TC in St. Louis Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) Yes this is a very frustrating season.....we're 4-8 and it looks on paper as if we are worse than last year. However, I believe that the Atlanta and KC games were very winnable.....lost by idiotic misplays and strange events. Had we won those games we'd be a .500 team, which is about what we should be. We've played a brutal schedule. We are much improved. By the way, watch out for Jacksonville. I am girding my loins for the responses that criticize my opinion. Doesn't matter. I'm okay with that. Fire away. Edited December 6, 2013 by TC in St. Louis
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 You could say this about us every year. We totally blow 2-3 victories every year. For example, last year we blew two 4th qtr leads with a minute to go for losses (Tenn, and St. Louis).
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 How about the browns game? Or the OT loss to bengals. We could eeasily have a Winn ing record now...but we don't
Rubes Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) Games are close every week. Often they come down to a play or two going one way or the other. We're 4-8 because we have the players and coaches that do whatever it is they do to blow those close chances more often than they succeed at them. It's not necessarily just the flip of a coin. Talent, discipline, preparation, execution...all of those things influence what happens at those key moments of the close games. For instance, you could say it was bad luck that EJ got injured against the Browns. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that we couldn't punch it in from the 1 against the Chiefs. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that Tuel didn't see SJ open in the end zone. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that the defender just happened to punch the ball in the exact perfect spot at the exact perfect time to make SJ/Chandler fumble. But it wasn't. Talent, discipline, preparation, execution. Some teams do it better than others. Edited December 6, 2013 by Rubes
C.Biscuit97 Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Games are close every week. Often they come down to a play or two going one way or the other. We're 4-8 because we have the players and coaches that do whatever it is they do to blow those close chances more often than they succeed at them. It's not necessarily just the flip of a coin. Talent, discipline, preparation, execution...all of those things influence what happens at those key moments of the close games. For instance, you could say it was bad luck that EJ got injured against the Browns. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that we couldn't punch it in from the 1 against the Chiefs. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that Tuel didn't see SJ open in the end zone. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that the defender just happened to punch the ball in the exact perfect spot at the exact perfect time to make SJ/Chandler fumble. But it wasn't. Talent, discipline, preparation, execution. Some teams do it better than others. True, you are what your record says you are. At the same time, I'd love to see our team stat breakdown this year vs. past years. I don't remember games like KC where we had 200 more yards than the other team and somehow lost. I don't ever remember the Bills beating up Brady like they did this year ever. We're a 4-8 team and it's well deserved. But I do think there are very good signs and this might be our most talented roster in over a decade.
metzelaars_lives Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Yes this is a very frustrating season.....we're 4-8 and it looks on paper as if we are worse than last year. However, I believe that the Atlanta and KC games were very winnable.....lost by idiotic misplays and strange events. Had we won those games we'd be a .500 team, which is about what we should be. We've played a brutal schedule. We are much improved. By the way, watch out for Jacksonville. I am girding my loins for the responses that criticize my opinion. Doesn't matter. I'm okay with that. Fire away. No it doesn't. We had an historically bad defense last year and now we're middle of the road in terms of yards allowed and are #1 in sacks. We are actually improved on offense as well- statistically speaking. One thing that should not be overlooked is that we are no longer getting grossly outgained. On a game-to-game basis, we're usually pretty even in terms of yards, first downs- statistics that usually indicate how many games you'll win. Statistics that we've been embarrassed in the last few regimes. The problem is that they haven't learned to win yet. That's what they are- an average NFL team that hasn't learned to win. They aren't any better or worse than the Ravens or certainly the Dolphins but the Ravens know how to win and the Dolphins, I don't know, got lucky a few games where we haven't.
BillsFanNC Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 I am girding my loins for the responses that criticize my opinion. Doesn't matter. I'm okay with that. Fire away. I won't criticize your opinion, because you are right. I just don't know why people do this to themselves. Every year we can say the same damn thing come late November into December. If, if, if if.. Until the Bills are one of the teams being chased for playoff spot come this time of year it's just not worth caring about anymore.
XXL Franchize Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Good teams win some close ones and lose some close ones. Great teams usually find a way to win close ones. Bad teams are 4-8!!!!!!!
GunnerBill Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) I think the question with those close games is can they learn from it this year. I kinda feel we should have beaten KC, New England, Atlanta, Cleveland but on the flip side I think we got a bit lucky in Miami. It's worth saying that last year Carolina lost a lot of very tight football games... and repeated it the first two weeks of this season.... but then it clicked and they have won a number of close ones in this winning stretch. That's the test for us. If we still keep finding ways to lose the close ones next year then you have to question why the coaching staff hasn't been able to improve the consistency of our execution. One of the things that has grown on me about Marrone is that he rarely says "we have to do a better job." He normally says "I have to do a better job." I like that. I get the sense that he really understands that ultimately it's on him to ensure that we start finding ways to win not ways to lose. Edited December 6, 2013 by GunnerBill
atlbillsfan1975 Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Losers lose. This franchise is a loser franchise. We as fans sit there and expect to blow it. You do not think the players think the same way?
GunnerBill Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Losers lose. This franchise is a loser franchise. We as fans sit there and expect to blow it. You do not think the players think the same way? A lot of truth to that. That's why "culture change" that every staff that comes in talks about is so hard. It even permeates into the calls officials make too. Teams that consistently lose have more calls go against them because even officials expect them to blow it. It's sub concious. It's extremely hard. I'm a semi-professional soccer coach in England and 6 years ago I took over as the Coach of a team that had finished in the bottom 4 of an 18 team league 8 out of 9 years. It took me 18 months to change the psyche from "being competitive is enough" to "only winning is enough." The first season I had there we finished 12th out of 18 and people around the league kept saying to me how pleased I must have been and were shocked when I told them how disappointed I was. It's internal perceptions, external perceptions... it's everything. I had the luxury of being able to gradually change pretty much the whole squad in 18 months, which is not a luxury most NFL staffs have.
Billshank Redemption Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 get over it. Dolphins fans say the same thing about our win vs them. We are what we are. We aren't making the playoffs. Etc Etc. Trying to think about that just gets me more depressed about this whole scenario.
Gerry Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Games are close every week. Often they come down to a play or two going one way or the other. We're 4-8 because we have the players and coaches that do whatever it is they do to blow those close chances more often than they succeed at them. It's not necessarily just the flip of a coin. Talent, discipline, preparation, execution...all of those things influence what happens at those key moments of the close games. For instance, you could say it was bad luck that EJ got injured against the Browns. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that we couldn't punch it in from the 1 against the Chiefs. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that Tuel didn't see SJ open in the end zone. But it wasn't. Or it was bad luck that the defender just happened to punch the ball in the exact perfect spot at the exact perfect time to make SJ/Chandler fumble. But it wasn't. Talent, discipline, preparation, execution. Some teams do it better than others. I think Rubes is spot on, but let's suppose that TC is right. There is no guarantee that the Bills will not continue losing games by "idiotic mistakes and strange events" next year. We don't know whether Marrone will be able to instill the discipline in his players that is needed to win the close games, and whether he and his staff will improve game management and play calling to help turn some of those "L's" into "W's." We also don't know if he will improve his use of talent; Bills fans hate Belichick, but no NFL coach uses players better than he does. This is Marrone's honeymoon year, so a losing record with hope for the future is acceptable, just as it was for the last 2 coaches. We will have a much clearer picture next year after 12 games.
KollegeStudnet Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 This team could still finish out the year with an 8-8 record, which would mark the first winning season in almost 10 years! The last four games are winnable and it wouldn't surprise me they could pull out victories against the Bucs, Jags, Dullphins and Pats.
H2o Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 The "What if's" and "Could have's" do nothing, but fuel the angst you may have for the team and it's players. Chalk it up to stuff happens and hope for greener pastures on the horizon.
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 8-8 is not a winning season. it is for us.
CSBill Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 True, you are what your record says you are. At the same time, I'd love to see our team stat breakdown this year vs. past years. I don't remember games like KC where we had 200 more yards than the other team and somehow lost. I don't ever remember the Bills beating up Brady like they did this year ever. We're a 4-8 team and it's well deserved. But I do think there are very good signs and this might be our most talented roster in over a decade. Ah, the classic! . . .
PromoTheRobot Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Hard to say how much better we are. We have been 2-3 plays/games away from playoff berth for years. It's that Buffalo karma. We expect failure so... PTR
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