What is Your Preseason Ranking for the Bills?

[Chaos]

Bill will likely win a weak division. Based on history they won’t advance past the divisional round. This leaves them in the final eight. 

[CSBill]

I say 5-8, but near the top two spots, 5 or 6.

• Record: 11-6
• AFC East Champs again
• 3 seed in the AFC playoffs

[Chaos]

2 hours ago, CSBill said:

I say 5-8, but near the top two spots, 5 or 6.

• Record: 11-6
• AFC East Champs again
• 3 seed in the AFC playoffs

How do you determine who is better than whom among the four divisional round losers (5 to 8 ). The dreaded eye test, or is there some objective criteria?

[Your Brown Eye]

5-8

[Chandler#81]

Absolutely no one has any real idea. We don’t know the changes in other teams and we Certainly don’t have a clue about the Bills.

[Negan]

2 behind the Chiefs

[GunnerBill]

I'm right between 2 and 3. I think 7-10 is the range. 

 

[L Ron Burgundy]

Love the confidence.   People seem to be more sure on the defense than I am.  Still don't know what life without Stef looks like too.

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

I'm right between 2 and 3. I think 7-10 is the range. 

 

I'm about here, think we're around 10.

[frostbitmic]

I picked the bottom choice. If there was a 9-12 choice I would've picked that one, but 9-32 really ?

 

Too many ??? for me to rank them any higher

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

9-32. Roster outside of Allen is pretty weak 

[Shaw66]

16 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

I picked the bottom choice. If there was a 9-12 choice I would've picked that one, but 9-32 really ?

 

Too many ??? for me to rank them any higher

 

 

If I had made 9-12 a choice, then I would have needed a fourth category, 13-32.   I didn't see the point; I didn't think many people would have the Bills below 8, and the poll results suggest that was correct.  

 

Maybe it should have been 1-5, 6-10, 11-32.   Gunner would have liked that breakdown.   I would have been in the 6-10 group.  

[Billl]

Chiefs

SF

Ravens

(Lions, Packers, Bengals, Texans)

(Bills, Cowboys, Eagles, Browns)

 

I voted 5-8.  Somewhere in the 8-11 range seems about right.  

 

 

Edited June 20 by Billl

[folz]

On 6/18/2024 at 9:18 AM, TheWeatherMan said:

Week 1 vs Cards: W vs a rebuilding team 

Week 2 @ Phins: W - thankfully this is a night game!  Miami’s D looks suspect.  High scoring affair, but JA takes the Phins to the woodshed once more. 

Week 3 vs Jags: W - Bills get redemption for the BS London screw job game.  
Week 4 @ Baltimore: W - The Bills defense always plays well against LJ.  JA shows the league who the true MVP is.

Week 5 @ Houston: L - Houston’s offense is just too much for the Bills D and the lack of edge pressure.  This is a one score loss but frustrating to see the Bills lose to such a young team. 
Week 6 @ Jets: L - Back to back to back AFC away games.  Jets D has the Bills number but the D keeps it close turning over Rodgers multiple times.  Another 1 score loss for the Bills.

Week 7 vs Titans: W - Titans young and inexperienced roster can keep pace with the Bills.  This is the first blowout victory of the year.

Week 8 @ Seahawks: W - Tough traveling to the West Coast but the Bills pull this one out with a 10 point victory.  
Week 9 vs Phins: W - Bills sweep the dolphins.  This is a offensive battle but the Bills D proves superior to the Phins.

Week 10 @ Colts: W - Again, the weaknesses of another young inexperienced team is exploited by JA.  10 point victory!

Week 11 vs Chiefs: L - Bills pas rush can’t get to Mahomes who carves the Bills D up.  A close game here, but Chiefs come away with a 6 point victory. 
Week 13 vs 49ers: L - Bills D has no answer for McCaffrey and the the 9ers dink and dunk the Bills all night.  10 point loss, the first and only double digit loss of the season .

Week 14 @ Rams: W - Another offensive showdown but Rams can’t keep pace.  Close game, Bills win by 5.
Week 15 @ Lions: L - Bills play a good chunk of the dome teams on the road this year.  Josh usually plays great indoors but the Lions are just too good on Offense to keep pace.  Bills lose by 9.

Week 16 @ Patriots: W - Pats suck…17 point win.

Week 17 vs Jets: L - Jets D smothers Bills in the midst of a blustery winter storm.  10-7 Jets.

Week 18 vs Patriots: W - Pats still suck. Bills help the Cheats clinch a top 3 draft pick with a blowout loss 35-7.

 

Record: 11-6, 7th best in the NFL behind 49ers, Chiefs, Lions, Houston, Ravens and Jets (11-6 but take H2H).

 

 

I don't mind the record you predicted, but losing 3 of 4 to the 4 best teams we play (when Josh gets up for big games)? And getting swept by the Jets? YUCK! If you think the Jets are one of the best teams we will play, then that would be a 1-5 record against good teams? If that's how they get to 11-6 and the playoffs, not sure I will have any confidence in the team to advance in the post-season.

 

 

On 6/18/2024 at 10:28 AM, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Off the top of my head. I dropped the Jets out of the top 10 even though they have a top 5 roster. Too much drama.

 

1 Chiefs

2 Lions

3 49ers

4 Ravens

5 Browns

6 Dolphins

7 Texans

8 Cowboys

9 Bills

10 Eagles 

 

 

 

YIKES! 

 

 

When the Pats or KC or whomever is on top, it is always said until you prove you can beat them...

 

Yes, the Bills have a good number of question marks with the turnover...but a lot of those other teams have question marks as well. The Bills have been a top 2-5 team for the last 4 seasons. Until someone proves otherwise, that's where I have them (with only KC and SF currently ahead of them, and maybe even with Detroit).

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 6/18/2024 at 10:57 AM, H2o said:

1. Kansas City Chiefs - Until they aren't, they are #1 team in the league.

2. San Francisco 49ers - They were so close to the ever-elusive Lombardi for Kyle Shanahan. 

3. Detroit Lions - They were on the cusp of the SB last year if it hadn't been for some poor decisions and bad bounces.

4. Houston Texans - Demeco Ryans has his group ready to go. They get Dell back, they added Diggs, and they added Joe Mixon. 

5. Cincinnati Bengals - A healthy Burrow and they are right back in the mix again. Gesicki should do well, they got OL help, and they got DL help.

6. Buffalo Bills - A lot of ?'s in the Secondary, WR group, and the OL with McGovern being moved to C. A revamped interior D-Line. We still have JA17 tho. 

7. Baltimore Ravens - Lamar is still Lamar. The defense is still good. They will still be a predominantly running team, especially adding Henry. 

8. Green Bay Packers - The young Packers team is just scratching the surface. They also added Josh Jacobs, Xavier McKinney, and drafted well imo.

9. Philadelphia Eagles - They were just in the SB a little over a year ago. They added Saquon and swapped Reddick for Bryce Huff. Great draft too imo.

10. NY Jets - It hinges on Rodgers. If he is there, and dialed in? They're tough. Adding Reddick was nice, but he ain't there yet either. This is on paper. 

 

I’m not ready to put Houston over Buffalo just yet. I need to see Stroud do it again. Teams have a full years worth of tape on him now. 

[TheWeatherMan]

15 hours ago, folz said:

 

I don't mind the record you predicted, but losing 3 of 4 to the 4 best teams we play (when Josh gets up for big games)? And getting swept by the Jets? YUCK! If you think the Jets are one of the best teams we will play, then that would be a 1-5 record against good teams? If that's how they get to 11-6 and the playoffs, not sure I will have any confidence in the team to advance in the post-season.

Yep, I think the Jets win the division this year.  Their SOS is weak and the Bills offense struggles against their Defense.  Even with an awful QB they managed to beat us 2 of the last 4.  

[Chaos]

15 hours ago, folz said:

 

I don't mind the record you predicted, but losing 3 of 4 to the 4 best teams we play (when Josh gets up for big games)? And getting swept by the Jets? YUCK! If you think the Jets are one of the best teams we will play, then that would be a 1-5 record against good teams? If that's how they get to 11-6 and the playoffs, not sure I will have any confidence in the team to advance in the post-season.

 

 

 

YIKES! 

 

 

When the Pats or KC or whomever is on top, it is always said until you prove you can beat them...

 

Yes, the Bills have a good number of question marks with the turnover...but a lot of those other teams have question marks as well. The Bills have been a top 2-5 team for the last 4 seasons. Until someone proves otherwise, that's where I have them (with only KC and SF currently ahead of them, and maybe even with Detroit).

bills have never been a top 2 team in the McDermott era. They are very consistently 5 to 8.  

[without a drought]

9-32, Somewhere between making the playoffs and worst in the league. Lol

[BullBuchanan]

in no particular order I have us behind these teams in terms of strength (wins might not line up)
Chiefs
Ravens
Texans
49ers
Lions

I think we're in a tier that includes the Bengals, Dolphins, Browns, Cowboys, Eagles and Packers to start the year. We could be at the top of that group or the bottom. I'll give the Bills the benefit of the doubt and say they're the 8th best team, but I don't have a ton of confidence in it. This is the weakest roster we've had in Allen's tenure, imo.

The Chargers are probably the biggest wild card in football right now. They might be a top 4 team depending on how fast Harbaugh can right the ship.

[LeGOATski]

3 hours ago, without a drought said:

9-32, Somewhere between making the playoffs and worst in the league. Lol

LOlolLOOLollOOL!!!

 

[folz]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:30 PM, Chaos said:

bills have never been a top 2 team in the McDermott era. They are very consistently 5 to 8.  

 

I mean, yes, if you are going by the Super Bowl winner is the #1 team and the runner-up is the 2nd best team, then the Bills haven't been a top 2 team since 1994. But...

 

In 2020, they had a 13-3 record (tied for 2nd best in the league with Green Bay, behind only KC) and made it to the AFC Championship game. We lost to KC, who lost to Tampa. Green Bay had the same record as us, and lost to Tampa in the NFC Championship. So, I would say, we were at least tied with Green Bay for #3 in the league...by record, regular-season play, and the post-season.

 

In 2021, despite neither of their records being as good as they were in 2020, and the fact that they both lost in the playoffs prior to the Super Bowl, you can not convince me that Kansas City and Buffalo weren't clearly the two best teams in the league that season (KC was tied for 2nd in regular season wins, and the Bills were tied for 3rd that season). I mean, in hindsight, you could say Cinci had both KC and the Bills number, so maybe the Bills would have lost to the Bengals too---but I'm not so sure they would have that season (even though Cinci beat KC). And honestly, despite winning it all, were the Rams really a better team that KC or Buffalo that season? Still, yes, by post-season results alone, you could say Buffalo was 5th or 6th in the league that year. But, now hear that in your head and then remember back to that season. Does it really ring true that there were 4-5 teams better than the Bills that year?

 

2022, the Bills had the 2nd best regular season record that year at 13-3 (behind only KC and Philly). we lost to Cincinnati in the divisional round (post the whole Damar Hamlin incident). So, again, by post-season record alone, you could say the Bills finished 5th. I would say they were really third or fourth (behind KC, Philly, Cinci). Though if the Damar Hamlin incident didn't happen, who knows...maybe we beat Cincinnati in the regular season and things play out completely differently.

 

2023, Bills were tied for 3rd in regular-season wins with 11 (4 teams had a better regular-season record). Again, by post-season alone, the Bills would probably slot in again, around 5-6. But I still think we were better than even Baltimore, Green Bay, or Tampa last year? We made a hell of a stretch run with a severely depleted squad. I'd rank us as #4 last year, behind only KC, SF, and Detroit.

 

 

So, let's sum up the Bills rankings over the last 4 years (from my perspective):

 

Regular season (wins)        Post-season results        My perception of where they actually ranked (talent/play-wise)

             2nd                                     3rd                               3rd

             3rd                                      5th                               2nd

             2nd                                     5th                              3rd/4th

             3rd                                      5th                               4th

 

Since my post denoted the last 4 years of the McDermott era only, I feel pretty confident in my 2nd-5th best team in the league statement. I think I am closer with that than saying 5-8. I guess maybe you would have been more comfortable if I had said 3-5? I'm fine with that. I just still believe KC and Buffalo were the two best teams in 2021.

 

But, if you wanted to take a negative spin, I will show the complete ranges (for regular season records---including ties; and not saying the Bills were better than the other playoff teams who lost in the same round).

 

Regular season (wins)        Post-season results        

         2nd-3rd                               3rd-4th                               

         6th-7th                                5th-8th                              

         3rd-5th                                5th-8th                              

         4th-9th                                5th-8th                              

 

That would prove the 5-8 range better, but honestly, look back at the last 4 seasons. Were there really 5-7 teams better than the Bills in each of those years (from an overall perspective, not just post-season results)? Are you telling me that the 2021 Titans, Bucs, and Packers were better than the Bills that year? Were the Jags, Cowboys, and Giants better than the Bills in 2022? Were the Texans, Packers, and Bucs better teams than the Bills last year? I think most people (even non-Bills fans) would say the Bills have been a top 5 team the last 4 years, as opposed to a top 6-10 team.

 

Just FYI: In the last four years, the Bills are second in scoring (only 11 points behind #1 Dallas, and 70 points ahead of the #3 Chiefs), and they are #1 in points allowed on defense (27 points ahead of #2 Baltimore and 69 points ahead of #3 San Fran). So, by points scored and surrendered, over the last 4 years, the Bills are #1 defense and #2 offense. Over the last 5 years, they have the best point differential in the league (33 points ahead of #2 Baltimore, and 101 points ahead of #3 San Fran). Kind of hard to say they haven't been a top 5 team, imo.