Do the Bills Practice as Hard as the Pats? Should They?

[Ethan in Cleveland]

On 7/20/2023 at 3:16 PM, Fleezoid said:

 

That too. They got caught. I'm just remembering some moments like Gronk trying to break White's back and the helmet hit on Josh that knocked him out of the game rookie season. And wasn't there a game where Wilfork clearly went after Bledsoe's knee many years ago?

Losman's knee. Unfortunately he didn't end his career so we had to suffer a couple more seasons with him. 

20 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Every year it becomes more apparent who was behind the championships in NE, it wasn’t  Belichick. 

He went to the playoffs with Mac Jones

Brady, Belichick, the OL coach, and a solid kicker were the only constants during their dynasty. Brady and BB won with defense, with offense, with old and with young, with new players and guys on the roster forever. 

Their dynasty does not happen if both aren't there together.  QB trumps HC all the time but look how many making QBs can't overcome bad coaching. 

[Prospector]

I am half tempted to bring Iverson out of retirement to give you all a lecture on the importance of practice to win championships!

 

Both of which, he knows a LOT about!

Edited July 21, 2023 by Prospector

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:37 PM, hondo in seattle said:

During the Pats' Reign of Terror there was a lot of chatter about "The Patriot Way."  Supposedly, the Patriot Way was different than "The Process" in Buffalo or any of the other systems and philosophies of team preparation practiced elsewhere in the NFL.  Then Brady left, the rings stopped coming, and nobody talked about the Patriot Way anymore.  In the minds of some fans, the Patriot Way was merely a mirage and Brady was the only actual thing that differentiated the Patriots from the rest of the NFL.

 

But Edelman recently said something I find interesting:

 

"I swear if I didn't play New England I'd still be playing because we practice so goddamn hard. That's honestly why I retired: I couldn't practice. I was getting three reps of practice and then I go get in the pool because my knee, you know, like I was fu**ed up...  You build your confidence through practice… [A team that practices hard] is a dying breed and that's why football is getting sloppy."

 

I think many fans overrate game-time decisions and underrate all the other stuff a coach does to build a winner.  Edelman's quote makes me think about that other stuff and wonder if McD is practicing the optimal amount.  

 

www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/julian-edelman-reveals-how-playing-for-patriots-forced-him-into-early-retirement/ar-AA1e512N?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=5d3d7a4baeb245c9bc7b95da3e34f212&ei=50

 

 

What that article didn't say was if some of their practice habits were actually illegal or at the least are illegal now.  Maybe when Edelman first started they were still allowed??

 

Also wonder too if some of the extra work was the result of Brady making WR's etc, put in extra time.  Team couldn't be held responsible then either.

 

I do think the Bills are practicing about the same amount as most other teams do too.

 

Also don't forget, we're talking about practice, not a game, but practice.....

[mjt328]

Every person requires a different approach.

 

Some players need hard practices and ruthless coaching in order to stay motivated.

Others respond better to softer practice sessions, and coaches who are less "in-your face."

 

Beane/McDermott seem to understand what kind of players fit well in this locker room.

[hondo in seattle]

In the old days, teams with the best coaches and biggest budgets would often stockpile the best players, thus creating dynasties.

 

In the 1940s, Paul Brown's Cleveland Browns won the AAFC championship all four years, including a 49-7 whipping of the original Buffalo Bills in the 1948 title game.   Then the Browns joined the NFL and won 3 of the next 6 NFL championships.  The Browns played in championship games for a remarkable 10 consecutive years.

 

In the 60s, Lombardi's Packers won 5 of 7 championships, including the first two Super Bowls.  The score wasn't even close in those Super Bowls.  

 

But then in the 90s, the old, weak equalizer of the draft started to tag-team with its new friend, the salary cap, to create a funny kind of parity.  It's not "parity" in the sense that every game is a 50-50 proposition.  But dynasties were dead in the NFL.  The good teams tended to trade places with the bad teams every few years.  And there was no One Dominant Team anymore.  Every year, there is parity at the top of the league with several more-or-less equally matched teams, each with something like a 10% or 15% chance of winning it all.

 

But the Belichick-Brady Pats were a weird and unlikely aberration - the one extraordinary outlier in the post-salary-cap, no-dynasty reality.  In a span of 18 years, they won a bucketload of games including 6 Super Bowls.  It wasn't Brown-Lombardi level dominance, but it was arguably against better competition and a very special accomplishment.  

Do we give all the credit to Brady?  Statistically, Brady was never head-and-shoulders better than the other elite QBs of his era: Brees, Manning, Rodgers, et al.  Maybe the Pats executed at such a high level because they practiced, schemed, and executed better than their opponents.  Maybe Belichick deserves some of the credit. 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by hondo in seattle

[first_and_ten]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:50 PM, Mikie2times said:

Sorry, but Vince Lombardi isn't winning any Super Bowls with that New England roster. 

 

People are obsessed with trying to give either Brady or BB credit for the Dynasty. BB knew how to put his teams in the best positions to win games. Sometimes in doing so he would absolutely cross the line. His strength in coaching was attention to detail and managing egos. He might have been the best ego manager in the history on the NFL. Almost a 20 year run of winning or threatening to win the SB. Unheard of before or since. 

 

Now that Brady is gone, he is basically maxed out at a wild card. Take away Mahomes or Allen and you aren't going to see a much different outcome. You need good players to win. Great players to win it all. A coach is not going to be able to do it alone. Not close. That doesn't discredit him as an integral part of that run. If it was almost anybody else coaching that team it would have been about a 5 year run like most dynasty's. He is the reason it was 20 years. 

 

I'm going to go hang with my dad now

 

Sincerely, 

Stevie

 

Without a good lineup (Brady, etal), he can't win. So he's no Goat. I think many coaches would have done just as well or better with Brady and that lineup. You believe no one else could have done it. I disagree. We're both entitled to our opinions. We will never know. Besides, I admit I am a bit biased against him ever since he was caught cheating. Maybe cheating makes him a good coach, I don't know. He looks pretty average now. 

[BigAl2526]

Because the Patriots have been so good the last few years.  Oh wait.  

[Goin Breakdown]

Wonder if they practice this hard anymore cuz they suuuuuck. 

[Buffalo Super Fan]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:37 PM, hondo in seattle said:

During the Pats' Reign of Terror there was a lot of chatter about "The Patriot Way."  Supposedly, the Patriot Way was different than "The Process" in Buffalo or any of the other systems and philosophies of team preparation practiced elsewhere in the NFL.  Then Brady left, the rings stopped coming, and nobody talked about the Patriot Way anymore.  In the minds of some fans, the Patriot Way was merely a mirage and Brady was the only actual thing that differentiated the Patriots from the rest of the NFL.

 

But Edelman recently said something I find interesting:

 

"I swear if I didn't play New England I'd still be playing because we practice so goddamn hard. That's honestly why I retired: I couldn't practice. I was getting three reps of practice and then I go get in the pool because my knee, you know, like I was fu**ed up...  You build your confidence through practice… [A team that practices hard] is a dying breed and that's why football is getting sloppy."

 

I think many fans overrate game-time decisions and underrate all the other stuff a coach does to build a winner.  Edelman's quote makes me think about that other stuff and wonder if McD is practicing the optimal amount.  

 

www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/julian-edelman-reveals-how-playing-for-patriots-forced-him-into-early-retirement/ar-AA1e512N?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=5d3d7a4baeb245c9bc7b95da3e34f212&ei=50

 

Practice is way overrated. As long as the Buffalo Bills players are in good football shape and know the Bills plays there good. Some players need a lot of practice and some don’t. It’s like acting some don’t need to read over lines and rehearse and some do. Jackie Gleason didn’t like to read over lines or rehearse on the “Honeymooners”. He was brilliant actor. Desi Arnez and William Crowley got along well on “I Love Lucy”. because they didn’t like to rehearse either and they were brilliant actors. But Buffalo Super Fan what about the other Bills players that aren’t picking it up. Look there is such a thing as over practice and over micro managing everything. Vince Lombardi had a very basic offense you don’t have to reinvent the wheel just play. You are either good enough or you’re not in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnNord]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:37 PM, hondo in seattle said:

During the Pats' Reign of Terror there was a lot of chatter about "The Patriot Way."  Supposedly, the Patriot Way was different than "The Process" in Buffalo or any of the other systems and philosophies of team preparation practiced elsewhere in the NFL.  Then Brady left, the rings stopped coming, and nobody talked about the Patriot Way anymore.  In the minds of some fans, the Patriot Way was merely a mirage and Brady was the only actual thing that differentiated the Patriots from the rest of the NFL.

 

But Edelman recently said something I find interesting:

 

"I swear if I didn't play New England I'd still be playing because we practice so goddamn hard. That's honestly why I retired: I couldn't practice. I was getting three reps of practice and then I go get in the pool because my knee, you know, like I was fu**ed up...  You build your confidence through practice… [A team that practices hard] is a dying breed and that's why football is getting sloppy."

 

I think many fans overrate game-time decisions and underrate all the other stuff a coach does to build a winner.  Edelman's quote makes me think about that other stuff and wonder if McD is practicing the optimal amount.  

 

www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/julian-edelman-reveals-how-playing-for-patriots-forced-him-into-early-retirement/ar-AA1e512N?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=5d3d7a4baeb245c9bc7b95da3e34f212&ei=50

 

“The Patriot Way” = Tom Brady was an elite QB

[HOUSE]

3 practices per week is fair for all NFL teams

This will give players extra time to race cars, gamble on NFL teams, clean guns, reload  then attend court dates to pay fines.

This will also provide aditional time on Twitter for trashing your old team.

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by HOUSE

[Coffeesforclosers]

The Bills are 5-1 against NE since Brady left.

 

Shouldn't they be copying what we're doing? 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

5 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

3 practices per week is fair for all NFL teams

This will give players extra time to race cars, clean guns, attend court and count their money.

If only riches were distributed by the wisdom exhibited on this board, HOUSE would be a wealthy individual. 😇

[Irv]

This is a thread?

[PatsFanNH]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:37 PM, hondo in seattle said:

During the Pats' Reign of Terror there was a lot of chatter about "The Patriot Way."  Supposedly, the Patriot Way was different than "The Process" in Buffalo or any of the other systems and philosophies of team preparation practiced elsewhere in the NFL.  Then Brady left, the rings stopped coming, and nobody talked about the Patriot Way anymore.  In the minds of some fans, the Patriot Way was merely a mirage and Brady was the only actual thing that differentiated the Patriots from the rest of the NFL.

 

But Edelman recently said something I find interesting:

 

"I swear if I didn't play New England I'd still be playing because we practice so goddamn hard. That's honestly why I retired: I couldn't practice. I was getting three reps of practice and then I go get in the pool because my knee, you know, like I was fu**ed up...  You build your confidence through practice… [A team that practices hard] is a dying breed and that's why football is getting sloppy."

 

I think many fans overrate game-time decisions and underrate all the other stuff a coach does to build a winner.  Edelman's quote makes me think about that other stuff and wonder if McD is practicing the optimal amount.  

 

www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/julian-edelman-reveals-how-playing-for-patriots-forced-him-into-early-retirement/ar-AA1e512N?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=5d3d7a4baeb245c9bc7b95da3e34f212&ei=50

 

First I will say the Patriot way is dead for 2 reasons. 1. Brady was about 60% of the way and BB 40%.  When Brady left, BB also well just didn’t want to work as much. (Who would in their 70’s).

 

As for the practices, that’s why so many NFL Players said NE wasn’t “fun”.  (Which I always hated, my job isn’t fun either and I still had to do it and damn I am not paid millions) 

 

IMO the Bills will break through eventually, it will just be a lot harder since the AFC has so many good teams with good to potentially great QBs. (You be in the SB every year in the NFC IMO)

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

4 hours ago, PatsFanNH said:

When Brady left, BB also well just didn’t want to work as much.

I think it had a lot to do with Billy Boy chintzing out on the quality of Scooby snacks for the real  brains in the organization.

There is no way possible that the end of that football got chewed without it being UNDERINFLATED!  🤬

Edited July 23, 2023 by Ridgewaycynic2013