I’ll be honest, it was fun having the Bills talked about as the best team in football

[The 9 Isles]

It sucks now that the loss comes right before a bye week.  
 

It was a great feeling having our team talked about as “dominant” or Super Bowl favourite for a while. 
 

I know it’s early and they will likely bounce back strongly but it still a huge downer. 

[Brennan Huff]

Total letdown game. We just don’t match up well with Tennessee. We got blown out last year and two years ago we only won against them because their kicker missed 4 FGs. I’ll be happy when we don’t have to play them in the regular season anymore 

[TheBrownBear]

Looking at Power Rankings and other articles today, it seems the Bills weren't downgraded by the national media much at all based on last night's loss.  Most see it for what it was - a competitive road game against another contender that we had a chance to steal in the last minute.  Pretty sure everyone outside of this board (and other hardcore Bills fans) still view us as one of the top 3-4 teams to bring home the Lombardi Trophy.  

[NewEra]

Yeah it was fun while it lasted….I won’t be watching much YouTube much this week.  
 

Their OC took Frazier to the woodshed.  He’s come up lame in the last two meetings vs the Titans.  The same can be said for KC prior to last week.  I’m confidant Frazier will get it done if we meet Tennessee again.  

[Jauronimo]

3 minutes ago, Brennan Huff said:

Total letdown game. We just don’t match up well with Tennessee. We got blown out last year and two years ago we only won against them because their kicker missed 4 FGs. I’ll be happy when we don’t have to play them in the regular season anymore 

We match up fine with Tennessee.  We outplayed them in basically every meaningful statistical category.  Red zone efficiency was the difference.  We cannot settle for FGs inside the 10. 2-5 in the redzone.  Tennessee was 3-3.  

[JMF2006]

Yeah its absolutely horrible being ranked #2

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

In terms of the AFC who would you trust more than the Bills to go all the way? That's why I think the national media still loves the Bills. But yeah, we aren't unbeatable anymore which was wear the team was trending towards. Sucks to have devastating last second losses in winnable games in back to back years just before the bye week. But fast forward a month from now and we could be talking about a team that is once again viewed similarly and with a point differential hovering somewhere close to +200 

[Reks Ryan]

4 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

We match up fine with Tennessee.  We outplayed them in basically every meaningful statistical category.  Red zone efficiency was the difference.  We cannot settle for FGs inside the 10. 2-5 in the redzone.  Tennessee was 3-3.  

They scored on 6 consecutive drives.  So not sure how you can say the Bills outplayed them.  Even, sure, but not outplayed.
 

Don’t understand why the Bills didn’t change up the plan pm D to be more aggressive. 

[Jauronimo]

4 minutes ago, Reks Ryan said:

They scored on 6 consecutive drives.  So not sure how you can say the Bills outplayed them.  Even, sure, but not outplayed.
 

Don’t understand why the Bills didn’t change up the plan pm D to be more aggressive. 

Because they outgained the Titans, ran way more plays, way more first downs.  I don't think the Titans offense was ever in rhythm and was living and dying on 3rd and long.  

 

The Titans benefited immensely from a short field.  They certainly benefited the most from penalty calls and no calls.

 

I'm not so sure being more aggressive was the answer.  I think the defense would have benefited more from not blitzing Milano and leaving two LBs in coverage to take away the middle of the field on 3rd and long in the second half.  None of the blitzes got home and Tannehill-Brown converted time and time again.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Jauronimo

[MPL]

The NFL is such a week-to-week league. It felt great to be on top of the world after last week, and this loss stings because we got knocked off our perch. But as noted, nobody is dropping the Bills very far in their power rankings. Nobody is hitting the panic button on the Bills season and the general consensus is that they're still the very legitimate Super Bowl Contender that they were before Monday night. Rankings are kind of bogus anyway. At any given time, you can make the case that any 4 or 5 teams are the best in the league. It only matters in February. 

On the other side, that's a damn good Titans team, despite the fact that they lost to the Jets. Henry is a legitimate MVP candidate and is doing things that we haven't seen a running back do since Terrell Davis. We weren't going to hold running backs under 50 yards per game for the entire length of the season. And honestly, I'd rather see Henry gash us than someone like Clyde Edwards-Helaire. At least my brain can make sense of Henry rushing for 120+ yards and 3 TDs. 

Yeah, there were play left on the field. Missed opportunities, bad calls, guys out of position, whatever. You can say the same for Tennessee. You can say the same for KC last week. 

I feel the same way after this game as I did after the Cardinals game last year. It feels flukey. I know what my eyes saw last night and the Bills were the better team for most of that game. There's a lot of "if only" today. 

I do trust that they'll use this game as fuel and be ready to play if they run into Tennessee in the playoffs. 

I was mad as hell last night and for most of this morning. But being a little more removed from it now, all I can think is man, that was one hell of a football game between two teams who have every reason to believe that they can beat anyone on any given Sunday—or Monday. That's why we watch. The highs and the lows and the resiliency and the fight. It's life, all wrapped up on a rectangle field and played out over the course of 60 minutes. And like in life, the highs never last as long as the lows, and that's why you get up every morning and put in the work. Success is fleeting. 

I watched this team be bottom feeders for close to 20 years. This is a great time to be a Bills fan. Last night doesn't change that. There are going to be a lot of games like this in the coming years—and the Bills aren't going to win all of them.

Yeah, like all of you, I want to see this team win a Super Bowl. I believe this team can. Will they? I don't know. None of us do, and there's nothing any of us can do about it—unless someone in here actually works for the Bills.

All we can do is watch it play out—and be grateful that we aren't the Dolphins. 

[Nuncha]

Maybe its good the loss came on a bye.  Gives the team plenty of time to think about it and refocus.  Same thing happened last year bye week (loss to Arizona) and they came back strong.

[Reks Ryan]

It was a notably off game for Milano.  Seemed like he was a step slow in both run and pass D.  On Henry's last TD run, Milano got blocked by the off guard even though he had inside position.    A play he normally would stop for 3 - 4 yards, went for a 13 yd TD.   Both he and Edmunds were getting caught in no man's land on the play action, where they could not get deep enough to disrupt the crossing patterns.   That is why I think they should have been more aggressive.     If you are not helping in coverage then rush the QB.    I don't remember seeing Milano blitz more than 2 or 3 times, it was mostly 4 man pass rush.

 

I do think Tennessee is a difficult match up for the Bills D.   But the game plan from Frazier and McD didn't help.     Bills and Titans should both win their divisions, so they may  get a chance to do better in January. 

[Rigotz]

As much fun as it was to be considered #1 by analysts, I've enjoyed the "this doesn't change anything" crowd even more.

 

It softens a blow after a really tough loss and I agree with them.

[frostbitmic]

Following the Super Bowl, the Bills WILL be talked about as the best team in the NFL.

[auburnbillsbacker]

38 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

We match up fine with Tennessee.  We outplayed them in basically every meaningful statistical category.  Red zone efficiency was the difference.  We cannot settle for FGs inside the 10. 2-5 in the redzone.  Tennessee was 3-3.  

I completely agree.  I'm sick of all of the whining after losses.  The Bills had more yards, more time of possesion, more first downs, etc.  The better team doesn't always win.  They still are one of the best if not the best team in the NFL.  

[The Jokeman]

30 minutes ago, Reks Ryan said:

They scored on 6 consecutive drives.  So not sure how you can say the Bills outplayed them.  Even, sure, but not outplayed.
 

Don’t understand why the Bills didn’t change up the plan pm D to be more aggressive. 

The Titans lucked out on the Henry long TD not getting flagged, got a lucky bounce on the Jones sideline catch, lucky Moss did whatever the hell that was on the interception. Two TDs from Bills called back on penalties and honestly if the game was more crucial we definitely would have Bass kick the FG. It hurts to lose but eh the Titans made better on the two last plays of the game which decided the game. Yet I like my chances against them if we meet again in the playoffs.

[dpberr]

Past tense?  Have faith, fellow fan!    

 

Great teams will lose games.  Given the choice, I'd rather three or regular season losses than that one loss that comes in the Super Bowl.  I wouldn't want an undefeated Bills team marching into the Super Bowl.  The anxiety here would be at an almost unimaginable level.  

[cDAVIS]

1 hour ago, The 9 Isles said:

It sucks now that the loss comes right before a bye week.  
 

It was a great feeling having our team talked about as “dominant” or Super Bowl favourite for a while. 
 

I know it’s early and they will likely bounce back strongly but it still a huge downer. 

I try not to get caught up in that but having seen failure for 25 years it was pretty cool seeing us there and everyone in agreement. 

[LABILLBACKER]

2 hours ago, The 9 Isles said:

It sucks now that the loss comes right before a bye week.  
 

It was a great feeling having our team talked about as “dominant” or Super Bowl favourite for a while. 
 

I know it’s early and they will likely bounce back strongly but it still a huge downer. 

Maybe that dominant,  juggernaut talk got into their heads a little. 

[FilthyBeast]

Barring a complete collapse I'm sure the Bills will get plenty of media love again.

 

In fact outside of clowns like Nick Wright, most of the national media still seems to believe in the Bills and said it was the right call to try and win instead of playing for the tie and overtime.

 

Regardless it's still worrisome how this team performs against teams who play a physical style of football and we are 0-2 against such teams this year and there's a good chance we'll see the Titans or a similar team in the playoffs again.