Bills-Dolphins Week 18 for the Division! SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

[Gregg]

4 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

MLJ on WGR right now.  He can't say for sure yet but thinks Mostert, Waddle and Howard will be out.

 

Even if they play, they won't be 100%. If the Bills play the way they are capable of then they should win this rather comfortably.

[YattaOkasan]

12 hours ago, Low Positive said:

Thank you so much for finding that. I see that referenced here all the time but I had no way of finding it. That is pure TBD gold right there, right up there with the Josh Allen draft night thread and some Dunkirk Don action. 

The secret is that some subset of all fan bases want the coach fired unless they are actively winning SBs.  Also, the Fins are currently coming off of an embarrassing butt-kicking. 

I'm partial to the shah's spleen discussion but yeah those were solid.  

[finn]

9 hours ago, Returntoglory said:

In all my years as a Bills fan, I can't  remember (non-playoff)a game as big as this one.

 

Of course there is a side of me that hopes our fate is sealed prior to kickoff.

 

 

 

How about that game against the Steelers, who were resting their starters? The Bills had to win to make the playoffs. They lost. Forgot what year that was. A long time ago. It'd be like the Steelers losing to the Ravens Saturday. 

Edited January 3 by finn

[NewEra]

11 hours ago, RichRiderBills said:

I don't know about McDaniel 's style. Seems novel at times, but maybe not the best in crunch time. I don't know if that's the guy I'd want leading me through the desert. 

Agreed.  I think he’s a great offensive mind.  Might be best served as a career OC.  Time will tell, but I can see why some Miami fans can’t stand him.  

5 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

It would be interesting if the Jags and Steelers win and this game goes to Overtime.  A loss eliminates us, a tie gets us a Wild Card spot, and a win gives us the division.

 

It's 4th and 6 at the Dolphins 42 with 20 seconds left in overtime tied at 27.  Both teams have two timeouts left.  If you're McDermott, do you go for it, try the long FG, or punt for the tie to make sure you get in the playoffs?

Please don’t allow this to come to life.  Our collective hearts would not be able to endure this scenario

[Gregg]

5 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

It would be interesting if the Jags and Steelers win and this game goes to Overtime.  A loss eliminates us, a tie gets us a Wild Card spot, and a win gives us the division.

 

It's 4th and 6 at the Dolphins 42 with 20 seconds left in overtime tied at 27.  Both teams have two timeouts left.  If you're McDermott, do you go for it, try the long FG, or punt for the tie to make sure you get in the playoffs?

 

Probably punt but I would still be nervous and hope that McDermott doesn't "13 seconds" this game as well.

[Solomon Grundy]

Mike McDaniel will test the Bills run defense early with Achane and their RBs. Specifically the outside runs. I will almost guarantee the Dolphins will target Dodson side the majority of the game. DBs will need to tackle well this game

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

41 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

MLJ on WGR right now.  He can't say for sure yet but thinks Mostert, Waddle and Howard will be out.

I will never forgive Mostert. Talking all week like he was going to play, and then late scratch before last Sunday’s game, which cost me my fantasy championship. He should

never be allowed to play again. 

[njbuff]

We just know that it is going to come down to a win-and-in game for the Bills.

 

It’s been that kind of season.

 

All the pressure in the world will be on the Bills, while the Dolphins can be pretty relaxed.

 

Will the Bills wilt under the pressure?

[Gregg]

1 minute ago, njbuff said:

We just know that it is going to come down to a win-and-in game for the Bills.

 

It’s been that kind of season.

 

All the pressure in the world will be on the Bills, while the Dolphins can be pretty relaxed.

 

Will the Bills wilt under the pressure?

 

It's probably wishful thinking on my part but I would not be surprised if the Ravens beat the Steelers on Saturday.

[PaattMaann]

6 minutes ago, njbuff said:

We just know that it is going to come down to a win-and-in game for the Bills.

 

It’s been that kind of season.

 

All the pressure in the world will be on the Bills, while the Dolphins can be pretty relaxed.

 

Will the Bills wilt under the pressure?

 

I know im in the super minority but I WANT it to be a win or go home game. This particular team seems to only perform when their backs are against the wall. Give me a 2 seed or hit the golf course situation. 

[wjag]

24 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Mike McDaniel will test the Bills run defense early with Achane and their RBs. Specifically the outside runs. I will almost guarantee the Dolphins will target Dodson side the majority of the game. DBs will need to tackle well this game

 

This is what I think.  Achane likes to run outside to the left.  If he gets up to speed, he is hard to catch.  

[Negan]

13 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

It's probably wishful thinking on my part but I would not be surprised if the Ravens beat the Steelers on Saturday.

I think when the dust settles it will be:

Baltimore 24 Pitt 13

 

Mason Rudolph stinks, the backup magic runs out this week for crappy Pitt, even with Huntley playing for Baltimore.

[wjag]

7 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

It's probably wishful thinking on my part but I would not be surprised if the Ravens beat the Steelers on Saturday.

 

These teams HATE each other. Regardless of the players involved, they typically play low scoring and one score games.  Baltimore will not laydown against the Steelers.   The most dangerous games in the playoffs, IMO, are between division opponents.  Just look at the Bills - Dolphins game last year.  Miami came to Buffalo without QB1 and gave the Bills all they could handle.  The Steelers are not a juggernaut this year.  Huntley vs Rudolph is a fair fight.

[Warcodered]

2 minutes ago, Negan said:

I think when the dust settles it will be:

Baltimore 24 Pitt 13

 

Mason Rudolph stinks, the backup magic runs out this week for crappy Pitt, even with Huntley playing for Baltimore.

I mean if the Ravens play their backup QB the backup magic has to transfer that is the rule just like when the Steelers played the Bengals.

[2003Contenders]

1 hour ago, The Wiz said:

MLJ on WGR right now.  He can't say for sure yet but thinks Mostert, Waddle and Howard will be out.

 

Interesting... I was under the impression that Howard was almost definitely out, Waddle was 50/50 and Mostert was likely back, given that Mostert practiced in some capacity last week but was surprisingly scratched. I wonder if Mostert aggravated something in practice -- or if Miami's McD was playing games with the injury  designations. Maybe he is doing the same this week.

 

Honestly, if Miami is truly limited at so many positions (including a nicked Tua), I wonder if they would be best served to rest guys knowing that they are at least assured a playoff spot? Yes, they would certainly rather play at home than on the road in the playoffs -- but I also think they would rather be as close to healthy as possible and not risk further injury to guys who are already banged up.

[wjag]

1 minute ago, wjag said:

 

These teams HATE each other. Regardless of the players involved, they typically play low scoring and one score games.  Baltimore will not laydown against the Steelers.   The most dangerous games in the playoffs, IMO, are between division opponents.  Just look at the Bills - Dolphins game last year.  Miami came to Buffalo without QB1 and gave the Bills all they could handle.  The Steelers are not a juggernaut this year.  Huntley vs Rudolph is a fair fight.

 

And oh yeah.  Baltimore has the most clutch kicker in the NFL...  And he will be playing.

Edited January 3 by wjag

[The Wiz]

1 minute ago, 2003Contenders said:

 

Interesting... I was under the impression that Howard was almost definitely out, Waddle was 50/50 and Mostert was likely back, given that Mostert practiced in some capacity last week but was surprisingly scratched. I wonder if Mostert aggravated something in practice -- or if Miami's McD was playing games with the injury  designations. Maybe he is doing the same this week.

 

Honestly, if Miami is truly limited at so many positions (including a nicked Tua), I wonder if they would be best served to rest guys knowing that they are at least assured a playoff spot? Yes, they would certainly rather play at home than on the road in the playoffs -- but I also think they would rather be as close to healthy as possible and not risk further injury to guys who are already banged up.

He brought that point up also how McDaniel said he was going to play and then ended up not being able to go and McDaniel said that was an error on his part earlier in the week saying that.

 

Also MLJ made the comment that since they aren't playing for playoffs that McDaniel might be more reserved with the players this week to get them right for the playoffs.

 

Again, just his opinion on what might happen.

[Warcodered]

3 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

Also MLJ made the comment that since they aren't playing for playoffs that McDaniel might be more reserved with the players this week to get them right for the playoffs.

That sounds kind of insane with the division on the line and their track record on the road against winning teams. He does that and they lose in the first round and that's the kind of decision that'll shorten his tenure there.

[boyst]

1 hour ago, The Wiz said:

MLJ on WGR right now.  He can't say for sure yet but thinks Mostert, Waddle and Howard will be out.

he's really gotten better at his craft in the last 3-4 years. He was too new, raw, and unsettled when in Buffalo. I've grown to actually like him even though he has a tendency to homer-ism for the team he is paid to cover.

[wjag]

9 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

He brought that point up also how McDaniel said he was going to play and then ended up not being able to go and McDaniel said that was an error on his part earlier in the week saying that.

 

Also MLJ made the comment that since they aren't playing for playoffs that McDaniel might be more reserved with the players this week to get them right for the playoffs.

 

Again, just his opinion on what might happen.

 

Mikey McDee has taken a lot of deserved incoming over the Chubb injury.  Have to figure each NFL team loses or gets dinged a few more players each week.  So can an already thin Miami team afford to lose another starter?  Has to figure into Mikey's calculus knowing he gets to play in week 19 regardless.  Best hope for the Fins is to get an early lead, extend it and then rest some guys in the fourth.  Now if the Bills miraculously have a playoff berth before Sunday night, the same arguments hold true for Buffalo.