Nice Discussion About Bills.

[pocoboy]

4 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

If the Bills take a step back this season it will be because of the age of some of key players. Von, Hyde, Poyer, Diggs, Morse. These guys are getting very close to hitting that wall. Even some of our "younger" key guys could be at ages where they start to take smaller steps back. Guys like Milano, Tre and Dawkins. 

 

Lots of local media types were spending 2021-23 wailing away at how they could take luxury RB picks early because they were so deep. It just doesn't work that way. Hopefully the guys you list still have plenty in the tank and show the resurgence needed to reassert the Bills as the team to beat.

 

That being said, it has seemed like their approach changed once already when they ascended to that height (right after that KC win in the fall of last year). Injuries, distractions, disasters, near-death experiences...they all contributed certainly.

 

But when you combine 13 seconds, the Minnesota debacle, and both Bengals engagements...yeesh, can this team finally get their heads on straight?

[Straight Hucklebuck]

3 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

If the Bills take a step back this season it will be because of the age of some of key players. Von, Hyde, Poyer, Diggs, Morse. These guys are getting very close to hitting that wall. Even some of our "younger" key guys could be at ages where they start to take smaller steps back. Guys like Milano, Tre and Dawkins. 

Yes. This is correct. 

Von is 34

Hyde and Poyer are both 32

Diggs is 29 

Morse is 31

Milano is 29

Tre is 28

Dawkins is 29

 

I felt last year was the "last best chance" for the main core, but Beane has already talked about the cap being strained in 2024 as well. So this season could be the last before larger changes are needed. 

 

For instance, when you look at the Bengals defense, everyone is in their prime or young. 

 

Off the top of my head - Reader is 29, Hendrickson 28, Hubbard is 26, Logan Wilson is 27, Pratt is 27, Hilton is 28, with young DEs, and secondary players. 

 

 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

2 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Yes. This is correct. 

Von is 34

Hyde and Poyer are both 32

Diggs is 29 

Morse is 31

Milano is 29

Tre is 28

Dawkins is 29

 

I felt last year was the "last best chance" for the main core, but Beane has already talked about the cap being strained in 2024 as well. So this season could be the last before larger changes are needed. 

 

 

 

So much is riding on guys like Rousseau, Oliver, Torrance and Kincaid to be hits. If 3 out of the 4 can be top 10 players at their positions and one top 5 that will help with the transition. 

[Yantha]

3 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

 

Thanks for posting Newcam.

 

Just a comment on the second guy putting KC and the Bengals as elite with about 9 others in a "hodge podge" together (including the Bills).  I think that honestly KC is taking a step back this year and is in the same "hodge podge".  The Bengals' defense is okay.  

 

This league is very strong across the board, and I'd say about 10 teams have a very good chance (almost equally) of being AFC champs, and get to the superbowl.  Equally....

 

KC does not have a true #1 WR.  They rely on Kelce and the running game, with a top 3 QB at the helm.  Their Defense is average to below average.

 

The Bengals I think are better than KC this year but "elite" might be too high of a label.  This is a "media thing", where they have to categorize like this so they have something to talk about.  

 

The Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Chiefs, Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Jaguars, Browns all have serious chances.

 

Why get so stuck on "elite" vs. the rest?  All of these teams could win 12+ games in the regular season.  All of them.  All of these teams could also go 8-8.  

 

That's why they play the games.

 

The Bills have as good a chance of winning a superbowl as they have ever had in the past 30 years.  I think they have a top 5 defense, a top 3 QB, a #1 WR, and we could see a top 5 RB this year as well.  I'm excited to see what we have with two TE sets, and Gabe (captain Gabe) making some noise as well.  Defensively we still should have a top 8 defense (arguably better than the "elite" KC and Bengals).

 

Go Bills.

[billybob71]

Might be an excuse but i saw a team that was wore down in that Bengals game, due to a very out of the ordinary season. Give them a normal season with a few lucky breaks and i really like their chances to win it all.

[Tipster19]

All these national pundits can say whatever they want but everybody knows Diggs is extremely passionate and nobody can ever accuse him of being a liar. We all clearly heard him, he’s good and intends on retiring as a Buffalo Bill. ‘Nuff said.

[Beck Water]

5 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

 Decent convo..

We have a much improved roster. People just have short memories,  beat KC in Arrowhead, nearly undefeated,  had 1 terrible showing unfortunately in the playoffs.  They're going to be starving and humble,  the Diggs talk is just the media talking b.s..The girl was making the most sense by Far

 

Joy Taylor.

Shady had some sense too.

 

The rest of it is just "well, all these other teams have good QB and tried to improve during the off season".

But doesn't every team try to do that every off season?

 

The question is always, how will the improvements hold up on the field?

 

I think the Jags could do something.  Lawrence looked like he took a jump last year, they now have a Superbowl winning coach who knows something, the team improved to a winning record last season and made the playoffs.  They could be where the Bills were in 2019.  They've been able to draft high and add talent, and sign some decent pieces in FA.  Their OL situation is a question mark, losing Juwaan Taylor to the Chiefs; their WR room doesn't strike me as elite.

 

The Jets have a really really good defense, a talented WR1, and added a great RB.  I think their OL and their WR depth are questions - basically there's this paradox where Rodgers complained about the WR talent GB gave him then moved to NYJ and immediately asked that all these WR he complained about be signed.  Rodgers when he's "on" is dangerous.  But sometimes when you try to buy an elite team like that it works, and sometimes it fizzles (see Wilson, Russell)

 

Fundamentally, though, I think a lot of these news pundits have it mixed between "elite" and "potential". 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Beck Water

[Alphadawg7]

5 hours ago, pocoboy said:

 

That's the trouble with acting out like an infant on national television and cultivating this online persona of being unhappy multi-millionaire getting to wear designer threads and mope around. Don't really need Stef to be something he isn't, but one opens themselves up to this kind of shock journalism when they - hate to say it - act like they are unhappy in their current situation.

 

Except Diggs never once said a single negative thing to the media, on social media, etc to even remotely suggest he was unhappy.  Fans and media decided to take a frustrating moment in a game that happens all the time and blow it up to mean something totally different while ignoring all the actual facts about how much Diggs loved Allen, Buffalo, and wanting to finish his career here prior to that one single moment in an emotional game after an emotional season.  

 

So when camp came, and Diggs was there but was given the day to go chill after him and coaches had some discussions, it got over magnified to be a bunch of stuff it wasn't...all because of the narrative the fans and media had been self writing without evidence all offseason.  This became the moment they could finally all say "See, I told you so" except that moment really wasn't that and they can't let that go now.  

 

Bottom line is the Diggs drama wasn't real in house any where near the degree fans and media think it was and now they just keep clinging to it because they can and it generates clicks.  

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Yes. This is correct. 

Von is 34

Hyde and Poyer are both 32

Diggs is 29 

Morse is 31

Milano is 29

Tre is 28

Dawkins is 29

 

I felt last year was the "last best chance" for the main core, but Beane has already talked about the cap being strained in 2024 as well. So this season could be the last before larger changes are needed. 

 

For instance, when you look at the Bengals defense, everyone is in their prime or young. 

 

Off the top of my head - Reader is 29, Hendrickson 28, Hubbard is 26, Logan Wilson is 27, Pratt is 27, Hilton is 28, with young DEs, and secondary players.

 

I'm a little confused here.

 

It's a "last chance" for the Bills because Milano is 29, Tre is 28, Dawkins is 29, Diggs is 29, Morse is 31....but the Bengals are young with Reader at 29, Hendrickson 28, Hilton 28, Awuzie is 28, Hill is 28, Hubbard is 28, La'el Collins is 30, Boyd is 29, Karras is 30?

 

I take your point that Von is 34 and Poyer and Hyde are 32, and how much longer do they have ?  But the rest puzzles me.

 

[GunnerBill]

3 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

If the Bills take a step back this season it will be because of the age of some of key players. Von, Hyde, Poyer, Diggs, Morse. These guys are getting very close to hitting that wall. Even some of our "younger" key guys could be at ages where they start to take smaller steps back. Guys like Milano, Tre and Dawkins. 

 

Yea and the Bills need the likes of Rousseau, Cook, Benford (or Elam, but more likely Benford), Kincaid and Torrence to step up and become the core for the next 5 years. We don't have a lot of middle tier guys.... everyone you mention above (except Tre White) is 29 or older. Tre is 28. Then if you ask who are our core players who are not still on a rookie contract and are younger than 28 it's Josh Allen (27), Taron Johnson (27), Ed Oliver (25) and Dawson Knox (26). The core built from those two very good drafts in 2017 and 2018 (plus Hyde and Poyer as 2017 FAs) need some younger blood coming in behind them. 

Edited September 1, 2023 by GunnerBill

[dma0034]

All I have to say is that if Kelce ever hits the wall unexpectedly the Chiefs are in a lot trouble, Mahomes or not. He'll be 34 this year

[The Firebaugh Kid]

Homey with the glasses is high.

Shady is so damn cool. 

47-18 speaks for itself. 

They've got to get to a SB to stop these conversations. 

[HappyDays]

I don't think anyone in the AFC is the clear leader, I think there are 9 or 10 teams that have a legitimate chance to come out on top in the conference. KC gets the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise but even they have some big question marks. Who's their #2 receiver? Can Donovan Smith shake off a really bad year? Without Chris Jones for a few games can their defense stop anybody? These are the questions we're asking about the presumed #1 team in the conference and every team below them has an equal number of or more question marks.

 

I'll be surprised if anyone runs away with the #1 seed racking up 14 wins. I think it will be a bloodbath from start to finish. A 12 win team might be the #1 seed and they won't always look pretty getting there. Even more than usual it will come down to who enters the playoffs healthy and playing their best football.

[Mango]

The Bills are in the conversation until they take themselves out. It is that simple. 

The Bills fatigue from the nation makes sense. The world can only keep you on a pedestal without a championship for so long. 

I think part of the prediction is a little early and that next year may be pretty lean for us. Without derailing the thread we are $31M over the cap next year with 5 starters going into UFA and some larger holes at MLB, OL on top of it. Having 2 DE under contract for 2024 is a good example too. 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Mango
word

[JerseyBills]

1 hour ago, Beck Water said:

 

Joy Taylor.

Shady had some sense too.

 

The rest of it is just "well, all these other teams have good QB and tried to improve during the off season".

But doesn't every team try to do that every off season?

 

The question is always, how will the improvements hold up on the field?

 

I think the Jags could do something.  Lawrence looked like he took a jump last year, they now have a Superbowl winning coach who knows something, the team improved to a winning record last season and made the playoffs.  They could be where the Bills were in 2019.  They've been able to draft high and add talent, and sign some decent pieces in FA.  Their OL situation is a question mark, losing Juwaan Taylor to the Chiefs; their WR room doesn't strike me as elite.

 

The Jets have a really really good defense, a talented WR1, and added a great RB.  I think their OL and their WR depth are questions - basically there's this paradox where Rodgers complained about the WR talent GB gave him then moved to NYJ and immediately asked that all these WR he complained about be signed.  Rodgers when he's "on" is dangerous.  But sometimes when you try to buy an elite team like that it works, and sometimes it fizzles (see Wilson, Russell)

 

Fundamentally, though, I think a lot of these news pundits have it mixed between "elite" and "potential". 

The Jags are dangerous and Ridley a beast, they'll be tough. Ridley reminds me of Diggs and now he's clear cut #1 with no Julio Jones. Highly suggest drafting in fantasy or trading for him. 

 

Jets will be tough too but I'm not buying the hype. I believe their ceiling is a WC birth. ARod had a terrible year with similar WRs. Wilson is elite though but had way better OL and was bad in a weak division and conference. But who knows they definitely have potential 

 

But ya i agree with overall sentiment 

[newcam2012]

4 hours ago, Yantha said:

Thanks for posting Newcam.

 

Just a comment on the second guy putting KC and the Bengals as elite with about 9 others in a "hodge podge" together (including the Bills).  I think that honestly KC is taking a step back this year and is in the same "hodge podge".  The Bengals' defense is okay.  

 

This league is very strong across the board, and I'd say about 10 teams have a very good chance (almost equally) of being AFC champs, and get to the superbowl.  Equally....

 

KC does not have a true #1 WR.  They rely on Kelce and the running game, with a top 3 QB at the helm.  Their Defense is average to below average.

 

The Bengals I think are better than KC this year but "elite" might be too high of a label.  This is a "media thing", where they have to categorize like this so they have something to talk about.  

 

The Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Chiefs, Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Jaguars, Browns all have serious chances.

 

Why get so stuck on "elite" vs. the rest?  All of these teams could win 12+ games in the regular season.  All of them.  All of these teams could also go 8-8.  

 

That's why they play the games.

 

The Bills have as good a chance of winning a superbowl as they have ever had in the past 30 years.  I think they have a top 5 defense, a top 3 QB, a #1 WR, and we could see a top 5 RB this year as well.  I'm excited to see what we have with two TE sets, and Gabe (captain Gabe) making some noise as well.  Defensively we still should have a top 8 defense (arguably better than the "elite" KC and Bengals).

 

Go Bills.

Very well stated. 

 

I agree with most of what you said.

 

For what it's worth, elite or not, I think it's reasonable to say that KC and Cincy have to be ranked higher than the Bills. They have gotten it done and beat the Bills in big playoff games. They have been out coached by quite a bit too.

 

This is a new year and a new slate. So yes the Bills are right there and clearly in the discussion for a Lombardi. 

 

Detractors will become louder and louder if the Bills continue to not get it done playoff time. 

[Dr.Sack]

Depending on the outcome vs the Jets the national sports media's Bills narrative will have to adjust.

 

There are 3 plausible reactions:

 

#1 Bills squeak out a win. NSM "Bills almost choked."

#2 Bills lose by any margin. NSM "Bills lose our reign is over in the AFCE."

#3 Bills blow out the Jets. NSM "Rodgers looked old. Bills are lucky Jets didn't acquire a different QB."

[HOUSE]

This blows

[uticaclub]

2 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

Joy Taylor.

Shady had some sense too.

 

The rest of it is just "well, all these other teams have good QB and tried to improve during the off season".

But doesn't every team try to do that every off season?

 

The question is always, how will the improvements hold up on the field?

 

I think the Jags could do something.  Lawrence looked like he took a jump last year, they now have a Superbowl winning coach who knows something, the team improved to a winning record last season and made the playoffs.  They could be where the Bills were in 2019.  They've been able to draft high and add talent, and sign some decent pieces in FA.  Their OL situation is a question mark, losing Juwaan Taylor to the Chiefs; their WR room doesn't strike me as elite.

 

The Jets have a really really good defense, a talented WR1, and added a great RB.  I think their OL and their WR depth are questions - basically there's this paradox where Rodgers complained about the WR talent GB gave him then moved to NYJ and immediately asked that all these WR he complained about be signed.  Rodgers when he's "on" is dangerous.  But sometimes when you try to buy an elite team like that it works, and sometimes it fizzles (see Wilson, Russell)

 

Fundamentally, though, I think a lot of these news pundits have it mixed between "elite" and "potential". 

They were 2019 Bills last year, this year they are 2020 SB Contenders

[Big Blitz]

They said it.  
 

The “problem” is simply the AFC is loaded.  
 

 

The winner will be the healthiest team standing in January.  
 

 

Shhhh - my hot take this year is the Chiefs aren’t making the playoffs.  But I’ll get to that next week.