PalmTreeMafia

Only to the subset of fans who have convinced themselves that the only way to win in the NFL is to have a passing offense that regularly surpasses 300 yards/game with a 70% completion percentage. I call them the "flag football" fans because that's what they want to see the entire league turn into. The rest of us who follow pro football know that a strong running game and a dominant defense will never go out of style. You'll find more of us in NFL cities on this list (https://weather.com/news/news/2019-09-12-nfl-worst-weather-cities).

Truth. It's happening even while Eichel remains hot. Two points currently separate the #2 seed and the #6 seed in the Atlantic division, with the Sabres having played more games than the Florida teams near the bottom. But there are still fans out there that think the team has turned a corner and that our GM is doing a good job....unreal...

I am willing to respect everyone's opinions here, but - like Hank posted above - I'm personally very happy with the way the Bills are being built: 1. An elite defense 2. A top-5 rushing offense. 3. $90+ million in cap space for 2020 4. A group of players who like each other, work hard at their profession, actually like the city of Buffalo, and have a bunch of unique personalities (see: White, Tre'Davious). 5. A constantly improving franchise-caliber QB who has already earned the respect of his teammates (and who, by the way, is currently tied with Russell Wilson for the league lead in both game-winning drives and 4th quarter comebacks...and is also 8th in rushing TD's, ahead of Lamar Jackson). 6. Perhaps most importantly: early results. 2 winning seasons already and 2 playoff appearances in 3 years. There are many fans frustrated with the passing game and the conservative play-calling on offense. Fair enough. And I will join you in voicing these frustrations if this is still a problem next season. But remember: $90+ million in cap space, a 2020 draft loaded with #1 WR talent, and a starting QB so raw coming out of college that it was almost universally assumed he'd sit for two years before ever seeing the field as an NFL starter. In other words: have patience. A lot of the playcalling issues may simply have to do with the current talent limitations (Gore as a power back is done, no 6-4 clutch possession WR's on the roster, Allen still learning how to read blitz packages, no starting right tackle, etc..). By the way, the criticism against McDermott and Co. for not drafting Mahomes, Watson, and Jackson is not entirely fair. McDermott has repeatedly stated that he wasn't comfortable making such a crucial franchise QB decision when he first got the job in early 2017 and was having to rely on Whaley's scouts. He was also anticipating the well-hyped 2018 QB class. Lamar Jackson is a unique case. He is probably a QB bust in any other offensive system other than the current one run by Roman and Harbaugh. Besides, a lot of other QB-needy teams passed on Mahomes, Watson, and Jackson. I'd wait another 2-3 full years anyway before assuming all 3 are definitively better than Allen. Finally, I don't understand the love affair for the Chiefs model of building a team. They should have won a Super Bowl last year with that offense, but they didn't because of a defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed...not to mention their proven playoff choker for a head coach and a couple of star talents who like beating women (Hill, Hunt). I still believe there are multiple ways of building a Super Bowl-caliber roster built for long term success in the modern NFL, one of which includes the current Bills model of an elite defense coupled with a strong running game and a clutch QB. It's also the model that the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers have been trying to implement in the AFC. The Chiefs and the Texans are doing it a different way. We'll see which has more success in the playoffs this year!

Top 5. They're elite. But that doesn't excuse Singletary's 2 fumbles, all the drops, and the ultra-conservative playcalling. Allen could have played better as well. This offense is still a year away from being really good. Buffalo's D is Super-Bowl caliber right now. No doubt. They need to do a much better job on third quarter scripted opening drives, but otherwise I am comfortable calling them elite (in the Jack Eichel sense of the word).

It has, my friend. It certainly has. But I have at least provided a specific benchmark by which I am willing to reverse my negative outlook: making the playoffs. I also see a lot of this organization's fortune depending on the development of 4 specific players: Luukkonen, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, and Cozens. If all 4 reach their talent ceiling, we suddenly have a legitimate Cup contender.

I see a half-full glass of public water from Flint, Michigan; the yellowish-brown tint won't turn clear for me until a playoff spot is clinched.

Does this turd really believe playing will make a difference? Does he really think the rest of the NHL will ever see him as anything other than an injury-prone, low hockey-IQ, 3rd overall draft bust? Regardless of playing time, his NHL career trajectory is 2 or 3 more years max as a third-pair defenseman at the vet minimum. Just enjoy the $6-million-per-year you stole from the Sabres, Zach, relax in the warm confines of the press box for the next few months, and STFU until the coach calls your name you piece of ***** Tank Era locker room cancer.

We're also just a few bad games in a row from bouncing down from the #2 division playoff seed to #12 overall in the conference. I still don't think much has changed with this team. Our critical #2 center of the future is now a regular scratch, our $10 million-per-year left winger is pulling a Matt Moulson on us, and our comatose GM continues to waste away the prime years of Eichel without any urgency to make the playoffs. Or am I being overly negative?

I was just about to post the same thing. The lack of response to the Dahlin hit was my personal breaking point. I'll probably still check in a few times a week, though, to read the Bills thread and see what the very knowledgeable hockey people here think about any major Sabres news that comes up, like a firing or a big trade. But the bottom line is that I currently suffer from clinical depression, and following this franchise is not helping my condition at all. There is nothing even remotely fun or entertaining about Buffalo Sabres hockey anymore. I sincerely believe that this current collection of players will never win anything meaningful in the NHL. A team that can't stick up for a teammate will never succeed in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This is likely only a temporary but necessary stage in his development as an NFL franchise QB. He simply doesn't have the experience (not just as a pro, but as a QB in general) to run a high-octane offense right now. To be honest, the current WR's and OL don't have the talent to do it either. But when you have a top-5 defense and a top-5 running game (partly due to Allen's own running skills), why not opt for the game-manager QB role a bit more? The team is a singular Steelers away game victory from an 80% chance of making the playoffs; they are an additional Jets home game victory from having their best record since 1999.

Why do people continue to talk about 300 passing yards like it matters? Fitzpatrick threw for 323 yards today. Lamar Jackson threw for 222. Kyle Allen threw for 325. It's not really that important - in terms of wins or in terms of QB development - for Allen to be throwing 300+ yards in any game this year.

No doubt.

I don't know about that one. I'd definitely like to see someone put together evidence of it. I do know that Josh Allen is the #1 QB in the entire NFL this season during the 4th quarter, with a 139.6 QBR and a 68.8% completion percentage. What about quarters 1, 2, and 3? Well...that's where he's looking like a young QB still learning how to play in the league after 18 total career regular season games. Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, and even Jackson (if you overlook his incredible running ability) have all looked pretty rough for large stretches of their young careers. The Josh Allen haters (as opposed to the skeptics, whom I find perfectly reasonable) are the instant gratification personality types who demand Pat Mahomes production with no regard for the concept of different learning curves and different circumstances for different people. I certainly will expect a noticeable jump in improvement by next September, which at that point Allen will have had 2 full years with Daboll plus a likely 1st round WR and more solidification along the OL. I think we will see that jump, and I think Allen will go on to be a franchise QB (what type of one - somewhere between Stafford and Brady - I have no idea). In the meantime, just accept that Allen is going to frustrate at various points throughout this season. Fortunately, Beane and McDermott have put together the #3 NFL defense and a top 5-10 NFL rushing offense to help the team slip into a wild-card spot with a pretty easy remaining schedule.

Risto's plus/minus is 0 after 9 games. That's a fancy enough stat for me which suggests that there might be something to this Krueger guy.

117.4 QBR. Zero turnovers. Another second-half comeback. While it would have been preferable that he connect on some of those deep passes in the first half, the real disappointment with this game is that our supposedly elite #2 defense let Fitzmagic's troops march up and down the field for almost 400 yards and 3 TD's. Matt Milano is good, but is he really THAT important to the defense? Levi Wallace had a very disappointing game. And I know QB sacks aren't the most important stat in the world, but only 1 against that beaten up Miami OL?! Anyway...I'm actually in a good mood about this game because we are 5-1 (5th best record in the league) and escaped without any major injuries (that I know of?). Watch the tape, learn from this, and move on to Philly. The Bills are 5-1 and the Sabres are 7-1-1. I'm happy. Keep stacking up these wins, Buffalo!

I don't think it's in the league script for them to lose this season.

I need to see the Sabres actually clinch a playoff berth before I'm totally bought in. Until then, it's just the same core group of mentally soft chokers that couldn't pull themselves out of last December's spiral to oblivion. Is the head coach the difference? Possibly. Hopefully. I'm not a total cloud of dark despair, however. I am very much enjoying the 4-0-1 start. Jokiharju and Olofsson are very nice additions.

Lots of hype surrounding Olofsson, Luukkonen, Cozens, and Mittelstadt. We'll see how this plays out, but I'm not holding my breath.

Josh Allen is stubborn and willful, but definitely not an idiot. He deserves through the end of 2020 to prove he's a franchise QB. I think he is. Lamar Jackson's Wonderlic score....wow...

Looking at the remaining 12 games on the schedule: 6 are against teams that haven't won a game (Fins, Fins, Jets, Skins, Steelers, Broncos), 4 against 2-2 teams (Ravens, Eagles, Browns, Titans), 1 against the 3-1 Cowboys, and 1 against the 4-0 Pats. The Bills are currently tied for the 4th best record in the entire NFL and sit alone for 3rd best in the AFC behind the Pats and Chiefs. A wild-card playoff spot and double-digit wins for the first time this century are realistic goals. We have an elite defense and a strong running game to support Allen during his second-year growing pains.

So you never celebrate anything about the French Connection years at all? The Hasek years? You must be a lot of fun at parties.

My God. We're entering the THIRD ***** year with Botterill and this is the turd lineup they're showcasing? Can you imagine what happens if any one of the following four misses an extended period of time due to injury: Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner, Dahlin? I feel sorry for anyone who wasted their money on tickets for this *****.

When is the last time we scored big on a late round pick? 1999 with Miller? Heck, when is the last time we successfully drafted outside of the first two rounds? We are so unbelievably overdue for this... However, this deeply cynical Sabres fan refuses to get excited about any highly touted prospect anymore until proven on the ice for at least a full season. I'm completey done with the prospect hype machine that is constantly running in order to generate any excitement for this otherwise completely garbage franchise. Still waiting on Mittelstadt to stop playing Fortnite and work on obtaining his first career pushup.

...which is twice as much in 4 seasons as the Sabres have accomplished in 48 seasons. Following your team through a season that ends in a deep playoff run is always more fun than - say - following your team that annually plays for draft lottery picks.

This is Josh Allen's FIFTEENTH career regular season NFL game. Not even a full season's worth of games. He was drafted with the expectation that he'd be a project. Many were talking about sitting him for a full TWO seasons before seeing the field. The only knocks on him were his accuracy and his decision-making. He's already shown major improvements in accuracy. The decision-making is partly because he has a bit of a Brett Favre hero complex in him, but a lot of it is also due to inexperience. He's only going to get better in decision-making, not worse. Buffalo now has a franchise QB who will play 10+ years and annually lead them to 10+ wins. If we can get past Mahomes and the ageless Brady, maybe we'll even pick up a Super Bowl during the ride. If you can't enjoy this 3-0 start and this team, then I don't know else to say. A lot of you here have some weird anti-Bills agenda. But then I think back at some of the stupid sh!t you people here have said about these Bills (should have kept Tyrod Taylor, should have drafted Rosen, McDermott is racist against black QB's, McDermott is running a religious cult and claps too much, etc...), and I realize that I should just ignore your garbage opinions and stick to having fun watching this team grow.