Mikie2times

I don't imagine Sean Payton and that defense will be an easy Wild Card out.

You would think continuity would matter to some extent? Eagles change coordinators and now are an elite defense. Ravens change coordinators and they're evolving into an elite defense. Bills have the same system for nearly a decade with a defensive guru HC and they can't stop a nose bleed. I think the Lions had the top 2 DL, top 2 LB's, and 3 of 4 secondary starters out when we played. We had our injuries as well, but I don't think we will be seeing them even in the NFC championship game with how unhealthy they're. So sure, they have been a great team all year, but we caught them in a very vulnerable spot and with Josh Allen going pure cyborg mode. Then the Chiefs who we have beat in the regular season how many straight times now? These are very good wins, but if you want to use those and our 12-3 record to create this massive separation between this year and years past, a lot of people just don't see it. If anything, this year is the worst iteration of the McD defenses. Our offense is the best, it is the most diverse, but the defense is unquestionably the worst by anyway you can measure them. Which is just an unacceptable downward decline. Sure Josh could go off, he could also have the ball for 15 minutes as McD gets Parcelled out of the stadium because his defense can't get a team off the field. But how Bills fans feel at this point really isn't that crazy. It's just looking behind the curtain of our record and our biggest wins and actually trying to evaluate if this team is better than it has been prior.

What they went thru prior to winning was likely the most challenged path in NFL history for a team that actually won it all. Most who go thru that level of “almost” never end up winning it with those teams….Broncos, Vikings, Bills, etc.

That would be really interesting. I think the bye provides more relevance to the regular season. Even more so with just one, but historically it’s not uncommon for two teams to get 13 wins and at that point it’s usually random crap deciding the bounces on who finishes ahead of who. I would either like 2 byes or none. But I can see why it wouldn’t be hard to argue for the single bye as it really is the best of the best getting the advantage. Just sucks when it’s the same team. Hard to overcome it.

I could see McD bringing in a tenured assistant who has opposing views and can really challenge him

Walt Corey wasn’t enough to tell you bend but don’t break isn’t the fit for an elite offense? How much of our history needs to replay itself? This is insanity. Go Mud Hens

The Colts are the only team in NFL history to gain 450 yards in the playoffs with no turnovers and still lose.

So it sounds like we have no talent in defense? So Beane sucks then?

I will be sure to unearth threads from years ago to call you out, or not care. One or the other.

They have a new defensive coordinator this year and have taken some time to get it together. But they I’ve had a good defense the last few years. Since week 9 they rank 8th in EPA pass and 3rd in EPA passing success rate. 1st in total success rate. They will have it in order by playoffs. Im the same clip Buffalo ranks, 31st in EPA per pass, 32nd in EPA passing success, and 29th in overall success rate. They have a league worst stat profile since week 9. Maybe they figure it out at time they have never done so before. The crow would be an absolute pleasure to eat if that’s the case.

Interestingly every team you mention has gone deeper in the playoffs than we have the last two years.

Just keep telling me how random our playoff collapses are and how this is the year. It gets me hot.

Fan bases, media, and fan pressure move the needle on coaches. To think just because teams are insanely profitable or like us, successful, that external noise has no impact, thats just not accurate. Just a few weeks ago in his postgame speech, after Sean just got done discussing how they won another AFC East championship, Terry says ”now win the big one”. While I think Terry is ultimately happy, to say he doesn’t have some of the same views as us “negative” fans is fairly unknown at the time. Further the speed at which these views grow, it’s very fast. So maybe they’re just starting in him but that doesn’t mean they won’t grow and grow quick. Confidence is a delicate thing for most. Sure it bothers me that fans don’t see the dead end that is this coach. How Allen has made McD’s career. Yes, it bothers me. For starters it’s just not honest to hold him in this elite category when he’s doing it off the jock of one guy while holding him down like an anchor. That just pisses me off, but that’s not really it. I would like to see a Super Bowl in my life. I really want just one damn Super Bowl. The 90’s had an immense amount of entertainment. The 2020’s have as well. But both those periods also came with a lot of torment. We were a national punchline for gods sake. All of it is in the pursuit of a Super Bowl. So how entertaining is it when you know the guy that’s supposed to get you over the hump come crunch time shrivels to nothing?The entertainment just isn’t as good. I think you will arrive at this place at some point. Just about everybody on this forum will. By that point we will be close to saying good bye to Josh if not already there. We will no longer be entertaining and we will do this all over again. Who knows, maybe 20 years later like last time. So that’s what I don’t want. Even if it is entertaining right now.

And owners are insulated from fan pressure I suppose. Sometimes your ceiling is about the same as your floor with or without a half of fame QB. Wait, actually, that never happens.

So you don’t think external pressure matters in the NFL? Great take.

My take is that we won’t advance past the divisional round. I don’t think that’s absurd. It’s basically par for the course.

You’re entertained by a player. Without Josh we aren’t entertaining and we aren’t very good. I suspect if our front office faced more external pressure it would become more likely to create change. So yes, it matters.

I can agree with that, but it’s not a championship team. The complimentary pieces just aren’t there and if we play a great run front it really neutralizes what you just said.

It’s a little taxing to be heralded as a Super Bowl contender to the level we have and then have things unfold as we have seen. I had much more hope in the 90’s. This team is just not a complete team and hasn’t been. Sure we have a great record as we have many times in the past, but holy crap is Josh pulling so much of that. It has become so obvious this is basically Josh Allen and his band of marry men. We are just out gunned and out maneuvered.

Pittsburgh has a history of playing them really well. So with some luck we could face Denver/Indy, then maybe Denver/Indy/Pittsburgh/Houston, then face KC in the AFC Championship. Even with KC’s playoff rise of late, we match up with them historically and always play very close games and that’s all you really want. But Baltimore is not a good match up in multiple ways vs us and I don’t think we can just hope for the Lamar playoff demise either. The Ravens can blow us out, they did once, and I don’t see that as being injury driven or flukey as many want to write it off as.

To see if my bet cashes

Right above my a$$ in cursive

I think our output will be under 20 vs the Ravens. That defense is a top 10 unit still trending up and will completely lock down our run game. They’re way more physical than we are. I don’t think we will get in a shootout. That’s the type of team we have shrank against in the past especially with an opposing offense that can also be physical and keep us off the field.

And bulk of our fan base perfectly content with it all

Josh can go off, but I don’t see us beating Baltimore. We will probably be missing a DB, it will allow us to say next year will be different as we hug our regular season championship banners and worship the clap.