ESPN Rest of Season Predictions

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, No_Matter_What said:

I can't speak for MJS but I disagree with you.

 

I agree with him and trust me I have no anxiety. I am not American and I've been fan for only 6 years, so I wasn't here through drought. So believe me I am above it, and I can't ignore what is happening here.

 

I didn't like the game, but for me it was less bad than what is happening here. Game lasts couple of hours and I can get over the loss pretty quickly, esp. if I think it was a fluke (which I think it was). But I also love reading these forums each day and it is much less fun after games like these. It obviously has to be less fun by definition (we just lost), but thats not the point - people can be sad and angry but still rational at the same time. And many just aren't.

 

I understand that it is what it is but that is the reason why I was also "attacking" overreactions this week, not my inability to get over anything team related.

 

Hope it makes sense.

 

 

Well it's possible to be less invested........but MJS is not..........he posts A LOT.

 

Fans of all teams over-react to shocking losses..........if it seems like MORE here that's because there are a lot of people who believe this is their SB window.

 

You are wasting your breath trying to shout them down.........winning will bring back more positive takes.

 

But if over-reacting is really your concern............then go into the weekly prediction threads and shout at everyone who has been irrationally picking the Bills to win by 20-30+ points every week...........which is almost EVERY prediction in those threads.

 

Some people claim they want measured takes...........but they really don't.

 

 

[Hebert19]

2 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I can live with Morse and a weakened Dawkins, but Ford, Feliciano, Boettger and Williams need to be replaced or at least benched. Play Bates somewhere,  play Doyle, play Douglas, I don't care. Just stop trotting these guys who can't run block or pass protect anymore. Spencer hurry up and return. No way we go 7-2 in these last 9.

Remember when we were all for cutting Morse and having Feliciano play Center. What the hell happened.  Josh had days to throw last year with nearly same line. 

[Bing Bong]

2 hours ago, No_Matter_What said:

I can't speak for MJS but I disagree with you.

 

I agree with him and trust me I have no anxiety. I am not American and I've been fan for only 6 years, so I wasn't here through drought. So believe me I am above it, and I can't ignore what is happening here.

 

I didn't like the game, but for me it was less bad than what is happening here. Game lasts couple of hours and I can get over the loss pretty quickly, esp. if I think it was a fluke (which I think it was). But I also love reading these forums each day and it is much less fun after games like these. It obviously has to be less fun by definition (we just lost), but thats not the point - people can be sad and angry but still rational at the same time. And many just aren't.

 

I understand that it is what it is but that is the reason why I was also "attacking" overreactions this week, not my inability to get over anything team related.

 

Hope it makes sense.

I mean, the forum's always been like that. For better or worse. 

[RobbRiddick]

59 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

It's only because it was a close loss but there are still plenty of national media salivating over the patriots now and starting to focus on them.

 

Also because there were some other big upsets last week (i.e. Denver destroying Dallas at home), again the national media is honing in there.

 

If the Bills lose to the Jets whether close or blowout you better believe any national media still supporting the Bills will officially be off the bandwagon for good though.

 

If we lose to the Jets then we deserve all the criticism we get. We're supposed to be the class of the AFC, if we get beat by the two teams who picked 1 & 2 in the draft in back to back weeks then you can't blame anyone for thinking the wheels are off

[Rubes]

Miami came out and executed a defensive strategy that frustrated the Bills offense for most of the game. They found themselves midway through the second half, but until then it was a struggle.

 

The following week Urban Meyer basically described to the media what the Dolphins did on defense that worked so well, and essentially broadcasted that the Jags were going to basically do the same thing. It was all right out there. And then they did.

 

How did Daboll respond to that, knowing the same thing was coming again?

 

What do you think the Jets are going to do? The Jets may suck overall, but their defensive line is a lot better than the Jags. I watched some of the Jets-Titans game earlier this year and they were destroying the Titans OL.

 

If there is any sign of how the rest of this season is going to go, it's the Jets game. They either figure this out, or they can't.

 

[RiotAct]

2 hours ago, Governor said:

11-6 is our ceiling. I don’t want to see the floor. We’ve got 2 weeks to get going on offense or the defense will slip and we’ll start getting blown out. 
 

This defense can’t hold too many more teams under 20 points.

I actually don’t know about that. I can easily see us holding the Jets, Patriots, Saints, and Panthers to under 20.  Heck, even the Colts (although I have a feeling they’ll score in the mid-20s against us).

[Casey D]

2 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

 

 

This is the worst case scenario floor for this team I agree. 

 

I think it's probably how it will play out.   

Agree. It's why 538 gives us a 78% chance of winning division.

[Casey D]

6 minutes ago, Casey D said:

Agree. It's why 538 gives us a 78% chance of winning division. 538 also has an interesting piece indicating that Mahomes and Allen are getting the same looks, and both teams need to respond to the cover 2.  Can't seem to link it, but the comparison to a chess match is fascinating.

 

[nedboy7]

We are getting criticized cause we scored 6 points on the worst team in the league.  There is no BS media bias against us.  There is no over reaction.  It is well deserved.  Time to counter the cover 2. 

[Nihilarian]

3 hours ago, Logic said:

I am so damned sick of seeing Brian Daboll miss blocks and allow defenders immediately into the backfield to sack Josh Allen. Ugh!

Funny...

 

Its about setting up a run game that actually works!!  Like misdirection plays, a counter trey run scheme. A running scheme is all about imposing your will on defenders as you know where the ball is going and slam that 300+lb body into someone. Trust me they don't like it and will wear down. You know, kinda like Buffalo did against the Titans and Derrick Henry 20 rushes for 143 yards, 3 TDs. 

 

The Bills don't even try and run much, 9 total runs by the RBs against Jacksonville. 15 runs against Miami. 13 runs against Tenn. With Josh Allen the QB usually the leading rusher...

 

The Bills had better figure out how to beat that cover 2 shell or they might not even have a winning record this season. It's about figuring out an offensive scheme with the players available on the roster to defeat it. Its what good teams do! 

 

You won't think its funny should the Bills get swept by the Patriots this year or even the Jets...

 

They just lost to a 1-6 team with the 28th ranked defense while scoring only 6 points. 

 

 

[Logic]

8 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

Funny...

 

Its about setting up a run game that actually works!!  Like misdirection plays, a counter trey run scheme. A running scheme is all about imposing your will on defenders as you know where the ball is going and slam that 300+lb body into someone. Trust me they don't like it and will wear down. You know, kinda like Buffalo did against the Titans and Derrick Henry 20 rushes for 143 yards, 3 TDs. 

 

The Bills don't even try and run much, 9 total runs by the RBs against Jacksonville. 15 runs against Miami. 13 runs against Tenn. With Josh Allen the QB usually the leading rusher...

 

The Bills had better figure out how to beat that cover 2 shell or they might not even have a winning record this season. It's about figuring out an offensive scheme with the players available on the roster to defeat it. Its what good teams do! 

 

You won't think its funny should the Bills get swept by the Patriots this year or even the Jets...

 

They just lost to a 1-6 team with the 28th ranked defense while scoring only 6 points. 

 

 

I don't disagree with the notion that the play calling needs to improve and the Bills need to stick with the run more consistently.

That said, it's also unfair to blame all of the offense's failures on Brian Daboll. Sometimes it's the Xs and Os, but sometimes it's the Willies and Joes.

There are only so many magic scheme rabbits you can pull out of your playcalling hat when the offensive line can't stop a four-man rush from getting home play after play and can't open holes for the running backs to run through.

 

[BillsVet]

10 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

But if over-reacting is really your concern............then go into the weekly prediction threads and shout at everyone who has been irrationally picking the Bills to win by 20-30+ points every week...........which is almost EVERY prediction in those threads.

 

Some people claim they want measured takes...........but they really don't.

 

The SNL Superfans skits of the early 90s pretty much plays out here on TBD every day now.  I thought it was one-sided in the late 2000s during the Marv/DJ/Brandon years, but since the Bills shut down their message board it seems like every Bob Swerski, Pat Arnold, and Todd O'Connor has made it here.  They're not far off from believing Buffalo will defeat their next opponent seventy tree to two.     

[Nihilarian]

6 hours ago, Logic said:

I don't disagree with the notion that the play calling needs to improve and the Bills need to stick with the run more consistently.

That said, it's also unfair to blame all of the offense's failures on Brian Daboll. Sometimes it's the Xs and Os, but sometimes it's the Willies and Joes.

There are only so many magic scheme rabbits you can pull out of your playcalling hat when the offensive line can't stop a four-man rush from getting home play after play and can't open holes for the running backs to run through.

If this were an anomaly I wouldn't be saying it's a lot on the OC...not all. The O line has stunk it up big at times.

 

This can't run, can't pass...so lets just keep calling pass plays...has happened many times with the Bills in the past under Daboll and it leaves the QB hanging out to dry all too often. 

 

It's the OC's job to make the offense work and this team has far, far too much talent to score only 6 points against the 28th ranked defense of a 1-6 team. Basically the worst team in the NFL over the last few years. 

 

In 2010 the Bills had one of the very worst offensive lines in Bills history and yet Chan Gailey, Fitz figured out a way to slow that pass rush with quick slants, outs and even went to a spread offense. 

 

The Bills were beaten 2x last season by the Chiefs in different ways. The Bills went into a defense that took away the deep passing and the Chiefs went to their run game. 1st game KC 46 rushes for 245 yards, 1 TD. 

 

The Bills need to be able to do this. They did it last season to the Jets, Patriots in their first games.

 

If this team could work the run game on a decent consistent basis they would be unstoppable on offense. 

 

After listening to McD this week, I think there will be some changes ahead. 

[QCity]

3 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

The SNL Superfans skits of the early 90s pretty much plays out here on TBD every day now.  I thought it was one-sided in the late 2000s during the Marv/DJ/Brandon years, but since the Bills shut down their message board it seems like every Bob Swerski, Pat Arnold, and Todd O'Connor has made it here.  They're not far off from believing Buffalo will defeat their next opponent seventy tree to two.     

 

I'm pretty sure after the Chiefs game I saw a thread here where some people were lamenting the fact that there was no point in even looking forward to ESPN's Playoff  Machine because the Bills were too good now. Maybe it was tongue-in-cheek but the hubris was over the top for week 5. You might be onto something about the Bills message board shutdown, because I've never seen the amplitude of "Yeah Superbowl" after a win and "Fire coaches" after a loss this high on a weekly basis.

 

When the Kelly Superbowl teams laid a stinker in the regular season (and they did) we used to just blame it on them partying all night. And, well, there was probably a lot of truth to that.

 

I think most fans would take the 12-5 prediction now. All of a sudden there seems to be a concern about the Patriots game in a month and I'm wondering if any of our fans have seen how the Saints defense has been playing in the Superdome this year. If you've been penciling that game in as an easy win because of their QB you might want to buy the extra-strength Tums for Thanksgiving.