Game week thread - Bills at Steelers

[Scott7975]

18 hours ago, Koufax said:

 

the good news is you are both wrong. We are making the playoffs because we are a really good team already in good position and with a favorable remaining schedule. 
 

Played poorly a few times, which hurts less in November than January. Have some injuries but that is the ebb and flow of the NFL. Saying a 7-4 #17 is going to participate in 0.5 postseasons this year is never a lock but is the easiest over to take in a long time. 
 

Go Bills

 

Sorry bud but Im not wrong. We aren't in good position being the last seed of a WC with 3 teams within a game of us. I stand by what I said, we are in must win territory and losing to the Steelers could be the final nail.  Being in good position means you are winning or at least have a chance to win the division and you have a little cushion. We burned through that cushion with 6 games to go.

 

I'm not saying we won't make the playoffs. All I am saying is we have no more room for error.

[Scott7975]

8 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

If we win out we win the division and are the #1 or #2 seed.

 

The Pats are losing 2 of their remaining games not against us. I don't see why people look at the Pats and think even their soft schedule is a gimme. They almost lost to the Bengals without Chase, Burrow, and then Higgins after he got concussed.

 

I think they're losing to Jameis on the road on MNF.

 

I don't see that happening, sorry. Just because they won some close games doesn't mean anything. They have been steady and winning all season. We have been all over the place. There is nothing to indicate we have the capability this year of winning 6 in a row. There is nothing to indicate they will lose 3 of their last 6.

[billsfan_34]

11 minutes ago, finn said:

He's very good, of course, but he can't stay healthy. 

Still not ready to get rid of a young, emerging tight end. The high volume of injuries on this has me questioning this entire organization and how they prep. I mean look at Bass for instance. Dudes been out since the beginning of camp. He’s a kicker 😂

[Psautcsk]

35 minutes ago, billsfan_34 said:

Still not ready to get rid of a young, emerging tight end. The high volume of injuries on this has me questioning this entire organization and how they prep. I mean look at Bass for instance. Dudes been out since the beginning of camp. He’s a kicker 😂

Because Prater is more reliable.

[BADOLBILZ]

5 hours ago, KOKBILLS said:

The Bills can still beat anyone on their schedule, and any team they run into in the Playoffs...heck even on a slightly off day... What they can't do is have bad, poorly coached and game-planned days because they are super thinned out due to injury and the margin for error is just not what it used to be. And lately, even though I really think they are built to win in multiple ways, especially on Offense, they just seem reluctant to game plan to the the opponents weaknesses. And I think that has led to the turnovers and mistakes that have put them in bad game scripts against teams they should beat. 

 

I'm not writing anything off, and the chances are never zero... but I just can't help but feel this season got off on the wrong foot right from the start with the two suspensions, then the Max injury, then the Oliver injuries, and has only come close to stabilizing right after the bye. Then Hoecht gets hurt and it's just worse. We'll never get close to seeing what this Defense was supposed to be in 2025. Heck even the seemingly minor injuries to Strong and Sanders were HUGE blows to depth... Kincaid can't stay healthy... It's just been a mess... The fact they they are 7-4 is proof positive they are a very dangerous team. Because man have they had issues...Talent issues, coaching issues, depth issues, game plan issues, scheme issues, penalty issues, and of course worst of all injury issues... 

 

 

Where I think you are wrong is that the Bills can't afford to have poorly coached games.

 

Most games look poorly coached from both sides because styles make fights and everyone is tryna do the same thing.

 

Houston didn't coach their way to victory.  They damn near got beat despite 8 sacks and 3 turnovers.   And the Bills needed a Khalil Shakir facemask penalty to finish off that Tampa game that people thought was some kind of offensive "formula".  

 

It's not really a coaches league right now.  

 

Teams have never been more alike in their approaches offensively and defensively.   Most games look like an intrasquad scrimmage compared to even 5 years ago.   It's not an interesting look for the league,  it's more fun when you have those contrasting styles........but the league has moved the game in this direction and if you are a fan of parity you can't be upset with the results.

 

  On the plus side........it's not the NBA.   The NBA got homogenized years ago but being able to trade 5 years worth of picks has created a super team in OKC that is toying with the rest of the league and still has half the league's first round picks in the near future.   They should probably win the next 3-4 titles.

Edited 28 minutes ago by BADOLBILZ

[SCBills]

1 hour ago, Scott7975 said:

 

Sorry bud but Im not wrong. We aren't in good position being the last seed of a WC with 3 teams within a game of us. I stand by what I said, we are in must win territory and losing to the Steelers could be the final nail.  Being in good position means you are winning or at least have a chance to win the division and you have a little cushion. We burned through that cushion with 6 games to go.

 

I'm not saying we won't make the playoffs. All I am saying is we have no more room for error.

I feel like you haven’t looked at the schedules of those around us.  
 

Not just from an “oh, they’re difficult” standpoint, because Jax aside, they all are but a lot of these teams also play each other. 
 

Houston & KC play each other

 

KC and LA play each other 

 

LA & Houston play each other 

 

BAL & PIT play each other, twice 

 

Indy has 3 losses and every single one of their remaining games is tough 

[Scott7975]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

I feel like you haven’t looked at the schedules of those around us.  
 

Not just from an “oh, they’re difficult” standpoint, because Jax aside, they all are but a lot of these teams also play each other. 
 

Houston & KC play each other

 

KC and LA play each other 

 

LA & Houston play each other 

 

BAL & PIT play each other, twice 

 

Indy has 3 losses and every single one of their remaining games is tough 

 

Most but not all schedules, you are correct. That doesn't change what I said or make it wrong. For instance, either BAL or PITT will be a division winner. The other is a WC contender. Ravens almost never sweep Pitts. Not sure if they have even done so in the Lamar era. We play Pitts. Losing to them gives them a tie breaker over us. Exactly why I said that this game could be the final nail. 

We are currently the last seed in the WC. 3 teams below us are 1 game away from tying our record. One has the tie breaker on us (HOU.) One we have the tie breaker over (KC.) The other we play this week. This week is a must win. Pretty much every week is.

[SCBills]

Just now, Scott7975 said:

 

Most but not all schedules, you are correct. That doesn't change what I said or make it wrong. For instance, either BAL or PITT will be a division winner. The other is a WC contender. Ravens almost never sweep Pitts. Not sure if they have even done so in the Lamar era. We play Pitts. Losing to them gives them a tie breaker over us. Exactly why I said that this game could be the final nail. 

We are currently the last seed in the WC. 3 teams below us are 1 game away from tying our record. One has the tie breaker on us (HOU.) One we have the tie breaker over (KC.) The other we play this week. This week is a must win. Pretty much every week is.

I agree PIT is a big game for the tiebreaker purposes and the fact we already lose that with Houston, but every week is not a “must win” unless we think NE trips up a bunch. 
 

13-4 might be the 1 seed record. 

[Sojourner]

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I feel like you haven’t looked at the schedules of those around us.  
 

Not just from an “oh, they’re difficult” standpoint, because Jax aside, they all are but a lot of these teams also play each other. 
 

Houston & KC play each other

 

KC and LA play each other 

 

LA & Houston play each other 

 

BAL & PIT play each other, twice 

 

Indy has 3 losses and every single one of their remaining games is tough 

Not counting Indy out but they struggled against Pittsburgh, the box score there doesn’t tel the whole story. 
 

Atlanta had another collapse late after pulling ahead. 
 

Were up 20-9 going into the 4th against the Chiefs and blew it. 
 

2-4 over their next 6 is a possibility. Heck they could end up anywhere even 0-6. Don’t see it, think they split it as the team has enough talent to edge out a game but like you said, their remaining games are tough. Real chance that division could split away from them to the Jags or Texans. 
 

Jags play Titans x2, Colts x2, Jets and Broncos

 

Texans play Colts x2, Chiefs, Cards, Raiders and Chargers. 
 

That division is anyone’s unless they revert to their play from the first third of the year. 

[Scott7975]

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I agree PIT is a big game for the tiebreaker purposes and the fact we already lose that with Houston, but every week is not a “must win” unless we think NE trips up a bunch. 
 

13-4 might be the 1 seed record. 

 

I'm not sure if you wrote your thought wrong to the bolded. It seems contradictive unless I am having brain trouble (completely possible as I do have some disability here.) Unless NE trips up a bunch is part of the reason why every week is "must win." 

13-4 might be the 1 seed, you are correct. However, there are times where the last game can take you from 1 seed or 2 seed to out of the playoffs altogether. Unless something changes, IMO every week is must win. Otherwise you end up in a position where the last week is a must win and or you need help from other teams to get in. That is why we are not in good position. As it stand now, if we lose this week we would be out of the playoffs until something changes. That will change week to week depending on other game outcomes. I dunno about you, but IMO controlling your own destiny is better than relying on other teams to lose.