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I think the Bills were beat by the better team today. My biggest issue is that GOOD football teams find ways to win at home. This game just didn't even start right. I'm left hoping it was just a bad day all around, but there are only 16 games in this league and you shouldn't have bad days at home. It was never even close.
I'm not complaining yet, we're not a great team. We're a decent team, with a ton of potential. That's the frustrating thing, whether we ever reach our full potential, and I absolutely don't think we can with EJ.
I don't see EJ getting much better at passing.
The D was a disappointment yesterday.
I'm not so sure that it has anything to do with whining.Quote:
Originally Posted by SpikedLemonade
Here's the difference, I think that everyone's happy that we started 2-0, but to me it still doesn't alter my expectation that this is still no better than a 6-10 team and I'm not even (still) expecting those 6 wins. I'm still thinking 4 or 5. So the order in which those wins comes doesn't mean much to me. When we win our 8th game then I'll start being optimistic.
We're obviously not playing well and relying on things to win games that just don't occur on a regular basis.
The big difference between myself along with a handful of others that seem to think similarly (and really we're all the same poster) and everyone else here, is that we're not shocked at these games that we lose that are winnable. Many of you seem surprised.
I still expect us to go 3-10 in our remaining games with a game leeway either way. Miami was likely the most winnable game on the schedule. We're not going to do well on the road and haven't over the last bunch of seasons. We also aren't going to win more than one more game, two if we're really lucky, like we did against Chicago.
On paper Cleveland may be the weakest team, but has anyone looked at how they're playing? Hawkins and Austin alone have more receiving yards and TDs than our entire roster of WR's. Their RB's have combined for 345 rushing yards and 5 TDs against some very formidable rushing defenses and seem to be Fred Jackson types, lesser known unproven at higher level RBs. Spiller and Jackson have combined for 266 yards and no TDs. Hoyer is playing much better than Manuel.
So I'm not sure where our wins are coming from at this point. I've still got us sweeping the Fins, but after that I'm stumped. We'll squeeze another couple out, but other than maybe Minnesota and Oakland the rest of our opponents are better than we are. I view Oakland about the same. We cannot assume that we're going to beat every team that's equal to or worse than we are, we didn't last season and never do.
The two biggest acquisitions we made this season were Watkins and Spikes. Whaley promised us that Watkins would make an "immedate impact," which he hasn't. Spikes isn't even coming close to making the kind of impact that a lot of people here insisted he would. The team doesn't even let him play on passing downs, at least they've figured out that he's worthless there. He's on the field for less than half the defensive snaps.
Game's in Oakland, never a good sign. On top of that we won only two road games last season against Jax and Miami.Quote:
Originally Posted by SpikedLemonade
Where's the talent?Quote:
Originally Posted by ServoBillieves
McKelvin sucks as a CB and has for years. Gilmore's not playing up to the expectations of him as a high draft pick. Graham's playing OK but we'll see inconsistency from him over the season.
Our linebackers aren't exactly an overly talented bunch. Good d-line, but still with limitations.
Offensively where's the talent? Spiller's nothing but a role player that can't be used on 3rd downs because he sucks on them. Jackson is the man but he's clearly not what he once was.
Watkins? Everyone blames Manuel, but where's this big shake and bake stuff that we've heard so much about? I'm not seeing it except last week against Miami. He's supposed to be able to catch a 4 yard pass and turn it into 10, 15, or 20 with ease.
What talent at TE do we have?
And Manuel, do we even need to go there.
Everyone talks about this being a talented team, and if you get on the field and compare them to yourself then sure, but against the rest of the league not so much.
The Broncos look beatable? To the Bills? lol What's in your coffee this morning? Manning is going to make quick work of our secondary, especially in Denver.Quote:
Originally Posted by SpikedLemonade
Belicheat has our number and won't be outcoached by Marrone. Brady shouldn't have too much difficulty with our secondary either. We've beaten the Pats once in the last 21 tries and it took nearly a 400 yard passing performance to do it. Anyone here confident that Manuel is capable of doing that against NE? If so I don't know why.
You're right about the Browns being a tougher game, the Raiders probably only because it's in Oakland where we historically don't play well. The Lions are just a better team and Stafford, Megatron, and Tate shouldn't have too much trouble against our secondary either.
So unless a team shows up with their QB playing like Cutler did in week one there's not a lot of hope to win those games. It may happen again, but we can't count on it as a rule.
Why do you think we're a better team?Quote:
Originally Posted by The Jokeman
Foster and Blue are playing much better than our RBs are. Foster has almost as many yards as Spiller and FJ combined and he didn't even play yesterday.
Andre Johnson and Hopkins are better than our entire corp of WRs are.
Manuel is not playing as well as Fitzpatrick did here or there.
Debatable on their D, but as long as Watt is on the field that's not good news for Manuel with the game being in Houston. I love Henderson but Watt up against Henderson so soon concerns me.
Looking at the rest of the schedule, I think we:
Split with the Jets
Beat the Vikes and Chiefs
Beat Texans and Browns.
The fish will be out for blood.
The Pack and Broncos could beat us with their second string.
We haven't won in Oakland since 1965.
Pats: Pencil in two losses.
Lose to Jets at home.
Lose to Lions on the road.
That puts us at 7-9...right where I figured we would be.
You like us beating the Chiefs because it's in Buffalo?Quote:
Originally Posted by Historian
I don't think we're a better team and Charles may be better by then. I also think that the Texans and Browns are going to have no trouble scoring against us. Cleveland is playing better ball right now despite being 1-2. I don't see us being able to contain Andre Johnson or Hopkins for Houston. Everyone's counting on Fitzpatrick to throw us a bunch of INTs but I think that the chances are greater that Manuel does. He's outlasting his luck right now.
I don't think we'll have any trouble with the Fins in Miami in November, they have so many injuries and Moreno's may not even be back. Even if he is their passing game isn't good.
I'm more concerned about the Jets but they haven't swept us in years. Smith is playing no worse than Manuel and the Jets RBs shredded us last season.
Not to the Bills.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fletch
ThanksQuote:
Originally Posted by SpikedLemonade
Thought you went to the doc for new painkillers or something.
i agree that losing at home is a huge problem because most of our road games seem like 4-4 in best case scenario. so if the purpose to this season is to make the playoffs, you have to be 6-2 or better at home. SD wasn't a pencilled in winner for buffalo, but with the start they had and SD travelling, you were hoping that they could have put up a W.Quote:
Originally Posted by Historian
There is no earthly reason for it, but the we have had the Chiefs number for years. When they win, it's a tight flukey mess, like last year where it took a defensive TD and a few years back when it took them 5 full quarters to score 13 points at home. OTOH when we beat them, it's a nightmare - even TRENT EDWARDS hung a 50burger on them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fletch
I would hope the purpose is to win in the playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by trapezeus
I'm hoping for 4-4 at the bye. It will make the road trip up (with a swing by Erie to see McDavid and the Sabs on Saturday) to see the Chiefs game more enjoyable.
this team was flat yesterday. we were capable of playing san diego soo much better. and yes, I was actually glad Gilmore was out for a bit...I want Gilmore gone. he's a damn liability. how did he ever get any hype his rookie season?
The Texans are currently favored by 3 points.Quote:
Originally Posted by SpikedLemonade
That's just because they have home-field advantage, which generally gives a team 3 points as they say. "They" are leading us to believe that these teams are exactly evenly matched, or something like that.
Personally, I like the Bills chances against the Texans.
Well we lost last year and we had a buttload of rushing yards and 470 net to their 210, Spiller had 145 yards from scrimmage, Jackson another 99 and we still lost.Quote:
Originally Posted by IlluminatusUIUC
We'll see. Until proven differently this looks to be another quick start with two wins coming once against a terrible team and once under a handful of favorable circumstances that's about to turn into the usual 3-11 finish. We're not exactly beating teams the old fashioned way.Quote:
Originally Posted by feldspar