Are we more deserving of the SB hype this year than last?

[newcam2012]

4 hours ago, NoSaint said:

im not sure we are distantly off. Even 4th is outside the top 10% of teams. Hard to call a team outside the top 10% a favorite to win it, so that would be the starting area of that second tier of very good teams. 
 

saying that’s not a favorite but they have a shot seems to be fair for teams in the 4-5-6 -7 type of range. If Miller comes back early and reliable I’d put us right at the front of that group, if he struggles probably towards the tail of that group. 

To put your eggs in a basket of a 34 year old coming off his second ACL is pretty scary. Add in he plays on a pitch count as well is double scary. 

 

To boot the Bills still have Boogie and AJ on the roster. You know what you are getting with those two. It's called mediocrity. My eyes see a very vurnuable defense. 

3 hours ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

I agree with every word here and said so, at the time! It was an atrocious job of Head Coaching,starting with the unbelievably inept FUBAR to not squib kick! The point, the ONLY point was to use up 3-5 seconds! Plus, whatever D was being called on McDs TOs was totally inept. 

 

THIS was a SB lost in perhaps the Top 1-2 Offensive Playoff games in NFL history. Its choke job loss led to the belief that the Bills could easily take the next step! Now, having been horribly outclassed and at Home by Cinci,the Bills are clearly- at best, 3rd in the AFC. I hope Kincaid and the other moves will be successful. That is up to Dorsey who was far from perfect in 2022. The sked is far more difficult. I am hopeful, but not half as inspired as I was a year ago.

Agree 100%. 👍

[Buffalo Super Fan]

21 hours ago, 97bills said:

We got a chance to win it all !!!! That’s all that matters. 

Agree unfortunately some Buffalo fans regardless of the sport don’t understand that simple concept of sports if the Buffalo Bills/Sabres whatever the sports team were the final playoff team or the number one playoff team you have to be in the playoffs to win it. Just that simple phase you have to be in the playoffs to win it sounds reasonable. Yet it’s difficult for some of the fool Buffalo sports fans that embrace tanking and rebuilding, suffering forever you show me that you show me a loser fan.

I don’t believe that mentality has any where in the sports world. Fool Buffalo Sabres fans while the Boston Bruins lost to Florida Panthers. Yet we have some Buffalo Sabres fans and it’s not just Buffalo fans you see this through out sports with fan bases that don’t want to make the playoffs this year for the stupid draft pick because in there alternate reality sports world they felt the Buffalo Sabres or fill in the blank

city sports team had no chance in the first round better to take the higher draft pick loser mentality. Then that same fan is shocked no one any good in free agency wants to play for the Buffalo Sabres or the Houston Texans? While the Houston Astros won another World Series Championship and free agents want to place with the Houston Astros. I use as a example same city? Ok it’s the ownership and the organization it has nothing to do with the city’s sports fans of Houston just that Bob McNair of the Houston Texans is a horrible owner. Why is one shocked that no good free agents want to play for the Houston Texans. Athletes are programmed to win games and championships not throwing away seasons tanking, excuse making wasting everyone’s and the players time in my opinion. Go Bills! Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[HaldimandBills]

Maybe I will come off as a homer but we are absolutely a better team this season. Are we more worthy of Superbowl hype? No, that is mostly due to the improvements made by the Jets and Dolphins. Our schedule is also brutal so just making it to the playoffs will be more difficult this season. 

 

How anyone can look at this team and not understand that will be better is beyond me. 

 

Our secondary was a tire fire of injuries last year and that is including Poyer basically playing on one leg. Injuries are always difficult to predict but id have a tough time believing our secondary will be as beat up as last year. White is another year further removed from his ACL injury. 

 

Our dline actually has two legit 1 tech D tackles and will have a much healthier rotation. We will be adding another vet. Dend. Miller will be back.

 

Linebacker is the wildcard but I wonder if will scheme our way out of issues. I think its pretty much universally accepted that the NFL caught on to Fraiser seat back in zone defense. 

 

Our guard play has monstrously been improved and Brown will actually have an offseason to train and get better. As it stands Brown is the one player on our offense that could hurt this team.

 

Our receivers are light years ahead of last season. Mckenzie was our 3rd best receiver and had no idea how to play against zone. This year he wouldn't even make the team. Kincaid alone gives us a solution to our terrible short passing game and redzone offense. Knox will enter the season without having his brother pass away right before it. That was a horrific situation. 

 

Our RB actually have defined roles and we added maulers who can push the pile. 

 

I dont think Dorsey was as bad as people think. I just think we were led to believe we had more talent than we did and our offensive line collapsed and Allen started pushing the ball downfield and made dumb mistakes to avoid being crushed. Will also help that Allen won't have a partially torn UCL for half the season. Its amazing that this is constantly over looked. 

 

Then add in the Hamlin situation and all the off season choas such as a snowstorm moving the Bills game last second to Detroit and being stuck in Chicago over Christmas and you certainly have a avenue to a much better mentally focused team. I firmly believe that Bengals game was lost before it was played and the same thing for the Miami playoff game. The talent gap was just too wide for Miami that they couldn't take advantage of Buffalo not being mentally prepared. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by HaldimandBills

[AuntieEm]

5 hours ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

I agree with every word here and said so, at the time! It was an atrocious job of Head Coaching,starting with the unbelievably inept FUBAR to not squib kick! The point, the ONLY point was to use up 3-5 seconds! Plus, whatever D was being called on McDs TOs was totally inept. 

 

THIS was a SB lost in perhaps the Top 1-2 Offensive Playoff games in NFL history. Its choke job loss led to the belief that the Bills could easily take the next step! Now, having been horribly outclassed and at Home by Cinci,the Bills are clearly- at best, 3rd in the AFC. I hope Kincaid and the other moves will be successful. That is up to Dorsey who was far from perfect in 2022. The sked is far more difficult. I am hopeful, but not half as inspired as I was a year ago.

 

And I believe it ultimately is up to the players moreso than on the coaches.   Josh has alot of say in what plays are put into a gameplan, I've heard it countless of times where he endorses Dorsey  and it is apparent that if he doesn't like a certain type of play it's not likely in the gameplan.  I have no problem if they give Joshthat much input in what plays they run.  You do want your QB to be the on field general.  However that gives Josh a higher degree of accountability when a play doesn't work.  He gets to see at the line of scrimmage and after the snap what is developing in front of him and he needs to be able to process th a t real time data to find the best place to go with the football.  Dorsey or any coach needs his players to understand what they are doing and why it will work against certain defenses. Oc calling plays isn't like on a video game where everything pretty much goes as programmed by the code and doesn't deviate. 

 

In real time a stumble by a defender could mean an otherwise perfectly called screen now becomes s blown up play because the defender wasn't drawn away from the target and instead is now is prime position to negate the play that otherwise would have broke a long gain.  The result has you blaming the call whereas the execution was at fault, where an alert qb would be able to shift the target away from the defender who lucked into being where he wasn't expected to be.  Josh worked on his mechanics to get his accuracy improved.  I'm hoping he's worked on his mental game this offseason.  If his statement on getting older and beinga Qb first, football player second is sincere and not just a soundbite to deflect  media, then it's up to him to up his game as far as ho w he chooses when and what to audible too.  And then it also requires the other players to be focused and aware of the flow of the playcalls.  

[AuntieEm]

6 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

You deserve what you earn. The Bills have tried to improve the team this offseason, just like every other team. Accolades this time of year for having a good team on paper are just sad.  There’s nothing to do but see how it all plays out. 

 

My opinion is this anytime any media brings up any hype on being SB  contenders in the offseason, any player should respond that there are 32 teams with the same goal.  

[SCBills]

40 minutes ago, HaldimandBills said:

Maybe I will come off as a homer but we are absolutely a better team this season. Are we more worthy of Superbowl hype? No, that is mostly due to the improvements made by the Jets and Dolphins. Our schedule is also brutal so just making it to the playoffs will be more difficult this season. 

 

How anyone can look at this team and not understand that will be better is beyond me. 

 

Our secondary was a tire fire of injuries last year and that is including Poyer basically playing on one leg. Injuries are always difficult to predict but id have a tough time believing our secondary will be as beat up as last year. White is another year further removed from his ACL injury. 

 

Our dline actually has two legit 1 tech D tackles and will have a much healthier rotation. We will be adding another vet. Dend. Miller will be back.

 

Linebacker is the wildcard but I wonder if will scheme our way out of issues. I think its pretty much universally accepted that the NFL caught on to Fraiser seat back in zone defense. 

 

Our guard play has monstrously been improved and Brown will actually have an offseason to train and get better. As it stands Brown is the one player on our offense that could hurt this team.

 

Our receivers are light years ahead of last season. Mckenzie was our 3rd best receiver and had no idea how to play against zone. This year he wouldn't even make the team. Kincaid alone gives us a solution to our terrible short passing game and redzone offense. Knox will enter the season without having his brother pass away right before it. That was a horrific situation. 

 

Our RB actually have defined roles and we added maulers who can push the pile. 

 

I dont think Dorsey was as bad as people think. I just think we were led to believe we had more talent than we did and our offensive line collapsed and Allen started pushing the ball downfield and made dumb mistakes to avoid being crushed. Will also help that Allen won't have a partially torn UCL for half the season. Its amazing that this is constantly over looked. 

 

Then add in the Hamlin situation and all the off season choas such as a snowstorm moving the Bills game last second to Detroit and being stuck in Chicago over Christmas and you certainly have a avenue to a much better mentally focused team. I firmly believe that Bengals game was lost before it was played and the same thing for the Miami playoff game. The talent gap was just too wide for Miami that they couldn't take advantage of Buffalo not being mentally prepared. 

Well said .. and it’s not homerish at all

to say we’re much better going into this coming season than we were going into last season, let alone once the injuries hit. 
 

We downgraded one position.. Middle Linebacker, with Edmunds leaving in Free Agency. 
 

We upgraded the following:

 

QB - Allen (now healthy)

OG - McGovern & Torrence

 

EDGE - Von back

 

DT - Poona added

 

S - Hyde back

 

TE - Kincaid added

 

Nevermind expected improvement from guys like Elam, Shakir, Knox, Harty, White, Brown and Year 2 for Dorsey & Kromer. 
 

We also play in a loaded division, within a loaded conference with a really tough schedule.   Jets & Dolphins have Super Bowl contender talent and the Chiefs & Bengals have a lot of the same reason for optimism that we have, along with the experience of actually making it to the Super Bowl. 
 

We don’t deserve to be called a SB favorite due to the past, but talent-wise/expectation-wise… 100%, we are. 

 

[Warriorspikes51]

Sean calling the defense could be the difference in the playoffs

But I don't want the team to receive tons of hype

[BarleyNY]

16 minutes ago, AuntieEm said:

 

My opinion is this anytime any media brings up any hype on being SB  contenders in the offseason, any player should respond that there are 32 teams with the same goal.  

 

Players should say they’re doing everything they can to help their team win the SB.

 

My issue is more with the fans whose insecurities are on full display every time a top team or player topic comes up. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

9 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Sean calling the defense could be the difference in the playoffs

But I don't want the team to receive tons of hype

 

Last year we had the highest odds to be super bowl champion.  This year i think right now we have the 3rd best odds.  

 

What i mean when saying this is - the media hype is not very high. The recency bias is extreme there because they have to talk about football every day of the offseason.  So lets talk about the cincy game, and rodgers, and ramsey etc. But most football people would say... last years super bowl favorites didn't really lose much from the previous year, so why should i expect miami and the jets to surpass them?  

Edited May 4, 2023 by Bleeding Bills Blue

[Success]

8 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Sean calling the defense could be the difference in the playoffs

But I don't want the team to receive tons of hype

 

We don't know what we're going to get w/ McD's defense - but I'm certainly excited to see how it will look. I'm optimistic about it.  I think it will be more aggressive, and take more chances.  It could make a very big difference in our playoff success.

 

And I agree. I'm kind of thrilled to be a bit more under the radar. The hype last year was unearned and out of control - and really culminated w/ Romo and all of the "Mr. January" stuff.  With Rodgers coming to the East, and KC/Cincy being seen as the 2 top teams, the Bills can hopefully just go about their business without as much spotlight (though we'll still be seen as a contender).

 

[Warriorspikes51]

1 minute ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

Last year we had the highest odds to be super bowl champion.  This year i think right now we have the 3rd best odds.  

 

What i mean when saying this is - the media hype is not very high. The recency bias is extreme there because they have to talk about football every day of the offseason.  But most football people would say... last years super bowl favorites didn't really lose much from the previous year, so why should i expect miami and the jets to surpass them?  

 
Fins and Jets both gave us big challenges.  If AR plays like he did until last season, Jets could be 12-4. Their Defense is nasty 

[LABILLBACKER]

6 hours ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

I agree with every word here and said so, at the time! It was an atrocious job of Head Coaching,starting with the unbelievably inept FUBAR to not squib kick! The point, the ONLY point was to use up 3-5 seconds! Plus, whatever D was being called on McDs TOs was totally inept. 

 

THIS was a SB lost in perhaps the Top 1-2 Offensive Playoff games in NFL history. Its choke job loss led to the belief that the Bills could easily take the next step! Now, having been horribly outclassed and at Home by Cinci,the Bills are clearly- at best, 3rd in the AFC. I hope Kincaid and the other moves will be successful. That is up to Dorsey who was far from perfect in 2022. The sked is far more difficult. I am hopeful, but not half as inspired as I was a year ago.

The Bills over the last 3 seasons had a good enough roster to at least get to 1 SB.  But the coaches always found a way to screw it up. 

[Einstein]

Chris Brown just said on WGR, not to expect O'Torrence to start.

 

I don't know if he knows something because he works for the Bills, or if he is just guessing. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

10 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 
Fins and Jets both gave us big challenges.  If AR plays like he did until last season, Jets could be 12-4. Their Defense is nasty 

 

Just gotta punch a ticket to playoffs this year - don't worry about things like homefield, division, etc.  The big thing is actually playing their best ball in January and February.  We played our best in september and october a year ago. 

[DasNootz]

37 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Well said .. and it’s not homerish at all

to say we’re much better going into this coming season than we were going into last season, let alone once the injuries hit. 
 

We downgraded one position.. Middle Linebacker, with Edmunds leaving in Free Agency. 
 

We upgraded the following:

 

QB - Allen (now healthy)

OG - McGovern & Torrence

 

EDGE - Von back

 

DT - Poona added

 

S - Hyde back

 

TE - Kincaid added

 

Nevermind expected improvement from guys like Elam, Shakir, Knox, Harty, White, Brown and Year 2 for Dorsey & Kromer. 
 

We also play in a loade 

We don’t deserve to be called a SB favorite due to the past, but talent-wise/expectation-wise… 100%, we are. 

 

 

With some perspective:
11-12 Months ago:
Allen was healthy
OG: had just been upgrade with FA Roger Saffold (such a value find).  Bates was back and we were solid on the interior.
Edge - Von was healthy 

DT - JP was back where he had his best year(s), Jones was added, Oliver was about to be a star

S - Hyde and Poyer were healthy with no major injury concern
TE - Knox was showing improvement every year and poised to be the next TE star.  OJ Howard was here so we could run 2 TE sets.

 

Tre was coming back from injury, we had a new Rd 1 CB so we'd have 2 shut down CBs.  Davis was coming off the KC playoff game - a true #2, Crowder was a solid veteran 3, Shakir was a steal in the draft.

 

Fast forward to today - we're selling ourselves that we've hit gold on every FA, draft pick and ACL recovery.  We don't deserve to be hyped more than last season.... at least not yet.

 

 

[Success]

10 minutes ago, Einstein said:

Chris Brown just said on WGR, not to expect O'Torrence to start.

 

I don't know if he knows something because he works for the Bills, or if he is just guessing. 

 

I mean, if he performs the best in camp - he should start.

 

I'm fully expecting that.  I suppose they're tempering expectations or something along those lines, but he's a 2nd rounder who some thought might be a 1st rounder.  Based on what he brings to the table, it's hard to imagine he won't be starting.

 

[HaldimandBills]

28 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 
Fins and Jets both gave us big challenges.  If AR plays like he did until last season, Jets could be 12-4. Their Defense is nasty 

Jets had a historically healthy defense and defenses 99% of the time see a regression to some level. Jets are scary but I doubt that defense is quite as dominant.

 

In fact the Jets are who we should be thanking more than anyone. They are the team that showed all the major flaws in our offense. They built the blue print to dummy our guards, take away our perimeter passing game, show zero respect to our run game and intermediate to short passing game, and have a stud athlete spy Josh Allen. 

 

Our entire off season has been developing our offense so this doesn't happen again. Want to take away Diggs and Davis deep. Ok we can go short as Mckenzie won't be running the wrong route anymore. Want to play heavy zone and think you'll bully our guards? Guess again we have Kincaid and guards who aren't turnstiles. Think our run game is a joke in the redzone and you can just spy Allen and not worry about the Bills running up the middle? Guess again we have a massive guard now and RB who actually have size and have shown theyre short yardage specialits in the NFL. 

 

This isn't even factoring in Shakir taking a step forward. Harty who actually knows how to be a weapon at slot vs. Zone unlike Mckenzie and the fact Sherfield and Kincaid can actually block in the run game so we aren't overly relying of Gabe Davis and moving him inside to block and basically tipping off our plays to opposing defenses. Hey maybe Gabe will actually rebound as well only having to worry about being an outside receiver.

[90sBills]

1 hour ago, AuntieEm said:

 

And I believe it ultimately is up to the players moreso than on the coaches.   Josh has alot of say in what plays are put into a gameplan, I've heard it countless of times where he endorses Dorsey  and it is apparent that if he doesn't like a certain type of play it's not likely in the gameplan.  I have no problem if they give Joshthat much input in what plays they run.  You do want your QB to be the on field general.  However that gives Josh a higher degree of accountability when a play doesn't work.  He gets to see at the line of scrimmage and after the snap what is developing in front of him and he needs to be able to process th a t real time data to find the best place to go with the football.  Dorsey or any coach needs his players to understand what they are doing and why it will work against certain defenses. Oc calling plays isn't like on a video game where everything pretty much goes as programmed by the code and doesn't deviate. 

 

In real time a stumble by a defender could mean an otherwise perfectly called screen now becomes s blown up play because the defender wasn't drawn away from the target and instead is now is prime position to negate the play that otherwise would have broke a long gain.  The result has you blaming the call whereas the execution was at fault, where an alert qb would be able to shift the target away from the defender who lucked into being where he wasn't expected to be.  Josh worked on his mechanics to get his accuracy improved.  I'm hoping he's worked on his mental game this offseason.  If his statement on getting older and beinga Qb first, football player second is sincere and not just a soundbite to deflect  media, then it's up to him to up his game as far as ho w he chooses when and what to audible too.  And then it also requires the other players to be focused and aware of the flow of the playcalls.  

Well said with regards to Allen. This will be the next step forward in his maturation and I think he’ll make that progress next season!

[SCBills]

20 minutes ago, DasNootz said:

 

With some perspective:
11-12 Months ago:
Allen was healthy
OG: had just been upgrade with FA Roger Saffold (such a value find).  Bates was back and we were solid on the interior.
Edge - Von was healthy 

DT - JP was back where he had his best year(s), Jones was added, Oliver was about to be a star

S - Hyde and Poyer were healthy with no major injury concern
TE - Knox was showing improvement every year and poised to be the next TE star.  OJ Howard was here so we could run 2 TE sets.

 

Tre was coming back from injury, we had a new Rd 1 CB so we'd have 2 shut down CBs.  Davis was coming off the KC playoff game - a true #2, Crowder was a solid veteran 3, Shakir was a steal in the draft.

 

Fast forward to today - we're selling ourselves that we've hit gold on every FA, draft pick and ACL recovery.  We don't deserve to be hyped more than last season.... at least not yet.

 

 

Oh, some of what you say is valid.  
 

Allen being healthy just is what it is.  Maybe he gets hurt and actually misses time next year, but as a contender, you have to hope that your QB doesn’t suffer an injury like a UCL tear in your throwing elbow halfway through the season.   If we’re being honest, Allen probably should’ve missed time last year. 
 

With Von, again, it is what it is.  Just have to hope he doesn’t have a season ending injury.  As does KC with Chris Jones. 
 

Good points about Saffold and Bates … although Bates is fine, and should be better in Year 2 Kromer (which again, projection, but is a “thing” as mentioned by many players under Kromer). 
 

Oliver was a disappointment.  Most of us did think he’d breakout last year. 
 

I don’t think the majority of the fanbase was expecting White to be lockdown.  In fact, many people worried White would never be the same .. which was a huge talking point in needing a RD1 corner.    
 

Brown was a worry that came to fruition.  Injured all off-season and many worried he’d be a liability. 

So, while, we had high hopes .. not everything you allude to was discussed in rainbows and butterflies. 
 

Edited May 4, 2023 by SCBills

[Governor]

22 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

A lot of people will poo-poo this, but I too think McD's seat is warmer than most realize.

It’s an AFC championship appearance or gone situation and that’s good.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Governor