So if we end up 9-7 and lose a tie-breaker...

[Rockpile233]

I'm going with the Bengals. As mentioned, division games are never a sure thing no matter what the records are going in. Also, the Jets have played everyone tough this year.

 

The Bengals are a bad team. The Bills should have had that one.

 

If we lose out on a tiebreaker at 9-7 though, I will still think it was a pleasant surprise of a season for a new regime holding a wealth of draft picks.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

36 minutes ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

Name the loss that you think had the biggest impact.

 

The way I see the next 2 weeks, it looks to me like we realistically lose a head-to-head with the Chargers for the 6th seed based on remaining schedules.  So one could say that the loss to the Chargers was the biggest.  After all, McDermott decided to start Peterman over Taylor in that game and he shat the bed.

 

But to me, the loss to the Jets on Thursday Night Football was the one.  We were so unprepared for that game - it looked like at 5-2 we believed that we'd win if we just showed up.  And that began our 3-straight-blowout-loss downfall.  But the other 2 were against teams that ended up in the playoffs (in this scenario) and were at least semi-expected.  I do believe that we SHOULD have beaten the Jets that night, and Tyrod DID start that one.

 

The other huge loss to directly cause us to miss the playoffs in this scenario was Tennessee losing to San Fran on that last second field goal last Sunday.  We would win a 3-way tie at 9-7 including Tennessee.

 

I'm not giving up on this year - stranger things have happened than San Diego losing to the Jets or Oakland, or Tennessee beating the Rams or Jags, or even us beating New England.

 

 

Cincinatti

followed by the JETS

followed by the 3 games where we had a QB with under a 40 QR rating

[RiotAct]

Bengals... common opponents and all that jazz.

[KCNC]

26 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

Respectfully, to the guys calling out the Jets game, were the Bills ever really in that game?

 

 

It was close at halftime, but did not feel like it.

[BigBuff423]

14 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

The team didn't show up for the Jets game.  Effort was suspect.  Afterwards, they were whining about the short week.  It was pathetic and embarrassing to watch.  That was the game which should haunt the players throughout the offseason.  You never take a game off, and I don't think they gave it a full effort.

 

It's hard to say what the Chargers game would have looked like if our Quarterback hadn't thrown 5 interceptions.  The rest of the team had no chance.  That was the game which should haunt Sean McDermott.  Everyone questioned his timing with us in the midst of a playoff race.  Now that game may cost us the playoffs.

 

The problem with that is the hindsight perspective of the game. I assume you were one in the camp of maintaining TT as the starter regardless of the previous weeks' outcomes. But to be fair to McD, as it has been well documented TT had 56 yards in 3 quarters against the Saints with the Bills losing 2 games and heading out West. So, yes, McD shouldn't have made that change due to the playoff hunt, but I do understand his decision at the time because TT wasn't working and the Offense was pretty awful for most of the year, ironically except for the Jets game where the Offense played fairly well but Defense didn't, like it didn't against the Saints and Chargers either. 

 

So, I wouldn't expect anyone to support TT being pulled for that game, but also it should be taken in context.

[WhoTom]

27 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

Respectfully, to the guys calling out the Jets game, were the Bills ever really in that game?

 

 

 

No, but he asked for the loss with the biggest impact, not the game that we almost won.

[The Crowing Rooster]

All of their losses helped put them in the position they are in. So I say all six. 

[PaattMaann]

Chargers game will be the worst one due to head to head tie breaker that we will likely lose to them

 

[dollars 2 donuts]

8 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

No, but he asked for the loss with the biggest impact, not the game that we almost won.

 

 

OK, but I still think the Cincy game.  The jets are a much better team, regardless of the comparable records, than CIncy.  It was a short week and we were going on the road to NY...tough order.  AFC mark would still be 7-3 either way and I am not worried, even now, about Miami catching us even if they do because we'd still be toast at that point (they win second place at 8-8, so be it)...so divisional game really doesn't mean squat.

 

EDIT:  and if memory serves me, we were also winning for a brief period of time in the third or fourth quarter of the CIncy game.  After the very first play of the Jets game I turned into every Star Wars character:  "I got a bad feeling about this."

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2017 by dollars 2 donuts

[Woodman19]

Panthers, the TD to win the game was inches away and regardless of them being in the NFC it would have given us the #1 thing to not worry about tie breakers: a win.  10-6 or 11-5 would virtually assure us of playoffs.

[Antonio]

Bengals, we had that game in our hand and gave it away.

 

Jets lose was really bad, but we never had a chance.

 

Panthers game was inches away, but it was an expected L in my book, thanks to the D we were close.

[DC Greg]

Gotta be the Panthers. Defense didn't give up a touchdown. Our offense couldn't score more than 3 points. Pathetic. 

[Magox]

I'd say Cincy first because we were in the driver's seat at one point and we let it slip away.  That one to me hurts the most.   The Jet's game hurts as well not because we let it get away from us, but just that we came out so flat and unprepared and it began an awful 3 game losing stretch.   It was a serious momentum stopper.  That's one of the few games that I believe where McD and coaching staff really had their worst performance (along with Saints game).

[All_Pro_Bills]

I'd say the Bengals game but you can balance that out by the win over Atlanta when that team was in a funk.  I expect Baltimore to win this week, Tennessee to lose to the Rams, and the Jet to beat the Chargers at home.  I hope the Bills put up a good fight against the Patriots but unless something unexpected happens, like Brady get carted off in the 1st quarter, they will likely come up short.  That should set up a win and in against Miami.  

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

6 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

OK, but I still think the Cincy game.  The jets are a much better team, regardless of the comparable records, than CIncy.  It was a short week and we were going on the road to NY...tough order.  

 

 

I dunno.  Cinci was a playoff team last year with many weapons on offense.  And we had already handled the Jets pretty easily in the opener.  Who were we supposed to be scared of on the Jets for that game?  Bilal Powell?  Josh McCown?  

[Gugny]

47 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

Respectfully, to the guys calling out the Jets game, were the Bills ever really in that game?

 

 

 

I think that's the point.  We got our asses kicked by a crappy team in our division.

[Cripple Creek]

Cincy or jests

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

5 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

I think that's the point.  We got our asses kicked by a crappy team in our division.

Inter division games are always tough and splits are more common. 

 

The Bungles game the Defense had 3 turnovers and our inept offense got little to nothing out of a great effort by the defense 

Edited December 19, 2017 by ShadyBillsFan

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

Inter division games are always tough ans splits are more common. 

 

The Bungles game the Defense had 3 turnovers and our inept offense got little to nothing out of a great effort by the defense 

 

What?  I can't believe that's what really happened.  No way. 

[Real McClappy]

1 hour ago, Canadian Bills Fan said:

Cincy or Panthers

These are it.

 

Not sure why people are saying the Jets, they destroyed us the 2nd half? 

 

Edited December 19, 2017 by Real McCoy