Opponents are 3-15 the next game after beating us for the last 3 years.

[C.Biscuit97]

31 minutes ago, Captain Hindsight said:

I could see NE pulling off an upset. Belichick is a good coach and they will be motivated to win after getting flexed out of MNF. With the game in Foxboro and the Chiefs pressing, I could see an upset

 

 

I’ll take that bet. I think it might be close for a half but then the chiefs kill them. Chiefs are getting healthier on defense as well. NE is an awful offense. 

[Warcodered]

1 hour ago, BBFL said:

So Chiefs going on a 3 game skid? Do they lose to New England???

Chiefs get their Philly ref game against NE, finally have something to cry about.

[AuntieEm]

1 hour ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Teams should start to consider not trying to beat us then 😉

 

Works for me.

[Fleezoid]

I'm 95% sure the Bills may or may not play a football game on Sunday! And I'm never wrong!

[Tenhigh]

 

1 hour ago, PBF81 said:

 

They're called counterperspectives and unless they're way off base, why the ad hominem at large?  

 

This should be a place for discussion and exchange of ideas.  If we were all that, then we'd all be talking about how we'd only need to go 2-2 to clinch the 1st Seed, which frankly, given the talent that we have, contrasted with every other team in the AFC this season, is where we should be.  

 

I'm still chuckling at MLB's (OP) "... wail and moan ..." comment, in good nature, truly, imagining some Bills fans at home actually wailing and moaning.  LOL  

 

But leaning a little more seriously, talk about "wailing and moaning," we wail and moan, and I'm not talking about those that you label as "negative types," largely talking about the others, but we "wail and moan" over our "inadequate" receiving corps of Diggs, Davis, Shakir, and Kincaid, but imagine if we had a 34-year old Kelce, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a moment.  Imagine the complaints coming in then.  We have better WRs than any other AFC team besides possibly Cincy and that's even debatable.  

 

At the end of the day we're a 7-6 team currently "seeded" 11th and incontention for the 6th and 7th seeds with 6 total teams, none of which we have the tiebreaker over.  There isn't a team behind us that has a realistic shot if even a mathematical one at making the playoffs.  Much like 2017, we need help from other teams, or at least a slump by most of them.  Unlike 2017 when we were the worst team of any in playoff contention, we're arguably the best team in the AFC this season on paper.  

 

Do we have more talent than all of them?  Absolutely, and with Burrow being out for the Bengals.  So why are we 7-6 along with the other five then?  It's a fair question.  To label everyone that sees that and acknowledges it as some sort of negative type is simply not fair to them, do as one may there.  

 

Every single one of the teams that we're in contention with also has the ability to go between 3-1 and 1-3, Denver and Houston in particular on the high side and possibly 4-0 with Denver being the one of the hottest teams in the league right now at what, 5-1 their last 6 I think.  

 

We play Dallas next, which is arguably the most balanced team in the league from O to D and pass-to-run alongside San Fran. 

Then we're @ the Chargers where we haven't won since the '70s under Knox, and where we'll be playing a game starting at 11 p.m. our time.  The last time we had time-zone or jetlag issues we didn't fare so well. 

Then vs. New England, but most of us will be on pins and needles going into that game, don't you think, considering the way that they played us in the first game and given Belichick v. McChoke-in-Big-Moments?  

Then @ Miami to finish the season, which will be like a playoff game.  Need we be reminded of last season where they nearly beat us with Skylar Thompson who hasn't taken a snap this season, or them nearly beating us at the end of the season, both games in Buffalo, with Tua.  

 

Nothing is a given at this point.  Everyone's stunned the Miami lost to Tennessee.  If they manage to lose to the Jets while we beat the Cowboys, incredibly and against all odds the division is back in play, particularly with them hosting Dallas and @ Baltimore after that before they play us.  Our game could very well decide the division, which many thought to not even be possible if that happens.  

 

Your association between contrarian comments and people being negative is misplaced imo.  

 

This team is far from having an identity of stepping up in the biggest of games.  Factor in that our point-differential over our last 9 games is a mere +26, and -6 if we do not include the Jets game at home.  The combined record of teams that we've faced is 59-58.  On paper we're not all that different than the teams that we're competing with for those last 6th and 7th seeds.  

 

There's nothing wrong with being critical of your team, particularly when it's 7-6 but should have been 11-2, or at least 10-3 and in the driver's seat, and we haven't even mentioned having Allen yet.  Anyone being critical and concerned about playing a team that's playing better than us, a team that already beat us, a team that we have never beaten on their turf in over 40 years and in a 3-hour different time zone with a game starting at 11 p.m. our time, and @ Miami is hardly being negative.  

 

And lest we forget, absolutely nothing that anyone here says or does makes one iota of a difference in how our team plays.  

 

I guess I don't understand the hostilities towards fellow Bills fans in simply discussing varying aspects of our team.  

 

 

That's a lot of words in response to a 2 sentence post that wasn't even directed at you. Feeling guilty?

Edited December 12, 2023 by Tenhigh

[boater]

1 hour ago, PBF81 said:

 

They're called counterperspectives and unless they're way off base, why the ad hominem at large?  

 

....snip.....

I respectfully read the whole thing. Thanks for your viewpoint. I agree with about 2/3 of what you said, I choose not to be argumentative over the rest of it because it would be repetitive of other comments on the board.

[PBF81]

3 minutes ago, boater said:

I respectfully read the whole thing. Thanks for your viewpoint. I agree with about 2/3 of what you said, I choose not to be argumentative over the rest of it because it would be repetitive of other comments on the board.

 

None of us think exactly alike on everything.  That's entirely unreasonable.  We all have our opinions on how best to win a Lombardi.  

 

Discussing the team should be fun and engaging, not laced with ad hominems.  I personally love a good argument and discussion, as long as it's civil.  I discuss things with many posters on which we take opposite sides, but it's usually civil and very respectful.  Taking things as personally as so many seem to do, that would seem to create a lot of internal emotional stress for them and it certainly adds provocation in a public forum.  What's the point.  

 

You're right though, certain topics get beaten to death, no doubt I've played my part in that.  Sometimes you simply have to wait and see what the outcomes are.  

 

It's a very reasonable guess that we're far from past serious criticism of this team and its coaching at this point in the season.  Time will tell.  

 

 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

So the Bills lose to teams that stink? 

[Mark Long Beach]

4 hours ago, PBF81 said:

 

They're called counterperspectives and unless they're way off base, why the ad hominem at large?  

 

This should be a place for discussion and exchange of ideas.  If we were all that, then we'd all be talking about how we'd only need to go 2-2 to clinch the 1st Seed, which frankly, given the talent that we have, contrasted with every other team in the AFC this season, is where we should be.  

 

I'm still chuckling at MLB's (OP) "... wail and moan ..." comment, in good nature, truly, imagining some Bills fans at home actually wailing and moaning.  LOL  

...

There's nothing wrong with being critical of your team, particularly when it's 7-6 but should have been 11-2, or at least 10-3 and in the driver's seat, and we haven't even mentioned having Allen yet.  Anyone being critical and concerned about playing a team that's playing better than us, a team that already beat us, a team that we have never beaten on their turf in over 40 years and in a 3-hour different time zone with a game starting at 11 p.m. our time, and @ Miami is hardly being negative.  

 

And lest we forget, absolutely nothing that anyone here says or does makes one iota of a difference in how our team plays.  

 

I guess I don't understand the hostilities towards fellow Bills fans in simply discussing varying aspects of our team.  

 

 

 

Good post.  I truly have no problem with discussions, nor opposing viewpoints.  It's the rage and venom spit at our team that's frustrating.  The Bills are not a junk team, the coaches aren't junk.   We've been a good team over the last couple years, and remain (close to) a good team now.  Do we put it together and close out the year strong like we have over the last few years or not will tell us the verdict on this years team.  

 

IMO, we're still feeling the loss of Dabol and Frazier.   We've taken a step back without them.   Our offense clearly has, and our defense is better because it attacks more, I think that it still loses because the Head Coach is doing double duty by being DC.  Similar stats as Frazier, but it looks like it hurts our whole team.  Fingers crossed that Brady can keep it up, we've definitely looked better with his play calling.

 

 

[PBF81]

1 hour ago, Mark Long Beach said:

Good post.  I truly have no problem with discussions, nor opposing viewpoints.  It's the rage and venom spit at our team that's frustrating.  The Bills are not a junk team, the coaches aren't junk.   We've been a good team over the last couple years, and remain (close to) a good team now.  Do we put it together and close out the year strong like we have over the last few years or not will tell us the verdict on this years team.  

 

No doubt.  Rage and venom vs. poignant criticism, ... some define the latter as the former.  I for one didn't think that the 9/11 comments were all that big of a deal.  Horrible judgement, absolutely unwise, but clearly not supportive of terrorism, but that alone does take into account judgement, which many do have an issue with.  But I did take issue with the whole truck thing, and I'm not quite sure how one keeps the personal aspect of that out of the discussion, ... for example.  

 

Think about it, if we read that about Belichick, ... LOL, people here would be all over that like dimples on a golf ball.  But many want to dismiss it because it's our coach.  I'm not trying to rehash those things, rather simply using them as an example of a mob mentality in both cases, one anti, one pro, respectively, but neither making sense like that.  

 

 

1 hour ago, Mark Long Beach said:

IMO, we're still feeling the loss of Dabol and Frazier.   We've taken a step back without them.   Our offense clearly has, and our defense is better because it attacks more, I think that it still loses because the Head Coach is doing double duty by being DC.  Similar stats as Frazier, but it looks like it hurts our whole team.  Fingers crossed that Brady can keep it up, we've definitely looked better with his play calling.

 

Well, in order, those decisions have all been McD's.  He bears a good amount of responsibility for the situations he's put himself in.  But let's keep in mind, he's made horrible decisions at all levels now, and with and w/o those guys here.  Aka common denominator.  At least to some extent.  Wouldn't you agree?   No one forced him to not hire a DC or let one of his senior coaches, like Washington, who's "Assistant Head Coach" according to TOS.  Those were entirely his decisions.  

 

As to Brady, it's fair for everyone involved to wait and see what the next four games bring into something as close to a steady-state re: him as we're going to get.  

 

The one thing that no one can argue is that there's no shortage of excitement to finish out the season.  

 

 

[Taro Nimbus]

The most interesting stat in all of this is that the Bills, when they lose, it’s almost always a one score game.  

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

17 hours ago, Mark Long Beach said:

 

We DO get everyone's best shot.  If they manage to beat us, it clearly takes a toll on them.

 

As the title says, beginning in 2021, any opponent that manages to beat us, basically loses its next game with the record of 3-15.  If you look only at playoffs  with Josh Allen as our QB teams (5 years), teams are 0-5 after beating us.  We've been the kingmaker as to who wins the AFC, whichever team doesn't play us.

 

When we do lose it's a close loss. We are in position win almost every game until the end.  Out of 16 losing games (5 overtime), 14 were one score losses, with every one this year being a one score loss.

 

We are a good team.  We have Josh-Freaking-Allen!  This year we've had a rougher time of it record-wise and luck-wise, but we still have a good offense and a good enough defense. We can still right the ship and go for a run into the playoffs.  Even with our Key personnel losses like Milano, White, and Daquan, I still think we have enough horses.  Especially if we get Miller and Daquan back and effective. We get hot, we can win out.

 

I hate the gloom and doomers that wail and moan like we're New England and everything is F-ed.

 

2021 (11-6)  5 out of 6 were 1 score losses.  2 overtimes

w1   Pit 23-16 (7) -> w2  Loses to LV

w6  Ten 34-31 (3)-> w7 Wins vs KC

w9  Jax  9-6  (3)  -> w10 L Ind

w11 Ind 41-15 (26)-> W12 L TB

w13 NE 14-10  (4) -> W14 L Ind

w14 TB 33-27 (6) -> w15 L NO

Div KC  42-36 (6) -> CC  L Cin

 

2022  (13-3) 3 out of 4 were 1 score losses.  1 OT

w3 Mia 21-19 (2) -> w4  L Cin

w9 NYJ 20-17 (3) -> w10 L NE

w10 Min 33-30 (3) -> w11 L Dal

Div  Cin  27-10 (17) -> cc L KC

 

2023: (7-6)  All 1 score losses. 2 OT

w1 NYJ 22-16 (6)  -> w2 L Cin

w5 Jax 25-20 (5)  -> w6 W Ind

w7 NE  29-25 (4)  -> w8 L Mia

w9 Cin 24-18 (6)  -> w10 L Hou

w10 Den 24-22 (4)-> w11 W Min

w12 Phi 37-34 (3) -> w13 L Dal SF

This is the moral victory of all moral victories. 

[Mark Long Beach]

52 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

This is the moral victory of all moral victories. 

 

I sure don't want moral victories.  I want the full monty.

 

It's just more (albeit unusual) evidence that we are a good team.    Better than some of our fans are giving us credit for.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Mark Long Beach

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

4 minutes ago, Mark Long Beach said:

 

I sure don't want moral victories.  I want the full monty.

 

It's just more (albeit unusual) evidence that we are a good team.    Better than a lot of our fans are giving us credit for.

For once I wanna be on the other side of these great games Buffalo has mostly come up short in. I get your point though.