the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

[trapezeus]

the bills could have won those first two games. and if they did, they'd be 3-0. and I think I would still say, this looks like the 4-0 team that beat some bad teams at the start. its a bit of a blessing that all the breaks didn't go our way because fundamentally, they aren't a good offense. they can't milk the clock and they are reliant on big plays with special teams or d helping out on the score board. that's a tough way to live for 16 weeks. you might get a few weeks like that. but if you can't get the ball in the fourth quarter in the lead and bleed the clock, your team isn't built to win now or win soon.

that being said, this is a monumental game for the bills. a team they despise, they get no respect from (mostly from officials), they don't win in Foxboro (when the games actually matter), and they come in as a weak team. however, if they win, they get to 1-2 vs the AFC, they get a division game that they need, they get within striking distance of 1st place in the east, and possibly take sole possession of 2nd in the east. the next few games are winnable. but if they really have a shot, the offense has to consistently get 6-8 plays a drive.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

that being said, this is a monumental game for the bills. a team they despise, they get no respect from (mostly from officials), they don't win in Foxboro (when the games actually matter), and they come in as a weak team. however, if they win, they get to 1-2 vs the AFC, they get a division game that they need, they get within striking distance of 1st place in the east, and possibly take sole possession of 2nd in the east. the next few games are winnable. but if they really have a shot, the offense has to consistently get 6-8 plays a drive.

If the Bills can miraculously beat the Patriots with their 2nd/3rd/4th string QB/WR, then we'll have a small chance of going 5-2 before we meet New England again. We play LA, SF, and MIA after NE, and none of those teams have shown anything this year. Not that we have either, but we'll have shown something if we beat ARI and NE back to back.

Then we still have games against JAX, OAK, CLE, MIA and NYJ again. Those are winnable games that we'll probably lose, but you never know. That's potential for 10 wins this year. I don't think we have a chance against NE w/Brady, SEA, CIN, or PIT.

The win against ARI really has the potential to change our season, but I still think we'll struggle to reach my expectations of 6 wins.

[trapezeus]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

if they are 5-2 going against ne at home, that would make for a much more exciting season. but the wins have to come from playing well and not just getting a few breaks. I still don't see how this team puts together 3-5 game win streak. but if they do, they can maybe sneak into the playoffs because at this point, the teams we thought would be wild cards, also have records close to ours. but we have to do better in the AFC opponents or we'll lose tie breaks. despite the goodwill from the cards game, it's a long way to being good.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

Any way you look at it, it's a huge game this weekend.

[YardRat]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

I'd be happy with 2-2 at the quarter mark, especially if one of those is against New England.

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

This is amusing. Last week everyone thinks we are the 2008 Detroit lions (was that the 0 and 16 year) now you guys are talking about being 2 and 2 at the quarter mark and being 5 and 2 after 7. Count me as still on the 'we are really bad' bandwagon

[Mace]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

This is amusing. Last week everyone thinks we are the 2008 Detroit lions (was that the 0 and 16 year) now you guys are talking about being 2 and 2 at the quarter mark and being 5 and 2 after 7. Count me as still on the 'we are really bad' bandwagon

Well, I don't think they're going to prove to be any good, but life is too short to ignore happy possibility while it still flickers.

There's plenty of time to be upset when it goes bad....until it does, enjoy it while you can, we just trounced Arizona.

[trapezeus]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

even if they are 2-2, I still think this is a highly flawed team that will ultimately go no where again. that's why wins like the Arizona game are so problematic. insteado f being one of a few teams in the basement with no hope and chance at real change, they do just enough to keep Brandon and his every consistent public cry of consistency when he's really privately meddling and whispering the idea of firing coaches to keep people coming to the games.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

even if they are 2-2, I still think this is a highly flawed team that will ultimately go no where again. that's why wins like the Arizona game are so problematic. insteado f being one of a few teams in the basement with no hope and chance at real change, they do just enough to keep Brandon and his every consistent public cry of consistency when he's really privately meddling and whispering the idea of firing coaches to keep people coming to the games.

Just look at how good the Lions are after tanking that 0-16 season, or the Rams after having a top 5 pick 5 out of the last 8 years, or how good the Browns are after having picks 12, 4, 6, 4, 6, 7, and 5 for the last 7 years, Miami certainly got out of the basement when they went 1-15. These are the teams we should be emulating.

[G]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

that 4-0 start was a mirage but it sure was fun to win for a while. we get so little to be happy about as bills fans we might as well grasp something positive when we can. looking ahead is for winners. we’re definitely not winners so let’s focus on week 4. let’s admit it, none of this positive speculation matters if we can’t get past the patriots without their starter, maybe backup, maybe third stringer.

[trapezeus]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

tanking alone isn't a solution. but the lions got significantly better than their 0-16 days. they got a real qb but struggled to make the final touches. other teams have also struggled like the browns and rams and neither got the qb question right. I think the bills potentially could be a playoff team if they had Stafford.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

tanking alone isn't a solution. but the lions got significantly better than their 0-16 days. they got a real qb but struggled to make the final touches. other teams have also struggled like the browns and rams and neither got the qb question right. I think the bills potentially could be a playoff team if they had Stafford.

Every terrible team that inevitably ended up turning it around and being able to compete in the playoffs got a quarterback. That's super simplified, but it's pretty much what happened. A single player cannot regularly change the outcome of a game unless that player is a quarterback.

At the same time, not every high drafted QB was picked by a terrible team that earned that draft spot. The new rookie salary cap allows for teams to take risks trading up for the player they want. If we traded up for an unworthy WR, we can trade up for a QB. There are plenty of trades now in the top of the draft.

I'd rather have an 8-8 team with a rookie QB than a 3-13 team with a rookie QB.

[trapezeus]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

agreed. I still say Gregg Williams first season 3-13 bills had more moxy and were more fun to watch fighting in close games and losing than all the jauron years of 7-9. one thing about tanking here, is that we would move from TT. going 3-13 with a new QB sucks. going 3-13 when your team really stinks and will see turnover is somewhat satisfying. just my opinion

[justasportsfan]

Re: the 2008 4-0 bills and the 2016 bills share some similarities.

the similarities I see from past seasons is that the cheatriots get a long break just before playing the bills.

I know it wouldn't have changed the outcome but this thing always happens.