For The First Time In A Long Time, We're Good

[The Voice of Truth]

Those teams you speak of are either very good teams (Packers) or great teams (Broncos, Pats).

[Tyrod's Tailor]

Few things crack me up more than fans who find it necessary to piss on any optimism with the whole 'moral victories' nonsense.

 

Yes, once again the ball bounced the wrong way and a game the Bills should have won was lost. Again. We get it. But outside of playing NE*, this defense will keep us in every game this year, and the more the OL gets together, the better they'll play.

 

So perhaps the OP should change the title to say "We're Much Better" instead of "We're Good," because this team IS much better than it's been in a long time, and if you are unable to see and appreciate that, then you're just being unrealistic. Hell, all you have to do is go back to the day you heard Kiko was out for the year. Did any of you back then think you'd see this insane level of D play? Of course not.

 

Look. I get it. Some of you just need to complain about something. But don't let your obsessive need to complain blind you to the progress being made.

 

Didn't realize we stopped Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers already.

[BillsVet]

No you couldn't have said it in those years (maaaaaybe you could in '02). You couldn't have said it and been taken seriously at least. The difference in talent level and depth on the roster is clear -- if you watch the games objectively.

 

Coaching still might be a problem, I won't argue there. But talent wise this is a much improved team.

 

There may well be more talent, but the result remains the same. What good is individual talent if the team as a whole can't finish games?

 

For example, offensively, their weapons are much better than '08 or '11. Yet, Hackett is calling throws with 3 step drops so as to mitigate the poor block. The common denominator (regardless of talent) is that the coaches have so many issues to hide and opponents know how to attack those weaknesses. It's why in the second half Buffalo has a tendency to self-destruct. Like in 2008 when they went 3-8 after the bye or 2-8 in 2011.

[rfk]

Anybody can overreact to the loss yesterday. The real story is we played extremely well. We dominated the game. A couple freakish plays screwed us. That's the truth. The coaches had a great game plan and made good decisions in terms of managing the game. Despite it not panning out, they did all the right things. The players were motivated and played well. Sometimes you just get screwed and that's what happened yesterday.

 

For the first time in a long time we have a good team. Yesterday and this year has reminded me of the Wade Phillips era. We're a team that can move the ball and stop others from moving the ball. The loss yesterday was only devastating because of how much we dominated the game. It was abundantly clear we were the better team yesterday. The Chiefs are a physical playoff team and we manhandled them.

 

Our defense is dominant. The front four wreaks havoc every week and seems to only be getting better. Our linebacking core has turned into a strength as well. Spikes has been better than advertised. Preston Brown (rookie) is coming into his own. Nigel Bradham is a beast. And we don't even have Kiko in there. Our secondary is solid at worst.

 

The offense is productive enough to win. Kyle Orton has certainly been an upgrade. Is he Peyton or Brady? Of course not. Has he been solid, hitting NFL throws with a decent level of consitency? Yes. Our skill positions on offense are very good. They just need a QB who can get the ball in their hands with room to make plays. Orton can do this. At times he looks very good even. Of course he does have some misses. Any QB who is not super elite has these. He is solid. He's a calm leader. He has good demeanor and pretty good ability as a player. Watkins is clearly a beast. I do think injuries have hampered him a bit from fully blossoming. Woods is a very good player. Chandler is a huge target, decent run blocker. Hogan could be the solid route runner who is always in the right place that QBs depend on. Jackson and Spiller are a good duo, but I think Brown and Dixon can carry the load just fine too. So, we're deep at running back.

 

And the biggest thing is I think our GM and Coach could be pretty good. Whaley made a high number of moves this offseason. Many of them have panned out. I'm pleased with the Watson move at this point.

 

well said yesterday was not boring or lopsided or paper bag material..theyre close to playing with the big boys

[IDBillzFan]

Didn't realize we stopped Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers already.

 

Didn't realize they already beat us.

[BuffaninATL]

does the OP take into account quality of coaching/ in game management for his assessment? I agree the talent is there on both sides of the ball, with the OL being the only weak link (plus Orton is not elite; he is serviceable).

 

Here are my examples of how this team is undermined by a poor coaching staff:

 

>>> Hackett: he finally calls a halfway decent game yesterday until q4; he abandons the running game which had come out smoking in q3, and that last 4 downs with incomplete passes into the end zone was an utter abomination. It's like he has a script in front of him that he cannot deviate from, no matter what.

 

>>> St. Conservative Doug - punting on 4th & 1 inside KC territory with a huge tight game - really???

 

>>> Tons of penalities at inopportune times = failure of discipline = that's on you Doug

 

Look at yesterday; we were almost able to overcome self-inflicted wounds (Bryce & Leo fumbles) but this coaching staff did not put this team in a position to win

[rfk]

having said that..theyve been here before. Which way do they go this season and next?

[PortlandiaEast]

The best part about the remaining schedule is that if we make it to the play offs, no one can say they didn't earn it. Everyone is talking about December being grueling, when really the 4 (3 remaining) games in November are going to be absolute dog fights with teams trying to establish themselves. Then moving to Dec, Green Bay is trying to re-establish themselves and we all know about Den and NE. If somehow, someway, this team claws and fights their way to a berth, then there is no way any can say "yeah well, ____ sucks and etc." No. They earned it 100%. Oakland is the only game I can see possibly as a +10pt W, but with this team no game is a guarantee.

 

I agree that they are a good team. They need to make assessments in game and see what is working and keep doing it and do it until it stops working. The run game was there this past week - stay with it. It may be passing against miami. Use the 1st Q as the experiment Q - see what works, then attack.

Edited November 10, 2014 by PortlandiaEast

[xsoldier54]

5-4 with a 2-4 AFC record says mediocre not good. Want to be good? Win important games like yesterday instead of gifting them away like we've in so many other instances.

This. Did you really watch yesterday's game? That was not the performance of a good football team by any stretch of the imagination. They constantly made mistakes that kept them from scoring TD's and the two fumbles were just plays that good teams do not do. Sorry, but even though they are more talented, this team doesn't look much different to me than what we have been looking at these past 14 years. Their biggest strength is being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[Tyrod's Tailor]

Didn't realize they already beat us.

huh? you said this defense will keep us in every game this year. I pointed out they haven't played Manning or Rodgers. You respond by pointing out that they haven't played Manning or Rodgers.

[Deranged Rhino]

There may well be more talent, but the result remains the same. What good is individual talent if the team as a whole can't finish games?

 

For example, offensively, their weapons are much better than '08 or '11. Yet, Hackett is calling throws with 3 step drops so as to mitigate the poor block. The common denominator (regardless of talent) is that the coaches have so many issues to hide and opponents know how to attack those weaknesses. It's why in the second half Buffalo has a tendency to self-destruct. Like in 2008 when they went 3-8 after the bye or 2-8 in 2011.

 

To me the individual talent level is key. In years past, the Bills had been hanging tough in close games and losing because they frankly were pretending to compete in the first place. We've both been here on this board through all those teams, and more than a few times we've been on the "realist" side of things when it was clear that the Bills of old were treading water rather than actually progressing (at least I'm pretty sure we were). I get the notion to assume that this is just the same cycle repeating, but I think that's not giving this team it's fair due.

 

The truth is, this team is different in every way from teams past. Not only because Ralph is no longer running the show (which to me does make a huge difference towards how I feel about this team's future -- no offense meant to Ralph, but he was holding us back), but because the turnover on the roster has really cut every meaningful tie between those old teams and this one. I don't think this is "just the Bills being the Bills" because this team is frankly a new team in many ways.

 

They have a talented roster than by and large is locked in for the next few years. Some important pieces are going to have to be retained, but for the first time in my memory we have a front office and owner who will be not only able to identify the keepers, but do what it takes financially to retain them. In years past, even when there were good rosters, I tempered expectations because there wasn't much hope of progress. Now there is.

 

Yes, there are holes that need to be filled. No this team is not a Lombardi contender right now -- and is frankly on the edge of being serious playoff contenders. But this team has the feeling of a new direction, the talent isn't a mirage but in fact is real and deep throughout key positions. I'm not convinced Marrone is the guy, but he's showing me enough to keep him around for another year to see if this thing really is moving in the direction it seems to be.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

Anybody can overreact to the loss yesterday. The real story is we played extremely well. We dominated the game. A couple freakish plays screwed us. That's the truth. The coaches had a great game plan and made good decisions in terms of managing the game. Despite it not panning out, they did all the right things. The players were motivated and played well. Sometimes you just get screwed and that's what happened yesterday.

 

For the first time in a long time we have a good team. Yesterday and this year has reminded me of the Wade Phillips era. We're a team that can move the ball and stop others from moving the ball. The loss yesterday was only devastating because of how much we dominated the game. It was abundantly clear we were the better team yesterday. The Chiefs are a physical playoff team and we manhandled them.

 

Our defense is dominant. The front four wreaks havoc every week and seems to only be getting better. Our linebacking core has turned into a strength as well. Spikes has been better than advertised. Preston Brown (rookie) is coming into his own. Nigel Bradham is a beast. And we don't even have Kiko in there. Our secondary is solid at worst.

 

The offense is productive enough to win. Kyle Orton has certainly been an upgrade. Is he Peyton or Brady? Of course not. Has he been solid, hitting NFL throws with a decent level of consitency? Yes. Our skill positions on offense are very good. They just need a QB who can get the ball in their hands with room to make plays. Orton can do this. At times he looks very good even. Of course he does have some misses. Any QB who is not super elite has these. He is solid. He's a calm leader. He has good demeanor and pretty good ability as a player. Watkins is clearly a beast. I do think injuries have hampered him a bit from fully blossoming. Woods is a very good player. Chandler is a huge target, decent run blocker. Hogan could be the solid route runner who is always in the right place that QBs depend on. Jackson and Spiller are a good duo, but I think Brown and Dixon can carry the load just fine too. So, we're deep at running back.

 

And the biggest thing is I think our GM and Coach could be pretty good. Whaley made a high number of moves this offseason. Many of them have panned out. I'm pleased with the Watson move at this point.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying. I do think that the culture of a winning football team includes NOT BEATING YOURSELF! At the end of the day teams that win the SB have talent and don't beat themselves. We have not arrived there mentally and I'm still watching and hoping for that breakthrough. A team like KC has decent not great talent, but doesn't beat themselves.

[IDBillzFan]

huh? you said this defense will keep us in every game this year. I pointed out they haven't played Manning or Rodgers. You respond by pointing out that they haven't played Manning or Rodgers.

 

Yes. This defense will (as in, future tense) keep us in every game. In the future, we will play Manning and Rodgers. My nonsensical response was to your nonsensical comment.

 

Denver will be tougher than GB simply because it's in Denver, but we have a ridiculous defense this year that should absolutely keep us within striking distance of every game.