Historic Possibilities. 2 Seed or Bust

[Coach Tuesday]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

Sorry to upset some folks, but this is as Billsy as it gets.  2 seed or out of the playoffs. All because we lost to some bad bad teams

Yup and it’s exactly what fits this 2023 version of the Bills: they totally deserve either the #2 seed or to miss the playoffs entirely.  It’s oddly fitting.

[H2o]

39 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

If anyone’s backups can win a game it’s baltimores…they’re as seasoned as anybody..  there’s not enough roster space to start a whole team of backups anyway and Huntley has beaten the Steelers starters a few times in recent history too.  It wouldn’t be terribly shocking if Baltimore won that game especially considering the Steelers are starting a 2nd/3rd string qb themselves 

Very true about Baltimore's backups. Their team is clearly on another level than Pittsburgh. 

 

On the Steelers QB situation though? Rudolph has looked like the best of the three they have started. He and Pickens also seem to have great chemistry at the moment. In the last two games Pickens has 11 catches for 236yds and 2 TD's. That's 12 yards short of what he had the 5 games prior to combined. 

 

All that said, I still expect Baltimore to win an ugly, 17-16 type of game. 

[BRH]

39 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

 

 

 

Nothing historical.

 

Also, Bills in 1980 entering final week could have been 2 or out of the playoffs, but got 3.

 

The big thing you're leaving out is that none of those examples occurred when the playoffs had seven teams, which means it's now harder to miss the playoffs than it was back then.

 

Edit:  I looked at the whole tweet, I was wrong.  But still:  most of them happened in the five-or-six-team playoff setup, and here the thing that really makes it different is we don't need ANY help to get the 2 seed if we win.  I doubt that was the case with most of these examples. 

 

Edited January 2 by BRH

[Cvanvol7]

1 minute ago, BRH said:

 

The big thing you're leaving out is that none of those examples occurred when the playoffs had seven teams, which means it's now harder to miss the playoffs than it was back then.

Correct most are 4 or 5 team playoffs with less games as well and 4 way ties for the potential of the 2 seed. This is the only clear cut 2 Seed opportunity. 

[skibum]

3 hours ago, jethro_tull said:

A loss does not guarantee they will miss the playoffs.  

Not as of right now, but by kickoff this could be the scenario. 

[Charles Romes]

in ‘92 Bills had the 1 seed locked up at 12-4 with a win at the Oilers, but lost and had to play the next week as the 5 hosting the Oilers. 

[chongli]

57 minutes ago, Cvanvol7 said:

 

 

I think you are misunderstanding it a bit. All of those team could have been, none of them would have been. We WILL be 2 with a win. 

 

My apologies! 

 

Let's do it! Go Bills.
 

[Starr Almighty]

3 hours ago, Cvanvol7 said:

Being the 4 seed or being out happens almost every year. This does not. To be the worst division winner or be out of the playoffs makes a ton of sense, to be the second best team or out is wildly improbable but yet of course the bills find themselves there. 

I think you are getting wrapped up with the number 2 too much. The 1 seed is apart from the rest 2-4 is just a division win. So 2 and 4 are interchangeable the only reason they are jumping so high is because the other teams have played poorly but just good enough to stay up top

[Cvanvol7]

56 minutes ago, Starr Almighty said:

I think you are getting wrapped up with the number 2 too much. The 1 seed is apart from the rest 2-4 is just a division win. So 2 and 4 are interchangeable the only reason they are jumping so high is because the other teams have played poorly but just good enough to stay up top

Not really. The 2 seed is guaranteed two home games with wins. It used to be a bye. They aren’t interchangeable imo

[Success]

Just read some stats on teams that rest their starters - the % that lose in the divisional round are pretty eye-opening.  Statistically, it's much better to treat the last game as a normal game.

 

Really hoping the Ravens decide to play their starters, or at least most of them.  It would be a nice surprise to head into Sunday knowing that we didn't 100% need to win.

 

[ganesh]

5 hours ago, Cvanvol7 said:

 

I think the way to look at it is -  Do you get the Division crown or Miss Playoffs.

[WotAGuy]

5 hours ago, McBean said:

As a fan, hedge on DraftKings for them to miss. I believe it’s like +650. To make its -900 aka Vegas is very confident we are getting in.

 

*not gambling or financial advice. I’m just an average Joe on this message board speaking my opinion and hoping I see 1 championship before I die.*

Fins, Pats, Steelers and Jags got me +1300. It will be a small consolation if they miss out. 

[ALG1130]

I am hoping The Ravens can do what The Steelers back ups have done to us, and that is beat The Steelers with their backups in a meaningless game. Remember The Bills being on the receiving end of that? Or when we blew The Dolphins out in the 2020 season in a game that meant nothing for us but everything for them. 

[RobbRiddick]

Can we come up with a nickname for if we're eliminated now rather than later? Something like The Two to Poo.

 

We'll be talking about it for decades just like wide right and Music City Miracle so we may as well give it a name now

[EasternOHBillsFan]

2 hours ago, Charles Romes said:

in ‘92 Bills had the 1 seed locked up at 12-4 with a win at the Oilers, but lost and had to play the next week as the 5 hosting the Oilers. 

 

That's the game Jimbo exited due to injury and Frank had to fill in... wow... I haven't thought about that game in a LONG TIME!

[BRH]

15 minutes ago, Aimee75 said:

I am hoping The Ravens can do what The Steelers back ups have done to us, and that is beat The Steelers with their backups in a meaningless game. Remember The Bills being on the receiving end of that?

 

Remember it?  I was there.  In the same end zone where Nate Clements fumbled a kickoff and Rian Lindell missed a FG.  It's the worst game I ever attended in person.  

 

I was also there in 1987 when we hosted the Pats in the final game of the season.  Winner won the division, loser missed the playoffs.  We lost.

 

I will not be at the game this Sunday, don't worry.

[Tim Tindale]

I’m not convinced the Ravens rest their starters, en masse:

 

1) if they rest starters, it’s three full weeks before they play a game (this week leading up to the Steeler game, the week leading up to the bye, and then the week leading up to their game at home.  I don’t think any coach would feel comfortable with that kind of layoff, especially Harbaugh. Reading some recent quotes, it seems like he feels like he mis-handled 2019 when they came out flat in the playoffs after resting starters at the end of the regular season.

 

2) The Steelers have had their number, winning 6 of 7.  I live in the Mid-Atlantic; the Steeler rivalry is as heated as Miami-Buffalo.  They hate each other.  I can’t imagine the Raven culture being “cool” with laying down for your hated rival after the Steelers have owned you for three years. 
 

I look for the Ravens to play a lot of starters, given even just one of the two points above, but especially because both things are true.
 

That bodes well for us on Saturday. 

[Big Blitz]

7 hours ago, PatsFanNH said:

Steelers have a good chance of beating a Ravens team that has nothing to play for and may sit some starters (anyone having any sort of injury.)

 

Something about the NFL script writers putting that game essentially on in primetime tho…….I think they believe the game will be competitive.  
 

Mason Rudolph could implode vs backups that could frustrate the Steelers offense. 
 

I don’t see the Ravens scoring much tho.  
 

Steelers 20 Ravens 17 - I think it will be close.  

[Comebackkid]

7 hours ago, NewEra said:

Sorry to upset some folks, but this is as Billsy as it gets.  2 seed or out of the playoffs. All because we lost to some bad bad teams

thats what happens when your billsy

[damj]

8 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

lets just hope 1 of Pit or Jax loses 

Agreed. Will be easier on our nerves knowing we're in and just playing for position