Buffalo Bills 2021 Thread

[IthacaBarrel]

What are we thinking here? I was vocal about wanting anyone but NE a third time and we couldn’t have been closer to getting LAC. I know some thought Chargers were scary with their playmakers which I agree with, but less scary for several other reasons. Doesn’t matter regardless I suppose…. But I would have taken LAC 10/10 vs facing a team with a top tier coach we’ve already lost to.

By the way… and injuries to note from yesterday?

I tend to agree with you, in all honesty I just don't want to play the Patriots because I hate them so much. I would rather play them and win of course but losing to the Patriots in the playoffs will eat at me for a long time. Chargers are much more talented but Pats have Belichick. At this point, is Mac Jones even a good QB? Chargers coach is a clown, cool kid syndrome which seems to be the new wave in the NFL. I am sure there 14 fans were pissed. That said, with Herbert they are never out of a game. An Oregon kid won't be as phased by bad weather as Mac will be. Bills need to get up early and have Mac try and beat them. It's going to be another battle for sure and Belichick has all the ammo he needs after the loss yesterday. I am not sure who is the better team between chargers/ pats but I think the spread would have been 1.5 points higher if the chargers were coming to buffalo.

If you follow the NFL and bet, I would say the pats money line is what I would bet, Good value but obviously hoping for the best

I am growing concerned about the jekyl and hyde combo that is Josh Allen/ Brian Daboll. So hot and cold it's insane

 

[chugg21]

Supposed to fly back to take the kids to the Dome on the 29th for the Wake game but thinking about just going back this weekend and doing the Bills game instead since spending a lot of money on this years miserable Orange squad. Downside being that the last 2 Bills games I've went to have been losses (Chiefs AFC Champ game & gross ass Jags game).

 

[JeremyCuse]

Supposed to fly back to take the kids to the Dome on the 29th for the Wake game but thinking about just going back this weekend and doing the Bills game instead since spending a lot of money on this years miserable Orange squad. Downside being that the last 2 Bills games I've went to have been losses (Chiefs AFC Champ game & gross ass Jags game).

Please don't go to the game, lol.

 

[BuffOrange]

What are we thinking here? I was vocal about wanting anyone but NE a third time and we couldn’t have been closer to getting LAC. I know some thought Chargers were scary with their playmakers which I agree with, but less scary for several other reasons. Doesn’t matter regardless I suppose…. But I would have taken LAC 10/10 vs facing a team with a top tier coach we’ve already lost to.

By the way… and injuries to note from yesterday?

Same. I hate this. Way too much anxiety for this game. Not much to gain after beating them for the division and everything to lose. How it even happened is insane. The parlay of stuff that had to happen after the Bengals losing (NE L, Pitt W, Indy L) must've been like a 3% shot.
Allen was pretty much perfect that last game, off the charts on 3rd downs. NE will have a completely different plan you'd think. How quickly can we adjust to that. Obv their offense isn't scary but ya know, games are short - they get one of those screens to pop or an underthrown PI, it can get tense.
Would rather have the west coast team on a short week. Even Indy who everyone would've picked to beat us, was getting so overrated, I'd have been ok with. They weren't going to just come here and run us over for 300 yards like Nebraska vs Baylor circa 1983 as I guess people feared.

 

[upperdeck]

do the bills have a real running game now.. Need to show it again when it matters.

 

[Toga]

do the bills have a real running game now.. Need to show it again when it matters.

Things just started clicking with Bates in the lineup.

 

[syrBossHogg]

What are we thinking here? I was vocal about wanting anyone but NE a third time and we couldn’t have been closer to getting LAC. I know some thought Chargers were scary with their playmakers which I agree with, but less scary for several other reasons. Doesn’t matter regardless I suppose…. But I would have taken LAC 10/10 vs facing a team with a top tier coach we’ve already lost to.

By the way… and injuries to note from yesterday?

Don't remember any injuries from yesterday, would think Sanders will be ready for the game Saturday.

On the flip side I saw New England got dinged up yesterday. Barmore, Wynn, Stevenson all got hurt and they were missing Dugger and Hightower. The short week may give us an edge this week

 

[syrBossHogg]

Things just started clicking with Bates in the lineup.

I still want them to tweak the O-line in the offseason, but Bates has been a good find by Beane and he deserves to go into 2022 as the starter. Tested pretty well for a Guard at the 2019 draft and he's put on some good weight since then

 

[NineOneSeven]

Looking forward to longislandcuse thoughts... I know he was pretty adamant about not wanting to face LAC because of their ability to do EXACTLY what they did last night...

Saturday is going to be an anxiety fest!

 

[syrBossHogg]

If Melvin Gordon hadn’t fumbled, we may have been playing Pitt in the Wild Card round, with home field advantage for the Divisional Round

Ugh.

Also 2 yards away from having HFA, even with the loss to the Jags

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Looking forward to longislandcuse thoughts... I know he was pretty adamant about not wanting to face LAC because of their ability to do EXACTLY what they did last night...

Saturday is going to be an anxiety fest!

Yeah, it's going to be another battle. I don't see either team winning easy. That's why I hate playing the Patriots, you know it's going to be a 3.5 hour torture fest even when we win

 

[samspann1]

Don't remember any injuries from yesterday, would think Sanders will be ready for the game Saturday.

On the flip side I saw New England got dinged up yesterday. Barmore, Wynn, Stevenson all got hurt and they were missing Dugger and Hightower. The short week may give us an edge this week

Davis got dinged up a little, I think

 

[NineOneSeven]

Yeah, it's going to be another battle. I don't see either team winning easy. That's why I hate playing the Patriots, you know it's going to be a 3.5 hour torture fest even when we win

It’s awful I have to watch this a third time. Bills either win fairly easy (based on final score) or they lose. It’s really simple this year. If we are in a game losing late, it’s a bad sign.

 

[syrBossHogg]

 

[longislandcuse]

Looking forward to longislandcuse thoughts... I know he was pretty adamant about not wanting to face LAC because of their ability to do EXACTLY what they did last night...

Saturday is going to be an anxiety fest!

The Patriots scare us due to the coach and scar tissue, but the talent disparity between Buffalo and New England is pretty stark.

Yup.. LAC showed both why you wouldn’t mind playing them and why you absolutely don’t want to play them in single elimination last night. Bonkers erratic, coach is a mess, elite/very good players all over the place, but after the elite/very good players the drop off is to all JAG’s or worse.

In the end, NE, @KC and then ??? is the path to the Super Bowl.

I don’t love playing KC in the second round if we get by NE, but they are definitely not the team we saw last year. Both their Defense and Offense are worse. Still, Mahomes is Mahomes and we will have to fight those demons of last season at Arrowhead in the Playoffs. If we get by them, I think we’re going to the Super Bowl.

I’m obviously worried about NE. Third time around. Dealing with Belichick. However, McDermott has the better roster, by a lot, and he has to win this game. The only way he loses is if we turn the ball over and have stretches where we don’t execute and Belichick severely out coaches him.

Allen will likely be unleashed and that should open things up for us. Singletary is running better, but we still don’t have a reliable traditional running game. It’s respectable, but now that it’s Playoffs, Allen needs to continue to earn that contract.

Weather looks to be cold but light wind and minimal precip. With our DL showing flashes lately, if we can get our passing game back on track, I like our chances in the Playoffs.

 

[syrBossHogg]

I'm more open to bring back Lawson since we're playing the Patriots and potentially the Titans. He can help against the run and gives them an experienced guy over someone like Basham

 

[SU94]

I am growing concerned about the jekyl and hyde combo that is Josh Allen/ Brian Daboll. So hot and cold it's insane

I am not too concerned about Allen's performance the last two weeks. Look at last night's boxscore. 34 of the game's 37 points came "with the wind."

Bills went into the wind in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and they/Allen struggled.

Damian Harris, however, does make me nervous. He has the wiggle and the speed to regurgitate what happened Dec. 6 in Buffalo.

Still feel like the Bills win this game 7/10 times (we are -4.5 from my quick glimpse).

 

[warotto44]

Same. I hate this. Way too much anxiety for this game. Not much to gain after beating them for the division and everything to lose. How it even happened is insane. The parlay of stuff that had to happen after the Bengals losing (NE L, Pitt W, Indy L) must've been like a 3% shot.
Allen was pretty much perfect that last game, off the charts on 3rd downs. NE will have a completely different plan you'd think. How quickly can we adjust to that. Obv their offense isn't scary but ya know, games are short - they get one of those screens to pop or an underthrown PI, it can get tense.
Would rather have the west coast team on a short week. Even Indy who everyone would've picked to beat us, was getting so overrated, I'd have been ok with. They weren't going to just come here and run us over for 300 yards like Nebraska vs Baylor circa 1983 as I guess people feared.

 

[pattycuse]

The Patriots scare us due to the coach and scar tissue, but the talent disparity between Buffalo and New England is pretty stark.

Yup.. LAC showed both why you wouldn’t mind playing them and why you absolutely don’t want to play them in single elimination last night. Bonkers erratic, coach is a mess, elite/very good players all over the place, but after the elite/very good players the drop off is to all JAG’s or worse.

In the end, NE, @KC and then ??? is the path to the Super Bowl.

I don’t love playing KC in the second round if we get by NE, but they are definitely not the team we saw last year. Both their Defense and Offense are worse. Still, Mahomes is Mahomes and we will have to fight those demons of last season at Arrowhead in the Playoffs. If we get by them, I think we’re going to the Super Bowl.

I’m obviously worried about NE. Third time around. Dealing with Belichick. However, McDermott has the better roster, by a lot, and he has to win this game. The only way he loses is if we turn the ball over and have stretches where we don’t execute and Belichick severely out coaches him.

Allen will likely be unleashed and that should open things up for us. Singletary is running better, but we still don’t have a reliable traditional running game. It’s respectable, but now that it’s Playoffs, Allen needs to continue to earn that contract.

Weather looks to be cold but light wind and minimal precip. With our DL showing flashes lately, if we can get our passing game back on track, I like our chances in the Playoffs.

You summarized it perfectly. I saw a team last night that had better playmakers than NE- and also made a number of ridiculous decisions and plays that eroded any fear that I had. I'll take my chances with Mac Jones vs. Herbert. But the coaching staff HAS to show up- and plan that Belichick will have figured out the Mackenzie wrinkle from the last game.

If Allen and company show up, I think we win after a 3.5 hour white knuckle session. We have more talent at most positions. But please, no repeat of whatever script we saw yesterday against the Jets...


...oh, and can we get a punter??

 

[longislandcuse]

I am not too concerned about Allen's performance the last two weeks. Look at last night's boxscore. 34 of the game's 37 points came "with the wind."

Bills went into the wind in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and they/Allen struggled.

Damian Harris, however, does make me nervous. He has the wiggle and the speed to regurgitate what happened Dec. 6 in Buffalo.

Still feel like the Bills win this game 7/10 times (we are -4.5 from my quick glimpse).

Someone on the Bills Message Board posted a pretty good breakdown on late season/bad weather stats. Basically the numbers indicate Allen’s passer rating drops substantially, however, the opposing QB’s passer rating drops by about 3-4x that of Allen’s.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Someone on the Bills Message Board posted a pretty good breakdown on late season/bad weather stats. Basically the numbers indicate Allen’s passer rating drops substantially, however, the opposing QB’s passer rating drops by about 3-4x that of Allen’s.

Very interesting. Which is why, as dangerous as Herbert can be, I would have taken my chances in the absolute frigid cold.

 

[JeremyCuse]

You summarized it perfectly. I saw a team last night that had better playmakers than NE- and also made a number of ridiculous decisions and plays that eroded any fear that I had. I'll take my chances with Mac Jones vs. Herbert. But the coaching staff HAS to show up- and plan that Belichick will have figured out the Mackenzie wrinkle from the last game.

If Allen and company show up, I think we win after a 3.5 hour white knuckle session. We have more talent at most positions. But please, no repeat of whatever script we saw yesterday against the Jets...


...oh, and can we get a punter??

Ya I think thats the concern of Bills fans ie when you Play Bellichek he's going to make you white knuckle this type of game which opens the door to dumb mistakes costing you the game. Against the Chargers Allen turning it over and playing some hero ball probably doesn't cost you the game, against the Pats it almost certainly will. Bills have been able to move the ball both games without to much issue, will need a lot more of that Sat.

 

[Toga]

Going to beat a dead horse. We didn't see the QB power sweep yesterday but hope we will. Nobody has come close to stopping the play for less than 10 yards.

 

[syrBossHogg]

Maybe I'm overconfident, but I have a hard time seeing the Pats pressure the Bills offense if Barmore is out and Judon continues to be MIA. Singletary's hard running also can help the Bills stay ahead of the sticks and prevent Belichick from getting aggressive in key situations. The Pats secondary is good but not very deep, and it's still no guarantee that Jackson can stay with Diggs the entire game.

On the flip side, if Wynn is out that takes away a starting OT and might prevent New England from using the 6 OL formation, which the Bills did a better job of stopping in the 2nd matchup anyway. That could allow playing more base nickel, which will help the pass defense and might also help contain those outside sweeps/outside zone runs that the Bills still had trouble stopping in the 2nd game.

 

[samspann1]

I’m not going to get into other Beasley related stuff, but I saw this on another board:

Beasley flipping out at McDermott (at :41 of the 3rd quarter lower left screen on sideline)

I got back late last night so didn't see game thread or re-watch the game so not sure if it was discussed... But after a 3rd down pass to Beasley went incomplete he ran off the field screaming at McDermott and throwing his hand at him in frustration. McDermott was walking briskly in his direct...

www.twobillsdrive.com

If true, what is his deal? To me, he looks like he’s lost a step or two.