How tough is our schedule this year?

[PromoTheRobot]

9/10 - @ New England - loss 0-1

9/17 - @ Miami - loss, maybe 0-2

9/24 - New York Jets - win 1-2

10/1 - Minnesota - win, maybe 2-2

10/8 - @ Chicago - loss, maybe 2-3

10/15 - @ Detroit - win, maybe 3-3

10/22 - New England - loss 3-4

11/5 - Green Bay - win 4-4

11/12 - @ Indianapolis - loss 4-5

11/19 - @ Houston - win 5-5

11/26 - Jacksonville - loss 5-6

12/3 - San Diego - win 6-6

12/10 - @ New York Jets - win 7-6

12/17 - Miami - win 8-6

12/24 - Tennessee - win 9-6

12/31 - @ Baltimore - win 10-6

 

You can never know how good or bad teams will be from year to year. But based on last years records, our schedule looks tough early, but quite easy in the second half. Anyone care to offer a rebuttal? Are any of my predictions off?

 

PTR

[IDBillzFan]

You kinda answered your own question with this statement.

You can never know how good or bad teams will be from year to year.

715798[/snapback]

Who's to say who will be the Miami QB in Week 2? Or how good Detroit will be? To me, the only part of the schedule which you can predict for certain in terms of level of difficulty is how many consecutive road games you have, and how far you are traveling to those games before coming home. I think we're fortunate that we're not doing any cross-country trips this year as we seem to suck in west coast games as well as the game we play directly after it.

[Rubes]

A five game winning streak to end the season sure would be nice.

[cantankerous]

Who's to say who will be the Miami QB in Week 2?

715817[/snapback]

 

I'll tell you...but shhhhh don't tell anybody.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joey Harrington

[Acantha]

I would say:

 

12/3 - San Diego - Loss, 5-7

12/10 - @ New York Jets - win 6-7

12/17 - Miami - Loss, 6-8

12/24 - Tennessee - win 7-8

12/31 - @ Baltimore - loss, 7-9

[Zona]

I would say:

 

12/3 - San Diego - Loss, 5-7

12/10 - @ New York Jets - win 6-7

12/17 - Miami - Loss, 6-8

12/24 - Tennessee - win 7-8

12/31 - @ Baltimore - loss, 7-9

715888[/snapback]

 

NO FUGGIN WAY do we lose to the Fish in our house in DECEMBER!!! That game is an AUTOMATIC W!!!!

 

SQUISH THE FISH!

[richNjoisy]

Promo: I assessed this schedule similarly with the Central NJ Backers - so far, I could practically hear a pin drop. There is SO much negativity coming into this season. I am hard-pressed to find an offseason where the fans are so underestimating the upcoming season. Last year, many of us (myself included) way overestimated the strength of the team and thus were shocked as the season progressed. My lone holdever risky expectation from last year is that I still have faith in JP. Without going through each game as you did (I already did in a mass email to the CNJBBB and came up with an even BETTER W-L record than you did), here are my assumptions/expectations for the 2006 Bills:

 

1.) JP will WIN the starting QB job

2.) The offensive line will play markedly better than it did last year

 

If I am wrong on #2, the season is over. Period. If I am wrong on #1 then either Nall is better than I think or JP is worse since Kelly will be the starter. IMO: Kelly = starter means 6-7 wins tops regardless of #2. Kelly is a fine backup but a mediocre starter.

 

If #1 and #2 happen as I expect, then several things fall into place:

 

a.) A better run game although McGahee remains a mystery to me skillwise

b.) Better play from JP (more time to throw, play actions will work, JP's confidence will increase, and he'll begin to play much better-- the WR core may be a weakness, I am unsure on this)

c.) The defense will be on the field less

 

The defense is a big question mark. I DO expect the defensive backfield to be stellar. I like very much the starters that are there and I am excited about the youngsters ready to step in right away. The linebacking core is either great (full return to health of TKO), average (TKO limited in ability), or poor (TKO not able to play effectively). Finally I come to the defensive line. Who knows? They wreaked last year. Can they play worse? I doubt it so I feel it is safe to raise their play to below average to average. After JP, the achilles heal of the Bills.

 

So, it comes down to Offensive Line Play (if improved as I expect then a big jump in the win column) and the play at QB (I expect JP to win the job and benefit from better line play and more playing time).

 

So, like you PTR, I am way more positive about the 2006 Bills than most of the posters here.

 

I like the schedule except for all the cold games I may have to drive 420 miles to attend (brrr).

 

Go BIlls!

 

RichNJoisy

CNJBBB

[ganesh]

Road wins are hard......We will have a L at Houston....

San Diego creamed us last year, going up by 35 points before halftime....

I don't expect us to win against them...

 

That makes it 8-8....If we get a few breaks, may be we make it to 10-6....

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

That's laughable. To make 10 wins, you have to have players who make some plays. Who on the offense will make plays? Will our rookie secondary make plays? How about that DL? Who's blocking? To think we go 10-6 is just flat-out retarded.

[Coach Tuesday]

You do realize that every other team on the schedule is sure that they're gonna beat the Bills, don't you? And by the way, we're not gonna beat Houston, Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, or San Diego.

 

This team will be lucky to win 3 games. I'm sorry, go ahead and call me a horrible fan (Why even watch the games then, Coach Tuesday?), I don't care - there is almost no talent on this team. They are completely rebuilding and heading in the right direction, but this year is going to be brutal.

[BUFFALOTONE]

That's laughable. To make 10 wins, you have to have players who make some plays. Who on the offense will make plays? Will our rookie secondary make plays? How about that DL? Who's blocking? To think we go 10-6 is just flat-out retarded.

716039[/snapback]

 

 

As I do not share JSPs enthusiasm I do have to agree with his logic. Its hard pressed to see where this team can muster up the talent to win 7 games much less 10. I really hope they prove everyone wrong, but I have no problem with the direction this team is going and hopefully it turns into something great again. Look at the bright side "Brady Quinn".

[richNjoisy]

You do realize that every other team on the schedule is sure that they're gonna beat the Bills, don't you?  And by the way, we're not gonna beat Houston, Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, or San Diego.

 

This team will be lucky to win 3 games.  I'm sorry, go ahead and call me a horrible fan (Why even watch the games then, Coach Tuesday?), I don't care - there is almost no talent on this team.  They are completely rebuilding and heading in the right direction, but this year is going to be brutal.

716046[/snapback]

 

 

HAHA! I have been called a horrible fan in my time too - for speaking negatively about the Bills of course! So, Coach T, you won't hear from me that description of your team loyalty coming from my mouth. You simply, along with practically all non-Bills fans and a majority of Bills fans, have a very negative assessment of the current roster.

 

So, I disagree with you in your assessment but anyone who calls you a "horrible Bills fan" and asks you "why watch the games" is not worthy of a reply. I am CERTAIN that you would be THRILLED if PTR's and my assessment of the 2006 Bills is accurate and yours (among others) is way off base. Right?

 

I would, however, like to ask you two questions: What was your expectation for the 2005 Bills heading into the season?

When was the last time you expected a winning season heading into the season?

 

Here's to you eating crow by mid-November Mr. Tuesday!

 

and don't forget to stop by at Hammer's on 9/24 for some buffalo wings from yours truly (assuming you'll be at the Opener?)

 

-RichNJoisy

CNJBBB

[Coach Tuesday]

Here's to you eating crow by mid-November Mr. Tuesday! 

716057[/snapback]

 

I would love nothing more than to eat my crow with Frank's hot sauce.

 

I thought we'd go 4-12 last year, I guess I was pleasantly surprised...

 

The last time I predicted a winning season was two years ago, lo and behold...

 

Of course I hope PTR is correct. That would be amazing.

[Arkady Renko]

Well, if the schedule is going to back-loaded or front-loaded this year, better to be front-loaded considering that the team should improve later in the season.

[Pyrite Gal]

You do realize that every other team on the schedule is sure that they're gonna beat the Bills, don't you?  And by the way, we're not gonna beat Houston, Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, or San Diego.

 

This team will be lucky to win 3 games.  I'm sorry, go ahead and call me a horrible fan (Why even watch the games then, Coach Tuesday?), I don't care - there is almost no talent on this team.  They are completely rebuilding and heading in the right direction, but this year is going to be brutal.

716046[/snapback]

 

I think any team which is SURE they are gonna beat some other team on the road right now is simply foolish and is putting themselves in an excellent position to be cruising for a bruising.

 

Looking at your deathless predictions:

 

Houston- This is simply a bad team and any depression one can muster about the Bills leading to assumptions of bad outcomes is even more legit to muster about Houston. Not one we should put in the W column as we are on the road, but easily not one we should put in the loss column either as this game is eminently winnable even at this early point.

 

Baltimore: Way to early in the season for any certainty on this one, I have it pegged as a likely loss at this too early point but I suspect/expect this game to be competitive.

 

 

Green Bay- Another bad team and this one we get at home. Even favr was at least uncertain about whether they did enough and despite his great talent at his age he is actually on of the great pieces of uncertainty regarding this team. Even if you assume we are troubled this year and get some bad breaks this one is not unreasomable to put in the W column for us at this point. The only reason to put it in the L column is if you have some firm belief that the Pack is back. What positive case would you make for them?

 

Detroit- These were two teams whose GMs mismanaged their rebuilding. The differences are that Millen was screwing up even worse than TD was and that Millen is still with Detroit. Again its a road game and home advantage counts for something in this league (though clearly it is not determinative), but one would need to make a case for why you think Detroit has righted the ship of football to count this as a definite loss.

 

Minn- On the face of it are prospects are not good facing a team which produced a winning record last year. However, MN is simply not that imposing. The Bills produced a similar 9-7 record the year before last and the Vikes are not so deadlock certain to improve that a similar fate to our reality last year is not impossible for this opponent.

 

I think that this game will actually come at a crtical point in the season for the Bills. The likelihood is we will be 1-2 at this point (though maybe 2-1 as I think that we are more likely to upset the Fins in MI than than NYJ is likely to upset us though I do not expect either event to occur and feel free to make a case for why someone is a NYJ believer if you want).

 

In either case I think we will have strong incentive to beat the Vikes at the Ralph and anyone who locks this one in as a definite L needs to simply make a positive case for the Vikes ratber than simply feel negative about the Bills,

 

SD- Likewise with them. One cannot feel confident as a Bill facing a team which made the playoffs last year. However, if one predicts an L for the Bills the necessary thing to make this more than simply a sad sack prediction which says more about the predictor than the team would be to lay out a case why one is such a believer in Philip Rivers and SD rather than simply feeling negative about the Bills.

 

I think one can easily still be a good Bills fans and predict losses by the Bills. Hpwever, the mark of a good fan is that these predictions are based on a rational judgement that the opponent is better than us.

 

I think one is a non-fan when one irrationally predicts your team will lose (Rationality is not the total determinant here as I think a good fan easily irrationally believes their team will win). However, i think any fans commitment to the team is questionable when all they are about is irrationally predicting doom.

 

So predicting 3-13 is a fine thing for a fan to do. However, if one is going to ijvest in DOOM then this choice raises the bar for this decision to be based on some rational assessment, not simply that we will be bad but that our opponents are going to be good.

 

My sense is that the predictions the Bills will be winless are laughable not because I think that the Bills are going to be that great, but that I am fairly certain that a number of teams from NYJ (whom we play twice), Houston, Detroit, Tennesee, and Green Bay are gonna be that bad.

 

Even if this is half true I see 3 wins here and there is a second tier of teams including Miami, Baltimore, SD, MN, and Jax who are also not that imposing and can lose to anybody anywhere. If the oddly shaped ball bounces the right way for us I can easily see us finding 2 Ws in thes six games.

 

A decision that we are gonna wion 3 means a decision to believe in these opponents.

[2003]

I think the Bills season will be like this:

9/10 - @ New England - W (1-0)

9/17 - @ Miami - L (1-1)

9/24 - New York Jets - W (2-1)

10/1 - Minnesota - W (3-1)

10/8 - @ Chicago - L (3-2)

10/15 - @ Detroit - W (4-2)

10/22 - New England - W (5-2)

11/5 - Green Bay - W (6-2)

11/12 - @ Indianapolis - L ( 6-3)

11/19 - @ Houston - W (7-3)

11/26 - Jacksonville - W (8-3)

12/3 - San Diego - L (8-4)

12/10 - @ New York Jets - W (9-4)

12/17 - Miami - W (10-4)

12/24 - Tennessee - W (11-4)

12/31 - @ Baltimore - L (11-5)

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

9/10 - @ New England - W (1-0)

716115[/snapback]

 

I don't know what's funnier, the first post in this thread or this one...

 

When's the last time the Bills won in NE?

[RuntheDamnBall]

I don't know what's funnier, the first post in this thread or this one...

 

When's the last time the Bills won in NE?

716116[/snapback]

We're due!

[2003]

I don't know what's funnier, the first post in this thread or this one...

 

When's the last time the Bills won in NE?

716116[/snapback]

Hey, I know everyone is going to laugh about that prediction, but when it happens, we'll see who will be laughing!

[Coach Tuesday]

A decision that we are gonna wion 3 means a decision to believe in these opponents.

716114[/snapback]

 

No offense, but as is often the case I can't figure out the point you're making.

 

Just curious, what record did you predict last year before the season, if any?