Buffalo Bills: 2020-2021

[GASabresIUFAN]

I’m really confused by so many here thinking this improved team is going to take a step back. What in McBeane’s track record says this team is regressing?  Besides injuries how does an improved roster from a 10-6 team take a step backward, especially with NE likely taking a step back.  The Jets and Mia maybe improved, but are they really improved enough to overtake the Bills?  I doubt it.  

Ill say it here now, the East is the Bills to lose.  They will win this division and be up there with KC and Baltimore.

Edited May 8, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Eleven]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

I’m really confused by so many here thinking this improved team is going to take a step back. Besides injuries how is an improved roster from a 10-6 team take a step backward, especially with NE likely taking a step back.  The Jets and Mia maybe improved, but are they really improved enough to overtake the Bills?  I doubt it.  

Ill say it here now, the East is the Bills to lose.  They will win this division and be up there with KC and Baltimore.

The team is improved, but the schedule is tougher.

[JujuFish]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

The team is improved, but the schedule is tougher.

Bingo.  Last year's schedule was one of the easiest I've ever seen.  This year will quite likely be easier than it looks now, but also will very likely be a significant step up from last year.

 

I do agree that the division is now ours to lose, but Belicheat (I know, I'm being petty) won't go down easily.

[Randall Flagg]

12 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I’m really confused by so many here thinking this improved team is going to take a step back. What in McBeane’s track record says this team is regressing?  Besides injuries how does an improved roster from a 10-6 team take a step backward, especially with NE likely taking a step back.  The Jets and Mia maybe improved, but are they really improved enough to overtake the Bills?  I doubt it.  

Ill say it here now, the East is the Bills to lose.  They will win this division and be up there with KC and Baltimore.

I think the Bills could finish 8-8 and be a better team this year than last year. Last year's schedule was cake, and this year's has the potential to be the hardest in a while. 

Obviously we don't know for sure and teams change over time, but our NFC division faced went from the worst division in football to the best division in football with the Super bowl finalist, a team with a perennial MVP candidate QB, the previous year's super bowl loser with a perennial defensive MVP candidate, and an upstart Cards team that has a good offense and started scaring good teams late last year. The AFCW this year has the superbowl champs with the best QB in the game (a ~wash with Baltimore last year, being generous) and no teams that approach the dumpster fire that was cincy last year. our other AFC opponents this year (PIT, TEN) are stronger than the equivalent last year (Mariota's TEN, Denver with Brandon Allen) 

Brady leaving helps, but this is a big boy schedule compared to last year's kiddie schedule, on which we beat no teams better than .500 Cowboys and the Steelers with no QB

That said, I think this Bills team takes a huge step forward, finishes 10-6, and wins the division by 2 games or more over the next best team. Even if you don't like Allen, the gap between him and Darnold/Fitz/Stidham doesn't approach the gap in overall roster depth this Bills team has compared to those teams. IMO we are in for the most exciting Buffalo sports season since 2006.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Randall Flagg

[JujuFish]

3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

our other AFC opponents this year (PIT, TEN) are stronger than the equivalent last year (Mariota's TEN, Denver with Brandon Allen)

On the one hand, Tannehill sucks (I don't care if he had a revival last year, that team carried him in the playoffs), but on the other hand Derrick freakin' Henry.

[Randall Flagg]

22 minutes ago, JujuFish said:

On the one hand, Tannehill sucks (I don't care if he had a revival last year, that team carried him in the playoffs), but on the other hand Derrick freakin' Henry.

I don't remember Henry being much of a problem for us, which plays into what I was saying - Tennessee's team before the QB change was a tiny insignificant shadow compared to the one that steamrolled its way to the most TDs over the last ~7 games of the regular season. I assume we will be facing a team more like that one than the one we saw last year, when we travel to Tennessee this time around. 

[JujuFish]

Just now, Randall Flagg said:

I don't remember Henry being much of a problem for us, which plays into what I was saying - Tennessee's team before the QB change was a tiny insignificant shadow compared to the one that steamrolled its way to the most TDs over the last ~7 games of the regular season. I assume we will be facing a team more like that one than the one we saw last year, when we travel to Tennessee this time around. 

Henry didn't find his groove until the second half of the season.  He didn't go over 100 yards until week 10,  but week 10 through playoffs, he averaged 149 rushing yards per game.

[Randall Flagg]

 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

I don't remember Henry being much of a problem for us, which plays into what I was saying - Tennessee's team before the QB change was a tiny insignificant shadow compared to the one that steamrolled its way to the most TDs over the last ~7 games of the regular season. I assume we will be facing a team more like that one than the one we saw last year, when we travel to Tennessee this time around. 

Remember, nearly every QB in the league has at least 1 team that is their personal kryptonite.  The Bills are Tannehill's kryptonite.  (Not that he's great in general, but against Buffalo he's Peterman on a good day.  When he plays Buffalo, we understand why he was a receiver at A&M.)

[SwampD]

2 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

 

I don't want to like Frank Caliendo, but he really is talented and he makes me laugh.

Edited May 9, 2020 by SwampD

[freester]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I’m really confused by so many here thinking this improved team is going to take a step back. What in McBeane’s track record says this team is regressing?  Besides injuries how does an improved roster from a 10-6 team take a step backward, especially with NE likely taking a step back.  The Jets and Mia maybe improved, but are they really improved enough to overtake the Bills?  I doubt it.  

Ill say it here now, the East is the Bills to lose.  They will win this division and be up there with KC and Baltimore.

Injuries are key. We were among the healthiest teams in the league last season. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 hours ago, freester said:

Injuries are key. We were among the healthiest teams in the league last season. 

No question. In the NFL that is the one area that can make or break a team.  
 

Someone else mentioned schedule.  While it is harder we play 9 games against the same teams as last year.  This season we are swapping Cin, Wash, Phi, Dal, Cle, Nyg and Balt for SD (LAC) Sea, SF, KC, AZ, LV and LA. The good news is we get a bunch of these WC teams at home and SD, LA, LV and AZ are very beatable.  

I look at our schedule and see the following 

New teams - 4-3 or 5-2

Division 4-2

Repeat teams (Ten, Pitt, Den) 2-1

That’s 10-6.  Beat Sea at home that’s 11-5 and sweep both the Jets and Fish and we are 12-4.

 

[nfreeman]

Very good, and long, article by TBN alumnus Tyler Dunne on Sammy Watkins:  https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2889029-what-sammy-watkins-believes

Holy mackerel is Watkins a space cadet.  He seems like a decent guy though -- although it was clearly another idiotic move by Doug Whaley to sell the farm to get him, as Watkins was nowhere near ready to play a leading role on an NFL team when he was younger.

 

[That Aud Smell]

33 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Holy mackerel is Watkins a space cadet.  

That's ... that's one way of putting it. 

To me, he sounds like he's suppressing/managing a full-blown psychosis.

[dudacek]

With all the investment put into NFL scouting, it is difficult to understand how anyone could have made the investment the Bills made into that player.

[WildCard]

On 5/8/2020 at 5:49 PM, Randall Flagg said:

What a brilliant schedule. I love everything about it. The AFCE teams have a tough road. 

I'm not sure when it happened, but I like football a lot more than hockey now 

The Bills are good and the Sabres suck

[That Aud Smell]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

With all the investment put into NFL scouting, it is difficult to understand how anyone could have made the investment the Bills made into that player.

Fair point/question. I have a somewhat clear memory of Whaley talking about his decision to do what it took to get Watkins. It was something to the effect of showing up at ... what, a practice, a training, and within seconds of setting up camp, Watkins made this ridiculous, elite body control grab near the sideline, and then just jetted past them. Whaley joked "that was all I needed to see."

My bet: There were people in the scouting department who did the due diligence and related the warning flags. But they were ignored.

I heard an interview recently with ... Daniel Jeremiah, was it? He's a former NFL personnel guy, and he was saying that most scouts are/feel discounted and/or ignored by their FO, which is why they end up leaking information to reporters.

[sodbuster]

People seem surprised at his drinking and drug use. I thought it was common knowledge in Buffalo. 

[WildCard]

Edited May 12, 2020 by WildCard

[GASabresIUFAN]

That’s why you get Diggs and draft two WRs.  I’m surprised Beane didn’t try to improve the TE. Knox dropped a bunch of balls

4 pretty good teams at the top of that list

Edited May 12, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[WildCard]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That’s why you get Diggs and draft two WRs.  I’m surprised Beane didn’t try to improve the TE. Knox dropped a bunch of balls

4 pretty good teams at the top of that list

Wentz and Garappolo being on there isn't too surprising given their WRs. Prescott is confusing though. Garbage tightends I'd guess 

[inkman]

37 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Wentz and Garappolo being on there isn't too surprising given their WRs. Prescott is confusing though. Garbage tightends I'd guess 

Amari Cooper is super overrated 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Amari Cooper is super overrated 

[SwampD]

4 hours ago, WildCard said:

Do people still question if Josh is a franchise QB?

[SwampD]

7 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Very good, and long, article by TBN alumnus Tyler Dunne on Sammy Watkins:  https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2889029-what-sammy-watkins-believes

Holy mackerel is Watkins a space cadet.  He seems like a decent guy though -- although it was clearly another idiotic move by Doug Whaley to sell the farm to get him, as Watkins was nowhere near ready to play a leading role on an NFL team when he was younger.

 

What a crazy story,… and awesome.

It will be interesting to see if he is capable making other people not resent him demanding to be the #1.

Not thrilled to hear about yet another athlete say they hit rock bottom and lost their love of the game while in Buffalo.

I'm telling ya, it's the wings. Stay away from the wings.