Ok on to Detroit....

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

What is the over under on how many rushing yards Detroit gets against us. I’m saying it starts at 178 yards and probably goes up. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

28 minutes ago, Cray51 said:

You continue to say "Decent QB".  Why do you consider a healthy Stafford with Nacua and Kupp a "Decent QB"?  You are talking about a top 5 offensive unit who are 6-2 in their last 8 weeks as guys are getting healthy.  As I wrote in another thread, over the past 4 years this team has allowed 35 points or more only 5 times, and 4 were to top level offenses.

Ok he is very good.

35 points is an arbitrary cut off.

Bills defense only gave up 22 points against Texans in the playoff game but it was a complete defensive collapse in the second half. 

Last year Bills defense gave up game losing drives to Jets and Patriots. Both under 35 points. 

I assume you are including Bills Eagles from last year where D gave up 37 points. In that game Josh walked off the field with the lead twice and the D lost it both times.

I will give McDermott some credit. He owns the Dolphins. One of a few teams his scheme holds up well.

I actually hope we get the Chiefs in the playoffs. I am much more afraid of what Bengals, Chargers, and Ravens would do to Bills defense. 

 

With Josh and this offense all we need is slight below average defensive play and they can beat anyone. What Josh can't overcome is terrible special teams and abysmal defense like we saw last weekend. 

 

 

 

[zow2]

This Detroit game is going to be great. There's so many reasons the Bills are going to show up and ball out for this game.

 

1) McDermott, Babich and the defense were humiliated.  They were taken to school vs LA and I can guarantee as high level competitors, the defense is coming as if this is a playoff game.  We all hope they stay away from injuries, but this is probably the final game before playoffs that everyone who can play is playing and going 110%.  They will be flying around the ball and tackling better to make amends from last week. They can't allow another opposing team Star player to go off with a career day. They can't and won't allow Detroit's Oline to dominate the trenches.

 

2) The Special Teams were humilated vs LA.  They allowed a punt block TD and then went brain dead on being prepared for the final punt. They never even gave themselves a chance to block the Rams punt or set up a return due to 9 men on the field. Enough said, those guys will be dialed in.

 

3) Without Allen's amazing scrambling, the rushing attack netted 21 yards.  The Bills Oline will be coming out ready to be fast and physical in the run game. They will win the trench battle this week.

 

4) Allen is going for the MVP.  It's all in his control.  I know some people here don't care, but I've heard Dion and some of the other guys talk about it as being a big deal in the room. Despite what people think, the MVP is not in the bag yet. If the Bills play well and Allen leads them to a win, he leaves Detroit with the MVP in the bag. If they lose and Josh does so-so, the door swings open for Saquon to have a shot. Tough to go 0-2 in the big late afternoon game two Sunday's in a row while the nation is watching.

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, finn said:

The good news is that it will be hard for other teams to replicate that level of execution.

 

It isn't that hard. It happens to us in the playoffs every single year.

[Gregg]

6 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Ok he is very good.

35 points is an arbitrary cut off.

Bills defense only gave up 22 points against Texans in the playoff game but it was a complete defensive collapse in the second half. 

Last year Bills defense gave up game losing drives to Jets and Patriots. Both under 35 points. 

I assume you are including Bills Eagles from last year where D gave up 37 points. In that game Josh walked off the field with the lead twice and the D lost it both times.

I will give McDermott some credit. He owns the Dolphins. One of a few teams his scheme holds up well.

I actually hope we get the Chiefs in the playoffs. I am much more afraid of what Bengals, Chargers, and Ravens would do to Bills defense. 

 

With Josh and this offense all we need is slight below average defensive play and they can beat anyone. What Josh can't overcome is terrible special teams and abysmal defense like we saw last weekend. 

 

 

 

 

I doubt the Bengals make it. After the Titans this week they get the Browns (always a battle with these teams), Broncos and Steelers. They are not winning all 4 games.

[Cray51]

11 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Ok he is very good.

35 points is an arbitrary cut off.

Bills defense only gave up 22 points against Texans in the playoff game but it was a complete defensive collapse in the second half. 

Last year Bills defense gave up game losing drives to Jets and Patriots. Both under 35 points. 

I assume you are including Bills Eagles from last year where D gave up 37 points. In that game Josh walked off the field with the lead twice and the D lost it both times.

I will give McDermott some credit. He owns the Dolphins. One of a few teams his scheme holds up well.

I actually hope we get the Chiefs in the playoffs. I am much more afraid of what Bengals, Chargers, and Ravens would do to Bills defense. 

 

With Josh and this offense all we need is slight below average defensive play and they can beat anyone. What Josh can't overcome is terrible special teams and abysmal defense like we saw last weekend. 

 

 

 

We can make the cutoff whatever you want for points - at the end of the day a game is won over 60 minutes, and while specific drives may be considered more impactful, that's really only a bias towards what we feel is the most important time of the game.  The scoreboard is black and white, you dont get a victory for allowing more points than you score.

 

The Texans playoff game was a collapse by the offense as well, several key drops and poor decisions by Allen cost us that game just as much as our defense may have.

Jets/Bronos/Patriots games last year the offense was absolutely terrible (and led to the OC being fired).  Allen looked bad and the cumulative stats back that up

In the Eagles game they dont get to 37 points if Allen and Gabe davis connect on their TD - if we want to point to a specific drive, we can also point to specific plays by the offense that caused the defense to go back onto the field when they didnt have to

 

At the end of the day, you ask your offense to get you 30 points.  You dont ask HOW they get there, you ask them to simply get there.  Anything on top of that is gravy.  When the Bills defense has allowed more than 30 points, it's been to great offenses (in all but one case - the Colts in 21).  McD has flaws, nobody is perfect.  But when we watch the Bengals defense allow as many 35+ games this year alone (5 TIMES) than McD and the Bills have in the past 4, it's funny to see all of the hate on McD.

[Logic]

This matchup is everything you dream about all offseason long.

The best team in the AFC going up against the best team in the NFC in a possible Super Bowl preview.

Two proud but historically tortured franchises and fan bases, now witnessing success at a level rarely seen for their team.

Two teams who have been NFL laughingstocks for decades but who now, by virtue of the exciting brand of football they both play, are being looked at as the undisputed NFL Game of the Week. 

The CBS pre-game crew will be in Detroit, once again treating a late window Bills matchup as a major event. All eyes will be on this game.

Will the Bills, coming off a humbling loss in LA, be fired up to rebound, solidify their hold on the AFC two-seed, and show the entire nation who they really are? Or will they get punched in the mouth by a more physical opponent? Which MVP caliber QB will step up when it matters most? Which Super Bowl hopeful will come out on top?

Yes, in the sometimes torturously long NFL offseason, THESE are the games I dream of. I can hardly wait.

[dave mcbride]

1 minute ago, Logic said:

This matchup is everything you dream about all offseason long.

The best team in the AFC going up against the best team in the NFC in a possible Super Bowl preview.

Two proud but historically tortured franchises and fan bases, now witnessing success at a level rarely seen for their team.

Two teams who have been NFL laughingstocks for decades but who now, by virtue of the exciting brand of football they both play, are being looked at as the undisputed NFL Game of the Week. 

The CBS pre-game crew will be in Detroit, once again treating a late window Bills matchup as a major event. All eyes will be on this game.

Will the Bills, coming off a humbling loss in LA, be fired up to rebound, solidify their hold on the AFC two-seed, and show the entire nation who they really are? Or will they get punched in the mouth by a more physical opponent? Which MVP caliber QB will step up when it matters most? Which Super Bowl hopeful will come out on top?

Yes, in the sometimes torturously long NFL offseason, THESE are the games I dream of. I can hardly wait.

Is it even the game of the week? Eagles-Steelers is also very attractive.

[Logic]

5 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Is it even the game of the week? Eagles-Steelers is also very attractive.

I agree that's a good one too.

Bills-Lions is AFC 2 seed vs NFC 1 seed

Steelers-Eagles is AFC 3 seed vs NFC 2 seed

Both kick off at 1:25 (or 4:25 if you live on the inferior football-watching coast).

CBS will treat Bills-Lions like the game of the week, while Fox will do the same for Eagles-Steelers. I believe Fox is the only one allowed to use the "America's Game of the Week" title.

TBH, it's a crime that both games are on at the same time. I wish one had gotten flexed to SNF, but I'm guessing both networks protected their respective games, and understandably so.

Edited December 10 by Logic

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

2 hours ago, colin said:

 

you know, that's a great point.  we lost the turnover battle if you consider a blocked punt a TO (i do) and especially since they just got it back for a TD.  if we only allowed a FG after they got the ball back, we might have won the game with a lead the whole 4th quarter.

 

If the bills d gets zero TOs, they are trash.  sadly, that's the reality of it.  the good part is russ, lamar, and mahomes love to turn it over.  the bad part is a well oiled on time O like the rams or detroit just exposes everything we lack on D.

 

I kinda feel like the d and mcd and babbich know the pooped the bed and need to show out next sunday

My hope also is that we show better on defense this week. My worry is we are just flat limited vs real good offenses of this type.

[mannc]

Bills only +1.5…must be a reflection of Detroit’s injuries and fact that they’ve looked vulnerable the last two weeks.

[Beast]

Toughest opponent of the year. Our defense plays like they did against the Rams and the Lions will have a legit chance to hang 50 on us.

[Gregg]

27 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Is it even the game of the week? Eagles-Steelers is also very attractive.

 

CBS is doing the pre and post-game show from Detroit just like they did in OP a few weeks ago. Yes, it is the game of week. 4:25 start national broadcast.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Does Detroit have bad turf? Didn’t we lose players on the field before?

[Goin Breakdown]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

It isn't that hard. It happens to us in the playoffs every single year.

Not going to lie. Things kinda true. 

[Logic]

Bills lost two games and then won 7 in a row.

Maybe, just maybe, the Bills will -- for the second time this season -- lose two games and then win 7 in a row.

For those who are good at math, well...ya know.  🏆

Edited December 10 by Logic

[Gary Marangi]

15 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Does Detroit have bad turf? Didn’t we lose players on the field before?

Yup past 2 games there major injures 

[zow2]

32 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Does Detroit have bad turf? Didn’t we lose players on the field before?

 

That's where Von messed up his knee that took him over a year to recover.  But his knee got hit, that's not turf related.  

[SoMAn]

My concern is that Joe Brady is actually Detroit native Marshall Mathers  - AKA Eminmen and will sabatoge the Bills.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

It isn't that hard. It happens to us in the playoffs every single year.

I agree - not sure where that narrative started - the whole - they’re the only ones who can do that to us narrative.

2019 - 6 losses

2020 - 3 losses

2021 - 6 losses

2022 - 3 losses 

2023 - 6 losses

2024 - 3 losses

 

Nobody will be able to replicate what the Rams did, maybe that’s true, but it’s not ironclad.

 

Anyways, it’s all opportunity for the Bills. They’re in the Playoffs, their offense is back to outputs not seen since 2020, and they finish with 3 winnable games against the division.