Who is our worst match up in the AFC as of now?

[Gregg]

2 minutes ago, finn said:

I think this Bills team, with a better secondary and d-line and a settled identity on offense, can beat anyone. On the other hand, even with this new team, I can also see them losing to Chiefs, Ravens, and Bengals in the playoffs, with the advantage of having Allen once again neutralized by the disadvantage of having McDermott.

 

My hope for the season rests on this: I think Allen is finally going to prevail over the ineptitude of his head coach. I don't think he can play much better than he has, but I sense he is finally fed up. This is a fully realized, enormously talented player at the absolute peak of his career who will not longer tolerate losing. McDermott will haplessly steer this team to second- or third-best every year if Allen lets him. But I don't think Allen will, not anymore. 

 

 

One player no matter how great cannot carry a team to a Super Bowl. It's impossible. The Bills are going to get over the hump with Allen continuing to play well and having the defense step up and doing their part. If that happens then the Bills will get over the hump and get to a Super Bowl. Barring any serious injuries, they will most likely face the Eagles or Lions if they do. I think this is the year Detroit represents the NFC in the Super Bowl.

[finn]

12 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

One player no matter how great cannot carry a team to a Super Bowl. It's impossible. The Bills are going to get over the hump with Allen continuing to play well and having the defense step up and doing their part. If that happens then the Bills will get over the hump and get to a Super Bowl. Barring any serious injuries, they will most likely face the Eagles or Lions if they do. I think this is the year Detroit represents the NFC in the Super Bowl.

An excellent point, if I had claimed that Allen can lift an otherwise mediocre team. But that's not what I said. I said Allen is capable of lifting an otherwise very good team that has stumbled in the playoffs every year because McDermott is just not a playoff coach. He finds a way to lose, every year. A defense that steps up, as you say, will certainly help, just as it did a few years ago when one of the best in the league. But the players (and maybe a few key coaches) need to overcome the fecklessness of their head coach, to basically marginalize him, induce him to go stand in the corner once the playoffs start. Led by Allen, I think they're finally ready to do that. 

 

[Gregg]

2 minutes ago, finn said:

An excellent point, if I had claimed that Allen can lift an otherwise mediocre team. But that's not what I said. I said Allen is capable of lifting an otherwise very good team that has stumbled in the playoffs every year because McDermott is just not a playoff coach. He finds a way to lose, every year. A defense that steps up, as you say, will certainly help, just as it did a few years ago when one of the best in the league. But the players (and maybe a few key coaches) need to overcome the fecklessness of their head coach, to basically marginalize him, induce him to go stand in the corner once the playoffs start. Led by Allen, I think they're finally ready to do that. 

 

 

McDermott does seem to get outcoached by Reid in the playoffs. I would have fired him after 13 seconds but the only opinion that matters is Terry's. He likes having Sean and Brandon as his HC/GM. I still say it doesn't matter how well Allen plays as long as the defense continues to disappoint, they will never get to a Super Bowl. Allen will be this generations version of Marino/Ewing. Hopefully with all of the changes on defense it will lead to a better defense that can do their part so the Bills can finally bring a championship to WNY. This fanbase deserves one. 

[90sBills]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Honestly it is close for me as to whether I'd rather play BAL in BAL or KC in KC. KC is a mental roadblock for the Bills in the post season. But Xs and Os wise I think the Bills matchup pretty well against them. BAL is a tougher Xs and Os matchup for us. The things they do well are exactly the things we do less well. 

 

Now if it is a home game.... I'd rather play Baltimore than KC every time. But on the road I genuinely think it is mighty close and I might fancy the Bills to finally pull a tight one out in a strategic battle with KC than I do to them outpunch the Ravens on their own turf in the playoffs. 

Yours is definitely the more popular sentiment going into this and the last few seasons. It’s probably due to the fact that we do beat KC in the regular season. Then lose close games in the playoffs. So in most fans minds, KC is not intimidating. 

For me, and a few others, there’s something to be intimidated about a team that sent the Bills home four times in the last five seasons. I agree that we match up well against KC. I also think that KC obviously matches up well against the Bills too. I rather take my chances with a Raves team and Lamar, who can be shaky in the playoffs. 

[Mikie2times]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Interesting, I think the Houston D is the opposite of physical, especially in the middle. I think it is fast and talented. They have playmakers in the secondary and their edge rushers are dangerous. I think their weakness is the middle of the Dline and the linebackers. That is where you can expose them if you can get physical. That and their offensive line are the weaknesses of that team.

They literally beat the hell out of us 

[bills_fan]

On 5/2/2025 at 12:27 AM, QLBillsFan said:

Ravens have the best roster, Chiefs the best coach, and Bengals the best O. I think Ravens end of with the 1 seed. 
 

Texans have a solid D. But confused with OL moves in trading arguably their best OT. Guessing he was a cancer. But I see OL regression and Stroud has hit his ceiling. They don’t concern me as much as the other 3. 

 

 

I disagree.  We will get the 1 seed.  If (for no other reason) than we will likely post a 5-1 division record.  AFC Central and AFC West have all gotten better.  Our division weakness gives us the inside track to the 1 seed.

[QLBillsFan]

23 minutes ago, bills_fan said:

 

 

I disagree.  We will get the 1 seed.  If (for no other reason) than we will likely post a 5-1 division record.  AFC Central and AFC West have all gotten better.  Our division weakness gives us the inside track to the 1 seed.

Certainly possible. The Ravens will be extremely difficult in the regular season. In the post season LJ more so than JA he has a lot to prove. 

[finn]

3 hours ago, Gregg said:

 

McDermott does seem to get outcoached by Reid in the playoffs. I would have fired him after 13 seconds but the only opinion that matters is Terry's. He likes having Sean and Brandon as his HC/GM. I still say it doesn't matter how well Allen plays as long as the defense continues to disappoint, they will never get to a Super Bowl. Allen will be this generations version of Marino/Ewing. Hopefully with all of the changes on defense it will lead to a better defense that can do their part so the Bills can finally bring a championship to WNY. This fanbase deserves one. 

You might be right. I'm thinking that if McDermott fully cedes control over the defense AND this year's draft picks make a difference, they can do enough to push the team over the top. That Baltimore game was pretty heroic on their part. I'm assuming that was all Babich and no McDermott, and that might be unfair. Like all Bills fans, I'm just fed up with the annual fold against KC, and it really does see that Reid is getting the better of McDermott, as you say. 

[SaulGoodman]

On 5/1/2025 at 10:37 PM, SF Bills Fan said:

Chiefs are starting to fade

A team that’s won 23 of its last 25 and had a great offseason is fading?

[JerseyBills]

McD keeping it real ..

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 5/1/2025 at 11:37 PM, SF Bills Fan said:

Baltimore. Chiefs are starting to fade, but Baltimore are formidable and got better in the draft. It was a miracle we beat them in the playoffs. Bengals are dysfunctional with bad ownership that won't spend money and Burrow is fragile. 

That Baltimore game took everything the Bills had. I think this was McD/Babich’s signature win in 2024. The fact they were able to hold off Henry/Lamar from running all over us was definitely a miracle. At the time I thought Buffalo was gonna win it all if they were able to beat the Ravens who IMO were the best team in the NFL. 

[Another Fan]

The answer to this question will always be the Chiefs to me until the Bills dethrone them when it matters.  
 

 

[Gregg]

7 hours ago, SaulGoodman said:

A team that’s won 23 of its last 25 and had a great offseason is fading?

 

They aren't fading until proven otherwise but their division is getting tougher. Hopefully someone in that division can knock them down to WC status. Harbaugh will build a team that will eventually challenge them. They made the playoffs in his first year there. Can they take the division from them this year. I don't know but they will sometime soon. IMHO

[Billsfanatic8989]

Well until proven otherwise....KC. I actually believe beating them during the season helps KC more than us. They look at what they did wrong and correct it. Whereas the Bills just think what they did during the season will carryover to the postseason. 

 

Am I crazy to think losing to them during the season might benefit us?

[galept]

9 minutes ago, Billsfanatic8989 said:

Well until proven otherwise....KC. I actually believe beating them during the season helps KC more than us. They look at what they did wrong and correct it. Whereas the Bills just think what they did during the season will carryover to the postseason. 

 

Am I crazy to think losing to them during the season might benefit us?

 

I don't understand how Baltimore is leading the vote when Allen's Bills still haven't gotten past Chiefs. It's now become its own narrative.

 

What's it going to take for folks to wake up? Five straight losses to them in playoffs? Six? It's Chiefs until it isn't.

Edited 6 hours ago by galept

[billsfan89]

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

 

They aren't fading until proven otherwise but their division is getting tougher. Hopefully someone in that division can knock them down to WC status. Harbaugh will build a team that will eventually challenge them. They made the playoffs in his first year there. Can they take the division from them this year. I don't know but they will sometime soon. IMHO

 

KC are the Brady era Pats every year they lose some players (since Mahomes hasn't been on his rookie deal) and every year they chug along and get at least 11-12 wins. They are the top dogs in the Conference and their division until proven otherwise (hopefully by the Bills). That's not to say that I don't think the division isn't stronger and that this could be a "vulnerable" year for KC. But dam it's just so hard to bet against them. In 2022 after they traded Hill I figured maybe their offense would struggle but they chugged along. 2023 they were a lower seed and had to go two weeks on the road and still got it done. So even in years where I think KC is maybe a little down they still find ways to be a high end team. 

 

My hope is that the Chargers and Broncos become a consistently good team in the next 3-4 years. Broncos got a rookie QB contract so they have that window and The Chargers have Herbert on a good deal and both teams are coming off good seasons with added talent due to their cap space being much cleaner and another draft class. 

[SaulGoodman]

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

 

They aren't fading until proven otherwise but their division is getting tougher. Hopefully someone in that division can knock them down to WC status. Harbaugh will build a team that will eventually challenge them. They made the playoffs in his first year there. Can they take the division from them this year. I don't know but they will sometime soon. IMHO

 

It's possible, but I don't see any reason to expect it. They're still one of the youngest teams in the league and this is probably the best and deepest roster they've had in the Mahomes era. Easily the best WR corps they've had since Hill/Watkins (probably better overall).