 

Much of the game is mental .. you’ve got to figure out how to move forward, and if you can’t.. what’s the timeline and/or is there one for you?   A lot of players have probably asked themselves that question this week.