Silver lining takes only

[Buffalo716]

20 minutes ago, Billsfanatic8989 said:

You are using last week against a divisional opponent to insinuate he isn't a top tier QB? I am looking at the big picture. He is unbelievable this season and no AFC team is stopping that offense. The Eagles probably can stop them. 

 

Adams is not even 33 yet lulz

 

System wide receiver or not, he gets open and produces. He is a top  WR. 

 

On paper, the Rams are much better than us. But any given Sunday. 

I never said Stafford's not a stud 

 

We play a couple bad games and the sky is falling.. we could absolutely beat the Rams 

 

Literally I think it's 50/50 if they played 10 times 

 

I said they're nowhere near close to being the best team in the league that is unbeatable 

 

This entire year is full of NFL parity... Even the Eagles best wide receiver AJ Brown wants to get traded because Jalen hurts can't throw him the football consistently 

 

The bills even without the any given Sunday mantra could beat the Rams.. they are not 2-8

 

Much better would mean 10 points spread the type of spreads the bills have been seeing occasionally for The last 5 years with Josh Allen 

 

It would literally be -2.5 Rams that's not insanely more talented

 

 

[Scott7975]

1 hour ago, Billsfanatic8989 said:

Definitely weak imo. Compared to the top teams in the NFC. 

 

Any team facing Eagles/Rams could be 5 point underdogs. 

 

Silver lining: Coleman will/should be back in the lineup soon.

 

Oh yeah against the NFC who has some top end teams I agree. I was thinking of just the AFC as a whole.

[Success]

We're still contenders.  We're not TOP contenders - but if you lived through the drought, just being one of those teams that isn't "in the hunt" or worse is pretty good.

 

I remember when the season was WAY over by this time of year.  We still have a small shot at the division, and even the 1 seed.  I'm not optimistic about either, but nether is unfathomable.

 

I don't think this is "the year" (though you never know).  But it wouldn't take too much to make us a top team next year.  A good LB, a top tier WR, a safety.  We don't have a huge list, despite how things seem right now.  I can't wait to have Hoecht for a whole season, playing next to Oliver.

 

[BobbyC81]

Josh & Cook are reasonably healthy.

[Mikie2times]

It would seem our biggest vulnerability is a very physical defense, aggressive DL. What we basically saw against Atlanta and Houston. 
 

The good news is, it’s very possible we won’t see that type of defensive play up front until a Super Bowl appearance.
 

The AFC is just overflowing with pretenders. Take your pick, Patriots, Broncos, Chargers, Steelers, Colts. Can we lose to these teams? Sure. But I would probably prefer this iteration of the Bills vs these teams than the last few years vs peak KC. We don’t necessarily need to figure it out to make a run here or even be the best version of our selves.
 

 

 

[Kelly to Allen]

The 2021 bills were 7-6. Got blown out by the colts & lost 9-6 vs a terrible jags team.

 

Not necessarily transitive and someone probably already gave this example. 

 

But it's worth thinking about 

 

The 88 49ers were 6-5 and lost to a tough bears team 10-9

 

The 2011 giants were completely lost at 7-7

 

The 23 chiefs lost to the o'connell raiders on Christmas 20-14. They were 8-6

 

The 92 bills 

 

The 2001 patriots came out of nowhere, they were 6-5

 

2007 giants 

 

2018 patriots 

 

2005 Steelers 

 

83 raiders

 

The 20 bucs & 21 rams had mid season issues 

 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by Kelly to Allen

[ShakAttack]

20 hours ago, QCity said:

 

Vegas still likes our chances of representing the AFC

It’s actually insane to me that Colts have the best odds here. I’d put Pats in front of them and they didn’t even make the list. 
 

But considering how close these odds are it might as well be saying “one of these 5 teams will represent the AFC” which I’d agree with (if Colts were replaced with Pats).

 

Daniel Jones is not going to a Super Bowl. 
 

 

Silver lining:

 

After watching some of the All-22, I really don’t blame Allen for much that happened in the Texans game. He did as much as he possibly could given the situation. NOBODY WAS OPEN!!! 
 

And the silver lining in that is, yeah, our WRs kinda suck, but nobody left on our schedule is capable of shutting them down the way the Texans defense did except for the Eagles and, we can afford to lose that game as long as we take care of the games we should win from now on (including the next one).

[Kelly to Allen]

5 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

It would seem our biggest vulnerability is a very physical defense, aggressive DL. What we basically saw against Atlanta and Houston. 
 

The good news is, it’s very possible we won’t see that type of defensive play up front until a Super Bowl appearance.
 

The AFC is just overflowing with pretenders. Take your pick, Patriots, Broncos, Chargers, Steelers, Colts. Can we lose to these teams? Sure. But I would probably prefer this iteration of the Bills vs these teams than the last few years vs peak KC. We don’t necessarily need to figure it out to make a run here or even be the best version of our selves.
 

 

 

 

This is why if things break the bills way just a bit, the young guys on defense continue to develop 

 

I see a possible run similar to what KC did in 23....

 

The issues are extremely similar and the cynicism before the playoffs started were similar. Only problem ppl forgot all the success and pedigree of the QB 

 

Only concern is can the defense do anything resembling any type of run or possible turnover luck in the playoffs.

 

Ive lost faith in the defense ( in the playoffs)

 

But that KC team had the QB take a step back, they had even more serious wrs issues and a passing game built around a 34 year old te. That KC oline also lost thuney in the playoffs. KC also didn't have some devastating pass rush outside Jones.

 

The issue is can benford get to 100% before the playoffs start and will hairston continue to develop to the point of a borderline shut down cb in the playoffs ...  Can younger guys on defense like, Solomon, TJ Sanders, Walker, Mathis , Logue,  Dorian Williams, Andressen, Jenkins,  Hairston, Bishop , Hancock, Couch,  rise up and add something come playoff time? 

 

I don't know... 

 

The Tampa game gave me substantial hope. The last 5 mins of the Baltimore game, the defense vs KC, etc.... it's definitely there. 

 

 

Edited 13 hours ago by Kelly to Allen

[Kelly to Allen]

Joey bosa will get healthy before the playoffs too assuming he doesn't have any set backs. That cast is off but he's still not 💯 ....

 

When he is, he's a massive massive difference maker in the playoff equation. He can still take a game over similar to what he did vs KC 

 

In a playoff game all it takes is a couple ff or sacks to change a game 

 

A fully healthy Bosa, Rousseau and Epenesa can generate an organic pass rush. But they all need to be 100% 

Edited 13 hours ago by Kelly to Allen

[Nihilarian]

On any given Sunday...

 

In 2023, Buffalo was 6-6 at the bye week, and Miami was 9-3. The Buffalo Bills found a way to win out and play Miami in their last game of the season. Thus winning the division.  Great stuff. 

 

Now for 2025, the playoff machine has Buffalo as the 6th seed playing at Indy or possibly at Pittsburgh, which might be the better option. 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

 

The Bills play: 7-4

@ Pittsburgh

at home against the Bengals

@ New England

@ Cleveland

Philly at Buffalo

NY Jets at Buffalo

 

This has just been an insane season as the Bills' biggest roadblock/nemesis to the SB in the KC Chiefs, over the last five years, are currently falling on their face at 5-5. Now Buffalo plays the Patriots after their bye week in New England. The good news is that, "IF" the Bills' offensive coordinator can install new plays that Daboll ran and perhaps change signals, the Bills can beat anyone. 

[Scott7975]

17 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

It would seem our biggest vulnerability is a very physical defense, aggressive DL. What we basically saw against Atlanta and Houston. 
 

The good news is, it’s very possible we won’t see that type of defensive play up front until a Super Bowl appearance.
 

The AFC is just overflowing with pretenders. Take your pick, Patriots, Broncos, Chargers, Steelers, Colts. Can we lose to these teams? Sure. But I would probably prefer this iteration of the Bills vs these teams than the last few years vs peak KC. We don’t necessarily need to figure it out to make a run here or even be the best version of our selves.
 

 

 

 

To be fair, Houston is one of those defenses that just doesnt have much weakness. Their ends are some of the best in the league. Their corner duo is some of the best in the league. Their linebackers are really good. Their slot corner who also plays safety is really good. But yes, we don't do well against physical defense. Never have.

7 hours ago, Nihilarian said:

On any given Sunday...

 

In 2023, Buffalo was 6-6 at the bye week, and Miami was 9-3. The Buffalo Bills found a way to win out and play Miami in their last game of the season. Thus winning the division.  Great stuff. 

 

Now for 2025, the playoff machine has Buffalo as the 6th seed playing at Indy or possibly at Pittsburgh, which might be the better option. 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

 

The Bills play: 7-4

@ Pittsburgh

at home against the Bengals

@ New England

@ Cleveland

Philly at Buffalo

NY Jets at Buffalo

 

This has just been an insane season as the Bills' biggest roadblock/nemesis to the SB in the KC Chiefs, over the last five years, are currently falling on their face at 5-5. Now Buffalo plays the Patriots after their bye week in New England. The good news is that, "IF" the Bills' offensive coordinator can install new plays that Daboll ran and perhaps change signals, the Bills can beat anyone. 

 

That was a flawed Miami team. The pats aren't dumping enough games for us to win the division, even if we win out. The pats might not be elite but they are very good and they aren't a gimmick like Miami.

Edited 1 hour ago by Scott7975

[Aussie Joe]

Watching a lot of our competitors today … they are certainly not unbeatable … find some consistency in the playoffs and who knows?

[Kelly to Allen]

26 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

To be fair, Houston is one of those defenses that just doesnt have much weakness. Their ends are some of the best in the league. Their corner duo is some of the best in the league. Their linebackers are really good. Their slot corner who also plays safety is really good. But yes, we don't do well against physical defense. Never have.

 

That was a flawed Miami team. The pats aren't dumping enough games for us to win the division, even if we win out. The pats might not be elite but they are very good and they aren't a gimmick like Miami.

 

Patriots just lost both their Lt and lg for the year. NT is out with a pec injury and Milton Williams is out multiple weeks....

 

 

[Success]

It heartens me to watch other games.

 

Just get in the tournament. I'll have hope in January, for sure. Maybe a WC run is the thing that finally gets us there.

 

[BigDingus]

We still made the divisional round in 2022 & 2023, despite Allen turning the ball over a ton? 

 

And we're bound to get SOME people back from injury. 

 

If this keeps up, McDermott and/or Beane could get fired? 

 

If not, at least we can look forward to another year of bad defense, interceptions & injuries but in a shiny new stadium! 😁

[Success]

Like, who are we afraid of if we get to the playoffs & our health improves?

 

If we get Oliver & Brown back by January, and have no other significant injuries - am I supposed to worry about the Pats or Broncos?

 

Obviously, either can beat us - but they are decidedly NOT scary teams.  This year feels like as good a shot as we've had, even if we end up w/ the WC.