Same energy as the last few years?

[Kirby Jackson]

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I started watching in 2001 so damn, I’m still tickled when they win any regular season game.

[Your Brown Eye]

I am a little more cautious in my optimism, fueled by the results of recent seasons and debacles in the playoffs. I think the AFC is just a damn gauntlet this year, and it is going to be HARD for any team to get to the SB this year from the AFC. Bills can do it, we've seen them be damn near perfect when they are hitting on all cylinders, but I do not think it will be a forgone conclusion like previous seasons that "The road to the Super Bowl goes through Buffalo or KC this year". This year will be a dog-fight and we will see what this team is really made of.

[dave mcbride]

I am definitely a bit more low energy this season.

[Jauronimo]

6 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

Its natural.  The last two years we were still on an uptrend after making a deep run a year too early and then loading up with Von Miller to add the missing piece.  The hype and pressure was real.  This year ARE Bills have been largely written off and doubt has spread among fans.    

[Virgil]

I'm as optimistic as I've been the past two years.  I don't expect as many wins, but only because the AFC is a lot better.  Come playoffs, we have as good a chance to win it all as anyone else. 

 

I am worried about Hyde and Poyer getting older and MLB coming back to bite us, but nothing that takes us out of it.  

[Matt_In_NH]

I just had this conversation at work with a guy.  I definitely have less energy in a way but it is because the real season starts in January.  I am psyched and cant wait to watch the game. But with where this team is, no matter what happens tonight or any game this season, it only matters as a step in the process.   A win does not mean much if they lose in the divisional round, a loss does not mean much if they win the SB....they can do a million great things all season and no one will care outside buffalo until they do it in the playoffs, it is just where this team is.  I am aware they could not even make the playoffs so it is part of the process but the reality is whatever happens tonight will be overreacted to tomorrow.

[MPL]

I have zero energy but that's mostly because my 6-month-old has decided he doesn't need to sleep anymore. 

[Xwnyer]

I have and always am cautious in my approach before a season.  But after we demolished the reigning champs on opening night my enthusiasm was at peak.  I felt we were unstoppable.   The jets lost hurt and helped bring me back to my cautious views about upcoming games.  I know the team was mentally spent at the end of last season it was clear in the narrow wins agains NE and Miami.  The first series on Cincy game ended all my hope.   I just hope we can put the best show possible versus having this hangover of how the season played out from November on.   I will watch tonight with great hope and energy but just have a bad gut feeling about this year.

[VaMilBill]

16 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

For me, I have this dread that we are going to take a big step back, McD will be fired and we will be hoping for some offensive minded coach to lead us to the promised land. So I’m feeling pretty pessimistic based on how stacked the afc is and how little confidence I have in McD to get it done

[stevewin]

[BillnutinHouston]

This year I need to see to Billieve.

[zow2]

Excited for the game but my expectations are muted.   Maybe this is the year they start slow and get hot in Dec/Jan when it matters most..  We shall see.  This season likely will have a different vibe.  I agree with others....the AFC #1 seed could be any number of teams.  Right off the bat, the Chiefs certainly don't look as dominant... 

[boyst]

I am not as excited but i think this year the team has more potential than the last few years because the expectations are much, much lower. i will not be disappointed if we do not make the playoffs. i am pessimistic with the outcome due to the historic let downs of McChump.

 

But, as a team the players are better poised than any year in a long time other than 2020.

 

 

21 minutes ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

I started watching in 2001 so damn, I’m still tickled when they win any regular season game.

lentils.

 

that is all.

10 minutes ago, MPL said:

I have zero energy but that's mostly because my 6-month-old has decided he doesn't need to sleep anymore. 

it's too late now, but you should have got a snoo, or rented one.  game cahnger.

[NewEra]

25 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

I think some are realizing that winning a SB isn’t entirely in the hands of the players, front office and the coaches.  Lots can happen from week 1 to February.  
 

there’s a lot of “wait and see” imo.  

[Bills!Win!]

Just remember, the Bills went 6-0 without Hyde and Miller last year until they lost to the Bengals. As long as we stay relatively healthy we will be back to 13-3 form

[BuffaloBaumer]

For sure I have much less expectations this year. Just get into the playoffs somehow and see what happens from there.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

I need to see how our new pieces will be utilized by Dorsey and McD, whether all of the off-season changes are to our benefit or detriment…so yeah, I’ll probably be overreacting either way to the results tonight lol. Talk to me after say, Week 4 and let’s see how it’s going! 😅

[bobobonators]

My energy level might be slightly less not because I don’t believe in this team, but as others have stated, the AFC is a murderers row and it’s going to be a LONG season. Im going to need to pace myself. 

[Shaw66]

I think a lot of us are low energy or whatever you want to call it.  We're wait-and-see.  

 

I think there's solid determination in Orchard Park.   It's focused energy, not hyped-up.  

 

Tonight will give us a good indication.  I'm expecting/hoping for a "take care of business," workmanlike control of the game, with a solid but not overpowering win.  

[DrDawkinstein]

I get what OP is saying, but for me, it isnt that I'm not excited, but rather happy to avoid hype and fly under the radar with the rest of the team.

 

I think we all learned what high expectations get us. And it's good to expect a certain level of play as standard, but last year just wasnt fun - even when we were winning.

 

When winning becomes so miserable, it's good for all of us to take step back, take a breath, and just get ready to enjoy it as it goes.

 

GO BILLS!

[RobbRiddick]

I've done nothing but cry since last night but that might have more to do with betting 3k on the Bengals

Edited September 11, 2023 by RobbRiddick

[teef]

i thought about this this morning.  for some reason i'm not as giddy for the game to be here as i usually am.  i have a feeling that no matter the outcome, i'm still going to be meh either way.  i'm not sure that i burned myself out waiting for this game all weekend, and that my bedtime will be greatly compromised, but i'm pretty mellow about all of this.

[BillsVet]

50 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

 

Yeah.  I'd guess people expect Buffalo to be good, but the playoffs are where we need to see it.  The Bills, despite some mid-seasons swoons, have played well in the regular season but it's the post-season exits go back to.  Seems the last 3 years their playoff performance regressed each year from 2020 to 2022.  

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

I think it’s just a part of getting older. 

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

 

Last year was an emotional letdown and your brain in protecting you from feeling that again.

[Jauronimo]

Even though there are some major injury related asterisks to last year, the Bills fanbase is in that "what now?" stage.  I'd compare it to what I have seen from the Houston Rockets who were so close to overcoming the Warriors after loading up with Chris Paul only to give up a series lead and fall short yet again. The core of the team has not changed so the big question is: what will be different this year?

 

Positives:

Groot has comeback bigger, stronger, and faster and his teammates say hes ready to be an elite DE

Leonard Floyd

Tre'Davious is healthy

Kincaid a threat in the passing game

Torrence and McGovern

Dorsey in year two

 

Negatives:

Dawkins, Hyde, Poyer are all another year older

Losing Edmunds and big ?? at MLB

Spencer Brown looks no different and we have no depth at RT

 

Wait and See:

McD calling the defense and Leslie making sour faces at WalMart

Healthy Von Miller

[BillsFanSD]

Honestly it would be good for me to be a little less invested in this team than I was this time last year.  That will probably change around 7:00 ET later today, but ideally I would chill a bit until we get past Thanksgiving.

[mushypeaches]

I was way more pumped up the last two seasons, but maybe we got too high too early last year.

 

2022 definitely taught us about how long the season really is, and how hard it is to be peaking at the right time.  

 

So maybe we'll just not be as great of a regular season team this year, but have improved mental energy and fewer injuries by the time we get into January.

Once we're there - anything can happen!

 

But yes, let's also beat the snot out of Rodgers and the over-hyped Jets this evening!

[Airseven]

This team and what always feels like inevitable disappointment is certainly draining. I think it may be that the standards are now too high.

[MasterStrategist]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

It's called low T.

 

Kidding... I'm not with ya tho, I'm just as pumped and fired up for the season to get rolling.  Especially on primetime/MNF.

 

All the Jets hype, talk from media that our window has passed...has me even more jacked, LFG!

 

 

[Milanos Milano]

Honestly Kincaid gives me more energy this year than last. We desperately needed someone to take the heat off Diggs, and Kincaid will do that and some. 

[ClemsonBills]

I feel myself getting less hyped for the regular season because I expect them to be great. It's the playoffs where I flip a switch and get jacked up. Which is a nice change compared to pre JA17.

[TheBrownBear]

My enthusiasm and excitement are tempered for sure.  To be honest, I'm a little nervous heading into the season for the first time in a while.  I know that we should be as good as ever, but I'm still haunted by how we looked for much of the second half of last season and in that Bengals game.

Edited September 11, 2023 by TheBrownBear

[Bobby Hooks]

I don’t have the butterflies in my belly that I was expecting to have for gameday. Idk, I think maybe I’m waiting to see what we’re going to look like. 
 

During free agency and the draft I was excited about the moves. On paper this may be the best team we’ve ever had. But something feels off, maybe it’s how we looked on the playoffs? Maybe it’s because I’m worried with all of the attention Josh got in the offseason coupled with a primetime matchup against a division rival, oh and throw in Aaron Rodgers I’m worried happy feet hero ball Josh will show up? 
 

🤷‍♂️ 

[Matt_In_NH]

58 minutes ago, MPL said:

I have zero energy but that's mostly because my 6-month-old has decided he doesn't need to sleep anymore. 

Its all downhill from here.........

[ColoradoBills]

Buffalo Bills football is back baby!  The Bills have a great organization from the owners to the cafeteria staff and have a great chance to

continue to make the playoffs and pursue the dream of every fan ever cheering for this team, past and present, the Lombardi trophy!

 

Just a long-standing belief of mine, the technologically driven 24/7 sports media market has robbed some fans of the true thrill of a new season.

I enjoyed this opening week of football more than seasons past only because my Bills didn't play on Sunday.  I switched between individual

games and the NFL RedZone and enjoyed watching the games unfold, including the blowouts.

 

These young men on our football team have been through a lot last season and now have to pick themselves up and go out every week and

give it their all, starting tonight.  The least I can do as a fan is thank them for their effort and root them on whether they are the team's

star QB (which we all have to keep reminding ourselves that we have one!) down to the practice squad guy hoping to get a chance.

 

I will continue to greet every new season with the same "little kid" hope I had during the AFL Championship teams I began watching so

many years ago!  I mean, isn't that really what being a fan is supposed to be all about.

 

Go Bills!

 

 

[McBean]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

most mentally checked out I’ve ever been for a season opener.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

if there is one thing we’ve learned repeatedly it’s that it’s a looong damn season, and you really don’t know what you’ve got until late in the season. 
 

It was so sure they were a team of destiny last year, then it imploded spectacularly after eeking out some late season wins that were closer than expected. 
 

And of course the prior season when they didn’t need to dress a punter for consecutive games. But then couldn’t get past the chiefs. 
 

now more than ever it’s too much of a schlog to get hyped early. 
 

also the division itself got so much better but it’s tough to know if the bills did. 

[SCBills]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Am I alone in lacking the energy and excitement of the last few seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Bills will be really good. Last year, I was sure that they were winning the Super Bowl. Maybe I just haven’t “recovered” from how last year ended but I’m not feeling that same energy as last year. 

Same. 
 

Im in “wait and see” mode. 
 

Flew out to LA for the Rams game last year.  Was insanely hyped. 
 

That loss, and the way we lost, to the Bengals last year is going to take a minute to get out of my system. 
 

Now we play a Jets team that’s historically given Allen and our Offense issues, and we all saw what our DL looked like without Von.   
 

Need to see this team toughen up in the trenches in a game like this, and right now I’m hopeful, but will quickly start getting annoyed if we can’t get pressure and Allen is under siege.