LAMP - Anyone else still overall pessimistic about this season/Super Bowl chances?

[Ga boy]

10 minutes ago, FireChans said:

What does “getting the passing game going” mean to you?

I’d like to see JA17 with 250 yards on a regular basis, with Shakir, Palmer and Kincaid busting loose.  Adding Olave would get us to SB.  Let’s go Buffalo!

[nedboy7]

Even if they don’t fire McBean it would be crazy to bring these two coordinators back.  

[BillsFanForever19]

I don't think this is a Super Bowl contending team. There's the lack of talent in many spots on Offense and Defense, as well as guys we count on not performing as well this year. There's the ever growing list of injuries that pile up weekly, to key players like Ed Oliver, now down for the year. There's schematic issues and questionable coaching. And Josh Allen, while still great, isn't performing at the perfect MVP level he was last year to make up for all of this.

 

On top of all that, New England has the same cushy schedule. And after Drafting well the past few years, getting a good Head Coach, acquiring talent like Diggs (who's against all odds, came off an ACL tear and seemingly turned back the clock to his prime), and beating us in our first encounter - winning the Division seems a tall task. We have to beat them in their own house and then beat their record on top of it - while they're a game up on us.

 

This is why I'm a little hesitant to give up our 1st in a trade next year. I don't think this team is 1 WR away from winning a Championship. I do think there's a pretty fair potential that our 1st for next season is significantly higher than normal, finally in a spot to get a true difference maker instead of relying on guys at the bottom of the Round who don't have a 1st Round Grade.

 

Right now, I see Wild Card as our route and it's pretty rough sledding with the meteoric rise of teams like Indianapolis, Denver, and New England.

Edited 11 hours ago by BillsFanForever19

[Maynard]

I know this team doesn’t have it. Yes it ticks me off fiercely, but I’m ready for a quick exit if we make it. However, I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. Need to see how we fair against KC. 

[DrPJax]

3 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Sample size is really to small to claim Brady doesn’t know what to do with a number 1 receiver. The bottom line is he’s never had one. Like everything else in the world the poor passing offense is because of a multitude of things. Josh playing poorly, Brady not drawing up more creative plays, WRs being garbage. It’s all of these things together 

     Diggs was a #1 wr by all definitions and Brady managed to misuse him enough that Diggs got frustrated and worked his way out. He had a great wr crew at lsu winning a national title with burrows and chase etc. He knows what to do , most can see he is being controlled by McD who called him out unprofessionally in a presser saying playcalling got too cute. Mcd did similar things with daboll.  Now in addition the gm refuses to draft a wr with a first round pick ( only exception is kincade , a te, not wr ).   In addition Beane chose to attack a radio host , white, about not supplying Josh w wr talent.  Unprecedented stuff and gives insight how either mcd or Beane prefer to win; ball control with low risk for turnovers , and running the ball augmented with short yardage quick passes. Why do we need a UNICORN QB led by a controlling HC who is afraid to let the qb be himself and be so risk adverse it’s a boring style of football to watch?
 

       THATS ALL  FINE,BUT, they hide behind being lucky enough to have hit on Josh as their franchise qb. Thier draft record is filled w many more misses , as is free agency , and Beane has given out many poor contracts putting them in cap difficulty for a while now. It’s all self inflicted. We have a supposed great defensive HC yet his defenses are the weakest part of the team ( 31 st against the run going into yesterday ), with  small oft injured lbs, low sack producers , perhaps the worst db room we’ve had ( other experts analysis , Orlovsky) , and Beane has resorted to bringing back old prior fired players like Poyer to fill the ps.  I’ve followed football 40:plus years and have never seen  roster construction like this. 
 

      Mcd is in his 9 th process year and has 0 sb APPEARANCES, DESPITE 5 east titles POSSIBLE BECAUSE BRADY / Belicheck who dominated Mcd are gone. Add the most egregious loss caused by poor coaching, 13 seconds,  which blew a red hot playoff qb run by Josh and the team keeps losing to the same franchise , KC!  Now there are signs a competent coach may have a franchise qb with the pats becoming a legit challenger and  a 4-0 start was blown as we are a legit second place in the division.   A win against a hapless Carolina team led by an incompetent red rifle did little to prove the passing woes with this wr corp will be adequate when a team like KC stops cook from running. Also throw in a team AND QB  appearing disinterested or maybe going thru the motions until their expected or  entitled playoff appearance ( after preseason saying they needed the 1 seed to get to the sb ) and I think even the best fans are tired of lip service about a Lombardi when the play we are watching is honestly uninspired.  it difficult to feel passion for a regime that always talks championship caliber play but we. Know we really aren’t witnessing that quality of play
 

    Finally, we also know Allen is a once in a lifetime qb with phenomenal throwing and running skills. We’ve seen him be remarkable before despite only once having a legit #1wr ( mostly Beane provided him with bums , avg free agents , low round wr picks ), and in his 8 th year his time is rapidly passing while it’s obvious he is being restrained this year from running and the current wr corp has no legit speed , deep threat, or talent that opposing defenses MUST ADJUST / ACCOUNT For, and even Allen’s grandmother commented on his unhappiness. So tell me do you really exoexct the prideful Beane  , after nationally  bragging about attacking the radio host who challenged his wr choices , to swallow his pride after a 40-9 win which he will use  to justify this crazy roster building ( while we know it was a meaningless win and our passing game looked anemic still) , AND BRING IN WR HELP MIDSEASON?  Probably not. Plus we’ve seen midseason additions not integrated well in the past. It’s depressing seeing a new qb like maye grab all the headlines while a true star like Allen is throttled back by this staff and all under an owner who seemed like a nerdy sports clueless guy on hard knocks who seems unlikely to demand  better coaching and RESULTS! 

 

        I can’t be enthusiastic blindly again unless they actually win in the playoffs now.  I bet I’m not alone in thinking like this.  I’ll watch , but expect little UNTIL they at least get to a SB. REMEMBER , WE WENT TO 4 straight before with less talent at qb but a roster that had multiple HOF INDUCTED PLAYERS ,A COACH AND GM!    Happy Halloween! 
 

[Nihilarian]

Does anyone else recall the 2023 season, and at the bye week, the Bills were 6-6, and meanwhile, Miami was 9-3? Talk about a bleak-looking future with Buffalo, THREE games behind at week 13. What does this HC do? He fires his OC and promotes from within. With all the pessimism going on right now, did things look worse back in 2023? That team met the Dolphins in the last regular season game and won the division. 

 

A lot of Bills fans dislike McClappy for whatever reason, and they think the Bills should have been in the SB by now...and they would be right except the best team in the NFL with an offensive genius as their HC, a defensive genius as their DC, along with a generational talent at QB. KC has been the best team in the NFL for the last 5 years...the BEST!

 

Up to date, McD saw that the defense needed a boost, so he took over the playcalling for now. And if anyone remembers, he called the defensive plays back in 2023, too. That team was riddled with defensive injuries that season and still finished in the top 5 in points allowed and the top 10 in yards allowed. So this head coach knows what's up with what's going on with his team, and he will take the steps needed going forward. I have faith that he will make whatever changes are needed. 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I remember in the early 2010’s my friend who’s a diehard Cubs fan explained that he couldn’t even enjoy regular season success because it only made him wonder how they’d blow it in the playoffs.  Then 2016 came along.  

Edited 9 hours ago by SageAgainstTheMachine

[Big Blitz]

I think I will say if this team had peak Diggs and John Brown on it, we would definitely be extremely confident.  
 

In spite of the issues in the secondary we would feel like we could overcome that easily.  
 

 

Right?  I mean that would make this offense the best in the league.  Elite oline.  Elite RB 

 

 

WHICH MAKES BEANE’S NEGLECT OF WR UNACCEPTABLE.  

 

There is no trade for difference maker out there - maybe Waddle.  But Miami won’t do that with us and I’m at the point Beane trading for one would be him admitting he was wrong and he looks terrible bc of it.  

Edited 9 hours ago by Big Blitz

[SydneyBillsFan]

At this point I would sign up without any hesitation to win the AFCE and get the 3 or 4 seed.

 

Unfortunately, I think we will be a 5-7 seed and suffer a WC exit. The Oliver injury and lack of a deep threat at WR + the Pats getting a franchise QB on a cost controlled contract is just too much to overcome.

[Richard Noggin]

Nothing to do with Pats for me. Teams are going to rise and fall. There will be fierce competition. Sucks that Vrabel's in the division with a rising star at QB, but the league doesn't stand still. 

 

For me, it's a Bills-specific, organizational lack of optimization and innovation. From roster management, to opponent-specific gameplans, to player execution. McD should always call the defense, no matter what. And he should leave alone Kromer, Brady, and Allen (and Cook) to come together and turn the offense into a point maximization machine who can also control the game once they get ahead. Probably our WR coach has been hot trash since Hall left (ignoring the room he's working with). But something ain't being maximized there. Might have something to do with QB coaching, too. Allen isn't exactly his very best right now. 

 

My angst is usually more about the offense. With our running game, it's absolutely soul-crushing that the Bills can't/don't threaten defenses deep and intermediate. Their deep balls are handoffs to Cook or RAC throws to Shakir. Defenses must be cheating up like crazy (pre- and/or post-snap). Been the case in the playoffs for years.

[philholbroo]

my outlook is still mostly optimistic on the season and in the playoffs you just never know what could happen. but i do worry that mcdermott coaches scared still and until that coaching philosophy changes we would probably end up no different than other seasons.

[tigerthelion]

2 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

I don't think this is a Super Bowl contending team. There's the lack of talent in many spots on Offense and Defense, as well as guys we count on not performing as well this year. There's the ever growing list of injuries that pile up weekly, to key players like Ed Oliver, now down for the year. There's schematic issues and questionable coaching. And Josh Allen, while still great, isn't performing at the perfect MVP level he was last year to make up for all of this.

 

On top of all that, New England has the same cushy schedule. And after Drafting well the past few years, getting a good Head Coach, acquiring talent like Diggs (who's against all odds, came off an ACL tear and seemingly turned back the clock to his prime), and beating us in our first encounter - winning the Division seems a tall task. We have to beat them in their own house and then beat their record on top of it - while they're a game up on us.

 

This is why I'm a little hesitant to give up our 1st in a trade next year. I don't think this team is 1 WR away from winning a Championship. I do think there's a pretty fair potential that our 1st for next season is significantly higher than normal, finally in a spot to get a true difference maker instead of relying on guys at the bottom of the Round who don't have a 1st Round Grade.

 

Right now, I see Wild Card as our route and it's pretty rough sledding with the meteoric rise of teams like Indianapolis, Denver, and New England.

I hear what you are saying but I think you have to go all in every year now.  Just dont know how much longer Josh Allen is going to be in his prime.   Push contracts and void years down the road and worry about that later.  

[quincy]

8 hours ago, Ga boy said:

Are we a better team than last year?  I’d say so, especially the one we saw yesterday.  Most of us would say we would’ve given Philly a better game than KC last year.  I like our chances if we get the passing game going.  If we do, none of the up and coming teams scare me.

 

I guess only time will tell, the literal things we need to do are win the AFC Championship game and win the Super Bowl but we have to get to those games in order to climb the mountain. We have plenty of scar tissue accumulated over the last 5 years, only the Chiefs are truly battle tested imo and our postseason games have mostly been close. The Chiefs also have a more difficult Divisional race this year, will that have an impact? I am trying to remain positive that we can still achieve the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl dream this year! 

[Thurman#1]

Overall pessimistic? No, not really.

 

But I wasn't quite as optimistic as many over the first few weeks.

 

I think they've got a very legit shot at it, still. As usual. And that one of these years, we will absolutely get there. Possibly this year. 

 

I'm right in the middle. It's really tough, really really tough to win a Super Bowl, especially with Mahomes playing for Reid in your conference. But they have a real chance, I think.

 

I do hate to see New England rising. I hated seeing them hire Vrabel. He knows how to put together a football team.

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Thurman#1

[Chandler#81]

Of course there’s pessimism. This is the Buffalo Bills. We’ve NEVER  won a Super Bowl. Are you pessimistic the Sabres win the Stanley Cup this year? 
SAME THING! 110 years combined haven’t yielded a single trophy, 

 

It IS our lot in life. 🤷‍♂️

[GunnerBill]

6 hours ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

I remember in the early 2010’s my friend who’s a diehard Cubs fan explained that he couldn’t even enjoy regular season success because it only made him wonder how they’d blow it in the playoffs.  Then 2016 came along.  

 

Honestly how do people with that sort of outlook live? I genuinely do not understand it. 

 

Saying "I'm not gonna judge this team until the post season" totally fair. But to say about any perennial play off team that you can't even enjoy regular season wins.... I mean if you can't enjoy wins then sports are not for you. Because any team. In any sport. Over a lifetime as a fan... there will be a lot of losing and a majority of non championship seasons. If that means you can't enjoy it then go do something else.

[DJB]

If you have Josh you have a chance . 
 

Period. 

[Chandler#81]

Just now, DJB said:

If you have Josh you have a chance . 
 

Period. 

THAT’S the spirit. Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, centurion Marv Levy couldn’t do it. But a California farm boy with one legit playmakers around

him can do it all! …….

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

THAT’S the spirit. Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, centurion Marv Levy couldn’t do it. But a California farm boy with one legit playmakers around

him can do it all! …….

Biscuit, 89, Talley, Odomes, Leonard Smith, Ballard, Lofton, Hull, etc man that team was loaded!

[notpolian]

10 minutes ago, Pete said:

Biscuit, 89, Talley, Odomes, Leonard Smith, Ballard, Lofton, Hull, etc man that team was loaded!

Yes, that front office could evaluate talent.  Then Polian left to Indianapolis to win a SB.

 

I'm naturally pessimistic, driven a lot by the 90s Bills.  This could be the year, but I doubt it.  We had a far better shot the 13 second year.  Not enough difference makers and poor schemes.

 

This team has a QB good enough to win it all.  But the offense has a poor WR situation other than Shakir, who is a good slot guy.  The offensive design / philosophy (which I think is as desired by McDermott) is fine if they can run, but lacks downfield explosiveness.  That's a big problem when you can't run or get behind.

 

The defense lacks size and difference makers, but honestly might be better now than they've been all year:

 

1) Teams can clearly run on Oliver and Jones / Milano and Bernard / Rapp and Bishop.  I am perhaps irrationally hopeful that Hoecht, Oj-wan, and Walker will be as good or better.  I think Thompson is our best LB right now.  Heck, maybe Hancock and/or Poyer can work out next to Bishop.

 

2) The passing defense could also be trending up.  Rousseau, Hoecht, Walker, and Bosa might be able to generate pressure (it's really unknown, Carolina's OL had major injury issues).  Hairston can play man to man.  We'll know more later Sunday, because that's how we can beat the Chiefs as Philly proved in the SB.  Pressure and contain Mahomes and play tight / confusing coverage behind that.