Week 9 thread - We’re on to Cincinnati

[Low Positive]

2 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

Weird man.
 

I like downtown as far as cleaner midwest cities. Met my girl there. But ya, I had no idea what it’s like to be there more permanently. My condolences.

Downtown and OTR are really nice. You can have a good time there. But this is not the Midwest. This is the northern most Southern city. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

48 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

I think you are addressing the wrong issues here. Most of the info you provided is pretty useless.

 

I think it's imperative to look at the Bills vs Bengals match up. When i do that objectively I don't like the Bills chances. 

I think it’s pretty fair game to dig into your opponents previous match up especially when it’s the game that caused the masses to declare they are back to top form because they beat a supposedly elite opponent

 

SF has yet to win a game without a healthy Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel and there’s a clear reason for that.  
 

the cincy defense is gettable in a lot of areas much like our defense is…49ers were just too depleted to do it.   Linebackers have looked worse this year, corners aren’t very good, safeties aren’t good,  Hendrickson is an absolute beast though and dj reader is good.  
 

on offense they’re scary for sure I don’t think anyone is arguing that. Haven’t been great running the football most of the year though.

We notoriously struggle against TEs up the seam and they have replaced Hayden hurst with irv smith which is a pretty big downgrade.  Hurst beat us up pretty good in that playoff game 

[Pete]

5 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Agree that he was a top-3 off-ball LB in the NFL this season (possibly THE top), but I think a healthy DaQuan Jones was actually more important to the entire unit's success. Jones' play had such cascading downstream impacts on the entire D, including "keeping the LBs clean" as they say. 

There was a buzz by media that Milano was prime contender for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

 

DaQuan had the highest percentage interior pressure rate in NFL, and was a rock on the DL.

 

Tra was finally back in form.

 

3 defense studs, one missing from each level of the defense.

 

It makes me sad that Tra, Von, Hyde, Poyer, Milano, DaQuan  never played together at the same time.

 

No Tra, Matt, Daquan, very little Von the past year.  Not many teams could stand 4 major losses like that, and still be a contender.

 

That is proof that Beane did a nice job buildding the roster, both in depth, and quality.

[BuffBillsForLife]

2 hours ago, bills742 said:

https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2023/01/20/bengals-fans-upset-over-playoff-rules-ahead-of-buffalo-game

The Bengals acted with class and then got screwed by the league, I can't blame them for being unhappy about it.

[Buffalo Ballin]

I just don't want to see our offense being incapable of doing anything. We don't want to see a repeat of 2023 playoffs.

[eball]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

There was a buzz by media that Milano was prime contender for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

 

DaQuan had the highest percentage interior pressure rate in NFL, and was a rock on the DL.

 

Tra was finally back in form.

 

3 defense studs, one missing from each level of the defense.

 

It makes me sad that Tra, Von, Hyde, Poyer, Milano, DaQuan  never played together at the same time.

 

No Tra, Matt, Daquan, very little Von the past year.  Not many teams could stand 4 major losses like that, and still be a contender.

 

That is proof that Beane did a nice job buildding the roster, both in depth, and quality.

 

Very minor point, but it’s “Tre” not “Tra” — as in Tredavious White.

 

[Bob Jones]

13 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

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. 

I mean people are giving the you the LOL emoji for this, but these points are absolutely true, as the Bills have NOT been doing these things lately, and certainly not doing ALL of them in the same game. I’ll say again that a couple of these things (finish in the red zone and poor tackling) go directly back to poor coaching and/or practices.

[Bob Jones]

6 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

If you lived here you’d feel differently. Let me put it this way. I have lived here for 17 years and raised my kids here. But because I didn’t go to high school here I am held at arms length and treated as an outsider. And the Hamlin thing? That was “southern hospitality” bless your heart BS. They didn’t mean it. 

As someone who went to school in Dayton, and years later lived just north of Cincy (Middletown) for a while, and now live in the deep southeast, in no way, shape, or form can Cincinnati be identified as a southern city. LOL

 

I will say that native Ohioans are “different“ though, and that’s not a compliment. 😉

[newcam2012]

34 minutes ago, Bob Jones said:

I mean people are giving the you the LOL emoji for this, but these points are absolutely true, as the Bills have NOT been doing these things lately, and certainly not doing ALL of them in the same game. I’ll say again that a couple of these things (finish in the red zone and poor tackling) go directly back to poor coaching and/or practices.

The poor tackling has been an issue for years. Joe Marino does a great job tracking this. It's a fairly common theme. 

[Scott7975]

40 minutes ago, Bob Jones said:

I mean people are giving the you the LOL emoji for this, but these points are absolutely true, as the Bills have NOT been doing these things lately, and certainly not doing ALL of them in the same game. I’ll say again that a couple of these things (finish in the red zone and poor tackling) go directly back to poor coaching and/or practices.

the Bills are number 2 in the league in red zone scoring. KC and Philly are both outside the top 16. Poor tackling is a real thing though. 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Scott7975

[Bob Jones]

22 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

the Bills are number 2 in the league in red zone scoring. KC and Philly are both outside the top 16. Poor tackling is a real thing though. 

How many FGs vs TDs? Getting FGs in the red zone sucks, TBH about it.

[colin]

this game feels like a huge inflection point for us.  we win and go 6-3 having dropped sloppy losses and won against some better teams, and i think we are in the drivers seat both from record and from confidence/momentum.

 

we lose, we are 5-4 and have an upwards climb to just make the playoffs.

 

if we get blow out or look horrible, then an implosion is possible.

[loveorhatembillsfan4life]

This stretch of games might arguably be the toughest we have seen in years. I think it was the Athletic that said it best, we are going to find out a lot about Mcd over this stretch. 

[BillMafia716ix]

Big game this week. I’d consider this our first real test of the season. Bengals have out played us in two straight games

[Gregg]

My guess is the Bills will be 5-4 but rebound with wins over the Broncos and Jets. They will go to Philadelphia 7-4. I just don't like this matchup for the Bills. Even in the Damar game the Bengals scored easily on their 1st possession and had moved the ball into Bills territory on their 2nd possession before the Hamlin collapsed. Then there is the playoff game. Everything points to a Bengals win. Hope I am wrong, but I don't think so.

[Low Positive]

9 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

If you lived here you’d feel differently. Let me put it this way. I have lived here for 17 years and raised my kids here. But because I didn’t go to high school here I am held at arms length and treated as an outsider. And the Hamlin thing? That was “southern hospitality” bless your heart BS. They didn’t mean it. 

 

8 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

Downtown and OTR are really nice. You can have a good time there. But this is not the Midwest. This is the northern most Southern city. 

I shouldn’t have said these things. It’s not as bad as all that, of course. I was ticked off at two drunk Bengals fans at baggage claim and took it out on a whole city that I usually like. I’ll try to be better.

22 minutes ago, Gregg said:

My guess is the Bills will be 5-4 but rebound with wins over the Broncos and Jets. They will go to Philadelphia 7-4. I just don't like this matchup for the Bills. Even in the Damar game the Bengals scored easily on their 1st possession and had moved the ball into Bills territory on their 2nd possession before the Hamlin collapsed. Then there is the playoff game. Everything points to a Bengals win. Hope I am wrong, but I don't think so.

Then the Bills will never make a SB. You have to beat good teams to get there. McDermott needs to figure something out. I mean, Pete Carroll did. If the Seahawks had a QB like #17, the Bengals lose that game. The Niners also had that game in reach until Brock Purdy decided to start giving the Bengals the ball. 

[Gregg]

5 minutes ago, FrenchConnection said:

 

I shouldn’t have said these things. It’s not as bad as all that, of course. I was ticked off at two drunk Bengals fans at baggage claim and took it out on a whole city that I usually like. I’ll try to be better.

Then the Bills will never make a SB. You have to beat good teams to get there. McDermott needs to figure something out. I mean, Pete Carroll did. If the Seahawks had a QB like #17, the Bengals lose that game. The Niners also had that game in reach until Brock Purdy decided to start giving the Bengals the ball. 

 

I agree with you, but I just think this is a bad matchup for the Bills especially with the injuries on defense. I hope I am wrong, and the Bills find a way to get a huge win.

[CincyBillsFan]

9 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

If you lived here you’d feel differently. Let me put it this way. I have lived here for 17 years and raised my kids here. But because I didn’t go to high school here I am held at arms length and treated as an outsider. And the Hamlin thing? That was “southern hospitality” bless your heart BS. They didn’t mean it. 

What?  I moved here in the mid 1980's and love it.  Raised a kid here and he's a Bills fan like me.  Is it different then Buffalo sure and like Buffalo it has it's good & bad points.  And like Buffalo the good outweighs the bad by a wide margin.

 

I had to move from Buffalo after UB for a job.  I didn't want to leave as I loved Western NY but South West Ohio is a fantastic place and I felt right at home within a few years of moving here.

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by CincyBillsFan

[CincyBillsFan]

8 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

Downtown and OTR are really nice. You can have a good time there. But this is not the Midwest. This is the northern most Southern city. 

Of course it's the "Midwest" and yes it is also the northern most "Southern" city.  That is what makes it different and nice.  IMO of course.

 

And yes Downtown & OTR are nice but don't forget the Banks (where the baseball & football stadiums are located along the Ohio river) and Mount Adams (which is like Allen street on a big hill).

 

 

 

 

[Billsfan1972]

15 hours 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.

Yes this game really should tell us about McD.  10 days to prepare, a bad taste in his (and all Bills mouths) from last year, a Cincy D that is vulnerable, our defense, which McD coaches has not played well in 4 weeks (and while good vs. Miami, Miami too self destructed a # of times and did put up yards), and the fact that many here hold him in such high esteem, one day he needs to show he deserves that praise.

 

Yep it is up to McD to have the team up and frankly roll Cincy.