Schedule Analysis

[billsredneck1]

7 hours ago, Jrb1979 said:

The lack of primetime games could also be a trade off for having less december home games. I think its the league's way of saying get a new stadium. 

i may be in the minority here, but i don't see the need for a new stadium. the pegs just spent 25 mil on a state of the art sports science/training facility (which they bought the land for next door) and i don't think they can possibly find a better location....geographically for the entire complex. the new facility is a one of a kind , top notch innovation. i don't think any other team has anything even close.

 

i can't see any other location where the tailgating could be as good of an experience.  downtown would suck and we'd probably lose a ton of canadian fans by going some place like batavia.

 

i do think that considering a retractable roof may/should be considered. i love the bad weather karma for late season games as much as anybody, but a retractable roof would probably get more later season prime time games as well as be a big money maker as a year round venue of events. jmo

[billsredneck1]

1 hour ago, mjt328 said:

I see this as two up-and-coming teams with young franchise QBs, ready to take the next step forward. 

I'm curious to see what happens in the draft, and how Josh Allen/Sam Darnold progress during training camp and preseason.

It's a real toss-up.  But right now, I prefer our overall roster and the fact we have an established coaching staff.

1-0

i think we win this one. i know neither has drafted yet, but we basically have a whole new team which will be hard for the jets to game plan against. i like dabol vs. greggo.

i think we get the edge in this one. i think we'll have too much to defend.

[buffaloboyinATL]

13 hours ago, corta765 said:

 

 

The Ugly: The Bills are irrelevant nationally. Yea they got the Thanksgiving game and yes there is a small shot they get the Saturday game at night vs NE but the other 14 games are all 1pm. I know some people love 1pm games but all that confirms is that nationally this team has no one of attention drawing and no one thinks the Bills matter in the landscape of competition. If they did you would see some 4  pm games and another night game. When the Giants and Redskins get more night games and even Miami has the same number it confirms you a nobody league wide. The only time recently the Bills truly has some national exposure with the Rex disaster. Other then the Bills winning the division this is just another sign by the NFL that the Bills need a new stadium if they want any attention and we really not matter in the general landscape.

Kay Adams just went off about this on GMFB.  She said the Bills were screwed over by not getting any primetime games and said Thanksgiving barely counts.  She said the other QB's from Allen's draft class (Darnold, Mayfield and Jackson) got a combined 10 primetime games and that Allen has earned more national attention than he is receiving.  She even pulled out a Josh Allen autographed jersey during her rant.  I appreciate the attention that show gives the Bills.

[HansLanda]

FWIW, and I am not sure if this is even tracked across the NFL, the Bills are only going to have three roadtrip flights at or around 3 hours (Miami, Dallas, Nashville). Not to mention just two games in the central time zone. 

 

That is not bad at all. 

[Nihilarian]

2 hours ago, Nihilarian said:

The Bills secondary was already upgraded with the addition of EJ Gains so the areas of need are run stopping and pass rush. The Jests with Bell, the Ginats with Barkley. the Titsns with Henry. The Bills will really need to improve in run stopping or it could be a long season.

 

 

2 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Yea.

 

Run defense got exposed big time in a few games at the end of the year.

 

Edmunds and Star need to improve in that department. 

It will probably take more than those two upping their game. I was hoping for more offense on draft day and now I'm wondering if that defense is going to get run over. The Bills shut down Tom Brady in that week 16 game and then got killed in the run game. Brady went 13 of 25 for 125 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs which was abysmal for the GOAT. However, their run game went 47 rushes for 273 yards, 2 TDs. ToP was 35:38 NE to Bills 24:22. 

 

Bills fans might be thinking that the Jets, Giants, Titans might be easy wins but they forget how good the RB's are on those teams. Le'Veon Bell, Saquan Barkley, Derrick Henry plua the Patriots in those first five games and unless the Bills fix their run defense it could be a 1-4 start. 

[ricko1112]

11 hours ago, wagon127 said:

The browns have Four primetime games, and four 4:00 games. How many more football games have they won, more then the bills over the last 3 years?

I think that signing OBJ had a lot to do with it along with some other decent signings and a good QB. They've been worse than the Bills, but they are fueled by hype and national love from "experts." The Bills have neither national love nor hype. And, honestly, outside of Buffalo do people have any optimism that Allen will develop into a franchise QB? That's not a judgement, but from an outsider's perspective 10 TDs, 12 INTs,  2074 yards (only 173 ypg), and a 68 rating isn't good. Could it be his rushing that gets people excited? 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

14 minutes ago, ricko1112 said:

I think that signing OBJ had a lot to do with it along with some other decent signings and a good QB. They've been worse than the Bills, but they are fueled by hype and national love from "experts." The Bills have neither national love nor hype. And, honestly, outside of Buffalo do people have any optimism that Allen will develop into a franchise QB? That's not a judgement, but from an outsider's perspective 10 TDs, 12 INTs,  2074 yards (only 173 ypg), and a 68 rating isn't good. Could it be his rushing that gets people excited? 

But if you look at Allen’s #’s as well as the overall offense after Allen’s return week 12, the O moved up to 12th in ranking with a 22ppg average, and Allen’s QBR was 13th (3-3 record); this combined with more than solid FA upgrades across the board, should provide similar optimism for the Bills. But I could care less how many PT games we have versus the Browns—just win what’s in front of you, and recognition will come soon enough. Plus, we want/need this group to get after it and stay hungry all year to get better and better 

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/33102/bills-josh-allen-surrounded-by-new-faces-after-offseason-makeover

Edited April 18, 2019 by NoHuddleKelly12

[SF Bills Fan]

Bet on the Bills getting more than 6 wins. I think the floor is 7 wins and ceiling is 10. 9-7 is likely. 

[bdutton]

14 hours ago, corta765 said:

The schedule is out if you haven’t seen this is it:

Wk 1 at NYJ

Wk 2 at NYG

Wk 3 Cincy home opener

Wk 4 NE

Wk 5 at TEN

Wk 6 BYE

Wk 7 Miami

Wk 8 Philly

Wk 9 WSH

Wk 10 at CLE

Wk 11 at MIA

Wk 12 DEN

Wk 13 at DAL Thanksgiving Day

Wk 14 BAL

Wk 15 at PIT

Wk 16 at NE possible Saturday game

Wk 17 NYJ

 

The Good:

The Bills get an awesome 5 games in their first 8 games. Other then NE and PHI it sets up 6 very winnable games and the opportunity for the Bills to stack a lot of wins. While opening on the road two straight weeks is not preferable, opponent wise they should be able to get at least 1 win as they build forward. There is no killer road portion like we have seen before which is nice. And of course the Bills for the first time since 1994 are playing in Thanksgiving which for many fans like myself is the first time I’ll ever get to see them on the big day. 6 home games before Thanksgiving is a godsend for season ticket holders who were stuck with some crappy non impact December games the last few years.

  

The Bad:

Opening two straight on the road is still tough regardless of opponent. If you lose both your starring at an 0-2 hole before your first home game which is not fun. The last 5 games present some truly stiff tests and will be a major make it or break part for their playoff hopes with four AFC games against playoff aspiring teams/NE.

 

The Ugly: The Bills are irrelevant nationally. Yea they got the Thanksgiving game and yes there is a small shot they get the Saturday game at night vs NE but the other 14 games are all 1pm. I know some people love 1pm games but all that confirms is that nationally this team has no one of attention drawing and no one thinks the Bills matter in the landscape of competition. If they did you would see some 4  pm games and another night game. When the Giants and Redskins get more night games and even Miami has the same number it confirms you a nobody league wide. The only time recently the Bills truly has some national exposure with the Rex disaster. Other then the Bills winning the division this is just another sign by the NFL that the Bills need a new stadium if they want any attention and we really not matter in the general landscape.

 

I didn't read the entire thread but I will say this:

 

1.  Thanksgiving game is big.

2. NE is beatable at home... we could go 4-1/5-0 (a bit optimistic I know) before the bye.

3. The final game against NYJ could have playoff implications for both teams.  Some are predicting both teams to go 9-7 so that final home game could get bumped to Sunday night.  Basically amounting to what is a playoff game.

 

EDIT:  Just read the flexible scheduling rules and only Sunday afternoon games can get moved to Sunday night.  I think the Bills could benefit by getting moved to the Sunday afternoon slot.

 

[NewEra]

2 hours ago, D521646 said:

Wk 1 at NYJ - (Great early test, Allen and Darnold seem to be pretty good friends and both competitive) Jets will have good running game, but so should we. 50/50

Wk 2 at NYG - (I just don't see how they've improved this offseason)  I see a 75/25 chance for a Win

Wk 3 Cincy home opener - (Fired up fans, weakened defense, coaching overhaul) 80/20 for the Win

Wk 4 NE - (Pats are Pats, but this year smells different, but until I see evidence)  40/60 probably a loss

Wk 5 at TEN - (Who's going to be the QB, Henry with no star receivers) 60/40 for the Win

Wk 6 BYE - (10th week in from start of preseason, good place for a bye)

Wk 7 Miami - (Miami at the start of the season is nothing on paper, we should know who they are by this point) 75/25 for Win

Wk 8 Philly - (With no quality backup anymore, will Wentz be healthy?) 60/40 for the Win

Wk 9 WSH - (Who's the QB?  Nothing scars me about this team on either side of the ball) 80/20 for the Win

Wk 10 at CLE - (Mayfield's hold on the team of divas will be very clear at this point, if they're winning they will be tough, if not?)  50/50

Wk 11 at MIA - (I think they'll be improved, but I also think the Bills at this point have some momentum, possible trap game) 60/40 for the Win

Wk 12 DEN - (Nothing really to say about Denver haven't been paying attention to their offseason)  @home 70/30 for the Win

Wk 13 at DAL Thanksgiving Day - (Team is built very similar to the Bills on TG Day toss up) 50/50

Wk 14 BAL - (Teams and the league will have Jackson figured out by now, Harbaugh realizes they made a big mistake letting Flacco go) 70/30 for the Win

Wk 15 at PIT - (Ju Ju, Rothlisberger, depends on their record but not scared, what they do well on offense, we counter well with defense) 50/50

Wk 16 at NE possible Saturday game - (who knows, but I fully expect either the Jets or the Bills to be in the hunt) 50/50

Wk 17 NYJ - (Again, Jets have a brutal start to their season, where will they be at this point, I'm guessing in the hunt) 60/40 we're at home looking to go to the dance.

 

I see 10 wins and 1 sure loss, and  5 toss ups.  Even if I take into account that I'm not being as conservative as I should be, I'm not far off.  Even if we lose some of those projected wins, we can make up for it with wins in some of the toss ups.  I still see no reason we can't be a 10 win team at a minimum.  All about momentum, and if we can get some early, which I fully expect, then we as fans are going to enjoy this season.  Regardless, the Bills are not the laughing stock of the league this year.  No team is marking us on their calendar as an automatic W.

 

 

Tim- 

You give us too much credit.  @Dallas 50/50?  @browns 50/50?  @pats50/50?  @steelers 50/50?  Lol

[LeGOATski]

3 hours ago, HuSeYiN_NYC said:

Home, away, 1pm game, night game, Thanksgiving. They all are just games... Stick to the workouts, preparation for the week and take it one game at a time... As of now the main focus is the Jets... All focus is on beating them and then we'll move on to the Giants... That's my motto...

Make sure you wake up on time, turn on the TV, grab a snack, and watch football.

 

That's my motto...

[Forward Progress]

3 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Make sure you wake up on time, turn on the TV, grab a snack, and watch football.

 

That's my motto...

 

Words to live by... I feel more inspired than I ever have. 

[D521646]

28 minutes ago, NewEra said:

You give us too much credit.  @Dallas 50/50?  @browns 50/50?  @pats50/50?  @steelers 50/50?  Lol

 

 

Ok, so maybe the Pats, but the others?  What scares you about those teams?

 

Tim-

[corta765]

1 hour ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

Kay Adams just went off about this on GMFB.  She said the Bills were screwed over by not getting any primetime games and said Thanksgiving barely counts.  She said the other QB's from Allen's draft class (Darnold, Mayfield and Jackson) got a combined 10 primetime games and that Allen has earned more national attention than he is receiving.  She even pulled out a Josh Allen autographed jersey during her rant.  I appreciate the attention that show gives the Bills.

 

Yea honestly if you swapped Allen with any of those three the attention received/hype would've been vastly greater and those guys would've received reduced hype. I think with Allen it does stem to the amount of people who were polarized on him. He silenced a lot of critics who said he was a tire fire by having some good games and putting together a solid string in his final 6 during the back half. There are people who do not want to give him credit but they really don't have the ammunition they did before so their silent. If Allen was in NY his hurdle vs MIN and pass vs JAX would've been played daily on the major networks. As others have said being small market and the lack of success for 20 years unfortunately hides the positives and attention he deserves. Oh well just gotta shock the world I guess

[NewEra]

8 minutes ago, D521646 said:

 

 

Ok, so maybe the Pats, but the others?  What scares you about those teams?

 

Tim-

Scares me?  It’s not about scaring anyone.  It’s about chance to win on the road.  We’re the Bills.  Who do WE scare?  We will be underdogs in each and every one of those

games I listed.  40/60 at least if you’re going to consider beating the eagle at home a 60/40

[quincy]

Which prospects from the 2019 draft will end up as being very marketable?

Thus bringing pressure on the schedulers to offer the Bills at least 1 prime-time game per year? 

 

As an starting point I think it those players could be Marquise Brown, Hockenson, Quinnen Williams, Kyler Murray and DK Metcalf.

Maybe Darrell Henderson, Mecole Hardeman, Andy Isabella and Justice Hill.

 

In an alternate universe if the Bills had landed Antonio Brown I am sure there would be at least 2 prime-time games.

 

 

[Boatdrinks]

6 minutes ago, quincy said:

Which prospects from the 2019 draft will end up as being very marketable?

Thus bringing pressure on the schedulers to offer the Bills at least 1 prime-time game per year? 

 

As an starting point I think it those players could be Marquise Brown, Hockenson, Quinnen Williams, Kyler Murray and DK Metcalf.

Maybe Darrell Henderson, Mecole Hardeman, Andy Isabella and Justice Hill.

 

In an alternate universe if the Bills had landed Antonio Brown I am sure there would be at least 2 prime-time games.

 

 

If Brown trade ocurred I’d say at least one PT appearance for sure. The Bills were a bottom of the league offense last year, and their star power is minimal. If they improve drastically in the scoring department, PT games will follow. 

[BarleyNY]

13 hours ago, Florida Bills Fanatic said:

The Browns didn't tank.  Their front office did an incredibly bad job of drafting (Johnny Football and others) and had some of the worst coaching in the league.  They squandered multiple high draft picks, several years in a row.  They finally got a good GM, had two good drafts in a row, made one really good trade, made a couple of really good FA signings, and improved their coaching staff.  They really stumbled their way into this great situation.  They were so bad that they didn't need to tank.  They still have some holes to fill on their defense but I expect their GM to get them fixed.  They have a window of time to be successful before rookie deals start to run out on those high draft picks.  In the meantime, I expect them to be good, especially on offense.

 

It had been a long time since the Browns had intentionally tanked.  Then Sashi Brown took over a few years ago (he was fired when Dorsey was hired). The 0-16 and 1-15 seasons were tank years - although they were expecting a few more wins than that.  There certainly were a lot of seasons where they were trying and looked like they were tanking though. 

[BIGBOY]

19 hours ago, corta765 said:

The schedule is out if you haven’t seen this is it:

Wk 1 at NYJ

Wk 2 at NYG

Wk 3 Cincy home opener

Wk 4 NE

Wk 5 at TEN

Wk 6 BYE

Wk 7 Miami

Wk 8 Philly

Wk 9 WSH

Wk 10 at CLE

Wk 11 at MIA

Wk 12 DEN

Wk 13 at DAL Thanksgiving Day

Wk 14 BAL

Wk 15 at PIT

Wk 16 at NE possible Saturday game

Wk 17 NYJ

 

The Good:

The Bills get an awesome 5 games in their first 8 games. Other then NE and PHI it sets up 6 very winnable games and the opportunity for the Bills to stack a lot of wins. While opening on the road two straight weeks is not preferable, opponent wise they should be able to get at least 1 win as they build forward. There is no killer road portion like we have seen before which is nice. And of course the Bills for the first time since 1994 are playing in Thanksgiving which for many fans like myself is the first time I’ll ever get to see them on the big day. 6 home games before Thanksgiving is a godsend for season ticket holders who were stuck with some crappy non impact December games the last few years.

 

The Bad:

Opening two straight on the road is still tough regardless of opponent. If you lose both your starring at an 0-2 hole before your first home game which is not fun. The last 5 games present some truly stiff tests and will be a major make it or break part for their playoff hopes with four AFC games against playoff aspiring teams/NE.

 

The Ugly: The Bills are irrelevant nationally. Yea they got the Thanksgiving game and yes there is a small shot they get the Saturday game at night vs NE but the other 14 games are all 1pm. I know some people love 1pm games but all that confirms is that nationally this team has no one of attention drawing and no one thinks the Bills matter in the landscape of competition. If they did you would see some 4  pm games and another night game. When the Giants and Redskins get more night games and even Miami has the same number it confirms you a nobody league wide. The only time recently the Bills truly has some national exposure with the Rex disaster. Other then the Bills winning the division this is just another sign by the NFL that the Bills need a new stadium if they want any attention and we really not matter in the general landscape.

Couldn’t agree more on your primetime point: it’s embaressing to not get granted a prime time game. I thought a young, exciting second year QB would have at least netted one MAYBE two primetime games. The line of thinking “hey I love dem dere 1pm games” is so pre historic and is a very insulated way of thinking. We get it you want to attend a meat raffle or rake dem leaves at 4pm smh. 

Edited April 18, 2019 by BIGBOY

[BarleyNY]

3 minutes ago, BIGBOY said:

Couldn’t agree more on your final point: it’s embaressing to not get granted a prime time game. I thought a young, exciting second year QB would have at least netted one MAYBE two primetime games. The line of thinking “hey I love dem dere 1pm games” is so pre historic and is a very insulated way of thinking. We get it you want to attend a meat raffle or rake dem leaves at 4pm smh. 

 

Gotta agree with this.  The Bills should’ve had at least one prime time game.  The Thanksgiving Game doesn’t technically count as one, but I do view it as equivalent.  Even so, the Bills deserve that and at least one additional prime time game.  It is disrespectful.