Now that the dust on the season has settled (a bit) can we please consider the Elephant in the room?

[Billever76]

4 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

It's not so much about putting the Bengals on a pedestal as much as realizing the Bills are not up on the pedestal like everybody had them going into this season  IMO

And that's bc while we were busy focusing on the defense side of the ball all through Allen's rookie contract,Bengals did the opposite and surrounded Burrow with the best trio of wrs in football.....we were so focused on chasing kc that Bengals snuck up behind us and stole our lunch

[Mr. WEO]

1 minute ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

Fine by me. Most teams play better as underdogs. Just look at the way the Bengals have approached this season.

 

certainly they demonstrated more emotional stamina...

[nosejob]

18 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

This is something we all know and acknowledge anyway about the 2022-2023 Buffalo Bills:

 

They went through some *****!!!

 

Tops shooting

Kim Pegula getting sick

Knox's brother dying

120 degree heat game in Miami

Davis lingering ankle injury (multiple reporters, including Dan Fetes, said he just didn't look right in practice for most of the season)

Dane Jackson having to get taken off the field in an Ambulance

Micah Hyde being lost for the season

Josh Allen elbow injury and minimal practice/throwing for a couple weeks and lingering through the season

7 foot blizzard that didn't allow for a week of real practice and then relocated a home game to Detroit

A 2nd home game in Detroit 4 days later

4 away games in 11 days

Getting stuck in Chicago overnight on Christmas Eve because of a blizzard that killed dozens of people in Buffalo

Missing what many would argue are the 2 biggest Holidays of the year with their families

Damar

 

And I'm sure I'm missing some of these things.

 

EDIT: Somehow I forgot losing Von Miller... insane list 

 

These guys are human beings and I challenge anyone to find another team in NFL history that went through as much crap as Buffalo did this year and still managed to go 13-3 in the regular season and win a playoff game with one of the harder SoSs in that year.

 

I had issues with the offensive and defensive gameplan by Dorsey and Frazier.  Obviously a problem--big problem as far as Frazier goes when you're playing zone with guys 10 yards off the line against a QB with one of the quickest releases in the NFL.

 

But let's all take a breath.  This clearly wasn't our year.  But maybe it's more Acts of God than the team just not being good.

I agree with all this, but I still  have to wonder.....If we would have beat Cincy and went to play K.C. at a neutral site, what would the narrative have been? Charity for the Bills?

I still don't really understand the NFL's position. 5 years ago, the game would have went on....not saying it should have, just don't understand how they reasoned things going forward from that.

[BillsPride12]

Just now, Billever76 said:

And that's bc while we were busy focusing on the defense side of the ball all through Allen's rookie contract,Bengals did the opposite and surrounded Burrow with the best trio of wrs in football.....we were so focused on chasing kc that Bengals snuck up behind us and stole our lunch

I like Beane but poor drafting has caught up to us.  Not only lack of weapons on offense but ignoring the Offensive Line as well.

[Billever76]

Just now, BillsPride12 said:

I like Beane but poor drafting has caught up to us.  Not only lack of weapons on offense but ignoring the Offensive Line as well.

Yea but is it bean who is making those decisions or is it really McDermott?

[nosejob]

18 hours ago, Lost said:

They battled through adversity knocking out win after win and just when they turned the corner...things were looking better, Damar was back in the building...they were 2 games away from their dream...just at that moment they decided they didn't have anything left in them.   Sorry I don't buy it.  I feel for all the players went through this season but Cincy game was a complete coaching mismatch.  

Totally agree....but was that really Damar? ....askin for a friend

[Billever76]

I will probably get suspended again for Crusading against coaches...whatever that is supposed to mean....we see posts all year slamming the players and its allowed...I speak out over the coaching and it's not allowed?

[BillsPride12]

1 minute ago, Billever76 said:

Yea but is it bean who is making those decisions or is it really McDermott?

I'm sure McDermott has input but I imagine Beane has final say when we make a draft pick. 

[transplantbillsfan]

4 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

certainly they demonstrated more emotional stamina...

 

Are you implying the Bengals dealt with the same amount of crap as the Bills? Or are you implying the emotional distress the Bengals and Bills had to deal with from Damar's near death was equal?

 

It would be ridiculous to imply either.

[Goin Breakdown]

I really just don't know what to expect this coming up year. The afc east is closing the gap and buffalo (coaches) is stuck with their egos. No adjusting same game plan although everyone else sees that it's out dated or not well suited against too QBs. Josh will always be fun to watch. Other than that I have no expectations. 

[Mr. WEO]

12 minutes ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

Are you implying the Bengals dealt with the same amount of crap as the Bills? Or are you implying the emotional distress the Bengals and Bills had to deal with from Damar's near death was equal?

 

It would be ridiculous to imply either.

 

neither

[Toledo Bill]

43 minutes ago, balln said:

They’re literally soft and not good enough in the trenches - especially the OL. It’s their kryptonite. I blame beane and the coaches for accepting it / not improving it. And fine if your stuck w the softies / finesse OL personnel wise - then I blame Dorsey and McD for not gameplanning around it. Remember lee smith ?! Need extra blockers / need chipping the ends. Need quick passing game. No other excuses !

Loved Lee Smith. Was like a third tackle.

helped running game and pass protection.

[nosejob]

17 hours ago, AlfaBill said:

I have faith that Dorsey and Josh will work out the kinks in the playbook 

I have faith that a defence with Hyde, Von and healthy Tre will be much better. 
I have faith that Josh will work hard to improve again. 
Im worried about having a DC like Frazier who cannot get the max from this team. 
This team is still very good and will be better next year. 

....and never will. An average fan could have coached a better Defensive game plan....ok Offensive too. How this staff cannot see these things really worries me.

If I was one of those 3, I would have hauled ass out of town till the Senior Bowl or something. It would be like if I made a boneheaded mistake on a job that cost thousands to redo. Hell, as a Bills fan I'm extremely embarrassed.

 

Having Heath jump on the grenade last year and immediately whacking the safeties coach this year just pisses me off even more. I give Dorsey another year to quit living vicariously through Josh, but Frazier's gotta go. My respect level is falling by the day.

[BillsPride12]

5 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

An interesting take, but I don’t believe the Bills are going to be touted (except by Bills fans) no matter how they start next season. The bloom is most definitely off the rose. 

I don't even think Bills fans are going to be touting them as Super Bowl favorites next season, that is done for now.

[nosejob]

1 hour ago, JJGauna said:

True but the recovery took forever. So bills bowl in 5?

I drove truck through there until 2  years later and it still looked like it had just happened.

[Maine-iac]

There were way more than two but I still say give me any two of our starters back on defense and run it again and the score would be a lot different.  People have been talking ever since the loss like the team that played the Bengals is the same team from the first couple of weeks of the season.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

1 hour ago, Toledo Bill said:

It would be nice if one of our gutless reporters really called them out in a scathing article. Out-coached and out motivated. I admire how they came through all the adversity but that last game was a joke.

You mean, like Jerry Sullivan? 😂😂 … I’m guessing any article he would have written after the bengals debacle might have had some truth to it 

[goldenboy81]

Excuses are for the weak

[transplantbillsfan]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

neither

 

Then how can you possibly argue that the Bengals had more emotional stamina if they didn't suffer the same emotional trauma?

[Chicken Boo]

20 hours ago, Governor said:

They really are. It isn’t close. They probably would’ve eliminated us last season too.

 

I agree.  Would have been a wake-up call for everyone.

[Simon Says]

20 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

This is something we all know and acknowledge anyway about the 2022-2023 Buffalo Bills:

 

They went through some *****!!!

 

Tops shooting

Kim Pegula getting sick

Knox's brother dying

120 degree heat game in Miami

Davis lingering ankle injury (multiple reporters, including Dan Fetes, said he just didn't look right in practice for most of the season)

Dane Jackson having to get taken off the field in an Ambulance

Micah Hyde being lost for the season

Josh Allen elbow injury and minimal practice/throwing for a couple weeks and lingering through the season

7 foot blizzard that didn't allow for a week of real practice and then relocated a home game to Detroit

A 2nd home game in Detroit 4 days later

4 away games in 11 days

Getting stuck in Chicago overnight on Christmas Eve because of a blizzard that killed dozens of people in Buffalo

Missing what many would argue are the 2 biggest Holidays of the year with their families

Damar

 

And I'm sure I'm missing some of these things.

 

EDIT: Somehow I forgot losing Von Miller... insane list 

 

These guys are human beings and I challenge anyone to find another team in NFL history that went through as much crap as Buffalo did this year and still managed to go 13-3 in the regular season and win a playoff game with one of the harder SoSs in that year.

 

I had issues with the offensive and defensive gameplan by Dorsey and Frazier.  Obviously a problem--big problem as far as Frazier goes when you're playing zone with guys 10 yards off the line against a QB with one of the quickest releases in the NFL.

 

But let's all take a breath.  This clearly wasn't our year.  But maybe it's more Acts of God than the team just not being good.

So...all those tragedies excuse the problem you have with Frazier game plans? I'm tired of excuses. 

[BullBuchanan]

21 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

This is something we all know and acknowledge anyway about the 2022-2023 Buffalo Bills:

 

They went through some *****!!!

 

Tops shooting

Kim Pegula getting sick

Knox's brother dying

120 degree heat game in Miami

Davis lingering ankle injury (multiple reporters, including Dan Fetes, said he just didn't look right in practice for most of the season)

Dane Jackson having to get taken off the field in an Ambulance

Micah Hyde being lost for the season

Josh Allen elbow injury and minimal practice/throwing for a couple weeks and lingering through the season

7 foot blizzard that didn't allow for a week of real practice and then relocated a home game to Detroit

A 2nd home game in Detroit 4 days later

4 away games in 11 days

Getting stuck in Chicago overnight on Christmas Eve because of a blizzard that killed dozens of people in Buffalo

Missing what many would argue are the 2 biggest Holidays of the year with their families

Damar

 

And I'm sure I'm missing some of these things.

 

EDIT: Somehow I forgot losing Von Miller... insane list 

 

These guys are human beings and I challenge anyone to find another team in NFL history that went through as much crap as Buffalo did this year and still managed to go 13-3 in the regular season and win a playoff game with one of the harder SoSs in that year.

 

I had issues with the offensive and defensive gameplan by Dorsey and Frazier.  Obviously a problem--big problem as far as Frazier goes when you're playing zone with guys 10 yards off the line against a QB with one of the quickest releases in the NFL.

 

But let's all take a breath.  This clearly wasn't our year.  But maybe it's more Acts of God than the team just not being good.

I can't possibly think of anything that had less to do with the Bills than this. It's disgusting to co-opt a tragedy on their behalf that happened nearly half a year before the season even started. Stop it.

Kim Pegula's mystery illness is also preposterous.

Any team that ever lost a starting QB to injury went through more than what Buffalo did when it comes to being an actual football team. What you wrote is just a lit of nonsense that has nothing to do with how a team should perform on Sundays and how coaches should prepare during the week.

I wonder how many Buffalo workers got to wipe away their negative performance reviews because it snowed a lot.

What a pathetic list of excuses for why DBs were playing 15 yards off their man on 3rd and 4 and why Josh Allen was bombing it deep on 3rd and 2.

Edited January 28, 2023 by BullBuchanan

[reddogblitz]

2 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

I'd actually prefer to see the Bengals win and then the 49ers beat them in the Super Bowl.

 

I could see that except I'm going for the Eagles.

 

Whoever loses the AFC Champions Game on Sunday will exemplify the old saying "Prides comes before a fall."

[stevestojan]

A list of excuses. 

[Einstein]

As horrible as they were, I don't think Kim's health or the Tops shooting or a hot game, nor a snow storm had anything to do with the team crapping the bed.

 

I remain convinced that last season (2021) was our year. We were CLICKING in the playoffs like i've never seen before. And it was stolen by some of the worst end of game coaching I've ever seen.

[prissythecat]

6 minutes ago, Einstein said:

As horrible as they were, I don't think Kim's health or the Tops shooting or a hot game, nor a snow storm had anything to do with the team crapping the bed.

 

I remain convinced that last season (2021) was our year. We were CLICKING in the playoffs like i've never seen before. And it was stolen by some of the worst end of game coaching I've ever seen.

those were all high mountains to climb and the bills just got tired .  am sure they will all be energized next year to make another superbowl run without the need for major change .  

[Billever76]

2 hours ago, Herb Nightly said:

So...all those tragedies excuse the problem you have with Frazier game plans? I'm tired of excuses. 

They excuse our poor drafting and player development also I guess

13 minutes ago, Einstein said:

As horrible as they were, I don't think Kim's health or the Tops shooting or a hot game, nor a snow storm had anything to do with the team crapping the bed.

 

I remain convinced that last season (2021) was our year. We were CLICKING in the playoffs like i've never seen before. And it was stolen by some of the worst end of game coaching I've ever seen.

And for that reason I said fire them all.....this teams fans are so traumatized from the drought.. that all it took was average coaching to come in and they became godlike 😆....totally overlooking the fact had josh allen not been a Bill we are an 8-9 7-10 team stuck in draft purgatory just like before lol

Edited January 29, 2023 by Billever76

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

45 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

I remain convinced that last season (2021) was our year. We were CLICKING in the playoffs like i've never seen before. And it was stolen by some of the worst end of game coaching I've ever seen.

 

I would say there is a pretty good chance you're right. The offense was on fire and we were quite healthy last year. Down just 1 guy, sucks it happened to be Tre though.

 

 I would add, if we had been as lucky in the injury department this year as last, down just 1 starter and all others rather healthy, I think we would've been really good also. As long as that injury is not to Hyde, then he plays and the Hamlin injury never happens. 

 

 

 

 

 

[transplantbillsfan]

5 hours ago, Herb Nightly said:

So...all those tragedies excuse the problem you have with Frazier game plans? I'm tired of excuses. 

 

I originally agreed with you, but then @TheBrownBear convinced how traumatic the Hamlin events would be for the coaching staff as well as the team..

 

I honestly wasn't even considering the impact on the coaching staff, but in many ways I can see the impact being at least as great... after all, Frazier was a DB who probably spent a lot of time with Hamlin...

[transplantbillsfan]

5 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

I can't possibly think of anything that had less to do with the Bills than this. It's disgusting to co-opt a tragedy on their behalf that happened nearly half a year before the season even started. Stop it.

Kim Pegula's mystery illness is also preposterous.

Any team that ever lost a starting QB to injury went through more than what Buffalo did when it comes to being an actual football team. What you wrote is just a lit of nonsense that has nothing to do with how a team should perform on Sundays and how coaches should prepare during the week.

I wonder how many Buffalo workers got to wipe away their negative performance reviews because it snowed a lot.

What a pathetic list of excuses for why DBs were playing 15 yards off their man on 3rd and 4 and why Josh Allen was bombing it deep on 3rd and 2.

 

Being a zombie in a 9-5 shift is often  private and secluded in many ways. You're trying to pretend as though all the WNY events had no impact on WNYers simply because WNY didn't shut down.

 

That's just stupid of you.

 

And to say "yeah, but they still did their jobs!!!" is blatant ignorance on your part.

 

A shop clerk or teacher or construction worker can usually get away with being a zombie on the job. Football players have a different level of opposition.

 

None of this is to dismiss other jobs. It's more to dismiss the opinions of people who work other jobs and pretend they know how everyone in every other job should be and feel.

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by transplantbillsfan

[transplantbillsfan]

5 hours ago, reddogblitz said:

 

I could see that except I'm going for the Eagles.

 

Whoever loses the AFC Champions Game on Sunday will exemplify the old saying "Prides comes before a fall."

 

I'd be rooting for the Eagles except earth's year a friend of mine said it would be either the Vikings or Eagles who won the Super Bowl so I took the field vs those 2 teams.

 

I win I get a case of beer. He wins he gets 2 cases.

 

Plus bragging rights, of course.

 

Regardless, I hope the Eagles win if they get there

 

[SinceThe70s]

8 hours ago, Toledo Bill said:

It would be nice if one of our gutless reporters really called them out in a scathing article. Out-coached and out motivated. I admire how they came through all the adversity but that last game was a joke.

 

Do you think gutty reporting would make a difference?  Living in Jets land I see/hear a lot of scathing hot takes by the press on the regular. Hasn't helped yet (not that I'm complaining).

[Boatdrinks]

5 hours ago, Einstein said:

As horrible as they were, I don't think Kim's health or the Tops shooting or a hot game, nor a snow storm had anything to do with the team crapping the bed.

 

I remain convinced that last season (2021) was our year. We were CLICKING in the playoffs like i've never seen before. And it was stolen by some of the worst end of game coaching I've ever seen.

It’s a fair point. While the offense struggled the second half of 2021, the team caught fire in the playoffs. That may have been their best look to date at a Super Bowl. Often winning a title  requires a some luck and a bit of lightning in a bottle. Even with a top QB and a good roster - and a franchise record tying W/L record you simply can’t pencil in great chances at a championship. It just doesn’t work that way, although the Brady led Patriots made it look routine and threw expectations out of whack. 

[Simon Says]

I think you are misusing terms like "act of God" and "elephant in the room" in order to exaggerate and attract attention to whatever your position is. 

We all know the Bills had a challenging season but enough already with excuses; Beane and McDermott have shown they can get a team to the playoffs but their Super Bowl window is closing.

There were a number of purely football decisions,schemes and personnel moves that affected the season outcome. 

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

 

 The elephant in the room is the talent and coaching around Allen.

 

 Joe Burrow is 5-1 in his postseason career, making back to back AFCCG and a Super Bowl appearance(Maybe 2). He has the best WR trio in the league and yet they don't ask him to do more than his 1/22 share. Here’s what I mean.....

 

 Take away the td scored by the defense in the WC round this year and in the 6 postseason games Cincy offense is averaging exactly 23 points a game. Burrow has less passing tds in 6 games than Josh had in just the 2 playoff games last year. So 8 td passes in 6 games = 5-1, but Josh's 9 td passes in 2 games = 1-1. 

 

Burrow has received so much more support from his defense and special teams than Allen. He knows if he's smart with the football and makes a few timely plays his team has a good chance to win. Meanwhile Allen feels he has to be Superman in the playoffs to advance and even then it may not be enough. Get the man some help!!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by LOVEMESOMEBILLS

[BullBuchanan]

23 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

Being a zombie in a 9-5 shift is often  private and secluded in many ways. You're trying to pretend as though all the WNY events had no impact on WNYers simply because WNY didn't shut down.

 

That's just stupid of you.

 

And to say "yeah, but they still did their jobs!!!" is blatant ignorance on your part.

 

A shop clerk or teacher or construction worker can usually get away with being a zombie on the job. Football players have a different level of opposition.

 

None of this is to dismiss other jobs. It's more to dismiss the opinions of people who work other jobs and pretend they know how everyone in every other job should be and feel.

 

So you're saying that the whole of western NY was going to work everyday with a shooting that happened 8 months ago or their Boss' wife's health, or the death of a coworkers brother 4+ months ago just eating at their mind and reducing their competency to the point of gross incompetence?

ridiculous.

[Chugga]

Yikes I thought the elephant in the room was that our defense has completely folded and been god awful the past 3 playoff exits and everyone keeps blaming Frazier for running McDermotts defense.  That seemed way more elephanty in the roomish.

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

So you're saying that the whole of western NY was going to work everyday with a shooting that happened 8 months ago or their Boss' wife's health, or the death of a coworkers brother 4+ months ago just eating at their mind and reducing their competency to the point of gross incompetence?

ridiculous.

 

Stop bifurcating.

 

You know that's not what I said or meant.

 

You're being ridiculous. But I don't expect anything less from you.

Edited January 30, 2023 by transplantbillsfan

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

On 1/27/2023 at 8:10 PM, GolfandBills said:

Bengals are way ahead of us is what i took from this season and it’s not really close.    Lots of work to do to catch up to them.  

Give us von back and their offensive linemen back and replace saffold with someone that can actually play football and it’s close imo 

 

our defensive scheme relies pretty heavily on good safety play and pressuring with 4 and the three most important players were hurt (poyer played through it). Our dline was dominant with von playing and then a switch flipped when he went down…it’s like it the chiefs lost chris jones.  They’d be dead in the water 

 

I feel like we all knew it was over when we lost von but some of us like me lied to ourselves for awhile 😂

Edited January 30, 2023 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[transplantbillsfan]

54 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

Give us von back and their offensive linemen back and replace saffold with someone that can actually play football and it’s close imo 

 

our defensive scheme relies pretty heavily on good safety play and pressuring with 4 and the three most important players were hurt (poyer played through it). Our dline was dominant with von playing and then a switch flipped when he went down…it’s like it the chiefs lost chris jones.  They’d be dead in the water 

 

I feel like we all knew it was over when we lost von but some of us like me lied to ourselves for awhile 😂

 

It wasn't Von. It was Damar. Once that happened the Super Bowl hopes went from fairly strong to hanging by a thread.