Realistic "Transition Year" Expectations

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, mannc said:

The Chiefs have won the last two Super Bowls during their “transition”, so no, there is no reason for diminished expectations as long as 17 is behind center…

 

I'm in a weird position where on one hand I'm expecting a down season, but on the other my standards for this regime haven't changed. Find a way to make it work or face consequences.

[Ya Digg?]

2 hours ago, uticaclub said:

The expectation for the Bills should be a championship, but the realistic expectation is a division championship and a second-round exit, as it has been in previous years. I believe it is more likely that Josh Allen will force a trade after 2025 instead of accepting a contract extension here. Even though he claims to love Buffalo, his ultimate goal is to win a championship. There is a reason why Allen did not take the full restructure, so that too much money wasn't pushed to the future, and he could potentially leave before his contract is up.

Man, someone is suffering from a major case of SDE

[RobbRiddick]

The name Buffalo Bill and transitioning always makes me think of something else...

 

Now rub the lotion on your skin 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

If they go 10-7 we’re crying about WR again next year. If they go 7-10 we get an elite WR1.

[dorquemada]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

If they go 10-7 we’re crying about WR again next year. If they go 7-10 we get an elite WR1.

WR1 is not the difference between 10-7 and 7-10

 

The Bills have several guys who are probably solid WR2 and a couple with potential to be #1 guys. 

 

Let's all take a step back from the ledge and realize the Bills went on a solid run end of last season with Diggs playing his worst ball since coming to Buffalo

[Robert Paulson]

3 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Nothing changes with expectations. I expect the Bills to compete for and win the AFCE. I expect them to be one of the final 4 teams in the AFC competing for the Super Bowl. What happens after this season into next off-season depends on the results of this year. 

they retooled-just like Baltimore, KC, the cheats, Indy with Manning  and a bunch of teams have done through the years to remain competitive. I still believe the 13 second year was our year and we would have retooled hard right after that Super Bowl but we short circuited.  We ran it back, panicked a bit, but just got older and into cap hell doing that. Now we are back on a good path. 

 

If you have QB1 on the roster you are always in contention. so much depends on matchups, injuries, schedules, luck etc that they will be in the mix and can win it all in any of the next 6-8 years. 

 

Rarely does the team that everyone picks to win it-actually wins it.  We have a good a shot as anyone-especially with lower expectations and the realization mid season that the new players are just as good/better than the recent versions of those we lost this offseason 

[T master]

I expect about the same as last season, because of the coaching that is in place it will take a minute for them to get the rookies up to speed and around the half way point of the season they will get what the coaches have been trying to teach them .

 

Josh will already be in his groove and by that time the D will start to click and then it will be on to the play offs once again which will mean 5 yrs in a row ...

[Bruffalo]

41 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

That’s a heck of a dream you had last night. Congrats. 

I don't think that unrealistic at all, honestly. 

 

Allen has had MVP buzz ever since 2020.  Last season he didn't get it due to turnovers. I expect his TOs to drop now that Gabe Davis isn't on the team and Coleman is. 

 

10-12 wins is where they've been right around every season since 2020. 

 

The last two playoff matchups against the Chiefs has gone to the wire. They're not significantly better than us, despite what the agitated fanbase here is going to tell you.

[Gregg]

36 minutes ago, eball said:

Looking at the schedule (it's pretty tough), I think a 10-11 win season and playoff berth is a success and what I'd expect.

 

 

Speaking of the schedule. What are we about 2 weeks until it gets released. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

9 minutes ago, dorquemada said:

WR1 is not the difference between 10-7 and 7-10

 

The Bills have several guys who are probably solid WR2 and a couple with potential to be #1 guys. 

 

Let's all take a step back from the ledge and realize the Bills went on a solid run end of last season with Diggs playing his worst ball since coming to Buffalo

That’s not what I said. If we have a year of 7-10 we’ll be in great position to draft the top WR next year. If we go 10-7 with another divisional round exit we’ll be in the same spot.

 

 

Edited May 1 by Buffalo_Stampede

[davefan66]

2 hours ago, ngbills said:

What talent have they lost?

 

White has not contributed for a long time

Hyde and Poyer both lost a few steps

Diggs supposedly quit and is not the player he used to be

Davis can’t catch and disappears all the time

McG upgrades an aging Morse

The handful of ST guys like Neal, Mata, etc can be replaced. 
 

 

I’d like to see Hyde back just former leadership in the defensive backfield.  Other than that, got a little younger and will have much more cap space next season.

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

 

Dolphins - yes. Jets - no if Rodgers stays healthy. That is a big "IF".

I don’t think Saleh is that good a head coach. Not too concerned about the jets.

[90sBills]

15 minutes ago, Bruffalo said:

I don't think that unrealistic at all, honestly. 

 

Allen has had MVP buzz ever since 2020.  Last season he didn't get it due to turnovers. I expect his TOs to drop now that Gabe Davis isn't on the team and Coleman is. 

 

10-12 wins is where they've been right around every season since 2020. 

 

The last two playoff matchups against the Chiefs has gone to the wire. They're not significantly better than us, despite what the agitated fanbase here is going to tell you.

I think winning the division is not unrealistic. I actually expect them to despite improvements from the other teams in their division. Going further in the playoffs than the divisional? I don’t think it will happen this year. The following year is more realistic for that expectation to me. Can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

[Cash]

2 hours ago, Logic said:

Has anyone checked on the OP? 

His post stopped midway through.



 

Respectfully, I think Michael Thomas is alllll the way cooked.

I read an article last year about how the Saints were just doing absolutely everything to help him return to form. They were patient with him, they had him on a very specific and detailed recovery regimen, gave him opportunity after opportunity, etc...and he just...can't move any more. He can't play.

He hasn't posted more than 500 yards receiving since 2019.

I know he was dynamic in his heyday, and I know the "name" of Michael Thomas is appealing. But...the actual player that's attached to that name is all the way done, I think. 

I won't be surprised if he never plays another down in the NFL.

 

FWIW, I watch a lot of Saints games, and he looked pretty good when the ball went his way last year. That didn’t happen much, obviously. Injuries are a real problem for Thomas. But if we think the Diggs/Bills relationship was bad, it’s got nothing on Saints/Thomas. Imagine he didn’t trade Diggs, and he sat out the next 2 years with a variety of injuries, then came back to play one last year. That’s about where Thomas was last year. 
 

I’d be willing to give him a no-risk shot. 

[Gregg]

6 minutes ago, davefan66 said:

I’d like to see Hyde back just former leadership in the defensive backfield.  Other than that, got a little younger and will have much more cap space next season.

I don’t think Saleh is that good a head coach. Not too concerned about the jets.

 

Their D is legit. They revamped their OL. Still have Breece and G. Wilson as really good playmakers on offense. If Rodgers stays healthy, they will be a threat to win the division. Even if Rodgers gets hurt then Tyrod Taylor is a good upgrade over what Wilson gave them last year. Everyone knew when Rodgers got hurt their season was over with Wilson as the QB.

[Mango]

Make the playoffs and win a game is my bare minimum. 

Half the battle in making the Super Bowl is a team getting hot at the right time. This isn't a best of 7 sport. You only need a couple of good bounces in a row to make things happen. 

[BruceVilanch]

I've expected a home playoff game every year since Josh broke out in 2020, that hasn't changed. Truly great QBs, which I believe Josh is can will their teams to greatness, despite the talent around them. I think Josh will have a career year and we win 12+games.

[Freddie's Dead]

10 or 11 wins at best, out in Divisional Round yet again.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Logic]

11 minutes ago, Cash said:

FWIW, I watch a lot of Saints games, and he looked pretty good when the ball went his way last year. That didn’t happen much, obviously. Injuries are a real problem for Thomas. But if we think the Diggs/Bills relationship was bad, it’s got nothing on Saints/Thomas. Imagine he didn’t trade Diggs, and he sat out the next 2 years with a variety of injuries, then came back to play one last year. That’s about where Thomas was last year. 
 

I’d be willing to give him a no-risk shot. 

Thanks. The only thing with that is...

Is he a head case? Did thing get bad with the Saints in part because he himself is difficult on some way? 

I genuinely don't know the answer, I'm just asking because it seems like the Bills are very purposefully trying to reset their locker room a little bit. They avoided any kind of problem children in free agency or the draft and went heavy on the "leaders and choir boys". After the Diggs situation the past couple years, I wonder if they'd want to be adding anyone who has even a whiff of being difficult or acting like a prima donna at all.

[Freak-O]

I expect them to challenge for the division title and once in the playoffs, the team that’s healthy and in form can go far and hopefully that’s us. 

[Udubalum07]

My expectations are really the same as they were last year.  I think they are one of about six teams that will have an opportunity to win a super bowl.  This is a team that has the potential to be better than the last two years, come playoff time. 

 

There were 7 to 8 starters on defense that were either coming off major injury or out for the KC game.  They still got stops in the 2nd half to give the offense  a chance to win.  

 

For the offense, we could see them be better with a full off-season working with Brady. My biggest concern is the loss of Morse. He was the veteran anchor of the line and Josh was really comfortable with him. They will have a big downgrade in experience with whatever option they go with(Van Pran or McG). I do think that the Bill's have seen enough in practice to be comfortable moving forward, but that is my biggest concern with the offense. I really don't think the Diggs loss will hurt at all, could even be addition by subtraction with the way the last ten games went. 

 

So, for me the expectations are 11-14 wins and a division title and be one of the best 6 teams in the league.