2024 Schedule release predictions?

[Woodman]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

The best ability is availability.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

We lost aging injury prone talent and replaced it with rookies and backups who are now starters.

Starters because we didn’t have the cap space to go with any other options, not because they earned it. And experience matters.

[jamze132]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

And what's with all the love for the 7-10 jets, who last made the playoffs in Obama's first term?

Seven national games?

Is the NFL trying to tank their ratings?

NFL admitted it’s because of Aaron Rodgers. They said “Jets owe us one” due to Rodger’s playing four snaps last year.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40158448/nfl-executive-explains-jets-heavy-early-prime-schedule

[YardRat]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

NFL admitted it’s because of Aaron Rodgers. They said “Jets owe us one” due to Rodger’s playing four snaps last year.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...prime-schedule

They are going to be a player for the division this year, even if Rodgers goes down again. If Aaron/Tyrod and the defense can't do it alone the league will help them out here and there.

There's a reason they end with Buffalo and Miami.

[GreedoII]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

2004-2016.

Oh, and 2023. Still can’t beat the Chiefs, we are worse this year. The window is slammed shut.

Disagree

Think the team is actually better and younger. I was looking back at earlier seasons and this year's roster to me is just as good or better in a few positions to be honest. I know it will only take 1 super bowl to take the sour tastes out of our mouths over the decades. Still plenty of time to get one with the QB they have. It will be ok. I won't be firing back with insults and tell you how stupid you are like everyone else. I dunno...this QB seems like he is going to get one. Head coach might be another conversation though. I thin it's prove it time more than ever for him.

[Novacane]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

They are going to be a player for the division this year, even if Rodgers goes down again. If Aaron/Tyrod and the defense can't do it alone the league will help them out here and there.

There's a reason they end with Buffalo and Miami.

I'll belive it when I see it. It's more likely Saleh is fired before the season ends imo.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

Disagree

Think the team is actually better and younger. I was looking back at earlier seasons and this year's roster to me is just as good or better in a few positions to be honest. I know it will only take 1 super bowl to take the sour tastes out of our mouths over the decades. Still plenty of time to get one with the QB they have. It will be ok. I won't be firing back with insults and tell you how stupid you are like everyone else. I dunno...this QB seems like he is going to get one. Head coach might be another conversation though. I thin it's prove it time more than ever for him.

Younger? Yes. Better? Only if we are extremely lucky with all the replacements, and we all know luck is the enemy of Buffalo sports. Morse was a bit of a head-scratcher, and I don’t fully understand taking the huge cap hit to get rid of Diggs. The other moves make sense from a cap perspective. We had a bunch of aging vets not playing up to their contracts. Still, it doesn’t necessarily improve things on the football field. “Younger” isn’t necessarily the same as “better.”

Josh is headed for the Kelly/Marino club. He’s a better athlete and completely different QB than those guys, but the similarity is stats and wins but never getting over the hump to actually get a championship.

It’s not entirely his fault. He has to shoulder part of the blame, but he doesn’t have the coaching or the team around him. And with his salary eating so much of the cap, it’s unlikely that he ever will. He certainly doesn’t this year.

[Typ0]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

I am encouraged McDermott is putting a lot more support in place for himself this season. He seems to be asking for help. However, it does make sense to me Pegula could be at the helm of that help being put into place which could be a pretty bad train-wreck coming. It is going to be an interesting season if nothing else. I don't agree with a lot of fans and McDermott's vision a free range Josh Allen can will the Buffalo Bills to a Super Bowl Victory but I would love to be wrong.

[notacon]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

I am bookmarking this thread for laughter in December

Except as been revealed with the "New BillsZone" (over due) upgrade, "old links will not work, because the site is getting a new IP address.". So, in addition to bookmarking Opi's usual sourpuss baloney, I copied it to a note for future reference.

In any event, I have bookmarked and detailed the inane and stupid predictions that Opi has made over the past several years, when he is wrong the overwhelming majority of the time, yet, he persists. Many of the bookmarks that I made of his foolishness were useless when the last big data crash happened with this (soon to not be) creaky site held together with spit and bubble gum, as all the posts were LOST and not accessible from between November 2017 and September 2002.

If they WERE accessible (my memory) has Opi with the same dour predictions of the Bills going to have a "big setback" or varying degree of a "setback" year after year after year.

I do not believe he has predicted any more than 9 wins in YEARS. The bookmark DOES work for his sour puss 2023 prediction of 9-8. What blows Opi's sad sack credibility out of the water to any sane person is the FACT that the Bills (despite Opi's anti-Bills crap) have had FIVE CONSECUTIVE seasons of DOUBLE DIGIT WINS. Opposite of what Opi continually tells us.

A normal person, would be chastised and embarrassed by the bumbling constant wrongness, and refrain from such trolling rubbish by shame.

Shamelessness comes to mind with Opi's Anti-Bills jihad

You won’t be laughing when you’re wrong and I won’t be gloating when I’m right. Best case scenario is 9-8 and sneaking into a div win cuz the Fish choked.

Except you are hardly ever right with your anti-Bills rubbish.

I particularly liked The Athletic's Tim Graham's answers to two question posed by the authors of today's "Scoop City" newsletter...

Optimism in Buffalo?

Q: Given all the offseason moves, what are the chances that Buffalo can win a Super Bowl (or, at least, overcome the Chiefs)?

To answer, I brought in Tim Graham, a senior writer for The Athletic covering Buffalo sports. Here's what he said:

"I don’t think they’ve slipped too much despite the loss of so many veteran leaders. They’ve gotten younger at positions that were aging out. The nagging question will be how Josh Allen handles life without Stefon Diggs, but the Bills proved they didn’t need him as they kept winning while Diggs’ production plummeted down the homestretch."

Q: How important will second-round S Cole Bishop be for the Bills? - James N.

"Cole Bishop is a legit candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Safeties are critical to Sean McDermott’s defense, and with Jordan Poyer already gone and Micah Hyde contemplating retirement, the Bills wanted Bishop badly. They were visibly thrilled Bishop was on the board when they picked in the second round. GM Brandon Beane said they even tried to trade up to make sure they got him, and felt blessed Bishop was still there."

For more on the Bills, Tim shared his thoughts on their schedule, which includes a road stretch from Weeks 4 through 6 against the Ravens, Texans and Jets. It should be a fascinating year for a team with the fifth-best betting odds to win the Super Bowl. BetMGM has projected them for 10.5 wins.
by definition, is a “violent uprising against an authority or government.

It almost looks like Mr. Graham (who's expert opinion has my respect) has read some of Opi's crap and dismissed it out of hand, like any realistic person would and should. He also predicted the Bills with a 11-6 record and winning the AFCE for the FIFTH year in a row.

For the record, I predict a minimum of 11 wins this season and a ceiling of 13. Bills win the AFCE again.

[Novacane]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

They were decimated with defensive injuries last season. If they have better luck in the injury department I think 11-6 is the floor. Depending on how the new starters do they could still do as well as the top seed in the AFC imo.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

They were decimated with defensive injuries last season. If they have better luck in the injury department I think 11-6 is the floor. Depending on how the new starters do they could still do as well as the top seed in the AFC imo.

I'm reasonably confident the offense will be fairly good - typically when an offense is established, it is more consistent than the defense, year-to-year. People going by name recognition will say the loss of Diggs. But we know Diggs isn't all that towards the end last year.

the defense is still what worries me. Safety is a big one. CB depth is still a question. Then the D-line. We are still counting on old guys like DaQuan. Oliver surprised last year but I fear for a drop in performance from him. Last year before the season started, he prepared and trained hard for his contract year. Then the extension happened right before the season starting but his prep carried him thru the best season he had in NFL. I hope he learned and continued to prepare 2024 season like it is his contract year but history tells us you are far more likely to see a drop in performance when a guy gets paid big on his 2nd contract. Even on this Bills team, Allen, Dawkins, Knox all followed the same pattern. Bass signed his extension April last year and promptly had his worst year in the fall. It is part of human nature that you see the reward of your labor, right.

[notacon]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

They were decimated with defensive injuries last season. If they have better luck in the injury department I think 11-6 is the floor. Depending on how the new starters do they could still do as well as the top seed in the AFC imo.

NFL.com has published the projected starters for each AFC team. This is Buffalo's' which is fairly obvious....

OFFENSE	PLAYER	DEFENSE	PLAYER
QB	Josh Allen	Edge	Greg Rousseau
RB	James Cook	DT	Ed Oliver
WR	Keon Coleman	DT	DaQuan Jones
WR	Khalil Shakir	Edge	A.J. Epenesa
WR	Curtis Samuel	OLB	Matt Milano
TE	Dalton Kincaid	MLB	Terrel Bernard
LT	Dion Dawkins	CB	Christian Benford
LG	David Edwards	CB	Rasul Douglas
C	Connor McGovern	CB	Taron Johnson
RG	O'Cyrus Torrence	S	Mike Edwards
RT	Spencer Brown	S	Cole Bishop

The biggest changes are at WR and Safety.

With the offense now clearly into "Let Josh be Josh" mode with the much needed removal of the diva Diggs...and the welcome departure of the under-performing (lately) hands of concrete, Gabe Davis, there is every reason to believe that the WR roster is improved. It's going to be fascinating to see how Joe Brady uses these new weapons like Coleman and Samuel.

On defense, losing the two aging, much injured duo of Poyer and Hyde was also due to be done. It remains to be seen if Cole Bishop and Mike Edwards are up to the task, but it was obvious that Poyer and Hyde are well past their prime. That's life in the NFL.

Floyd was fading as the season progressed, and it's doubtful at he will be missed. Epenesa will do fine.

We all loved Tre' White, but, the reality is that he has been a non-factor for over two seasons, and his injuries have spelled the fast approaching end to his stellar career. Rasul Douglas is one of the best trades Beane has done. He is a ball hawk.

You are spot on with the observation that the Bills were "decimated with defensive injuries last season." As I have already detailed the Bills "...in 2023 had the fourth-most games lost by starters on defense in the NFL with 46".

While KC had the second fewest games lost with only 27. They also had lost the fewest games to starters in 2022, the third fewest in 2021 and the 10th fewest in 2020. They were tied for the 13th fewest in both 2018 and 2019.

KC has the advantage of playing 83% of their games on grass the past six seasons, while the Bills had 75% played on crappy turf.

Until the new stadium opens it will take some "luck" in the injury department.

In fact, if there ARE fewer games lost to injuries to starters in 2024 there is no reason to believe the Bills will suffer a "big setback". The fact that Joe Brady has the opportunity to install HIS offensive schemes can be a huge positive.

[Novacane]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

Diggs last 8 games when the team was playing it's best? 37 grabs for 349 yards


Gabes stats in the last 9 games......................16 catches for 312 yards FIVE of those 9 he had 0 catches. Nothing!


All the talk that we've had a huge downgrade at WR doesn't make sense.

[notacon]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

Diggs last 8 games when the team was playing it's best? 37 grabs for 349 yards


Gabes stats in the last 9 games......................16 catches for 312 yards FIVE of those 9 he had 0 catches. Nothing!


All the talk that we've had a huge downgrade at WR doesn't make sense.

Don't forget the sparse contributions of the other WR's that were on the roster (hard to remember that they were)....

Deonte Hardy - 16 games - 15 catches for 150 yards
Trent Sherfield - 17 games - 11 catches for 86 yards.

The Bills started the season in 2023 with 5 WRs on the active roster...

Stefon Diggs
Gabe Davis
Khalil Shakir
Deonte Hardy
Trent Sherfield

The most likely 5 WRs to make the 2024 opening day active roster are...

Keon Coleman
Khalil Shakir
Curtis Samuel
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Mack Hollins (or possibly Chase Claypool)

There is no reasonable reason to think "we've had a huge downgrade at WR" and it's very reasonable to think the opposite.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Re: 2024 Schedule release predictions?

I hear this phrase "Let Josh be Josh" in the media, and here from a few including nottie. What does it mean? What dose Josh do that's different from everyone else?

Tom Brady - always making the right decision. Peyton Manning - on field offensive coordinator. Roethlisberger - making plays even when defenders hanging onto him. Aaron Rogers - probably the most accurate QB in the pocket or on the run. Mahomes = coming thru at the right time.

What can you say about Allen? At this point most people will say his legs are as dangerous as his right arm. But I feel we, as well as the front office, are still expecting Allen to evolve. This year, with Joe Brady likely emphasizing a no dominating #1 receiver approach, with an entirely different types of weapons from what he used to have, we may ask him to be a "new Josh" from his previous version.