We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

[Mitchy moo]

Looking at this list, if we make the playoffs we probably played them already. It also says alot about what we had to overcome and who we played to get there, beware.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings

[OpIv37]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

you have to play the teams on your schedule- strength of schedule doesn't count in the NFL (except as like the 5th playoff tiebreaker, in the rare instances when it comes to that).

Like I said, luck is no friend to Buffalo sports. The schedules are pretty much predetermined- it's just a matter of how good or bad your opponent is in the year they come up on your schedule. If we could have played Houston and Cleveland instead of SD and Indy, maybe we'd be in the playoffs But those are the breaks, and they're very rarely in our favor.

[Crisis]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

Pretty sure everyone else in the AFC East plays, for the most part, the same schedule as us...

[TigerJ]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

I noticed that Buffalo has or will have played 9 games out of its 16 game schedule against teams that are in the top 8 in defense in the league. That includes 2 games each versus Miami and New England of course. That's not a complaint. I understand the NFL scheduling format. That's just the way it can work out some years.

That tells me two things however. First, while I know Buffalo's low ranking in league offense is due in part to the team learning a new offense and JP Losman's early season learning curve in particular, part of it just might be due to the fact that Buffalo has played so many great defensive teams. Besides Miami and New England, We've played Chicago, Minnesota, Jacksonville and San Diego. And of course, we'll be playing the current top rated defense in Baltimore on New Years Eve.

Second, if there is any carryover into next season Buffalo's offense ought to be really prepared to pile on the points. The offensive line will have played the best pass rushers in the league: Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Aaron Kampmann, some of the best linebackers in Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Zack Thomas, Roosevelt Colvin, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Shawn Merriman, Donnie Edwards, and many of the best DTs: Marcus Stroud and John Henderson, Jamal Williams, Tommy Harris, Pat Williams, and Shawn Rogers. There's no one that Buffalo's offensive line need fear next year. And what better education could JP Losman have had than to learn how to play QB against so many great defenses. What is there left to rattle him after this season? JP and the offensive line will get better, but just the prospect of playing against defenses that aren't quite so elite should help offensive production go way up next season. I will guarantee Buffalo's offense will not be ranked #31 next year at this time.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

I noticed that Buffalo has or will have played 9 games out of its 16 game schedule against teams that are in the top 8 in defense in the league. That includes 2 games each versus Miami and New England of course. That's not a complaint. I understand the NFL scheduling format. That's just the way it can work out some years.

That tells me two things however. First, while I know Buffalo's low ranking in league offense is due in part to the team learning a new offense and JP Losman's early season learning curve in particular, part of it just might be due to the fact that Buffalo has played so many great defensive teams. Besides Miami and New England, We've played Chicago, Minnesota, Jacksonville and San Diego. And of course, we'll be playing the current top rated defense in Baltimore on New Years Eve.

Second, if there is any carryover into next season Buffalo's offense ought to be really prepared to pile on the points. The offensive line will have played the best pass rushers in the league: Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Aaron Kampmann, some of the best linebackers in Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Zack Thomas, Roosevelt Colvin, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Shawn Merriman, Donnie Edwards, and many of the best DTs: Marcus Stroud and John Henderson, Jamal Williams, Tommy Harris, Pat Williams, and Shawn Rogers. There's no one that Buffalo's offensive line need fear next year. And what better education could JP Losman have had than to learn how to play QB against so many great defenses. What is there left to rattle him after this season? JP and the offensive line will get better, but just the prospect of playing against defenses that aren't quite so elite should help offensive production go way up next season. I will guarantee Buffalo's offense will not be ranked #31 next year at this time.

I was still thinking that way about this season, who do we really fear in the playoffs if we make it ? NE is about the only team besides Chicago that had our number and we should of beat NE the first game.

[TigerJ]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

Pretty sure everyone else in the AFC East plays, for the most part, the same schedule as us...

There's a lot of overlap. Miami didn't play San Diego or Baltimore. Those two teams are ranked 7th and 1st in total defense and have a combined record of 23-5. The teams which replace them on Miami's schedule: KC and Pittsburgh are ranked 9th and 15th and have a combined record of 14-14. Instead of San Diego and Baltimore, New England had Denver and Cincinnati, ranked 13th and 29th in total defense with a combined record of 16-12. The Jets have Oakland and Cleveland on their schedule in place of San Diego and Baltimore. They are 4th and 29th in total defense respectively, and have a stellar combined record of 6 and 22. The NFL uses a set formula. It's just Buffalo's luck that the two slots that are variable in their schedule were filled by teams that suddenly became elite in 2006. Baltimore and San Diego were a very ordinary combined 15-17 in 2005.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

There's a lot of overlap. Miami didn't play San Diego or Baltimore. Those two teams are ranked 7th and 1st in total defense and have a combined record of 23-5. The teams which replace them on Miami's schedule: KC and Pittsburgh are ranked 9th and 15th and have a combined record of 14-14. Instead of San Diego and Baltimore, New England had Denver and Cincinnati, ranked 13th and 29th in total defense with a combined record of 16-12. The Jets have Oakland and Cleveland on their schedule in place of San Diego and Baltimore. They are 4th and 29th in total defense respectively, and have a stellar combined record of 6 and 22. The NFL uses a set formula. It's just Buffalo's luck that the two slots that are variable in their schedule were filled by teams that suddenly became elite in 2006. Baltimore and San Diego were a very ordinary combined 15-17 in 2005.

The Bills also had to get their Sheet together against the best teams, not Oakland and cleveland. I think we might of been able to beat one of those 2 teams if not both, safely. We'd be 9-5 then and looking at NE for potentially the division. So you see how a slight twinge in who you play can make a difference.

[TigerJ]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

The Bills also had to get their Sheet together against the best teams, not Oakland and cleveland. I think we might of been able to beat one of those 2 teams if not both, safely. We'd be 9-5 then and looking at NE for potentially the division. So you see how a slight twinge in who you play can make a difference.

Absolutely! That two team difference in the schedule could end up being the difference between the Jets going to the playoffs rather than the Bills. That's how the cookie crumbles.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

Absolutely! That two team difference in the schedule could end up being the difference between the Jets going to the playoffs rather than the Bills. That's how the cookie crumbles.

Jests are going nowhere.

[Saratoga Slim]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

I was still thinking that way about this season, who do we really fear in the playoffs if we make it ? NE is about the only team besides Chicago that had our number and we should of beat NE the first game.

You're kinda right. If we were to make the playoffs, winning a round or two would not at all be out of the question. I'd have to think that San Diego would take us down, but then they didn't embarass us at all when we played them in the regular season. New England always seems to have our number, but we hung in there at least one of the times we played this season. And we'll soon see about Baltimore.

Bottom line is any of the above three teams would probably send us packing, but there's at least a chance of an upset. And any other AFC team we could play straight up if we play like we have been.

[mybills]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

luck is no friend to Buffalo sports. The schedules are pretty much predetermined

just like it was predetermined that NE would play us coming off their bye, three freaking years in a row.

[OpIv37]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

just like it was predetermined that NE would play us coming off their bye, three freaking years in a row.

ha- like I said, luck is not our friend (although I highly suspect there's something a lot less random than luck at work in this particular instance....)

[Tinboy]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

2007 opponents:
Home: Bengals (15 th ranked def), Cowboys (16), Dolphins (5), Giants (20), Jets (13), Patriots (2), Ravens (1), TBD AFC West opponent
Away: Browns (24), Dolphins (5), Eagles (19), Jets (13), Patriots (2), Redskins (21), Steelers (9), TBD AFC South opponent

Looking quite good if you ask me.

[casdhf]

Re: We have played or play 7 of the top 14 team (Bills now #14)

We'll probably play the Titans and Chiefs next season.