Georgia Bill

I see now why so many wanted Schittsburg 😄

So I checked a Ravens board and basically it's about a third wanting Buffalo, a third wanting KC (both of those of course based on who they think would be a better matchup) and the other third like some on this board - saying it doesn't matter because they can beat anybody so bring it on. Seems their biggest problem is bringing themselves to cheer for either the Browns or Steelers tonight 😄

I'd bet some of them are posting about how many on this board are afraid of facing them.

I agree. You'd almost think the ST coach would have a rule: "No running the ball out of the end zone - period". The odds of getting a really good return beyond the 25 seem small, and the odds of running one back for a TD are miniscule. Plus the risk factor you mentioned and the chance to fumble when being gang tackled. I wonder if anyone has run the numbers on it.

Bass be badass!!

He lives a little dangerously on some of those plays where he's getting pressure, but I have 0 complaints. Once in a while you're going to have something like that happen. It is super seldom and he makes so many great plays under pressure it's well worth it. I just gotta say Josh - I love you just the way you are!

Any playoff team ought to be able to get a first down on third and short by running the football. I can't blame them for trying it, it's the poor success rate that was concerning. We had some 2nd and one or two that I thought would have been great downs for throws, but we ran and got stuffed on a couple of those too.

It's always damn hard to "enjoy" a game that is tight and comes down to the last play. They're nerve-wracking as hell - but now that I'm calming down it's GREAT that they got the win and avoided coming up on the short end of the stick. We live to fight another day! I do hope we can win the next one without so much stress though...

They lost 3 sure points on the 4th and goal go for it. Then they lost 1 sure point by going for the 2 pt conversion instead of a PAT. That's 4 sure points. If everything else had played out the same they would have won by 1. I think Reich is going to take a ton of heat for those two poor decisions. We were lucky he made those calls.

I'm not worried about this relatively small number of fans. I'm a bit more worried about the team being too amped up, due to it being a do or die playoff game. But I think that happens - especially to younger teams that haven't been through it much. To me, it seems like usually they get that over-hyped adrenaline worked out after the first couple series. But there were times in the Houston game last year where Josh looked like he was getting rattled. I think he's matured significantly since then. Look at all the prime time games he's shined in of late, even with people talking about how poorly Buffalo's done on Monday night, he just has a calm about him and gets it done. He'll be fine!

From Olean Times Herald "Buffalo looks to end playoff-win drought ‘Hanging over Buffalo is the fact that it has lost its last six postseason games.’" I hate all this Hanging over Buffalo's head, Monkeys on their Backs talk. This crap means nothing to this team - they are going to go out and do everything they can to win and not only could probably care less how many old Bills teams lost ahead of them, but they'd be foolish to waste any time thinking about it. Sure, they didn't like how it ended last year in a game they could have had and that's cool to use as motivation. But when fans on this board talk about all the monkeys that have to be removed, those aren't monkeys on THIS team's back. If anything they're monkeys that the fans and the media keep alive and keep feeding. Hell I've been through it all since the early seventies, but I refuse to worry about past history. It has ZERO relevance or importance for this team's playoff run.

If this team makes it to the Super Bowl, I don't want anything about the game to have anything to do with the "monkeys" that the old Bills carried on their backs, or about any festering desires for revenge that fans want to carry. This is the new Bills, let them have their place in the sun free of those monkeys. It should be all about THEM.

Sounds like we shouldn't even need to pad up - we already won! I hope our team is not getting anywhere near as overconfident as some on this board. The time for beating your chest is best reserved for AFTER a win, not before it. But to each their own I guess...

Same here. You can't say it was not a great season, with massive improvements that leads to a lot of optimism for the years ahead. When it comes to playoff games I really do want them to win because I want this team to experience that joy together. Same for losses, I hate to see these guys who played so well together and really bonded as a team to have to suffer a loss. As for me personally, it's all upside. I've thoroughly enjoyed the season. If they lose this week or next or whenever, I can deal with it. If they win, of course I'll be happy, as there is an ultimate goal here. I'm just not feeling like it's now or never for this team as they look like they are poised for long term success. I like their chances this year though, because they seem to be playing loose and having fun. If they can keep that up and not get all wrapped up in "the pressure" of the playoffs, they might go very far. Fingers crossed!

Yeah, that was great, AFC champions, no one could beat us right? Then came the Giants 😦

I felt horrible when our Bills couldn't get a win against Pittsburgh's back ups when we needed it to get in. But that PALES in comparison to this. Talk about crashing back to earth, there were Dolphins fans who thought they were good enough to beat us with our starters. Ouch!

I LIKE that idea!

Um, because it was 3rd and 10?

Colts or Ravens or Browns have to lose.

I'm glad we played our starters in the first half. Hopefully we can pull out the win without them hereafter.

So you will also be terrified of injuries in any subsequent playoff games. Better not watch any of these games, too frightening...

Don't put bad ju-ju out into the universe.

Oh, I see we now have to also worry about CoVid with the Fitzpatrick news. That skews things heavily towards resting starters...

Unfortunately, the only real way to answer whether resting starters in the last game of the season is a good decision is AFTER you play the playoff game that comes next. If you rested starters and lose the playoff game, it was a bad decision (blame placed on rust). If you didn't rest starters, suffer key injuries, and lose the playoff game, it was a bad decision (blame placed on injuries). Since everything in advance is conjecture, our current positions on this really come down to which we are more worried about, injuries or loss of momentum. The 2011 Packers rested Rodgers, then lost their first playoff game. The Bengals rested starters in 2005 and 2009, followed by losses in their first playoff games. In the old days 😉 Belichick always played his starters and had pretty good success. I think McDermott is more worried about injuries and will rest key starters for most if not all of the game. Time will tell if that conservative strategy works...

Thanks. For those that might be curious, I dug a little deeper on these Super Bowl winners. Not sure it paints a definitive picture. I bolded the ones where the win in the last game of the season was not critically needed. The ones that aren't bolded were where the team HAD to win to get in, so obviously they played their starters. 2012 Baltimore - did not need the win, played starters 1 qtr, lost the game to Cinci 2011 Giants - needed a win to secure division (with a loss they'd be out of the playoffs), beat Dallas 2010 Green Bay - needed a win to secure a wild card spot, beat Chicago 2007 Giants - did not need the win (already locked into 5th seed), played starters anyway (which Coughlin took heat for), lost to the then undefeated Patriots 2006 Colts - needed a win to secure the 3rd seed, played starters, beat Miami 2005 Pittsburgh - needed a win to secure a wild card spot, beat Detroit