Anyone else more low-key about this loss than you thought you'd be?

[Yobogoya!]

2 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

We had 16 passes completed behind the line of scrimmage,  the offence has been nothing like we saw years ago

 

We can't stretch the field, we can't separate and most importantly we can't catch the damn football.

 

I'm ambivalent about keeping Brady or not, but it starts with us needing playmakers. After that, we need an OC to rebuild this offense from the ground up.

[Johnnycage46]

I think more than anything, upon waking up this AM, I'm bored.  Most of my in-season free/dick-around time is watching Bills-related Youtube breakdowns, previews, etc.  Now, I don't want to go anywhere near any football site that is not a Bills fan site.  Same thing as every year...I'll be "over it" by tomorrow and then probably watch some of the Championship games and the Super Bowl...then football goes away completely for me (for the most part) until the draft.

[waterglass]

Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?

 

Yes, you should. I argue with my brothers that Sean has hit a ceiling going back to 13 seconds. His defense also could not keep a lead against Texans before that. Even during the regular season his defense can’t get an out. Its been a constant ever since he arrived. He's a good coach but to a point. Your defensive lineman are simply too small, undersized and outmanned. IMO along with many national reporters the game has passed Sean by. I was all in with him until the 13 second game.

 

What I saw in that game was so bizarre I thought someone fixed the game. What’s further bizarre is now obvious to me as to how this coach thinks. He plays the Jesus and God card but they don’t really have his back and I am a spiritual guy who believes in God and goes to church. Sean you’re not really the coach as presented to us in ***** as there is some merit to the Tyler Dunne article. 

You need to leave as you interfere with a gifted quarterback’s career. Hopefully Mr. Owner will see this as he has young kids. In brief it’s my opinion is that Sean’s entire state of mind with respect to NFL coaching is old and out of touch. Your defense is always hurt as your undersized defensive line puts the stress on the 2nd and 3rd tier players as linebackers and defensive backs. So guess what. They break.

 

Look at all the time the team wasted on that Damar Hamlin 4th down play call.  Really Damar Hamlin? Sean this isn’t a religious crusade. It’s a football game and after several years of playoff losses God doesn’t have your back. Your apparently not worth it or rely on him way too much to cover your faults, instead of you doing the job yourself. Damlar doesn’t have the speed as a running back and you put Allen on the sideline over him on that 4th down gadget play? It’s also like the other crazy gadget plays that never work as the other teams know you yet your team wastes valuable time on a short week on that versus fundamentals that were missing the entire game on the defensive line and the offensive line in the 2nd half against Kansas City. 

Your priorities aren’t in order and your head is toxic. 

 

Get of out town. Please 
 

[oldmanfan]

Yeah, I’m sad but not despondent.  When they were 6-6 you had a feeling this year wasn’t the year.  I give them credit for a great run to get to last night, but you can’t beat the Chiefs with so many guys hurt on D.  Needed one more hero moment from Josh at the end but just couldn’t get it.

 

 

Edited January 22 by oldmanfan

[GunnerBill]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

 

I feel more sanguine than the last two years. We gave it away two years ago. We never turned up last year. This year we played in a really high quality football game against a really high quality opponent and it came down to one or two plays at the end and we just couldn't execute to make one more play than they did. 

 

It sucks. But the sky is not falling. I feel better heading into this offseason than I did heading into the last one. There are numerous young players who have stood up and been counted this year who are going to be part of the Josh Allen era 2.0 core: Bernard, Cook, Kincaid, Shakir, Benford. We had our best offensive line arguably of the Allen era and those guys will all be back I would think. Ed Oliver emerged from nearly man to true difference maker. 

 

Sure, there are some big questions to answer to - what happens with some of the older guys on good contracts: White, Von Miller, Douglas, Poyer and even Stef. And there are some of the older FAs: Floyd, Hyde, Jones to consider. But overall this team has started on its transition path. Find another player or two in the draft and FA and let's go from there. 

[Brand J]

1 hour ago, Meatloaf63 said:

Don’t kid yourself, it was 100% us having a shell of a defense. Mahomes had one long run and was a game manager hitting wide ope receivers all night. Little to no pressure, all day to wait for someone to come open. 

Which is why having Bernard and Benford would’ve added little to the overall picture. The healthy DL was dominated. We weren’t getting a player back that pressures Mahomes consistently enough to force him into mistakes. They couldn’t stop the run, they couldn’t rush the passer. It was a bad night for that unit. 

[PauleeeWalnuts]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

No, this effin team finds ways to

gut its fans every season. I’m pissed

[Mango]

This one hurt pretty bad. We should have had this one.

[RyanC883]

mcd sucks. not surprised. 

[Niagara Dude]

18 minutes ago, Yobogoya! said:

 

We can't stretch the field, we can't separate and most importantly we can't catch the damn football.

 

I'm ambivalent about keeping Brady or not, but it starts with us needing playmakers. After that, we need an OC to rebuild this offense from the ground up.

I agree and was a problem all season,  it kept teams in games and we lost some of those games because we were not blowing teams away that we should easily beat.

[Just Jack]

Would have liked to see them give Mahomes and the Chiefs their first road playoff loss, but even if that happened, I was not expecting them to beat the Ravens next week, the way they have been playing.  Now AJ Klein can get back to his vacation.  

[Preds]

Nothing is going to change with McD leading this team.  The big playoff losses are the expectation at this point, a win last night would have been a surprise to be honest.  

 

The Bills are handicapped with a coach who is just not good enough and is out coached time after time after time.  He doesn’t have any answers.   He doesn’t change.  Wash, rinse, cycle repeat.  This is who they are under McD.  Josh deserves better.   Fans deserve better.  This city deserves better.  

 

The only way anything changes is with a change in the leadership.  Till then, expect disappointment and hope for a miracle season where Josh puts the entire city on his back, tells McD to take a seat, and wins despite the ***** coaching and organizational build of the team around him. 

Edited January 22 by Preds

[Meatloaf63]

11 minutes ago, Brand J said:

Which is why having Bernard and Benford would’ve added little to the overall picture. The healthy DL was dominated. We weren’t getting a player back that pressures Mahomes consistently enough to force him into mistakes. They couldn’t stop the run, they couldn’t rush the passer. It was a bad night for that unit. 

it may have made a difference on Kelce early on, it would have been nice to have Bernard, he has also applied pressure to qb’s in the past.

[HalftimeAdjustment]

I'm disappointed but not crushed. Of there wasn't a chance of losing, they wouldn't play the game so we have to accept it. I felt like we almost created another epic debacle with the fake punt. It would have been like 13 seconds again. But instead we got bailed out and fought until the end, then lost. So while it is essentially the same outcome as the 13 seconds game (we go home and the Chiefs go to the AFC championship), it doesn't feel as bad. Maybe that's because with the injuries I felt we were barely hanging onto this game, whereas in 13 seconds it really seemed like we had it won and lost it. Whatever the reason it isn't quite as bad emotionally as a game where we blow a late lead or one where we get robbed by the refs. We just didn't make enough plays to win.

[dorquemada]

6 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

Losing has become expected so I feel the same I guess.

 

on to next year. A least we know we will win the division again. Hopefully we stop screwing around and eae r he 1 seed. That would at least likely give us a favorable road to the AFCCG. 

 

Yeah I mean if they hadnt lost so many stupid games, they get the #1 seed, and dont play last week, avoiding all those injuries on D

 

Lack of mental discipline killed this team, and I see absolutely nothing in the cards to indicate improvement.  Mentally soft and lazy.

[SoMAn]

Perspective. It's not life or death. It's entertainment.

 

As much as we all hope for the elusive Lombardi each year, the reality is that since the league went to 32 teams in 2002, 21 teams have claimed that prize. Twenty-One! 

As much as we tend to measure success against teams like the Brady-led Patriots, the 80's 49'ers, and now the Chiefs, these dynasties are rare.  Getting to the dance is rare. It's unknown territory for a handful of teams.

 

Winning the Superbowl is every team's goal as OTAs begin. If my math is correct, 651 teams since 2002 have not reached that goal set at the beginning of the year. 

 

I don't know if the Bills will ever get there. At least they're competitive and have a chance. So much depends on the team's health through the long season. A few lucky (or unlucky) breaks, missed calls, etc can factor into  getting there. 

 

Yes, we have to start all over, just like 31 other teams will have to. We have a team I expect will be entertaining as long as Josh Allen is our QB. Enjoy the ride, even if it's a little bumpy at times. 

 

Life goes on.

[Brandon]

No, I am not upset about it. I knew this team probably didn't have the firepower offensively to win it all, anyway.  Add in all of the defensive injuries and their chances were that much worse. 

 

 

 

[gomper]

I'm just numb at this point. Tried to have a conversation with the wife over coffee this morning but she wasn't having it. She said she can't handle the heartbreak anymore. Me, I'll be there next year. Injuries really hurt on D. He couldn't miss it to the left? Unreal.  So it goes this thing of ours. 

[Bill from NYC]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

Not even a little weird. It is a 100% legit question imo.

 

I am not as furious as I might have been had I not known the problems that the Bills were facing before the game. I was already disillusioned with McDermott in terms of the power he has and his horrible philosophy of team building.

 

Many (if not most of us) will never in our lifetime see a QB as talented as Josh Allen on the Bills. It might never even happen. Last night was a fine example of what will occur when a team uses their best resources on defense, instead of giving Josh the tools that he needs and deserves. 

 

That said, McDermott isn't going anywhere and it will be interesting to see which way he goes in the future. I for one hope that he goes to another team but this is jmo.

[section122]

I too am not as upset as I would expect.

 

Is aj klein and a banged up tyrel dodson a super bowl winning lb group? That's an easy answer. If the bills had milano and bernard and the game ended the same way I would probably be more upset.

 

The Chiefs were healthy, and exploited a clear weakness.  Even with that the Bills played their hearts out and almost came away with it.

 

Wide right is just some cosmic salt on the wound.  

 

I have fully accepted that it takes a ton of skill AND luck to win the super bowl and luck isn't really the Bills strength lol.

[BernieBill]

A little bit ... why?  Because it literally happens every year ... by hook or by crook, the Sean McDermott-coached Buffalo Bills inevitably come up short in the biggest moments in the playoffs ... and the Pegula family and fan base loves Sean McDermott and apparently wants to see this movie over and over again, year-in and year-out.

[BillsMontreal]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

You're not alone, be sure of that.

 

The samething happen year after year. We dont need a huge instinct to know what will happen again. 

We had all the clues we need during the seasons, but we try to hide it behing all those wins in seasons.

 

Bottom of line: something will happen each year at the same time of the year. JJWATT show and this famous common sense call, 13 seconds, Hamlin, injuries.

 

Yesterday, i felt like we could have it at the 2 minuts warning, but i was not in shock at all to see them blew it.

It's a kind of battered women syndrome i guess.

 

Until we understand we have to try another road to take the next step, it will be that, for the better and the worst.

 

 

[BillsFan2313]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

 

I felt the same for whatever reason. I think its because of how banged up we are and the run we went on to get into the playoffs. 

[BIGFOOTspaceman]

Was hoping for a win, tried to stay positive but with the state of the Defense expected the loss.  I don't get upset over football games.  

 

However, I really did like the Bills offensive game plan.  Several long, methodic intentional drives.....makes me wonder where they'd be if they had done this all year and became really efficient with it.  Oh well.

[seattlebillsfan]

I was there; first home playoff game since the Kelly era. I really had a feeling when the touchback took place and the Allen fumble was recovered that the football gods might finally be on our side. Then getting down to the 25, first and 10, a plausible path to beat the clock and keep Mahommes off the field…it just felt like it was meant to be. Something special in the air. Then it all went south in ways being discussed ad nauseum on threads here. The instant Bass trotted out to kick I looked up at the sky, and said, “and here comes Patrick Mahommes. Why god?”
 

So for me the disappointment was big in the sense that I went from a feeling that fate might be turning, to—very rapidly—the opposite. All in the space of about 3 minutes (if you include the 2 minute warning TV timeout). But as soon as the “our time has come” spell was broken I kind of took it fatalistically, which is how I am feeling now.

 

My other feeling is a deep sense of relief that it did not seem, from Highmark, as though Ed Hochuli cost us the game. That would have been very hard to take. This was different: Hope. Poof. Resignation. 

[BuffaloBaumer]

Winning the division will be even tougher next year, Burrow will be back, Chargers will have a legit coach, and the AfC will be tougher than ever. We hosted 2 home playoff games this year and that ain’t happening again…they blew it, plain and simple.

[GerstAusGosheim]

We're numb to Sean blowing playoff games. 

[DCOrange]

With all the injuries we had, some from early in the season, I just never really got high expectations on this year's team. Always felt like a "Damn, the league is so wide open; it's a shame we got the injury bug this bad" season the whole way through to me.

[BRH]

I think I could have done without the wide right horror.  The worst part about all of this is having to hear from the usual suspects in my life who derive pleasure from this team’s misfortunes, as if it somehow makes them better people. You all know them; they’re our own personal Nick Wrights.  I save receipts all season long in the hopes that I will finally be able to throw it all in their faces.  And not only does it never happen, but the manners of failure always seem to be the most painful possible.  Like wide right, really?  
 

If we’re really honest, beating Pittsburgh last week felt hollow because we knew the injuries were finally too much for our defense to overcome.  The only way to win this game was to outscore them.  Josh was up to the task, but he was let down by his teammates, again, at the most crucial moments.  It would have happened next week in Baltimore, too.  

[Eugene Marvlevy]

Long time lurker, maybe not best idea to post something after a night of ruminating and not sleeping. Anyhow...

 

I've been a Bills fan probably longer than most people reading this have been alive. Did not grow up in WNY, but had Joe Ferguson posters in my room and the first Bills game I actually saw in person had Vince freaking Ferragamo at QB. The question posed by this thread inevitably leads one down the path of comparisons over the course of a lifetime. 

 

I've been to far too many engagements where I was in the minority, flying the banner of Bills Fandom in hostile terrority and suffering the insults and derision of whatever bandwagon Pats, Chiefs, Cowboys, etc fans were dishing it out.  I've seen epic Bills losses in the regular and post season through the eyes of an optimistic kid, a passionate an emotionally invested young adult, and now as an older man who feels resigned to a fate of futility.

 

When the kick missed, which I fully expected after the 2nd and 9 incompletion, I was pretty numb and reserved.  Maybe it's conditoning or maybe because losses are a  more overwhelming in this era of sports fandom.  It's a culture of smack talk hot take trolling that just doesn't appeal to me. You dont get to decompress or obectively assess what you experience. Sure, a good back and forth among friends can be fun, but to me, the business of harnessing others anger and misery into clickbaits for a ubiquitous and 24/7 industry of pseudo journalism is a hellish landscape that continues to spiral into a dystopia of personal attacks among people emoldened by a keyboard who have never actually met.  Yuck.

 

Compounding it is the fact that I've passed this curse down to my kids. Adds to the disappointment for sure.

 

So, yeah, comparatively speaking,I'm a but more low-key, but also a bit older, not necessarily wiser, and conditioned to this in a Stockholm syndrome sorta way.

 

I'll go back to watching all this from the lurker's cheap seats for now, but for all TBD members, keep it up! This site is an incredible source of football knowledge and wit.  Keeps me sane for sure.

 

 

[4th&long]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

I slept fine. I fully expected to lose. That is the sad part of being a bills fan. In fact I expected this loss to the point that I turned down a free ticket to an enclosed luxury suit. I told my friend to take my oldest son. At least he got to meet some Sabres players. I told him they are just another bunch of losers. It’s Buffalo, that’s what they do! I’m just sick of this team. Not wasting my Sundays next fall, I’m getting too old for this, I only have so many left!

[SoonerBillsFan]

Not me. I'm beyond pissed.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

7 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

No. This was as devastating a loss as I remember. Wide right. How prophetic. Buffalo fans can’t catch a break…ever. I guess the NFL got what it wanted.

[May Day 10]

Last year was easy because the Bengals came in, beat their butts, and deserved to win.  Cant get upset about that

 

This isn't easy because the Bills had the game in the palm of their hand, through all the adversity, and failed to execute when it mattered.  Good teams come through after the 2 minute warning there with a touchdown.
 

So many unfair narratives are going to be borne from this game as well with Allen and Mahomes.

Edited January 22 by May Day 10

[Thurman#1]

7 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

 

 

Not for me.

 

It was right there for them and they almost had it even with all those defensive injuries.

 

Worse than last year. Right up there with 13 seconds.

 

[Goin Breakdown]

Yeah instead of feeling like someone died, I feel like my wife left me. I guess that's better idk. 

[JohnBonhamRocks]

All too familiar of a feeling. Unfortunately many of us are used to it.

[MarkyMannn]

By the time the Bills lost their last SB, I had already been a fan 28 years. Right after that the Bills / Snickers commercial came out and I was like if you can laugh about it, then I no longer let it bother me

 

It also helps that last night I was at a party of 20 people. Kind of gives you a support network to work thru a lost

[Big Blitz]

I’m not angry like last year or the 13 seconds finish. 
 

Woke up today and just….sad.  This team is wasting opportunities and there is no easy fix.  There are elite QBs all over the AFC.  It seems like it’s impossible for this team to get over the hump.  The cap.  The coaching questions.  The personnel on offense.  
 

If you lose fine with your guys to a better team fine.  But I cannot stand these injuries anymore.  It’s absolutely ridiculous.
 

Tre

Von

Milano

Daquan 

Bernard 

Benford

Davis

Deep down I think the Chiefs probably felt about this game as I did going into KC.  They were banged up then and we weren’t.  It was reversed yesterday.  I really can’t accept McD or this team can’t beat them bc we have.  More than any team.  And KC beats everyone.  6 straight AFC title games.  Why should I be mad?  Those injuries are the difference.  It’s that close.  
 

It’s the “I just don’t see how we get there” dread I feel.  And it’s not that we can’t fix these things.  It’s full Buffalo.  Something is going to happen.  

 

Offense was clean all year.  So you know what that means for next year.
 

It never ends in this city.  

 

Please Lord keep Josh healthy.   

[BillsPride12]

Naw this one hurts.  I also hate that this is the outsider's perception of the Bills(and he's not wrong)