You don't watch enough of the rest of the NFL thread

[HOUSE]

I had no idea there is 32 teams??

Nobody tells me anything around here

[Real McClappy]

3 hours ago, Augie said:

We’ve beaten the teams we are supposed to beat. I find it encouraging that A) there are teams we are supposed to beat and B) so far we have actually beaten them (for the most part, the Eagles are an enigma).  Remember when we were expected to lose......and we DID? I like this MUCH better. 

^NIce^

Or the 8 different scenarios where the Bills have to win out and 5 other teams collapse to make the playoffs? 

Another nice thing so far this year not hearing is how the refs cost us at least 2 games.

 

It's different!

[Elite Poster]

The funny part is my skepticism going forward is precisely because I watch as many games as possible. Our offense looks cringe worthy at points compared to most of the league and I'm one of the few people that DOES NOT think it's Josh's or Daboll's fault. I think McDermott is a very particular or OCD guy and he has an idea of how he thinks winning is sustainable long-term. I mean listen to the guy talk, he always balks at any mention of offense and Beane, who offers more, even stated this off-season that they had to look themselves in the mirror and accept that this is an offense league. I mean the most novice football fan could tell you that. You know what's a really great defense? A great offense. If you score enough points the other team is forced to become one dimensional. It's not cliche or traditional but it is damn true. Our offense looks like it's scared to unleash Josh and from how McDermott speaks, it just makes you think it was him. Josh turned it over 4 times against the Jets, guess what, we won. Josh melted down against the Pats with the INTs, guess what? He probably wins us that game if he's in. We had a scare against Miami, barely did anything to the Eagles, and looked pedestrian at times against the Redskins? Why? Because we are making Josh be a game manager and not letting him be a game changer. 

 

Here's my concern about our 6-2. Most teams do not have a cake walk schedule and a great defense to capitalize on. I'm worried that we are one of those teams that gets buried a year later like the 2017 Jags and 2018 Bears which were carried by defense and below average offense. I think Josh can be special but we are scared of deviating from this "winning" formula. It DOES MATTER who we are playing, however. Will this work against better opponents? 

 

Don't get me wrong, 6-2 I'm ***** pumped, but it's not about just making the playoffs. It's time to raise the standard. You think the Steelers and Seahawks are excited about potential wild card berths? Hell no. They want the whole damn thing. They have a raised standard. Let's get there. It doesn't take 55 years, it really only should take 2-3 with the right players and coaches. Look at the Rams, Niners, and Philly to name a few that went from garbage to contenders in just 2 years. If this 6-2 is legit, then they should be winning a playoff game this year MINIMUM. 

 

In the end, 6-2 is 6-2. It's not fake but with the rest of the schedule, I'm worried this team could skid. Steelers, Ravens, Pats again, and Cowboys are tough games no matter how you look at it. I do not want a repeat of the Eagles game in those contests, we must look like we belong. 

Edited November 7, 2019 by Elite Poster

[Teddy KGB]

On 11/5/2019 at 2:52 PM, Nextmanup said:

r

 

As I wrote yesterday somewhere, the party will end come our single playoff game.

 

 

 

 

Can you delete your account if they win that “single” playoff game  ? 

 

Lmk 

[17years&waiting]

40 minutes ago, Elite Poster said:

The funny part is my skepticism going forward is precisely because I watch as many games as possible. Our offense looks cringe worthy at points compared to most of the league and I'm one of the few people that DOES NOT think it's Josh's or Daboll's fault. I think McDermott is a very particular or OCD guy and he has an idea of how he thinks winning is sustainable long-term. I mean listen to the guy talk, he always balks at any mention of offense and Beane, who offers more, even stated this off-season that they had to look themselves in the mirror and accept that this is an offense league. I mean the most novice football fan could tell you that. You know what's a really great defense? A great offense. If you score enough points the other team is forced to become one dimensional. It's not cliche or traditional but it is damn true. Our offense looks like it's scared to unleash Josh and from how McDermott speaks, it just makes you think it was him. Josh turned it over 4 times against the Jets, guess what, we won. Josh melted down against the Pats with the INTs, guess what? He probably wins us that game if he's in. We had a scare against Miami, barely did anything to the Eagles, and looked pedestrian at times against the Redskins? Why? Because we are making Josh be a game manager and not letting him be a game changer. 

 

Here's my concern about our 6-2. Most teams do not have a cake walk schedule and a great defense to capitalize on. I'm worried that we are one of those teams that gets buried a year later like the 2017 Jags and 2018 Bears which were carried by defense and below average offense. I think Josh can be special but we are scared of deviating from this "winning" formula. It DOES MATTER who we are playing, however. Will this work against better opponents? 

 

Don't get me wrong, 6-2 I'm ***** pumped, but it's not about just making the playoffs. It's time to raise the standard. You think the Steelers and Seahawks are excited about potential wild card berths? Hell no. They want the whole damn thing. They have a raised standard. Let's get there. It doesn't take 55 years, it really only should take 2-3 with the right players and coaches. Look at the Rams, Niners, and Philly to name a few that went from garbage to contenders in just 2 years. If this 6-2 is legit, then they should be winning a playoff game this year MINIMUM. 

 

In the end, 6-2 is 6-2. It's not fake but with the rest of the schedule, I'm worried this team could skid. Steelers, Ravens, Pats again, and Cowboys are tough games no matter how you look at it. I do not want a repeat of the Eagles game in those contests, we must look like we belong. 

 

My problem with this theory is that he benched and then cut Tyrod.  If McD really wanted to win 13-10 every week and have no mistakes on offense, then Tyrod would still be QB.  

 

We already had the QB to make that happen and McD went out of his way to get rid of him.  Because that's not how he wants to win.

[Mr. WEO]

I was asking my myself...i says to myself WHEN will someone have the GUTS to start a thread about “hey it’s 6-2, everything is awesome!”.

 

and then I awoke from this fever dream to see yet another such thread had been started....

[Albany,n.y.]

On 11/5/2019 at 2:00 PM, Ethan in Portland said:

No one is apologizing for it. But they lost to the only two teams that are 0.500 or better. Until the beat a quality opponent none of us will know how good they truly are. Dallas, Baltimore, Patriots, and even the Steelers' games will be the real barometers....until the playoffs start

So if they only beat losing teams they'll go 10-6 and make the playoffs with another year of growth and experience for Allen's development heading to an off-season with lots of cap space. Works for me.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 minute ago, Albany,n.y. said:

So if they only beat losing teams they'll go 10-6 and make the playoffs with another year of growth and experience for Allen's development heading to an off-season with lots of cap space. Works for me.

Agree for the moat part. Like the Jax game putting a nail in the coffin of TT as a QB, how they look in a playoff game will matter to me. 

If you assume 10-6, then they are probably the 5 seed and that means at Indy or Chiefs. Both winnable games.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

On 11/5/2019 at 2:17 PM, skibum said:

Sometimes I think a lot of folks on this board measure every game against the 1991 AFC Championship game. Like it's not a convincing win unless it's 51-3. 

And then they blow the next one to a scrub back up QB only scoring 19 points. 

[apuszczalowski]

1 hour ago, Albany,n.y. said:

So if they only beat losing teams they'll go 10-6 and make the playoffs with another year of growth and experience for Allen's development heading to an off-season with lots of cap space. Works for me.

You are also assuming everything just gets better because time has passed

Bears were 12-4 last year with a young QB, how is that working out?

In 2017 Jacksonville was 10-6 winning their division and making the playoffs, then were 5-11 the next season.

 

You also bring up Cap space and FA, but you have to find players willing to accept contracts and sign those deals.

Buffalo isn't exactly a prime destination for the best players in the league. Are WRs going to be flocking to come to play for an offence that rarely puts up more then 250 yards a game in the air and scores less then 20 points a game? 

 

[iinii]

20 hours ago, section122 said:

 

I don't want my post to be misconstrued as the Bills are perfect and beyond reproach.  For me at least Josh's fumbles are concerning as well as his deep ball accuracy.  3rd Quarter performance from the offense leaves a lot to be desired as well among other concerns.  That being said at the end of the day they are 6-2. 

 

The rush defense is certainly a concern but even with the last 3 games they still are giving up the 3rd least yards per game total and are 19th against the rush.  Among "Super Bowl Contenders" they are better than the Chiefs and Packers.  Some of these teams have better run defenses because they are so porous against the pass (Raiders, Texans, TB, Jets) or are out to such big leads that teams abandon the run (Saints, Patriots, Niners, Ravens, Texans).  The Bills certainly have a harder schedule coming up and those are some good names at RB but so are Saquon Barkley, Le'veon Bell, Joe Mixon, and Derek Henry whom they have already faced.

 

There is criticism to dish out but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that perfect teams in the NFL don't exist.  That is all I wanted to point out in the op.  Discussion is good but it seems really weird around here with all the doom and gloom when we are 6-2.  I've been a fan for more than 30 years (wow) so I have eaten my fair share of razor cakes.  I'm gonna enjoy this ride as I do every year.  If the bottom falls out it falls out hopefully it doesn't but each Monday after a victory I don't want to come to my favorite website and see pissing and moaning about how they should have won by more.  Discussion is always welcome, whining entitled posts get my goat, that is what inspired this post.

It is all about perspective. To me, you chose a narrative to support your beliefs, which is fine. It just appeared to showcase only one side of the coin. I like balance; so I entered something I noticed that looks a little disconcerting for a team that has been buoyed by their defense. Kyle’s retirement and Harry’s injury looks to have created a crack in the wall. An unfortunate situation to say the least. I don’t see gloom and doom just that the Bills have a ways to go. This is technically a free country and an open message board, not everyone is going to agree and that is okay. 
Football results rarely have a linear path. Team A beats Team B, Team B beats Team C, therefore Team A should crush Team C is flawed, which seemed to be the spine of your post. We beat the Jets who beat the Cowgirls who beat the Eagles who beat the Bears is real but doesn’t tell us anything about Thanksgiving’s outcome. Any given Thursday, right? 
The NFL is flawed imo when it comes to a lot of things; one of which being the weighting of divisions and the scheduling that corresponds with same. You CAN only play who is on your schedule but you have to admit that so far it has been fairly easy. And only beating the losers points to a team that is good/on the rise but still middling. 
I consider myself a realist. The glass isn’t half full or half empty it just has water in it. 
 

 

[section122]

27 minutes ago, iinii said:

It is all about perspective. To me, you chose a narrative to support your beliefs, which is fine. It just appeared to showcase only one side of the coin. I like balance; so I entered something I noticed that looks a little disconcerting for a team that has been buoyed by their defense. Kyle’s retirement and Harry’s injury looks to have created a crack in the wall. An unfortunate situation to say the least. I don’t see gloom and doom just that the Bills have a ways to go. This is technically a free country and an open message board, not everyone is going to agree and that is okay. 
Football results rarely have a linear path. Team A beats Team B, Team B beats Team C, therefore Team A should crush Team C is flawed, which seemed to be the spine of your post. We beat the Jets who beat the Cowgirls who beat the Eagles who beat the Bears is real but doesn’t tell us anything about Thanksgiving’s outcome. Any given Thursday, right? 
The NFL is flawed imo when it comes to a lot of things; one of which being the weighting of divisions and the scheduling that corresponds with same. You CAN only play who is on your schedule but you have to admit that so far it has been fairly easy. And only beating the losers points to a team that is good/on the rise but still middling. 
I consider myself a realist. The glass isn’t half full or half empty it just has water in it. 
 

 

 

I think we are actually a lot closer than you think in what we believe.

 

to the bolded my point is that it is any given week.  Any team can beat any team.  That is what I was pointing out.  For as good as the Seahawks look they had the exact struggle we did against the 0-8 Bengals.  As Micah Hyde said they shouldn't apologize for winning ugly.  I think fans only consider it ugly because it is the defense leading the way instead of the offense.  The 7-2 Seahawks have a point differential of +18 they have played a lot of close games too.  They have a better offense but a worse defense that is just how the NFL works.

 

To the second bolded I absolutely agree.  I thought at the start of the year and still think they are a few pieces away from truly being championship caliber.  They need a #1 WR that is a dominant force and a better pash rush.  They are still on the rise but that is my point they are on the rise.  I'm enjoying the ride because every Monday after a win is a little bit brighter.  I like the progress of Josh Allen, like the culture McDermott is building, and like that they are 6-2.  If the wheels fall off I'll be disappointed and re-evaluate my opinions then.  I'm not going to not enjoy what is happening now waiting for that to happen though.

 

14 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

You also bring up Cap space and FA, but you have to find players willing to accept contracts and sign those deals.

Buffalo isn't exactly a prime destination for the best players in the league. Are WRs going to be flocking to come to play for an offence that rarely puts up more then 250 yards a game in the air and scores less then 20 points a game? 

 

 

I read in this very thread that every team is on equal footing when it comes to getting FA.  

 

I agree with you though and think that the Bills will be targeting WR in the draft as it is a very deep position.  There is a lot of talent and depth at the position and a clear hole in the Bills offense.  I think every year every team has a hole somewhere and the era of complete teams is over.  Even the Patriots have struggled with run defense because their pass d is so amazing.  They have an issue with their offensive line and Brady is having an off year because of it but that has more to do with injury.  They are beatable and the Bills played them very close.  To me this isn't like years past where it is an automatic loss.

 

[section122]

I had a thought so I did some digging.

 

Top 6 teams in AFC are Patriots, Ravens, Chiefs, Bills, Colts.

 

The Patriots, Chiefs, Texans, and Bills don't have a "bad loss" between them losing only to teams with winning records.  The Chiefs (will be the first to admit they are much different with Mahomes) and Patriots were thought of as the cream of the crop in the conference and I think that thought still stands.  Any way you slice it this is a good group to be in. 

 

The Ravens have lost to the 2-6 Browns and the Colts have struggled with bad teams before ultimately winning (sound familiar) as well losing to the 4-5 Chargers.

 

Top 6 teams in the NFC are Niners, Saints, Packers, Cowboys, Seahawks, and Vikings.

 

Niners, Saints, and Seahawks don't have a bad loss.

 

The Packers lost to the 4-5 Chargers, Cowboys to the 1-7 Jets, and Vikings to the 3-5 Bears.

 

What does all this mean?  Absolutely nothing.  However if we polled our resident "realists" I would bet they would say that the Packers, Cowboys, Ravens, and Colts were all better teams than the Bills.  That may be true (I for one think heads up the Packers and Ravens are better).  However all of those teams I listed have shown that they can be beat even by middling if not bad teams.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

27 minutes ago, section122 said:

Niners and Seahawks don't have a bad loss.

 

Those two have multiple Too Close to Call wins 

Niners  --  4 pts to the Steelers w/o Ben and 3 pts to the Cards 

Seahawks  --  1 pt to the Bengals,   1 pt to the Rams*, 4 pts to the Browns

 

I don't know but a Loss to the Ravens 30-16 seems big enough.