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

[Gregg]

In year 2 of Harbaugh, I would bet the Chargers will become a bigger problem for the top AFC teams. In Harbaugh's first year they made the playoffs. Wherever he goes he wins. SF, Michigan and now LA. I hope the Chargers can take the division from KC. I am tired of seeing them get the #1 seed most years and play their playoff games at Arrowhead. Make them go in as a WC for a change.

[Process]

It's obviously the team that has knocked us out of the playoffs 4 times. 

 

The fear of the Ravens on here is so irrational. Sure they are good on paper. But there is a giant mental hurdle we need to get over vs KC.

[KOKBILLS]

The Bills...

 

They only beat themselves... 

[finn]

9 hours ago, 947 said:

Chiefs have had our number, but it hasn't been domination. 

 

If we played Cincy with McD's 2024 version of our Defense, Burrow would have 500 yards & 5 TDs, on 85% completions. I know the Bengals D stinks, but it's not really feasible to rely on the offense to match 50 points. McD says Defensive changes are coming, and I pray it actually happens. It was more than just a talent upgrade needed.

That's an understatement. It isn't a talent deficiency that made the Bills D look like warm butter against KC in the playoffs, otherwise the Bills wouldn't have been them regularly in the regular season. McDermott doesn't seem to grasp what his top peers in every major sport get intuitively: You have to take your game up another level in the playoffs. In the AFCCG, Reid had his team prepared and intensely focused, leaving McDermott, once again, bewildered and gormless. "It worked before," he seems to be thinking, "Why is it so different now?" Allen is the pretty much the only reason the games have been as close as they've been. He DOES up his game even more. But many of his teammates need a head coach to set a championship tone.

 

Hint to McDermott: You need to do more than put up rousing banners like "Trust the process!"

[Low Positive]

I nominate this thread for the BBFS Thread Hall of Fame. 

[eball]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Of course none of those teams look forward to playing the Bills, but that's a given and isn't really relevant to the question in this thread. 

 

The question here is who do the Bills match up least well against. I think it is the Ravens because the things they do best on offense and defense - pound the rock, primarily using play action for their chunk plays and take away the middle of the field (even more so with drafting Starks) and use lots of simulated pressure looks on defense are the things that play best to the weaknesses of the Bills. I can see the argument for playoff time KC because I think at this stage it isn't even an Xs and Os or personnel advantage they have so much as a mental one. Cincy's pass game is a concern, sure but I like how the Bills match up to them everywhere else and the Bills nearly beat the Texans last year Josh playing like trash and completing just 9 passes - get anything like normal Josh Allen the Bills beat them 9/10 times. So purely on what do we do well and less well vs what does another team do well and less well it is Baltimore who give me most pause for thought.

 

Agree and my comments are just an overall assessment of the angst of Bills fans who want to stress about everything! All good.

 

[dorquemada]

4 minutes ago, finn said:

That's an understatement. It isn't a talent deficiency that made the Bills D look like warm butter against KC in the playoffs, otherwise the Bills wouldn't have been them regularly in the regular season. McDermott doesn't seem to grasp what his top peers in every major sport get intuitively: You have to take your game up another level in the playoffs. In the AFCCG, Reid had his team prepared and intensely focused, leaving McDermott, once again, bewildered and gormless. "It worked before," he seems to be thinking, "Why is it so different now?" Allen is the pretty much the only reason the games have been as close as they've been. He DOES up his game even more. But many of his teammates need a head coach to set a championship tone.

 

Hint to McDermott: You need to do more than put up rousing banners like "Trust the process!"

 

Agreed 100%.  KC's D, which is good but not great most of the time, always has the biggest plays in the biggest moments against us in the playoffs.  We're utterly and completly helpless.  Like one of those dreams where you're moving really slow and everything else is sped up.  I'd hate to think that McD is just that outclassed as a coach that he can't get over the hump when it counts most but the evidence is accreting. 

[HappyDays]

2 hours ago, mannc said:

Until we actually beat the Bengals, that will be my answer.  

 

I can respect that answer too. I think we match up better now than we have because we have a legit speed CB who can at least keep up with Chase, which allows Benford to cover his better matchup in Higgins, and with the revitalization of our DL we can actually take advantage of their bad OL. On defense they are way under talented and they lost Lou Anaruno who was somewhat of a Josh Allen neutralizer (and Mahomes for that matter). I was terrified of them as our potential wildcard opponent last year. Now I feel a lot more optimistic.

[thronethinker]

11 hours ago, Billl said:

That’s a really good question.  It’s not the Texans, but you could make a case for any of the other three.  I guess I lean Baltimore, but I could be convinced otherwise.

The Ravens problem will be the competition in their division, same with the Chiefs. Both divisions have gotten better.

[BillytheKid]

The answer is we don’t know until the season starts. 
 

Teams will be a lot different this year just like every year. 
 

 

[Alphadawg7]

12 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Kansas City = Doesn't really feel like a horrible match up but we can't seem to get it done in the postseason. They have championship DNA and are the most difficult to put to bed in a game 

 

Baltimore = I thought they outplayed us in the playoff game without Zay Flowers and in somewhat optimal weather to bother Lamar.  We forced the key turnovers but I still see this as a bad match up for us. 

 

Cincinnati = These aren't the Bengals from yesterday, but Burrow is built to play against our scheme. I have highlighted before he has no incompletions in 3 opening drives vs us, almost 200 yards, and 3 TD's. 

 

Houston= They beat us up last time and produced one of the worst games in Allen's career. It's a very aggressive and physical defense. Nico Collins didn't play in the 2nd half last year either

 

I think all 4 of these teams could give us problems. We play all four, should be absolute battles. 

Baltimore is the only one that concerns me, especially after the pieces they added in the draft to what was already the best defense in league once they shifted Hamilton.  
 

 

[frostbitmic]

Voted Chiefs because our final game every season seems to be a loss to them.

 

The other three teams are all tough match ups and all have beaten us, so there is no right or wrong answer here.

[Gregg]

I am surprised nobody mentioned the Jets

[Dillenger4]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Pats. They will be tough this season. Not an easy out anymore.

[Gregg]

2 minutes ago, Dillenger4 said:

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Pats. They will be tough this season. Not an easy out anymore.

 

They have a good coach, and they have done well this offseason, but I would guess they are probably a year or two away from giving the Bills a real challenge. They will be improved this year but probably not enough to catch the Bills

[transient]

10 hours ago, Mister Defense said:

 

 

What do you think you are doing??  That was not part of the poll, not an option.

 

Yes, what you say makes perfect sense ( and that in itself means your words have no place in this thread), as the Bills will clearly have a better defense next year, maybe even a top ten defense, or better, and their offense, well we all know what we will get from them. And with another year under Brady's belt, and the continued maturation of our young players, and some exciting new additions, and a healthy Knox and Coleman...

 

But you know perfectly well that yours is not an acceptable answer, does not relate to the narrow poll and comically negative OP. Read between the lines: The lowly Bills, 13-4 last year, leading the AFC Championship game late in the fourth quarter, are not in the same league as those AFC behemoths. They are going to wreck the lowly Bills, just you watch.

 

This  super positive thread is designed to be a bash and then bash some more and then, well, you know...

 

Perhaps you did not read the entire OP?, where each of those dynamic powerhouses, every team, is described in an extremely positive manner, and of course, all better than the lowly Bills, and all going to beat them up, duh,  (And notice, duh again, not one positive word at all about the Bills , how they positively match up, as each of those ultra scary AFC giants is so glowingly described?)  Go back and read it again, and see what i mean.

 

You cannot disrupt this thread with this your over the top, ultra positive, albeit objective, jibber jabber.

 

Get with the program!

 

(And notice: not one weakness, nor negative quality, of any of those teams is ever mentioned, not one, for any.  But for the Bills?  In every instance an extremely negative, a fundamental weakness, is clearly included, in fact is the highlight, the main point.  So the Bills are likely in serious serious trouble...)

 

 

Did you and I read different posts? Or did Mikie2times kick your dog or something? Pretty big overreaction to an otherwise innocuous post...

[Mark Vader]

5 hours ago, mannc said:

That’s a myth.  The Bills don’t beat themselves.  We did not lose the turnover battle in a single game last year, including the three playoff games.  I’m not sure that’s ever been done before in the history of the NFL.  

 

As for the refs, remind me which games they cost us last year…

The AFC Championship.

 

Also, we beat ourselves with questionable play calling on offense.

Edited 9 hours ago by Mark Vader

[Einstein]

I completely understand the rationale for Baltimore but until hey actually beat us when it matters, its KC.

In fact, im not sure how anyone can pick anyone other than KC. They are 4-0 in the playoffs against us.

This is like saying David isn't Goliaths biggest matchup because Gandolf is looking pretty strong this year.

[mannc]

26 minutes ago, Mark Vader said:

The AFC Championship.

 

Also, we beat ourselves with questionable play calling on offense.

I agree with the bolded.  Sure, the refs probably blew the spot on that 4th down sneak, but KC had already stuffed it a bunch of times.  It was idiotic to go back to it again.  Brady had some egregious play calls in that game...  

[Mikie2times]

42 minutes ago, transient said:

Did you and I read different posts? Or did Mikie2times kick your dog or something? Pretty big overreaction to an otherwise innocuous post...

He likes to troll me and says I have an "agenda" to attack the the team. It's just weird at this point.