Generally agree with this. I actually expect them to beat LV, and I think Miami is very getable. But Cinnci and Buffalo are just terrible match-ups for them. The one caveat might be if Buffalo is somehow not playing for anything in the final game. Maybe could steal a win, finish with 10, and get in. A major reach, I know. I suspect they'll really be kicking themselves for the complete egg-laying against the Bears, and the badly missed opportunity in Minnesota, unfortunately.
I had them for 11-12 wins because I thought the defense would be much improved (see above from August), little did I know the OL would essentially derail the entire season. I can see them beating the Raiders and the Dolphins but think they'll lose to the Bengals and Bills unless Buffalo is sitting players for that last game, 9-8 or 10-7 in a best case scenario.
Seems unlikely Buffalo will be playing for nothing. They'll probably have to win out for the 1 seed, and if they fall before that they'll be holding off Miami.
It's highly unlikely that Buffalo will be playing for nothing in week 18.They are tied with KC at 10-3, with the Bills holding the H2H so essentially they need to match KC the rest of the way. Remaining schedules:
I think it's more likely given KC's cush schedule that the Bills are locked into the #2 seed week 18, especially given their are 5 time slots that week and KC could have already beaten the Raiders. Perhaps this belongs in the AFC playoff picture thread sorry
That seems more of a long shot. The only way KC can lock up the #1 seed prior to week 18 is by going 3-0 the next 3 weeks and Buffalo going 1-2 or worse over that stretch. I guess the scenario where they are a game behind entering week 18 and KC plays first and wins is possible but that feels like trying to catch a Hail Mary from the scheduling gods.
If Cincy also goes 3-0 in that stretch, they're still alive for the 1 since they hold the tiebreaker over KC (and also would over Buffalo). Also, KC is in Vegas Week 18 so there's no scenario where they play before Buffalo and the Bills rest - if Pats-Bills is SNF that obviously means the Bills are playing for something.
Am a little worried now, aren't you? Passing game continues to look like shit. Undisciplined and might not have a lot to play for. Plus now they are going up against good teams and they haven't done well vs good teams this year. That and I wonder if this game leads to a lot of tilt.
I don't see any way they beat Cincinnati. I don't see any way they beat Buffalo on the road. And we all know how terrible they've been against Miami in recent years, so even though that game is at home I see very little chance for them in that game either.
7-10 is certainly possible if not probable. Why unmitigated disaster though? Based on losing out or expectations going in? 1/3 of the poll thought 7-8 wins or less. Nearly half predicted 9-10 so not that far off.
After going 10-7 last year and making the playoffs, it would have been fair to expect improvement from that and make the playoffs again and this time win a game.
Fair point. I thought they over achieved last year so regression was very possible. Still, I'll feel a little disappointed even if they do meet my expectations going into the season.
It will also look worse because they were 7-6 and nearly had the 8th win salted away.
Agreed. Rhamondre and D. Harris are the only two players on that entire unit that can be considered weapons. Everyone else is JAG or worse. Bill's FA spree last offseason was a disaster. In retrospect he approached it like I approach my fantasy draft -- little preparation, pick the guys who had good stats the season prior. The decision to bring back T. Brown and flip-flop him and Wynn was a disaster. They're both terrible. Picking Strange in the 1st round was a bad decision. He's OK, at times, but he didn't need to be taken in the 1st round. Thompson seems to be continuing our long tradition of making the wrong choice at WR. Parker, even when healthy, has been underwhelming. The O is a train wreck, and he put one of the least respected coaches in the league in charge of it.
Yay? Strange has been inconsistent, which one would expect for a rookie. My point is that he was likely overdrafted. I'm not privy to other draft boards, but it sure seemed like most folks in the know thought he'd go at least a couple dozen picks later.
7-10 is what I called preseason, and I wouldn't call it a disaster. The 2nd half of last year, and this year's preseason, showed the limits of this team as assembled and coached. In past years, top coaches were able to make chicken salad and "coach up" lesser players, knowing they had a hyper-accurate, ultra-competitive QB at the helm. Since then, we've downgraded the coaches and the QB. Mac Jones seems pretty competitive, but his arm, vision and accuracy are far worse than league average starters, let alone Brady. The coaches on the D side seem to be doing pretty well, but on the offense, that's a total nightmare. And indeed, that's the biggest change from 2021 to 2022.
Absolutely. The difference is that the In BB I Trust crowd (of which I have been a prominent member) is dwindling, and if they basically just run it back next year they risk the fan base losing interest very quickly. It will be fascinating to see but it’s not just the sports radio crowd that is questioning BB at this point.
In Bill I Trust has been a good mantra but it's not completely descriptive of how those of us in that category are actually feeling.
