Is Bills record a result of playing weak opponents?

[Pyrite Gal]

For sure! However, this point matters little as you only play the teams the schedulers tell you to play and like it or not (Mort) the Bills are 4 and 0.

 

Is the point that our opponents were dogs relevant at all?

 

Yep, sure it is, but only to the extent of measuring us against our next opponent and how did they amass their record.

 

In terms of our opponents throughout this season, it seems to be a product of an NFL which values parity, but all of our future opponents have clear weaknesses which actually appear larger than any discount one wants to give the Bills for facing schmucks..

 

The team simply needs to focus on next week in terms of their opponents (with the coaching braintrust keeping a focus on the game at hand as well but with the back of their minds thinking about the big picture in terms of setting up tendencies and pacing their players with the full schedule in mind.

 

We fans on the other hand can do whatever floats our boats and should feel free to fantasize about future outcomes.

 

As I see it, things will change a lot as the season progresses but right now, the pitiful general performance of the Fish, the up and down performance of NYJ as they get used to Favre, and the injury to Brady makes 4-2 extremely doable, 5-1 a real world possibility and the dream of 6-0 a silly fantasy before at least something to aspire to in order to make reality as good as it can be.

 

If we 4 that puts us at 8 wins with 6 other games to think about to find the 2 wins which may well get us into the playoffs, the 3 wins which virtually guarantee it and so on. With Cleveland and SF at home and AZ and KC on the road you would have to be a fool not to like our chances.

 

What the NFL results show us after Miami demolished NE and the Broncs fell to KC is that any given week is the reality of the NFL. While 4-2 in the division is eminently doable even that is no certainty. The only thing real so far is 4-0 and particularly since we play whom they schedule against us this is imply the reality.

 

Like it or not-

 

1. The first win against Seattle was at home against a team getting worse. However, they were a team that was good two years running and the reality is we blew them away. Even if you want to argue they were schmucks we beat them like you beat up a shmuck so this was a real positive.

 

2. The Jax win was against a wounded team for sure. However, one of the few predictors of outcome in th NFL is home field advantage and we won on the road against a recent playoff team. Jax is badly damaged but they still pulled off two straight wins pointing to the Bills game being real whether I am a homer or not (I am and proud off it).

 

3. In many ways the worse Bills performance of the year in that this home game should have been won comfortably. Yet we struggled. Methinks this was the any given Sunday game. The good news is that when you win you get to make lemonade out of lemons, This is one of those games cause we won. The key to winning a fight in this league where parity is king is not whether you are tough enough to knock the opponent down (everybody is) but whether you get back up again. The lemonade from this game is that not only did the Bills crawl back into it after a dreadful start, but even after a sudden long touchdown for the Faders we still came back to clip them. I am not pleased with the way we played but overjoyed with the way we won.

 

4. Game 4 is also not one for the scrap album except for the highlights, but after a lackluster first half and even a sullen third quarter, we simply blew out an eminently blowoutable team. Its one we should win even if on the road and win going away and we did.

 

The key now is that though if you asked any Bills fan before the season began how he would have felt if we were 4-1 going into the bye he would have said ecstatic. This is still true but the players must simply focus on one game at a time.

 

If they can win on the road against a bad team and enter the bye at 5-0 then they simply need to resist reveling and worry about beating a beatable SD team at home. the first task is to win a winnable game in AZ.

 

We will happily have psychotic dreams of a perfect season for them.

[BillsCelticsAngelsBama]

For sure! However, this point matters little as you only play the teams the schedulers tell you to play and like it or not (Mort) the Bills are 4 and 0.

 

Is the point that our opponents were dogs relevant at all?

 

Yep, sure it is, but only to the extent of measuring us against our next opponent and how did they amass their record.

 

In terms of our opponents throughout this season, it seems to be a product of an NFL which values parity, but all of our future opponents have clear weaknesses which actually appear larger than any discount one wants to give the Bills for facing schmucks..

 

The team simply needs to focus on next week in terms of their opponents (with the coaching braintrust keeping a focus on the game at hand as well but with the back of their minds thinking about the big picture in terms of setting up tendencies and pacing their players with the full schedule in mind.

 

We fans on the other hand can do whatever floats our boats and should feel free to fantasize about future outcomes.

 

As I see it, things will change a lot as the season progresses but right now, the pitiful general performance of the Fish, the up and down performance of NYJ as they get used to Favre, and the injury to Brady makes 4-2 extremely doable, 5-1 a real world possibility and the dream of 6-0 a silly fantasy before at least something to aspire to in order to make reality as good as it can be.

 

If we 4 that puts us at 8 wins with 6 other games to think about to find the 2 wins which may well get us into the playoffs, the 3 wins which virtually guarantee it and so on. With Cleveland and SF at home and AZ and KC on the road you would have to be a fool not to like our chances.

 

What the NFL results show us after Miami demolished NE and the Broncs fell to KC is that any given week is the reality of the NFL. While 4-2 in the division is eminently doable even that is no certainty. The only thing real so far is 4-0 and particularly since we play whom they schedule against us this is imply the reality.

 

Like it or not-

 

1. The first win against Seattle was at home against a team getting worse. However, they were a team that was good two years running and the reality is we blew them away. Even if you want to argue they were schmucks we beat them like you beat up a shmuck so this was a real positive.

 

2. The Jax win was against a wounded team for sure. However, one of the few predictors of outcome in th NFL is home field advantage and we won on the road against a recent playoff team. Jax is badly damaged but they still pulled off two straight wins pointing to the Bills game being real whether I am a homer or not (I am and proud off it).

 

3. In many ways the worse Bills performance of the year in that this home game should have been won comfortably. Yet we struggled. Methinks this was the any given Sunday game. The good news is that when you win you get to make lemonade out of lemons, This is one of those games cause we won. The key to winning a fight in this league where parity is king is not whether you are tough enough to knock the opponent down (everybody is) but whether you get back up again. The lemonade from this game is that not only did the Bills crawl back into it after a dreadful start, but even after a sudden long touchdown for the Faders we still came back to clip them. I am not pleased with the way we played but overjoyed with the way we won.

 

4. Game 4 is also not one for the scrap album except for the highlights, but after a lackluster first half and even a sullen third quarter, we simply blew out an eminently blowoutable team. Its one we should win even if on the road and win going away and we did.

 

The key now is that though if you asked any Bills fan before the season began how he would have felt if we were 4-1 going into the bye he would have said ecstatic. This is still true but the players must simply focus on one game at a time.

 

If they can win on the road against a bad team and enter the bye at 5-0 then they simply need to resist reveling and worry about beating a beatable SD team at home. the first task is to win a winnable game in AZ.

 

We will happily have psychotic dreams of a perfect season for them.

I'll try to keep this shorter. Yes

 

But they aren't the first team to do this and playing lesser teams may have helped develop confidence in making the big play at crucial times. Most every team has quality players but some teams just seem to know how to make the winning play/play while others, with equal in ability players, always come up short.

Regardless, the play-calling has been way above average and as long as we are developing our young QB of the future, we might as well be winning at the same time.

[The Big Cat]

overjoyed with the way we won.

 

4. Game 4 is also not one for the scrap album except for the highlights, but after a lackluster first half and even a sullen third quarter, we simply blew out an eminently blowoutable team. Its one we should win even if on the road and win going away and we did.

 

The key now is that though if you asked any Bills fan before the season began how he would have felt if we were 4-1 going into the bye he would have said ecstatic. This is still true but the players must simply focus on one game at a time.

 

If they can win on the road against a bad team and enter the bye at 5-0 then they simply need to resist reveling and worry about beating a beatable SD team at home. the first task is to win a winnable game in AZ.

 

We will happily have psychotic dreams of a perfect season for them.

 

Hey, STL kept it "close" against NYG until the 4th quarter too...yet NYG is everyone's #1 right now (though they've only played 2 non-STL games!)

[eball]

Hey, STL kept it "close" against NYG until the 4th quarter too...yet NYG is everyone's #1 right now (though they've only played 2 non-STL games!)

The G-Men have played the Rams, the Bengals (also 0-4), and the Skins. The Skins, by everyone's admission, looked lost in Week 1. The Bengals pushed NY to OT -- at Giants Stadium.

 

This "weak schedule" argument is complete and utter bullschitt. The Giants get a free pass with their crappy schedule to date because they're the defending SB Champs. The Bills don't because they haven't made the playoffs in 8 years.

 

Opinion: Seattle will probably still win the AFC West.

Opinion: Jacksonville will probably make the playoffs.

Fact: Oakland led the Chargers by double-digits in the 4th quarter Sunday.

Fact: The Bills shut out St. Louis for the final 43 minutes of the game Sunday.

 

The Bills shouldn't have to apologize to anyone for their schedule or performance to date -- nor should the combined W-L record of their opponents be used to discredit their own record.

[PromoTheRobot]

Weaker opponents? Yes. But 3 of those opponents played very well when they faced us. It's still the NFL. It's not Penn State smacking around some DivII school. We didn't make our schedule and all the AFC east teams will play almost the same teams so we will see later, won't we?

 

PTR

[SuperKillerRobots]

I'll try to keep this shorter. Yes

 

But they aren't the first team to do this and playing lesser teams may have helped develop confidence in making the big play at crucial times. Most every team has quality players but some teams just seem to know how to make the winning play/play while others, with equal in ability players, always come up short.

Regardless, the play-calling has been way above average and as long as we are developing our young QB of the future, we might as well be winning at the same time.

 

sh-- man, the future is now.

[keepthefaith]

I'll try to keep this shorter. Yes

 

But they aren't the first team to do this and playing lesser teams may have helped develop confidence in making the big play at crucial times. Most every team has quality players but some teams just seem to know how to make the winning play/play while others, with equal in ability players, always come up short.

Regardless, the play-calling has been way above average and as long as we are developing our young QB of the future, we might as well be winning at the same time.

 

Certainly the argument can be made that the opponents have not been the top teams, but all you can do is play your games. So far the Bills have done what very good teams do in winning them all and have left the starting blocks fast which is something they haven't done in forever. When you follow a team closely it's easy to see some shortcomings, but few if any teams out there look better. Many little things this year add up to a big difference for the Bills.

[MDH]

The "weak" opponents arguement just doesn't work this early in the season. Teams just haven't played enough games to know who is weak and who isn't and losing to the Bills makes their opponents records look pretty bad.

 

Let's take a look at the teams the Bills played and what their records would be if they had BEATEN the Bills.

 

Seattle 2-1

Jax 3-1

Raiders 2-2

Rams 1-3

 

 

So, if these teams had actually beaten the Bills their records would look pretty good with the exception of the Rams.

 

So the reason those teams have weak records is because they lost to the Bills. But the reason the Bills are undefeated is because they're played weak opponents? Hmm, something seems amiss here.

[lets_go_bills]

How can you say that? You contradict yourself by saying that our opponents are weak, yet that anybody can win on any given Sunday. And that's the truth, ANYBODY can win on any given Sunday. Our opponents played well for the most part. What I have noticed is that we FIND A WAY TO WIN. We do enough to win. And isn't that the hallmark of a good team?

 

To quote Herm Edwards, "you play to win the game."

 

It doesn't matter how you do it, a win is a win, and that's how you get to the playoffs. By winning.

 

Remember that word. Win.

[GG]

Have no time to read the tome, but isn't it time to update the user name? Marv is no longer here, so there's only one Golden Guy left

[The Dean]

Have no time to read the tome, but isn't it time to update the user name? Marv is no longer here, so there's only one Golden Guy left

 

 

I think Smub likes dressing in drag, for the forum.

[JPicc2114]

The way I look at it... The Bills are 4-0 right now and every team they play has a worse record than they do. So yes, you can say they are playing weaker opponents.

[Fan in San Diego]

The G-Men have played the Rams, the Bengals (also 0-4), and the Skins. The Skins, by everyone's admission, looked lost in Week 1. The Bengals pushed NY to OT -- at Giants Stadium.

 

This "weak schedule" argument is complete and utter bullschitt. The Giants get a free pass with their crappy schedule to date because they're the defending SB Champs. The Bills don't because they haven't made the playoffs in 8 years.

 

Opinion: Seattle will probably still win the AFC West.

Opinion: Jacksonville will probably make the playoffs.

Fact: Oakland led the Chargers by double-digits in the 4th quarter Sunday.

Fact: The Bills shut out St. Louis for the final 43 minutes of the game Sunday.

 

The Bills shouldn't have to apologize to anyone for their schedule or performance to date -- nor should the combined W-L record of their opponents be used to discredit their own record.

 

Here Here ! Finally a sane thought ! Can we get this on ESPN and Foxsports?

[Pyrite Gal]

Have no time to read the tome, but isn't it time to update the user name? Marv is no longer here, so there's only one Golden Guy left

The thought has crossed my little mind. Stay tuned for something more Jauron oriented now that this is clearly his team.