THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - I Have No Idea

[SCBills]

On 9/1/2024 at 10:23 AM, balln said:

To add to the above 

 

schedules are the same except: 

 

Bills play lions , ravens , chiefs 

 

Jets play den , Vikings , pit 

 

mia play raider, packers , browns

 

I also think we’re gonna be below D of last few seasons . We can be run on. And I just don’t like our pass rush and current safeties - we are going to struggle to get off field on 3rd down.

 

so. Comes down to offense carrying team and coaches coming up big. Which I have faith in to make playoffs. But not serious contenders 

I think our Defensive Line might be the biggest variance unit, in terms of potential, on this team. 
 

If Von is washed and Rousseau gets another random injury that turns him into a glorified edge setter all year, then we’re wildly dependent upon Oliver/Jones to get pressure on the QB. 
 

If Von is, as reports suggest, “back” and if Rousseau does make the jump everyone’s been waiting for, this DL has upper echelon potential. 

[amprov56]

19 hours ago, Chaos said:

Time will prove me right. 

I’m sure you are hoping for disaster 

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

We are definitely not winning more than 10-11 games this season.  Our schedule is too tough and there's been too many players swapped out. The floor is around 8-9 wins. As @Shaw66 says we literally have "no idea"?

I seriously don't think there's a ceiling when you have Josh Allen and a bunch of quality athletes catching passes.  Combine him with Ed Oliver, Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, which could be a truly formidable defensive front line, and it simply isn't difficult to imagine 12 or 13 wins.  

[ganesh]

1 hour ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

After 4 years of dominance in the AFC-E, “I have no idea” is a strong condemnation of their chances in 2024. And most of us would agree!

 

There are simply too many unknown balls in the air. Another thread posted the Top 5/6 dominant offensive teams this year ( SF, Miami, Philly, Cinci, Det, Hou) and the Bills play SIX games against those! We now have two very questionable kickers, including the most critical one, who last seen, shanked us out of the Playoffs!

 

And the D. WERE they AVERAGING 400 yards given up during the past 4 critical Playoff losses?  Are they any better?

 

Finally, we have “13 Seconds” McD. I simply cannot EVER get around that HOFailure blown Lombardi opportunity. And, if I didn’t see the other defensive meltdowns, at least I’d think they were still there.

 

I am reduced to hope- only because we have the wonderful Unicorn. But, I am very afraid that if the Shakirs, Cooks, Colemans & Kincaids don’t step up… waaaay up… 17 will try and shoulder his way to Ws. Getting far too dangerous for that.

 

 

 

 

The dolphins were 1-6 down the stretch last season.  Yet the Bills are not being given a chance.  Go Bills !!!

[ColoradoBills]

On 8/31/2024 at 3:37 PM, Shaw66 said:

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

Well, here it is, Labor Day and the 2024 NFL season is about to begin. 

 

What are we to expect from the Bills?  I have no idea.

 

At a technical level, I literally have no idea.  The game evolves, season after season, and only some of the strategies that worked in 2023 will work in 2024.  And some coaches will come up with new strategies, both offensively and defensively.  Those are changes that I barely understand at their simplest levels.  And it’s virtually impossible to predict what all those changes will be. 

 

 

 

Shaw, IMO there is nothing wrong at all about not having a preconceived notion of how the season will go.

There are way too many examples of how teams have exceeded or fell short of expectation almost every year throughout the NFL history.

 

Fans can look back at the Bills 2023 season and come up with all kinds of opinions.  Truth is with a few "bounces" one way or the other,

the Bills could have easily missed the playoffs OR ended up 14-3.  It's the nature of the game in the NFL.

 

Personally, I try to go into every season not listening to "predictions and prognostications".  It makes it more fun and gives me the opportunity

to look at the games like we did when we were kids at the "rockpile".  I'm going to sit back and go along for the ride leaving it up to Josh and

the boys to give us some good entertainment!

 

Here is hoping for the season we all want!

Go Bills!

  

[Low Positive]

1 minute ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Shaw, IMO there is nothing wrong at all about not having a preconceived notion of how the season will go.

There are way too many examples of how teams have exceeded or fell short of expectation almost every year throughout the NFL history.

 

Fans can look back at the Bills 2023 season and come up with all kinds of opinions.  Truth is with a few "bounces" one way or the other,

the Bills could have easily missed the playoffs OR ended up 14-3.  It's the nature of the game in the NFL.

 

Personally, I try to go into every season not listening to "predictions and prognostications".  It makes it more fun and gives me the opportunity

to look at the games like we did when we were kids at the "rockpile".  I'm going to sit back and go along for the ride leaving it up to Josh and

the boys to give us some good entertainment!

 

Here is hoping for the season we all want!

Go Bills!

  

Not only bounces. Refs can determine a season. If they don't pick up that flag in NE or if they don't throw that flag in KC, the season could have been entirely different. And both were borderline calls.

[ColoradoBills]

1 minute ago, Low Positive said:

Not only bounces. Refs can determine a season. If they don't pick up that flag in NE or if they don't throw that flag in KC, the season could have been entirely different. And both were borderline calls.

 

That too.  I guess I feel that the Bills (with Josh Allen) can win any game they play.  How the 17 regular season games unfold has yet to be

written.  It's a lot more fun watching games than it was a decade ago!

[Olliemets]

Good Post- My feeling exactly. I have no idea.

 

The schedule is brutal, but things change quickly in this league. 

I think the offense will be fine. Tired of Digg's act and I am sure I have a lot of company there. 

Biggest fear/Question mark is the Defense. Playing all these offenses I can see them getting shredded weekly. But we'll see.

 

Still, it's nice to enjoy these seasons as a competitive team with a great QB following years in the wilderness.

[SoMAn]

On 8/31/2024 at 5:37 PM, Shaw66 said:

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

Well, here it is, Labor Day and the 2024 NFL season is about to begin. 

 

What are we to expect from the Bills?  I have no idea.

 

At a technical level, I literally have no idea.  The game evolves, season after season, and only some of the strategies that worked in 2023 will work in 2024.  And some coaches will come up with new strategies, both offensively and defensively.  Those are changes that I barely understand at their simplest levels.  And it’s virtually impossible to predict what all those changes will be. 

 

At a personnel level, I have one idea – a lot depends on players who haven’t been big-time players previously, and that means uncertainty about how guys will perform.  Safeties, linebackers, a corner or two, various defensive linemen all must show that they are playoff caliber.  Offensive linemen, receivers.  The Bills don’t have holes, but they have a lot of questions.

 

At the coaching level, oh boy.  Brady has to have the goods.  Babich, too.  And McDermott.  McDermott has coaches and players he likes, and I’m sure he believes he can win with them.  This is the season all three need to show they are playoff caliber.  Can they?  Sure.  Will they?  I have no idea. 

 

As a fan, I think the Bills are going back to the playoffs.  Why?  Well, principally because I believe in McDermott and I believe in Allen.  I said it a couple of weeks ago:  There are 20 teams, for sure, that would trade their HC and QB for McDermott and Allen.  Maybe 25, but call it 20.  That tells me that those two men alone make the Bills a top-12 team, and top-12 is playoffs. 

 

I know some will argue about McDermott, but I don’t buy it.  He’s won as much or more as other coaches who have been around the league for a few years.  He’s dedicated to getting the whole job done, and pretty much anything McDermott dedicates himself to, he achieves.   Fire him in February, and he’ll have multiple head coach offers the next day. 

 

I’m looking for a good season, a playoff season.  How will they get to the playoffs, and what will they achieve there?  I have no idea.

 

I'm ready. 

 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

 

I agree with every word.

It reflects my thoughts going into this season exactly. 
My loyalty to the team makes me want to be optimistic and predict another division crown with at least 11 wins. 
My more logical self says that the team has exactly 1 superstar, are still developing young players to replace exiting veterans, a division and other conference opponents that are catching up, and a gauntlet of a schedule.  
This is the first year since Josh emerged as a top QB that I’m not optimistic about the Bills’ chances of getting to the dance.  
Will the Bills have a winning season and make another record towards the playoffs or will they be talking draft in late December?
I have no idea either. 

[Mat68]

1 hour ago, ganesh said:

The dolphins were 1-6 down the stretch last season.  Yet the Bills are not being given a chance.  Go Bills !!!

And their best defender walked.  Their best lineman walked.  I dont see Dolphins or Jets improved to a level that makes me concerned Buffalo fell behind either. 

[oldmanfan]

It’s going to be an interesting year.  In general I think we lost guys that were getting older.  So younger guys now have to step up and that is at the same time exciting and scary.  So we’ll see.  To me the most important aspect to this season is coaching.  Can Brady and Babich assume the coordinator positions and do the job?  

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Shaw, IMO there is nothing wrong at all about not having a preconceived notion of how the season will go.

There are way too many examples of how teams have exceeded or fell short of expectation almost every year throughout the NFL history.

 

Fans can look back at the Bills 2023 season and come up with all kinds of opinions.  Truth is with a few "bounces" one way or the other,

the Bills could have easily missed the playoffs OR ended up 14-3.  It's the nature of the game in the NFL.

 

Personally, I try to go into every season not listening to "predictions and prognostications".  It makes it more fun and gives me the opportunity

to look at the games like we did when we were kids at the "rockpile".  I'm going to sit back and go along for the ride leaving it up to Josh and

the boys to give us some good entertainment!

 

Here is hoping for the season we all want!

Go Bills!

  

What's interesting is that although that is how we feel, and that is NOT how McDermott feels, and that is NOT how he expects any of his players to feel.  They are keeping things very simple, which is to say that they don't think about how the season will go.  All they think about is the Cardinals.   

 

The season is about to start, and as far as McDermott is concerned, now is the time when the Bills will begin to pile wins upon wins.  

[ColoradoBills]

28 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

What's interesting is that although that is how we feel, and that is NOT how McDermott feels, and that is NOT how he expects any of his players to feel.  They are keeping things very simple, which is to say that they don't think about how the season will go.  All they think about is the Cardinals.   

 

The season is about to start, and as far as McDermott is concerned, now is the time when the Bills will begin to pile wins upon wins.  

 

It's the only thing that really matters right now.

 

Fans can dissect things nine was to Sunday, but on any given Sunday (or Monday, Thursday, etc.) it ends up with men lining up and doing the

job a little better, more often than not, than the guy across from him.

 

If the players and coaches give it their all (like most have done in the past in this era) I like our chances again this season.

Maybe it's a bit naive or childish for me to feel that way, but I'm glad I do.  Watching Bills football keeps me hopeful and feeling young.

 

Maybe this is the year Shaw!

[Chaos]

5 hours ago, amprov56 said:

I’m sure you are hoping for disaster 

I am aggressively saying I expect the Bills to win the AFCE.  You must have a reading comprehension problem. 

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

My prediction for Bills fans this season ?

[scuba guy]

On 9/1/2024 at 2:54 PM, BearNorth said:

Night game in Miami has to be a bit better than a 1:00 or 4:00 start.  It is the peak of Hurricane season tho.

 

Big thing is the south is still the south and the humidity is very high at night.  Are 300 pound guys will still get tired fast.  But as most will say it is a 40 60 crowd.  So no real noise advantage 😕.  We need to get out of the gate fast and not let up.

[BigAl2526]

I suspect that the offense might sputter a bit coming out of the gate.  I'm hopeful that the defense comes out tough.  I think as the season progresses, the offense will start to gel.

[bmur66]

Right. I have no idea either. I’m just going to sit back and see what happens. 

 

[Sweats]

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

My only gripe with this offseason is knowing we were losing veterans and leadership on the defense we should have focused on the offense, added more weapons instead of taking our biggest 1 away (even if he wanted to leave, he was under contract). Add another WR in trade and draft Coleman would have been ideal, instead now we have uncertainty on both sides of the ball, as I've discussed before you just can't do this move when you're in a SB window imo. Before anyone says but "Kansas City just did it", they also have 3 SB wins under their belt so they can do pretty much whatever they want.

 

It is what it is though and the season is upon us, I'm looking forward to the season but I've really lowered my expectations. This is a brutal schedule and if we make the playoffs with this group and this schedule that would be pretty impressive even if Josh Allen is our QB. GO BILLS!