Who are the Bills elite players and do the Bills have enough elite players to win a Super Bowl?

[90sBills]

1 hour ago, UKBillFan said:

 

Be blunt. You're aiming a dig at Josh, so say Josh.

What make you think that’s the case?

[UKBillFan]

39 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

What make you think that’s the case?

 

Because you have mentioned more than once the failure to score on the final drive last week, and Josh needing to take responsibility for it.

 

I get it. I also think he would manage it if he was facing the Bills defense rather than the Chiefs'.

[90sBills]

1 hour ago, UKBillFan said:

 

Because you have mentioned more than once the failure to score on the final drive last week, and Josh needing to take responsibility for it.

 

I get it. I also think he would manage it if he was facing the Bills defense rather than the Chiefs'.

I was responding to a post about Lamar. He has had playoff issues in the past but I thought he finished strong in this game. That was commendable imo. 
 

As for Allen facing the Bills defense…that’s never happening so not sure what your point is or why you even brought up Allen. Are you saying Allen wouldn’t be able to score in those situations against any other defenses besides the Bills? 

[Nihilarian]

not yet!

[folz]

With Josh, I think we have enough talent to make a Super Bowl (we have been close a few times now, but for the bounce of a football here and there). But, as far as does our talent-level match-up with the other contenders? Let's see...

 

Yeah, I guess that I would define elite as top 5 at your position across the league (others may have a different definition). So, how many Bills are top 5 at their position?

 

Josh, absolutely

Dion, yes, been one of the best LTs for a couple of years now

Taron has been a top-5 (probably top-2 or -3) slot corner for a number of years now (if he isn't slowing down)

 

Cook (he's on the edge, but I might give him the nod). Over the last two years, he is 6th in yards from scrimmage by RBs and tied for 4th in total TDs by a RB. His stats are about equal to guys like Kyren Williams, Breece Hall, and Joe Mixon. With really, only Henry, Barkley, Gibbs, and Robinson above him (though he does have 1 more TD than Robinson). Plus, all of the other guys on the list have a significant number of touches more than Jimbo. For instance, just this year James had 239 touches. While Barkley had 378, Robinson had 365, Williams had 350, Henry had 344, Gibbs had 302, Mixon had 281, Hall had 266. I think I talked myself into saying yes for James. (Interesting stat, as I was looking up RB numbers---RB consistency award goes to Tony Pollard. 2023: 1,316 scrimmage yards and 6 TDs. 2024: 1,317 scrimmage yards and 6 TDs).

 

Milano (if healthy, definitely top-tier. Top 5? Maybe? Probably?)

 

Spencer Brown is a possibility (but I don't know enough about other teams' tackle play to say, but he had a great season and is a monster).

 

Christian Benford: Not sure I have him as elite (top 5 at his position) quite yet. Maybe by next year he can get there.

 

Shakir: If you were to break it down to just slot receivers, I might call him elite. But, don't think you can call him an elite receiver (overall) yet (as much as I love him).

 

That's pretty much it. We may have some other guys with potential, but at the moment, no one else really can be considered elite.

 

 

So, I would say the Bills have 3-5 elite guys at their positions, with a couple of guys on the fringe. But, I guess the question is (in relation to the OP's question of if that's enough for a SB), how many elite guys do other contenders have?

 

KC: Mahomes, Humphrey, Thuney, Jones, McDuffie (Don't think Kelce is elite anymore). So, a solid five for KC? Granted, outside of QBs, it's a more solid 5 than our 5. 

 

Philly: Barkley, Brown, Carter, DeJean?, Baun?, Hurts? Mailata? Johnson? (Don't think Hurts is a top-5 QB; Baun, Mailata, and DeJean all had great seasons...but can we call them elite after just one good season? And the Philly line definitely had some inconsistencies this year (as far as Mailata and Johnson are concerned). Is Lane Johnson still what he was at 34/35 years old?). So, three definite...and maybe up to 6 elite guys.

 

Ravens: Jackson, Henry, Roquan, Humphrey, Hamilton, Madubuike? Andrews? A solid 5 or 6?

 

[Correct me if you think I'm wrong about the other teams.]

 

So, I'd say it probably takes a solid 5 (with one or two guys also on the fringe). We have a solid 3 or 4, a more iffy 5 than the other teams, and a few fringe guys. So, I would say probably two more solid elite guys would have us at the level or better than the other contending teams (would love to see those elite players added this year at DE/DT or DE/WR). Even just a proven, stud FA/trade pass-rusher would go a long way in balancing things out talent-wise, imo. 

[UKBillFan]

7 hours ago, 90sBills said:

I was responding to a post about Lamar. He has had playoff issues in the past but I thought he finished strong in this game. That was commendable imo. 
 

As for Allen facing the Bills defense…that’s never happening so not sure what your point is or why you even brought up Allen. Are you saying Allen wouldn’t be able to score in those situations against any other defenses besides the Bills? 

 

I think the argument that Lamar put his team in a hole in a valid one. It's a credit that he regrouped and brought in back but he choked in the first half more than any other QB into he play offs this year other than Jared Goff. And it cost the Ravens.

 

The Chiefs and Ravens are the strongest defenses in the NFL, with great DCs. I think any QB would find it tough to walk the field against the clock. As for the Bills... we've seen historically it's not so difficult.

[NoName]

JA and Dion Dawkins are elite imo. 

 

Cook, Benford, McGovern are very good, B+ type players.

Milano, Johnson, Bernard, Brown,  are B players.

 

I haven't watched Edwards much this season but I wonder if he might be a good B level player as well.