Random thoughts on the schedule

[OpIv37]

-Opening at home against the Patriots? The NFL officially hates us.

-Closing in Foxboro? This game's a waste. The Bills will be eliminated and the Patriots will have their playoff position locked up long before this game happens.

-The NFL must also hate the NFL Network. Bills-Browns as a night game? Why?

-Overall, the schedule seems about as easy as we could legitimately hope for in the NFL. No long road trips, no trips to hot Southern cities in the warmer months, several teams that look to be pretty easy.

-Weeks 2-5: Carolina, @NYJ, Ravens, @Browns. The Ravens got raided, Carolina is a consistent underachiever, the Jets are as big a disaster as we are, and Cleveland.... well, it's Cleveland. I don't have any confidence in this team, but these are some weak opponents. If I am wrong and they are going to do something with this season, this needs to be a 3-1 stretch.

-Dec 8 @TB, Dec 15 @Jax- does the team stay in FL?

[Mr. Miyagi]

If we have any chance to ever beat the Patriots, it's the season opener and home opener. The energy will be flying. I think this gives us the best chance to win if ever.

[OpIv37]

If we have any chance to ever beat the Patriots, it's the season opener and home opener. The energy will be flying. I think this gives us the best chance to win if ever.

Well the Pats haven't won the SB in quite some time, and with all the recent drama in Boston, this just wreaks of the NFL throwing the Pats a bone to help them get back on the right track. "How does a road division win in week 1 sound?"

There is no way in hell a young team with new systems on both sides of the ball is going to beat a Bellicheck team in their very first live game.

[better days]

If we have any chance to ever beat the Patriots, it's the season opener and home opener. The energy will be flying. I think this gives us the best chance to win if ever.

And Belicheck will have no film on the Bills to prepare for them. I like playing the Pats* in the opener.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Well the Pats haven't won the SB in quite some time, and with all the recent drama in Boston, this just wreaks of the NFL throwing the Pats a bone to help them get back on the right track. "How does a road division win in week 1 sound?"

There is no way in hell a young team with new systems on both sides of the ball is going to beat a Bellicheck team in their very first live game.

That may well be the case, but it'll at least be a plus that Belicheck doesn't have any tape on us and won't know our defensive signals.

[trapezeus]

and of course, they'll have to pay tribute to boston...in buffalo...on openning day. watch for the BS flags. "How can we possibly let the patriots lose?"

i am pretty realistic about the bills chances in all games but the patriots. i want the bills to win no matter how unrealistic it is vs the patriots and i let it get to me so much when they don't.

but i do have to say, that one year where we beat them in early september made the season so much more enjoyable despite it totally falling apart two weeks later.

[BLeonard]

If we have any chance to ever beat the Patriots, it's the season opener and home opener. The energy will be flying. I think this gives us the best chance to win if ever.

That, combined with only preseason game film on a first time head coach in the NFL... Not much for Belichick and crew to dissect.

The more I think about it, about the ONLY way the Bills would beat the Patriots next year is under those circumstances...

On top of that, after opening day, they don't have to travel to Foxboro until the last game of the season, when Brady and crew could be resting for the playoffs? I don't know if you could ask for a better situation, if you're the Bills.

-Bill

[stuckincincy]

-Opening at home against the Patriots? The NFL officially hates us.




There's a desire by the NFL to attain home-opener sellouts. Regarding last game vs. NE...in response to IND repeatedly dumping remaining games in years past, the NFL now back loads the schedule with division and conf. games.

[Pinkerton Security]

And Belicheck will have no film on the Bills to prepare for them. I like playing the Pats* in the opener.

Theres a reason they have won 9 straight season openers. However, their TEs probably wont be full strength at that point so who knows.

[better days]

Theres a reason they have won 9 straight season openers. However, their TEs probably wont be full strength at that point so who knows.

And the Pats* have lost all their starting WRs from last year. I really don't mind at all facing Donald Jones.

[OpIv37]

And the Pats* have lost all their starting WRs from last year. I really don't mind at all facing Donald Jones.

The Pats lose receivers all the time. It never seems to affect them.

[trapezeus]

donald jones will tear us a new one. much lesser players have come back to do it to us. donald jones was acutally talented.

[psubills62]

And Belicheck will have no film on the Bills to prepare for them. I like playing the Pats* in the opener.
They'll have film - Syracuse (offense) and Jets (defense). The only question is how applicable it will be.

[Historian]

The only thing that bothers me is having the Cowboys and Patsies rammed down our primetime throats every other week...

[trapezeus]

wait, the two most obnoxious owners get preferential treatment from the league because their fairweather fans buy new gear and at higher ticket prices than other teams? say it isn't so. i thought everyone gets treated the same.

[better days]

The Pats lose receivers all the time. It never seems to affect them.

Well, The Pats* have NEVER lost Welker before & both Gronk & Hernandez have issues that may affect them opening day.

[justasportsfan]

Well the Pats haven't won the SB in quite some time, and with all the recent drama in Boston, this just wreaks of the NFL throwing the Pats a bone to help them get back on the right track. "How does a road division win in week 1 sound?"

There is no way in hell a young team with new systems on both sides of the ball is going to beat a Bellicheck team in their very first live game.

BB is one hell of a coach game planning for teams via game tape. They don't have that on us on openning day. It can go both ways though but playing them on opening day is our biggest chance to boom or bust.

[better days]

They'll have film - Syracuse (offense) and Jets (defense). The only question is how applicable it will be.

Yeah, they can look at the Orange & Jets to get an idea, but like having Corp try to imitate Brady in practice, not really the same thing.

[trapezeus]

Well, The Pats* have NEVER lost Welker before & both Gronk & Hernandez have issues that may affect them opening day.

so the pats have issues with 3 players and that's why they might suck. but we gutted the offense and have the same "one of the worst bills defenses in 50 years" and that gives us a chance to be in it? i'm not following the logic.

[better days]

so the pats have issues with 3 players and that's why they might suck. but we gutted the offense and have the same "one of the worst bills defenses in 50 years" and that gives us a chance to be in it? i'm not following the logic.

Well, here is the logic. The Bills got rid of TRASH on offense to be replaced by something BETTER. And they got rid of a DC & his STUPID system on Defense & replaced it by something MUCH BETTER.

All the Bills players have commented about how much they like the changes.

[justasportsfan]

They'll have film - Syracuse (offense) and Jets (defense). The only question is how applicable it will be.

different players, different schemes.

[psubills62]

different players, different schemes.
Not really. Can still get an idea of what they plan on doing, how they might use certain players. Don't think it's as different as fans tend to believe.

[OpIv37]

BB is one hell of a coach game planning for teams via game tape. They don't have that on us on openning day. It can go both ways though but playing them on opening day is our biggest chance to boom or bust.

The thing is, we've heard this before 3 or 4 times. "Bellicheck doesn't have tape so he won't be able to beat us." Well, it didn't exactly turn out like that. We've beaten the Pats twice since 2001: 2002 and 2011. Both times were the second year with the same coaches. We've never beaten them in the first year with a new coach, even when they've lacked tape.

[justasportsfan]

Not really. Can still get an idea of what they plan on doing, how they might use certain players. Don't think it's as different as fans tend to believe.

you have to plan for special players because of their skill sets. IMO, the WCO they played in syracuse is based on what Nassib can do and what his weapons are. They also didn't have Spiller/Jackson. On the defensive side of the ball, I don't know what Marrio can do in Pettines system but neither can BB. They don't know what Kyle, and Dareus can do either .

[justasportsfan]

The thing is, we've heard this before 3 or 4 times. "Bellicheck doesn't have tape so he won't be able to beat us." Well, it didn't exactly turn out like that. We've beaten the Pats twice since 2001: 2002 and 2011. Both times were the second year with the same coaches. We've never beaten them in the first year with a new coach, even when they've lacked tape.Like I said, it can go both ways. We nearly beat them in 2010 when we played them in our 3rd game. The last time we beat them, same thing. In 2009 we played them in our first game and lost by 1 point.

THe 2nd games in the season vs. pats were mostly blowouts.

[trapezeus]

Well, here is the logic. The Bills got rid of TRASH on offense to be replaced by something BETTER. And they got rid of a DC & his STUPID system on Defense & replaced it by something MUCH BETTER.

All the Bills players have commented about how much they like the changes.


donald jones was replaced by who?
the TE position is better how?
The line is better because who joined?
The LB corp has sucked the entire time.
Pettine is better even though he didn't call the plays for the jets?

the bills have a lot more question marks than the patriots. There is 13 of 14 games where they have not only beaten us, they have smoked us, embarassed us and taken our pride away.

So to think 3 players not being up to task is the winning formula is a bit misguided.

Yes, the bills could win this game, i just don't put it at a very high probability. And you have to remember this attack in boston will be commerated by the NFL opening week. and yes, the flags that make noooooooo sense will be out there. so even if we are winning the game, roger and robert will make sure they get the calls they need to keep the patriots winning.

[psubills62]

you have to plan for special players because of their skill sets. IMO, the WCO they played in syracuse is based on what Nassib can do and what his weapons are. They also didn't have Spiller/Jackson. On the defensive side of the ball, I don't know what Marrio can do in Pettines system but neither can BB. They don't know what Kyle, and Dareus can do either .
They're not going to be reinventing the wheel. I appreciate coaches who adjust their schemes to the talent as much as anyone, but you can still get a good idea of what coaches will do based on what they did elsewhere, even if there are different players. Look at Gailey - bad coach and had the same schemes as his previous stops (bad ones). Look at Bill O'Brien - good coach, but uses the same scheme as the Patriots used when he was OC. Look at Marrone - used very similar stuff at Syracuse to what he did with the Saints, despite the fact that Nassib is not Brees.

I think people are kidding themselves if they think there's no applicable film on Marrone. It may not be the exact same stuff, but it's still going to be appropriate film to watch.

[justasportsfan]

Pettine is better even though he didn't call the plays for the jets?


he called the plays in 2011 and their D was 5th.
last year Sexy Rexy shared the calls and they dropped to 8th.

[justasportsfan]

Yes, the bills could win this game, i just don't put it at a very high probability. I agree the probability is not high but it's better than the 2nd game against them as stats show in recent years.


And you have to remember this attack in boston will be commerated by the NFL opening week.it meant nothing when the sabres beat boston.

[OpIv37]

Like I said, it can go both ways. We nearly beat them in 2010 when we played them in our 3rd game. The last time we beat them, same thing. In 2009 we played them in our first game and lost by 1 point.

THe 2nd games in the season vs. pats were mostly blowouts.

and this is a bit O/T, but to me, that just lends credibility to the cheating/stealing signals theory. From 2003 through 2009 or so, I think there were 5 or 6 of the 7 seasons where the Bills either won the first game against the Pats or kept it close, then got completely blown out in the second game. Once or twice, ok, it happens. But that many times? I highly doubt that's random chance.

[feldspar]

HERE are some observations of the Bills schedule

- We play THREE teams after their Bye weeks

- We play another THREE teams after they play Thursday Night games

- Their are only 4 teams with an easier strength of schedule than the Bills. Take that for what it's worth.

While we don't face the Patriots after their Bye AGAIN this year, we do face the Dolphins AND the Jets after their Byes. The third team we face after their Bye is the Saints. This is when those things happen:
Week 7 - Bills travel to Miami after the Dolphins Bye
Week 8 - Bills travel to New Orleans after the Saints Bye
------ Notice here that we have back-to-back road games where our opponents are coming off their Bye week
Week 11 - The Bills play the Jets at home after the Jets Bye

Not only do we play the Jets after their Bye, but we also play them when they are coming off a Thursday Night game, which gives them an additional three days to prepare of course. Here are the weeks we play teams with an extra three days to prepare:
Week 3 - The Bills travel to New Jersey, with the Jets coming off a Thursday Night game
Week 13 - The Bills play the Falcons in Toronto with the Falcons coming off a Thursday Night game. The Bills are also coming of their own Bye this week.
Week 15 - The Bills travel to Jacksonville, with the Jaguars coming off a Thursday Night game

[trapezeus]

I agree the probability is not high but it's better than the 2nd game against them as stats show in recent years.

it meant nothing when the sabres beat boston.

bruins fans have shown up for games for a long time. patriot fans are new to the games. and like QE2 and 3, every time the patriots seem to fall, the fan base walks away. and then surprise surprise look who is winning again!

The bills could field the NFL allstar team with rodgers, CJ, AP in backfield, megtron and larry fitzgerald as WR, and i guarantee you the bills lose to the patriots. and you could keep handing that team to different cities and the scores would just get worse. the patriots have cheated and continue to cheat. it will never stop because the NFL has figured out that the patriot fans will put money down when they have winners but will walk when they have a mediocre team.

and isn't it odd that hte most "successful" team is simply the product of one man? i mean all those coordinators leave to suck somewhere else and then come back and become dominant again? all in their early 30's? that's not suspcicious at all.

[tampabay25690]

-Opening at home against the Patriots? The NFL officially hates us.

-Closing in Foxboro? This game's a waste. The Bills will be eliminated and the Patriots will have their playoff position locked up long before this game happens.

-The NFL must also hate the NFL Network. Bills-Browns as a night game? Why?

I guess we should just forfeit the 1st game........

-Overall, the schedule seems about as easy as we could legitimately hope for in the NFL. No long road trips, no trips to hot Southern cities in the warmer months, several teams that look to be pretty easy.

-Weeks 2-5: Carolina, @NYJ, Ravens, @Browns. The Ravens got raided, Carolina is a consistent underachiever, the Jets are as big a disaster as we are, and Cleveland.... well, it's Cleveland. I don't have any confidence in this team, but these are some weak opponents. If I am wrong and they are going to do something with this season, this needs to be a 3-1 stretch.

-Dec 8 @TB, Dec 15 @Jax- does the team stay in FL?

[better days]

donald jones was replaced by who?
the TE position is better how?
The line is better because who joined?
The LB corp has sucked the entire time.
Pettine is better even though he didn't call the plays for the jets?

the bills have a lot more question marks than the patriots. There is 13 of 14 games where they have not only beaten us, they have smoked us, embarassed us and taken our pride away.

So to think 3 players not being up to task is the winning formula is a bit misguided.

Yes, the bills could win this game, i just don't put it at a very high probability. And you have to remember this attack in boston will be commerated by the NFL opening week. and yes, the flags that make noooooooo sense will be out there. so even if we are winning the game, roger and robert will make sure they get the calls they need to keep the patriots winning.

I will let you know about the BETTER replacements AFTER the draft & all the FA signings are done. Jones is EASILY replaced. And FEW WRs have a GOOD Rookie year. This may be the year TJ breaks out.

Levitre will not be easily replaced, but the OL will not fall to pieces without him.

The LB corp has sucked a LONG time, INCLUDING when Poz was a Bill. Don't miss him at all. The Bills have already added some LBs & most likely will add more before the Season starts.

As Justa said, Pettine did call plays for the Jets & I GUARANTEE his defense will be BETTER than the CRAP Wanny ran.

And to think losing 3 STAR PLAYERS will not affect a team is TOTALLY MISGUIDED. After Brady, Welker, Gronk & Hernandez were the BEST players on that TEAM BOTH Offense & Defense. It is LUDICROUS to think they won't be MISSED.

[justasportsfan]

They're not going to be reinventing the wheel. I appreciate coaches who adjust their schemes to the talent as much as anyone, but you can still get a good idea of what coaches will do based on what they did elsewhere, even if there are different players. Look at Gailey - bad coach and had the same schemes as his previous stops (bad ones). Look at Bill O'Brien - good coach, but uses the same scheme as the Patriots used when he was OC. Look at Marrone - used very similar stuff at Syracuse to what he did with the Saints, despite the fact that Nassib is not Brees.

I think people are kidding themselves if they think there's no applicable film on Marrone. It may not be the exact same stuff, but it's still going to be appropriate film to watch.

Having different players adds/subtracts different dimensions to scheme that it just isn't just as easy as knowing their schemes. The Patriots still played an up tempo game whether Hernandez or Gronk were injured but it was still tweaked to be different because either of them were gone. They can watch all the syracuse game tapes they want to but they will be surprised to know it becomes different when you have Spiller and Freddie back there. Besides, it's been stated that they are not married to a scheme . Syracuse' offense last was not the same as the one they had 2 years ago.

[Captain Obvious]

-The NFL must also hate the NFL Network. Bills-Browns as a night game? Why?





Since 2012 EVERY team in the NFL plays at least one night game whether it be the NFLN Thursday night game or the Thanksgiving games or the kickoff season opener. And why would the NFL hate the NFLN they own that network

[stuckincincy]

And to think losing 3 STAR PLAYERS will not affect a team is TOTALLY MISGUIDED. After Brady, Welker, Gronk & Hernandez were the BEST players on that TEAM BOTH Offense & Defense. It is LUDICROUS to think they won't be MISSED.

I've learned to be skeptical of injury claims by NE and their players.

[trapezeus]

I will let you know about the BETTER replacements AFTER the draft & all the FA signings are done. Jones is EASILY replaced. And FEW WRs have a GOOD Rookie year. This may be the year TJ breaks out.

Levitre will not be easily replaced, but the OL will not fall to pieces without him.

The LB corp has sucked a LONG time, INCLUDING when Poz was a Bill. Don't miss him at all. The Bills have already added some LBs & most likely will add more before the Season starts.

As Justa said, Pettine did call plays for the Jets & I GUARANTEE his defense will be BETTER than the CRAP Wanny ran.

And to think losing 3 STAR PLAYERS will not affect a team is TOTALLY MISGUIDED. After Brady, Welker, Gronk & Hernandez were the BEST players on that TEAM BOTH Offense & Defense. It is LUDICROUS to think they won't be MISSED.


so rookie WR rarely have good breakout seasons, but that's how we will replace jones...through the draft and hoping that a one dimensional burner will get open from a QB who likes to hold the ball too long, with a line that's much worse than it was last year?

[PromoTheRobot]

-The NFL must also hate the NFL Network. Bills-Browns as a night game? Why?


Why? Because every NFL team gets a Thu night game. League rule. You didn't know that?

PTR

[better days]

so rookie WR rarely have good breakout seasons, but that's how we will replace jones...through the draft and hoping that a one dimensional burner will get open from a QB who likes to hold the ball too long, with a line that's much worse than it was last year?

Well, at least this year we will have a QB that can get the Ball to WRs.

Too early to determine how good or bad the OL will be, but I doubt the ENTIRE OL is MUCH WORSE than last year.

And a Defense that will stop the other team from scoring as much as last year & get the ball back for the offense rather than let the other team control the clock.

[Goobylal]

The Bills' best shot to beat the Pats is an early game against them. And the Pats got significantly worse after losing Welker (check-out Brady's passing stats pre- and then with Welker) and Lloyd, who were the Pats' top-2 pass catchers, along with Woodhead (5th leading pass catcher), and with Gronk possibly missing the season opener and Hernandez having had surgery and being injury-prone himself.

As for the Bills, depending on whether Chandler can return for the opener, the only player of any worth that they lost was Levitre, who was a good but not great OG, and who was far better at pass-blocking than run-blocking. And while I'd like to see them add more talent, a lot of improvement will come from the coaching change and having a QB with an NFL arm behind center.

[Buddo]

Tbh, I genuinely believe that the opener, will be close. Belicheat not having tape on Marrone is significant. There's a lot of difference between having an idea what someone is going to do, and knowing what they are going to do. Belicheat is quite obviously extremely good at breaking down tape of opponents, which is why them taping signals in the past, made it so much easier for him.
The Bills either seem to play the Pats close, or get blown out by them. I think Marrone isn't going to accept a blow out, unless it's because of injuries on the day - when the circumstances are such that you can almost literally do nothing about it.
I'm with a few of the other guys in this thread, I think the opener will be a great opportunity to stick it to the Pats. As to belilcheat being able to suss out what our D is going to do, from Jest tapes, I'm not buying it. The reason for that, is due to the different players we have, and their varied skill sets. I think, especially for the opener, Pettine will have Mario all over the place, and the Pats won't have a clue where he's coming from. Mario is simply one of the most athletically gifted guys around.
I also see Dareus as being a difference maker this year, now past troubles are hopefully behind him. I feel that Marrone and Pettine will get into his head, and find the triggers that really fire him up, and I think when they do, he's going to become a serious force to be reckoned with. I'm pretty optimistic for the opener tbh, although I do also realise I could end up being way off the mark.

As to other parts of the schedule, getting the Jest after they have loads of time to prepare, is by no means ideal, but if it has to happen, then week 3 is about the right sort of time for it to do so.

The NFLN Thursday night game, against the Browns, could well have the lowest viewing figures of all of the Thursday Night games. We have played some truly awful games against them in the past several years, and I see little reason for there to be much attractive about it for any casual viewer. The game under Jauron a few years ago, was the single most dreadful game of football, I've had the displeasure to watch. Both teams were absolutely dire, and ought to have given the fans a full refund for the masquerade they put on that was allegedly a game of professional football. I cringe even thinking about that game.

[stuckincincy]

The NFLN Thursday night game, against the Browns, could well have the lowest viewing figures of all of the Thursday Night games. We have played some truly awful games against them in the past several years, and I see little reason for there to be much attractive about it for any casual viewer. The game under Jauron a few years ago, was the single most dreadful game of football, I've had the displeasure to watch. Both teams were absolutely dire, and ought to have given the fans a full refund for the masquerade they put on that was allegedly a game of professional football. I cringe even thinking about that game.


Right on about the BUF - CLE games:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=buf&tm2=cle&yr=all

Dunno about the ratings. I'll guess there are a good number of fans who are tired of the constant broadcast diet of GB, NE, PGH, and all of the NFC East, and would like to see a seldom-shown club.

The last Buf game shown in the Cincy market was a home game in 2010. The home game in '11 was blacked out. Before that it was a prime time game against DAL several years ago.

[GreedoII]

Well the Pats haven't won the SB in quite some time, and with all the recent drama in Boston, this just wreaks of the NFL throwing the Pats a bone to help them get back on the right track. "How does a road division win in week 1 sound?"

There is no way in hell a young team with new systems on both sides of the ball is going to beat a Bellicheck team in their very first live game.

This makes no sense. The game is in Sept! No bones thrown here dude. I think it's good for Buff myself. New era...crowd excited...opening day...a great start to see how they measure up. NE has injury concerns..no welker to destroy then underneath....

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

Right on about the BUF - CLE games:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=buf&tm2=cle&yr=all

Dunno about the ratings. I'll guess there are a good number of fans who are tired of the constant broadcast diet of GB, NE, PGH, and all of the NFC East, and would like to see a seldom-shown club.

The last Buf game shown in the Cincy market was a home game in 2010. The home game in '11 was blacked out. Before that it was a prime time game against DAL several years ago.

I'm not sure which game was worse. the 8-0 or the 6-3 game. wow