The race for the AFC East

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

Excluding some kind of miracle, it’s obvious who the front runners are of this division. The Patriots showed that they are not the same team as the past few seasons. Maye was impressive and Vrabel’s defense showed that it can slow Josh Allen down. I am still leaning heavily towards Buffalo to win it. I think the next 3 games will be very telling for each of these teams.

 

The first 3 for the Patriots should be EASY wins for a contender. If they win those 3, they will show me that can beat the teams they are supposed to beat. That is the first step of becoming an elite team. Once you can defeat the “tomato cans” with regularity, you have to start beating elite teams. The Bills win was a fluke until I see them do it again. Unfortunately, their remaining schedule is probably the easiest in the NFL.

 

The Bills next 3 games scares me a little more. The Falcons are the type of team the Bills typically fail against. The run-heavy, physical kind. Still their QB doesn’t scare me. For the Panthers, Bryce Young has flashes of brilliance once in a blue moon. Facing off against the Chiefs used to be a good gauge on how good your team is. Although, still a major accomplishment if the Bills win. 
 

I posted both remaining schedules. What do you think? 

Patriots

@ Saints

@ Browns

Titans

Falcons

@ Bucs

Jets 

@ Bengals 

Giants

BYE

Bills

@ Ravens

@ Jets

Dolphins

 

Bills

@ Falcons

BYE 

@ Panthers 

Chiefs

@ Dolphins

Bucs

@ Texans 

@ Steelers 

Bengals

@ Patriots

@ Browns

Eagles

Jets 

 

 

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by ChronicAndKnuckles

[oldmanfan]

We played like crap last week and still should have pulled it out.  I’m not worried.  

[thenorthremembers]

Patriots get to 10 wins.  Bills get 13.   

[uticaclub]

Both are 11/12 win teams with their schedules. The game in Foxboro will have massive implications.

 

I broke our schedule down before the season. I wouldn't make any changes:

 

4-4 vs this bucket

Ravens

Pats

Chiefs

Bucs

Steelers

Bengals

Pats

Eagles

 

7-2 vs this bucket

Jets

Dolphins

Saints

Falcons

Panthers

Dolphins

Texans

Browns

Jets

Edited 8 hours ago by uticaclub

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

Just now, oldmanfan said:

We played like crap last week and still should have pulled it out.  I’m not worried.  

I am worried because Vrabel completely shut down James Cook and slowed Allen down considerably. 20 points is a joke for this offense. Buffalo should be putting up 30+ every game. 
 

McDermott was severely out coached. He gets way too conservative. I would’ve felt better running a 2 minute offense the entire game than hoping for the Bills to force a miracle turnover in a one possession game. On an even playing field, coaching wins you the game. Drop balls, missed blocks ARE his fault because McD is responsible who sees the field and instilling fundamentals. A fundamentally sound player doesn’t drop balls and miss tackles. 

 

The biggest concern though is the defense who let Maye effortlessly drive into FG range. This was exactly what happened last season except the Bills won by 3 that time. Would’ve been easier to stomach if it was a chaotic road game, but that’s what Maye was dealing with so gotta give him props. 

[mjt328]

Our goal this season should be 13-14 wins, the Number #1 seed in the AFC and ultimately a Super Bowl championship.  The Patriots should just be happy to win 9-10 games and make the playoffs.  
 

If the division is still in play down the stretch, something went horribly wrong and we need to be talking about who deserves to be fired.

 

We had a few wins against Tom Brady’s Patriots during his career.  In-division upsets happen sometimes.  That doesn’t mean we had a prayer at taking the AFC East.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

7 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

Both are 11/12 win teams with their schedules. The game in Foxboro will have massive implications.

 

I broke our schedule down before the season. I wouldn't make any changes:

 

4-4 vs this bucket

Ravens

Pats

Chiefs

Bucs

Steelers

Bengals

Pats

Eagles

 

7-2 vs this bucket

Jets

Dolphins

Saints

Falcons

Panthers

Dolphins

Texans

Browns

Jets

I am just revisiting this topic now that we have a larger sample size to sort through. The season has kind of gone the way I thought it would. I knew Miami & NY wouldn’t compete. I never would’ve guessed they (Pats) went into Orchard Park and won. 

Edited 8 hours ago by ChronicAndKnuckles

[thronethinker]

Patriots have a much easier schedule going forward. We may be pulling for the Ravens against them.

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by thronethinker

[oldmanfan]

3 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

I am worried because Vrabel completely shut down James Cook and slowed Allen down considerably. 20 points is a joke for this offense. Buffalo should be putting up 30+ every game. 
 

McDermott was severely out coached. He gets way too conservative. I would’ve felt better running a 2 minute offense the entire game than hoping for the Bills to force a miracle turnover in a one possession game. On an even playing field, coaching wins you the game. Drop balls, missed blocks ARE his fault because McD is responsible who sees the field and instilling fundamentals. A fundamentally sound player doesn’t drop balls and miss tackles. 

 

The biggest concern though is the defense who let Maye effortlessly drive into FG range. This was exactly what happened last season except the Bills won by 3 that time. Would’ve been easier to stomach if it was a chaotic road game, but that’s what Maye was dealing with so gotta give him props. 

The panic over one close loss is over the top.  The Pats played a good game, we didn’t, and we still should have won.  And I’m sorry but they do teach tackling and catching the ball, but the coaches can’t do it for them.  

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

1 minute ago, oldmanfan said:

The panic over one close loss is over the top.  The Pats played a good game, we didn’t, and we still should have won.  And I’m sorry but they do teach tackling and catching the ball, but the coaches can’t do it for them.  

It’s not panic. It’s being realistic. The Bills are only a game ahead. I think it’s a valid conversation to have. 

7 minutes ago, thronethinker said:

Patriots have a much easier schedule going forward. We may be pulling for the Ravens against them.

 

 

Thankfully they should have Lamar back by then. 

[uticaclub]

10 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

We had a few wins against Tom Brady’s Patriots during his career.  In-division upsets happen sometimes.  That doesn’t mean we had a prayer at taking the AFC East.

We never beaten them at home, with an emerging QB, a head coach who previously found success in the league, and a promising free agent and draft class. This win didn't feel fluky; it felt like our five-year division run will actually be challenged.

Edited 8 hours ago by uticaclub

[White Linen]

For me it's simple.  We're the much better team because we have Allen.  The Patriots are the much better coached team.  When we turn the ball over, dealing with injuries and need our coaches to do more.  We lose.

[oldmanfan]

Just now, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

It’s not panic. It’s being realistic. The Bills are only a game ahead. I think it’s a valid conversation to have. 

Maybe panic is a bit extreme, but so is saying it’s realism that all of a sudden we are not a good football team.  Three turnovers lost the game last week; that is extremely uncharacteristic for the Bills.   The offense despite everyone complaining about it is one of the top offenses in the league.  The defense actually played decently last week, but needs more consistent performances from a lot of guys. 
 

Last week the team played dumb football.  Too many stupid penalties, stupid calls, just overall stupid.  That will not likely recur.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

18 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

We had a few wins against Tom Brady’s Patriots during his career.  In-division upsets happen sometimes.  That doesn’t mean we had a prayer at taking the AFC East.

The Bills weren’t a young, up & coming team during those upsets with the 3rd overall pick quarterback. It’s not one loss I’m worried about. I’m worried about New England’s future potential. Everyone and their grandma knew those Bledsoe/ Fitz-led teams weren’t ever going to be true contenders. Seems like Vrabel is building at least something decent 

Edited 8 hours ago by ChronicAndKnuckles

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

4 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Maybe panic is a bit extreme, but so is saying it’s realism that all of a sudden we are not a good football team.  Three turnovers lost the game last week; that is extremely uncharacteristic for the Bills.   The offense despite everyone complaining about it is one of the top offenses in the league.  The defense actually played decently last week, but needs more consistent performances from a lot of guys. 
 

Last week the team played dumb football.  Too many stupid penalties, stupid calls, just overall stupid.  That will not likely recur.

I didn’t say the Bills weren’t a good team, but they certainly didn’t play like one. Should’ve been an easy home W. My main concern is the way they lost and the general emergence of the Pats. The other concern is their laughably easy remaining schedule. 

[UKBillFan]

6 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Maybe panic is a bit extreme, but so is saying it’s realism that all of a sudden we are not a good football team.  Three turnovers lost the game last week; that is extremely uncharacteristic for the Bills.   The offense despite everyone complaining about it is one of the top offenses in the league.  The defense actually played decently last week, but needs more consistent performances from a lot of guys. 
 

Last week the team played dumb football.  Too many stupid penalties, stupid calls, just overall stupid.  That will not likely recur.

 

The issue is the Bills have played dumb football for most of the season. The Jets, Dolphins and Saints were all in a game for far longer than they should have been. They only went 1-0 because of a miracle fourth quarter.

 

A few people dismissed these wins as the Bills playing with their food. Well, in the Pats case, they choked on the dish.

[oldmanfan]

1 minute ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

I didn’t say the Bills weren’t a good team, but they certainly didn’t play like one. Should’ve been an easy home W. My main concern is the way they lost and the general emergence of the Pats. The other concern is their laughably easy remaining schedule. 

You keep saying their easy schedule.  Just as one example, would the Eagles fans had said the Giants game was easy?  The Chiefs for the Jags?  The difference between teams in the NFL is much narrower than we tend to think.  We will lose a few more games this year.  So will the Pats.  
 

The Bills need to step up their game to be sure.  No one would deny that.  But there seems to be an assumption they won’t or can’t.  I disagree.

[mjt328]

24 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

The Bills weren’t a young, up & coming team during those upsets with the 3rd overall pick quarterback. It’s not one loss I’m worried about. I’m worried about New England’s future potential. Everyone and their grandma knew those Bledsoe/ Fitz-led teams weren’t ever going to be true contenders. Seems like Vrabel is building at least something decent 

Maybe you don’t remember us beating them 31-0 on opening day, with a revamped roster full of big-name FA additions.  People were already punching our Super Bowl tickets.

[DapperCam]

Pats were 2-2 going into the Buffalo matchup. They will drop some more games that people think they "should" win.

[mjt328]

43 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

We never beaten them at home, with an emerging QB, a head coach who previously found success in the league, and a promising free agent and draft class. This win didn't feel fluky; it felt like our five-year division run will actually be challenged.

So a team that almost never turns the ball over, having 3 of them wasn’t fluky?  Having 11 penalties wasn’t fluky?  
 

This was the sloppiest game we have played in over a year (since last year’s regular season loss to the Ravens).  And they still needed a last second field goal to pull it out.

28 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

You keep saying their easy schedule.  Just as one example, would the Eagles fans had said the Giants game was easy?  The Chiefs for the Jags?  The difference between teams in the NFL is much narrower than we tend to think.  We will lose a few more games this year.  So will the Pats.  
 

The Bills need to step up their game to be sure.  No one would deny that.  But there seems to be an assumption they won’t or can’t.  I disagree.

Anything can happen.  But if the Bills drop another 5-6 games with this schedule, then they aren’t a real Super Bowl contender.