Week 1 - Cardinals at Bills - Game Week Thread

[Bob Chandler's Hands]

18 hours ago, Low Positive said:

It took the Jags losing to a Titans team with nothing to play for. If the Jags had taken care of business and the Bills had lost in Miami, the Bills would have missed the playoffs. And the key play in the Miami game was Deonte Harty’s 98 yard punt return. The Bills also needed a FG at the gun to beat the Chargers and a Douglas pick 6 to beat the Pats on NYE. They also needed a flag to beat KC. That’s what I mean by “almost missing the playoffs.”

Now go cherry pick 5 things that had to happen for the Chiefs and Ravens to make the playoffs. 

It's like this for very team in the NFL unless they are steam rolling all their opponents by multiple scores. 

[NewEra]

1 hour ago, Low Positive said:

5-12 was a hot take. But the Bills are seen as a team that got worse. Other teams got better or are getting a QB back from injury. The story of the Bills offseason was the loss of Diggs, a player that is still seen as a superstar outside of Buffalo. Then they replace him (and Gabe) with two vets who have done little in the league and drafted a guy that some draftniks had as a third-rounder. This is the narrative, which I know has little basis in reality but it's what drives 5-12 hot takes. I never said that I agree with it. I think this is a 9 to 11-win team. If Keon breaks out, perhaps even 12 or 13. But the league-wide opinion is that the Bills take a big step back this year. I mean, look at the JV broadcast team that we're getting for the opener, which is only on in WNY, AZ, and Oklahoma. 

 

FWIW, I think the biggest loss this offseason is Morse's leadership and steady hand at C. 

I hear ya-  I don’t think the consensus is that we took a “big” step back, rather a step back and with the jets getting back AR and the dolphins sped.  Most of the national media has us as a playoff team, which we were last season by the skin of our teeth.  The national narrative has changed, but I don’t think it’s changed so much that 5-12 hot takes are a thing….. barring idiots 

Edited September 7 by NewEra

[MiltonWaddams]

9 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I hear ya-  I don’t think the consensus is that we took a “big” step back, rather a step back and with the jets getting back AR and the dolphins sped.  Most of the national media has us as a playoff team, which we were last season by the skin of our teeth.  The national narrative has changed, but I don’t think it’s changed so much that 5-12 hot takes are a thing….. barring idiots 

I don’t think we know who this team is and nor will we know until after week 3. Any media takes about the 2024 Bills will be made on the basis of player turnover or the fact that Josh Allen is the QB. And those are things that can go either way. They need time to gel and they need some luck in the health department. 

[MasterStrategist]

All this negativity and doubt.

 

OL/DL will be the key.  

 

Do we see an even better IOL?  Does Von get back to 90% of himself?  Does Groot turn into a major force pass rushing?

 

I'm far less worried than most about our weapons on offense and our safeties.

 

If answer is YES, to even 1 of 3 above then I think we're about even as LY.  

 

Not to mention Brady is a big upgrade over Dorsey, IMO.  And I expect to see fewer turnovers/better decision making by Josh.

[sven233]

4 hours ago, SCBills said:

I cannot wait for this game. 
 

Start of season excitement, but also.. I’m so sick of the negative energy. 
 

Maybe it’s warranted and if so, they get to say they’re right, but some of it is just exhausting when given the reasoning.

 

Working out this morning listening to Joe B’s podcast (who I really like) but I might as well been lifting to that Sarah McLachlan neglected puppy song. 
 

It just seems like every criticism of this team is based on every question we have being an abject failure.  
 

Looking forward to (hoping for) this team proving these folks wrong.  

 

I get the sentiment for sure.  There does seem to be a lot of negativity floating around out there about this team.  And, quite honestly, I completely understand it.

 

For the first time in several years, I, or nobody else for that matter, really knows what to expect from this team.  For the last 3-4 years, we were absolutely good enough to win the Super Bowl.  We all knew it going into the season.  The talent was here, but due to devastating injuries at the wrong time, terrible coaching meltdowns in crucial situations, and just some flat out bad luck, it hasn't happened.  But we were absolutely good enough to win the thing, maybe even multiple times.  You could make the argument that we were 13 seconds, and 1 bad Dawkins block away from perhaps us beng 2 time Super Bowl champs and us being considered the standard of the league.  But that's just not the way it went.

 

But getting back to this season, I can easily make an argument that we are still Super Bowl contenders......maybe just as good if not even better than the last few years if just a few things go right.  But I can also, just as easily, make an argument that we will miss the Playoffs completely.  There are so many unknowns and depending on how they shake out, they will go a long way in determining how this season turns out, not even factoring in injuries that could happen this season. I think this is a season that could go in a multitude of directions.  I mean, as long as 17 is healthy, it's hard to believe that we won't be at least competitive regardless of all the other questions. 

 

However, if this WR room fails like many think it will, if the safety play is as bad as it possibly could be like some think, if Dorian Williams isn't up to the task at LB, if Brady's scheme doesn't create the mismatches we are needing to exploit, if Von truly is shot and Groot and AJ fail to take the next step in their careers, then this season can indeed go south in a hurry.  It absolutely can.

 

BUT, if this WR room truly comes together in this "everyone eats" mentality and they make up for, or even exceed, the production of Diggs and Davis as a whole, if the safeties actually turn out to be an upgrade due to being younger and more athletic and Hyde and Poyer were truly shot last season, if Dorian Williams has a TB like explosion in his second season, if Brady's scheme is everything we hope it is with motion, eye candy, and the ability to scheme guys open and Allen can get it to these players in space does happen, and if Von gets back to where he was a couple years ago with either Groot or AJ taking a huge step forward in their careers, then this team will be able to beat anyone and this season could truly be the one that we raise that Lombardi Trophy.

 

Like I said, it's easy to make cases for what direction this team may head in.  So, what do I think will happen?  My season prediction is this.......  I think it we be a very up and down first half of the season.  I think you will see glimpses of greatness, but I also think there is a chance we lose games we shouldn't be losing and we will be showing a lot of growing pains.  However, I do think as the season goes along, this team will show signs of improvement week in and week out.  I think we will be playing our best football at the end of the season.  The question will be whether or not we dug ourselves too deep a hole earlier in the season to be able to get out of and make the Playoffs.  If we do get in, though, even as the 7 seed, that we will be a team that nobody wants to play.  If we get in, the rest of the season won't matter because it will be on.

[Shortchaz]

Must shoehorn the ball to Coleman to offset the worthy talk. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Just got my tix!

Can't wait for Ted Hot dog pregame and a Bills win!!!

[Johnnycage46]

5 minutes ago, Shortchaz said:

Must shoehorn the ball to Coleman to offset the worthy talk. 

Must do what it take to win. Who cares about narratives?

[SoonerBillsFan]

God I'm ready to get this game going. 

[Low Positive]

11 minutes ago, Shortchaz said:

Must shoehorn the ball to Coleman to offset the worthy talk. 

That's the most important thing. Every Friday, Joe Brady should call Nick Wright to see what amount of production Coleman would have to have to get him to admit that the Bills were right and then base his game plan around that. He also should have a weekly thread on Gang Green and Fin Heaven to ask what the Bills would have to do for them to stop harassing Bills fans on social media and then make sure that it happens. 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

21 hours ago, Low Positive said:

It took the Jags losing to a Titans team with nothing to play for. If the Jags had taken care of business and the Bills had lost in Miami, the Bills would have missed the playoffs. And the key play in the Miami game was Deonte Harty’s 98 yard punt return. The Bills also needed a FG at the gun to beat the Chargers and a Douglas pick 6 to beat the Pats on NYE. They also needed a flag to beat KC. That’s what I mean by “almost missing the playoffs.”

Would’ve should’ve could’ve. These scenarios are only dramatic because they happened at the end of the season. Truthfully, they are no more important than end result of games that happened in week 7. The Bills went on a memorable win streak to close out the season against some very tough teams and ended up the #2 seed. A extremely impressive accomplishment considering the mid-season slump and a very questionably officiated Eagles game. This is the same argument I have when people say the Bengals were responsible for ending the draught. No they weren’t. Buffalo took care of business. Besides, about 5 diff AFC teams almost “missed the playoffs.” It’s a tough division inside of a tough conference.

[RiotAct]

6 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

. The Bills went on a memorable win streak to close out the season against some very tough teams and ended up the #2 seed. A extremely impressive accomplishment considering the mid-season slump and a very questionably officiated Eagles game.

Not to mention sort of a skeleton crew of a defense, and only playing with 10 men on the field for a decent percentage of the time (whenever Von was out there for us)

[DapperCam]

I’m feeling better now that we’ve seen some of the other NFL teams play. Baltimore and KC looked pretty sloppy and not impossible to beat. GB and Philly looked even sloppier.

[MikePJ76]

This makes sense, they need 5 ends active because miller is not really an end anymore and is more a role playing pass rusher.  It stinks solomon and smoot are hurt

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

1 hour ago, RiotAct said:

Not to mention sort of a skeleton crew of a defense, and only playing with 10 men on the field for a decent percentage of the time (whenever Von was out there for us)

Not to mention our biggest receiving threat doing a Jimmy Hoffa impression 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

42 minutes ago, MikePJ76 said:

This makes sense, they need 5 ends active because miller is not really an end anymore and is more a role playing pass rusher.  It stinks solomon and smoot are hurt

I can't remember the rules.  If they are called up is it automatic they dress for the game? If so have to think VanPran doesn't dress.

[RiotAct]

6 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

I can't remember the rules.  If they are called up is it automatic they dress for the game?

Nope not necessarily.

[MikePJ76]

3 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

I can't remember the rules.  If they are called up is it automatic they dress for the game? If so have to think VanPran doesn't dress.

Teams can make as many as two practice squad players available to participate in regular-season games. On game days, NFL teams can increase their 53-man rosters to 55 players by elevating practice squad players. Only 48 of those players can participate in a game, which means seven must be declared inactive approximately 90 minutes before kickoff.

 

No, not all elevated practice squad players have to be active on the gameday roster:  

Number of players

Up to two practice squad players can be elevated to the active roster for a given game day  

 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

52 minutes ago, MikePJ76 said:

This makes sense, they need 5 ends active because miller is not really an end anymore and is more a role playing pass rusher.  It stinks solomon and smoot are hurt

We've got the Clapp!

 

Wait

[Scott7975]

35 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

I can't remember the rules.  If they are called up is it automatic they dress for the game? If so have to think VanPran doesn't dress.

 

They dont have to be active but its unlikely that they arent. You can only call up a specific player 3 times, so they are unlikely to waste that.