I may be in minority here but I say we put the dolphins down next week...

[dollars 2 donuts]

2 hours ago, Hebert19 said:

Its happened a few times in NFL history when you let the team in by resting starters and you end up losing to that team.  The fins are riding a lot of momentum and a ton of luck.  I'd rather take my chances on the ravens who aren't playing great D and are 1 dimensional on offense.  

 

Play the starters crush the fins and let the chips fall. 

 

Curious of everyone else's thoughts.  

 

I am a fan of winning.

 

We only have so many of these a year and I want to win as many as we can.

 

I am also not the biggest believer in the guys have to have the rest.  If you are good, you win.  They rested last year agains the Jets and lost to a very beatable Houston team...obviously not because they ran out of gas.

[CEN-CAL17]

2 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I don’t. I’m just not immune to the thought that a great defensive game plan, either zone or man, can’t slow us down.  Every QB can be confused and is susceptible to having a down game

I want no part of Indy in our first playoff game.  I’d rather play any other team tbh

Indy doesn’t scare me. A dome team, older QB who would be pressured. And they would have lossed to Pittsburgh 2 weeks prior.

 

Or Bills win out, Pittsburgh loses to Indy. Bills get Cleveland at home. I don’t like the rushing attack. I’d rather face Indy outdoors.

 

But to answer the OPs question. Just win out. That happens there’s your 2 scenarios. Indy or Cleveland IMO.

[Ramza86]

I just want to avoid the Ravens at all costs. 

 

Their gimmick is something that could easily end our season. 

 

Rather play against a more "normal" team. 

[JoshAllenReceipts]

1 minute ago, Ramza86 said:

I just want to avoid the Ravens at all costs. 

 

Their gimmick is something that could easily end our season. 

 

Rather play against a more "normal" team. 

 

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick playing with nothing to lose, can beat anybody. That's the worry.

 

I fear Fitzpatrick more than Lamar.

[stinky finger]

19 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I don’t. I’m just not immune to the thought that a great defensive game plan, either zone or man, can’t slow us down.  Every QB can be confused and is susceptible to having a down game

I want no part of Indy in our first playoff game.  I’d rather play any other team tbh

 

Re: Indy

 

I said same to my brother last night. Colts seem to be the team that isn't getting any, or much, attention.

 

They are complete - and dangerous. I think they beat Pittsburgh today. 

[Hampton Josh fan]

37 minutes ago, Gen2 said:

 

They are football players ... playing football is what they do.

We are football fans ... worrying about injuries is what we do.

 

I am no more worried about one of those guys getting injured in the next two weeks than I was worried about them having a season ending injury on the first snap of our first game (or any other play up until now). I'm no more worried about them getting injured in the next two weeks than I am about them getting injured on the first snap of our first playoff game. Unfortunately injuries are part of the game, and the team has to deal with them on a constant basis. If the team wants to rest a dinged up player because he's not 100% and they want him more healthy for the playoff run ... I'm all in, but resting a perfectly healthy player .... ahhh ... I'm not sure.

The chances of being locked in to #2 seed are small. However, if nothing is to be gained other than eliminating the Ravens from postseason, you're essentially using week 17 as a bye week. Ask KC or GB whether they would prefer not having one.

[TBBills]

6 minutes ago, JoshAllenReceipts said:

 

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick playing with nothing to lose, can beat anybody. That's the worry.

 

I fear Fitzpatrick more than Lamar.

Well Fitz is the least of my worries.

[Hebert19]

2 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Creating turnovers isn't a game plan and the Bills have improved their run defense.  As for STs, the Bills are right there with them.

I'm not saying I'm scared of them.   Just don't like giving a division opponent a 3rd crack at us. 

[billykay]

2 hours ago, JY422 said:

Nope... don’t want nothing to do with Lamar Jackson in the playoffs. I still think the Bills would win but I think Jackson is always an X-factor that can’t be game-planned for. If he makes 2 or 3 crazy plays it is the difference between winning and losing a playoff game. 

Yep. Ravens are the only team that worries me. They are probably going to wind up 11-5 with a nice winning streak entering the playoffs. I'm hoping that KC has to play them.

[Doc]

40 minutes ago, Hampton Josh fan said:

The chances of being locked in to #2 seed are small. However, if nothing is to be gained other than eliminating the Ravens from postseason, you're essentially using week 17 as a bye week. Ask KC or GB whether they would prefer not having one.

 

The chances at being locked into the #2 seed aren't small at all.  If the Bills beat the Cheaters, the Colts beat the Steelers and the Packers beat the Titans, all of which are expected to happen, the Bills are the #2 seed and the Dols game means nothing in terms of seeding.

 

11 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

I'm not saying I'm scared of them.   Just don't like giving a division opponent a 3rd crack at us. 

 

If the above scenario happens, the Bills likely play the starters for a series or two.  So the Dols really wouldn't be getting a crack at the Bills 3 times.  There's also the possibility the Dols are the 6th seed.

[John from Riverside]

They need to just beat the team Across from them on the field

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

This shouldn't even be a discussion.  You only ever rest starters to spare them from injury.  Our backups will want to beat the Dolphins 55-0 if they're the ones who end up playing and McDermott wants the same.

[Steptide]

My guess is if there's a chance we play the Dolphins in round 1 of the playoffs, the bills (starters or not) will run the most conservative offense we've seen in a while. My gut tells me that the bills coaching staff has a plan for the playoffs as far as play calling goes. No way they'll give any of that up next week knowing they could play them again the next week. 

[Figster]

I just want to say on a side note and this is coming from a bama fan.  Tua is playing like the holy Trent and needs to be benched for the bearded wonder. ..

 

I'm just saying...

[Hampton Josh fan]

5 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

The chances at being locked into the #2 seed aren't small at all.  If the Bills beat the Cheaters, the Colts beat the Steelers and the Packers beat the Titans, all of which are expected to happen, the Bills are the #2 seed and the Dols game means nothing in terms of seeding.

 

 

If the above scenario happens, the Bills likely play the starters for a series or two.  So the Dols really wouldn't be getting a crack at the Bills 3 times.  There's also the possibility the Dols are the 6th seed.

Try betting 3 team combinations even without the spread and you'll go broke. Plus the fact the Colts are playing without their starting tackles and Rivers is a statue. Like I said it's far from a gimme.

[Gen2]

The whole rest em or play em is one of those hindsight is 20/20 deals.

 

If the Bills rest the players and lose the 1st playoff game 98.37% of us fans are going to accuse the players of being "rusty" and lethargic and want to fire the coaching staff for not having them prepared.

 

If the Bills play the players, and as much as a third string player gets hurt and we lose the 1st playoff game 98.37% of us fans are going to accuse the loss of depth on the loss and want to fire the coaching staff for exposing our players to injury.

 

On the other hand no matter what the Bills do these next two games if they WIN, only 12.88% of the fans will be upset because we didn't dominate our opponent as much as they thought we should and want the whole organization gutted so we can start over.

 

 

just sayin'

 

 

NOTE; the entire post was made in jest (with the exception of the first sentence)   

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

2 minutes ago, Figster said:

I just want to say on a side note and this is coming from a bama fan.  Tua is playing like the holy Trent and needs to be benched for the bearded wonder. ..

 

I'm just saying...

 

It's baffling that Flores can look at the QB situation and not come to the same conclusion, especially because he's acing every other test as HC. 

 

I mean, it's a credit to their team that Fitz and Tua seem to have love for one another through all of this but how do you not give the ball to Fitz and just tell the rookie to watch and learn?

[Doc]

4 minutes ago, Hampton Josh fan said:

Try betting 3 team combinations even without the spread and you'll go broke. Plus the fact the Colts are playing without their starting tackles and Rivers is a statue. Like I said it's far from a gimme.

 

I never said it was a gimme.  I said their chances aren't small and are actually good if you look at the expected results.  Sure "on any given Sunday."

[Figster]

17 minutes ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

 

It's baffling that Flores can look at the QB situation and not come to the same conclusion, especially because he's acing every other test as HC. 

 

I mean, it's a credit to their team that Fitz and Tua seem to have love for one another through all of this but how do you not give the ball to Fitz and just tell the rookie to watch and learn?

Normally, I would be totally against how Flores is handling the situation. Although when I watch the overall season play out and how well the team responds to whomever is behind center.  Its hard to find fault with how the Dolphins HC is handling the development of Tua. 

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick helped make all this possible...(coaching material)

Edited December 27, 2020 by Figster

[The Frankish Reich]

2 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

If we're playing to win the #2 seed I say go all out, if not I say rest up. See Houston vs us in 1992. 

^this.

With no bye week, unless the #2 is at stake you gotta rest the key starters. It's not really rest after all; it's avoidance of injury.

And even if the #2 seed is at stake I'd be inclined to sit Allen and anyone else who might be a little dinged up (Brown; we'll see after Monday who else). I feel really good about going into the playoffs with the team we can put on the field right now, but a key injury or two and that confidence is gone. With Allen at QB we're better than most playoff teams and very competitive with the best (Chiefs). With Barkley at QB we are the worst team in the AFC playoffs. It's that simple.

EDIT: Plus I secretly want Fitzy to make the playoffs. It meant a lot to Kyle; it would mean a lot to them. 

Edited December 27, 2020 by The Frankish Reich