Is it that bad to finish 4-12 this year?

[ghz in pittsburgh]

I know it's only 7 days into Oct. Long 12 weeks of NFL season left.

But I remind everyone that coming in, the goal was about development of EJ, the new guys, and the coach staff, just about everyone I know. It $ucks having another losing season. It really $ucks to be Kyle Williams who's coming to the down side of his career when the team is climbing up.

But EJ is likely to play 5 more games this season. If he shows improvement over his last 5 games, which aren't too bad overall, then we are in serious business of contending next year - to me that's not the old song of there is always next year, this is real, I can feel it. I can imagine they go out and blow their FA money on a left guard, then the team might already be competitive with internal growth. With the next year's crop of QBs available, their draft pick might be worth a lot ... or

When EJ comes back and not showing what the coaches expected, we have a better prospect of QB readily available with our position.

[RedEyE]

Yes. Guys like Fred Jackson aren't getting any younger. If this team keeps folding 5 games into the season each and every year then the guys that are half way decent on this team aren't going to want to stay.

I understand about the development of EJ, but how much developing is he actually doing riding the pine due to injury?

This team is primed to win now. They just lack consistent QB play. Now granted it's not going to all fall apart next season but I'm tired of this team being done in while the rest of the NFL is just getting started.

[malvado78]

Nope. It's not that bad. It frees up about 44 hrs on Sunday afternoons from now till Dec for me...

[TacklingDummy]

By the time we get a real QB players like Mario, Fred, CJ, Kiko, RW...will be gone. They won't see the playoffs as Bills. Unless they get a QB.

[trapezeus]

my patience is razor thin with this team. but some of the positives with pettine and the demeanor that EJ has has me hopeful that one more solid draft does the trick.

ej's injury is brutal because the guy just seems to need to play about 10 more games to have the game slow down for him. it just needs to slow down a touch so he can set his feet and throw accurate passes.

[SpikedLemonade]

But aren't those 4 meaningless wins going to feel so good?

[PTI]

If they finish 4-12 they have to draft a QB then.

[TacklingDummy]

But aren't those 4 meaningless wins going to feel so good?

With the 11th pick in the NFL draft the Buffalo Bills select...S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama

[SpikedLemonade]

I wonder if KC Chief fans right now wish they had won a couple more meaningless games last season?

But alas our fans are much better than theirs so every meaningless victory is to be savored.

[Albany,n.y.]

I'll always disagree with the fans who want those meaningless wins. The goal of a losing team is to get better and eventually build as champion. The difference between 5 wins and 7 wins in a lost season is that you are further away from the goal. I've said it before-some fans blur the line between player and fan. A fan has the right to do what a player can't-want to lose a meaningless game.
Here's a good example of how losing helps a team, even when it's not in contention for the top pick (that's a whole different story-just ask Indy fans if they'd have rather won a couple of more games the seasons before they drafted Manning & Luck). If the Bills had won one more meaningless game last year, St. Louis would have traded up with a different team. The Bills would now be minus one impact player Kiko Alonzo, since he was chosen with the extra pick obtained in the trade. Think of all the years we missed players like Patrick Willis, Adrian Peterson and other superstars because we won a game or 2 too many in a losing season. One of the best examples is the year Pittsburgh got Roethlisberger at pick 11 & we ended up picking Lee Evans 2 picks later & then trading up for JP Losman. The difference between 5 wins in 2003 and 6 wins was Roethlisberger vs JP Losman. I sure hope those fans who were so happy with that 6th win in 2003 are still savoring the sweetness of that victory after another 10 years of meaningless wins.

[elltrain22]

If we're going to be a bad team this year, I'd rather be 4-12 bad then we'll get a higher pick. This years draft class is strong, and we would be able a very good player, that would make us decent next year.

[mjt328]

No.
Personally, I don't believe in "rebuilding" seasons. I believe that with the right moves, a team should be able to turn everything around in a single season and make the playoffs.
The Chiefs went from the Number 1 pick in the draft in 2012, to a 5-0 record to start 2013.


There was absolutely NO REASON that 2013 should have been another throwaway/wasted season for the Bills.

But here we are. $20 million under the salary cap. Gaping holes at QB and CB (due to injury) and OG (self-inflicted). Trying to fix everything with crap from the practice squad. Wondering why Week 6 is already going to be a blackout.

[TacklingDummy]

I'll always disagree with the fans who want those meaningless wins. The goal of a losing team is to get better and eventually build as champion. The difference between 5 wins and 7 wins in a lost season is that you are further away from the goal. I've said it before-some fans blur the line between player and fan. A fan has the right to do what a player can't-want to lose a meaningless game.
Here's a good example of how losing helps a team, even when it's not in contention for the top pick (that's a whole different story-just ask Indy fans if they'd have rather won a couple of more games the seasons before they drafted Manning & Luck). If the Bills had won one more meaningless game last year, St. Louis would have traded up with a different team. The Bills would now be minus one impact player Kiko Alonzo, since he was chosen with the extra pick obtained in the trade. Think of all the years we missed players like Patrick Willis, Adrian Peterson and other superstars because we won a game or 2 too many in a losing season. One of the best examples is the year Pittsburgh got Roethlisberger at pick 11 & we ended up picking Lee Evans 2 picks later & then trading up for JP Losman. The difference between 5 wins in 2003 and 6 wins was Roethlisberger vs JP Losman. I sure hope those fans who were so happy with that 6th win in 2003 are still savoring the sweetness of that victory after another 10 years of meaningless wins.

Meaningless wins have a huge consequences.
The Bills meaningless meaningful wins have contributed to the 12+ years of mediocrity.
They are not even good at sucking.

[PTI]

Meaningless win almost cost the Colts Andrew Luck.

[mjt328]

I'll always disagree with the fans who want those meaningless wins. The goal of a losing team is to get better and eventually build as champion. The difference between 5 wins and 7 wins in a lost season is that you are further away from the goal. I've said it before-some fans blur the line between player and fan. A fan has the right to do what a player can't-want to lose a meaningless game.
Here's a good example of how losing helps a team, even when it's not in contention for the top pick (that's a whole different story-just ask Indy fans if they'd have rather won a couple of more games the seasons before they drafted Manning & Luck). If the Bills had won one more meaningless game last year, St. Louis would have traded up with a different team. The Bills would now be minus one impact player Kiko Alonzo, since he was chosen with the extra pick obtained in the trade. Think of all the years we missed players like Patrick Willis, Adrian Peterson and other superstars because we won a game or 2 too many in a losing season. One of the best examples is the year Pittsburgh got Roethlisberger at pick 11 & we ended up picking Lee Evans 2 picks later & then trading up for JP Losman. The difference between 5 wins in 2003 and 6 wins was Roethlisberger vs JP Losman. I sure hope those fans who were so happy with that 6th win in 2003 are still savoring the sweetness of that victory after another 10 years of meaningless wins.

I agree with the premise.

What burns me, is that Buffalo should have had all the tools to make a playoff push THIS season.

But instead of shelling out some big bucks to keep their best players (Levitre, Byrd), they decided it was better to squabble over a couple million dollars and spend the season $20 million under the cap. The coaches obviously saw the issues at CB in the preseason, but have done nothing to fix the problem - choosing instead to trot out Justin Rogers week after week. They obviously knew that Jeff Tuel wasn't ready, but decided to keep him as the gameday backup to Manuel.

We were a couple 3rd down stops away from beating the Patriots Week 1. We were a couple deep bomb breakups away from beating the Jets in Week 3. And we were a veteran QB away from keeping Week 5 a game against the Browns.

[SpikedLemonade]

That Panthers victory this year probably cost us 3-4 draft spots.

Oh, but it was so meaningful!

[trapezeus]

i think the bills have a way to go, SL, but i don't think the bills 4-12 season will get them out of the top 5 pick. i also don't think they could compete with JAX on being that bad.

also cleveland was left for dead trading richardson and are now on a roll. so anything can happen in a season. but as we know nothing ever good happens for the bills.

i think a 4-12 season will get the bills a chance to get a OL and another good LB. That should be the key positions to obtain early, then draft 2-3 CB's and whatever else we think needs an upgrade. Aside from that, if the bills were 3-13 or 4-12, i don't think it'd matter much.

the issue will be if they go 7-9 again.

[tomz]

i think the bills have a way to go, SL, but i don't think the bills 4-12 season will get them out of the top 5 pick. i also don't think they could compete with JAX on being that bad.

also cleveland was left for dead trading richardson and are now on a roll. so anything can happen in a season. but as we know nothing ever good happens for the bills.

i think a 4-12 season will get the bills a chance to get a OL and another good LB. That should be the key positions to obtain early, then draft 2-3 CB's and whatever else we think needs an upgrade. Aside from that, if the bills were 3-13 or 4-12, i don't think it'd matter much.

the issue will be if they go 7-9 again.

Agree generally with those two priorities for next draft. Add an elite TE prospect if available.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

KC has $ucked for a number of years ahs accumulated a lot of talents. I think one of the national publication has KC with the highest number of pro-ball players without making the playoff last year. We see the issue now: QB and coaching. They got Alex Smith who is just so-so but that's all they needed with the talent around him. For a well managed team like the Steelers, they usually $uck bad for one year and came right back up. Roethlisbger example brought up by Albany is a perfect example. The Steelers were infinitely better than the Bills over the last decade. But they still needed to $uck bad - worse than the Bills - to get the player that brought them to superbowl 3 times.

I'm really seeing what most anlysts are saying that the Bills need one more good draft to be a consistent playoff contender for a few years - a big assumption is EJ pans out, not to super star level, just be better than what we had last decade. The needs of this team, OG, LB, are not difficult to draft positions. I myself will put RB ahead of CB since Jackson is really up in age and I'm not sold on CJ being an everydown back, especially at goal line.

[better days]

That Panthers victory this year probably cost us 3-4 draft spots.

Oh, but it was so meaningful!

You "PLAY TO WIN THE GAME"

I don't want any Coach or players on my team that is happy with a loss.