John from Riverside Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 - Listening to this retape of Sal and Joe B. - There are SOOOO many things that can happen over the course of an NFL season...to AUTOMATICALLY say that a team isnt a playoff team just irritates the crap out of me....and it is flat out WRONG. It all starts in the division. -- Miami is not a dominate team in the least -- The jets lost some guys....and frankly I am not sold on their QB. I think we have the down linemen to shut down their run and force mistakees -- The patriots are of course going to be tough to beat....but we had them in one of the games last year and gave it away....almost got the split. With a couple more big plays we had that game. - Second....you dont know what is going to happen with the OTHER teams in the NFL....they could be up or down for a multitude of reasons - Third.....despite the many weaknesses of our team...they fought hard in nearly every game last year. They did not lay down. I actually thought that last year was going to be a down year.....and I didn't have high hopes in the TO year.....but I like what Nix has down with this defense this year. We are stout up front.....we have a ILB that can cover a tight end and a safety who can cover behind him.....our pass rush threat is up......we appear to have a defense that can compete and create turnovers On offense.....for all of the bitching and moaning about the offensive line this is still the same one last year that moved up and down the field pretty easily.....converted 3rd downs......had a 3K passer, a WR who tied Bill Brooks TD receiving record. Now we have Bell (and yes I know he has a dinged up shoulder but come on its a "days" injury not like a knee) and Wood who will have made a full recovery.....everyone complains that Pears is a unknown but I cannot find ANYONE who has actually watched practice tell me that Pears looks lost out there..... The point is.....this has the feel of a young hungry team with a solid, steady, smart, gutsy QB steering the offense and a solid backup behind him (which by the way was something we DIDN"T have last year) our young wide receiver core is a year older and there appears to be lots of playmakers and depth there......and I predict a solid running game from this stable of running backs. We will compete....teams are gonna find out this year that Buffalo still has an NFL team in town. "Spears shall be shaken" "Sheilds shall be splintered"
stony Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 (edited) - Listening to this retape of Sal and Joe B. - There are SOOOO many things that can happen over the course of an NFL season...to AUTOMATICALLY say that a team isnt a playoff team just irritates the crap out of me....and it is flat out WRONG. It all starts in the division. -- Miami is not a dominate team in the least -- The jets lost some guys....and frankly I am not sold on their QB. I think we have the down linemen to shut down their run and force mistakees -- The patriots are of course going to be tough to beat....but we had them in one of the games last year and gave it away....almost got the split. With a couple more big plays we had that game. - Second....you dont know what is going to happen with the OTHER teams in the NFL....they could be up or down for a multitude of reasons - Third.....despite the many weaknesses of our team...they fought hard in nearly every game last year. They did not lay down. I actually thought that last year was going to be a down year.....and I didn't have high hopes in the TO year.....but I like what Nix has down with this defense this year. We are stout up front.....we have a ILB that can cover a tight end and a safety who can cover behind him.....our pass rush threat is up......we appear to have a defense that can compete and create turnovers On offense.....for all of the bitching and moaning about the offensive line this is still the same one last year that moved up and down the field pretty easily.....converted 3rd downs......had a 3K passer, a WR who tied Bill Brooks TD receiving record. Now we have Bell (and yes I know he has a dinged up shoulder but come on its a "days" injury not like a knee) and Wood who will have made a full recovery.....everyone complains that Pears is a unknown but I cannot find ANYONE who has actually watched practice tell me that Pears looks lost out there..... The point is.....this has the feel of a young hungry team with a solid, steady, smart, gutsy QB steering the offense and a solid backup behind him (which by the way was something we DIDN"T have last year) our young wide receiver core is a year older and there appears to be lots of playmakers and depth there......and I predict a solid running game from this stable of running backs. We will compete....teams are gonna find out this year that Buffalo still has an NFL team in town. "Spears shall be shaken" "Sheilds shall be splintered" ...a sword day, a red day... EPIC! Edited August 9, 2011 by stony
zow2 Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 I hear what yer sayin'. Last year the team was literally a few bounces of the ball from being a 7 win team. If they get those few bounces this year, along with the obvious improvements from cohesiveness and new talent, they could be a 9-10 win team. You just never know. The Jets ran the ball down our throats at will last year and dink/dunked us to death with their passing game. Not sure how much better we will be on D to stop that...but it should not be so one-sided this year. Miami is not better than Buffalo.
McD Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 Will we compete within our own division? If we can't do that we have issues. Right now we're looking at 1-5 to 2-4 in the division and we've had a pretty tough schedule the past few years. I hear ya on all of the "potential" balls bouncing our way, but this team is still no better than 7-9...this year anyway. If we stay healthy, can find a RT, a TE and our D plays average we might sneak into the 8 to 9 win range...
John from Riverside Posted August 9, 2011 Author Posted August 9, 2011 Will we compete within our own division? If we can't do that we have issues. Right now we're looking at 1-5 to 2-4 in the division and we've had a pretty tough schedule the past few years. I hear ya on all of the "potential" balls bouncing our way, but this team is still no better than 7-9...this year anyway. If we stay healthy, can find a RT, a TE and our D plays average we might sneak into the 8 to 9 win range... So you are just assuming that we beat the fins twice and lose to the jets and patriots twice.... This is kind of what I am talking about.....neither the jets or the patriots are unbeatable teams if we can stop their running games and keep their offenses off the field.
KOKBILLS Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 ...a sword day, a red day... ...and the sun rises!!! Ride now... Ride now... Ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending! SO nice...
Phil Hansen Forever Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 Colin Cowherd said this morning "don't expect the Bills to win over 5 games this year". But he also expected the Fish to win 7+ games, so go figure.
Cynical Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 So you are just assuming that we beat the fins twice and lose to the jets and patriots twice.... This is kind of what I am talking about.....neither the jets or the patriots are unbeatable teams if we can stop their running games and keep their offenses off the field. "If" Until the Bills can prove they can stop a running game, all you have is "if". You're basing the Bills playoff chances on "potential" and luck. If that's all you have, then this team isn't a "playoff" team.
John from Riverside Posted August 9, 2011 Author Posted August 9, 2011 Great so the negative nancys are assuming we will suck based on past performance And I am using the world "if" to show that the team could actually be better Look....I get that we have a lot of "show me" fans.....I get it....a decade of no playoffs. I am just saying this isnt the same team as last year....and it is the differences that might actually get us to a wild card. - Miami doesnt have an answer at the QB position - The jets used a game plan of stifling defense and running the ball down our throat to win. I say its not going to be as easy to do that this year - The patriots are all about Tom Brady....if we can get pressure on him without blitzing too much and keep him off the field with long sustained drives with touchdowns at the end....we can win. The patriots defense is NOT special. That is our division...this doesnt take into affect games outside our division.
Delete This Account Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 sorry, John. when asked, i currently respond that i don't see the Bills being a playoff team this year. i've got them at 6 wins. jw
John from Riverside Posted August 9, 2011 Author Posted August 9, 2011 sorry, John. when asked, i currently respond that i don't see the Bills being a playoff team this year. i've got them at 6 wins. jw JW respect your opinion and you are one of our more respected media guys as far as I am concerned I am just saying that this team could suprise......this defense is improved which was our weakest link last year
muffmonster Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 I like the attitude and I'm pretty much with you in theory. I just try to temper myself and stay a little on the pessimistic side. If only we were in the NFC West, I'd say we are a shoe in. I do think we will be an improved team this year, and surprise some people. My stretch goal would be the Bills hitting the .500 mark. Only time will tell.
Rockinon Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 Ha! John, don't listen to these unbelievers. The word coming out of camp is that Fitz is tearing it up. The defense is consistently blowing up the offensive line. Shawne Merriman is back. Darius is as good as advertised. Wilson is better than Whitner. Spiller is actually hitting the holes. The receivers across the board are making plays. Chandler is the real deal(a real TE, imagine that). This is the same offensive line that provided enough time for Fitz to throw for 3000 yards. Fred Jackson is still a playmaker. RB White is an excellent back who can catch. Troupe is stronger. Thigpen looks to be picking up on things quick. These naysayers are walking around with blinders on. There are simply too many positives to be ignored. I agree, the year TO came to town there was too little to be optimistic about. This year however, is shaping up incredibly well. Any team in this league that thinks Buffalo is going to be a walk in the park is in for a very rude awakening. Won't be surprised to see a few blowout wins.
Delete This Account Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 JW respect your opinion and you are one of our more respected media guys as far as I am concerned I am just saying that this team could suprise......this defense is improved which was our weakest link last year i agree to a certain extent, and this will be a different season based on the lockout, so predictions might be a little more difficult. i still see questions along the line, particularly at left tackle. i'm not sure about the strong safety spot. as much as the defense is improved, it will still have to prove to be sturdier against the run. Barnett should be better dropping back into coverage than Posluszny was, and Dareus will certainly complement Kyle Williams. this, however, will take time. and despite what some might think about the Pats and Jets are over-rated -- and believe me, i've at times in the past thought one or the other were fading -- the thing is they're currently not. they've been good for a reason. barring a shot at the playoffs, a solid objective would be getting ahead of the Dolphins and getting to .500. we'll see. jw
John from Riverside Posted August 9, 2011 Author Posted August 9, 2011 i agree to a certain extent, and this will be a different season based on the lockout, so predictions might be a little more difficult. i still see questions along the line, particularly at left tackle. i'm not sure about the strong safety spot. as much as the defense is improved, it will still have to prove to be sturdier against the run. Barnett should be better dropping back into coverage than Posluszny was, and Dareus will certainly complement Kyle Williams. this, however, will take time. and despite what some might think about the Pats and Jets are over-rated -- and believe me, i've at times in the past thought one or the other were fading -- the thing is they're currently not. they've been good for a reason. barring a shot at the playoffs, a solid objective would be getting ahead of the Dolphins and getting to .500. we'll see. jw John this is the thing - I dont consider LT to be a weak spot....it wasnt a weak spot last year and I dont see why we should auto say that it is this year...is this being assumed because Bell is having a hard time with Shawn Merriman in practice? Because I truly believe that lights out is gonna be trouble for every left tackle he faces this year....also I believe that competition in practice begets improvement in games....if Bell is facing a dom force before Sundays then come game day his play will also be elevated. The best thing that could have happend for Bell was for someone to come along and kick his @ss a little bit. Also...word is that Pears is a better left tackle then he is a right tackle......so if at some point later in the season Pears has to slide over and Hairston goes to RT I think we will survive. Not happy that we didn't get a veteran guy in here for depth but we might not be done yet.....everything is condensed and we have not gone through the 1st round of cuts yet. - SS is another position I dont consider a weakness....I feel (and have felt for some time) that Dante Whitner was absolutely no upgrade over Wilson at all.....even Whitner made more "oooh" hits.....Wilson has been a adequate tackler and a better cover guy then Dante for some time....I was actually ROOTING for the bills to start Wilson over Whitner last year So I dont see those two positions as weaknesses......now as improvements on the D front 7 - Andre Davis.....playing hurt last year - Better coverage linebacker - Not just Darius as a improvment.....Carrington is up over 300 pounds and agile....Troupe looking good....Dwan Edwards back from his injury (who was our 2nd best linemen before he went down).....so you have legit monster starters AND rotating solid backups.....then you have Merriman......and watch out for Antonio Colemen If the defense comes together and improves to even 15th ranked against the run.....that is 8 wins right there.
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 I personally am hoping that teams we play each week listen to the talking heads about how bad we are etc. John I am with you I think this team could be a surprise they have the elements of a young hungry and nasty D and an offense that put up points. Injuries can always impact a team so who knows what will happen come game day. would I have liked a stronger set of tackles yes but am I convinced we dont have adequate tackles for the O we run? No I am not. So I dont care what the media heads say etc I know that I am going into the season with better expectations than in recent years and hope that come december we are still playing meaningful games for the Buffalo Bills.
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 John, I'm with ya. Is it probable that the Bills will make the playoffs? No. I'd personally put the odds around or under 25%. But it's pretty foolish to pretend like there's no point in even watching the season because the Bills have zero chance. Where's the winning spirit in that??? Most years, you can count on a one team in each conference to surprise everybody and make the playoffs. Last year it was the Chiefs. Why not the Bills this year?
John from Riverside Posted August 9, 2011 Author Posted August 9, 2011 I think they are positioned for it Sage...... I think the Bills are a darkhorse for a wild card....nobody expects us to be good.....but the fact is this team had a lot of fight when we DIDNT have the talent to compete......and pieces are being moved around the board. - If Spiller gets going....look out - If Merrimen can get the measley 11.5 sacks he had AFTER his steroid season....look out - If Stevie Johnston continues to improve...look out - If Chris Chandler comes in and uses that 280 pound TE frame to give us just a LITTLE BIT of production to go with blocking....look out Lots of its.....but the potential is there
bruceisloose78 Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 i agree to a certain extent, and this will be a different season based on the lockout, so predictions might be a little more difficult. i still see questions along the line, particularly at left tackle. i'm not sure about the strong safety spot. as much as the defense is improved, it will still have to prove to be sturdier against the run. Barnett should be better dropping back into coverage than Posluszny was, and Dareus will certainly complement Kyle Williams. this, however, will take time. and despite what some might think about the Pats and Jets are over-rated -- and believe me, i've at times in the past thought one or the other were fading -- the thing is they're currently not. they've been good for a reason. barring a shot at the playoffs, a solid objective would be getting ahead of the Dolphins and getting to .500. we'll see. jw Johnny, I agree with you on the first part of your statement, however I do think that the Jets will take a step down this year. They have replaced jericho cotchery and braylon edwards with 2 years removed from the league 33 year old plexico burress, and 37 year old derrick mason. They have a 3rd year question mark quarterback who didn't have ota's to build chemistry with either of these guys. They also have a running back with not much gas left in the tank in LT and shonn Greene who has more fumbles than touchdowns. They also lost their best guard and not to mention Brad Smith, who they wanted to keep. The Jets are absolutely beatable this year and the dolphins are worse than us.
Realist Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 Am I the only one that goes into a season with no expectaions? I just watch each week and hope they win, even when we're eliminated, I still root for the win.
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