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

[Udubalum07]

For me this week will tell a lot.  The patriot game was a huge downer for me and could tell there was no energy for the Falcons game.  

 

I loved the way the defense played on Sunday, and hoping we see a much better defense the rest of the way.  I think the super bowl aspirations would kick up again with a win against the chiefs where they put together another good defensive game. 

[billsfan89]

If they don't get a boundary WR by next weeks trade deadline I think this team is just too flawed. I think if the defense stays somewhat healthy it will be improved from the early season struggles (I think the return of Mad Max plus the PED Twins and some of the week to week injuries along with McD calling the defense more will help the defense). Special teams seems to be at least a decent unit. Offense just won't be able to get it done against better defenses if they don't add a piece at WR.

[JP51]

This team is certainly not a Championship favorite team... doesnt mean it cant win... getting hot going into the playoffs and healthy is a big thing... but its really more of a dollar and dream than it is having a dominate championship roster...  2 real stars on this team, Allen and Cook... throw Dawkins in if you must...  no real WR weapons... a TE weapon that is part time and pretty much always dealing with an ailment and a Defense that has no star players, no identity and really pretty much a patchwork job of mediocre drafting, overpaid FA and a secondary that needed a 34 year old Poyer to actually come in and remind us of what a form tackle is...  so we ran it back... lets see what happens... but a re tool is definately in order... we keep kicking the cap down the road with pretty much zero results... it may be time to take a step back, clear some of the deck and try to re tool a bit...  we also need to examine our Coordinators at a minimum...  Beane must examine his player acqusition judgement both drafting and FA and change because it has been resoundingly average.... C minus stuff... 

[Andrew Son]

1 minute ago, JP51 said:

This team is certainly not a Championship favorite team... doesnt mean it cant win... getting hot going into the playoffs and healthy is a big thing... but its really more of a dollar and dream than it is having a dominate championship roster...  2 real stars on this team, Allen and Cook... throw Dawkins in if you must...  no real WR weapons... a TE weapon that is part time and pretty much always dealing with an ailment and a Defense that has no star players, no identity and really pretty much a patchwork job of mediocre drafting, overpaid FA and a secondary that needed a 34 year old Poyer to actually come in and remind us of what a form tackle is...  so we ran it back... lets see what happens... but a re tool is definately in order... we keep kicking the cap down the road with pretty much zero results... it may be time to take a step back, clear some of the deck and try to re tool a bit...  we also need to examine our Coordinators at a minimum...  Beane must examine his player acqusition judgement both drafting and FA and change because it has been resoundingly average.... C minus stuff... 

They are currently top 4 in championship odds and were #1 for a majority of the year so far.

[PaattMaann]

Anyone who is pessimistic just needs to understand that super bowls arent won in september or october, or even november. Its all about rounding into form, and being HEALTHY, come playoffs. Everything is very much on the table for this team, and we have the best player in the world. 

[RunTheBall]

If we don’t get a WR in trade I think Brady has to go all in on the heavy packages and start throwing a lot more out of it. Get several packages of multiple TEs, Oline, RBs with Shakir out there and start throwing a LOT more to the backs and TEs. The lack of a WR who can stretch and take the top off the defense has been a consistent flaw in this team every game. We don’t need to throw bombs but the lack of a consistent intermediate passing game will kill us when the playoffs come, assuming we make it. I have to believe Beane is burning up the phones trying to get a WR but my gut tells me he thinks Gabe Davis is that guy and he’s just waiting for him to get healthy.

 

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

I’m approaching 40 years of being a Bills fan. Many on TBD have been with them since the beginning. 
 

I enjoy every win. 
 

But every season of the Allen era that goes by without a Super Bowl is nothing short of a failure. 
 

I feel like I’ve been patient. 
 

Show me the mother f*cking baby. 
 

 

That is a totally fine and fair take. I'm not asking anyone to consider 13-4 a success if you get bounced in the playoffs. But if you don't enjoy watching your team win a game in case they lose later then turn off the tv and go do something else with your life. Seriously. 

[SoMAn]

20 hours ago, Virgil said:

Ugh, while I hate a LAMP post, I've been struggling with my disconnect from the Bills season so far and more so am curious to see if anyone else is feeling the same way.  Many people know me on here as a poster for over 20 years, season ticket holder of both the old and new stadium, and definitely capable of allowing this "game" to affect me on an emotional level that isn't super healthy.

Going into this season, my expectations were #1 seed and Super Bowl or bust.  Last season, I genuinely believed we were going to the Super Bowl and were going to beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.  I had visions of a Super Bowl parade, which is something I never dared allow myself to think about.  With this season, between our easy schedule, easy division, offseason focus on the defense, and expectation that our offense would continue to find dominant success, it felt like our time.  Now, 5-2 later with a half-game deficit to the surging Patriots and peaking Chiefs coming in this week, I find myself just waiting for the 5 seed and a division round exit from the playoffs.  In prior years, I would have chalked this all up to BBFS, which would have been washed away with our beating of the Panthers in such dominating fashion.  Yet here I am the next day, writing this, because I still just can't shake the feeling that we've peaked and Josh won't bring one home.  Yes, Josh probably has another ten years in him at least, and that assumption is a ridiculous one to make.  But here I am.

 

When I try to pinpoint where all of this is coming from, as much as I hate to say it, I think it's stemming from the rising Patriots.  I never expected the AFC East to always be terrible, nor did I want to be handed anything.  Seeing the Pats and Maye grow as a team and building a potential winning culture is reminding me of what we've had over the past five years and how quickly things can change.  While it was just us vs the Chiefs for a while, now we have the Chiefs getting their offense of 3 years ago back, a genuine challenger in the the Pats who already beat us at home and equally have an easy schedule, plus the rise of other teams.  All of that together just makes me feel like we really missed our opportunity these past five years to seize our window.  

 

There's also the human element in that sometimes we forget that Josh, McD, Pegula, and everyone else are just people that are capable of crashing out.  Think about job hunting.  It would only be natural to get defeated after going through numerous interviews, putting your best game face on with a great resume, only to get passed over time and time again.  Josh has had the Super Bowl right in front of him multiple times, only to come up short.  At what point, does he start to doubt himself or those around him?  Would you blame him?  I'm not saying that's what is happening this season, but something is clearly off with Josh.  I get having a bad game or making a bad throw, but I used to count on one hand how many errand throws Josh would make in a game.  This season, I need more hands.  I'm not going to play the game of guessing why, because I can't possibly know.  Things just feel different. 

 

With McD, I'm incredibly torn.  Like most coaches, I think McD struggles to find the right amount of influence to put out there.  I think McD has a very specific vision for how he wants both sides of the ball to operate, and knows he is more than capable to run the defense.  But as McD has said, he also knows that he needs to trust his coaches and focus on other things as a Head Coach.  Like a parent, you have to know when to let your kid fail and skin their knee.  However, as this is a job, he needs to also know the threshold that could cost him his job.  All I know is, this is his team, he has the support of the Pegulas, and this is the bed we've made.

 

Yes, I'm rambling a bit and don't have the answers.  All I know is, I didn't enjoy the win yesterday as I should have.  I don't have the any real optimism about this team anymore.  I wish it wasn't the case, but it's just how I feel.  I'm still not going to miss a game.  I'm still going to wear by gear.  But even with the Chiefs game this week, I feel like it's a lose lose.  If we win, it keeps us up with the Pats and gives us the tie breaker for the one seed, but we've seen what beating the Chiefs in the regular season gets us.   If we lose, which I think we will, then I feel like the one seed and division are gone.  

 

Anyways, sorry to crap in anyone's cereal and I'm sure some will take the opportunity to flame away.  But if I we get one LAMP a season, I'm cashing mine in now.

I'm basically with you.

I don't have high expectations for this season. An aging team that signs re-treads to fill out their receiving corps and has a rash of numerous injuries on defense isn't a team I believe can make a serious bid for a championship.  I believe they'll probably get in the playoffs by default - maybe as a wildcard rather than a division winner.  One and out seems very possible. 

Being 'in the hunt' in weeks 17 & 18 may be a more realistic expectation than clinching a playoff berth by week 12. 

How many more injuries to key players can they sustain?  

We've been spoiled, and going into the season, many of you thought being in the playoffs for Buffalo was 'a given'. Not so fast. It's not unusual for super bowl teams to completely miss the playoffs the following year. This may be a down year to 'make up' for last season's over achieving team that many thought would be a rebuilding year.  

Time will tell.

[Lost]

12 minutes ago, RunTheBall said:

If we don’t get a WR in trade I think Brady has to go all in on the heavy packages and start throwing a lot more out of it. Get several packages of multiple TEs, Oline, RBs with Shakir out there and start throwing a LOT more to the backs and TEs. The lack of a WR who can stretch and take the top off the defense has been a consistent flaw in this team every game. We don’t need to throw bombs but the lack of a consistent intermediate passing game will kill us when the playoffs come, assuming we make it. I have to believe Beane is burning up the phones trying to get a WR but my gut tells me he thinks Gabe Davis is that guy and he’s just waiting for him to get healthy.

 

 

If our slow receivers can't get separation vs. dbs and safeties.  How are our even slower TEs gonna get separation?   In fact I think all these heavy packages is one of the reasons our pass game is suffering.   If you're only gonna have 1 receiver on the field, that guy better be able to win 1v1 matchups.   Otherwise it's probably better to spread the field out as much as possible and run two slot guys to give Josh as many outlets as possible.   I do agree we need the backs involved more in the passing game though.   What happened to all the wheel routes to Cook/Johnson?

[JP51]

16 minutes ago, Andrew Son said:

They are currently top 4 in championship odds and were #1 for a majority of the year so far.

Thats great I mean I know what the odds makers are saying... but do you see this team with a dominant championship roster....  I do not... if you do fair enough... but as for me this is not a roster that is striking fear into the hearts of the NFL...  

[Andrew Son]

4 minutes ago, JP51 said:

Thats great I mean I know what the odds makers are saying... but do you see this team with a dominant championship roster....  I do not... if you do fair enough... but as for me this is not a roster that is striking fear into the hearts of the NFL...  

But who are the dominant championship rosters?

[Mat68]

No.  Biggest question is the defense and it is beginning to round into shape.  Buffalo has an elite multifaceted running game.  Defense will begin to be more aggressive on early downs.  That will open up more passing on early downs.  

Edited 5 hours ago by Mat68

[Gregg]

4 minutes ago, Andrew Son said:

But who are the dominant championship rosters?

 

For starters the Eagles and Chiefs. Philly is the defending champs and look at how many Super Bowls the Chiefs have won and even just played in. The Broncos, Colts and Pats have been built nicely. Obviously, these teams will have to prove it over the course of the year and into the playoffs. Then there is the Ravens. They got hit hard with injuries, but they are getting healthy now. If they can come back and win the division then look out. A healthy Ravens teams definitely has a championship caliber roster. On the NFC side you also have the Lions. Packers and Bucs with strong rosters.

[Goin Breakdown]

50 minutes ago, Andrew Son said:

We make these definitive statements based on chance outcomes where the ball happens to bounce one way.

 

Could/should have 13 seconds easily have gone the other way?  A missed open Shakir in the EZ followed by a missed FG two years ago.  And then a missed spot on an Allen sneak last year...

 

It sucks that these have all gone against us.  But all these games were basically coin flips that could have gone either way.  To pretend that this team has no shot and there is some sort of chasm between them and actual SB contenders is absurd.  IMO it is simply a childish hissy fit- "I want my Super Bowl!!!"

I agree we were right there. They say it's a game of inches and none of those games should be defined by the one play at the end that didn't work. (Well 13 seconds maybe lol) my point is there are plant of opportunities to take the game and we just haven't been good enough when it matters to do so. Could they have? Yes but they didn't. Simply put, I don't think we have enough high level talent. Josh and Cook. Who else is an elite talent that we can count on when we need it most?  Drafting has been pretty bad. We acquire low to mid tier guys on rental contracts. Moore and Palmer have really done nothing all year. Samuel, nothing yet we could have put that money towards a Metcalf or an Adam's last year but nope let's pay a bunch of "hidden gems" that are buried in depth charts and hope they flourish in Buffalo while Brady keeps everyone at the line of scrimmage praying for YAC. Limit Josh (our MVP) hand to Cook and hope to run the clock out. We all know what the defense looks like. So yeah, I'm pessimistic right now. Statistically speaking there is so much that needs to happen to win it even if the team was perfect. Which is crazy that KC just seems to do it all the freakin time. But that's another convo.  Go Bills. 

[Mat68]

3 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

For starters the Eagles and Chiefs. Philly is the defending champs and look at how many Super Bowls the Chiefs have won and even just played in. The Broncos, Colts and Pats have been built nicely. Obviously, these teams will have to prove it over the course of the year and into the playoffs. Then there is the Ravens. They got hit hard with injuries, but they are getting healthy now. If they can come back and win the division then look out. A healthy Ravens teams definitely has a championship caliber roster. On the NFC side you also have the Lions. Packers and Bucs with strong rosters.

By the way.  Philly won a Superbowl with an elite run game.  Mid way through the year their defense improved when they moved away from a veteran safety and corner for 2 rookies.  Around that time they discovered their best mike was a veteran value signing.  Makes you wonder. 

[JP51]

12 minutes ago, Andrew Son said:

But who are the dominant championship rosters?

Now this is a very good question.... i think we are seeing new rosters are emerging but who is for real...  I still think KC and Philly are the teams to beat...  With some Detroit in there... but the Bucs if they can get receivers back, San Diego if they remain consistent... The freaking Colts if they are for real... the Patriots with Maye and  Diggs and the Defense look scary to me...  I think Pittsburgh is a pretender Baltimore too injured but they could be in the Bills category get in, get healthy and peak in the playoffs... Texans to me have regressed, Packers look tough as well... bottom line is a lot of renewal with new and up and coming teams in the league this year so its hard to tell...  I will say this that I am much less enamored with the Bills roster and more with we have what was the best player in the league ... problem is he is struggling... this to me = big problems...  long season, time will tell... 

[Goin Breakdown]

4 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

By the way.  Philly won a Superbowl with an elite run game.  Mid way through the year their defense improved when they moved away from a veteran safety and corner for 2 rookies.  Around that time they discovered their best mike was a veteran value signing.  Makes you wonder. 

Better scouting and evaluation of talent. Plus kicking contracts down the road. Going all in to win. 

[Andrew Son]

28 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

For starters the Eagles and Chiefs. Philly is the defending champs and look at how many Super Bowls the Chiefs have won and even just played in. The Broncos, Colts and Pats have been built nicely. Obviously, these teams will have to prove it over the course of the year and into the playoffs. Then there is the Ravens. They got hit hard with injuries, but they are getting healthy now. If they can come back and win the division then look out. A healthy Ravens teams definitely has a championship caliber roster. On the NFC side you also have the Lions. Packers and Bucs with strong rosters.

I could sit here and poke holes in all of those teams.  I'm sure two weeks ago your list would have been different and two weeks from now it will be different still.

 

I think everyone gets sucked into the rollercoaster driven by the media's need for daily content creation.  One day such and such team is dead, a few weeks later they are an unstoppable juggernaut...  Instant overreactions and hot takes to draw eyeballs and engagement.

 

The Bills are among a handful of true contenders.  We'll see how it plays out but I'm not going to ride the rollercoaster.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

21 hours ago, Virgil said:

 

Look At Me Post.

 

These are typically the cringiest posts where the OP makes it about them and their feelings, not really contributing to a conversation.  

 

Basically, me being a baby about a football team. 

Thanks. I too, had no idea what a LAMP post was,and would expect to be ridiculed when inquiring 😂😂

[Nihilarian]

40 minutes ago, PaattMaann said:

Anyone who is pessimistic just needs to understand that super bowls arent won in september or october, or even november. Its all about rounding into form, and being HEALTHY, come playoffs. Everything is very much on the table for this team, and we have the best player in the world. 

Well said. 

 

What's that metaphor, the hotter the fire, the stronger the steel? Facing great challenges can make a person stronger and more resilient.

It might be a good thing that Buffalo is facing a tough schedule, KC, Miami, Tampa, Houston, Pittsburgh, Cincy, NE, Philly, Cleveland, Jets. 

 

Look at it this way. Most fans would love to see the team peaking right now, like the division leaders in the AFC: the 6-2 Patriots, 7-1 Colts, 4-3 Steelers, and 6-2 Broncos. Seems to me that the Bills play better when facing adversity over easy games that they should win. I worry more about the easy games. 

 

The Chiefs play the Bills at Buffalo this week and then Denver, Indy, Dallas, Houston, Chargers, Titans, Denver, and the Raiders. The Chiefs might not win their division, much less the home-field advantage. 

 

The Colts and Patriots are 7-1, 6-2, and both are hot right now with nine games to go. It is very difficult for any NFL team to play at an elite level for long periods. The Patriots have the easiest schedule, so can they keep winning and stay healthy? Falcons, Jets, Bucs, Bengals, Giants, Bills, Ravens, Jets, Dolphins. 

Indy plays, Pitt, Falcons, Chiefs, Texans, Jags, Seahawks, 49ers, Jags, Texans. 

 

A lot of games still left to play...we will see.