There was similar angst in the late '80s

[Success]

There are a lot of parallels to those teams, imo.  We knew we had a top QB in Kelly as soon as he came over from the USFL.  We had great players on defense and offense through those years.  Once we got to the playoffs, there was a combo of heartbreak and underachievement.  There was a lot of infighting and doubt, most famously remembered as the "Bickering Bills."

 

Then, it all changed.  It's like breaking through a brick wall.  Before you do it, it's like...how do we do it?  Then, the floodgates open.

 

The big difference is that the AFC is tougher now. But that AFC was no slouch. We had Dan Marino, arguably a top 5 of all time, in the division. John Elway & Warren Moon also come to mind.

 

We're going to get there.  I have no doubt about it.  QB's like Allen win championships.

 

 

[Einstein]

Prior to the SB’s, 7 of the previous 8 seasons were 9 or less wins.

 

The run of success we are having now is more similar of the actual SB years… minus the playoff success.

[US Egg]

So another of those nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills feel good threads.

 

Can’t get enough of them.

 

 

[FeelingOnYouboty]

Optimism when the Chiefs have lapped us and the Bengals have jumped us <<<

[EasternOHBillsFan]

57 minutes ago, Success said:

There are a lot of parallels to those teams, imo.  We knew we had a top QB in Kelly as soon as he came over from the USFL.  We had great players on defense and offense through those years.  Once we got to the playoffs, there was a combo of heartbreak and underachievement.  There was a lot of infighting and doubt, most famously remembered as the "Bickering Bills."

 

Then, it all changed.  It's like breaking through a brick wall.  Before you do it, it's like...how do we do it?  Then, the floodgates open.

 

The big difference is that the AFC is tougher now. But that AFC was no slouch. We had Dan Marino, arguably a top 5 of all time, in the division. John Elway & Warren Moon also come to mind.

 

We're going to get there.  I have no doubt about it.  QB's like Allen win championships.

 

Jim Kelly had Thurman and a man named Ted Marchibroda... we don't have either as far as I'm concerned yet. With Ken Dorsey as the OC, Allen is going to get KILT and he will end up with a shortened career. That's the huge difference that you are missing here... we need an OC that will bring balance to this team and not drive Josh into the damn ground.

[Bferra13]

Man this old trope again. I'm just sick of comparing these guys to those teams. I heard this in 20-21 how we were the 89 Bills then, etc. I'm as nostalgic as the next guy, but one has nothing to do with the other.

[Success]

2 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

Man this old trope again. I'm just sick of comparing these guys to those teams. I heard this in 20-21 how we were the 89 Bills then, etc. I'm as nostalgic as the next guy, but one has nothing to do with the other.

 

It's more about how things can turn, than an apples-to-apples.

 

[Ray Stonada]

Josh Allen is still 2 years younger then Kelly was when he first made the playoffs (1988). 
 

There is a long time to come, with Josh Allen, and I will bet we win a Super Bowl or more. 

[SoCal Deek]

8 minutes ago, Ray Stonada said:

Josh Allen is still 2 years younger then Kelly was when he first made the playoffs (1988). 
 

There is a long time to come, with Josh Allen, and I will bet we win a Super Bowl or more. 

So you’re suggesting Josh should go to the USFL for a couple years? 😉

[LABILLBACKER]

Well our QB and WR1 are better than Kelly/Reed, but after that things drop off. Assuming Von can stay healthy,  he'll probably give us 2 years close to Bruce numbers.  Our OL, WR2 and RB are far from the production we got in the 90's. And our coaching now is somewhat inferior to Marv, Ted, Walt/Wade.  Maybe if we pour Rousseau,  Epenesa & Basham into a big mold, out comes Bruce 2.0?  Probably not.....

[Bferra13]

Would you guys feel the same if we had lost to the Dolphins in the first round? Which could have easily happened. That might have been the best thing to happen to make changes. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

16 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

Would you guys feel the same if we had lost to the Dolphins in the first round? Which could have easily happened. That might have been the best thing to happen to make changes. 

Where's that overreaction thread again?

 

It was never gonna happen.  Losing to Dolphins this year in WildCard weekend. Mirage. Bills were up by 17. Tied before 1/2 and then up by 3 in a few seconds before and at halftime.

 

Then down by 4 in 3rd and up by 10 to start 4th.

 

The game was never, I repeat NEVER in question.

 

Even with Tua in there, still would have been a Bills victory. What are the Bills? Like 9-1 vs. Dolphins since 2018. 

[Bferra13]

2 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Where's that overreaction thread again?

 

It was never gonna happen.  Losing to Dolphins this year in WildCard weekend. Mirage. Bills were up by 17. Tied before 1/2 and then up by 3 in a few seconds before and at halftime.

 

Then down by 4 in 3rd and up by 10 to start 4th.

 

The game was never, I repeat NEVER in question.

 

Even with Tua in there, still would have been a Bills victory. What are the Bills? Like 9-1 vs. Dolphins since 2018. 

You had me til the last two sentences, prior records are meaningless. Team just feels stale to me due to coaching. Hope they prove me wrong. Not trying to troll. 

[Success]

24 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

Would you guys feel the same if we had lost to the Dolphins in the first round? Which could have easily happened. That might have been the best thing to happen to make changes. 

 

Cincy was closer to losing to the Ravens than we were to losing to the Phins.  Division games are unpredictable.

 

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

4 hours ago, Einstein said:

Prior to the SB’s, 7 of the previous 8 seasons were 9 or less wins.

 

The run of success we are having now is more similar of the actual SB years… minus the playoff success.

 

 This is correct. We are 37-12 in the last 3 years. In a 3 year stretch between 90-92 we went 37-11. The record by season are almost identical.

 

  Current 3 year stretch 13-3, 11-6, 13-3. Record back then 13-3, 13-3, 11-5.

 

 

 

[uninja]

The thing is, those teams are those teams and these teams are these teams. Any parallels are just coincidences. There are no tea leaves to read. This current Bills team will succeed and fail on their own merits, irrespective of any similarities to the Bills teams of old.

[BullBuchanan]

4 hours ago, Success said:

There are a lot of parallels to those teams, imo.  We knew we had a top QB in Kelly as soon as he came over from the USFL.  We had great players on defense and offense through those years.  Once we got to the playoffs, there was a combo of heartbreak and underachievement.  There was a lot of infighting and doubt, most famously remembered as the "Bickering Bills."

 

Then, it all changed.  It's like breaking through a brick wall.  Before you do it, it's like...how do we do it?  Then, the floodgates open.

 

The big difference is that the AFC is tougher now. But that AFC was no slouch. We had Dan Marino, arguably a top 5 of all time, in the division. John Elway & Warren Moon also come to mind.

 

We're going to get there.  I have no doubt about it.  QB's like Allen win championships.

 

 

You know those teams never actually "broke through" right? They lost and in doing so became a perennial laughing stock. We look back fondly at those times because it's our only option - but let's pray to any gods that will have us that our current team is nothing like them.

[Nextmanup]

I don't understand the obsession of Bills fans in drawing parallels of this regime to that of the Super Bowl teams.  They are completely different groups of people, involved in their own time lines, in differing eras of the sport, separated by 30 years. 

 

One has zero relevance to the other one.

 

Can a few similarities be found?  Sure, they are playing football after all.  

 

Can you find lots of discrepancies?  Yep.

 

Does ANYTHING the Kelly/Thomas/Smith Bills did have ANYTHING to do with this team?

 

NOPE.

 

 

[John from Riverside]

Every season is a new season
 

I got to say, though the negative reaction to a positive post thread some of you need to step away from the keyboard get some fresh air

[Ethan in Cleveland]

The only similarity to those Super Bowl teams and the current team, is the fact in both cases the bills have been outcoached. Levy was no match for Parcells, Belichick, Gibbs, and Johnson. Same story now. McDermott is outclassed by Reid and perhaps now by Taylor.