Is anyone else starting to feel this year's elimination more than "13 seconds" ???

[ShakAttack]

Yeah, I know, a couple weeks have passed, but that's partially the point.

 

"13 seconds" probably took me a full month to get over, particularly with Allen playing the perfect game, but still coming up short, etc.

 

This year, I thought I had digested the game after only a couple days; I thought it hurt exponentially less 

 

The difference is, with this year's loss to KC, even though I did not obsess over it the way I did in 2021, when I did think about it, it would hurt more... and more... and more... as time went on.

 

That's because as time passed, it became more evident that this was an even greater missed opportunity than 2021.

 

• We were at home against KC.
• There was no Cincy in the playoffs.
• We got uncharacteristic breaks during the game.  The Hardman fumble was something that never happened for the Bills.  
• We were in the best position to do exactly what you'd think we would want to do after spending two years waiting to have this opportunity again(!!!) We were doing precisely what we must have learned from "13 seconds" which is kill the clock and give Mahomes as little time as possible if/when he ever does get the ball again.   8 minutes remaining when we start the drive at our own 25, and before you know it, had it down to 2 minutes left at the KC 26.  Diggs is running by himself wide open for an easy catch that would almost certainly continue this pace, but Shakir is open in the end zone too, and that's the decision Allen would make in that moment. Writing that out is painful.  Ugh.   Anyway, it's old news, right?  Yeah, and that's the point.  As it becomes increasingly clear that we missed an even bigger opportunity, thinking back on this game is associated with an increasingly sh*t feeling as well.
• And then, once the Ravens lost with apparently the "same old Lamar" it was very clear to me.

 

This should have been the year of the "Berman Special" (SF vs Buffalo).

 

It's a strange feeling, because, unlike 2021, it is not something I necessarily dwell on, but when it does come up and I flash back to the dreadful  2nd and 9 play, I want to go punch a wall. 

 

It's also a strange feeling because, also unlike 2021, I am already looking forward to the next season with anticipation and excitement (in 2021, I wasn't ready yet, and I was turned off by all the hype and expectations for the Bills going into the year; I did not think it would help us at all). 

 

Anyway, the real question is where does Allen go from here?  How did Allen take this loss in comparison with years past?  Does this add more fuel to the fire (like we all hope) so he works his ass off wanting a Super Bowl more than ever?  Or does this have some cumulative effect where it becomes exhausting after a while, after telling himself, "We are going to get better from this" over and over, only to find himself right back to where he started at the end of the day?  I get the impression that Diggs feels something like this.  And I really hope Allen never gets to that point, because we need him to be as hungry as ever.    Side note...let's get him that young dynamic WR in 2024.  Anticipation of a "rebooted" young offense is what has me amped up already for 2024  (something I did not feel nearly as much after 2021).

 

Basically...from my "fan" perspective, I now know this year has made me want it even more because it ultimately hurts more and also served as a reminder that our playoff window is always open, unlike last season where we got smacked around for four quarters and went into the off-season looking like a broken team which had people not only betting on the window being closed, but predicting the 2023 Bills would miss the playoffs altogether.

 

I just hope the Bills feel the same.  And I hope they use that feeling to drive them next season.  The loss to Cincy seemed to have an unhealthy residual effect on the team, but I hope this latest loss to KC just pisses everyone off.   

 

 

[eSJayDee]

No.  This year we just got beat.  Even if we make that FG, I think the odds of us winning are <50%.  (KC had plenty of time to score in regulation & if it reached OT, it's a toss up.)  Making things worse, we demonstrated little ability in stopping them.

As for 13 seconds - we lost cuz we crapped the bed.  We gave the game away, which really hurts.

[Mikie2times]

I think a lot of fans are actually the opposite of you which is why this is harder than 13 seconds. I think most of us came out of 13 seconds with a lot of hope. Sure, we lost in horrific fashion but Allen emerged as a truly elite player. The Bills were the talk of the town in many respect. We expected to be the Super Bowl champs the next year. I mean really expected it. So it was a little bit easier to dust yourself off and see the bright side.

 

With this loss I don't know where we go from here. We have earned the reputation for not closing in the postseason which is especially bad because it makes you question the validity of the 17 games you watch to get to that point. So next year if we field a top 5 defense how many think it will actually carry over? I will be hesitant to say the least. Then as you point out we had so much opportunity this year. Next year we likely have to contend with Stroud, possibly even Herbert, Burrow will be back, KC likely spends on some resources for Mahomes. So yes, for me this one is much harder mostly because it's harder to find the positive. It will come, just not yet. 

 

[Gugny]

Nope. 13 seconds stung way worse. Easiest path to the Super Bowl we’ll ever see. Pissed away with stupidity and ineptitude. 
 

Losing by 3 with a decimated defense against a superior team on a hot streak this year hurt …. But not nearly as bad as 13 seconds. 

[BillsFanForever19]

Not even close to :13 seconds. We had won an AFC Championship. We were going to the Super Bowl. 

 

I went into this game thinking it was a longshot. We were decimated worse than I can ever remember on Defense, against an absolute Dynasty. We had a hole at Outside WR2. Say what you will about Gabe Davis, but he destroyed the Chiefs in our last Playoff matchup and had to at least be accounted for.

 

After going 6-6 and especially after all of the injuries, as someone else put it, I thought we had a Puncher's Chance. An any given Sunday type of thing. But I didn't expect a victory, let alone thought we already had one - with only :13 seconds left on the clock.

Edited February 1 by BillsFanForever19

[Richard Noggin]

In retrospect, 13 seconds was a bigger collapse than this most recent loss, primarily because in 2021, Josh Allen and the offense got the job done (in epic fashion) and STILL WE LOST. Allen played legendarily great and left the field with a lead and 13 seconds remaining. That's an unforgivable collapse. 

[Buffalo Super Fan]

I got over the Buffalo Bills loss right after it happened. The Bills did it to themselves like they always do since 1965. It is what it is onto the Buffalo Bandits and the Buffalo Bisons. There are other things to do I have had that mind set since I was 7 years old. The Bills are just one of many Buffalo teams I follow locally they aren’t more special than any other Buffalo sports team. But I am the wrong Bills fan to ask. I can enjoy and cheer on the Bonnies and the Big 4 teams just the same as the Bills. I find Buffalo fan that follows other teams are happier overall. There is no reason to be upset or down about any one sports team when Buffalo has so many wonderful sports teams to follow if one is open to such a concept of sports beyond the Buffalo Bills in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[ShakAttack]

14 minutes ago, eSJayDee said:

No.  This year we just got beat.  Even if we make that FG, I think the odds of us winning are <50%.  (KC had plenty of time to score in regulation & if it reached OT, it's a toss up.)  Making things worse, we demonstrated little ability in stopping them.

As for 13 seconds - we lost cuz we crapped the bed.  We gave the game away, which really hurts.

well, I guess it depends on how you look at it.  I am not thinking about the FG.  I think about the missed opportunities before that. Specifically, the 2nd and 9, and where that drive was going until that play. 

[LABILLBACKER]

I never worry about Josh reloading every year with passion and motivation.  It's his teammates & coaches that let him down every year.  And obviously the main reason so many weren't as devastated this time around compared to 13 sec was the daunting injuries. 

[ShakAttack]

19 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Nope. 13 seconds stung way worse. Easiest path to the Super Bowl we’ll ever see. Pissed away with stupidity and ineptitude. 
 

Losing by 3 with a decimated defense against a superior team on a hot streak this year hurt …. But not nearly as bad as 13 seconds. 

You know, I used to think that way, but I am not so sure.  The problem with that logic is that it assumes we beat Cincy in the next game, a team that we have since learned that we seem to match up against worse than any other team in the NFL.

 

This year, Cincy was not even in the playoffs.  Therefore, if we beat KC, which we were in great position to do at home, I like our chances more vs Baltimore than I would the 2021 Bengals tbh. 
 

And I will also add that this year’s KC offense was 9th in Yards per game and 15th in Points per game (compared to FIRST in both categories last year, yes even without Tyreek). They were at their worst on offense, which adds to the missed opportunity in my opinion.   Next year, they have nowhere to go but up on offense.  Hopefully their defense will not be as good, at least. 

Edited February 1 by BobBelcher

[JROC INTEL]

My emotional bar is set so low. I really don’t expect good things. So if it ever does happen, i will probably be in denial/shock. I used to get the heart racing rollercoaster feeling, but i’ve been burned too many times, and my body’s has adapted lol.

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, BobBelcher said:

You know, I used to think that way, but I am not so sure.  The problem with that logic is that it assumes we beat Cincy in the next game, a team that we have since learned that we seem to match up against worse than any other team in the NFL.

 

This year, Cincy was not even in the playoffs.  Therefore, if we beat KC, which we were in great position to do at home, I like our chances more vs Baltimore than I would the 2021 Bengals tbh. 

We didn’t even try against Cincinnati a year ago. 
 

I do agree that we’d have beaten Baltimore this year, had we gotten past the Chiefs, though. 
 

I just think Cinci, at that time, would have been a breeze. 

[Mikie2times]

3 minutes ago, BobBelcher said:

You know, I used to think that way, but I am not so sure.  The problem with that logic is that it assumes we beat Cincy in the next game, a team that we have since learned that we seem to match up against worse than any other team in the NFL.

 

This year, Cincy was not even in the playoffs.  Therefore, if we beat KC, which we were in great position to do at home, I like our chances more vs Baltimore than I would the 2021 Bengals tbh. 

Agree, I have not seen any reason to believe we somehow roll over the Bengals. Even now, I would rather play KC or really anybody else. It's a team we have yet to beat, bad match up for us and KC.

[ShakAttack]

Something else I left out. When it is all said and done, I am willing to bet that nobody would have been as close to beating KC in these playoffs as we were. If that doesn’t scream “missed opportunity” (injuries or not) I don’t know what to say. Despite the injuries, we were on a roll. And most of the “new” injuries were small anyway, would have probably had them back by Baltimore,  and definitely by the Super Bowl. 

[BuffaloBillies]

Milano (and Jones)

Dropped passes

Von

Crap losses (Den, Jets, pats) - 8 week pressure cooker because of it

 

That's what I think about

[BillsFanForever19]

2 minutes ago, BobBelcher said:

Something else I left out. When it is all said and done, I am willing to bet that nobody would have been as close to beating KC in these playoffs as we were. If that doesn’t scream “missed opportunity” (injuries or not) I don’t know what to say. Despite the injuries, we were on a roll. And most of the “new” injuries were small anyway, would have probably had them back by Baltimore,  and definitely by the Super Bowl. 

 

Small?!

 

We lost maybe the best true OLB in Football for the year. Replaced by a guy who started the game playing hurt already and went down again. We didn't have our new young stud MLB. We didn't even have his backup. We had a guy who was on the couch two weeks ago. And he got halfway through the game too. 

 

We didn't have one of our Starting CB's. And our other starting CB was playing at maybe 50% Guy was screwed on any route over 5-10 yards. Was consistently yards behind guys and unable to close on receptions. Even Mahomes made him stand still with the simplest of moves.

 

We didn't have the guy who scored 4 TD's on the Chiefs in the :13 seconds game. We didn't even have another Outside WR we could split out wide. We were putting slot guys over there.

 

All of this on top of Von Miller and Micah Hyde (the guy who replaced him was out too) not even remotely returning to form.

 

It's insane to think we were able to make it work against Mason Rudolph and the Steelers - so we should have been able to make it work against a team that's been to the AFC Championship 6 years in a row and has the chance to repeat in the Super Bowl and make it 3 Lombardi's in 5 years. One team is a dynasty, the other didn't even belong in the Playoffs.

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

42 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

I think a lot of fans are actually the opposite of you which is why this is harder than 13 seconds. I think most of us came out of 13 seconds with a lot of hope. Sure, we lost in horrific fashion but Allen emerged as a truly elite player. The Bills were the talk of the town in many respect. We expected to be the Super Bowl champs the next year. I mean really expected it. So it was a little bit easier to dust yourself off and see the bright side.

 

With this loss I don't know where we go from here. We have earned the reputation for not closing in the postseason which is especially bad because it makes you question the validity of the 17 games you watch to get to that point. So next year if we field a top 5 defense how many think it will actually carry over? I will be hesitant to say the least. Then as you point out we had so much opportunity this year. Next year we likely have to contend with Stroud, possibly even Herbert, Burrow will be back, KC likely spends on some resources for Mahomes. So yes, for me this one is much harder mostly because it's harder to find the positive. It will come, just not yet. 

 

Positives can also come in the form of health, it's not an excuse but a healthy Milano, healthy Tre and maybe at least an upgraded version of Von Miller compared to the non factor we saw all year could definitely be a plus. I'm not sure if Tre will ever be the same player but imagine if Tre came back and paired with Douglas, man that would be awesome. Again who knows how it all turns out but I know it's something I'm looking forward to next year!

[ShakAttack]

14 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Small?!

 

We lost maybe the best true OLB in Football for the year. Replaced by a guy who started the game playing hurt already and went down again. We didn't have our new young stud MLB. We didn't even have his backup. We had a guy who was on the couch two weeks ago. And he got halfway through the game too. 

 

We didn't have one of our Starting CB's. And our other starting CB was playing at maybe 50% Guy was screwed on any route over 5-10 yards. Was consistently yards behind guys and unable to close on receptions. Even Mahomes made him stand still with the simplest of moves.

 

We didn't have the guy who scored 4 TD's on the Chiefs in the :13 seconds game. We didn't even have another Outside WR we could split out wide. We were putting slot guys over there.

 

All of this on top of Von Miller and Micah Hyde (the guy who replaced him was out too) not even remotely returning to form.

 

It's insane to think we were able to make it work against Mason Rudolph and the Steelers - so we should have been able to make it work against a team that's been to the AFC Championship 6 years in a row and has the chance to repeat in the Super Bowl and make it 3 Lombardi's in 5 years. One team is a dynasty, the other didn't even belong in the Playoffs.

 

 

I said the "new" injuries, so that did not include Milano, or Tre white.

 

And the context of the word "small" was that they were not "season ending" injuries like Milano or White, for instance.   The point was that we would likely have guys like Rasul Douglas, Bernard, and Gabe Davis ready to go by the Ravens game and/or Super Bowl, so they were coming back (in Douglas' case, I mean back to form).   Edit.. also left out Benford and Rapp.  Those guys would have been back by Ravens and/or SB as well.  Hence "relatively small" injuries  (compared to the injuries from Week 4-5).

Edited February 1 by BobBelcher

[Freddie's Dead]

No.  This was the third time we'd seen this particular movie, and the ending was nothing if not predictable.  13 seconds was a gut punch, because the enormity of McDummy's ***** up could not be understated.  It was the most embarrassing loss in Bills history.  Seeing it for the third time?  Meh.

[BillsFanForever19]

14 minutes ago, BobBelcher said:

 

 

I said the "new" injuries, so that did not include Milano, or Tre white.

 

And the context of the word "small" was that they were not "season ending" injuries like Milano or White, for instance.   The point was that we would likely have guys like Rasul Douglas, Bernard, and Gabe Davis ready to go by the Ravens game and/or Super Bowl, so they were coming back (in Douglas' case, I mean back to form).   Edit.. also left out Benford and Rapp.  Those guys would have been back by Ravens and/or SB as well.  Hence "relatively small" injuries  (compared to the injuries from Week 4-5).

 

Okay, I thought you were saying the new injuries we were dealing with in the Chiefs game were small. And when you're talking about playing the Playoff Chiefs compared to what we had dealt with to that point, there is no comparison. 

 

We only technically had Douglas on the field for that one. He probably shouldn't have been playing. Hard to say if he'd have been in better shape the following week.

 

Either way, what we would have had against Baltimore doesn't matter. We were completely unprepared personnel wise to line up against Super Mahomes and the Playoff Chiefs.

 

When we beat them in the Playoffs, we're going to need to be relatively healthy. We weren't even close. That's why this loss doesn't even sniff :13 in my eyes. Especially combined with the fact that :13 was us winning the AFC Title and going to the Super Bowl and it was logically speaking already ours.

Edited February 1 by BillsFanForever19