The Toronto game may have cost the Bills a shot at the playoffs

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

they would be 7-8 and not have the tiebreaker with the 7-8 steelers so they would need every 8-7 team, and the steelers to lose, i think (although i havent looked into the 6 way tiebreaker). even with that win, i think theres a good chance wed be out already, but at the very least would need about 5 games to fall in the right direction for us.

 

 

other than its location, is there any reason you picked that one and not the 8 others that we lost? heck, even throwing that game aside, we are what, 4-3 at home? not exactly a slam dunk.

 

This.

 

If we had beat the steelers, we would be going into this week with "win and you're in."

 

We would have owned the tiebreaks with the dolphins, ravens, and chargers (and obviously steelers) under that scenario.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

in no particular order the game against Atlanta, Pitt, KC, Cleveland and Tampa all cost the team

[Buffaloed in Pa]

It will someday. Bet on it.

[BillnutinHouston]

If he is smart, he will find a way to cancel Toronto game and bring it back next year to Buffalo. This would be the best way he could ever imagine to sell out every home game.

OK with all due respect, your logic is completely circular and nonsensical.

 

The Toronto series in essence takes tickets off the market. Yet even when they reduce ticket supply by having games in TO, Buffalo still can't generate sufficient demand to sell out all of its games at the Ralph. So your remedy is, add even MORE ticket supply and ticket demand will magically explode as a result? How many tickets would you buy to the extra home game - more than you usually buy?

Edited December 24, 2013 by BillnutinHouston

[Buffaloed in Pa]

Start winning...play-offs. It will fix EVERYTHING

[Dragonborn10]

Excuses...14 !@#$ing years of excuses

[dwight in philly]

OK with all due respect, your logic is completely circular and nonsensical.

 

The Toronto series in essence takes tickets off the market. Yet even when they reduce ticket supply by having games in TO, Buffalo still can't generate sufficient demand to sell out all its home games. So your remedy is, add even MORE ticket supply and demand will explode?

yea, winning and going to the playoffs makes your "logic circular and non-sensical".. the OP was simply referring to how home field advantage may have helped in the atlanta game.

[BackInDaDay]

It's not that this loss is more meaningful, it's that the location itself contributed to the loss. In the other losses, players' mistakes contributed to the loss. In Toronto it was the players and the dome location that gave Atlanta the edge.

 

yes. there's no telling how the rest of the season would have unfolded, but to purposely disadvantage your young team in any game is short-sighted at best

[BillnutinHouston]

yea, winning and going to the playoffs makes your "logic circular and non-sensical".. the OP was simply referring to how home field advantage may have helped in the atlanta game.

The facts don't support the premise. I'm still not clear on how the Rogers Center caused Stevie to fumble. Edited December 24, 2013 by BillnutinHouston

[NoSaint]

 

 

I agree with this entirely. Some of us posted after the Atlanta game that they would have a hard time playing inspired football vs. Tampa Bay given how the lost in Toronto. The Bucs game was utterly predictable.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Especially if you aren't a playoff caliber team.

[dwight in philly]

The facts don't support the premise. How did the Rogers Center cause Stevie to fumble?

OK.. forget it, you are right, bills at the ralph, up 14 points in the elements, playing a dome team that was out of it, your right.. your "logic" is correct..

[FireChan]

OK.. forget it, you are right, bills at the ralph, up 14 points in the elements, playing a dome team that was out of it, your right.. your "logic" is correct..

 

How do you know they get up 14 points in the Ralph? Maybe Spiller slips in the snow and doesn't get 60 yards on the second play of the game.

 

If we can't expect the Bills to win at a half neutral site against a team whose season is over, how can we expect them to make the playoffs?

 

Playoff teams win games against downtrodden opponents when their season is on the line. It's why the Phins aren't a playoff team and neither are we.

Edited December 24, 2013 by FireChan

[Bill from NYC]

Good point. When you think about it, the Bills are only about 3 plays away from the playoffs this year. First time you could honestly say that since 2004.

 

They are also (imo) a few sustained drives away from the playoffs this season. Levitre was a crippling loss for this team.

[BillnutinHouston]

OK.. forget it, you are right, bills at the ralph, up 14 points in the elements, playing a dome team that was out of it, your right.. your "logic" is correct..

I guess people just see what they want to see. What I see is, if Stevie covers up the Bills win and the premise of the thread is out the window.

[jumbalaya]

Stevie cost us two games this year, NE & ATL.

Hackett cost us a couple of games.

Marrone cost us a couple of games.

Gilmore cost us a game.

Brandon cost us three or four games by not picking up decent vet help at QB, G, & CB.

 

Heck if things went right we'd be 18-2 right now.

[GG]

Let's refocus the point of this thread.

 

It's not to recount the mistakes that the players made that cost possible wins. Those are kind of expected from a 6-9 team, which does it quite have it all together for a true playoff run.

 

But this Bills team did not benefit from a front office move that negated a major home field advantage against a team that stinks on the road, outdoors.

 

It's understandable when the players and coaches are responsible for a loss. They don't need the assists from the front office.

[BillsVet]

Bills are locked into this deal with Toronto for now. Hopefully, Brandon comes to his senses and does not renew another round of Toronto games. I think he has stated all ready that the Toronto series will be reevaluated.

 

Brandon saying the series will be re-evaluated is simply pandering to the fans who see the Toronto series for what it is: a cash grab so Buffalo can remain in the field with the big time owners. There's a competition among owners to earn the most, and while Buffalo won't compete with Dallas or NYC, playing in Toronto moves them closer in that race. Unfortunately, the end result is a team playing at no better than a neutral field which ultimately hurts them.

 

The Toronto series is the epicenter of all that's wrong with how Buffalo is run. While every team needs to profit (it's a free market) the downside here is that it impacts success on the field. I suspect they can't get out of the deal, nor would they leave money on the table. If they could, it would give Brandon a lot of credibility and remove the idea he's running it more to profit than most teams are managed.

[Mr. WEO]

It's not that this loss is more meaningful, it's that the location itself contributed to the loss. In the other losses, players' mistakes contributed to the loss. In Toronto it was the players and the dome location that gave Atlanta the edge.

 

Buffalo doesn't have the same advantage in a dome as any other team? Strange reasoning and magical thinking are fueling the OP's (and others) arguments.

[Prickly Pete]

I suspect they can't get out of the deal, nor would they leave money on the table.

 

I don't know about this. If the TO group is losing lots of money, and the Bills feel it's making them look bad (half full stadium), and might contribute to a loss that ends up keeping them out of the playoffs, both sides might come to an agreement.

[Rob's House]

I gotta think anyone who doesn't understand why the man is pointing out that a SELF IMPOSED disadvantage could potentially have had negative consequences, is trying really really hard not to get it.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Rob's House