Reasons for optimism, pessimism

[Heitz]

Reasons for Optimism:  We're complex living organisms, alive on Earth at a time when the Bills are good.

 

Reasons for Pessimism:  Anything can happen at any time.

 

 

Too broad? 🤣  

[NewEra]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

That whiny look Tatum has on his face every time something doesn't go his way says something about his mental toughness.  He looks like a suburban kid whose parents didn't take him for ice cream after the game. 

 

And Brown just doesn't show up consistently.   Both of them, when the game is flowing their way, are spectacular.  When the game's on the line, they don't show up consistently.

 

Horford and Smart are dogs, but the two guys who are supposed to lead the team don't do it consistently.  

 

And it says something about the team that they can't win at home.   The crowd was nuts in the first half last night, and the team couldn't match the crowd's intensity. 

 

Coach?  You're right there.  Miami shut down the Celtics offense with their zone defense in multiple games, and by game seven they should have had an answer.  They didn't.  That's on the coach.  

 

Nice team, and I enjoy watching them, but they don't look like a team that wins alley fights.  

 

Back to the Bills.  I agree with whoever said Beane had a good off-season.   I think he collected players who should help.  Someone said a day or two ago that he has solid depth on the offensive line, and that probably will be important.  They have a good collection of receivers, good enough that if they don't land Hopkins, it's okay.  Hopkins is icing.  I think the defensive backfield is stellar, with only the cover capabilities of the middle linebacker a question mark.   D line is solid.  I was excited when they signed Harris, and doubly excited when they signed Murray.  I expect Murray will bringing smiles to a lot of faces in December.  

 

 

Did you see his injury?  It was a bad ankle roll and clearly hampered what he was doing out there.  He played through it because he had too.  Sorry you didn’t like the whiny look on his face.  The kid was playing while in a lot of pain.  
 

In the last 2 playoffs Boston is 3-1 in game 7’s.  They beat the defending champ bucks  in 7.  They beat Miami in 7.  This year they beat Philly in 7.  That’s toughness imo.  They lacked a head coach and suffered the only injury that they couldn’t afford.
 

I agree about Brown.  They shouldn’t throw him 290M imo.  Trade him. He’s great when he’s on.  Not good enough of a facilitator to have an impact on O when he’s off. 

that said, I think they would’ve gotten smacked in 5 vs Denver.  Spolestra will have a chance to show the world how good a coach he is (again).  If he can find a way to slow Murray down, they might have a shot to win 2 games….. but I think they’ll get swept.  Malone has that team rolling.
 

I agree about the Bills.  We’re good enough to win the SB as is.  Just like we’ve been the last 2 years. I like what Beane did starting the offseason -20M in cap space.  
 

 

[GunnerBill]

13 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

Largely because I trust Andy Reid and Veach to make that call between Brown/Veach, though I do see the paradox in that and them acquiring Brown in the first place.

 

There is an argument at least that at his best Donovan Smith was a better pass blocker than Orlando Brown (though a clearly inferior run blocker) and that ultimately passing is what it's about in KC. But Donovan Smith hasn't played at that level in a couple of years. As for Taylor, I NEVER bought that they signed him to play LT. They signed him to upgrade RT, hoped to draft a LT early and when that didn't happen they turned to Smith as a dust settled FA. 

[Simon Says]

Even if Bills only maintain status quo....they are still a Super Bowl contender. 

If they add Hopkins (or comparable WR) and a pass rusher, I would be thrilled.

[Mynamemike]

2 hours ago, finn said:

Reasons to be optimistic about the season:

--Many key players are in their prime, including Allen, Diggs, Davis, Dawkins, Harris, Knox, Oliver, Milano, and White.

--Oliver is in his contract year, so he may finally live up to his draft status. 

--Allen, Davis, Poyer, Hyde, and Brown are all healthy, and White is another year past his ACL injury.  

--Knox has had a year to recover from losing his brother, and the team has had the offseason to recover from Hamlin, Tops, etc. 

--Beane has done a good job upgrading the depth, adding Poona, Edwards, Sherfield, Harty, Murray, and Shell, as well as bringing back key veterans like Lawson and Martin.

--McDermott takes over DC duties. Conceivably, this could be a negative, but he won the head coach job because he was a very effective DC, so odds are he'll do great. 

--Dorsey, Kromer, Smiley, Babich, and Brady all have a year's worth of experience with their respective charges, which can only help. 

--Last year's rookies all look ready to contribute more than last year, especially Elam, Cook, Benford, and Shakir. 

--This year's rookies should make valuable contributions, and Kincaid, Torrence, and Williams may end up starting. 

--They are no longer the media darlings anymore, which might take some of the pressure off. 

 

Reasons for pessimism:

--Diggs' prima donna act may get worse and become a distraction.

--They now need to get past not just the Chiefs, but also the Bengals, Dolphins, Jets, and maybe Ravens. 

--They have no real backup for Dawkins. 

--Their pass rush will likely continue to be mediocre until Miller returns. 

--The offensive line may have two new starters and will take time to jell. 

--Kincaid, Harty, Shorter, and Sheffield might not add enough juice, even taken together. 

 

As you see, reasons for optimism outnumber reasons for pessimism. But it's only May!

I feel really good about our offseason.  I wasn’t expecting huge moves going into it but we have added some nice players.  I am worried about who replaces Tremaine in the middle but I hope McDermott calling plays can make up for the loss of experience there.  
 

Our secondary is back and deeper than ever.  Hopefully the Dline plays well enough so we don’t rush Von back.

 

I would love to see us pound the rock out the gate just to show teams they need to be ready for anything offensively this season.  Can’t wait til the opener! 

[Wizard]

My reasons for optimism are fairly simple. The Bills have Josh Allen, the best fan base, a solid culture, and a top 5 team overall. They know how to win their division. They have had the experience of the highs and lows of playoff battles.

 

My reasons for pessimism are also fairly simple. Will Beane, McDermott, and the team play to its ability for 60 straight minutes when the playoff pressure is on?  Will Beane make that one move for another WR to make us super scary on offense or one difference-making DE unto Miller returns to keep the other offense slightly uncomfortable at times?

 

 

 

 

[dpberr]

Optimism: The Super Bowl window year of all Super Bowl window years.  Loaded roster.  Front office addressed holes in roster.  I see McDermott running the defense as a plus.  

 

Pessimism.  Will the psyche of this team change?  The team continues to play games without a sense of urgency, focus, mission.  Another lackadaisical, sloppy entry into the playoffs. 

[Don Otreply]

Me, I’m apprehensive about Dorsey’s play calling / play design / play sequencing / the execution of said plays, and Josh taking the check downs when he should.  Imo it all comes down to the O-line performing at the level we all hope it will. 🤞

 

Go Bills!!!

[Nephilim17]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I watched the Celtics lose last night, and kept thinking that they are a team that just doesn't have the toughness, including the winner's attitude, to win the championship.  As I watched, I worried that that could describe the Bills, too.    It would break McDermott's heart to admit that his team isn't tough enough to win, and it's up to him to prove that they are. 

 

Though I'm more optimistic about the Bills this year than last — Kincaid, upgraded O-line, McD calling what should be a more aggressive D — this has been my fear about the Bills for a while.

I hope I'm either wrong or the team and Josh have evolved into a tougher team. The harder schedule this year will reveal a lot about the character and mental toughness of the team and Josh.

[Another Fan]

I like there’s not as much hype around the team this offseason which is a big plus imo.  That and well anything can happen but I thought these 3 events really drained/ burned out the team over the long haul: The Topps shooting, the 7 foot snowstorm, and then Hamlin.  I don’t think we’ll see anything like that this year

 

 

 

On the negative side the team gives off the impression they need harder coaching than presently.  The whole Josh & Diggs relationship I feel can explode at any minute when they start practicing again 

[hondo in seattle]

Optimism

*  If Poyer, Hyde, and Tre are all healthy this year and play at peak levels, our secondary will be extremely good.  

*  If Von gets healthy, our DLine will be very good.

*  Milano is already good.  So if one of the other LBs steps up and reasonably replaces Edmunds, our LB play will be good.

*  If Josh's UCL stays healthy, he's an elite QB and a freaking force of nature.

*  If the new OL guys are as talented as hoped, our OL will be much better than last season.

*  Dorsey has a lot of diverse weapons to play with.  If he grows as a coordinator, this offense will be fun.

 

Pessimism

*  Too many if's  

[corta765]

Optimism:

-Josh Allen is one of top 5 best players in the NFL

-odds are Bills defense will not have the injuries on D that literally decimated- the secondary and our most import pass rusher

-said returning injuried players all come back healthy with Von at least having done this before

-offense got some needed investment in areas that desperately needed to address and at least on paper seemed to address players who were needed if the scheme were to improve (YAC players, deep burn, Cole Beasley type short-mid range players)

-schedule is very opportunistic before the tough games and late bye is a huge help

-Only 4 games not on Sunday

-Josh Allen again because he is a demigod

-At this time Tom Brady is retired lol

 

Pessimism:

-Division is legitimately tougher which even if you win the division you probably are adding a loss or two making the 1 seed harder

-Edmunds gone is a hit regardless of your feelings as he was a good player and now someone else needs to fill the role.

-This could be a better Bills team then last year and end up 11-6 with a single home game or even on the road

-Jaguars in London is a bummer as they look good and I would've liked that here. Might be tie breaker in AFC seeding

-Bills WR corp missed two straight years at adding a good long term replacement/complement to Diggs in the draft. On a pure cost control setting that stinks as upgrades are pricier and not rookie contract

-RIP camper lot during construction of new home

-CIN looks to have added more depth and firmly is another team in the way. It is no longer KC-BUF, but KC-CIN-BUF in the AFC plus BAL and other improved nipping at their heals

-In true seriousness camelot has fallen. Even after 13 seconds I would say most fans were relatively rosy of the team and McBeane. The way the Bills were eliminated and the failure to make the SB again has now created a very critical fanbase that understands the window is open but opportunities have been missed and the coach/GM are finally being at least viewed critically for real now at not striking on this window. The good vibes are gone, its all or nothing to many at this time. Bills mafia is more fun when peeps want to have fun and be optimistic, but I can't disagree in some regard to having to readjust and ask some real questions on what is happening. So for that its bummer because it was a nice run without being forced to ask the hard questions to some degree.

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by corta765

[Starr Almighty]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I've gotten beyond optimism and pessimism.   Winning a Super Bowl is difficult.  The Bills have enough on offense and defense to do it.  They either will do it, and people's optimism will be justified, or they won't, and people's pessimism will be justified.

 

I watched the Celtics lose last night, and kept thinking that they are a team that just doesn't have the toughness, including the winner's attitude, to win the championship.  As I watched, I worried that that could describe the Bills, too.    It would break McDermott's heart to admit that his team isn't tough enough to win, and it's up to him to prove that they are. 

Tatum got hurt on the 1st play and was invisible for the rest of the game. I don't know how hurt he was but he didn't attempt to play threw it and packed it in... That essentially ended the game

[PrimeTime101]

I have 2 words for this team this year. Cautiously Optimistic. 

 

[PBF81]

1 hour ago, Another Fan said:

I like there’s not as much hype around the team this offseason which is a big plus imo.  

 

 

What also didn't help last season was dusting the Rams & Titans early on.  Both teams were supposed to have been beasts, but they turned out to be the opposite.  That created a whole lot of overconfidence amongst fans and possibly the team as well.  

 

If Dorsey did anything this offseason to improve his role I'm jacked to see our new O.  

 

 

[stlbills13]

Optimism

- Josh Allen is the quarterback

- The offensive line was addressed and I think it was addressed with intention (run the ball more)

- Rookie TE's struggle but Kincaid should be able to contribute in unique ways

- McD calling the defense. I still think we'll find this frustrating but I think he's at least going to be more innovative

- Healthier secondary

- Josh Allen is the quarterback

- Better run stuffers on the d line to offset the loss of Edmunds

- They know they focked up against Cincy last year and realize they have to take a big step up

- Von should be healthy and up to speed when it most matters

- I think Damien Harris and James Cook will take a huge load off Allen's shoulders and be one of the better backfields in the NFL even if lower volume

- Josh Allen is the quarterback

 

Pessimism

- I love a few of the rookies but will McD let them play early and often?

- Von won't be a force from week 1

- We'll see about Hopkins but the WR room is still a little light on difference makers. Good players but you have to scheme them correctly

- Diggs seems all over the place now. He'll be fine but I guess there's a chance he's not

- The division is good. I think Rodgers has taken a step back but he's still a big upgrade on a sneaky team last year. The Dolphins are going to be a factor. The Patriots suck but BB can scheme up a win

- You're still chasing the Chiefs and Bengals until you beat them when it matters. They didn't get worse

- Jags are ascending. Ravens will at least be a good regular season team. Schedule is challenging

- I think we have a great regular season coaching staff but still some work to be done in the postseason. It's a different ballgame even if you don't want to admit it

[wjag]

I'm still trying to reconcile that last game against the Bengals.  To be so totally outclassed has to have a hangover effect.  

 

I like all the additions on paper.  I don't expect much from the rookie class.  History tells us few will likely pop, immediately.

 

For me, it really comes down to the OLINE.  And right now, I have no clue if they will be better or worse.

[Nephilim17]

The only unit I can see being worse are the LBs.

 

Better secondary (rookies now in 2nd year, Tre getting healthier, Hyde coming back), better D-line by virtue of Von returning. Better WR corp, I believe. Definitely better running backs room. And far better O-line (I hope; it would be very deflating to see the same protection issues).

 

You don't win in today's league because of a top MLB. So even if there's a significant dip there, I think we're a better team now.

 

Tougher schedule and better teams around us are the murder hornets in the ointment.

[Patrick Duffy]

4 hours ago, MikeSpeed said:

I am pretty optimistic this year. When McDermott took over the play calling duties when the defense was struggling before they did improve! The pessimistic points seem very trivial. 

That's one of the areas I'm feeling a little bit optimistic with McD now in full control of the Defense and eager to see how it looks. As for the WR's I believe we are in a bit better position than last season right now, but would be no question if they manage to land Dhop.

 

The one area of the team, I'm not sure I'd call it "pessimistic" describing how I feel as much as I'd say just no clue what to expect either way. 

[B-Large]

Its a mental game for this squad at this point.  If they improved their mental toughness from last year, no reason they can't be there at the end. 

 

Champions overcome "injuries, being gassed, or being emotionally spent"....

 

I like that we're not the talk of the offseason.... just go win, clean or ugly, don't care...