Mike McDermott
blah blah blah
WGR is reading through this schedule like it is true. Take it as you will but they’re talking about where they want to see us records wise as they move through it.
Bills off-season part 5: Draft GDT
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WGR is reading through this schedule like it is true. Take it as you will but they’re talking about where they want to see us records wise as they move through it.
misterchainsaw
Preparing PHASE TWO!
Super minor thing, but I hate that you can't break the schedule into quarters anymore. Even that bye week is situated so that there's not an easy block to "assign" the extra game to.
misterchainsaw
Preparing PHASE TWO!
Here's my analysis:
Split these games: @ LAR, @ KC, @ Cin, @ BAL, GB, TEN
Can drop 1 of these: @ Mia, @ NE, CLE, NE, MIA
Take Care of Business: @ NYJ, NYJ, @ DET, MIN, PIT, @ CHI
That gets you to 13-4, which with the conference beating up on each other should put the 1 seed in play. Can almost certainly drop 3 over what I have above to make the playoffs (and honestly probably still win the division with the AFC East's common games this year), but any more than that and things get dicey.
Split these games: @ LAR, @ KC, @ Cin, @ BAL, GB, TEN
Can drop 1 of these: @ Mia, @ NE, CLE, NE, MIA
Take Care of Business: @ NYJ, NYJ, @ DET, MIN, PIT, @ CHI
That gets you to 13-4, which with the conference beating up on each other should put the 1 seed in play. Can almost certainly drop 3 over what I have above to make the playoffs (and honestly probably still win the division with the AFC East's common games this year), but any more than that and things get dicey.
NotABadPeriod
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Not a fan of the earlier bye, since I'd prefer it to be later when more guys are banged up and could use the rest, but oh well. If they can get to 5-2 through the first 7, they'll be in really good shape. 4-3 and they'll have to make that stretch between weeks 9-16 count. Outside of the game in NE and maybe the Browns game if Watson is playing then, none of those games scare me. 12-5 seems like it should be the minimum, 13-4 seems doable.
Taro Tsujimoto
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Djp
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my own opinion…..it depends greatly though on standings and assume the sched above is accurate.
excluding the last two of at Cincy, patriots
win (7) sweep jets, @Detroit, @ bears, browns, steelers, Miami
not easy games (6) packers, vikings , at balt, Titans, at miami ( early season heat) at New England
hard games (2) at rams, at KC
i expect them around 10-12 wins before the final 2. They could have things clinched before those 2 games and rest players.
If this team is as complete as we think they are, I don't care who they play, they better win 13+ games.
The patriots during their dynasty lost 4 or fewer games 8 straight seasons. There are no moral victories this year. Losing is not an option, regardless of the opponent. You are the best team in the NFL on paper. Go out there and show it week in and week out.
The regular season last year was completely unacceptable and likely a reason that they didn't win it all. Playing that game in Buffalo might have made all the difference.
The patriots during their dynasty lost 4 or fewer games 8 straight seasons. There are no moral victories this year. Losing is not an option, regardless of the opponent. You are the best team in the NFL on paper. Go out there and show it week in and week out.
The regular season last year was completely unacceptable and likely a reason that they didn't win it all. Playing that game in Buffalo might have made all the difference.
Taro Tsujimoto
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Zman5778
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So we got the max 5 national (ie: ESPN, NBC, Amazon) games PLUS Thanksgiving and the CBS exclusive against KC. So that's 7 out of 17 games basically nationally televised. That said, I don't see much of an opportunity for a Flex unless Weeks 15 or 18 mean something (which I don't think they will).
4 out of 6 before the bye on the road? Ooof. But look at November/December. There's a REAL good chance that we're on one heckuva roll before the playoffs.
4 out of 6 before the bye on the road? Ooof. But look at November/December. There's a REAL good chance that we're on one heckuva roll before the playoffs.
NotABadPeriod
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Outside chance of a week 11 flex, but it would require Cincinnati to fall flat, Pittsburgh to succumb to rookie QB problems, and Watson to not be suspended and lead Cleveland to the top of the division. Not betting on it.
Week 18 being flexed to Saturday (like Dallas/Philly was this year) could be the best shot, but there are just so many variables to make that game not impacting others. Week 15 could be a Saturday flex option as well.
misterchainsaw
Preparing PHASE TWO!
Imagine using the word "unacceptable" to describe last season after the last 20 years we sat through before Beane and McDermott came along.
Comparing us to literally the preeminent dynasty in the free-agent era of sports is just setting yourself up for disappointment. Enjoy what we have here while it lasts. I will take a regular season division title like last year any time. Certainly I hope for a couple more dominant regular seasons here and there, but to call it "unacceptable" is just asinine. The whole point of the regular season is to qualify for the playoffs, and then you have a shot. Both teams that made the SB last year were 4 seeds (ie the "worst" division winners).
The problem with week 18 being flexed to Saturday is we already play Monday night the week before. That would leave us with 5 days rest and I don't think they like to do that unless both teams are dealing with it (ala most Thursday games)
Imagine using the word "unacceptable" to describe last season after the last 20 years we sat through before Beane and McDermott came along.
Comparing us to literally the preeminent dynasty in the free-agent era of sports is just setting yourself up for disappointment. Enjoy what we have here while it lasts. I will take a regular season division title like last year any time. Certainly I hope for a couple more dominant regular seasons here and there, but to call it "unacceptable" is just asinine. The whole point of the regular season is to qualify for the playoffs, and then you have a shot. Both teams that made the SB last year were 4 seeds (ie the "worst" division winners).
The problem with week 18 being flexed to Saturday is we already play Monday night the week before. That would leave us with 5 days rest and I don't think they like to do that unless both teams are dealing with it (ala most Thursday games)
With success comes expectations. Comparing this team to the drought years is what I'd call asinine.
You can pull all the outliers you want, but finishing #1 in the regular season matters: Super Bowl Winners By Seed: How Important is the #1 Seed?
If you don't like the NE comparison, how about GB? Three straight seasons with 13 wins. Pittsburgh during their super bowl runs, 3 of 4 straight seasons with 12 wins. NO Saints 3 straight seasons of 12 or 13 wins.
Winning 11 games is an absolute failure for this team. It isn't about making the playoffs anymore, it is about winning the whole damn thing. Teams with higher seeds typically win.
NotABadPeriod
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Good call on the short week, I hadn't considered that. I think that was one of the reasons Pit/Bal wasn't flexed to Saturday this year since the Steelers were have been coming off of MNF. So yeah, scratch that. But week 15 seems like a good bet if Miami can hang around in the playoff race.Imagine using the word "unacceptable" to describe last season after the last 20 years we sat through before Beane and McDermott came along.
Comparing us to literally the preeminent dynasty in the free-agent era of sports is just setting yourself up for disappointment. Enjoy what we have here while it lasts. I will take a regular season division title like last year any time. Certainly I hope for a couple more dominant regular seasons here and there, but to call it "unacceptable" is just asinine. The whole point of the regular season is to qualify for the playoffs, and then you have a shot. Both teams that made the SB last year were 4 seeds (ie the "worst" division winners).
The problem with week 18 being flexed to Saturday is we already play Monday night the week before. That would leave us with 5 days rest and I don't think they like to do that unless both teams are dealing with it (ala most Thursday games)
Mike McDermott
blah blah blah
So my (probably way too early) predictions
1) At Rams (TNF) - Could go either way, but I think we take an L as the Rams ride the emotions of the night
2) Titans (MNF) - W
3) At Dolphins - W
4) At Ravens - W
5) Steelers - W
6) At Chiefs (4:25 national game) - Could go either way but I think we win an emotional game
7) Bye
8) Packers (SNF) - L in a very close game
9) At Jets - W
10) Vikings - W
11) Browns - L (we are going to have one off game and I just feel like it'll be VS the Browns)
12) At Lions (Thanksgiving) - W
13) At Patriots (TNF) - W
14) Jets - W
15) Dolphins - W
16) At Bears - W
17) At Bengals - W
18) Patriots - L as we rest our starters for most/all of the game as we have #1 locked up
Is 13-4 ambitious? Yes, but I think this is the year we fully put the league on notice and go into the playoffs with home field advantage/the bye week and raise all kind of hell all season.
If we can be 6-2 after the Packers the schedule will get decidedly easier and we, as others have said could be riding one hell of run into the playoffs. There isn't a game on the schedule that I look at and think that is an automatic loss, and it has been a long time since I could say that.
Mike McDermott
blah blah blah
I looked at tickets for the Lions game shortly after the schedule was official on my phone as was seeing upper level tickets in the upper $20 range and other, decent tickets or $40. I'd love to go to the game cause I can make a long weekend out of it and visit family. I just looked again on my computer and the cheapest tickets are $73. Not sure if I look at something wrong on my computer or if prices changed after the Lions had the official opponent, knowing how well Bills fans travel or what but it is crazy. And these are official team sold tickets, not secondary market tickets.
WeDislikeEich
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Puppa2Miller
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buffalowing88
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There's a lot about that Vikings game that parallels what happened in the Indy game this past season. Definitely don't think that team should be slept on.
But I think 12-5 is the record ultimately and that's more than fair. I won't go through game-by-game because you guys don't wanna read my mock draft or hear about my fantasy lineup, either.
But I think 12-5 is the record ultimately and that's more than fair. I won't go through game-by-game because you guys don't wanna read my mock draft or hear about my fantasy lineup, either.
Tsujimoto
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Taro Tsujimoto
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Puppa2Miller
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I don't think the Vikings should be slept on either. I actually like them to win their division over GB.
The game that parallels the Indy game from last year, though, is Cleveland. Last year we played Indy, another power running team, the game before Thanksgiving. The defense decided to make some business decisions that they would rather be healthy for the Thanksgiving game than risk actually tackling somebody.
kirby11
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Hopefully Jones and Settle can be better run-stuffing anchors in the middle.
Vikings can be scary-ish. IMO Cousins is his own worst enemy with his super robotic approach to the game.
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