The '21 Bills are sleepwalking to the playoffs

[Breakout Squad]

56 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

If they don't stop hitting the snooze button and wake up and play, they're gonna sleepwalk their way right out of the playoffs

I didn’t see any sleepwalking in the game. I saw defenders taking poor angles and not tackling well, poor O line play, Knox making mistakes, and coaching decisions. But I did not question their effort at any point in the game. 

[billieve420]

1 hour ago, Hermes said:

This iteration of the Bills cares not for the accolades of the regular season!

 

They know the only games that matter are played in January and February. After the loss to the Chiefs in AFCCG with a hobbled WR room and feeling the effects of going all out for an entire season, the Bills aren't going to let that happen again! It's a long season and they know it. They know what it takes to win playoff football games. They're not going in blind and flying high like last year.  They're grounded and focused on the ultimate goal.

 

Many fans and pundits are down on the bills because of the 'disappointing' record and the inconsistency of play, however, the Bills don't give a crap what you or anyone else thinks. It took everything the Patriots had to win that game Monday night, and if the Bills connect on a small handful of plays it's a rout in the Bills favor, it's really that simple. The Patriots had to play an almost perfect game and they still had to scrape by with last minute defensive heroics to come out on top.  Milano might've purposely 'gotten injured' at the end of the game because the Bills aren't going to embarrass themselves with some trash play to win on a punt return in week 13, in week 19 and beyond if they're in that position, they're going to have something special prepared for the occasion.

 

Yeah they lost to the Pats.

 

Who cares!?

 

They're still in prime position to make a run in the playoffs. It doesn't matter where they play, they know they can beat the pants off of any team in the league, in their own stadium, Bills fans travel well and they'd love to see Blue and Red confetti all over Arrowhead, or anywhere else.

 

It took the best efforts of the Steelers, the fully loaded Titans, the Jags, and now the 'white hot' AFC leading Patriots to get the better of the Bills on days where the bills were 'off'. These weren't a couple bad plays and the game was out of hand, these games were close the whole way through, with the opponents feeling great about themselves for a having a slim lead, even knowing the Bills could end it in a play.  These teams hold this win against the Bills as a highlight of their season (or decade, in the case of the Pats) and the Bills don't care about the loss for one second, they only care about the one that ended the season last year. The Colts game was over at halftime after the Mckittrick fumble and the Bills were ok with that. Something in common with these teams is that they all had this game circled as a big one. The Bills only have one game circled on the schedule. THE big one.

 

That's not to say that the Bills are a team who isn't trying to win.  Quite the contrary.

 

They're a team that is working out the kinks now instead of later.  A team who doesn't get too amped up about a week 13 game.  A team in the process of getting better. A team with quiet confidence even with their backs against the wall. A team who knows their best football is ahead of them.

 

A team with Superbowl aspirations.

 

 

This team feels like they have been off the entire season despite the blowouts. If the Defense doesn’t get turnovers, the offense hasn’t played well the entire year in my eyes.

Edited December 9, 2021 by billieve420

[SCBills]

40 minutes ago, Breakout Squad said:

No way this years team beats the Colts and/or Ravens in last year’s playoffs. Everyone knows we can’t run and defenses only need 7 up front to shut us down. It’s disheartening. 

We all felt this same way going into the Baltimore game. 

[Nextmanup]

28 minutes ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

They are not going to make the playoffs so this is a moot point.  

Mmm-hhhmmm.

 

This is 2BD my friend.

 

I think you mean "mute" point.

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

40 minutes ago, Breakout Squad said:

I didn’t see any sleepwalking in the game. I saw defenders taking poor angles and not tackling well, poor O line play, Knox making mistakes, and coaching decisions. But I did not question their effort at any point in the game. 

 

I'm responding to the contention in the thread title and the  OP - that the Bills are gonna get to the playoffs and "Amp Up"

 

I don't believe it.  For one thing, behavior gets to be a habit.

[ProcessTruster]

Bills have a chance to run the table (after getting stomped by TB), so 11-6 is on the table.  That should do it. 

[hondo in seattle]

 

If the Bills keep sleepwalking, they won't reach the playoffs.

[Greg S]

It starts tonight. We will all be chanting SKOL, SKOL, SKOL. Pitt wins tonight then they are 7-5-1. We lose Sunday then 7-6. We all remember who won week 1. GO VIKINGS!

[billsbackto81]

The only solace I can take in all this talk of playoffs is this. If they make it in I wouldn't be surprised if they make a run to where they were last year or even the SB. This team outside of O line play has the talent on to play with anyone and I actually think it'd be beneficial to play a team like Tennessee or Indy or Chargers on their turf. This team outside of Allen's arm is not built for inclement weather. This team is a sprinting horse, not a mudder. Any team with a good running attack, competent QB and bad weather on its side will beat this team the way it's constructed. 

 

The Bills are the true definition of Any Given Sunday this season.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

They are going to have to finish 4-1 or 5-0 to make the playoffs. Lose to Bucs and Pats and they will lose on tie breakers.

 

wish they weren’t doing whatever it is they were doing. 
 

pats could easily win out, have two byes between now and their first playoff game, and home field throughout. 
 

certainly not stacking the deck in our favor

[Greg S]

1 minute ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

They are going to have to finish 4-1 or 5-0 to make the playoffs. Lose to Bucs and Pats and they will lose on tie breakers.

 

wish they weren’t doing whatever it is they were doing. 
 

pats could easily win out, have two byes between now and their first playoff game, and home field throughout. 
 

certainly not stacking the deck in our favor

 

Their next game is at the Colts. That won't be easy. If the Bills can somehow beat TB then definitely root for the Colts. If not then only the WC is in play and a Pats win helps the Bills.

[colin]

i think we need to win 4 games to get into the playoffs.  while tb is the strongest team (perhaps save the pats) we have left, and are out of conference, i think it will be hard for the team to lose two huge prime time games in a row and come back and win 4 straight, so i think for us to make the playoffs, we like 75% have to win this game in tampa.

 

ironically, winning this game in tampa and the NE game gives us a very solid shot at the division.

 

so, while backing into the playoffs is mathematically quite possible, i kinda feel like we turn it around now and hard, or we are fudged.

[TBBills]

10 hours ago, Breakout Squad said:

No way this years team beats the Colts and/or Ravens in last year’s playoffs. Everyone knows we can’t run and defenses only need 7 up front to shut us down. It’s disheartening. 

You said the exact same ***** last year and it happened. No one thinks the road team can win yet every year they manage to do it.

[DCbillsfan]

The Bills have been sleepwalking since last year's AFC Championship game.  They can't do the two basic things in football.  They can't run the damn ball and they can't stop the run. 

 

The difference this year is opposing teams have changed up their defensive coverages and the Bills receivers aren't getting open as frequently.  The counter to this is to run the damn ball.  They try to run but they suck at it.  If they could run better, it would open up the passing game more.

 

As far as stopping the run, the Bills are relying too much on Lotulelei, a guy who opted out last season, who got Covid this year, and as many have pointed out is not all that great to begin with.  The Bills need a stud DT.  Plain and simple.  

 

The rest of the league caught up to the Bills in one off season.  They re-signed guys like Feliciano and Williams who are average OL guys at best.  Then they double dipped drafting two DEs in rounds 1 and 2.  Basham being in street clothes most games.  Basham was a luxury pick that the Bills could not afford to take.  He may have been BPA but when you already have 10 DL guys on your roster and you have the above run game issues it doesn't add up to draft Basham. 

 

What Bills fan wouldn't have liked a 2nd round pick of either an IOL, TE or dare I say RB?  Any of these picks could have helped this year's offense.  

 

FWIW, I'm not bashing Basham just the Bills selection of him.

[SoCal Deek]

8 minutes ago, DCbillsfan said:

The Bills have been sleepwalking since last year's AFC Championship game.  They can't do the two basic things in football.  They can't run the damn ball and they can't stop the run. 

 

The difference this year is opposing teams have changed up their defensive coverages and the Bills receivers aren't getting open as frequently.  The counter to this is to run the damn ball.  They try to run but they suck at it.  If they could run better, it would open up the passing game more.

 

As far as stopping the run, the Bills are relying too much on Lotulelei, a guy who opted out last season, who got Covid this year, and as many have pointed out is not all that great to begin with.  The Bills need a stud DT.  Plain and simple.  

 

The rest of the league caught up to the Bills in one off season.  They re-signed guys like Feliciano and Williams who are average OL guys at best.  Then they double dipped drafting two DEs in rounds 1 and 2.  Basham being in street clothes most games.  Basham was a luxury pick that the Bills could not afford to take.  He may have been BPA but when you already have 10 DL guys on your roster and you have the above run game issues it doesn't add up to draft Basham. 

 

What Bills fan wouldn't have liked a 2nd round pick of either an IOL, TE or dare I say RB?  Any of these picks could have helped this year's offense.  

 

FWIW, I'm not bashing Basham just the Bills selection of him.

All good points. Another way of putting it is the Bills need to beef up the middle of both sides of the ball: RB, Guard, and Center on Offense; and DT, MLB on Defense.

[corta765]

Anyone care to explain to the OP what happens if they go 3-2 and how if it comes to AFC tie breakers they are woefully behind.

47 minutes ago, colin said:

i think we need to win 4 games to get into the playoffs.  while tb is the strongest team (perhaps save the pats) we have left, and are out of conference, i think it will be hard for the team to lose two huge prime time games in a row and come back and win 4 straight, so i think for us to make the playoffs, we like 75% have to win this game in tampa.

 

ironically, winning this game in tampa and the NE game gives us a very solid shot at the division.

 

so, while backing into the playoffs is mathematically quite possible, i kinda feel like we turn it around now and hard, or we are fudged.

 

Agreed. Go 4-1 and you are in and feeling good about a win over NE or TB to right the ship on some of the losses you've had. If NE is the win you might even get the division as long as they lose another game. But go 10-7 and you are tempting some really bad fate.

[BuffaninSarasota]

The OP appears to be a ghostwriter for the Bills PR department

[BBills_88]

Until I see the Bills are out of the playoff race, I believe they can still win the superbowl. 

 

History has shown us the #1 team in the NFL has not always won the Superbowl. 

 

Could this team be playing poker with the league, who knows, but I am not calling the season over. 

 

Even tho it was the Jets, that game showed me somethings.  I BILLIEVE they will turn it on at the right time. 

[maddenboy]

This thread has moved away from the OP's Sleepwalking idea.  Everybody just wants to post his take on playoff chances.

 

wrt Sleepwalking, to me its the idea that you will bump into walls and kick furniture because, with eyes closed, you cant make adjustments and you just are on autopilot.

 

I think that's what we have seen since camp, and why they lost to Pitt in week 1.  Pitt spent all offseason (at least the cliches tell us so) preparing for the Bills, and the Bills spent it preparing for KC and then the AFCCG.

 

We seem to take for granted, for months, that everything we have done is for the post-season.  There's not much in the way of adjustments so far this season, beyond finally putting Brieda in and changing punt returners.  Nobody benched, nobody called out for loafing, no accountability for failing to play NOW.  

 

So yeah.  Bills have been sleepwalking like a team closing out the string (Jax, Bears, Seahawks, Giants), except the Bills are coasting since August to (what they fully expect to be) the postseason instead of vacation and draft order.

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by maddenboy

[clayboy54]

2 hours ago, Greg S said:

It starts tonight. We will all be chanting SKOL, SKOL, SKOL. Pitt wins tonight then they are 7-5-1. We lose Sunday then 7-6. We all remember who won week 1. GO VIKINGS!

I might be chanting Skoal, Skoal, Skoal, but then I'll reaiize the can is in my pocket.