Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

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2015 NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

8

Bills 1-1

1 Last Week: 9

Tom Brady has seven TD passes and no interceptions over the past two seasons against the Bills. Everyone else has 14 TD passes and 21 interceptions against the Bills in that time.

The knee-jerk reaction to the Pats loss is disheartening. Sorry, but it's not a big deal getting beat by (possibly) the best QB in the history of the NFL and one of the best coaches in the history of the NFL. Even though the Pats and Brady are proven cheaters, it does not mean that their greatness can be denied. It only makes them dirty cheaters for all time.

The way the Bills proceed from their ass kicking is all important. I think that Miami is going to receive the bad end of that lesson on Sunday.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

Upon rewatching the game was not as bad as I thought.

Offensive line is a big issue, but the penalties were even worse.

We deserved pretty much every penalty we got so I'm not complaining, but that really was the difference maker.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

Aren't we supposed to belittle power rankings here?

FWIW, here are the CBS Sports sites' ones...

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pat-kirwan/25312207/nfl-power-rankings-redskins-steelers-falcons-are-moving-on-up

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/25312083/nfl-power-rankings-time-to-start-paying-attention-to-cardinals-bengals

[Saratoga Slim]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

While I don't place a lot of stock in power rankings, I do agree with the fact that we didn't move much in these rankings. Tom was so dialed in that I don't think it mattered what our defense did--it's not really a cop out to say that sometimes a Hall of Fame QB just takes over a game. And yet despite a very sloppy effort in terms of penalties and turnovers we almost kept pace on offense.

I was hoping we'd come out of there with a win and the confidence that the AFC East was finally up for grabs, but instead I'm now resigned to the fact that we're a good team that should seriously contend for a wild card. And that's still a step forward from recent memory.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

While I don't place a lot of stock in power rankings, I do agree with the fact that we didn't move much in these rankings. Tom was so dialed in that I don't think it mattered what our defense did--it's not really a cop out to say that sometimes a Hall of Fame QB just takes over a game. And yet despite a very sloppy effort in terms of penalties and turnovers we almost kept pace on offense.

I was hoping we'd come out of there with a win and the confidence that the AFC East was finally up for grabs, but instead I'm now resigned to the fact that we're a good team that should seriously contend for a wild card. And that's still a step forward from recent memory.

They have a make-or-break run of games coming up...@MIA, NYG, @TEN. They play CIN at home after those 3 games and CIN comes off of playing 3 of the tougher opponents per last years' W-L records so they might be beat up. BUF owns CIN at the RWS, too.

[YardRat]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

Considering our loss to NE and Indy's loss to NYJets, I find it hard to believe anybody would move the Bills up in the rankings.

I agree how the team bounces back is all-important, and some dinged up players on the Dolphins for this week is good timing, but this was a tough loss that may carry the hangover through next week too. I'm definitely not chalking up Sunday's game as a 'gimme'.

[Mace]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

If you really look at their schedule, the only QB's so capable of Bradying them are Regular season Dalton, Brady, Alex Smith, and Romo if he's back by then. Of those, it's possible we can outsmallball Smith, Iffy Dalton shows up, and Romo isn't himself.

I still think they'll have a tremendously successful season not playing elite teams.

[The Jokeman]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

Considering our loss to NE and Indy's loss to NYJets, I find it hard to believe anybody would move the Bills up in the rankings.

I agree how the team bounces back is all-important, and some dinged up players on the Dolphins for this week is good timing, but this was a tough loss that may carry the hangover through next week too. I'm definitely not chalking up Sunday's game as a 'gimme'.

Not a gimme but it's winnable and these are the types of games we need to win to be a playoff contender.

[The Jokeman]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

If you really look at their schedule, the only QB's so capable of Bradying them are Regular season Dalton, Brady, Alex Smith, and Romo if he's back by then. Of those, it's possible we can outsmallball Smith, Iffy Dalton shows up, and Romo isn't himself.

I still think they'll have a tremendously successful season not playing elite teams.

The Bengals are vastly under rated. As Lewis has two good RBs, a WR/TE that can be in the top 10 of their position discussion and oh a very good defense with a caretaker QB who might not be great in the playoffs but does pretty good in the regular season. The Chies are very similar yet don't have the great WR. The Bills are closest to the Bengals the only difference is Marvin been in Cincy for 12 years.

[Mace]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

The Bengals are vastly under rated. As Lewis has two good RBs, a WR/TE that can be in the top 10 of their position discussion and oh a very good defense with a caretaker QB who might not be great in the playoffs but does pretty good in the regular season. The Chies are very similar yet don't have the great WR. The Bills are closest to the Bengals the only difference is Marvin been in Cincy for 12 years.

That's why I said "Regular season Dalton" and made a point of it. The Bills don't need be "close" to any of those teams, they need prevent themselves from being decimated by an expert quick release QB with uncoverable tight ends. Best Te's in the bunch are Eifert (Bengals) & Witten (Cowboys) & Kelce (Chiefs) but none of those combined with QB's & WR's are close to the Brady/Gronkowski/Edelman effect that shredded us.

Anyway, like I said, the QB's capable of Bradying them are not many, and besides New England, there are no elites in the bunch, leading to what again, could be a very successful season even if you panic and write off all four of those games. That's the Indianapolis effect of showing up looking good because of a winnable schedule.

[YardRat]

Re: Bills Move UP in ESPN Power Rankings

There weren't many elites in the bunch we lost to last year. Nobody else is going to hang 466 yards passing on this team again this year (unless Brady and Belichek really try to rub it in in NE), even I'm confident of that.