Week 9 thread - We’re on to Cincinnati

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

5 hours ago, finn said:

I'm thinking that the Bills need to surprise the Bengals on both sides of the ball to avoid a blowout. The hurry-up pace Dorsey tried last week is encouraging. I hope they add more wrinkles. It's time to play loose, take some risks. Fake punts, QB runs, going on fourth down, power running, end arounds... This offense is thinking too much. They need to have fun--and stay one step ahead of the Bengals' excellent DC.

 

On defense, maybe replace Dodson with Rapp or Hamlin. Put Rousseau at tackle. Activate the physically talented Elam to erase Chase. Something to flumox an increasingly confident team with momentum.

 

But it's more likely that McDermott will want to stay conservative, kick field goals, play bend-don't-break ball, and hope for a close win. If he does, I predict a Bengals blowout. 

Elam couldn’t “erase” a chalkboard 

[BillsFan2313]

19 minutes ago, Buddy Hix said:

Lock in Cincy -1.5

 

I’ll be surprised if Bills stay within 10 of Cincy.

 

Share your bet

[ngbills]

Just a few weeks ago it was CIN sucks and is done. Now its the Bills have to be at the top of their game to play with them. Reality CIN never went anywhere and were just playing with an injured QB. Game will be a nice test to give everyone a sense of where the Bills are at. 

[Aussie Joe]

11 minutes ago, BillsFan2313 said:

 

Share your bet

$10 max 

[fergie's ire]

4 hours ago, Drew21PA said:

You really feel he has “man skills” after Calvin Ridley are him up!?

 

sheesh people need to let elam go

 

he was a very Bad miss

That's what I meant by "roasted or called for interference/pi".  So no, certainly don't think he has "man skills."

[BillsFan2313]

4 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

$10 max 

 

No doubt

[EmotionallyUnstable]

29 minutes ago, boater said:

All these posters making the Cincinatti game a referendum on McDermott's entire tenure...

 

One joker said that since the Bills have 10-days to prepare, nothing short of a win will exonerate McD.

 

Some fans are full of it. Thank God they don't run the team.

Meanwhile the same posters are sharing their thoughts on how the bills could win:

 

-Josh Allen has to play great

- We need big plays on O

- Finish in the RZ

- We have to force turnovers 

- We have to tackle better

- We have to pressure the QB

- We have to shut down their WRs

 

Very insightful stuff. 

[billsfan_34]

20 hours ago, Toyo321 said:

This game is not going to bode well for us.  They "Cinci" are back on track and they really dominated SF.  SF looked really bad against Cinci, and Purdy was a turnover machine.  This is going to be a really tough game Sunday night.  The Bills have to play error free and must force turnovers to win this game.

Facts…Cinci when Burrow is on is a machine.

[BigDingus]

44 minutes ago, boater said:

All these posters making the Cincinatti game a referendum on McDermott's entire tenure...

 

One joker said that since the Bills have 10-days to prepare, nothing short of a win will exonerate McD.

 

Some fans are full of it. Thank God they don't run the team.

 

On the flipside, this board was in complete denial going into the Cincy playoff game last year, so we're just at a low point on team opinion right now.

 

We've seen the Bengals suddenly come alive in recent weeks, won 3 straight, Burrow has 8 TDs/2 INT's in that stretch, and Jamar Chase is averaging 10 receptions/124 yards/1 TD a game over that span. As for the Bills, we've gone 2-1 in that stretch but haven't impressed at all. 

 

So I can understand why fans aren't super confident going into Cincy & beating the Bengals on the road. Do I think it's an indictment on McDermott's entire tenure? No. But I do think if this team comes out flat again, commits a lot of penalties and loses due to unforced errors/turnovers (especially after 10 days to prepare), he will be getting the most heat he's got at any point in his career.

[JTown]

Cincy is too physical on both sides of the ball for our finesse style of play.  I will be shocked if we get out of Sunday nights game without injuries. 

[hondo in seattle]

I don't know what to expect.  

 

So far during the season, we've won three games by 28 points including a big victory over the Fins.  But we struggled against everyone else, including teams that were clearly inferior.  I feel like the team has Dissociative Identity Disorder and suffers from multiple personalities.  If the Good Bills show up, we'll win by a wide margin.  We'll lose if the Bad Bills show up.

 

If a third personality manifests...   who knows?  

 

To me, this game isn't about matchups.  It's about whether or not the Bills choose to be the best version of themselves.  

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

14 minutes ago, JTown said:

Cincy is too physical on both sides of the ball for our finesse style of play.  I will be shocked if we get out of Sunday nights game without injuries. 

They’re 29th in rushing ypg and 29th in rushing yards allowed per game.  I think that’s a much different game Sunday if Trent brown and Deebo were available…they racked up 400 plus yards without those guys. 
 

not saying we’ll win but cincys single game against sf is getting a little bit overblown imo,they haven’t looked like that all year even in their wins.

 
 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[EasternOHBillsFan]

1 hour ago, Buddy Hix said:

Lock in Cincy -1.5

 

I’ll be surprised if Bills stay within 10 of Cincy.

 

I already did... -2 is good enough for me, even though it is Monday.

1 hour ago, boater said:

All these posters making the Cincinatti game a referendum on McDermott's entire tenure...

 

One joker said that since the Bills have 10-days to prepare, nothing short of a win will exonerate McD.

 

Some fans are full of it. Thank God they don't run the team.

 

If we lose, we'll be 5-4 and after the Broncos, which doesn't look like an automatic W by ANY MEANS, we get the Jets, Eagles, Chiefs and Cowboys.

 

Fans may not run the team, but fans sure as hell support the team and keep it viable. A piss poor product with all of the talent we have SHOULD be roundly criticized and OBD will hear about it.

[BillsfaninSB]

1 hour ago, Buddy Hix said:

Lock in Cincy -1.5

 

I’ll be surprised if Bills stay within 10 of Cincy.

Sad to see but I agree.  That line is too small.

 

Basically saying the Bills are the favorite since home team gets -3 automatically. 

[Boatdrinks]

1 minute ago, BillsfaninSB said:

Sad to see but I agree.  That line is too small.

 

Basically saying the Bills are the favorite since home team gets -3 automatically. 

Well no , they don’t . It’s more like 1.5 nowadays 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

6 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

I already did... -2 is good enough for me, even though it is Monday.

 

If we lose, we'll be 5-4 and after the Broncos, which doesn't look like an automatic W by ANY MEANS, we get the Jets, Eagles, Chiefs and Cowboys.

 

Fans may not run the team, but fans sure as hell support the team and keep it viable. A piss poor product with all of the talent we have SHOULD be roundly criticized and OBD will hear about it.

If this year taught me anything there’s no automatic wins or automatic losses.  A week ago KC looked like a guaranteed loss but now a week later with no nick Bolton they look very beatable.  Cowboys are just the NFC version of us that is wildly inconsistent, philly don’t seem unbeatable either.  We could win or lose any of those games and there’s just no sense in trying to predict anything 😂
 

[EasternOHBillsFan]

10 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

If this year taught me anything there’s no automatic wins or automatic losses.  A week ago KC looked like a guaranteed loss but now a week later with no nick Bolton they look very beatable.  Cowboys are just the NFC version of us that is wildly inconsistent, philly don’t seem unbeatable either.  We could win or lose any of those games and there’s just no sense in trying to predict anything 😂
 

 

We have only looked good in 3 games all season out of 8... that's FIVE games in which we have looked average or worse. That's not good enough for the playoffs... the only positive is that we haven't gotten blown out, but when you play teams like the Bengals you'll find out real quick what's what. I get the inconsistency of the season argument, but this defense cannot continue to be the only reason why we're in games... our offense must step up and produce.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

2 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

We have only looked good in 3 games all season out of 8... that's FIVE games in which we have looked average or worse. That's not good enough for the playoffs... the only positive is that we haven't gotten blown out, but when you play teams like the Bengals you'll find out real quick what's what. I get the inconsistency of the season argument, but this defense cannot continue to be the only reason why we're in games... our offense must step up and produce.

I think people are underestimating how good the team was last week against the Bucs. If the Bills went for it on those fourth downs (as they usually do), that was easily a 3-score victory.

 

I think they have found their stride on O.
 

The defense is going to just have to get by unless we get some help, but I think they can be at least a middle of the pack unit.

[MasterStrategist]

50 minutes ago, BigDingus said:

 

On the flipside, this board was in complete denial going into the Cincy playoff game last year, so we're just at a low point on team opinion right now.

 

We've seen the Bengals suddenly come alive in recent weeks, won 3 straight, Burrow has 8 TDs/2 INT's in that stretch, and Jamar Chase is averaging 10 receptions/124 yards/1 TD a game over that span. As for the Bills, we've gone 2-1 in that stretch but haven't impressed at all. 

 

So I can understand why fans aren't super confident going into Cincy & beating the Bengals on the road. Do I think it's an indictment on McDermott's entire tenure? No. But I do think if this team comes out flat again, commits a lot of penalties and loses due to unforced errors/turnovers (especially after 10 days to prepare), he will be getting the most heat he's got at any point in his career.

Obviously will be a tough matchup, but thr praise on Cincy right now-let's review:

1. dominated 49ers, but coming off a bye week and the 49ers are really dinged up.  QB missed time all week, CMac less than 100%, no Trent and no Deebo

 

2. Struggled, but won against Seahawks.  Defense forced critical redzone stops

 

3. Cardinals are worst team in NFL right now, Dobbs about to be benched

 

All to say, NFL is week to week.  We are just as talented and have a QB that can also take over games.  Last week we played a great game, albeit scoreboard didn't show it.  

 

I think it will be a FG finish, both offenses going to move the ball.

[Ya Digg?]

2 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I think people are underestimating how good the team was last week against the Bucs. If the Bills went for it on those fourth downs (as they usually do), that was easily a 3-score victory.

 

I think they have found their stride on O.
 

The defense is going to just have to get by unless we get some help, but I think they can be at least a middle of the pack unit.

💯 this. At no point Thursday were they not in control, and that thread about the Hail Mary is honestly just ridiculous. So much overanalysis of the Bills and under analysis of the other teams. Makes sense, it’s a Bills forum, but still. For example, my guess is most posters don’t know that Mahomes has as many interceptions as Josh does. This year it seems more than ever that all of the top teams have been wildly inconsistent…a couple of them just happened to have pulled out more wins than the Bills have. Gonna be a tough game this week, no doubt, but to say the Bills have no shot is pretty disingenuous