Calling it now: Bills are going to at least reach the AFCCG

[msw2112]

I don't share the OP's optimism, but I do think it's possible.  There's no single game on the schedule that they can't win if the offense plays as well as it did in Philly last Sunday. Let's start with the Chefs and go from there.

[Fallser]

Yer hilarious, do you do standup comedy full-time?

[WotAGuy]

I have no confidence the Bills defense can rise to the occasion in a tight game requiring a stop at the end. I’m not sure the team has any confidence in that either. I need to see that before I’ll feel like they deserve the playoffs. They are FSU to me right now. 

[RiotAct]

KC and Chargers scare me the most out of our remaining 5 games.  The latter because that just seems like a “Billsy” loss waiting to happen… hope they prove me wrong!

[RobbRiddick]

33 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

I'm telling you...

 

I had a dream: Bills/ Lions in the Super Bowl and we were up 40 something to 20 something very late 

If this happens I'll be so happy I'll run down the street naked using a body part other than my thumb to hitchhike a ride to heaven

[T.E.]

Everyone making the 2021 comparisons seems to forget that the last four games that season were a cakewalk compared to the five they probably have to win over the next month this year. 

[BillsPride12]

I dunno.  While I agree with the premise Joe Brady taking over OC duties from Dorsey has given the Offense a nice shot in the arm, there's just nothing about the overall performance of this team and this mainly includes McDermott's coaching blunders that makes me think this 2023 Buffalo Bills team is capable of running off 5 straight wins regardless of who the opponents are.  We are talking about a team that has losses to the Jets, Broncos, Patriots and just as easily could've included a loss to the Giants on their season resume.  I appreciate your optimism and think the Bills are capable of being competitive down this stretch but it just feels like a little too less and a little too late for this to happen in my opinion.  Also the major component you aren't accounting for in your original post is for whatever reason this has been McDermott's worst coaching season of his career.  He just continues to S*** himself in the most crucial moments.  

 

But with that said I hope you're correct and I'm the one who is wrong.

[dma0034]

I'm hoping the Bills had their half time against the Bucs in 2021 moment and they just start rolling. The Offense looks like it has returned to form. Just hope the coach sees that as his best option. 

[njbuff]

26 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

LOL

 

Paige Spiranac.?

[eme123]

The super bowl champion may have one loss from here on out. Whover wins it is going get hot starting right about now. So it may as well be the bills. 

[Stads]

[mjt328]

Would love you to be right.  But I just don't see the math working in our favor.

 

The Bills have two pathways to the playoffs:

1.  Run the table the rest of the way, and finish 11-6.

2.  Lose only one game the rest of the way, and hope they get help.

 

Option #1 requires us to defeat three teams who are possibly in the league's Top 5.  

Not just "hang with them" or "play them tough"... but actually walk away with the WIN.  Close, moral victories will not be enough.

 

Option #2 seems like a more realistic pathway on the Bills side.  I think they can finish 4-1.  

The hard part is getting the other AFC Wild Card contenders to 9-8.  There are six teams we need to worry about, and at least four of them need to drop below us in the standings.  From what I've read, the tie-breakers don't work in our favor.  So here is what we are looking at:

 

Cincinnati (2 more losses):  IND, MIN, PIT, KC, CLE

Denver (2 more losses):  LAC, DET, NE, LAC, LAV

Houston (3 more losses):  NYJ, TEN, CLE, TEN, IND

Indianapolis (3 more losses):  CIN, PIT, ATL, LAV, HOU

Cleveland (3 more losses):  JAX, CHI, HOU, NYJ, CIN

Pittsburgh (3 more losses):  NE, IND, CIN, SEA, BAL

 

[Alphadawg7]

30 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

The problem with the "guaranteed help" games is that someone is also going to win that game.  So many of these teams play each other down the stretch and someone is winning these games. 

 

But we don't need all of them to lose

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Bills are going to make the playoffs, and I actually believe like I did in 2021 when we were 6 games out that we are going to probably win out.  I know this will be split between the over optimistic crowd and the overly negative crowd, but I am not saying this to just say it.  In 2021 I thought the Bills figured something out in the 2nd half of the Bucs game and I started a thread saying we would win out and they did.  

 

This year, not saying it out of blind homerism, but I really do think this team is about to finish the season strong and likely win out and make the playoffs because I am fully convinced that this offense under Brady is not just a 2 game fling and is going to continue down the stretch.  

 

Ive been watching a lot of content on the Dorsey offense vs the differences in the Brady led offense, and its remarkable Dorsey kept his job as long as he did.  This offense IMHO has turned a corner that will stay the rest of the season.  Its now coming off a bye week to get even more settled into what Brady wants to do and tweaks and wrinkles they want to install.  So lets look at what is in store and why I feel this team is about to cook the next 5 weeks and enter the playoffs as maybe the hottest team in the AFC:

 

KC - Coming off a loss and an offense with no identity anymore.  The personnel grouping there is shockingly bad and this offense can no longer keep up with high powered offenses.  The thing that has saved KC this year has been the much improved defense, but that defense just got cooked by GB and took some injuries in that game too.  I think the Bills coming in off a bye, KC in an offensive rut, Rasul and Linval now more comfortable in our defense, and this just feels like a game the Bills win and probably win decisively.  

 

DAL - They are the Dolphins of the NFC - They struggle against the better teams in the league while boosting stats on bad teams.  Their "DPOY" just got torched by Seattle along with their whole defense, and that offense in Seattle is mediocre at best.  Dak on the road in Buffalo is a recipe for a down game.  I think because of Buffalos 6-6 record and early season offensive struggles that people see this game as more dangerous than it really is.  I actually think we are going to beat the Cowboys handedly.  Wouldn't surprise me if it looks a lot like what the Niners did to Dallas.   

 

LAC - Allen and this offense will drop over 40 on that defense, especially without Bosa.  Herbert and that offense can score too, and this might be a high scoring game, but Staley and the LAC are the best in the NFL at losing games, so even if they put a lot of points up I still think the Bills win by 2 scores.  

 

NE - Its New England - we arent losing to them twice.  Bottom 3 team in the NFL right now without question.

 

MIAMI - With Trevors ankle injury, and KC losing to GB and probably losing to us this week, the #1 seed could very well be locked down for Miami by week 17 and they would rest their starters for all or part of the game.  Either way, I do not expect Miami to have much to play for and we probably don't see their starters for more than a half.  BUT even if they do need to win and play the whole game, we always cook the Fish, so a dub either way in my eyes.  The key to beating Miami is take away Tuas first read and don't give up the big play, something the Bills have excelled at during the Tua-Hill era.    

 

I see 5 games, and I see 5 wins.  Negative crowd is gonna flame away, just like they did in 2021.  But I really do think this team is about to cook these last 5 weeks and that momentum will carry over into the post season where I don't see too much of a threat standing in the way to reach the AFCCG for the Bills.

 

With the offense humming and the defense integrating so much needed veteran reinforcements in Rasul and Linval, I think we are poised to make a run here.  I think 5-0 is quite possible, but even 4-1 may get the job done of getting in.  

 

 

 

 

 

I love the positivity but I’m just not feeling it. Too many blunders and we have a HC afraid to lose which is always a bad way to coach. I hope you’re right and I’ve been a big McDermott supporter, you can just tell the seat is getting warm for him, that’s just my opinion.

[Success]

I agree w/ the OP.  The schedule looks formidable, but if you break it down, these are all games we should & can win.

 

I like our chances.  And I'd add that having the playoffs start this Sunday, with basically 5 elimination games before the actual playoffs start, will serve us well.  Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get. If "win or the season ends" is part of the mindset from here on out, by the time we get to round 1, the team will be mentally much tougher than they have been in previous years.

 

At least in theory.

 

[Andrew Son]

3 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

But we don't need all of them to lose

No, but it puts the winning teams in great position and overall we seem to have the toughest remaining schedule of the bunch.

[balln]

3 minutes ago, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

I love the positivity but I’m just not feeling it. Too many blunders and we have a HC afraid to lose which is always a bad way to coach. I hope you’re right and I’ve been a big McDermott supporter, you can just tell the seat is getting warm for him, that’s just my opinion.

Agreed. We needed everyone healthy and VON to become Von pre injury for us to win Super Bowl.

 

we would get curb stomped vs SF anyway

[Alphadawg7]

10 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

Would love you to be right.  But I just don't see the math working in our favor.

 

The Bills have two pathways to the playoffs:

1.  Run the table the rest of the way, and finish 11-6.

2.  Lose only one game the rest of the way, and hope they get help.

 

Option #1 requires us to defeat three teams who are possibly in the league's Top 5.  

Not just "hang with them" or "play them tough"... but actually walk away with the WIN.  Close, moral victories will not be enough.

 

Option #2 seems like a more realistic pathway on the Bills side.  I think they can finish 4-1.  

The hard part is getting the other AFC Wild Card contenders to 9-8.  There are six teams we need to worry about, and at least four of them need to drop below us in the standings.  From what I've read, the tie-breakers don't work in our favor.  So here is what we are looking at:

 

Cincinnati (2 more losses):  IND, MIN, PIT, KC, CLE

Denver (2 more losses):  LAC, DET, NE, LAC, LAV

Houston (3 more losses):  NYJ, TEN, CLE, TEN, IND

Indianapolis (3 more losses):  CIN, PIT, ATL, LAV, HOU

Cleveland (3 more losses):  JAX, CHI, HOU, NYJ, CIN

Pittsburgh (3 more losses):  NE, IND, CIN, SEA, BAL

 

 

I think its doable to get in 4-1, but will be tough and would obviously not be ideal way to try and get in for the reasons you mentioned.  But again, I do think we are gonna win out and if we win out we are practically a lock at 11-6 to be in the playoffs.

[Chicken Boo]

One thing I do believe is that we're going to see an MVP level Josh for the remainder of the season.  

[Alphadawg7]

34 minutes ago, boyst said:

Teams we would have to go through on a tier:

 

Concerned playing at:

KC - never won a playoff game there

Baltimore - tough place to travel to beyond the fans

Cincinnati - recent history hasn't been kind here

 

Little concerned:

Miami - f the fish

Cleveland - hostile and loud

Pittsburgh - meh

 

Not at all concerned:

Jacksonville - yawn

Denver - not impressed

Indianapolis - not a football town

Houston - not a football town

 

Cincy is not Cincy without Burrow though, so I would drop them down at least one, if not 2 tiers as I don't think they will even make the playoffs.