If in Week 18, we have locked up the AFC 1-seed and are resting starters, how will it have happened?

[harryS]

What will have transpired to go from where we are today to that cushy 1-seed and playoff bye being locked up in Week 18?

 

This thread is for the dreamers, the ones who want to use their imagination to concoct a scenario.  Jokes are also acceptable.

 

This thread is not for debbie downers who say it's impossible.

 

So, what say you?

 

 

 

[RobbRiddick]

I won’t be able to celebrate this miracle happening because Christina Hendricks will be busy suffocating me with her thighs 

[harryS]

Here is my dream.

 

In rough order of importance:

 

1. We add a WR that opposing safeties are concerned about.  It doesn't necessarily need to be a superstar #1 WR.  It can be a burner like Rashid Shaheed who is a threat to take the top off of a defense with his speed and therefore opposing safeties will shade towards him and try to stay deeper than him.  We need a WR who can occupy two defenders in other words.  What this accomplishes:
   • More consistent running room for Cook
   • More space for Shahir and Kincaid to operate in the middle of the field
   • More predictable defensive alignments generally
2. Hairston is an immediate impact starter once he completes rehab and goes through a mini training camp.  Similar to #1, this team desperately needs an injection of talent and speed.  (As things currently stand, the Patriots and Falcons have as much talent as the Bills outside of QB.)  We need Hairston to be a gem, a hit first-round draft pick.  When he returns, he needs to at least be a great CB2 and ideally (this is my dream, remember?), he would be like Quinyon Mitchell last season, a rookie corner that plays like a Pro Bowler and can be a CB1.  What this accomplishes:
   • Benford can become a great CB2, which arguably is his best usage, and we have two very reliable corners.
3. The LBs stay unusually healthy the rest of the season (and return to form in some cases).  This is a dream, remember?  In my dream, Milano and Bernard stay healthy and play well to complement Shaq Thompson, who has already been playing well.  Because of the lack of depth at LB, we do still need to use the 4-2-5 alignment a lot (while mixing in 4-3) in order to manage the snap count for those three guys and keep them healthy.  A healthy trio of LBs accomplishes:
   • Chemistry with the D-line.  If they're not in and out of the lineup all the time, they'll develop the run fit and coverage fit behind the D-line that has been sorely missing.  A healthy Milano, Bernard, and Shaq can actually make plays on the ball.  If they manage to stay on the field together, they'll start to generate turnovers again for this defense, and they'll gain chemistry with each other.
4. Continued improvement and emergence from Kincaid.  In my dream, these improvements build off each other.  If the Bills manage to get a burner that draws safety attention, then Kincaid should begin to dominate in the middle and deep middle .  In terms of targets, I would like to see Kincaid be option #1, Shakir option #2, Shaheed option #3, Cook option #4 (I agree that we should use him in the passing game), and Palmer when he returns option #5.  That receiving corps doesn't necessarily leave opponents shaking in their boots, but combined with a great rushing attack and Josh Allen, it'll be good enough for the consistent 30 pts/gm that we had gotten used to.  
5. More bread and butter from Joe Brady, less democracy.  Again, these things build off each other.  If we can get that burner on the outside to open up space underneath, then Brady needs to up the snap count of Kincaid and let HIM eat.  Likewise, Brady can throw away some of the cutesie pie plays involving just-another-guy talents, e.g. jet sweep to Knox.  With the safeties lifted, let Cook eat lots of carries.  With space in the middle, Kincaid and Shakir should be targeted often as they actually separate from their matchups.  Keep it bread and butter and feed those main guys, and take your deep shots with Shaheed so the defense continues to respect that aspect.  Offense is fixed.
6. Bishop improves a lot, and Rapp is replaced either internally or by trade.  Again, it's my dream.  With Bishop, we just have to let it play out.  We don't have enough assets to plug every single hole with good players.  I've already used some assets to get Shaheed here, and since Bishop has good physical tools (which he flashed when he made that INT against the Saints), I'll just dream that he puts it all together and starts playing well at safety.  Rapp, on the other hand, doesn't have that kind of upside and needs to be replaced.  Maybe Poyer can roll back the years and play a decent strong safety, or we have to use some other assets to get a good player in there.

 

For anyone wondering about McBeane, I'm not going to fire them midseason where it will cause chaos and be hard to find good replacements.  

[Gregg]

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

"And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't make the scene."

[harryS]

1 hour ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

"And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't make the scene."

 

I am playing to an empty pub for sure.  Not too many dreamers in here, haha.

[Dan Darragh]

We wear the blizzard unis for every remaining home game.