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

[zow2]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

I think a letdown will come for the Pats, as it does all teams.  But right now, they have a lot of confidence and it's puling them through.  Maye also isn't making mistakes.  They kind of remind me of the Broncos from last season, so maybe we'll see the same outcome.

 

Good news is, Maye will probably command 65-70 mil, so that will be fun for them.  

 

The Patriots seem a year ahead of schedule and they are in this honeymoon of winning phase.  There's no secret I'm scared of Mike Vrabel, I've been saying this since he was coach of Tennessee and when the Pat's were woo'ing him to be their coach.  I kind of expected to lose that game in part because of Vrabel, Maye and our home winning streak was due to expire.  Fact is, they beat the Saints, Titans and Browns....three teams with very poor offense when you look at NFL norms.  They are kind of peaking right now and will come back to earth a bit.  

[Chaos]

The only things this coaching staff needs are o get to the Super Bowl is to have a QB Playing at an MVP level, the best offensive personnel in the league., and the best personnel in the league for their peculiar style of defense.    It’s just three pieces.  Not sure why Beane can’t deliver.  

[90sBills]

1 hour ago, gonzo1105 said:

I say it every year, we have just as good a shot as anyone to win it. About making clutch plays at the clutch times 

Which they have not shown an ability to do when the opportunity presented itself in do or die situations. 

[Chaos]

1 minute ago, 90sBills said:

Which they have not shown an ability to do when the opportunity presented itself in do or die situations. 

You can’t make clutch plays when the he coaches don’t have to he right plays called in the clutch situations 

[Bimmer323i]

With the loss of Ed Oliver and no wide receivers to throw the ball to I think it’s a pretty easy question to answer…

[Virgil]

50 minutes ago, Pete said:

If Bills trade for a true #1 WR, and if Bills stay healthy, they are winning the SuperBowl IMO.

 

If we do not get a #1 WR, we might not make the playoffs, or just barely make a wildcard IMO

 

Do you believe Brady knows how to utilize a #1 receiver?  I personally do not.

[DapperCam]

 

 

^^^ we are now here

Edited 2 hours ago by DapperCam

[Virgil]

51 minutes ago, boyst said:

It's not out of this world to see where we have losses to KC, TB, Phili, Houston, and NE. If we are playing that bad it'd be conceivable to lose to Pittsburgh, too.

 

That's 8 losses. 

 

I've been having the same thoughts

[90sBills]

5 minutes ago, Chaos said:

You can’t make clutch plays when the he coaches don’t have to he right plays called in the clutch situations 

Have we changed coaches that I didn’t know about? My statement about clutch plays applies to the whole team, players and coaches. They’re one team. It’s not players against coaches. 

[TheFunPolice]

This would be the kind of season where we win it all. 

 

So much ball left to be played. 

 

Maybe Drake Maye retires after winning his second SB ring this season after they play Tampa and we get lucky. 

[BeastMaster]

1 minute ago, Virgil said:

 

Do you believe Brady knows how to utilize a #1 receiver?  I personally do not.

This is a fair question, and I'm not sure myself, but I would make the move regardless

 

If he doesn't utilize him properly, then we know that Brady needs to be replaced and we still have that number one option for Allen and the offense

[Pete]

1 minute ago, Virgil said:

 

Do you believe Brady knows how to utilize a #1 receiver?  I personally do not.

I think Joe is over his head.  He was always surrounded by greatness, people just assumed he was.
 

 His game plans are stupid imo.  Falcons #1 blitz blitzing team, you would have thought Joe would have game planned for that.  Evidently not.  You would have thought Brady would have made adjustments for the blitz, especially since he was unprepared, and Josh was getting pummeled, over and over. Zero adjustments.  Gameplan and adjustments?  Isn’t that a Coordinators job description?  Bills D got run over in first half.  Bobby made adjustments, and Bills D played great in 2nd half. 
 

The lack of intermediate passes is bush league.  

Thid is not 1940s Football

[Coffeesforclosers]

Or, hear me out, instead of panicking...

 

 

Also, beating KC in the regular season predicts nothing and guarantees nothing. Except that they'll have an answer to whatever game plan/concepts we used to beat them come the playoffs.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

The Patriots glazing on this forum is just insane. People act like the Bills got slaughtered. Forget about the questionable flags, I won’t even go there. Is this like some minor form of Stockholm Syndrome? I just have a lot more belief in Josh Allen than others. He’s been doubted his entire life and it continues in the NFL. 

18 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

Do you believe Brady knows how to utilize a #1 receiver?  I personally do not.

Brady doesn’t choose the players. He has no #1 to utilize! You can’t make filet mignon with a dead raccoon scraped off the side of the road. 

[Búfalo Blanco]

I agree with most of your sentiments, Virgil...and I did not expect a Super Bowl appearance this season with Buffalo. I still don't. The Mafia always HOPES, but I've grown cynical to McDermott's in game coaching against the best head coaches in the business. Not to say players haven't let the team down with a lack of execution at times.. but he has proven to be outcoached in multiple playoff losses.

 

Outside of Allen, Cook, etc. saving the team with pure talent and miracles or the defensive line finally coming together and dominating the league, I cannot see Sean McDermott winning a Lombardi this season, against this AFC gauntlet (or most seasons, for that matter) and I genuinely hope I'm wrong. 

[Ramza86]

yes. this defense will still give up a ton of pts in the post season.

 

and my confidence is low that we will be able to keep up.

 

we might have to lean into the run game and keep the ball out of oppising offenses hands. no superman this post season.

Edited 2 hours ago by Ramza86

[Chaos]

30 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

Have we changed coaches that I didn’t know about? My statement about clutch plays applies to the whole team, players and coaches. They’re one team. It’s not players against coaches. 

I was just adding to your observation 

[kitchen sink]

2 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.

Why do you think you are being overall pessimistic?

 

In any single NFL season a single NFL team is more likely to not win the Super bowl than win it.

2 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.

Why do you think you are being overall pessimistic?

 

In any single NFL season a single NFL team is more likely to not win the Super bowl than win it.

[racketmaster]

Unless Allen returns to playing like a top 3 qb, Bills have no chance at a SB. Even if he can return to form, I don’t think the defense is SB material. 

[mjt328]

To me, the Patriots are irrelevant.

 

If the Bills are an elite Super Bowl contending team, there is no way the AFC East should even be in play this year.  We are never going to draw a schedule this easy again, combined with a season where 2/3 elite QBs are injured and their teams may completely miss the playoffs.  The fact that we are already behind in the standings, when we haven't even hit the most difficult part of the season, is absolutely pathetic.

 

The goal is to be the #1 team in the entire league, and I'm sick of the excuses why we keep getting passed by other franchises.  We keep acting like the Bills have been inches away from hoisting the Lombardi, when in reality they haven't even made it out of the AFC Conference during the Allen/McDermott/Beane era.  Only twice have they even gotten to the championship game.  They have yet to get homefield advantage and top seed.