Sports Illustrated Predicts Every Game

[Captain Caveman]

36 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

We are going 2-4 in the division?

And winning it!

[FilthyBeast]

1 minute ago, DrDawkinstein said:

While I dont think they will sweep us, the Patriots will be better than last year. Some big time players opted out last year and will be back.

 

Let's be real, we barely got out of that first game, and if it wasnt for a fluke fumble, could have easily let that one get away. I can see us splitting with them.

 

But 2-4 in the division is ridiculous. More like 4-2 at worst.

 

 

This is my thoughts as well, yes Brady is gone but it's foolish for any Bills fan to disregard a team and coach that has ate our lunch the greater part of the last two decades even when we had decent teams.

 

The key is the Pats defense......they should be ridiculously good similar to their first 3 SB run circa 2001 - 2004 when Brady wasn't even putting up ridiculous numbers or carrying the team.

[Johnnycage46]

1 minute ago, DrDawkinstein said:

While I dont think they will sweep us, the Patriots will be better than last year. Some big time players opted out last year and will be back.

 

Let's be real, we barely got out of that first game, and if it wasnt for a fluke fumble, could have easily let that one get away. I can see us splitting with them.

 

But 2-4 in the division is ridiculous. More like 4-2 at worst.

 

 

While the fumble was definitely fortuitous, I personally wouldn't call it a fluke.  Zimmer clearly was going to punch the ball out (obviously doesn't always work).  Plus I do think Josh's shoulder injury and the crazy weather played a part in that game (to be fair Cam's prior illness probably did too).  I agree overall though.  I can see a split, but being swept by NE would honestly shock me (barring injuries).

[MJS]

So most of the losses come against the easier teams we face. That would be strange.

 

And they think the Patriots will sweep the division and finish 2nd in the AFC East. That's really strange.

Edited August 26, 2021 by MJS

[Jauronimo]

55 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

We are going 2-4 in the division?

And New England sweeps the division with Mac Jones and Cam, something they did like twice with 20 years of Brady.  But they lose to Jacksonville.

[Rocky Landing]

30 minutes ago, 716er said:

Could see the Jets beating our backups the last week of the season. It’s going to be their Super Bowl.

Our backups will destroy the Jets.

[Royale with Cheese]

8 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

And New England sweeps the division with Mac Jones and Cam, something they did like twice with 20 years of Brady.  But they lose to Jacksonville.

 

[1ManRaid]

10-1 against the rest of the league but 2-4 within the division?  Sounds like someone is still stuck in the mindset of the Bills being the bad team in the AFCE.

[Solomon Grundy]

I don’t think SI is giving any respect to our defense in their conclusions. Defensive front in particular. It seems to me that they think teams will run the ball against them to keep offense off the field. Think teams like KC will outscore them due to no pass rush. I think the depth and rotation of players will shock league and the Bills will have top 5 defense in the league, barring injury

[ngbills]

And our 12-5 is tied for the best record in the NFL...

[nedboy7]

I wish they would do the 2022 season.  I am so interested in what they say. 

[CorkScrewHill]

In addition to the other craziness referenced above related to their prediction ... they had us winning 7 games last year - so I would not put money on their predictions.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/09/02/every-team-season-record-predictions

 

AFC EAST

New England Patriots: 10–6
Miami Dolphins: 8–8
Buffalo Bills: 7–9
New York Jets: 6–10

 

I’m not sure what to make of my bullishness on Miami, honestly. The offensive line worries me, and the team doesn’t have an A-plus blocking tight end to make up for any of the deficiencies. This is most certainly a work in progress. However, the Dolphins are solid through the middle of the defense and will be able to handle well what most of the offenses in the division do best. And their cornerback play on paper (the kind of paper that doesn’t include advanced coverage stats from 2019) should be superb. With the emergence of Brian Flores, I think the AFC East is the healthiest it’s been as a division in years. That doesn’t mean New England will falter. It does mean that some strange things will happen, though. For example: I have the Jets splitting season series with the Bills and Patriots. I think we’ll see more splits than we have in years past with the pole position leader making up the difference on the out-of-conference schedule. I imagine Buffalo burning as I type this. I imagine my seat near the bar at Bar-Bill Tavern being roped off and I imagine Big Ditch Brewing Co. refusing to serve me any more (what a nightmare). What I don’t like for Buffalo is how their schedule dovetails into some pretty gnarly stretches, like Weeks 3-6 (Rams, at Raiders, at Titans, at Chiefs) then Weeks 8-14 (Patriots, Seahawks, at Cardinals, Chargers, at 49ers, Steelers). Those could be the kind of uphill climbs that blow up a season quickly.

[FilthyBeast]

24 minutes ago, ngbills said:

And our 12-5 is tied for the best record in the NFL...

 

Yah this is strange too, they'll definitely be at least one team that wins 13 or 14 games this year. My guess would be the Bucs.

[atlbillsfan1975]

All these people in denial about the Pats and Belichick. Let’s see how it looks after the season. Bill has two more losing seasons, and then he hangs it up. 

[blacklabel]

2-4 in the division? I like to temper my expectations but that’s not happening. McDermott puts way too much emphasis and importance on division games for them to slog through like that and go 2-4. 
 

Jets cans go 0-17 for all I care. Buncha bums.

 

Miami has a QB problem and the Bills beat them by like 30 last year when Miami was fighting for a playoff spot. And reports out of NE are that Cam looks just as shot as he has the last few seasons. Mac Jones…meh.

[Logic]

12-5 seems reasonable. Even 11-6 wouldn't surprise me. Team progression is not linear. Also, as we have seen this week, COVID can strike at any time.

If we lose 5 or 6 games, though, here's what I'd see them being:

Pitt, KC, NE (let's not just all of the sudden assume we're going to sweep them every year. Belichick is still the coach. The defense looks much improved), Bucs, Saints.

Those would be my five presumed losses. NYJ? Miami? Please.

[Warcodered]

2 hours ago, The Avenger said:

SI has an article predicting every regular season game and team W/L record. They have the Bills at 12-5 (a bit low IMHO, but OK) with losses to (and here's where it gets funny):

 

KC, Miami, Jets ad swept by New England

 

Hey, the Bills could go 12-5 and I can see losing a letdown game to a team you should kill, but not 4 of them to weaker AFC East opponents. Baring major injuries/covid there's just no way that happens.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/26/predicting-every-game-2021-nfl-season

 

 

So we lose 50% of the division games but still win said division....sure.

[clearwater cadet]

It amazing how in love the they are with Mac Jones?

[UConn James]

2 hours ago, dorquemada said:

SI has barely been about actual sports in a long long time.  Keep that in mind when they briefly revisit sports.  This article was probably some summer intern's capstone project with someone else's name on it

SI’s new owners fired, like, everyone with any talent in 2019 & 2020.

 

2 hours ago, dorquemada said:

Edited August 26, 2021 by UConn James
Duplicate reply

[Langeston]

😂 writer even graduated from Syracuse in 2010.  Maybe he’s seen enough to be scarred for life!

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-orr-300551130