The stars are aligning for a dream season

[zow2]

13 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

The "but a game in Buffalo" mystique is dead. Our season ended the last 2 years at home. I don't care that a game would be in Buffalo. And didn't we just lose last year to Sean Payton's Broncos in Buffalo? 

One thing to tuck away in mind if we do draw the Ravens. They are making the same mistakes with Henry that the Titans made year after year. He's already got about 250 touches with a rough few games to go. Come playoffs he should be somewhere in the 330-350 touch range. As we saw when he was in Tennessee, come playoffs, Henry can often be a non factor due to wear and tear during the year. And Lamar come playoffs has been shaky more times than not.

 

I agree the homefield is not a lock in the playoffs at all.  I do really like the angle of Denver and Payton beating them last season.  McDermott is great in those get them back type games.  He would use that loss all week as motivation even though it happened last season.  Just like I hope we play Houston and Baltimore.  I think we have the intangible edge, of being really hard to beat a good team twice in a season.  I think KC gets taken out in round 1 and we don't play them.

[bmur66]

Long time Bills fans know the wheels are never on tight. Enjoy one game at a time and see where it goes.

[Sweats]

13 hours ago, Bills!Win! said:

When the bills traded Diggs this past off-season, our family collectively burned my wife’s Diggs t-shirt and called it “The great reset” as we exorcised the demons and bad memories of the past.

Fast forward to the beginning of the year and we became the ultimate underdogs. They may just make a movie out of this season when it’s all said and done. Think of the storylines we will look back at as our dream season comes to an end:

 

-Our QB, a kid who gets overlooked his whole life gets engaged to a movie star/singer and plays out of his mind breaking all sorts of individual, team and NFL records and finally overcomes bias and wins an MVP.

-Our RB James Cook summersaults (pun) and ascends to becoming an elite back after years of Josh Allen having to carry the team on his back. The trio of the three headed monster, flash, dash and smash will scare you out of your socks. 

 

-Our Wr’s, who were thought to be the weakest position on the roster play unselfishly after years of all the Diggs drama. The unit doesn’t even skip a beat as “everyone eats” and “free the feet” become contagious catch phrases. 

-Our TE’s, the DK bro’s, consist of the guy who humbly helps his successor and is playing the best football of his career with limited drops. Oh, and not to mention, his wedding sparked a new anthem for our home crowd who  adopted “Mr. Bright Side, adding a strange yet exciting new Bills tradition. 
 

-The offensive line. The Schnow plow. The left side is covered by a massively overweight fun-loving goofball who plows people over yet for most of his career he has seen the haters come at him in full force. The right side is a formerly often ridiculed monster who towers over people and will knock you out if you breathe on his quarterback. The center is a former guard who many questioned could even play the position and is positioned next to the 2 most underrated players on the team. 
 

-The defensive line. Von Miller the savvy yet stoic veteran who many love to hate and hate to love, Ed Oliver, Mr. Lasso, the one bills fans wanted gone yet found away to prove the haters wrong, Epenesa and Groot, the men who the mafia called mediocre, flourish as they step up their game.

 

-The linebackers. The heart of the team takes form in an undersized 3rd round pick who came out of nowhere and is now a star and the quiet mysterious muscle man that will come back from anything that knocks him down. 
 

The defensive backs. Rasul Douglas who was Inexplicably traded from a Good Team that thought they were rebuilding, Christian Benford the 6th round nobody who battled his way to the top of the depth chart in just his 2nd year, Damar Hamlin, the man who died and lived to tell about it and then made the pro bowl, Taylor Rapp, the backup safety who won a Super Bowl, proposed to his girlfriend and then became a lights out starter. 
 

The kicker. Tyler Bass the epitome of thick skin and resiliency… The man who overcame so much yet was loved so little. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. 

 

The coach. He had his 13 seconds of fame as the 12th man called for his head. Old faithful has let loose this year and is the best version of himself and even did snow angels. 
 

The GM. Early on many questioned his ability to build the team and acquire talent but he has proven to be a mastermind. He even looks like your typical GM would in a movie. 
 

Last but not least, the 12th man. Enough said. 

 

This year of “the great reset” has a different feel to it. I want to say what I'm thinking but I don't want to jinx it, if you know what I mean. 

 

 

 

For any question about this team, this FO, this life.........this is the correct answer.

[Rocky Landing]

For anyone talking about "dream seasons," or "stars aligning," etc., please STFU.

 

EDIT: ...respectfully.

Edited December 5 by Rocky Landing

[jimmy10]

One week at a time. Enjoy the ride. 

[Utah John]

14 hours ago, Bills!Win! said:

ok. Cats out of the bag. Let’s win the next 2 and open our stadium with a Lombardi party 

The new stadium won't open until 2026.  So I think we'll have to settle for the Lombardi party at Rich/Ralph/New Something Or Other.

[90sBills]

6 hours ago, BillsFanNC said:

 

But if you're into pointing at the stars aligning for a team then I'd look at how KC's season has played out thus far before the Bills.

 

They’re elves. They inspire no one. 

[starrymessenger]

3 hours ago, dorquemada said:

 

This is why I don't want to play the steelers in the playoffs.  Not sure they're 'dirty' per se but Bills always seem to lose a bunch of guys to injury every time they play

I worry more about the Steelers than any other AFC team. To me their D is best built to confront Josh. They are good on all three levels. They have Watt coming off the edge and Cam Hayward in the middle to make stepping up in the pocket problematic. Their secondary with Fitzpatrick and Porter is solid. Well coached veteran team. And Russ is coming off a game where he looks like a HOF guy.

[msw2112]

1 hour ago, starrymessenger said:

I worry more about the Steelers than any other AFC team. To me their D is best built to confront Josh. They are good on all three levels. They have Watt coming off the edge and Cam Hayward in the middle to make stepping up in the pocket problematic. Their secondary with Fitzpatrick and Porter is solid. Well coached veteran team. And Russ is coming off a game where he looks like a HOF guy.

 

I have not watched much Steelers football this season.  I saw them lose to the Browns in a snow game.  My impression of the team is that they're steady and don't make a lot of mistakes.  Their ceiling is not very high, but their floor is very high.  If the Bills and Steelers played and both played their best, the Bills should win easily. If the Bills were to have an off day, the Steelers would be steady and could pull off the upset.  That's different from a team like Miami, where they could play well and the Bills could have an off day, but the Bills would still win.

 

While it's obvious that the opponent has to be taken into account when formulating a game plan, the Bills need to focus on playing their game and being the best Bills team they can be, rather than being concerned about who their opponent will be.  Any team they face in the playoffs will be a good team, to some extent.  If the Bills play their best football, there's no team that they can't beat.  If a team like the Steelers play their best football, there are still several teams that could still beat them.

Edited December 5 by msw2112

[Augie]

14 hours ago, QCity said:

There's 5 weeks left in the season.

 

….and only ONE game this week. That’s the only one that counts right now. 

 

I get the sentiment, but I’m trying (very hard!) to remain calm. 

[starrymessenger]

7 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

 

I have not watched much Steelers football this season.  I saw them lose to the Browns in a snow game.  My impression of the team is that they're steady and don't make a lot of mistakes.  Their ceiling is not very high, but their floor is very high.  If the Bills and Steelers played and both played their best, the Bills should win easily. If the Bills were to have an off day, the Steelers would be steady and could pull off the upset.  That's different from a team like Miami, where they could play well and the Bills could have an off day, but the Bills would still win.

 

While it's obvious that the opponent has to be taken into account when formulating a game plan, the Bills need to focus on being concerned about who their opponent will be.  Any team they face in the playoffs will be a good time, to some extent.  If the Bills play their best football, there's no team that they can't beat.  If the Steelers play their best football, there are still several teams that could still beat them.

I hope you are right, though I probably have a higher opinion of the Steelers than you do. To me if Russ holds up they are good on both sides of the ball. What's important is not who they were at the beginning of the year, it's who they appear to be now when it most matters.

I sort of agree with Pickens that Steelers probably win the game with the Browns on a clean field. 
I worry about Pittsburgh but I'd look forward to playing them because it could be a great game IMO.
 

[ALLinALLEN]

Just. Keep. Winning.

[hondo in seattle]

I'll feel the stars are aligned when: 

 

1.  We win home field advantage.

 

2.  We take the field for our first playoff game and there are no consequential names on the injury report and no one on IR.  

 

That would be a beautiful thing.

[Shaw66]

Thanks for this. It's a great read. It's certainly one perspective of the team, and it's not too far off. 

 

We can admire these men. They are good stories, all. 

 

Oh, and Micah Hyde is back, the safety who was, simply, a stud. 

 

 

[Homelander]

Can we delete this thread?

[ProcessTruster]

hope so. go bills. 

 

"the process" of constantly upgrading the roster bit by bit with quality, talented, gifted players/humans has gotten the team to this point.   the self centered Mike Edwards/Stef Diggs of the world changed out for  the team guys like Shakir, Hollins, Hydes of the world just the latest moves.  

 

we are extremely lucky to watch this "process" continue to unfold before our eyes

[Success]

7 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

For anyone talking about "dream seasons," or "stars aligning," etc., please STFU.

 

EDIT: ...respectfully.

 

I hear you.

 

However, I have spent most of 5+ decades "not jinxing."  I'm not so sure it works. Maybe we should start talking w/ some confidence.

 

Just a counter-point.

 

[JimBob2232]

You are never as good as you think you are when you win...

[ganesh]

On 12/6/2024 at 1:02 AM, starrymessenger said:

I hope you are right, though I probably have a higher opinion of the Steelers than you do. To me if Russ holds up they are good on both sides of the ball. What's important is not who they were at the beginning of the year, it's who they appear to be now when it most matters.

I sort of agree with Pickens that Steelers probably win the game with the Browns on a clean field. 
I worry about Pittsburgh but I'd look forward to playing them because it could be a great game IMO.
 

And they have the best defensive player in the league...he makes plays when it counts....

 

Also, the Steelers are legit with Wilson at the wheels.  

 

I think this years playoffs is going to be very competitive and exciting.  Bills, Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens, Chargers and Houston are teams with legitimate super bowl aspirations. 

 

If one of Dolphins or Bengals can squeeze in for that final playoff spot, it will be a big party.    And even Denver has one of the best defense in the league and can kick these two teams on the curbside.   Go Bills !!! 

[NewEra]

On 12/4/2024 at 7:57 PM, Bills!Win! said:

When the bills traded Diggs this past off-season, our family collectively burned my wife’s Diggs t-shirt and called it “The great reset” as we exorcised the demons and bad memories of the past.

Fast forward to the beginning of the year and we became the ultimate underdogs. They may just make a movie out of this season when it’s all said and done. Think of the storylines we will look back at as our dream season comes to an end:

 

-Our QB, a kid who gets overlooked his whole life gets engaged to a movie star/singer and plays out of his mind breaking all sorts of individual, team and NFL records and finally overcomes bias and wins an MVP.

-Our RB James Cook summersaults (pun) and ascends to becoming an elite back after years of Josh Allen having to carry the team on his back. The trio of the three headed monster, flash, dash and smash will scare you out of your socks. 

 

-Our Wr’s, who were thought to be the weakest position on the roster play unselfishly after years of all the Diggs drama. The unit doesn’t even skip a beat as “everyone eats” and “free the feet” become contagious catch phrases. 

-Our TE’s, the DK bro’s, consist of the guy who humbly helps his successor and is playing the best football of his career with limited drops. Oh, and not to mention, his wedding sparked a new anthem for our home crowd who  adopted “Mr. Bright Side, adding a strange yet exciting new Bills tradition. 
 

-The offensive line. The Schnow plow. The left side is covered by a massively overweight fun-loving goofball who plows people over yet for most of his career he has seen the haters come at him in full force. The right side is a formerly often ridiculed monster who towers over people and will knock you out if you breathe on his quarterback. The center is a former guard who many questioned could even play the position and is positioned next to the 2 most underrated players on the team. 
 

-The defensive line. Von Miller the savvy yet stoic veteran who many love to hate and hate to love, Ed Oliver, Mr. Lasso, the one bills fans wanted gone yet found away to prove the haters wrong, Epenesa and Groot, the men who the mafia called mediocre, flourish as they step up their game.

 

-The linebackers. The heart of the team takes form in an undersized 3rd round pick who came out of nowhere and is now a star and the quiet mysterious muscle man that will come back from anything that knocks him down. 
 

The defensive backs. Rasul Douglas who was Inexplicably traded from a Good Team that thought they were rebuilding, Christian Benford the 6th round nobody who battled his way to the top of the depth chart in just his 2nd year, Damar Hamlin, the man who died and lived to tell about it and then made the pro bowl, Taylor Rapp, the backup safety who won a Super Bowl, proposed to his girlfriend and then became a lights out starter. 
 

The kicker. Tyler Bass the epitome of thick skin and resiliency… The man who overcame so much yet was loved so little. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. 

 

The coach. He had his 13 seconds of fame as the 12th man called for his head. Old faithful has let loose this year and is the best version of himself and even did snow angels. 
 

The GM. Early on many questioned his ability to build the team and acquire talent but he has proven to be a mastermind. He even looks like your typical GM would in a movie. 
 

Last but not least, the 12th man. Enough said. 

 

This year of “the great reset” has a different feel to it. I want to say what I'm thinking but I don't want to jinx it, if you know what I mean. 

Obviously not-  McDermott has never won a championship and that won’t change until he does.  I learnt that here today