Predict the Season

[GunnerBill]

Those who have been on this board a while will know that I tend to have certain threads that I start every year at about the same time. Whether that be my roster thread, or my bold predictions thread or my draft prep thread.... normally I do good night / bad night after each of the pre-season games too but sadly that hasn't happened this year. Well here is another... my "Predict the Season" thread. This thread is both serious and a bit of fun at the same time. It is my actual final prediction of our record (which I have only been more than 1 game out on once in 6 seasons of doing this - 2015 when I had Rex's team going 10-6 and they went 8-8) and of who we win and lose to. The individual game write ups I take a little more liberal poetic license but I do occasionally hit a gem there too.... in 2016 I predicted the Bills defense going pick happy against Carson Palmer and the Cardinals (he had 4) and last year I had Eli Manning's week 2 defeat to the Bills as the game before his benching (it was).

 

Overall last year I had the Bills 10-6 (correct) and I called 12 of the 16 games right. I actually nailed the first EIGHT predictions before falling when the Bills lost at Cleveland. I had us winning @ Cleveland and vs Jets and losing @ Dallas and @ Pittsburgh. They were the four I called wrong. https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/217319-predict-the-season/?tab=comments#comment-5926740

 

So here we go for this year..... here is the 2020 Buffalo Bills season:

 

Week 1 - Jets 9 Bills 24 - The Bills open their season with one of the more favourable games on their schedule. They come out firing and feature their new man Stefon Diggs who ends with 7 receptions, over 100 yards and a debut touchdown. However, they also pound the ground game with Singletary and Moss combining for over 150 yards and a score a piece. The Jets on the other hand really struggle to move the ball against the Bills and turn it over twice on their way to a convincing defeat. 1-0

 

Week 2 - Bills 23 Dolphins 20 - This one is tougher than most people expect. The Dolphins defense does a much better job than the Jets in restricting Stefon Diggs who only has 2 catches for 30 yards. The home team even has a chance to win the game on their final drive. In range for a long field goal attempt and with 3rd and 5 Ryan Fitzpatrick decides to go for broke, throwing a dart down to seam for tight end Mike Gesicki.... only to see Jordan Poyer undercut it and secure the interception and the win for the Bills. 2-0

 

Week 3 - Rams 24 Bills 26 - Jared Goff and the Rams are fast out of the gate when they arrive in Buffalo and they are 17-6 up early in the second quarter. The Bills defense finally adjusts though and a turnover forced by Tremaine Edmunds give Josh Allen and the offense a short field right before the half, and Devin Singletary reduces the arrears to 17-13. The Bills are the better team after the interval but they only hit the front with 40 seconds remaining when Tyler Bass nails a 56 yarder. The Rams try to respond but fail on a hail mary as time expires. 3-0

 

Week 4 - Bills 16 Raiders 13 - This could be a game from the 1980s as the Bills and Raiders slug it out in a trenches battle. A touchdown for Josh Jacobs early in the first half has the Raiders ahead and it takes until the middle of the third quarter before Josh Allen barrels his way in on a keeper for the Bills to sniff the endzone. Other than that it is field goals all the way as neither Quarterback is able to break 150 yards passing. 4-0

 

Week 5 - Bills 10 Titans 16 - The unbeaten start is over as the Bills fall in another ugly slugfest in Tennessee. Stefon Diggs is held without a catch and Josh Allen throws two interceptions, including a pick six, and despite the defense not giving up a touchdown the Bills are beaten. After the early season optimism the offense looks mired in mediocrity. Fans are calling for Brian Daboll's head. 4-1

 

Week 6 - Chiefs 30 Bills 27 - Stung by the criticism of their previous two performances the Bills offense flies out of the traps with a typically creative Brian Daboll opening drive that ends with Dawson Knox throwing a touchdown to Cole Beasley. And the Bills are not finished there. Stefon Diggs adds a touchdown before the half and the Bills D has held its own against the Kansas City offense giving Buffalo a 17-13 half-time lead. Mahomes leads Kansas City straight down the field after the break and gives the visitors the advantage but after the teams trade field goals back come Buffalo again and early in the fourth quarter when Allen finds Gabriel Davis for another touchdown that takes him to 300 yards passing on the day and makes the score 27-23. Unfortunately despite stopping the Chiefs on their next drive the Bills fail to ice the game and Mahomes gets one last shot which he makes count with a 25 yard touchdown pass to..... Sammy Watkins, who else? 4-2

 

Week 7 - Bills 35 Jets 14 - The slide is ended when the Bills visit the 1-5 New York Jets. The offense has its best day of the season by far, Josh Allen has his second 300 yard passing day in two weeks and Stefon Diggs and John Brown feast on the Jets secondary. Gregg Williams pays with his job as he is fired as defensive coordinator the next morning. A week later Adam Gase is gone too when the Jets are humiliated by the Chiefs. 5-2

 

Week 8 - Patriots 13 Bills 23 - Sean McDermott gets his first win against the Patriots but it does not come easily. The Patriots lead 10-7 at half time but the Bills pick off Cam Newton early in the third quarter setting up a Josh Allen touchdown run to put them ahead. It is all field goals from there on in but the Bills keep their divisional foe at arms length and asset themselves at the top of the division as they improve to 6-2

 

Week 9 - Seahawks 20 Bills 21 - This is another punishing, physical, affair and while the Bills have the advantage in the trenches some customary Wilson magic has the Seahawks 20-14 ahead at the two minute warning. But Josh Allen demonstrates his increasing maturity leading his team all the way down the field before finding Singletary on a wheel route out of the backfield with just seconds remaining. 7-2

 

Week 10 - Bills 20 Cardinals 26 - Arizona's up tempo spread offense catches the Bills D on a rare off day. They pick on Levi Wallace and Taron Johnson and Kyler Murray ends the game with 250 yards passing, two touchdowns and another 80 on the ground. 7-3

 

Week 11 - BYE

 

Week 12 - Chargers 16 Bills 19 - The Chargers are 5-5 coming into this game and with their offense spluttering it is now or never time for Tyrod Taylor. When they are trailing 16-6 early in the third quarter Taylor is finally yanked and Justin Herbert's NFL career begins. He leads the Chargers to 10 unanswered before Tyler Bass kicks the Bills back ahead early in the 4th. Herbert gets two more shots to tie, or eve win the ball game, but is picked off twice - once by White and once by Milano. 8-3

 

Week 13 - Bills 13 49ers 16 - The Bills are in this the whole way as both defenses dominate the opposing offenses. Allen is sacked 4 times and the Bills get to Garoppolo 5 times with Ed Oliver registering a pair of sacks. They have a chance to tie the game at the end too but Allen misses a wide open John Brown by millimeters on a play that might even have gone for 6 and the 9ers hold on. 8-4

 

Week 14 - Steelers 16 Bills 17 - It is low scoring yet again as two of the best defenses in the AFC square off. The Bills oline struggles to protect Allen again but he makes an unbelievable throw on the run to John Brown early in the 4th to put the Bills ahead for the first time in the game. The Steelers final drive leaves them 57 yards away and the kick looks good for a long way before the Buffalo winds push it wide of the upright. The Bills hang on and secure their first consecutive winning seasons since 1998 and 1999. 9-4

 

Week 15 - Bills 21 Broncos 23 - The season of heart stopping games continues for Bills fans as they fall to a fourth road defeat of the season. Josh Allen and the offense plays well for the most part scoring three touchdowns but when Devin Singletary fumbles at midfield as they are driving for the win Drew Lock takes over and hit Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton on consecutive plays to set up Brandon McManus for the game winning field goal.  9-5

 

Week 16 - Bills 20 Patriots 10 - The Patriots are out of playoff contention sitting at 5-9 going into this game and the Bills have already sealed the division. It is a flat Buffalo performance and the Patriots score a special teams touchdown but a late second half touchdown by Zack Moss seals the win. 10-5

 

Week 17 - Dolphins 19 Bills 24 - I am nervous about predicting this game given the Bill rested their starters week 17 last year. By my reckoning the bye will be well out of reach (remember only the #1 seed gets it now) and in all likelihood the #2 seed will be gone too. While the Bills could still end up as the #3 or #4 they may have a reason to play if there is preferred playoff opponent but this is a dangerous game against the Tua led Dolphins. I am going for the Bills to pull it out in an entertaining game 11-5

 

There you go, 11-5 which by my calculations would mean the #4 seed (have them losing the #3 to Tennessee on the tiebreak) and a home playoff game against the dangerous Cleveland Browns in the wildcard round. As ever Stadium Wallers..... flame away!

[First Round Bust]

well done

but expecting any team to sweep their division is a very tall order esp with our track record against the Pats and BB; the Dolphins will be improved and might be playing for a playoff spot in week 17 and the Jets seem to find a way to play us tough no matter and eek out  Ws over the years

You have a lot of close games going our way as well

Who knows the effects of the virus once these guys break camp; being younger guys, very social, away from home, conjugal visits, the off-days, the bye weeks...we havent does this before and there has to be positive cases looming...shutting down practices while guys get re-tested, the waiting, possible quarantines, the value of possible replacements, all this and the usual injuries....sigh

 

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, First Round Bust said:

well done

but expecting any team to sweep their division is a very tall order esp with our track record against the Pats and BB; the Dolphins will be improved and might be playing for a playoff spot in week 17 and the Jets seem to find a way to play us tough no matter and eek out  Ws over the years

You have a lot of close games going our way as well

Who knows the effects of the virus once these guys break camp; being younger guys, very social, away from home, conjugal visits, the off-days, the bye weeks...we havent does this before and there has to be positive cases looming...shutting down practices while guys get re-tested, the waiting, possible quarantines, the value of possible replacements, all this and the usual injuries....sigh

 

 

I do have us winning a lot of close games. It is that kind of schedule, but the one thing McDermott has proven good at is winning lots of close games that come down to those finer details of preparation and coaching. The one thing I probably missed that will happen is someone blowing us out. Every year there seems to be a game or two like that (Eagles last year). If we don't go 6-0 in the East I suspect we lose one of the Dolphins games. 

[buffalo2218]

Good predictions here. I have a hard time doing these because I'm always thinking about who's gonna be injured for us and whoever we play at that time. Some of those teams you have us losing to have a specific player where if he's out for that game, the favor swings back to the Bills. With the depth we have on the team as a whole, I believe we can cover spots without missing a beat barring Allen being injured

Edited August 30, 2020 by buffalo2218

[MiltonWaddams]

Game 1: Jets 10 Bills 38. Bills start off hot and don’t let off the gas. Jets get a field goal in the 3rd and a Td in garbage time. Singletary gets 100yds , 50 in receiving. Diggs, Knox, Brown, Beas with a TD Each. Allen throws for 325. 1-0

 

Game 2: Bills 31 Fins 17. Fins are better than expected. Bills are much better than them. Moss gets his career 1st td and the run game plays a big role with the DB’s of MIA giving the passing game challenges. 2-0

 

Game 3: Rams 20 Bills 24. Hard game. Rams offensively better than expected. Bills get a defensive TD and that’s the difference. 3-0

 

Game 4: Bills 31 Raiders 17. Allen throws for his second 300 yarder of the season. Carr throws 3 picks in the first Half and Mariota comes in for the 2nd half. 4-0

 

Game 5: Bills 17 Titans 14. Tightest game of the season. Bass kicks a 56 yarder as time expires. 5-0

 

Game 6: Chiefs 34 Bills 28. Mahomes and the speed just too much. Preview of AFC Championship brings the doubters. 5-1

 

Game 7: Bills 42 Jets 17. Doubters go away. 6-1

Game 8: Patriots * 10 Bills 34. The Bills finally excise the Demon. Brown puts 150 yards on the DB’s with Gilmore shadowin Diggs who burns him for a big TD on the first play from scrimmage. 7-1

 

Game 9: Seahawks 17 Bills 31. Bills come out firing. 5 sacks on Wilson and he’s just too beat up to will the win. Back to being a medIa darling. 8-1

 

Game 10:Bills 27 Cardinals 20. Murray looks good, but Tre shuts down Nuke and Diggs gets 150yds and a TD. Allen with 300 yards for the 4th time. 9-1
 

Game 11: Chargers 17 Bills 26. Chargers get to Allen for 4 sacks in the first half. He adjusts in the second and rushes for 100 yards, hurtling Jory Bosa for a td. Bills D sends Tyrod to the bench. 10-1

 

Game 12: Bills 17 49ers 21. Shanahan game plans to perfection and Kittle goes for 100 yards and 2 tds. 10-2

 

Game 13: Steelers 17 Bills 30. Big Ben gets hit early and often and Tremaine gets a pick 6. 11-2

 

Game 14: Bills 27 Broncos 20. Bass hits a 60 yarder in the thin air. Josh goes for another 300 with 50 yard tosses to brown and Diggs and Gabe Davis picks up his first NFL touchdown on a higher light reel over the shoulder Catch in the end zone. 12-2

 

Game 15:Bills 24 Patriots 9. Bills D doesn’t allow a Td. Stidham in for the Pats and he shows why Cam Newton,( IR) was signed. 13-2

 

Game 16: Dolphins 24 Bills 17. With the AFC East locked up, the Billsrest their starters and a lot of the depth. From plays and shows decent ability but still throws two pics. Better than Nathan Peterman, so nobody riots at TBD. 13-3

Edited August 30, 2020 by MiltonWaddams

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

12-4 Monet in the bank

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

I think my general takeaway is you have this team much too low-scoring. If you believe in Allen, you realize this offense is loaded and should score a lot of points. I think it will be extremely rare for us to be under 21, and you have that happening 7 of 16 times. I also think you're going to see a couple of 40-burgers this year.

[DBilz2500]

9 minutes ago, MiltonWaddams said:

Game 1: Jets 10 Bills 38. Bills start off hot and don’t let off the gas. Jets get a field goal in the 3rd and a Td in garbage time. Singletary gets 100yds , 50 in receiving. Diggs, Knox, Brown, Beas with a TD Each. Allen throws for 325. 1-0

 

Game 2: Bills 31 Fins 17. Fins are better than expected. Bills are much better than them. Moss gets his career 1st td and the run game plays a big role with the DB’s of MIA giving the passing game challenges. 2-0

 

Game 3: Rams 20 Bills 24. Hard game. Rams offensively better than expected. Bills get a defensive TD and that’s the difference. 3-0

 

Game 4: Bills 31 Raiders 17. Allen throws for his second 300 yarder of the season. Carr throws 3 picks in the first Half and Mariota comes in for the 2nd half. 4-0

 

Game 5: Bills 17 Titans 14. Tightest game of the season. Bass kicks a 56 yarder as time expires. 5-0

 

Game 6: Chiefs 34 Bills 28. Mahomes and the speed just too much. Preview of AFC Championship brings the doubters. 5-1

 

Game 7: Seahawks 17 Bills 31. Bills come out firing. 5 sacks on Wilson and he’s just too beat up to will the win. Back to being a medIa darling. 6-1

 

Game 8: Bills 27 Cardinals 20. Murray looks good, but Tre shuts down Nuke and Diggs gets 150yds and a TD. Allen with 300 yards for the 3rd time

Where’s the last 8 games?

[NewEra]

23 minutes ago, MiltonWaddams said:

Game 1: Jets 10 Bills 38. Bills start off hot and don’t let off the gas. Jets get a field goal in the 3rd and a Td in garbage time. Singletary gets 100yds , 50 in receiving. Diggs, Knox, Brown, Beas with a TD Each. Allen throws for 325. 1-0

 

Game 2: Bills 31 Fins 17. Fins are better than expected. Bills are much better than them. Moss gets his career 1st td and the run game plays a big role with the DB’s of MIA giving the passing game challenges. 2-0

 

Game 3: Rams 20 Bills 24. Hard game. Rams offensively better than expected. Bills get a defensive TD and that’s the difference. 3-0

 

Game 4: Bills 31 Raiders 17. Allen throws for his second 300 yarder of the season. Carr throws 3 picks in the first Half and Mariota comes in for the 2nd half. 4-0

 

Game 5: Bills 17 Titans 14. Tightest game of the season. Bass kicks a 56 yarder as time expires. 5-0

 

Game 6: Chiefs 34 Bills 28. Mahomes and the speed just too much. Preview of AFC Championship brings the doubters. 5-1

 

Game 7: Seahawks 17 Bills 31. Bills come out firing. 5 sacks on Wilson and he’s just too beat up to will the win. Back to being a medIa darling. 6-1

 

Game 8: Bills 27 Cardinals 20. Murray looks good, but Tre shuts down Nuke and Diggs gets 150yds and a TD. Allen with 300 yards for the 3rd time

And then the season ends due to covid?

[MiltonWaddams]

15 minutes ago, DBilz2500 said:

Where’s the last 8 games?

Apologies. I was in the middle of editing it. I will get it out in the next few minutes.

[DBilz2500]

2 minutes ago, MiltonWaddams said:

Apologies. I was in the middle of editing it. I will get it out in the next few minutes.

Sweet. 

[Royale with Cheese]

31 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

12-4 Monet in the bank

 

 

[purple haze]

Interesting predictions.  I agree on 11-5.  I think you have undersold the offense though. Too much talent for so many low scoring games.  

[machine gun kelly]

Go, I’m with you in that until they prove they are a high scoring offense even though they definitely have more than enough talent and a line, they have to prove it.  It’s what everyone is saying who isn’t a bills fan.  I loved the narrative GB.  You never disappoint each year.  I was wondering when this would come out.  August 30th has to be late for you.

[BuffaloBillies]

Lose 1 of KC/SF

Lose 0 of LA/LV

Lose 2 of Pitt/Sea/Tenn/Ariz/Den/SD

Lose 2 of AFCE

 

11-5

[HappyDays]

Week 1 - Bills 27 Jets 7

Both teams miss a field goal. The Bills march down the field at will and mostly stop trying by the 4th quarter once they realize the Jets won't be able to score as our defense completely shuts them down. Easiest game of the season.

 

Week 2 - Bills 34 Dolphins 17

Redux of last year's Miami game. We are simply the better team.

 

Week 3 - Rams 27 Bills 20

The Rams defensive line takes over the game.

 

Week 4 - Bills 24 Raiders 17

A closer game than it should be but we pull it out on a game winning TD drive late in the 4th quarter.

 

Week 5 - Titans 27 Bills 23

Run defense has a really bad day and offense looks average.

 

Week 6 - Bills 34 Chiefs 30

Bills offense suddenly explodes. Allen plays his best game of the season in a shootout.

 

Week 7 - Bills 21 Jets 3

Somehow the Jets offense looks even worse in our 2nd game. We mostly run the ball all day, similar outcome to the Redskins last year.

 

Week 8 - Bills 20 Patriots 10

An ugly game for both offenses but a deep pass to Diggs in the 1st quarter is enough to keep us tied 10-10 into the 4th. Our offense finally puts it together for one more TD drive and we come away with the win.

 

Week 9 - Bills 30 Seahawks 20

The Seahawks come out flat for this one and we take advantage.

 

Week 10 - Cardinals 27 Bills 20

This time we come out flat. Cardinals are pushing to take the lead in the division so they need this one more and it shows.

 

Week 11 - Bye

 

Week 12 - Bills 24 Chargers 10

Another game where we play ball control for most of it. Allen ends up less than 200 yards passing but it's enough. Defense gets it's first pick 6 of the season off of Justin Hebert.

 

Week 13 - 49ers 31 Bills 14

This is our worst game of the season. 49ers run all over us and the game just gets away from us from the start.

 

Week 14 - Steelers 24 Bills 20

A heartbreaking loss that mostly takes us out of contention for the #1 seed. With no answer for TJ Watt and not having the benefit of facing Duck Hodges we can't pull it out.

 

Week 15 - Bills 26 Broncos 21

The polar opposite of last week. A game that Bills fans are saying we need to win and we do in a close one. Bass is 4/4 on kicks.

 

 

Week 16 - Patriots 17 Bills 7

Allen takes a nasty hit in the 1st quarter and the Bills pull him for the remainder of the game. By this point we already have the division locked up so it's meaningless. Our only score is a defensive TD. Bills fans are already looking ahead to the wildcard round.

 

Week 17 - Dolphins 20 Bills 10

A showcase for our backups.

 

Final record 9-7 and an AFC East win. We look better than our record but a weak division means the last 2 weeks are meaningless.

 

Wildcard round is at Pittsburgh. Prediction on that TBD.

[ziltoid]

I keep seeing the number 13.

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

Jets 13, Bills 27
Bills 28, Dolphins 17
Rams 9, Bills 38
Bills 23, Raiders 17
Bills 16, Titans 24
Chiefs 37, Bills 27
Bills 27, Jets 20
Patriots 20, Bills 33
Seahawks 24, Bills 20
Bills 41, Cardinals 27
Chargers 16, Bills 31
Bills 23, 49ers 20
Steelers 27, Bills 16
Bills 23, Broncos 20
Bills 31, Patriots 17
Dolphins 23, Bills 13 (if resting)

or

Dolphins 17, Bills 41 (if not resting)

 

11-5 or 12-4 depending on playoff situation going into week 17.

 

Very, very tough schedule, but we're also one of the best teams in the NFL.

[GunnerBill]

18 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Go, I’m with you in that until they prove they are a high scoring offense even though they definitely have more than enough talent and a line, they have to prove it.  It’s what everyone is saying who isn’t a bills fan.  I loved the narrative GB.  You never disappoint each year.  I was wondering when this would come out.  August 30th has to be late for you.

 

Yea normally mid August. I am a bit late. 

19 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Go, I’m with you in that until they prove they are a high scoring offense even though they definitely have more than enough talent and a line, they have to prove it.  It’s what everyone is saying who isn’t a bills fan.  I loved the narrative GB.  You never disappoint each year.  I was wondering when this would come out.  August 30th has to be late for you.

 

It's also the case that we play some pretty darn good defenses. 49ers, Steelers, Titans, Chargers, Broncos.... I expect them all to be good defenses. 

[Franco_92]

Week 1: Bills 27, Jets 13
Week 2: Bills 24, Dolphins 21

Week 3: Bills 17, Rams 20

Week 4: Bills 19, Raiders 14

Week 5: Bills 28, Titans 17

Week 6: Bills 24, Chiefs 34
Week 7: Bills 35, Jets 9

Week 8: Bills 20, Patriots 16
Week 9: Bills 34, Seahawks 28
Week 10: Bills 17, Cardinals 24

Week 12: Bills 28, Chargers 10
Week 13: Bills 13, 9ers 27

Week 14: Bills 23, Steelers 20
Week 15: Bills 17, Broncos 24
Week 16: Bills 21, Patriots 23
Week 17: Bills 41, Dolphins 13

10-6, but a much stronger football team than last year. Bills get at least one playoff win. Also I think we split the Seahawks/Cards, but I just picked which one was the winner at random between the two. I think we struggle with the limelight a bit in December, but it gets us ready for the playoffs, where we are ready.