Why the Bills don't care and neither should you

[Hermes]

At this point in the Bills "window" they already know what the score is.... winning a superbowl or bust.

 

Now, I know a division game should probably mean something..., but at the end of the day the Patriots are not a threat to the Bills playoffs chances, in the least. The team knows this (unfortunately) and doesn't view these weaker teams as threats, either.  Which has led to the lackluster performances we've grown so (dis/un?)fond of, the past 2-3 years. 

 

The issue is that the Bills aren't some up-and-coming team that other teams are caught offguard by. They have been a juggernaut for the past 4-5 seasons, regularly taking the lunch money of the weaker teams, especially those in their division..  At this point, every team that the Bills play against look at this roster as a litmus test, of sorts, to see where they rank in the NFL hierarchy. While the Bills, are trying to do what they can to play their best football in the late season and playoffs.

 

It's a stark difference from the games games they played against the Patriots as "our superbowl" from the drought era. And that's the learning curve that the team has fallen behind on. For a lot of the teams in the league it's obvious that the Bills are their superbowl. They want to say "Yeah we might have finished 2-15, but one of those wins was against the Bills!" The other team's players get extra jazzed up to make a play against Allen (or Diggs, et al). It's easier to do that, than say, Allen or Diggs getting up to make a play on some JAGs. They'd rather make plays against the top teams and top players (it just means more).

 

What we are watching is a team that is trying to work through the kinks early in the season rather than later and I'm all for it. I'd rather see them lose on the late TD to the Pats instead of the Chiefs. Let them work things out now and head into the bye at 7-5 or 6-6 (or better).  I'm sure it wouldn't surprise anyone to see them finish 12-5 or 11-6 in either scenario. Unless you have no faith of course. But I digress.

 

What I've seen from this team is a concerted effort to win games in a variety of ways. To be able to go on long clock draining drives (even, at times, to the detriment of the offense) and control the game a different way. Sure, the offense could go no huddle and score almost at will, but at the end of the day how sustainable is that  really.  I'm sure teams will figure it out or the offense will burn itself out eventually.  Why not save the squeeze for crunch time?

 

When it comes to the defense, it has almost certainly been as disappointing as the offense as of late.  (Although they get a minor pass with the injury situation).  But, It's frustrating to see all of the blitzes and manufactured pressures not hitting home and then  Mac and cheese making the defense look like swiss.  Hopefully this is less of a trend and more of an aberration for the rest of the season. The true test for the defense is coming up soon and I'm excited to see how they respond. If they're still sucking hopefully the offense can regroup and pave the way for more wins. 

 

It's almost time to turn on the gas and see what teams can handle the pressure. I know the Bills can, and hopefully will, ramp up the intensity when it comes down to it, and I, for one, can't wait for these late season games to separate the cream from the crop.  I know things seem dire but of all the teams the Bills are behind in the standings only the Chiefs have a true game up on them. On top of the fact that the Bills themselves are still in position to make the playoffs if the season ended today. I like those odds. Go Bills!

[Buddy Hix]

The Bills lost to the Pats. I repeat, the Bills lost to a joke of a team, the New England Patriots.

 

This isn’t some situation where the Bills are working through things, learning as they go. This team has horrendous coaching and the window to win with McD is closed. It’s over…

[balln]

Yea. No

 

you can learn / work out kinks and still win 

 

Figuring out personal and offensive identify should have been done in the offseason 

 

they are going to get abused by cincy and kc

[Chugga]

1-2 in the division right now.  I’d say the Bills should care about that

[Aussie Joe]

A lot of people thought they were going to “turn on the gas” in the playoffs last year too…

 

 

[Success]

3 minutes ago, balln said:

Yea. No

 

you can learn / work out kinks and still win 

 

Figuring out personal and offensive identify should have been done in the offseason 

 

they are going to get abused by cincy and kc

 

Who knows on that last line. People say stuff like that all the time after a bad loss, but the NFL is always weird.  Look at the Niners tonight.

 

And Cincy?  I can see saying that about KC right now, but Cincy's problems are similar to ours at the moment. 

[Gugny]

The Bills don’t care because of guaranteed money. 

[Best Williams Available]

[strive_for_five_guy]

If this is all about working out the kinks, why are they even showing up to these games then and risking career ending injuries?

[Dr.Sack]

The Bills pass defense is the number 1 issue, and can only get better. 

[balln]

Just now, Success said:

 

Who knows on that last line. People say stuff like that all the time after a bad loss, but the NFL is always weird.  Look at the Niners tonight.

 

And Cincy?  I can see saying that about KC right now, but Cincy's problems are similar to ours at the moment. 

Their all pro LT and WR 1b /Rb 2 are out. And Mcaffery playing hurt. What’s the bills O excuse ? Knox had a boo boo wrist ?

[BillsFooteball]

Appreciate the positive post but I’m not seeing it. The defense is in shambles and letting the bottom offenses in league go up and down the field on them. The schedule ahead is rough with little room for error. Great teams find ways to win. Chiefs and eagles both had some showings but look at records 

[Success]

Just now, balln said:

Their all pro LT and WR 1b /Rb 2 are out. And Mcaffery playing hurt. What’s the bills O excuse ? Knox had a boo boo wrist ?

 

Oh, dear - Cincy has injuries?  Wouldn't know about that. We've been SO healthy this year.

 

[Hermes]

6 minutes ago, Buddy Hix said:

The Bills lost to the Pats. I repeat, the Bills lost to a joke of a team, the New England Patriots.

 

This isn’t some situation where the Bills are working through things, learning as they go. This team has horrendous coaching and the window to win with McD is closed. It’s over…

A team that knows the Bills more intimately than 28 other team in the league and is literally fighting to stay relevant. The coach of that team has how many superbowl rings and playoff experience? It's so easy to brush of as a casual fan, but to think Belichek isn't using this win to tell his team the season isn't lost is a joke. He's trying to rally the troops and save his legacy, and what a way to do it..

[Success]

Just now, Hermes said:

A team that knows the Bills more intimately than 28 other team in the league and is literally fighting to stay relevant. The coach of that team has how many superbowl rings and playoff experience? It's so easy to brush of as a casual fan, but to think Belichek isn't using this win to tell his team the season isn't lost is a joke. He's trying to rally the troops and save his legacy, and what a way to do it..

 

I mean, even in the Pats dynasty runs, they had trouble w/ bad Jets & Phins teams (not the Bills, sadly).  Division games can be weird, and are often close regardless of talent disparities.

 

[Hermes]

2 minutes ago, BillsFooteball said:

Appreciate the positive post but I’m not seeing it. The defense is in shambles and letting the bottom offenses in league go up and down the field on them. The schedule ahead is rough with little room for error. Great teams find ways to win. Chiefs and eagles both had some showings but look at records 

The defense is in a transition period from losing Milano, White, and Jones, while missing Oliver this past game. There's definitely cause for concern regarding the viability of a top notch defense when when a quarter of starters are injured but I'm willing to see how the season plays out.  No one knows what might happen the rest of the season, maybe the Bills win out, maybe they lose out. That's why you play the games. To say they're a trash team because they've had a rough start is asinine when we've literally watched the Patriots do it for 20 years. Obviously not every year but some years.  It's not about how you start, it's how you finish 

[Marcus Aurelius]

34 minutes ago, Hermes said:

At this point in the Bills "window" they already know what the score is.... winning a superbowl or bust.

 

Now, I know a division game should probably mean something..., but at the end of the day the Patriots are not a threat to the Bills playoffs chances, in the least. The team knows this (unfortunately) and doesn't view these weaker teams as threats, either.  Which has led to the lackluster performances we've grown so (dis/un?)fond of, the past 2-3 years. 

 

The issue is that the Bills aren't some up-and-coming team that other teams are caught offguard by. They have been a juggernaut for the past 4-5 seasons, regularly taking the lunch money of the weaker teams, especially those in their division..  At this point, every team that the Bills play against look at this roster as a litmus test, of sorts, to see where they rank in the NFL hierarchy. While the Bills, are trying to do what they can to play their best football in the late season and playoffs.

 

It's a stark difference from the games games they played against the Patriots as "our superbowl" from the drought era. And that's the learning curve that the team has fallen behind on. For a lot of the teams in the league it's obvious that the Bills are their superbowl. They want to say "Yeah we might have finished 2-15, but one of those wins was against the Bills!" The other team's players get extra jazzed up to make a play against Allen (or Diggs, et al). It's easier to do that, than say, Allen or Diggs getting up to make a play on some JAGs. They'd rather make plays against the top teams and top players (it just means more).

 

What we are watching is a team that is trying to work through the kinks early in the season rather than later and I'm all for it. I'd rather see them lose on the late TD to the Pats instead of the Chiefs. Let them work things out now and head into the bye at 7-5 or 6-6 (or better).  I'm sure it wouldn't surprise anyone to see them finish 12-5 or 11-6 in either scenario. Unless you have no faith of course. But I digress.

 

What I've seen from this team is a concerted effort to win games in a variety of ways. To be able to go on long clock draining drives (even, at times, to the detriment of the offense) and control the game a different way. Sure, the offense could go no huddle and score almost at will, but at the end of the day how sustainable is that  really.  I'm sure teams will figure it out or the offense will burn itself out eventually.  Why not save the squeeze for crunch time?

 

When it comes to the defense, it has almost certainly been as disappointing as the offense as of late.  (Although they get a minor pass with the injury situation).  But, It's frustrating to see all of the blitzes and manufactured pressures not hitting home and then  Mac and cheese making the defense look like swiss.  Hopefully this is less of a trend and more of an aberration for the rest of the season. The true test for the defense is coming up soon and I'm excited to see how they respond. If they're still sucking hopefully the offense can regroup and pave the way for more wins. 

 

It's almost time to turn on the gas and see what teams can handle the pressure. I know the Bills can, and hopefully will, ramp up the intensity when it comes down to it, and I, for one, can't wait for these late season games to separate the cream from the crop.  I know things seem dire but of all the teams the Bills are behind in the standings only the Chiefs have a true game up on them. On top of the fact that the Bills themselves are still in position to make the playoffs if the season ended today. I like those odds. Go Bills!

This makes too much sense.

Are you sure you're not Apollo and not Hermes?

[Richard Noggin]

Lots of excuses/explanations in this thread so far. And most of them valid in a vacuum. Strains credulity as they stack up, though innit?

 

One thing working in our favor, is that the year everyone feels the Bills should have won the whole thing, 2021, they were at one point 7-4, coming off a THUMPING at home to the Colts. They were then 7-5, after losing to the Patriots. They were then even 7-6, after losing to the Bucs in overtime. 

 

The first half of that Bucs game felt BAD. Like the Bills had been exposed as a bad team. Like they weren't going to win many more games at all. And then, even in a heartbreaking overtime loss, there was sudden hope. There was that signature turnaound. McD's teams have shown at least one multiple-game swoon in almost every season, to my recollection. 

 

We can't rule out such growth this season. Can't rule it out really ANY season with Allen as our QB (and Diggs as his #1 target). History teaches us as much.

[Hermes]

12 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

Lots of excuses/explanations in this thread so far. And most of them valid in a vacuum. Strains credulity as they stack up, though innit?

 

One thing working in our favor, is that the year everyone feels the Bills should have won the whole thing, 2021, they were at one point 7-4, coming off a THUMPING at home to the Colts. They were then 7-5, after losing to the Patriots. They were then even 7-6, after losing to the Bucs in overtime. 

 

The first half of that Bucs game felt BAD. Like the Bills had been exposed as a bad team. Like they weren't going to win many more games at all. And then, even in a heartbreaking overtime loss, there was sudden hope. There was that signature turnaound. McD's teams have shown at least one multiple-game swoon in almost every season, to my recollection. 

 

We can't rule out such growth this season. Can't rule it out really ANY season with Allen as our QB (and Diggs as his #1 target). History teaches us as much.

That's the thing. The Bills have been here before, for years, and they know as long as they make the dance they can go all the way. Who cares how they get there, as long as they do.

 

In a vacuum anything can look as good or bad as you want to make it out to look, but at the end of the day you have to look at everything else going on. 

 

Sure, I'd love it if the Bills blew every team out en route to a superbowl win. How many teams have done that? How many teams have been THE team all season long and then smash the superbowl? It's just not a realistic proposition.  At the end of the day the team that wins is typically the team that's hot at the right time. We can all B word and complain about how bad they look and how they're going nowhere or we can enjoy the ride and see how things play out. As they say hope springs eternal, and I'm just here for the ride

[Bockeye]

I’m barely computer literate but it would be interesting to put up a poll and see what the tipping point is for giving up on the season. I think 5 losses and I’m out. 
 

Some peeps are out already. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Bockeye