transplantbillsfan

I'm absolutely a homer... but hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day, amiright????

WTF?!?!?! How the hell did we draw the crappiest time in terms of statements about popularity???? We're the same team that just blew the doors off MNF ratings in two games this season against SF & NE. Whatever, I was hoping to sleep in before the game on Saturday, but now I have to wake up by 7. Sucky. At least we'll be the most rested team for the following weekend if we win.

This was always my ideal matchup. I've seen a lot of people say this is one of our worst matchups and I guess I don't understand it. Yeah I know their D is really good. Yeah I know Jonathan Taylor is really good. But the Colts are a dome team with a geriatric QB who's played his entire career in warm weather and a dome. If we can't beat them we don't belong. And I am absolutely not someone who ever just outright EXPECTS a win, either.

I still want us to play for the #2 seed, whatever that means. I'm 100% content with scoreboard watching and putting Allen and the other key starters on the bench once it's clear Cleveland is going to win, even though I think people are much too confident that's a gimme. But the reason I'm coming around to the idea of just resting starters the entire game is the weather. It looks like it's just gonna be ugly tomorrow with slushy snow or freezing rain or just cold and wet with rain. If the weather is that ugly and there's more potential for injury, I would understand--though not be very happy with--resting starters from the beginning of the game to stave off injuries. That said, I believe McDermott will fight for the #2 seed.

So I still expect and want us to be playing for the #2 seed. However, the weather forecast for tomorrow is just ugly and would probably make me feel a little okay if McDermott just decided to rest his starters the whole game, even though that's not what I expect to happen.

And the thing is.... that's his entire NFL career. Allen became a superstar this year, but he was never nearly as bad as portrayed nationally in his first 2 years. Just listen to the national media narrative from absolutely everyone... the belief is he was awful his first 2 years when the reality is he was a rookie with an untalented skilled position corps in year 1 (Robert Foster as his #1 WR???), he actually improved dramatically in year 2 but suffered from the highest drop % in the NFL and led his team to a playoff clinching win against the Steelers on SNF and might've had a playoff victory if not for the burden of feeling he needed to carry the team combined with youth... and here we are in year 3. I would also offer that Allen’s OL has been absolutely incredible this year. I thought Allen would be an MVP candidate last year. I was wrong and was obviously a year early, but you certainly saw this as a likelihood in year 2 (and year 1... if you were looking) in terms of Allen becoming a stud.

One weird question: Why aren't most people counting Allen’s receiving TD towards his total TD number? Do they just not know he has a receiving TD?

They will sit them once the game is in control or once Cleveland is clearly in control. Every year you see teams in contention for the #1 or #2 seed with a playoff spot locked up play to win with all starters in week 17. They don't manufacture a bye week with playoffs already in hand. Now, I will say that for this week weather might be a legitimate factor, but McDermott understands the significance of home playoff games in WNY.

Why does making sure we don't get the #4 seed matter? People don't care about getting the #3 seed, but you cared about getting the #4 seed? In both instances we're guaranteed 1 home game only.

So last week mattered because it put us into the number 2 seed, but now the number 2 seed doesn't matter? That doesn't make sense. Now we're getting into these psychological statements in terms of "exorcising demons" when we're talking about pummelling the Pats last week when it was obvious the Bills were the better team going into the game. So you care about that type of psychological statement combined with potentially losing the #2 seed that you thought was important last week, but not about the psychological statement of sweeping the AFC East for the first time in God knows how long, ending up 13-3, and assuring yourself of the #2 seed and 2 home playoff games? And if you're saying we absolutely should want the #2 seed, then we absolutely should play our starters at the beginning of the game and scoreboard watch. Even with Pittsburgh resting Big Ben, Cleveland is a Covid mess right now and they just lost to the Jets. They could easily lose to Pittsburgh's backups and we could easily then lose the #2 seed that you said we should absolutely want. Regarding the Beasley thing... no I don't really think he should have sat and I don't think we should have rested our starters against New England. I was ecstatic watching that game and thought it was a big deal. However, with all of the arguments everyone is having here about why we should rest our starters against the Dolphins in a "meaningless" game, that New England game was pretty much just as meaningless. The logic doesn't make sense, Logic.

I have a question then: Why isn't everyone storming One Bills Drive with pitchforks right now? We didn't rest our starters against the Patriots despite having the division locked up and a home game in the wildcard round locked up. Basically, our scenarios last week in losing to the Patriots and then losing this week would have been virtually the same as us losing this week. We would get a home game in the playoffs and then potentially have to go on the road in round 2. And Cole Beasely--probably our 3rd most important offensive player--got injured and it looks like there's a chance he might miss some time... maybe even a playoff game. So why isn't everyone running with pitchforks to One Bills Drive? If you guys believe we should rest our starters this week, we should have rested them last week also in order to avoid injury like the one that happened to one of our most critical offensive players. Again, what was gained last Monday by playing all of our starters in a next to meaningless game?

This is about an extra home game for players and coaches with fans in the stands for the first home playoff games since the mid 90s. It's not about 1st round opponent for players and coaches. As fans, I would think we would all be happier seeing the Colts, Browns or Dolphins in round 1 rather than the Ravens. But despite fan preference on 1st round draw, the benefit of an extra week at home for players and coaches and fans finally allowed in the stands for the 1st time all season should be reason enough for McDermott to want to ensure we lock up the #2 seed, which we have full control over. C'mon guys... why is this getting so complicated?

This is what's so irritating about this conversation. How could players (and coaches) NOTwant the convenience of not having to get on a plane for what will ultimately turn into 3 1/2 weeks if they keep winning in the playoffs? On top of just the convenience and familiarity of staying and playing at home and easily getting home to families the same day? Do you guys really think that doesn't matter to them a ton? On top of that convenience, throw in all the Covid protocols and added risks of infection with travel. The whole not playing the Ravens thing is something that the players and coaches really don't even have to think about here, but it IS an added bonus. If we lock up the #2 seed and somehow draw the Ravens, so be it. But the simple fact of the matter is that if we get the #2 seed, we're highly unlikely to play the Ravens. Coaches and players might not care about that, but frankly I'll be happier if we're playing the Colts, Browns, or Dolphins in the wildcard round. I want to see a playoff win goddamnit and the simple fact of the matter is that the Ravens are a much tougher opponent than those other 3 teams. Play for the number 2 seed, period. Scoreboard watch and pull starters when/if the Steelers clearly lose, but honestly with the Cleveland Covid situation, how much of a guarantee is that? Aside from all those arguments with convenience of home games, extra Covid protocols for road games, and 1st round opponent, I'm pretty amazed at the amount of fans here who don't care about an extra playoff home game when fans are finally allowed in Bills stadium.

That's because it's a meaningless game, obviously. They have the bye locked up. Homefield matters. Especially in the age of Covid and even more so now that Buffalo is allowing up to 6700 fans in the stadium for playoff games. You rest them only if Cleveland is obviously winning against Pittsburgh. And I don't know if anyone has been paying attention to Cleveland right now, but they're a Covid mess. They legitimately might lose to Mason Rudolph.

Homefield advantage. It's what you play for. On top of that, winning the #2 seed all but guarantees you don't see the Ravens in the 1st round. They're the other "hottest team in the NFL" right now along with Buffalo. Make sure homefield is locked up. That's what's best. Rest your starters once that's clearly happened.

Rest your starters in a meaningless game. Bills vs. Dolphins on Sunday isn't meaningless. It just became more meaningful with the announcement that fans would be allowed in the stands for playoff games. McDermott should ask one of his assistants to scoreboard watch the Steelers vs. Browns and once it's clear the Browns will win, pull Josh & co. But they need to start the game.

I don't really know what McDermott's plan is, but he better be playing for the #2 seed. Now that fans are allowed in the stadium for playoff games, it would be a crime against WNYers not to ensure you get 2 home games. I don't care if he designates someone to scoreboard watch and puts Josh & co. on the bench once it's clear Cleveland will beat Pittsburgh, but you definitely need to make sure you don't lose Sunday and watch Pittsburgh win. And yes, Pittsburgh can win even with Rudolph at QB. Remember these are the same Browns who just lost to the Jets.

This matters to the players if only for the convenience of being guaranteed Hometown familiarity for the next 3 weeks. Not having to get on a plane and stay in a hotel in the age of Covid matters.

Josh has less than 300 yards to reach 5,000 total yards on the season. And just for the record, Allen has already far surpassed the 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson's total yards of 4333 total yards--Allen has 4738 right now--and is tied with his total TDs at 43.

Yes. And we want #2... not #3.

Sorry... #3. Pittsburgh has the same record as us. We lose and they win next week, we're #3 rather than #2.

STOP IT!!!! We are guaranteed the #2 seed if we win. We could be the #4 seed if we lose. Everyone plays and you play to win.