Barnwell’s top 25 teams in 25 years.

[RoscoeParrish]

A Bills team made this list. Can you guess which one?

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45730439/ranking-25-best-nfl-teams-25-years-2000-patriots-eagles-seahawks

[MJS]

I think the 2021 team was the best so far in the McDermott era. They had a really good defense that year and the offense was really good as well. I think Tre White was hurt that year, wasn't he? So at corner we had Dane Jackson and Levi Wallace starting, and the defense was still really good.

[May Day 10]

That was a good choice. 

 

I thought during that season that team had the goods to be regarded as one of the best NFL teams of all-time.  They got stung by injuries, weather/scheduling, and also the Hamlin ordeal.  They were absolutely worn-out once the playoffs came around.    Really could have/should have been 15-1 with that stupid Vikings loss and the Heat Stroke Bowl.  

 

I did think they were heading toward a pounding on MNF against the Bengals prior to the Hamlin injury.  The Bengals were pissed and running right through the Bills.  I wonder what would have happened if the injury never happened, the Bills kept a mental edge, and the Bengals got their angry-edge out of the way (and perhaps giving the Bills the angry-edge).

[Logic]

That is the only Bills team during the McDermott era that I think clearly SHOULD have won the Super Bowl, and WOULD have won the Super Bowl if not for the unforgivable coaching/execution blunder that was 13 seconds.

I'm convinced that if they get past the Chiefs, they'd have beat the Bengals and Rams.

Every year besides 2021, it's muddier than that. But when it comes to the 2021 team....that was the Bills' year. They blew it.

[MJS]

40 minutes ago, Logic said:

That is the only Bills team during the McDermott era that I think clearly SHOULD have won the Super Bowl, and WOULD have won the Super Bowl if not for the unforgivable coaching/execution blunder that was 13 seconds.

I'm convinced that if they get past the Chiefs, they'd have beat the Bengals and Rams.

Every year besides 2021, it's muddier than that. But when it comes to the 2021 team....that was the Bills' year. They blew it.

I don't think there is any reason to believe that the Bills definately would have beaten the Bengals the next week. The Bills have not shown that they can handle the Bengals, and that was the best version of the Bengals.

[Blank Stare]

51 minutes ago, Logic said:

That is the only Bills team during the McDermott era that I think clearly SHOULD have won the Super Bowl, and WOULD have won the Super Bowl if not for the unforgivable coaching/execution blunder that was 13 seconds.

I'm convinced that if they get past the Chiefs, they'd have beat the Bengals and Rams.

Every year besides 2021, it's muddier than that. But when it comes to the 2021 team....that was the Bills' year. They blew it.

[Logic]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

I don't think there is any reason to believe that the Bills definately would have beaten the Bengals the next week. The Bills have not shown that they can handle the Bengals, and that was the best version of the Bengals.

I get your point, and I've thought about that.

But it's important to note that that was also a pretty unstoppable version of the Bills offense. The way Josh was playing that year...I'm not so sure the results against the Bengals would've been the same as they were the year after.

[BullBuchanan]

7 minutes ago, Logic said:

I get your point, and I've thought about that.

But it's important to note that that was also a pretty unstoppable version of the Bills offense. The way Josh was playing that year...I'm not so sure the results against the Bengals would've been the same as they were the year after.

That Bills defense was an absolute sieve though. 

[Logic]

5 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

That Bills defense was an absolute sieve though. 

Yeah I mean...we can go back and forth on it forever.

I maintain that I think that Bills offense and Josh Allen -- both performing at a historically great level -- would have been enough to power the Bills to a Lombardi.

There's no way to know for sure what the outcome would've been, and I suppose it's a moot point now.

Edited 4 hours ago by Logic

[mushypeaches]

If we ever have a year where our defense isn't full of injuries and 3rd stringers by playoff time, that's our year to win the whole thing

[Royale with Cheese]

2 hours ago, Logic said:

That is the only Bills team during the McDermott era that I think clearly SHOULD have won the Super Bowl, and WOULD have won the Super Bowl if not for the unforgivable coaching/execution blunder that was 13 seconds.

I'm convinced that if they get past the Chiefs, they'd have beat the Bengals and Rams.

Every year besides 2021, it's muddier than that. But when it comes to the 2021 team....that was the Bills' year. They blew it.

 

I think we would have beaten the Rams by two scores. 

 

I'm not sure we get by the Bengals.  That actually might have hurt worse than 13 seconds.

[BigDingus]

2 minutes ago, mushypeaches said:

If we ever have a year where our defense isn't full of injuries and 3rd stringers by playoff time, that's our year to win the whole thing

 

Aside from Benford, that was last year. 

 

Or at least, that was the most healthy a team can realistically expect to be at that point in the year. Pretty much everyone is dealing with injuries by January (we beat the Ravens by 2 points, and they were missing Zay Flowers), so last year seemed like our best shot.

 

Our problem is McDermott's defense in general. It puts up very little resistance against good QBs come playoff time, each & every year. Their only saving grace is turnovers.

 

Other than that, we aren't as clutch as the Chiefs. I know that's an abstract concept, but we had the ball in Josh's hands, with the game on the line, the last 2 losses to the Chiefs. Him & the offense couldn't get a 1st down & had to settle for a long FG 2 years ago, then last year we had 2 shots to take the lead, or at least get in FG range, but couldn't do that either.