Week 1 - Cardinals at Bills - Game Week Thread

[SoonerBillsFan]

I am beyond ready to get on with the regular season already.

[Bray Wyatt]

Gannon had the team playing tough last year, especially beginning of the year. I expect more of the same this year. That being said we should win, but I can see a tough fought game.

[dave mcbride]

The Cardinals were 4-13 last season with the 31st-ranked defense in the league. The Bills have no business losing at home to them on September 8. Regardless of the fact that it's the opener, I think everyone can agree that this is one of those games the Bills HAVE to win given the overall schedule. Losing to a crappy organization like AZ with Josh Allen at home isn't acceptable. 

[Warriorspikes51]

Winning this game is crucial.  The schedule is pretty brutal the next 5 games.

We could easily have a losing record after week 6.  Hopefully not!   But it's a real challenge 

 

Greg Rousseau playing at the level he did against PIT and Von Miller being re-born would go a longgggg way toward covering no Milano, Poyer or Hyde 

Edited August 26 by Warriorspikes51

[Billl]

8 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

The Cardinals were 4-13 last season with the 31st-ranked defense in the league. The Bills have no business losing at home to them on September 8. Regardless of the fact that it's the opener, I think everyone can agree that this is one of those games the Bills HAVE to win given the overall schedule. Losing to a crappy organization like AZ with Josh Allen at home isn't acceptable. 

This is as much of a “must win” game as any team can have week 1.  Given the difficulty of the early schedule, 3-3 wouldn’t be a bad start.  If they lay an egg like last year, they’re 0-1 and underdogs in 4 of the next 5 games.

[papazoid]

42 minutes ago, Billl said:

This is as much of a “must win” game as any team can have week 1.  Given the difficulty of the early schedule, 3-3 wouldn’t be a bad start.  If they lay an egg like last year, they’re 0-1 and underdogs in 4 of the next 5 games.

 

boom.....was just coming to say the same thing....good thing i glanced at your post....lol

[3rdand12]

On 8/25/2024 at 1:49 PM, Boatdrinks said:

Just a gut feeling. Hoping I’m wrong by a mile. 

alka seltzer does wonders , or maybe maalox suits you better Boat

[Playoffs?]

On 8/25/2024 at 2:10 PM, DaVinci said:

Cards ranked 29 in power rankings last year. This is gona be the easiest game of the year.

We thought that would be the Jets last year when Rodgers went down, and then the Broncos, and then the Patriots. Any given Sunday. Obviously I hope we annihilate the Cards… 

[Gregg]

I would be surprised if the Bills don't walk off the field around 4:00 at 1-0. Anything can happen but this is a game they should win.

[nucci]

On 8/25/2024 at 10:40 PM, Mikie2times said:

I do the West to East coast flight for a week every couple months. Been doing it for a couple years now. I can be dead ass tired and I won't sleep when I get to Eastern time. 1am at the earliest and even that's a stretch. I'm not 100% until 3-4 days into the trip. These aren't baseball players. It's not like they travel 80 times a year for most the year. They play 8-9 road games in a year. They aren't anymore adjusted for what to expect than I am. Then they have to play a game at what amounts to 10am. Except that's when the game starts, who knows what time they have to get up. Compare that to the home team. It certainly matters. The talent gap is just too small in the NFL. It would be interesting if this angle was even stronger earlier in the year. I could see logic to that as the traveling is new and they don't have any sense of rhythm yet. 

they fly charter flights. They don't have other jobs, make connecting flights or worry about luggage. They are picked up on arrival and taken to hotel where they rest and meals are provided. They are young and in shape and will be ready to play. Adrenaline and emotion take over. Are teams tired when they play at 8pm when they normally play at 1pm?

[Augie]

2 hours ago, Gregg said:

I would be surprised if the Bills don't walk off the field around 4:00 at 1-0. Anything can happen but this is a game they should win.

 

What you and apparently Vegas are unaware of is how terrible the Bills record is when I attend in person. It’s really quite remarkable. 

 

 

And yes, I can be bought. 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

This game???

 

I am conflicted because in pretty much every way this *should* be a blowout win. The Cardinals are baaaaad bad, have their WR group kneecapped to start the year and are flying to the East Coast for a raucous home opener.

 

I can only see them winning by the Bills beating themselves. Unfortunately, we've seen so little of the starting offense together I have no idea what that looks like and with starters injured or held up I expect a healthy dose of rust.

 

I remember the mantra: Week One is a Liar.

 

The Chiefs lost opening day and then took another Super Bowl. 

 

No Week One game is a "must win" but looking at the schedule ahead? Things get *rough* if the Bills come out flat.

[Gregg]

Looking at the first 6 games. If the Bills are 3-3 that is OK. 4-2 or better would be good/great. 4 out of 6 on the road with 3 straight tough road games. Brutal start schedule wise. No week 1 game is a must win but looking at weeks 2 thru 6 the Bills better win week 1.

 

Cardinals

at Dolphins

Jaguars

at Ravens

at Texans

at Jets

[Mikie2times]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

they fly charter flights. They don't have other jobs, make connecting flights or worry about luggage. They are picked up on arrival and taken to hotel where they rest and meals are provided. They are young and in shape and will be ready to play. Adrenaline and emotion take over. Are teams tired when they play at 8pm when they normally play at 1pm?

They must not have circadian rhythms

[Gregg]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/cardinals-first-round-pick-likely-to-miss-opener-vs-bills/ar-AA1psH3L?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=8e63779f5e104aef8973e38c3a8fe1a0&ei=14

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

 

M

2 hours ago, Gregg said:

Looking at the first 6 games. If the Bills are 3-3 that is OK. 4-2 or better would be good/great. 4 out of 6 on the road with 3 straight tough road games. Brutal start schedule wise. No week 1 game is a must win but looking at weeks 2 thru 6 the Bills better win week 1.

 

Cardinals

at Dolphins

Jaguars

at Ravens

at Texans

at Jets

Agreed. I will not panic if the Bills are 3-3 to start the year. We have a lot of new pieces and quality opponents.

 

Losing week one makes getting to 3-3 a rough ride.

[Gregg]

45 minutes ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

 

M

Agreed. I will not panic if the Bills are 3-3 to start the year. We have a lot of new pieces and quality opponents.

 

Losing week one makes getting to 3-3 a rough ride.

 

At least the Dolphins game is at night. It will still be hot out but no sun, so the Dolphins won't have their sideline advantage that they have for day games.

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

25 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

At least the Dolphins game is at night. It will still be hot out but no sun, so the Dolphins won't have their sideline advantage that they have for day games.

I in general poo poo the Dolphins as overrated and I think this away game is mitigated due to being a night game as you say. But here's the quandary I look at:

 

We have a bunch of injured players who are week to week. Do you play them week one if they don't have a 100% pure clean bill or health, considering that the team is about to travel on a short week to the hellscape that is Florida in summer?

 

If you do, you risk aggravating the injury in harsher conditions for a game that objectively has deeper tiebreaker ramifications. If you don't, are you leaving vital pieces away for a team that needs to gel week one due to a lack of starters in preseason?

[Gregg]

5 minutes ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

I in general poo poo the Dolphins as overrated and I think this away game is mitigated due to being a night game as you say. But here's the quandary I look at:

 

We have a bunch of injured players who are week to week. Do you play them week one if they don't have a 100% pure clean bill or health, considering that the team is about to travel on a short week to the hellscape that is Florida in summer?

 

If you do, you risk aggravating the injury in harsher conditions for a game that objectively has deeper tiebreaker ramifications. If you don't, are you leaving vital pieces away for a team that needs to gel week one due to a lack of starters in preseason?

 

I think you need the Cardinals game. If they lose at Miami to fall to 1-1 then the Bills just have to win the rematch. Lose to Arizona and you risk an 0-2 start. Given what's ahead weeks 3 thru 6 that would be a nightmare scenario.

[DrBob806]

1 hour ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

I in general poo poo the Dolphins as overrated and I think this away game is mitigated due to being a night game as you say. But here's the quandary I look at:

 

We have a bunch of injured players who are week to week. Do you play them week one if they don't have a 100% pure clean bill or health, considering that the team is about to travel on a short week to the hellscape that is Florida in summer?

 

 

I have always hated the NFL's desire to have division matchups so early in the season. 

 

I'd prefer division games to start in October, league wise.