December 15th at Detroit is the Game of the Year

[zow2]

Detroit has been getting such a nice lead in a lot of their games that it forces the opponent to pass on 3 of 4 plays in the second half.   If we beat the 49ers and Rams, I'm not going to lose sleep if the Bills drop one to Detroit.  I don't think Buffalo is going 15-2 and I think KC will also be losing a couple more games.

The important thing for all of us should be Allen and the team staying as healthy as possible entering playoff week 1.

[njbuff]

Speaking of Detroit, I shudder to think how good Barry Sanders would be in todays NFL with all the shoddy tackling.

[eball]

Gotta think they’ll flex this one to SNF, right?  The current matchup is Packers @ Seahawks, which is good, but not in this class…

[Mr. WEO]

7 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

As many of you recall, we met last on Thanksgiving day, 2022. We won that game by the slimmest of margins 28-25 with Allen going nearly the length of the field in seconds to set up a game winning field goal. Detroit had us on the ropes in that game. We were totally off balance on defense often seeing Detroit run the ball on third down regardless of  distance. They went 3 for 3 that day on 4th down conversions. It had that "escape" feel when it was over. It likely only went that direction as a result of Detroit getting too conservative at the very end, opting for a field goal in 4th and short vs going for it with a first down likely ending the game. 

 

Since that game the collective record of the two teams is 55-18. Detroit has a 1.5 game edge on us since then. We will be facing elite coaching, excellent power run game and rightfully, the current Super Bowl favorite. We will have aspirations of the #1 seed on the line as Detroit is far and away the hardest game left on our schedule. Detroit is also becoming a rather difficult place to play. It's pretty simple to me, if we really want to know how this team stacks up for a potential Super Bowl run you will know after that game. They can throw haymaker and have balance like the Colts, Bengals, Titans, and Ravens in the past, teams that were able to knock us out when so few can. They're very hard nose. Houston just beat the living crap out of them and they found a way. 

 

As all this relates to the timing of the KC game, well, massive win, clearly. They either round into playoff form, at which point I will have a hard time drawing any conclusions from it or they won't, at which point we have bigger fish to fry. Detroit being the biggest if we can eventually make it that far. I just don't see anybody in the NFC pushing them. Another side note, being from that area, a Detroit & Buffalo Super Bowl would be epic. I also imagine it would be a massive ratings draw. Already getting chills for this one. 

 

game of the year, you say....?

 

 

[mannc]

7 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

Ticket prices are higher than the KC game, that's for sure.  I looked yesterday just for giggles.  $450 to get in the door.

That’s because the game is in Detroit, not Buffalo.

[dickleyjones]

5 hours ago, Buffalo Ballin said:

Please keep in mind that this game takes place at Detroit. It's going to be a tough close game.

 

If we win this game (doesn't matter the score), we're the 1B team in the NFL. The Chiefs is 1A since they're still the defending Champs with an incredible record, too.

 

We just don't want big injuries to our key players. (Knocks on Chevy Chase's "National Lampoon's Vacation" station wagon)

 

Let's not overlook the Niners and Rams upcoming on our schedule; one game at a time, boyz.

Fifty yards...

[dorquemada]

7 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

Agreed.  A win would be nice, but hopefully it's the hors d'oeuvre for this party.  Kind of reminds me of Bills/Giants in December 1990.  Timing is similar, situation is similar.

 

I remember that game so well, gf at the time, and her whole family, were huge Giants fans.  I got to wear the crown that day and of course i was an obnoxious ahle about the whole thing (was 20 yrs old lol) which got repaid with interest a few weeks later

 

 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

they have yet to beat a good team. a win by 3 in ot against the lowly rams. lost to the bucs by 4. beat the cards by 7. scoring no more than 20 in those first 3 games. blowout wins against the seahawks, cowboys and titans, that's impressive? beating the vikings by 2, pack by 10 and winning against the texans by 3 before blowing out the worst team in the nfl, the jags.

 

no, a non conference game against a good lions team that the bills likely will win by 10, I would not consider the "game of the year"? 

Edited 20 hours ago by DaBillsFanSince1973

[SoCal Deek]

Let’s really piss them off by coming out in our 1960 throw back uniforms that featured Ralph’s silver and blue roots. 😂

[bills742]

50 minutes ago, eball said:

Gotta think they’ll flex this one to SNF, right?  The current matchup is Packers @ Seahawks, which is good, but not in this class…

I believe this is a CBS protected game so it can't be flexed.

[Utah John]

Unless KC loses another game, the only reason the Bills have pressure to keep winning is to get the 2 seed or even the 1 seed over Pittsburgh, whom no one seems to be paying attention to.

 

The Steelers have 2 losses too, but only 1 loss in the AFC.  The Steelers have three games left against tough opponents (Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs) and if they sweep those games plus the cupcakes, they'll get the 1 seed.  Frankly if the Steelers can sweep those three games this late in the year and finish 15-2 they deserve the 1 seed.  The Bills, Steelers, and Chiefs will all have 2 losses (in a best case scenario for the Bills, winning out) but the Chiefs lose tiebreakers to both others.  Even if the Bills win out and also finish 15-2 I think the Steelers will get the 1 seed by virtue of a better AFC record.  (Pittsburgh's easy games are division games -- two against the Bengals and one against the Browns -- and those are always tough, nasty, close games, so wins there are not a foregone conclusion.)

 

The Chiefs have three walkovers (Raiders, Browns, Panthers), two who knows? (Texans, Broncos) and two tough games (Chargers, Steelers).  

 

The Bills have three walkovers (Patriots, Jets, Patriots), two who knows? (49ers, Rams), and one tough game (Lions).  

 

Of the three I think the Steelers and Bills are playing the best right now.  KC has been winning by force of habit, even games they should be losing.  They're an aging slumbering giant who roused himself to play the Bills but will have a tough time getting back up for all the remaining tough games, or even some of the others.  Mahomes isn't quite as good this year (still great) but Kelce has withered into a JAG -- KC has better TEs on their roster now.  

 

Interesting coaching comparisons, too.  Reid >> his boy McDermott, and it shall ever be thus until Reid retires.  But McDermott and Tomlin are actually equivalent rivals (and good friends and former college teammates) so it's anyone's guess who's better.  I think the Bills beat the Steelers 7 out of 10 times, but it will probably come down to one game in the playoffs.  

[Gregg]

1 hour ago, eball said:

Gotta think they’ll flex this one to SNF, right?  The current matchup is Packers @ Seahawks, which is good, but not in this class…

 

It's the national game of the week. 4:25 on CBS. CBS probably has the game protected so it can't be moved.

[JP51]

8 hours ago, BigDingus said:

If we beat the Lions, it'll change all my expectations of this season.

 

Despite being 9-2, I still can't quite accept that they're genuine SB contenders. Call it being a lifetime Bills fan, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I've mainly been hoping to see Allen win an MVP & beat KC in the playoffs.

 

Super Bowl hasn't been something I truly thought was possible this season, but a win over the Lions & the Chiefs would certainly change that.

I am with you, I dont wanna talk 1a or 1b or power rankings... just get to the playoffs healthy and lets talk. 

[Utah John]

1 hour ago, bills742 said:

I believe this is a CBS protected game so it can't be flexed.

Maybe the players care about SNF, for bragging rights among the rest of the league.  Certainly many fans do too, as validation that their team is important.  But I don't.  The late game on Sunday, particularly if it's on the road, disrupts the schedule for the players and especially the coaches for the following week.  I would prefer it if the Bills got scheduled for 1 pm Sunday every game every year, except for the West Coast games.  

 

The Bills next game is a MNF game at home against the 49ers, followed by an afternoon game in Los Angeles against the Rams, which screws up the prep for the big game against the Lions the following Sunday afternoon.  It could be worse (thank God some other unlucky teams have to play on Thursday night). After the NFC games, the Bills play the Pats and Jets at home, and the Pats on the road, with the first two on Sunday at 1 pm and most likely the final game also on Sunday at 1 pm.

 

The schedule makers did the Bills right for their late season schedule.  The bye coming now is so much better than an early-season bye, and the Bills have only one long trip for an away game (Los Angeles).  

[Buffalo4Life01]

1 hour ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

they have yet to beat a good team. a win by 3 in ot against the lowly rams. lost to the bucs by 4. beat the cards by 7. scoring no more than 20 in those first 3 games. blowout wins against the seahawks, cowboys and titans, that's impressive? beating the vikings by 2, pack by 10 and winning against the texans by 3 before blowing out the worst team in the nfl, the jags.

 

no, a non conference game against a good lions team that the bills likely will win by 10, I would not consider the "game of the year"? 

Understand what you are saying but on the flip side, it's absolutely a possible Super Bowl preview and a game against teams who many believe are the best teams in their conferences.  I would say if this is not the game of the year, it's mighty close to being called that and rightfully so.

[Gregg]

5 minutes ago, Utah John said:

Maybe the players care about SNF, for bragging rights among the rest of the league.  Certainly many fans do too, as validation that their team is important.  But I don't.  The late game on Sunday, particularly if it's on the road, disrupts the schedule for the players and especially the coaches for the following week.  I would prefer it if the Bills got scheduled for 1 pm Sunday every game every year, except for the West Coast games.  

 

The Bills next game is a MNF game at home against the 49ers, followed by an afternoon game in Los Angeles against the Rams, which screws up the prep for the big game against the Lions the following Sunday afternoon.  It could be worse (thank God some other unlucky teams have to play on Thursday night). After the NFC games, the Bills play the Pats and Jets at home, and the Pats on the road, with the first two on Sunday at 1 pm and most likely the final game also on Sunday at 1 pm.

 

The schedule makers did the Bills right for their late season schedule.  The bye coming now is so much better than an early-season bye, and the Bills have only one long trip for an away game (Los Angeles).  

 

SNF against the 49ers.

[wjag]

Gibbs v Milano and Bernard

[Bills aPHILLYate]

If we are walking into that game at basically full strength I'm very confident we take the W. 

This is presuming we have an intact WR stable, Carter and Milano back, and no new significant injuries. 

We may very well have a more effective defensive unit than we've been able to deploy over the last 2 years at that point and an offense that is humming. 

 

38-24 Bills 

 

 

[Utah John]

10 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

SNF against the 49ers.

My mistake.

[hondo in seattle]

Some tv pundit (Simms?) said that when figuring out Buffalo's place in the NFL, you still have to consider the Ravens loss.

 

A bunch of analytic sites and power rankings now have the Lions as #1.  If we beat the Lions, the Ravens debacle would be forgiven & forgotten and the Bills would become the consensus #1.  

 

But ultimately all any of us wants is a Lombardi - beating the Lions in the regular season pales in comparison.