What's with all this AFC East Toughness BS?

[Rockinon]

I need to go find something to punch.

I'll send a Patsy fan your way.

[akm0404]

To all of the posters who endlessly whine about how the Bills get no respect from the national media and are ignored in discussions of the AFC East:

 

They are ignored for good reason. They are irrelevant in every sense of the word. Perpetually mediocre, overwhelmingly boring, and completely devoid of any superstar, recognizable, or even interesting players.

 

Same reason you don't get a ton of Cleveland Browns in-depth analysis or a bunch of sportscasters breaking down the Seahawks.

 

As an aside, I love how everyone calls bringing in highly productive star free agents "splashy pickups". Yeah, signing Brandon Marshall would really have been a splashy gimmick. Lol, he'll probably out produce our entire WR corps, but hey, that didn't make them extend their chasmic talent advantage or anything. Because we have a coach nobody knew was still looking for work and a stable of boring, bottom-of-the-league quarterbacks.

 

The Bills might not finish last in the AFC East, but it isn't the media pundits' fault for the Bills irrelevance and mediocrity - that was and is firmly established at the top.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

To all of the posters who endlessly whine about how the Bills get no respect from the national media and are ignored in discussions of the AFC East:

 

They are ignored for good reason. They are irrelevant in every sense of the word. Perpetually mediocre, overwhelmingly boring, and completely devoid of any superstar, recognizable, or even interesting players.

(...) Because we have a coach nobody knew was still looking for work and a stable of boring, bottom-of-the-league quarterbacks.

 

The Bills might not finish last in the AFC East, but it isn't the media pundits' fault for the Bills irrelevance and mediocrity - that was and is firmly established at the top.

 

Wow, I think you need to be a little more mindlessly negative and critical of our team.

I don't think you've really articulated your feelings sufficiently in the absence of any offered examples or basis for your opinions.

Fortunately, you have plenty of role models in the media so I'm certain you will excel in time.

[Rockinon]

To all of the posters who endlessly whine about how the Bills get no respect from the national media and are ignored in discussions of the AFC East:

 

They are ignored for good reason. They are irrelevant in every sense of the word. Perpetually mediocre, overwhelmingly boring, and completely devoid of any superstar, recognizable, or even interesting players.

 

Same reason you don't get a ton of Cleveland Browns in-depth analysis or a bunch of sportscasters breaking down the Seahawks.

 

As an aside, I love how everyone calls bringing in highly productive star free agents "splashy pickups". Yeah, signing Brandon Marshall would really have been a splashy gimmick. Lol, he'll probably out produce our entire WR corps, but hey, that didn't make them extend their chasmic talent advantage or anything. Because we have a coach nobody knew was still looking for work and a stable of boring, bottom-of-the-league quarterbacks.

 

The Bills might not finish last in the AFC East, but it isn't the media pundits' fault for the Bills irrelevance and mediocrity - that was and is firmly established at the top.

I agree with the respect bit. You have to earn that. But the call on this is game is dead wrong. Why? Because this team is poised to strike. I have seen the first team playing with a level of intensity that was lacking last year. Who cares what anyone else thinks. The Bills are simply hungrier and it shows. Bills by 7 Pts.

[JohnC]

I was watching last night when Chris Brown broke down last year's standings. Fins 7-9, Jets 9-7, Pats 10-6. Where's the dominant team? We were 6-10, a couple plays from being right in the thick of it, and we're improved. It's not like we're trying to catch up with the 16-0 Pats of a few years back.

 

Last year, the Bills were never seriously in the playoff hunt. Let's not create a fantasy here. The Bills were one of the lowest ranked offenses in the NFL. If you watched all the games, as I did, you would understand why. They were outright horrendous. On defense our run defense got steamrolled by everyone. Every game was the same ugly game of our DL getting knocked back creating wide lanes for long runs.

 

As you stated, the Bills were 6-10 last year. What you left out was that the Colts didn't play their starters for more than a series or two in the last game of the season. They already had their playoff position locked up. Do you honestly believe that if that game was meaningful for this SB team that Peyton Manning would only play a series or two?

 

Every time anybody discusses the AFC East, they talk about the Fins, Pats, and Jets. We are a total afterthought. Looking at last year's standings, it just doesn't make any sense. We were one game from being tied with Miami. Had we won that first game against New England and all other games played out the same, we'd have been tied with Miami, and both the Jets and Pats would've been 9-7. Two games difference.

 

There is no respect for this team. I can't wait till the opener. Really.

 

Your "could have been" and "should have been" scearios are lame and pathetic. The Bills have been bad for a decade going on a generation. You then have the audacity to ask why the Bills aren't taken seriously. Are the Pittsburgh Pirtates taken seiously in baseball? Are the LA Clippers taken seriously in basketball? If not, then why should the Bills be taken seriously? They all have the same history of generational ineptitude.

 

This constant lamenting about the Bills being disrespected by outsiders is embarrassing. There is a simple solution: start winning on a more consistent basis. Then there will be more positive responses by those same outside critics. The Bills are getting the respect that they deserve. If you want to have a relevant team than perform on the field like a relevant team.

 

The Bills will be last in their own division for the simple reason they are the least talented team in their division. You don't have to be a genius analyst to come to that obvious conclusion.

 

I hate crybabies. I hate whiners. Excuses are for losers. Let's just stop with this "not getting respect" foolishness. It is so tiresome.

Edited September 4, 2010 by JohnC

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I was watching last night when Chris Brown broke down last year's standings. Fins 7-9, Jets 9-7, Pats 10-6. Where's the dominant team? We were 6-10, a couple plays from being right in the thick of it, and we're improved. It's not like we're trying to catch up with the 16-0 Pats of a few years back.

 

Every time anybody discusses the AFC East, they talk about the Fins, Pats, and Jets. We are a total afterthought. Looking at last year's standings, it just doesn't make any sense. We were one game from being tied with Miami. Had we won that first game against New England and all other games played out the same, we'd have been tied with Miami, and both the Jets and Pats would've been 9-7. Two games difference.

 

There is no respect for this team. I can't wait till the opener. Really.

 

You make a number of valid points. I rolfed when I saw that "sleeper" prediction article about Miami as a "perennial playoff contender" because in the last three years they went 1-15, playoffs next year, 7-9 last year and the Browns making a significant upgrade in quarterback.

 

So I agree with you, the media is just over the top ignorant in disrespecting the Bills, ignoring or minimizing any talent they acquire (Spiller!) and ignoring last year's strengths. 'Cuz with other teams, they are writing about last year's strengths, except for Buffalo and we did have some strengths on 2ndary and special teams.

 

But you know, when the Bills were going to Superbowls every year, it was the same deal. Especially St Louis. I loathe and despise several StL sportswriters because of how mindlessly bashing they were of the Bills in those years, and when the Greatest Show on Turf went bankrupt quickly, I will confess I laughed at the wailing. If a sportswriter did some homework he could have looked at injuries to the OL and personnel changes and seen Trouble Ahead and commented intelligently.

 

I think our own GM Nix said it best, though. "Don't tell me about the labor pains, show me the baby....We've got to show you the baby, and the baby is winning"

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/31/gailey-wants-to-show-bills-fans-the-baby/

 

**** the media. Just win, Baby!

[marsadale]

Last year, the Bills were never seriously in the playoff hunt. Let's not create a fantasy here. The Bills were one of the lowest ranked offenses in the NFL. If you watched all the games, as I did, you would understand why. They were outright horrendous. On defense our run defense got steamrolled by everyone. Every game was the same ugly game of our DL getting knocked back creating wide lanes for long runs.

 

As you stated, the Bills were 6-10 last year. What you left out was that the Colts didn't play their starters for more than a series or two in the last game of the season. They already had their playoff position locked up. Do you honestly believe that if that game was meaningful for this SB team that Peyton Manning would only play a series or two?

 

 

 

Your "could have been" and "should have been" scearios are lame and pathetic. The Bills have been bad for a decade going on a generation. You then have the audacity to ask why the Bills aren't taken seriously. Are the Pittsburgh Pirtates taken seiously in baseball? Are the LA Clippers taken seriously in basketball? If not, then why should the Bills be taken seriously? They all have the same history of generational ineptitude.

 

This constant lamenting about the Bills being disrespected by outsiders is embarrassing. There is a simple solution: start winning on a more consistent basis. Then there will be more positive responses by those same outside critics. The Bills are getting the respect that they deserve. If you want to have a relevant team than perform on the field like a relevant team.

 

The Bills will be last in their own division for the simple reason they are the least talented team in their division. You don't have to be a genius analyst to come to that obvious conclusion.

 

I hate crybabies. I hate whiners. Excuses are for losers. Let's just stop with this "not getting respect" foolishness. It is so tiresome.

i'm guessing you do a quite a bit of "hate"ing......seems to be your "go to" word

[Bob in STL]

I was watching last night when Chris Brown broke down last year's standings. Fins 7-9, Jets 9-7, Pats 10-6. Where's the dominant team? We were 6-10, a couple plays from being right in the thick of it, and we're improved. It's not like we're trying to catch up with the 16-0 Pats of a few years back.

 

Every time anybody discusses the AFC East, they talk about the Fins, Pats, and Jets. We are a total afterthought. Looking at last year's standings, it just doesn't make any sense. We were one game from being tied with Miami. Had we won that first game against New England and all other games played out the same, we'd have been tied with Miami, and both the Jets and Pats would've been 9-7. Two games difference.

 

There is no respect for this team. I can't wait till the opener. Really.

 

The AFCE is very tough, look at the players, coaches and the style of play.

 

The division games tend to be split among the teams. There is no dominant team, that is part of what makes the division tough.

 

The Pats* have been tough for 10 years and they were 18-1 just a few years ago. Their defense has dropped off but they are very formidible.

 

Jets and Phins play a smash-mouth style and have been built fom the trenches out.

 

The Bills are catching up. They need to show improvement on OL, DL and LB to make strides. QB is a huge question. We have very little at TE and no proven #2 WR.

 

The Bills finally got a tough coach that will improve the mentality of a team that has been a marshmellow for years.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Bob in STL

[JohnC]

i'm guessing you do a quite a bit of "hate"ing......seems to be your "go to" word

 

Switch out hate to detest or loathe. Hate is not a nice word.

[BillsMan75]

OK, just for fun answer the following question so that at the end of the year we can go back and check it. Which team(s) in the AFC East will have a worse record than the Bills this year? All those at TBD feel free to go on record too!

See my answer below.

*****************************

I would like to go on record. IMO the Jets will have the worst record in the AFC East. Sanchez is going into year 2, most QB's tend to have difficulty their 2nd year. Teams adapt to the playing style now that there is plenty of game film on them(I can thing of a few exceptions, but as a general rule I will stand by my statement). He will have to learn how to adjust and he will struggle. He very well may become a top tier QB.......but not this year.

[milehiLou]

funny thing is that i posted a very similar post to this yesterday and its been buried by "whos gonna get cut?" threads.

[OCinBuffalo]

1. For anybody that doubts that ESPN, etc. has a big market bias I have 2 words: Teddy Bruschi.

 

The above is not whining, crying or anything else. It's simply stating the facts as they are. ...or did you think EPSN Boston(as if anybody cares nationally) is a coincidence? Why is it that we keep getting told the Texans, Redskins, and 49ers are always "on the rise". Look at the big TV markets, and you will see a clear pattern.

 

2. With that being said, the only way a small market team will ever get any respect is by winning. Period.

 

As far as this division is concerned?

The Jets are in big trouble offensively, IMHO. Their O line is anything but solid, lord knows they should have kept Faneca(=hubris). Their QB is starting to look more like another Matt Lienart rather than another Carson Palmer. I am sure they will be good on D, even without Revis. But, in this division, you have to score points, especially in December. Therefore, the playoffs, never mind the SB, is a ?

 

The Dolphins will run the football. But their offense is looking weak in general. I have caught a few games online, and it wasn't pretty. Defense is is decent, but it's the same defense we have seen, and if we can ever get a passing game going our WRs are better than their DBs = they traded away their #2 WR for a DB. Frankly I am unimpressed with Brandon Marshall + rookie to be named later against our DBs. It's back to stopping the run, again, if we can.

 

The Patriots are still in decline, and I haven't seen anything that changes that. Amazingly, they gave up more rushing yards this preseason than we did. Never thought I'd see that from a Belechick team. This team used to win on coaching and defense. That's how they won the SBs. I don't know if Brady can win big scoring/track meet games. He usually throws a pick at the end of them, especially in the big games/playoffs.

 

So who knows? Certainly anybody running around telling us that this is a "tough division" simply isn't paying attention. There are far too many ? on every team. But consider: all 3 other teams are in major TV markets...so it's the same old thing.

[PS 56]

Somehow the Jets have risen to superpower status despite only getting in the playoffs because their final two opponents quit last season. I'm sure it would please a lot of people here (myself included) if they were to flame out. It really wouldn't be much of a surprise if they did.

 

I expect a massive flame, beginning with Sanchez.