Season Expectations: What Am I Missing?

[Doc Brown]

A draft built for more long term success than short term success. 

A failure to make any splashy free agent signings (while watching others sign players to huge contracts) specifically at o-line and WR.

A starting o-line that got manhandled by the Browns and Bengals in the preseason after two decent veteran o-lineman retired. 

Two quarterbacks with a combined two NFL starts where he threw 1 TD and 5 INT's.  

AJ McCarron proving to be a huge disappointment.

Letting EJ Gaines go when we could've gotten him for a decent price as his absence was notable last year when he was injured.

Votae Davis looking old and slow making me think our secondary will take a step back this year.

Josh Allen looking indecisive in his only game against starters despite the porous o-line.

Sam Darnold looking like everything the Jets could've hoped for as a starting QB in preseason.

Zay Jones looking like the Zay Jones of last year thus far.

Tom Brady still in the league.

A brutal opening schedule

 

Having said all that.  Bills 56 Ravens 3

 

[NewEra]

The OLine is probably the worst in the league.   That’s why

[Wagon Circler]

4 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

A draft built for more long term success than short term success. 

A failure to make any splashy free agent signings (while watching others sign players to huge contracts) specifically at o-line and WR.

A starting o-line that got manhandled by the Browns and Bengals in the preseason after two decent veteran o-lineman retired. 

Two quarterbacks with a combined two NFL starts where he threw 1 TD and 5 INT's.  

AJ McCarron proving to be a huge disappointment.

Letting EJ Gaines go when we could've gotten him for a decent price as his absence was notable last year when he was injured.

Votae Davis looking old and slow making me think our secondary will take a step back this year.

Josh Allen looking indecisive in his only game against starters despite the porous o-line.

Sam Darnold looking like everything the Jets could've hoped for as a starting QB in preseason.

Zay Jones looking like the Zay Jones of last year thus far.

Tom Brady still in the league.

A brutal opening schedule

 

Having said all that.  Bills 56 Ravens 3

 

Logical.

[26CornerBlitz]

1 hour ago, Flip Johnson said:

I'm still trying to understand the negativity around this team.

 

The 2017 Bills went to the playoffs and lost a close game on the road to a team that came a quarter away from the Super Bowl.

 

In the offseason they lost two aging starters on the offensive line and the QB of the 31st ranked passing offense. Because of those personnel losses, "the schedule," and because the O-Line looked bad in a preseason game, they will now be one of the worst teams in football. Come on.

 

The 2018 Bills are stronger at WR, RB, TE, DL, and LB than they were one year ago. The strongest unit on the team - the secondary - is stable. QB is a question mark, but it isn't a high bar to meet. They are in year two of a highly competent coaching regime. There is good reason to believe they have upgraded the offensive coordinator. The special teams will continue to be solid, and I believe they will figure the O-line out. This team isn't going 5-11 or 4-12. Just because they will be better in 2019 doesn't mean they are "rebuilding." This is a repeat playoff team.

 

Warning. These things prevent objectivity.

 

[BullBuchanan]

This roster is significantly worse than last season. Our line was destroyed, shady is another year older, Preston Brown is going to be a pretty big loss until the kid learns the ropes, Brady isn't suspended this year, Miami and the Jets improved, probable reduction in turnover differential, no upgrades to wr, Kyle hurt, outside of Marcus Murphy no other player flashed even a little something in preseason, and we have one of the hardest schedules in the league.

 

Those are a few of the reasons I have major reservations about this season. If we win 9 games this year, it means several key pieces stepped up and we're very close to being a very good team. I'm skeptical that happens.

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, Flip Johnson said:

I'm still trying to understand the negativity around this team.

 

The 2017 Bills went to the playoffs and lost a close game on the road to a team that came a quarter away from the Super Bowl.

 

In the offseason they lost two aging starters on the offensive line and the QB of the 31st ranked passing offense. Because of those personnel losses, "the schedule," and because the O-Line looked bad in a preseason game, they will now be one of the worst teams in football. Come on.

 

The 2018 Bills are stronger at WR, RB, TE, DL, and LB than they were one year ago. The strongest unit on the team - the secondary - is stable. QB is a question mark, but it isn't a high bar to meet. They are in year two of a highly competent coaching regime. There is good reason to believe they have upgraded the offensive coordinator. The special teams will continue to be solid, and I believe they will figure the O-line out. This team isn't going 5-11 or 4-12. Just because they will be better in 2019 doesn't mean they are "rebuilding." This is a repeat playoff team.

 

 

 

 

“QB is not a high bar to meet”...

 

That’s true in one sense...but here is the thing, when you say that referencing ONLY our passing yards last year you completely ignore the loss of TT’s ability with his legs that helped mask a poor OL last year that’s only gotten substantially worse in the offseason.

 

With our OL now missing 3 starters, and being replaced by backups, it’s gone from bad to horrendous.  For this team to even sniff the playoffs this year, QB play is going to have to be quite a bit better than TT last year because they don’t do as much damage on the ground with their legs and will have less time behind this bad line to make things happen.  

 

So while I get why you said that based on our rank “passing”, the reality is defenses are going to bring the heat this year with the between being young QBs, the OL struggling, and not having to defend TT as a runner too.  Our QB, whoever starts, is going to need to be more than just a little better for them to overcome the offensive short comings.  

 

And that’s a lot to ask of two young QBs especially with a below average WR group.

 

And they have better prospects at a lot of the other positions you listed,  but those players haven’t proven to be better yet.  So it’s reasonable to be skeptical about usnhaving another good season until we see what the rookies and vets can do once the games get real.

[John from Riverside]

5 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

This roster is significantly worse than last season. Our line was destroyed, shady is another year older, Preston Brown is going to be a pretty big loss until the kid learns the ropes, Brady isn't suspended this year, Miami and the Jets improved, probable reduction in turnover differential, no upgrades to wr, Kyle hurt, outside of Marcus Murphy no other player flashed even a little something in preseason, and we have one of the hardest schedules in the league.

 

Those are a few of the reasons I have major reservations about this season. If we win 9 games this year, it means several key pieces stepped up and we're very close to being a very good team. I'm skeptical that happens.

I agree with some of this...disagree with some of this.....

 

Our running game is solid.....it was not just marcus murphy....Chris Ivory showed as well......our TE's showed potential.....I thought they took a step forward in getting athletes on the field that can do more offensively with Croom.....Kelvin Benjamin showed as well

 

But we can all see how this is going to go...Peterman prob starts....and when D start scheming they are going to try to take everything else away and force him to throw that out route to the side line that hangs in the air like a weather balloon.

 

What we have to hope for is that the OL which has not played together much yet gels to the point that we can insert Josh Allen and allow him to make his 5 step drops and work the whole field.......

[Figster]

The last 2 posts are spot on identifying Buffalo's biggest problem they will have to overcome this season for the Bills to have any chance of reaching the playoffs IMO.

 

It starts up front...

[reddogblitz]

1 hour ago, VW82 said:

They were closer to a 7-9 team than a 9-7 team. 

 

Except they were 9-7.

 

i applaud the OP's enthusiasm. I agree. We are a defending playoff team. We should act like it. Enough of the sniveling about not being good enough, wait til next year , we were lucky, we're really not good enough, 4-12  ...  

 

That was the prognosis one year ago today. Even the schedule part.

 

I don't agree with everything, but we have not seen the new offense or defense of punter for that matter. Coach McDermott knows what he's doing. And we unloaded that 900 lb anchor off our neck, Hotrod. How can our offense not be better?

 

Go BILLS !!l

[John from Riverside]

What does not get talked about often enough is that coaching is good enough that this team is going to be prepared enough to win some games that other teams are going to make mistakes on and lose.

 

Another year in the same system....another year to get the correct TYPE of guys.....

 

A taste of playoffs last year still fresh

[Trogdor]

3 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

What does not get talked about often enough is that coaching is good enough that this team is going to be prepared enough to win some games that other teams are going to make mistakes on and lose.

 

Another year in the same system....another year to get the correct TYPE of guys.....

 

A taste of playoffs last year still fresh

Our defense was weak last year and plagued by the same penalty issues from Rex. I really don't understand why everyone just jumped right to well coached. Mularkey went 9-7 too his first year. The "TYPE" of guys right now seem to be old RBs or slot receivers. 

[nucci]

6 hours ago, BillsM@fia said:

Although we made the playoffs, we didn’t control our own destiny.  I don’t believe it is all doom and gloom at One Bills Drive.  However, I can’t say we are a team that is playoff bound either.

 

If this team plays with a lot of heart, I see us still being in the wildcard demographic late into the year.  

why does that matter...they won their final game to get in...

[TheBrownBear]

Last year's point differential was that of a 6-10 team and we've almost certainly gotten worse at many key positions (at least in the short run).  Offensive line may be historically bad.  If McCoy were to go down with an injury, I don't believe we'd be capable of scoring a single point.  Metrics and common sense point to this being a horrible team. 

[fergie's ire]

And let's not forget EJ Gaines.  Our strong defense struggled in games he missed.  Not that I think he was great, but last year we had a problem finding a competent 2nd cornerback when he was out....and I am still not sure we have found one.

 

[thurst44]

7 hours ago, Wagon Circler said:

I would have agreed with everything you said two weeks ago.

But man, is that offensive line terrible.

Because pre-season ordains exactly what is going to happen in the regular season, as with last year's world champion Browns and 2008's juggernaut Lions. 

 

Also, teams never rebound from bad play. Seriously, it amazes me that no one remembers how gloomy we were after that three-game stretch where all aspects of the Bills fell apart or what we were saying (hint: the exact same things) last year at this time.

[Teddy KGB]

 

 

“QB is not a high bar to meet”...

 

That’s true in one sense...but here is the thing, when you say that referencing ONLY our passing yards last year you completely ignore the loss of TT’s ability with his legs that helped mask a poor OL last year that’s only gotten substantially worse in the offseason.

 

With our OL now missing 3 starters, and being replaced by backups, it’s gone from bad to horrendous.  For this team to even sniff the playoffs this year, QB play is going to have to be quite a bit better than TT last year because they don’t do as much damage on the ground with their legs and will have less time behind this bad line to make things happen.  

 

So while I get why you said that based on our rank “passing”, the reality is defenses are going to bring the heat this year with the between being young QBs, the OL struggling, and not having to defend TT as a runner too.  Our QB, whoever starts, is going to need to be more than just a little better for them to overcome the offensive short comings.  

 

And that’s a lot to ask of two young QBs especially with a below average WR group.

 

And they have better prospects at a lot of the other positions you listed,  but those players haven’t proven to be better yet.  So it’s reasonable to be skeptical about usnhaving another good season until we see what the rookies and vets can do once the games get real.

 

The bar is on the ground.  

 

The bar might in the trash can, not sure if it’s located in New Orleans, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, or Matt Patricia’s house 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Teddy KGB

[ChevyVanMiller]

I think most Bills fans have adopted the weatherman philosophy: if there is a 30% chance of inclement weather call for a rainy day. If you're right people expected it and are okay. If you're wrong and it's sunny, people are delighted.

 

Now, if you do it the other way and call for sunshine and it pours down buckets of rain, they want your head on a platter.

[The Process]

 

Although we made the playoffs, we didn’t control our own destiny.  I don’t believe it is all doom and gloom at One Bills Drive.  However, I can’t say we are a team that is playoff bound either.

 

If this team plays with a lot of heart, I see us still being in the wildcard demographic late into the year.  

The Bills did not have control of their destiny for a measly 30 mins after the Fins game was over and Dalton threw THE PASS. Destiny was in play for the entire season.

[aristocrat]

Out oc seems to be years ahead of Dennison. Tyrod also was third worst in taking sacks last year so our line wasn’t as good as some think. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

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