Do the Bills Have to Win ALL of We the Next 3 Games to Make the Play-offs?

[SpikedLemonade]

We are 2-2 after 3 home games and now face @Tenn, 4-0 Cinn and Jags in London before the bye week. After the bye week, we have Mia at home before 3 consecutive road games against Jets, Pats and Chiefs.

Even assuming 10-6 gets us a wild card spot, I can't see how we get to 10-6 unless we win these next 3 games. 4-3 going into the bye means we need to go 6-3 after the bye week and I just don't see those wins on the schedule.

I think the Bills play-off hopes are in the balance over these next 3 games.

Cinci will be a tough win, but it has to do be done.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

We can get 6 wins after the bye, but it would require sweeping the Jets. Cinci is not a do-or-die must win, but if we lose it then one of our december games becomes one.

[Skooby]

Playoffs ?? We're pretty far from making anything when the roadmap on how to beat us is out there.

[MillsapsBillsFan]

I cant see us making the playoffs below 10-6. Tenn and Jax should 100% be wins, if we lose either one of those then theres no way we win enough games to get to the playoffs. I think Cinci can be done, but we need to figure out how to shut down dalton and we havent exactly been strong against the good QB's weve played so far.

But I agree. We're 2-2 these next three need to set us up for a playoff push and they need to set the tone for the season. I need to see which Bills team is for real, the one we saw against the Pats and Giants or the one we saw against Indy and Mia

[Albany,n.y.]

It's this simple: If they win 11 games in any order, they'll make the playoffs.

[SpikedLemonade]

It's this simple: If they win 11 games in any order, they'll make the playoffs.

Yeah, that ain't happening.

[Bill Cody]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

[trapezeus]

for the worrywarts, they won't make the playoffs. for the overly optimistic, its a no brainer, they'll make it.

for everyone else. they seem to have the talent if they can put together a full game together, they'll win games. if they self destruct, there is literally no predicting how bad this team will be.

For this group of fans, i think 2-2 is average. i think extrapolating the next 3 games is impossible. injuries happen. the bengals could get a slew of them and that could be a winnable game. The bills identity has not been cemented in stone. it really depends how the bills come out of this pretty terrible, self-inflicted loss and show if they are a playoff team. if they do, and they win. momentum is on their side. they lose this, and they are in a lot of hurt.

[Mike]

Remaining Games: 4-3 start is Ok with this schedule

OCT 11	@TITANS	WINNABLE
OCT 18	BENGALS	L
OCT 25	@JAGUARS	WINNABLE
NOV 8	DOLPHINS	WINNABLE
NOV 12	@JETS	WINNABLE
NOV 23	@PATRIOTS	L
NOV 29	@CHIEFS	WINNABLE
DEC 6	TEXANS	WINNABLE
DEC 13	@EAGLES	WINNABLE
DEC 20	@REDSKINS	WINNABLE
DEC 27	COWBOYS	WINNABLE
JAN 3	JETS	WINNABLE

Only 2 very good teams: Pats & Cinci
There are many easy teams on schedule: Titans, Jags, Dolphins, Redskins, Texans
and quite a few mediocre teams: Jets, Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys


>>> Overall the Bills have the Talent & ease of Schedule to make playoffs. Question is can they put it together and execute.
*Most Games on the Schedule are Winnable = 4-3 start will be OK

[Mr. Pink]

Remaining Games: 4-3 start is Ok with this schedule

OCT 11	@TITANS	WINNABLE
OCT 18	BENGALS	L
OCT 25	@JAGUARS	WINNABLE
NOV 8	DOLPHINS	WINNABLE
NOV 12	@JETS	WINNABLE
NOV 23	@PATRIOTS	L
NOV 29	@CHIEFS	WINNABLE
DEC 6	TEXANS	WINNABLE
DEC 13	@EAGLES	WINNABLE
DEC 20	@REDSKINS	WINNABLE
DEC 27	COWBOYS	WINNABLE
JAN 3	JETS	WINNABLE

Only 2 very good teams: Pats & Cinci
There are many easy teams on schedule: Titans, Jags, Dolphins, Redskins, Texans
and quite a few mediocre teams: Jets, Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys
Most Games on the Schedule are WINNABLE

I would put Dallas as a L as well, both Romo and Bryant will be back by then, but those other games are winnable.

Can this team go 8-4 over that schedule is the question? Will the play disciplined enough in the winnable games not to shoot themselves in the foot? Will they just run into a couple teams playing their best game of the season along the way?

It is certainly possible for them to be fighting for the 6th seed.

[psubills62]

I see 2-1 over the next 3 games.

After that, you really never know. Harder to project ~4 weeks down the road due to injuries, players returning, etc. I'd sincerely hope we'll be relatively healthy coming off the bye week. That will hopefully make a difference.

[Ed]

I think the AFC is incredibly weak right now. Besides the Pats, Broncos, and Bengals, what team looks better than the Bills? Of the remaining teams only the Jets have a winning record and it's hard to see a team with Fitzpatrick at qb making the playoffs. I would say every other team has more flaws/issues or less talent than the Bills.

The AFC South is garbage. The Colts will probably win the division, but the Jags, Titans, and Texans aren't competing for a WC.

In the AFC North the Steelers are going to be with a mistake-prone Vick for a while and their D is terrible. I think the Ravens will fight back, but their in a bigger hole at 1-3 and simply aren't as talented as they've been in the past. Cleveland sucks and they have the most brutal schedule.

In the West SD and Oakland are also 2-2, but neither have looked impressive in any of their games. The Chiefs are in a bigger hole at 1-3.

The Dolphins suck and just fired their coach.

[stuckincincy]

KC looked good against CIN - almost 500 yd offense (aided by the refs...1 pen in the 1st half - a blatant grab on a pick, and their OL was holding like crazy). Despite 5 sacks, Alex Smith got the ball to wr Macklin (11 catches for 148) and rb Charles (6 for 70) often. And Charles was a crisp 11 carries for 75 yards. CIN's D held them to seven (!) FGs. So KC can move the ball. I was very impressed with Macklin's play - he wheeled enough ahead of close coverage such that the db wasn't in position for a swipe-down of the ball.

NYJ are 3 and 1. They not make the playoffs with Fitz, but if Fitz beats BUF, BUF probably isn't going anywhere either.

[Victor7]

The Cincy game is huge. I mean in theory we should beat both the Jags and the Titans. The Bengals game is at the Ralph. I can't see us going 1-3 at home to start the season. But then again the Bengals are off to a hot start. We HAVE to win that game.

The game in KC is not as winnable as you guys think. Have you forgotten the past 2 years vs them ? And those games were at the Ralph. I would call that game a tougher task than the Bungles at home.

Hard to call any game a must win after just 4 games but obviously looking ahead you can start to draw conclusions. If we can somehow sweep the table before the bye week we are gonna be in great shape.

[feldspar]

What's the point of making the playoffs if you can't beat good teams?

The Bills need to beat some of the better teams on the schedule. I think they can. They should be able to compete.

It would probably make me feel a little better if the Bills win a game they were outplayed in, instead of the other way around. It's great when you escape with a win you didn't deserve. Lol

[ICRockets]

The real question is do the Bills need to win ALL of their games, period, for the doomsayers to stfu? The answer is yes.

[swiper]

The Bills are, again, a middling team. They can beat the bad teams and will struggle against the good teams. Therefore over the next 4 games they will likely beat Tennessee, Jacksonville and Miami, but lose to Cincinnati. That would put them at 5-3 at the halfway point. Just enough to keep Bills fans interest alive. Just enough.

Unfortunately, after that they have 3 consecutive road games against NYJ, NE, and KC - all of which they could lose. Which would promptly drop them to 5-6 and fans would clamor "same old Bills". If this is really a different Bills team, a better one, then they must steal one, if not 2, of those away games in that stretch, IMO. The Jets are a better team than you all realize.

[YardRat]

I'm more worried about the Tennessee game and the 3-game road stretch in November than I am Cincinnati.

[Topas]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

Damn, you beat me to it :)