The Red King

We played Tampa @ Tampa, fought them to overtime, and lost because we got screwed by the refs. We underacheived against Carolina, and secured a win that keeps our playoff hopes squarely in our hands. Would you have prefered a performance like last week, with the same outcome? We won. I feel far better then I would have if they had lost.

Hardly Jello. Lemmie short form it. NFL isn't outright scripted, but the NFL has preferred outcomes. The refs can nudge games by making one-sided calls. Doesn't help if one team is stomping the other, but in close games like the Tampa one, it can very much sway it. It's no more unreasonable a theory then yours, which is "Multiple professional refs saw a blatent penalty at a critical moment, and not a single one threw a flag because gross, mass incompentance." But, we're at an impasse. Neither is going to sway the other, and the repeated hostility in your replies suggests this thread is not good for your temperment, so I'm going to bow out. Good day, sir.

Sadly, the NFL isn't as worried about losing ad views from fans of small-market teams. Now fans of, say, Tampa...

If the Bills win their remaining 4, and the Pats lose to the Bills and win their other 2, Bills win tiebreaker due to divisional record. Bills control their destiny atm.

My dad always used to say, "If you can't beat the best, you don't deserve to be called the best." He was never in favor of losing games to fish for better match ups, in football or hockey.

English Translation: Albany,n.y. will disregard the entire content of the post because it refutes everything he proposes from his deluded mind, because he can't take off the tinfoil hat. See, I can completely disregard a reply and try to cover for that ignorance with insults, too. Though, admittedly, you're better at that kind of willful delusion then I am.

Colts win tonight, we win out, no scoreboard watching. No sarcasm, honest question, if the Pats win and we win out, are we assured a wild card, or are we stuck scoreboard watching? I prefer a scenario where we control our own destiny.

Because the NFL can nudge games, not script them. If one team stomps the other, no amount of nudging can help. Likewise, if a team is hellbent on losing (Bills/Jags), nudging can't save them. That's why I've repeatedly said the league *wants* a NE/TB Superbowl. Refs are going to nudge games toward that outcome. But, as I just noted, nudging doesn't assure anything. The NFL may not get what they want, but they sure as hell are gonna try. (Buf/TB).

Bottom line, Colts win tonight, we control our own destiny. If the Colts win tonight and Buffalo wins out, they are the AFC East Champions no matter what else happens.

We play them. We beat them and win out, Pats only need to lose one other, Colts would do. If we win out, we hold the tiebreaker. Head-to-head is split. We would have a 5-1 division record. Pats would have lost to us once, and Miami week 1, making their division record, at best, 4-2.

Colts beat Pats and we win out, we win the East. We will have split the head-to-head and hold the tie-breaker by virtue of division record. We beat the Panthers, Colts beat the Pats, and we hold our fate in our hands again. Pats don't even have to lose to Miami, if the Colts beat 'em. That first loss to them costs them the tie-breaker if we win out. Pats just need one other loss. Colts work out fine.

If it is, will you come back and admit you know nothing?

Only good news, if the nudging theory is correct, is that Allen is sexy to the NFL. So, I think the league will start nudging in our favor to get them in as a wild card. Just don't want them getting in the way of a NE/TB Super Bowl. Now, if the league gets that, Buffalo might be sexy enough to get nudged toward the Super Bowl next year. Though, whether or not Buffalo commits to a new stadium might be a factor. Keep an eye on how the calls fall the rest of the season. Buffalo will likely benefit from almost all of them vs. the Panthers and Jets, and likely even the Rams, yet somehow none of them vs. the Pats, unless the Pats are in a good enough playoff position. Remember, we beat the Pats and Jets we hold the tie-breaker vs. NE.

Anyone else think the Bills will get all the calls this week so the refs can say, "See? No bias! We made it up to them!" 🤬

Yeah, but given the current state of officiating, and repeated suggestions that the NFL is in bed with Vegas, well, this isn't a good look for the league.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nfl.com/_amp/raiders-allegiant-stadium-named-host-site-for-super-bowl-lviii-in-2024 Yeah, nothing about this looks sketchy. XD

Honestly, it's not just the Bills. The officiating has always been suspect, but this year seems far worse, with a lot of outright blatently blown calls swaying games all over the league. Not talking subtle/questionable. The bad calls/no calls are numerous, critical and clear as day.

Rams game we got hosed on a duel possession somehow went to the defender call that let them back in to the game, so the later call offset. Other time I remember was The Comeback, where Bebee stepped out of bounds on a long TD, and the INT in OT was blatent PI. But hey, the greatest NFL comeback is a great storyline.

Bebee was out of bounds on the long TD. The overtime interception was defensive PI. Loved the game, loved the outcome, will be the first to admit the refs screwed the Oilers.

In a game that the Rams got back in to off a bad call that somehow gave a dual-possession catch to the defense. At least the critical bad calls were split evenly.

Rams @ Saints. NFC Championship Game?

Last game Brady lost due to a critical call/no call? I'll wait. If you don't see it, you're delusional. I get it, you don't want to think something you love to watch/follow isn't influened by the NFL. It is. Bills/Bucs, Lions/Ravens earlier this season. I could go on...

Delusional? Let me repeat... " Alright, to those defending the refs, a simple yes/no question. Had the roles been reversed, had Brady and Tampa mounted a huge comeback and the play unfold identically where the Tampa reciever been mugged, can you look me in the eyes and honestly say there is any doubt there would have been a flag. Go on, I dare you. Now, two refs were looking right at it. The only change in my scenario were the QB and jerseys. Why would there be a flag there for them? Either both refs are biased Brady fans, in which case neither should ever work a Brady game again...or the refs were encouraged to nudge the game for Tampa, which is what we're suggesting." If you're going to call us delusional, I still await your rebuttal.

As I said earlier, I still follow it, but I don't watch the games anymore. I make better use of my time, and my blood pressure thanks me. As to why I still follow, it's in my blood. Football carries wonderful memories of me and my father.

It was the right call. The play showed it. The defender was beat, which would have been a TD, PI, or holding at the worst, had the refs done their job Alright, to those defending the refs, a simple yes/no question. Had the roles been reversed, had Brady and Tampa mounted a huge comeback and the play unfold identically where the Tampa reciever been mugged, can you look me in the eyes and honestly say there is any doubt there would have been a flag. Go on, I dare you. Now, two refs were looking right at it. The only change in my scenario were the QB and jerseys. Why would there be a flag there for them? Either both refs are biased Brady fans, in which case neither should ever work a Brady game again...or the refs were encouraged to nudge the game for Tampa, which is what we're suggesting. I welcome rebuttal.