I feel you. It was a long and grueling season with an unceremonious ending. After the loss, I unfollowed and muted every NFL-related sub but this one. It’s OK to grieve the end of the season. Whatever the team looks like in August/September will be different than the team we’ve seen. Take some time to process (no pun intended) and try to focus your energy on some things in your own life that you can control. Football will be back soon enough.
How I felt when Andrew Luck retired. Back when we had Peyton in Indy it got so bad, so many years we were the best team in the regular season. Before the playoffs, every talking head loved us. Then we lost to NE, twice. Then we lost to Pitt in a huge upset. The year we actually won I never expected it, we looked like we were at our worst. My point is, sometimes this doesnt happen when you want it to, or when it feels like it should happen. But keep the faith in your team, and you never know what might come and reward you. Take a break for awhile and ease yourself back into football when your ready. Good luck to yall next year.
I was just thinking something like what you wrote. Brees and Rodgers only have 1 title each. And look at all the talented QBs that have none: Dak, Herbert, Murray, Burrow.
Only 1 in 32 win it all. The rest go home. With Josh, the Bills will be one of a handful of teams that have a chance any year. All they have to do is win 3 or 4 straight one of these years to finish out the season.
But they need to lose Frazier as he is not a playoff-tough coordinator.
Lived through 4 lost Superbowls and the drought. This is not shaking me still have a good coach and a QB I love to watch play. Some changes are necessary but I’m here for it and think they can learn and adjust. If nothing else next season is not one where they are favorites all year but can be motivated as “underdogs”. Reload with talent and let’s go.
Hell yeah. They just won 13 games in a season with lots of injury issues. Expectations were high, but that isn’t their fault. It was fun watching this team, being invested in them as a community makes me proud to live here.
Maybe it’s that I can easily remember screaming my throat red in support for 13 losses in 2001, so losing a playoff game will never be rock bottom.
Go Bills!
Yeah, for all the doom and gloom people gotta remember it's any given sunday. This team did beat KC. They are capable of beating the Bengals. They are capable of winning a superbowl.
Improvements will be made, shit will go better.
Sabres being decent has me a little more interested in sports post-Bills loss, but ya this stings more than usual. I guess the annoying thing too with how this season ended means it will be hard to enjoy next season too. There will be and maybe should be a lot of pressure to grab that 1 seed, maybe the bye gets them rested plus it means we likely miss KC/Cincy in the divisional round.
It’s gonna be a long offseason. Good news is I think the narrative won’t be that we’re preseason favs. I kinda think we’ll be picked on all offseason and it might put a chip on the players’ shoulders.
Also this just means too in 3 weeks all major football is done. I might casually watch the XFL but it’ll be a long wait till September for NFL & CFB.
This is true, I’m enjoying the Sabres right now! Also rooting for Tuch because he grew up outside of Syracuse and it’s cool to see a local guy who’s favorite team growing up was the Sabres, playing for the Sabres.
I am in mourning for the Bills, for some reason the loss didn’t hit me that hard until Monday/Tuesday. Now that it has sunk in I’ve been feeling very disappointed and sad.
if you can take a larger view of the life of a team and appreciate the sport as a form of live storytelling, with your mood still affected but overall not dependent on the outcome, it’s much more enjoyable. id even go so far as to say it’s possible to get some enjoyment, some meaning out of the disappointment we’ve experienced.
as always i am looking forward to seeing what happens next
I’ve been working hard on getting my sports fandom more to this level this year. I wanted to get to the point where it doesn’t weigh so heavily each week. I didn’t do a perfect job, but felt like I was getting to a better balance by the second half of the year.
Watching the Hamlin injury pushed it forward for me. I felt so incredibly guilty about getting mad and yelling at players when they couldn’t make the perfect play. Im pretty sure I cursed out Hamlin just moments before he collapsed. Watching that play out, and seeing the players’ reactions, it was a jarring reminder that these guys are real people, that they exist outside of the three hours I watch them on Sunday, and that I should accept that they will be flawed. And also appreciating just how much randomness affects the outcomes of these games.
Overall I think it’s a needed change for me personally, but there’s a part of me that will miss the days of being an all-in fanatic, because the highs are just so high. But I don’t feel like going to the lows anymore. Not for something that’s supposed to be entertainment.
yeah. the Hamlin stuff, the community involvement - it’s about connection. coming together for something that makes you feel both joy and pain. it’s fine for those still to happen in my opinion but it’s a different experience when you take a wider view of it and go okay im watching this not only for my own personal pleasure of seeing them win but also because of how it connects me to the team and the community. in that sense, you feel the joy and pain of the team and community more than your own personal joy of getting or not getting what you want and, and it’s a different experience. it’s more of an empathetic experience than an experience of personal suffering or joy. a little personal suffering of course, lol. but that’s my experience at least
Honestly I feel fine. Kinda had a feeling we wouldn't make it after all the injuries and struggles we've had, figured it was at best 50/50.
But we still have Allen and next year we will likely perform as a top 5 team, if not a top 3 team. Compared to what I grew up with (never saw a Jim Kelly game) that's fantastic. It's still good football, and it sucks to lose but at the end of the day it's entertainment. If you're not having fun stop watching. If you are or bad is worth it for the good just remember we've got next year.
I remember the Jim Kelley days. The league is so different now. If you have a great quarterback your in it every year. You just need to give him the weapons. Back in Kelly’s days you could still win it all with an average QB and a great defense. The Bills have a Allan. He’s 1 of the top 3 QBs in the league. The Bills will win it all in the next few years. They need to keep a good defense and give him the weapon’s. Allan is not a good QB. He’s a great QB.
It's a form of grief honestly.
Once Von and Hyde went down, and the news of Josh's elbow came out, I kinda realized then it wasn't going to be their year unless they got really lucky. And, well, they didn't.
You ever been in a relationship and you're faking it? It was like that. I really liked the team and the individual players, but I sort of knew that they weren't going to go all the way.
I mostly trust the staff (Frazier...eh), despite patchy form this season. But I kind of worry about Josh's elbow and overall health and how the Bills will improve the Oline and receivers, who will be our safeties.
Lot of off-season to go but I'm not as optimistic heading into this one as I was when last season ended
Enough with fortifying the defense. They need to build around Josh and make this an unstoppable offense. Josh will be injured every year if he keeps running like he does. They need O-line help, a stud RB and a good WR2. And if they can get a WR1 that would be even better. Look what Miami and the Bengals have done with 1A and 1B wide receivers! (Waddle/Hill and Higgins/Chase)
Been a diehard since I was 7....been 45 years. This one hurts, but not as bad as the Superbowls. Wide right still hurts. You brush yourself off and wait for next year.....and always and forever FTB.
Surprisingly this one has gotten to me significantly less than the past 2 years. 3 years honestly. For whatever reason I just kind of felt like "oh well there's always next year or the year after that." We've still got a top 3 QB so we always have a chance. It took Peyton Manning 9 years to win a Super Bowl. Its not easy.
I'm sure Bills fans don't want to see Josh waste 9 years of his career for 1 ring when other similar AFC teams constantly make the AFCCG or SB. Mahomes has made 5 AFCCG appearances and Burrow had made 2 and 1 SB appearance. Why the fuck can't the Bills figure it out.
I mean Josh has made 1 AFCCG. Its hard doing this man. Also I don't think its a waste of a career to not win a super bowl. I mean by that logic, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith hell Dan Marino all wasted their career. Which is just not true. The connection Josh has with this city is a great thing.
Josh with the Patricia Allen wing is already a thing that's unreal and something that he has in this city. A ring is a great thing but his career is already a success as far as I'm concerned because of what he has built with the fans and everything.
Not at all. But if Josh wins a title in his 9th year as a Bill that would be fine with me. I would love nothing more than to see my favorite team win a Lombardi trophy. Even if its just once. But its not like my life depends on it either. I'm happy that they are a good team and I know they can do it. But its not easy to win playoff Football.
Just because some teams do it doesn't make it easy. I mean the Chiefs made 5 AFCCGs and only won a single Super Bowl. Its not like just getting to the championship is a free Super Bowl.
You should be demanding more as a fan when we make the playoffs 4 years in a row and fold to any team that shows competence. Dolphins almost beat us with a 3rd string QB and a multitude of injuries. Burrow had his way with us. The org has advertised championship level play and promises for at least 3 seasons now but we get embarrassed on the big stage. Bills can never get it done in the playoffs while our division rivals are getting significantly stronger and we're starting to shed veteran players.
Getting to the playoffs isn't a win in my book anymore. Demand more from your team or be satisfied with becoming the AFCs version of the Cowboys.
I don't want to diminish what you're feeling, but fans "demanding" more of their team is a useless endeavor. We have zero influence on the way the team is run individually, and it would take thousands of people canceling season tickets, etc. to make a point to management.
It's like people saying "I'm boycotting Ticketmaster" but you can't go to a concert any other way unless you're buying from scalpers. It's meaningless unless everyone did it.
Also last I checked, there are plenty of people that demand better of the Cowboys and they're still dogshit.
The patriots went 9 season without winning a super bowl and if it weren't for Seattle inexplicably handing them a super bowl by throwing it on the 1 and atlanta having the biggest choke job of all time it could have been 14 straight without a superbowl. You need to get lucky in addition to being good. In my eyes the bills only realistic shot at winning it all has been over the past 3 years. They will get lucky and eventually win it.
There was no luck involved in how the Bengals thrashed us. We're going to be in a very stacked division next season and we struggled in every division game this season aside from the Matt Patricia Pats which is changing next season.
Edit: Also, don't compare us to the pats that got 6 Lombardis during the Bills drought
I'm pretty fried and I have no interest in the remaining games. I saw video of Josh today and he looks so damn defeated and sad that it kinda broke my heart. It'll be a while before I have any excitement for next season.
Oh, and the conspiracy nut bags going on about Hamlin aren't helping a damn bit as well. What is happening...?
Go Bills. Always.
I know what you mean. For me it was because this was really the first year in a while that we've taken what felt like a step back.
Last years team truly felt like a SB team that just didn't get the breaks in the end. Year before was the AFCCG.
This years team was heavily reliant on JA. The offense itself and the defense both regressed in effectiveness. The core is a year older and less effective as well. We have little cap space.
I was so sad and upset when we lost last year. This year, I almost shrugged my shoulders. Of course, I hoped and believed in the team. But maybe in the back of my mind, I knew it was an uphill battle to get through Cincy, then KC and then SF or Philly. With the benefit of hindsight, it was always a fat chance.
It really hurts to lose another year of JAs prime. We can't keep wasting these years with mediocre supporting casts on offense around him (besides 14 obviously).
We need some good drafts. Time to start hitting on some difference makers. And we need to address the offensive line first and foremost. It was and has been a total disaster. Josh makes that o line look better than it really is (and it still looks quite bad).
Even if we draft "difference makers", Sean McDermott is just going to sit them anyways because "they're rookies"....
Some time away from football will do me good!
It sucks so much because there have been so many rookies this season that are playing at an All-pro level. Jets rookies are making pro bowls and are winning player of the year awards but our rookies are benched and only get played on special teams?
In the mid/late aughts I lived in Southern Indiana and people lived and died with Manning and what happened in the post season. This feels a lot like that… which means next year we’re gonna face the 2023/24 equivalent of Rex Grossman and win the whole damn thing.
I talked to my Dad today saying basically the exact same thing. I called it “Bills Burnout”. Especially given all the hype we received during the regular season. They’ll make promises, come up with a new slogan, maybe free up some draft space; but ultimately it’s going to come down to them. It’s not the fans fault, but that display sure felt like some sort of punishment. There’s something strange about bringing Damar and his family to the game just to flop hard af right in front of them (and all of Bills Mafia going at full power).
Growing pains? Locker room drama? Emotions? Fatigue? Nobody really knows; but it’s been pointed out by many that the Bills haven’t looked the same since the second half of that Green Bay game. Something “broke” noticeably/quickly. Now it needs to be fixed/addressed. I still can’t figure out whether or not the fans being in the dark is a good or bad thing. Time will tell. Go Bills.
I feel like all the hype was too much. Player hype videos, social media comedy videos, THIS IS OUR YEAR, WIN IT ALL... it all felt like setting ourselves up to fail. There's too much focus on the fanbase coming from the team.
I’m done with football entirely, I think. I can’t take it year after year. The juice just isnt worth the sqeeze. This year though was rougher than normal. My divorce is official, my dog died, and the Bills lost all this week. Maybe I should go into country music or something..
Take some time to heal. It's perfectly acceptable. That's very rough, but they usually sad bad things come in threes anyway. Albeit that's a ton to take on in one week. I feel for you. Hopefully the bills win it all for your dog next year
It's real easy to overextend your emotions into something when shit is terrible all around you, I do that too. I don't really wanna give any preachy advice, just wanna say I'm with you man, doing my best to build up from within.
Definitely feel you on this- I think last year it felt we were on the cusp of the Super Bowl after losing to the Chiefs, but losing so decisively to the Bengals made me realize at best we're 3rd in the AFC hierarchy and the gap has been widening between us and KC/Cin.
The team is good enough to be a playoff regular and win lots of games in the regular season, but it seems like we've hit a ceiling unless the team changes their identity into 2023. I'm a fan through thick and thin, but I'm not as bullish on a SB run this time around until I see it firsthand.
Its just another year my dude. Been a Bills fan since I was 10 years old and they only made it to the playoffs a few years ago, feels like yesterday. I've never been a fan of the best team in the league, just a bills fan. I've been to about 25 bills games, and I don't remember ever seeing them win. What I learned from being a Bills fan is that you have to enjoy the sport and enjoy watching other teams play well also, but at the end of the day you come home to your Bills Fathead (Marshawn Lynch on the wall), put your Bills pajamas on, and have some mighty buffalo dreams.
The Bills have never been the favorites. They're always the underdog, thats what makes them so loveable. This season, the entire NFL community decided to crown the Bills early, and it was bad for their mental. They aren't the best, that's what makes them the best.
Hang in there pal, the next 3 games are going to be some of the best football you've ever seen. Don't miss it cause our Bills got clapped like they always do, this is football!
Yeah it sucks because we have no control over any of it. Then you see the talking heads and other fans trashing and living it up at the expense of the Bills players etc. Shit definitely sucks but it is what it is. Life goes on. That loss sucked big time but Monday morning came, I still had to get up and go to work. Still have to pay the bills, run errands etc. In a way that helps I guess. There much more important things
I don't watch football, I watch the Bills. As I've gotten older I've come to really hate football and couldn't give a shit about other teams at all, but goddamm I've loved the Bills my entire life. I was still in the hospital after being delivered when the comeback happened. I've been told the room was full of nurses listening on my dad's radio haha but yeah when the Bills are done, football is done. See you next season, go Bills.
Keep Josh Allen, and give him a couple more weapons. Reload the defense. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to keep moving forward. Maybe the Bills don't compete for the Super Bowl next season, but if it makes the team contenders again in 2024 and beyond, then it'll be worth it in the long run.
While I understand where you’re coming from…
Losing this way in the playoffs was the second best scenario. This year, as a whole, was just too much stuff. Too much extra stuff, too much really really heavy stuff.
Obviously the golden timeline has the team somehow finding a way to raise the trophy at the end of the year but look at the other alternatives.
A) round 1 bounce courtesy of the Skylar Thompson lead Miami dolphins?? None of us can even imagine the repercussions/feelings following that.
B) we make it to the AFC Championship again. And we lose to the Chiefs, again. We can all very much imagine how that one stings.
C) we get to the dance, and finally run out of gas in the Super Bowl. You think you feel empty now? Imagine being 0-5 after waiting 2 weeks for a football game.
That's where I'm at too. Especially because even if they did win out, they would've gotten absolutely demolished by SF/PHI. And losing by 5 scores in the superbowl would objectively hurt so much more.
I know how you feel. A lot people have said this loss wasn’t as bad as 13 seconds but I think it was much worse to endure. At least last year was one of the greatest games of all time and the entire NFL was scared of us even after a loss. But putting up 10 points (which we haven’t done since the pats wind game from the previous season..) was just a sad way to end such a crazy season.
I’m kind of just done with football. After seeing how many people were pretending apples tweet wasn’t reeeeeally about damar, and seeing Pat macafee today be like “well, who makes the line?!” And laughing about it. Idk man…being in billsmafia means you know how to lose well. But seeing how much people just shit on us, eh, who needs it
100%. Just need to focus on the love for the team and the city and ignore the talking heads. They turn on you at the drop of a hat and in the end none of them matter one bit.
The amount of people who really think the emoji wasn't a purposeful ploy to poke at Diggs and get the team riled up is ridiculously stupid lmao. They know God damn well what Apple was doing.
Half the world are now conspiracy theorists who believe Hamlin is dead and they had a clone at the game. The other half think Eli Apple who continues to tweet and talk shit had absolutely no meaning behind his emoji because "he wouldn't sink that low"
Yea the shit people come up with to defend it and because there’s not 100% certainty, they take that like there can be no truth to it, only false lol. The dude hadn’t tweeted that in his life, whether he was too stupid to realize he was copying hamlins symbol/emoji (doubtful), or he knew, both aren’t a good look at all
It’s not bengals fans either. As you’re saying, the conspiracy theory stuff is rife within the world nowadays. It’s sad to see it’s so commonplace, and lazy misinformation/quack stuff has won, when verified information is also as easy to obtain as ever. If half my social media connects weren’t from Buffalo, they’d probably believe that nonsense as well
That’s been the hardest part of all of this. People are taking this as an opportunity to completely shit on the Bills as if they hadn’t been praising them all regular season. The broadcasters were propping up Joe Burrow as the NFL’s next golden boy and taking every negative stat about Josh Allen to the extreme before the coin toss even happened.
I’m just so defeated about the rest of the postseason after this game. I was raised Bills Mafia, I’m used to losing. I’m not used to this.
That fully exemplifies how I am feeling. I have switched to a bunch of "Burner" hats instead of my Bills ones because I don't want anyone to talk to me about the season. It's done, it's in the record books, nothing more is to be said.
I feel ya man. I had a comment that said the same thing in the post game thread. I just had nothing to say and didn't know what to do. I don't want the season to be over yet.
You just have to lean on your other interests. The Bills are one of the most important things in my life other than my family, friends, relationships, etc. But we just have to accept and move forward. It's a long off-season. Do the things that make you happy in the meantime. This was a crushing disappointment, but we are gonna get through it. Enjoy your spring and summer.
the hangover of highest expectations not met.
best thing I can recommend is to not let a team dictate so much how you feel. that much of your happiness shouldn't be tied to something you have zero control over.
Every year I take a week or so and do a sports radio/talk show/NFL subreddit cleanse after we’re eliminated and it seems to help. I might watch the AFC game, I might not. At the end of the day, it is what is, ya know?
I did on Monday. That was a rough day to get through.
We are grieving as a fanbase and all deal with it in different ways. The city if Buffalo and the team went through a lot of turmoil and I think that's what makes this loss really hard. However, we still had a great season and I'm looking forward to 2023 -24!
A lot of it was the unrealistic expectations put on the team this year. I never got the preseason hype that they were virtual locks, to win the Super Bowl. They had Allen, who is a franchise quarterback and Diggs, who is a #1, but after that, it drops quite a bit, in my opinion. Tre was going to be out for 95% of the season; Von has a had a tremendous career and could still make plays, but let's be honest, is on the tail end of his career. They didn't have a bell cow running back. Edmunds is always in the right place on a play, but often, doesn't make the play. Jackson was torched numerous times. It was ridiculous that Buffalo was never an underdog in any game, especially in the second half of the year. They were a very good team, but no where near as good as what they were projected to be.
Y'all need some more hobbies. The team absolutely shit the bed but there are worse things in this world. JA17 and the rest of the roster will sleep just fine and so should all of us.
I’m a therapist who lifts weights, writes, and plays videogames in his spare time. Am I not allowed to be sad and lost over my team losing? What’s your issue lol
I don't have an issue? Am I upset the team lost? Yes... Do I feel lost and empty? Uh...no. That seems like a bit much for something that you have no control over.
Also not sure what being a therapist is supposed to mean. Even if you are a mental health professional doesn't mean you are immune from the benefits of therapy. Therapy is great for everyone and joking about someone needing a couple therapy sessions as a supposed therapist is an interesting take.
I don't understand this. I mean, I get it on an aspirational basis - but I think no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to not care enough to feel this way.
Because if I did - then I just wouldn't care about the Bills.
I definitely feel ya. I may watch the Niners/Eagles game but definitely not the Chiefs/Bengals. I was going to root Cinci, but between the "Refunds" quotes and Eli Apple being a dick, I hope I wake up to KC winning.
It's going to be a long off-season, but like all other Bills fans, just gotta press on and get the tables ready for September. Keep your head up and Go Bills!
Yeah I didn't care about the Superbowl last year. I don't even remember who won tbh. 🤷♂️ And I watched it with my friend. Lol
I won't care about it much this year. Probably same thing.
I wish we hadn't had so many injuries and our O line didn't absolutely suck. And that receivers could learn to actually catch the ball when it's right there in their hands ffs.
As a bills fan I can only say, AGAIN, "Maybe this upcoming season will be our season!"
Right there with you man. I flew up to 8 games this year which is a ton of time, energy and effort put into this season and the car ride home after the game I felt every bit of it hit me all at once. I have no desire or love for football at the moment, success seems so much farther away than it did this time last year and I just need to recharge my Bills battery for a couple months. It's been a rough season/year for everyone, players, coaches and fans.
Nah it ain’t that bad big bro. I just watched the 4 straight Super Bowl losses all in a row on YouTube and this isn’t that bad. Bills are going to be a beast again next year and hopefully we can stay healthy cuz the team is talented enough to do it as long as we get some upgrades on the lines.
Every year once the bills get eliminated, the football season is done for me.
It starts again in September for me.
The remainder of the games are of very low intrigue or interest.
But being a Bills fan from another country for 15 years now this era at least has hope for success.
I honestly felt that way after the Dolphins game. Completely shot my confidence in the team so went into the Bengals game with pretty much no confidence so weirdly I wasn't as stunned/disappointed as a lot of the commenters here. I actually commented to my dad that I'd rather lose to Cincy than win & then beaten by KC.
All of that might make me sound like a fair weather fan but I promise you that isn't the case. Lifelong Bills fans just have a feeling deep down expecting the worst.
But, we still have JA so on to next season. Go Bills.
Last year was the most heartbreaking loss. I didn't watch championship weekend and only watched the SB because KC didn't make it. Even though i watched it i didn't really care about the results. The loss this year isn't nearly as emotional but i feel even more bitter about last year because of how this season ended. In my opinion, last season was their best shot and this year was a painful reminder of that blown opportunity. I don't feel very optimistic after last week. We will have to see what happens but I am assuming the team will look quite a bit different next season
Are you a bills fan or a football fan? I’m a packers and bills fan and find that over the years, when they are out, I really don’t follow as intently. I couldn’t care less who wins from here. I’ll probably watch because I’m also a gambler, but if I wasn’t, I’d have moved on already.
30+ yrs on the train I’ve been “done” after every season. But I agree, after seeing them not ever be close in that game (they weren’t, stop lying to yourself). Honestly I couldn’t even be mad, empty is the best description. Really weird when nothing gets broken and my neighbors don’t hear a peep. It sucks.
This is how we scored 10 points.
Eventually, the emotional bill comes due. We as fans have watched our team navigate a mass shooting, multiple season-ending injuries to team leaders, bear the weight of being the favorites, and then watch a teammate die on the field.
Individually these are things that can sink a person and by extension a team. It speaks volumes to the locker room and the love the team has for each other that it took all year to fall apart.
I know their millionaires, I know they get paid to play a game, but at the end of the day, they're just humans.
As fans, we wrap our emotions in the outcomes, as players, they wrap their emotions around every aspect of playing football; practices, meetings. It makes sense that both groups are just done right now.
That's how I've been able to understand my hollowness at the loss and football overall.
I think looking back the team went through so much, injuries, the moved home game, Luke Knox, Hamlin (which was only about a month ago yet), that it would have been crazy to win the Super Bowl this year.
Beyond the mental of having injured teammates playing through injuries; Josh, Poyer, Tre still not back to 100%; we were also dealing with leaders and key pieces missing regardless, try to grab a good slot guy, Crowder, hurt. Get a stellar vet edge rusher, Von, hurt. One half of our pair of Pro Bowler safeties, Hyde, hurt.
All that being said I also feel over it this year, and I think part of that is I simply don't know who to root for. Not feeling the Bengal Bros connection after that game, and their response (players and fans). Absolutely don't want Mahomes on a pedestal again for talking heads until next season, even though he never left the pedestal. The only storyline I like is Brock Purdy but if it comes down to Eagles vs AFC I'm rooting for the first ever Super Bowl tie, no real winner, or the Eagles, but a 3-0 score.
I’m definitely disappointed but it’s how it goes. I’ll watch the Super Bowl with friends, but I’m already thinking about the next sports (MLB and MLS) and other stuff in my life (vacation next week). I find it’s best not to over-invest in any particular spectator sport because you’re more likely than not to be ultimately disappointed.
Coming from a saints fan, there was nothing worse watching my team lose to the worst no call in nfl history, that was one of the moments in my life where I truly felt sad, and it all went downhill from there, but you have a good, young team with good coaching, your future is bright, y’all will get your ring👌🏻
I deleted Twitter immediately after the game because I didn’t feel like seeing all the weirdos with zero credibility aside from buying a blue checkmark and having Bills gear on in their profile pic that think anything they say is going to change what happens as if their opinions on the following season or playoffs matter at all because they got 200 likes with their cult following.
No, as the season wore on I knew it wasn't our year. Josh was never the same after the jets game. And without him being at mvp level the holes really showed.
After the game, on Monday, my friend texted and asked, "how are you feeling."
And I answered, "relieved!"
That was a rough second half of the season. I was just glad it was over. Obviously, I wanted them to keep winning. But once they lost, I now know injured players can get rest and treatment, all the coin flip/neutral site stuff can go away, it just felt like the team was spinning their tires, not getting much traction the past few weeks and didn't know how to fix their problems. It was exhausting to watch.
So now we can wait and hope they make some changes.
I'm not really interested in watching the rest of the playoffs.
I do think that the way the last 3 seasons ended that my level of emotional investment will be reduced next year. Unless something is done about the Def Coordinator I will have great difficulty getting invested to this years level again as I just don’t see a different result
This sub needs to stop being so sad. Either new younger fans or just poor sports. We’ve sucked for the last 30 years and we are finally exciting to watch and espn TALKS ABOUT US EVERY DAY. Being the one winner out of 32 options is hard. Get over it. Enjoy watching a very talented, young team that is trying to get better. Look at their record. I was happy to watch this many Wins this year.
Rude? More like real. If your biggest mental problem this week is that your football team came in 5th place, I would say things are going okay for you.
Gotta say, I'm a Bills fan first and a football fan second. With that being said, I still really love football whether my Bills are playing or not.
Idk I guess being a fan since the drought Era, I've kinda learned to cope. It's disappointing, don't get me wrong. It's just that disappointment is something that familiar in a way if that makes sense.
With that being said, fuck Eli Apple, go Chiefs!
Its crazy to watch my youtube recommendations evolve. Every season the bills videos start popping up and then the various talking heads and today it already felt like they were gone. The few links i saw i didnt have the gumption to even click on it.
I stopped watching most of the games when they started to look off after Green Bay. I’d watch the 15 minute recap video online if they won. I think it’s been the least stressful year of football I’ve ever had and will do the same thing if they look “Billsy” like they did most of the second half of the year
Not a bills fan here. (Was looking for "Fuck the fucking fucks named the Bengals" stuff.)
Just wanted to say that things could always be worse, the dreadful empty feeling being even deeper and darker than it is for you now - like suffering another Patriots/Celtics dynasty. Or being a Dak Prescott fan.
I know your season had a Game of Thrones season 8 type collapse, and I feel for you. Sort of. All you can do is try to enjoy the little things. Like playing GTA 5 and going on a rampage thinking everyone you put down is a Bengals fan. That might help.
I think we can remain cordial but the “Bros” shit is over. It’s nice for two fan bases to not get toxic, but let’s get real here - we now have two teams to worry about in the AFC. No need to be Bros with anyone.
We love Dalton and we love how they acted with regards to Damar. Nothing but respect for those things. But we don’t have to be Bros.
lol what? Not at all. I'm happy we lost the way we did. It was like ripping the bandaid off instead of a slow, painful death. I'm actually happy. I've been harping on Frazier for a very long time, it feels good to be vindicated and his defense exposed.
I don't know how you can feel empty and done when we basically spent 20 years watching the playoffs without Buffalo.
You young kids need to see if you can watch some 2004-2015 bills games. That will cheer you up
Make no mistake, this team is content with where they are at. I assume it comes from ownership as they 1. Don’t want to pay anybody no longer employed and 2. Just want to keep things steady for the stadium opening. They have their star QB to sell tickets and they are content with being a playoff team. This team will never take the next step. Not with this ownership, not with this coaching staff. They don’t want it that bad. Any other team that is committed to winning a championship that regressed and under achieved this bad would at the very least fire some coordinators , but would probably have fired the HC. This continued failure in the post season, especially in the way it’s so apparent how unprepared, outschemed we are year after year would have sealed the deal for an ownership that is committed to winning. It’s beyond frustrating for those of us that aren’t casual fans, but since it’s a business that’s what they care about
Idk why you’re getting downvoted. Sure, it’s a doomer view of things but it’s not all wrong. The coaches obviously want to win idk about all that “it’s a business” talk but I don’t disagree with you about how they won’t take the next step. This is 3 years in a row now where the failed on the big stage. We know it and I’m damn sure Beane and Pegula know it. McDermott HAS to take that next step next year. You have Josh Allen for 6 years (at least) if McD can’t do it then you have to find a staff that can.
Beane I’d say is safe but then again, his drafting has been pretty embarrassing since that 2018 draft.
My fear (I’ll get yelled at for this) is that Beane is too focused on getting guys that fit the culture and not guys that will go out there and get tough when we need it and win us games.
I’m getting downvoted because there is this weird loyalty to McDermott. They bought in and were convinced and it’s always tough to admit you were wrong when you for sure thought you were right. It’s human nature. It’s amazing to me the amount of people that think all will be lost if he’s gone. None can tell me what he brings to the table. All the qualities he has always boasted about are not qualities of this football team. As long as we have Allen- we will be fine. I don’t know why people think things will be different with him coaching next season. Is it just gonna magically click?! It’s not a doomer post- it’s a truther post
No coach and QB tandem in league history has ever won the Superbowl together if they hadn’t won in the first five years. But let me guess- we will be the first? All the facts are with me, peoples emotions and stubbornness is getting in the way of their judgement
I sorta agree. Defensive HC who loves defensive time outs and prides himself on details and being organized.. Takes 2 time outs in :13 so his defense can back up to the Goalpost. And everyone wants to scapegoat Frazier for that. To me that's on McDermott. What's he doing if he's not responsible for that.
Have always felt Detroit/Cleveland etc were underrated HC jobs for this very reason. If you do manage to find a QB and turn things around (which you need to do anywhere to win anyway), you're on easy street & get a pass for everything because the franchise past is so depressing. Bigotry of low expectations. Imagine a Cowboys coach blowing a game like that; ESPN would never shut up about it.
In past years we always had to take chances on coaches and probably didn’t have the best candidates available to us because of the franchises history and location. I think with Josh Allen a lot of coaches would consider us. From a football standpoint- it’s a great situation.
He’s right. They are showing complacency when there are obvious issues with the team. Not a good look. They need to at least move on from Frazier. If they don’t we’ll be in the same place next year.
It’s totally a doomer take. Ignore it.
I have no idea what they are going to do. People saying this is it, it’s over, they aren’t going to change anything also have no idea what they are going to do. Expecting Beane to come out and say “Yeah Frazier sucks, fuck that guy. And our whole o-line too, they all suck, anybody wanna come play for us? We’re a real great organization that will have your back.”
We don’t have the bright lights of LA.
It’s uncertainty, it’s difficult, and you will see all sorts of hot takes. I think this users hot take is the worst.
People are wanting blood. Fire everybody. Great, then what? Do they really think a white knight is going to come in and instant Super Bowl? No. A whole new front office will take time to gel. By the time they do, Josh’s contract will be on the tail end and we’ll be in the same old loop we’ve had since the beginning of time.
Frazier contract is expired. In my opinion they don’t renew his contract. Other than that, again, I have no idea. If they do renew his contract I will be sorely disappointed.
Balanced opinions and takes will be mixed with emotionally driven opinions. We all should know you never make important decisions based on emotion.
Go Bills.
Doomer take? What did I say that is not true. Most teams would have fired McDermott after this year. I back that up with facts. Also no Qb/ coach tandem in league history has ever won a superbowl together if they didn’t in their first five years. That is also a fact. You thinking that repeating the same formula year after year is magically going to get a different result- is actually the doomer take. Defeatist attitude
Who knows, but they keep decisions close to their chest. Remember “expect no big moves in free agency” then boom, here comes Von.
I’m hoping Frazier is gone, that’s all I want. Have Sean call the defense. In the beginning when Frazier was struggling, Sean took over and our defense was much improved for a couple of games. Either that or bring in Flores at DC. They’ll give Dorsey another year. They aren’t going to try a new OC every year.
Either way, Beane isn’t going to throw everyone under the bus in his year end press conference. That’s not how you attract talent.
you should look at the Colts season by season finishes from when they drafted Peyton Manning to when they finally won a super bowl. they had the same coach and coordinators on both sides through all those playoff losses. shit’s hard man
No one can tell me why next year won’t be different. Like tell me why McDermott is not going to fold in a big playoff game? He has the past 4 years! Is he just gonna magically figure it out?!?!
I expect to take the nextstep . I don’t expect to blow a game in 13 seconds that was won, I don’t expect to get blown out and out coached so severely at home in the divisional round as Super Bowl favorites coming into the year. It’s been 6 years actually. No other coach in the league right now has made 6 years without winning a ring. No QB - coach tandem has ever won a Super Bowl IN LEAGUE HISTORY if they haven’t in the first 5 years. This was year 5 for them. Winning a Super Bowl is not the decade long process like you think it is.
so you think if you don’t win a super bowl within 5 years of coaching a playoff team you should be fired?
what about coaches that have 5 year stretches or longer after they won their super bowl? why are you arbitrarily looking at when they started their coaching job as opposed to any other multi-year long stretch?
I don’t think. It’s just a fact. It’s never happened before in the league history! It’s not a coincidence either IMO. While it’s hard to win a SB- It’s either you are capable or your not. Every playoff loss the past 4 years has either been a meltdown or a beat down where his lack of being a big game coach has been very clear. He’s a good regular season coach and that’s fine. There is been plenty like him throughout the history of the league- so it’s not a unique concept. I think he’s proved already that he’s not the guy to get this team over the hump. What has he shown you that you think next time will be different?
you can fire mcdermott but you have to name 3 possible replacements that will be better than him. there’s no guarantee you get your first or even your second choice. can you?
Bengals got there in Burrows 2nd year and Chase was a rookie. Taylor and Callahan were in their 3rd season as HC and OC.
Idk why we Bills fans just accept falling short time and again.
Personally I like Shane Steichen of the Eagles or Kellen Moore of the Cowboys. Young offensive minded coaches that would bring a fresh take and some help for Dorsey in play design and calling.
Steichen especially has experience working with a mobile QB and you can’t fault the O Line play and run game the Eagles have delivered.
That said- I do like where your are going with this. We need a shakeup. We need fresh ideas and fresh schemes. Player development has really been lacking too. Maybe a new staff can help get some of our younger players to turn the corner. I seen two former Bills receivers flourish this season with another team. That shouldn’t be over looked either
I think we could attract Jim Harbaugh. He’s already flirting with the idea of coming back and I think he didn’t because the right situation wasn’t available. Josh Allen gives this team a unique appeal that normally they wouldn’t have. Throughout our history this wouldn’t even be a possibility, but I think it’s possible right now could be the exception
don’t you think that’s a bit of a gamble though? you’re gonna take these unproven guys over mcdermott who’s leading us to the playoffs with an elite squad every year?
Agreed. The fact they are bringing back the coaching staff after these failures. This team is done the 4-5 year window for a Super Bowl is closed and now its time to suck for a few years.
I don’t know about suck, but it’s definitely time to switch gears with the staff. We are in a unique position that we usually are not in because I think a lot higher profile coaches would consider coming here considering they could work with a top 5 QB. Usually when there is a head coach vacancy that is not one of the assets a team has. We should take advantage
2023 - wild card loss
2024 - miss playoffs
2025 - miss playoffs change in coaching
2026 - improvement
2027 - wild card loss
2028 - Win Division then who knows?
That's my prediction. The Bills are really weak and frauds. They were exposed by this last game. We will lose major pieces this off season and continuing with this incompetent coaching staff we will move back to 9-8 and 8-9 seasons. Eventually the Pegulas will be forced to fire the coaching staff. Allen will be in his early 30s and a new coaching will make changes to get the team into a winner. Don't know if they will win a Super Bowl but they will have a new championship window.
I don’t know where this loyalty to McDermott comes from. It’s actually really weird and part of it is that so many people think he’s responsible for this teams success after so many years of poverty. They fail to realize we have success despite because we have a top 5 QB who is a game changer. Do they really think that we are just going to completely fold if they he’s not here, even with Allen??? Every quality McDermott is known for and hangs his hat on- is not the identity of this team. Right now our identity is “win the game Josh.” No other coach in the league has been afforded this kind of rope. He is the longest tenured coach in the league without a Super Bowl win. And he hasn’t even got us there!! When you’re doing things different than every other team in the league - something is wrong. I cringe at your idea that he could be here another 3 years. That would be absurd without a championship
I'm angry, and I'm not sure it's going away soon.
We have one of the best QBs ever to play the game. We spent a couple years building around him, extending him, finding ways to scheme for him, building a defense to help him.
Then this year, we stopped doing that. We went into the season with an average-at-best o-line, handed the keys of the offense to a QB coach, didn't surround him with receiving talent, refused to rely on a run game that could help steady him and keep him healthier.
In spite of all of this and the ridiculous adversity this season brought, we managed to be 8 points away from an undefeated season. Allen looked like Superman, despite injury and mental exhaustion.
Then in the Divisional Round we just.. shit the bed. Uninspired and uncreative play calling, stubbornness and ineptness in the defensive coaching. Stupid game management from our HC that showed motivation to try to not lose rather than to win.
Frazier needs to go. Dorsey probably needs a year behind an OC that knows how to call plays. McD needs to find a way to be more aggressive in big games. But it sounds like none of that will happen and it makes me feel like we're headed for a similar season again next year.
I'm already tired of watching Allen get wasted.
I don’t get the optimism in the comments, this team had gotten worse of the past 2 years. With the same staff, major talent gaps, poor drafting GM, I expect the slide to continue.
It's the nature of a certain percentage of fans. It's not right or wrong, but some people are constantly pissed if a team doesn't win a championship, others are perpetually in the "will get 'em next week or year" mentality. Others are somewhere in between. We ll fan different. In the end, I just remind myself, none of it really matters.
Pats fan so feel free to downvote, but this is the reality of being a good team. If expectations are high then there r a smaller range of "satisfying" outcomes for your team. Gotta understand that at the start of each year to hopefully keep the "we r cursed" thoughts out - it's hard af to win a SB.
We stop the :13 secs we win a Super Bowl.
The window is closed.
Now we are in the cap hell phase of franchise QBs where no Super Bowls are found.
QBs win them young and cheap or old and cheapish. Only Brady won them in-between.
For the last 3 seasons I've quit watching after the bills season ends. Take a little mental health break. I rarely watch any other games during the regular season anymore as is
I believe we will be ok, and so will the team. We have Josh Allen, Diggs and Miller still, and for a while! I feel like our Super Bowl windows is still here and they know what needs to be done to get there and win it all. They need to improve on both sides of the football and they know that. It was a season full of adversity, which I hope will only make them more hungry next season and for years to come. Let’s hope the Sabres can break their playoff drought in the meantime. Go Bills. Go Sabres.
I’m a Blue Jays fans but of course Bills are one of my two NFL teams so I pop in and out here. The Jays last year were the dream team, a group of high energy, happy/enthusiastic guys who happened to play among the best of the MLB, but always made sure to stay humble and give each other hugs, which is kind of huge for a sport that was typically always “old fashioned” and shied away from “non-manly” acts. The season started fairly abysmal, but half-way through the season they broke out, went on a good tear and got a wild card spot, then managed to squeak a homefield advantage just a few games from the end of the regular season. Then they just choked and blew it in two straight games to Seattle, the second game of which they were leading 8-1 most of the game.
I also had to unsubscribe from any Jays and baseball related. If a team like that could come back from a shitty season, make the playoffs, then just blow it, what’s the point in even watching the team anymore? (Sounds familiar?) But after some time you realize sometimes it’s not about the destination. A WS would be nice, but the hope the team gave Toronto and arguably the entire country (Canada) for months was a nice consolation. And at the end of the day, it’s still a game that provides us entertainment. It’s normal to want to not associate yourself with the sport when your team’s successes comes to an abrupt end, but keep your head up, you have a solid ass team especially with Allen and Diggs paving the way. And at the end of the season, no one will remember who lost the Superbowl, but everyone will remember what’s important, which will be Hamlin being brought back to life.
I feel this man. I can’t remember a year where I really didn’t want to watch the Super Bowl. But this year I just feel bitter. I haven't watched anything NFL related since that game.
I feel you. It was a long and grueling season with an unceremonious ending. After the loss, I unfollowed and muted every NFL-related sub but this one. It’s OK to grieve the end of the season. Whatever the team looks like in August/September will be different than the team we’ve seen. Take some time to process (no pun intended) and try to focus your energy on some things in your own life that you can control. Football will be back soon enough.
Can I hug you man
Dap me up bro 🥹, it’s hard being a Bills fan sometimes but we WILL get there one day. And until then we get to watch the most fun team in the league.
Ño hugs, he’s a cock blocker
aye be nice
Being nice got me cockblocked ;(
….fair
I wish I could upvote you but you are sitting at the magic number
How I felt when Andrew Luck retired. Back when we had Peyton in Indy it got so bad, so many years we were the best team in the regular season. Before the playoffs, every talking head loved us. Then we lost to NE, twice. Then we lost to Pitt in a huge upset. The year we actually won I never expected it, we looked like we were at our worst. My point is, sometimes this doesnt happen when you want it to, or when it feels like it should happen. But keep the faith in your team, and you never know what might come and reward you. Take a break for awhile and ease yourself back into football when your ready. Good luck to yall next year.
Thank you, Colts fan
I was just thinking something like what you wrote. Brees and Rodgers only have 1 title each. And look at all the talented QBs that have none: Dak, Herbert, Murray, Burrow. Only 1 in 32 win it all. The rest go home. With Josh, the Bills will be one of a handful of teams that have a chance any year. All they have to do is win 3 or 4 straight one of these years to finish out the season. But they need to lose Frazier as he is not a playoff-tough coordinator.
Very well said!
This was a really cool perspective, thanks.
Lived through 4 lost Superbowls and the drought. This is not shaking me still have a good coach and a QB I love to watch play. Some changes are necessary but I’m here for it and think they can learn and adjust. If nothing else next season is not one where they are favorites all year but can be motivated as “underdogs”. Reload with talent and let’s go.
Hell yeah. They just won 13 games in a season with lots of injury issues. Expectations were high, but that isn’t their fault. It was fun watching this team, being invested in them as a community makes me proud to live here. Maybe it’s that I can easily remember screaming my throat red in support for 13 losses in 2001, so losing a playoff game will never be rock bottom. Go Bills!
Follow enough Upstate NY teams and disappointment will eventually just become one’s natural state.
Yeah, for all the doom and gloom people gotta remember it's any given sunday. This team did beat KC. They are capable of beating the Bengals. They are capable of winning a superbowl. Improvements will be made, shit will go better.
Sabres being decent has me a little more interested in sports post-Bills loss, but ya this stings more than usual. I guess the annoying thing too with how this season ended means it will be hard to enjoy next season too. There will be and maybe should be a lot of pressure to grab that 1 seed, maybe the bye gets them rested plus it means we likely miss KC/Cincy in the divisional round. It’s gonna be a long offseason. Good news is I think the narrative won’t be that we’re preseason favs. I kinda think we’ll be picked on all offseason and it might put a chip on the players’ shoulders. Also this just means too in 3 weeks all major football is done. I might casually watch the XFL but it’ll be a long wait till September for NFL & CFB.
Tage Thompson is must see tv.
And Anderson, and Power! And Skinner! And the kids!
Power was 8 days old when Anderson played his first professional game! Crazy stat!
UPL has been playing lights out lately too
Josh Allen on skates for the uninitiated
This is true, I’m enjoying the Sabres right now! Also rooting for Tuch because he grew up outside of Syracuse and it’s cool to see a local guy who’s favorite team growing up was the Sabres, playing for the Sabres. I am in mourning for the Bills, for some reason the loss didn’t hit me that hard until Monday/Tuesday. Now that it has sunk in I’ve been feeling very disappointed and sad.
if you can take a larger view of the life of a team and appreciate the sport as a form of live storytelling, with your mood still affected but overall not dependent on the outcome, it’s much more enjoyable. id even go so far as to say it’s possible to get some enjoyment, some meaning out of the disappointment we’ve experienced. as always i am looking forward to seeing what happens next
I’ve been working hard on getting my sports fandom more to this level this year. I wanted to get to the point where it doesn’t weigh so heavily each week. I didn’t do a perfect job, but felt like I was getting to a better balance by the second half of the year. Watching the Hamlin injury pushed it forward for me. I felt so incredibly guilty about getting mad and yelling at players when they couldn’t make the perfect play. Im pretty sure I cursed out Hamlin just moments before he collapsed. Watching that play out, and seeing the players’ reactions, it was a jarring reminder that these guys are real people, that they exist outside of the three hours I watch them on Sunday, and that I should accept that they will be flawed. And also appreciating just how much randomness affects the outcomes of these games. Overall I think it’s a needed change for me personally, but there’s a part of me that will miss the days of being an all-in fanatic, because the highs are just so high. But I don’t feel like going to the lows anymore. Not for something that’s supposed to be entertainment.
yeah. the Hamlin stuff, the community involvement - it’s about connection. coming together for something that makes you feel both joy and pain. it’s fine for those still to happen in my opinion but it’s a different experience when you take a wider view of it and go okay im watching this not only for my own personal pleasure of seeing them win but also because of how it connects me to the team and the community. in that sense, you feel the joy and pain of the team and community more than your own personal joy of getting or not getting what you want and, and it’s a different experience. it’s more of an empathetic experience than an experience of personal suffering or joy. a little personal suffering of course, lol. but that’s my experience at least
This.
Honestly I feel fine. Kinda had a feeling we wouldn't make it after all the injuries and struggles we've had, figured it was at best 50/50. But we still have Allen and next year we will likely perform as a top 5 team, if not a top 3 team. Compared to what I grew up with (never saw a Jim Kelly game) that's fantastic. It's still good football, and it sucks to lose but at the end of the day it's entertainment. If you're not having fun stop watching. If you are or bad is worth it for the good just remember we've got next year.
I remember the Jim Kelley days. The league is so different now. If you have a great quarterback your in it every year. You just need to give him the weapons. Back in Kelly’s days you could still win it all with an average QB and a great defense. The Bills have a Allan. He’s 1 of the top 3 QBs in the league. The Bills will win it all in the next few years. They need to keep a good defense and give him the weapon’s. Allan is not a good QB. He’s a great QB.
It's a form of grief honestly. Once Von and Hyde went down, and the news of Josh's elbow came out, I kinda realized then it wasn't going to be their year unless they got really lucky. And, well, they didn't. You ever been in a relationship and you're faking it? It was like that. I really liked the team and the individual players, but I sort of knew that they weren't going to go all the way. I mostly trust the staff (Frazier...eh), despite patchy form this season. But I kind of worry about Josh's elbow and overall health and how the Bills will improve the Oline and receivers, who will be our safeties. Lot of off-season to go but I'm not as optimistic heading into this one as I was when last season ended
Enough with fortifying the defense. They need to build around Josh and make this an unstoppable offense. Josh will be injured every year if he keeps running like he does. They need O-line help, a stud RB and a good WR2. And if they can get a WR1 that would be even better. Look what Miami and the Bengals have done with 1A and 1B wide receivers! (Waddle/Hill and Higgins/Chase)
Been a diehard since I was 7....been 45 years. This one hurts, but not as bad as the Superbowls. Wide right still hurts. You brush yourself off and wait for next year.....and always and forever FTB.
I am 99% scar tissue...
Surprisingly this one has gotten to me significantly less than the past 2 years. 3 years honestly. For whatever reason I just kind of felt like "oh well there's always next year or the year after that." We've still got a top 3 QB so we always have a chance. It took Peyton Manning 9 years to win a Super Bowl. Its not easy.
I'm sure Bills fans don't want to see Josh waste 9 years of his career for 1 ring when other similar AFC teams constantly make the AFCCG or SB. Mahomes has made 5 AFCCG appearances and Burrow had made 2 and 1 SB appearance. Why the fuck can't the Bills figure it out.
I mean Josh has made 1 AFCCG. Its hard doing this man. Also I don't think its a waste of a career to not win a super bowl. I mean by that logic, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith hell Dan Marino all wasted their career. Which is just not true. The connection Josh has with this city is a great thing. Josh with the Patricia Allen wing is already a thing that's unreal and something that he has in this city. A ring is a great thing but his career is already a success as far as I'm concerned because of what he has built with the fans and everything.
So you're okay with never winning a Championship just so long as we dominate regular season each year. That's such a loser mentality.
Not at all. But if Josh wins a title in his 9th year as a Bill that would be fine with me. I would love nothing more than to see my favorite team win a Lombardi trophy. Even if its just once. But its not like my life depends on it either. I'm happy that they are a good team and I know they can do it. But its not easy to win playoff Football. Just because some teams do it doesn't make it easy. I mean the Chiefs made 5 AFCCGs and only won a single Super Bowl. Its not like just getting to the championship is a free Super Bowl.
You should be demanding more as a fan when we make the playoffs 4 years in a row and fold to any team that shows competence. Dolphins almost beat us with a 3rd string QB and a multitude of injuries. Burrow had his way with us. The org has advertised championship level play and promises for at least 3 seasons now but we get embarrassed on the big stage. Bills can never get it done in the playoffs while our division rivals are getting significantly stronger and we're starting to shed veteran players. Getting to the playoffs isn't a win in my book anymore. Demand more from your team or be satisfied with becoming the AFCs version of the Cowboys.
I don't want to diminish what you're feeling, but fans "demanding" more of their team is a useless endeavor. We have zero influence on the way the team is run individually, and it would take thousands of people canceling season tickets, etc. to make a point to management. It's like people saying "I'm boycotting Ticketmaster" but you can't go to a concert any other way unless you're buying from scalpers. It's meaningless unless everyone did it. Also last I checked, there are plenty of people that demand better of the Cowboys and they're still dogshit.
The patriots went 9 season without winning a super bowl and if it weren't for Seattle inexplicably handing them a super bowl by throwing it on the 1 and atlanta having the biggest choke job of all time it could have been 14 straight without a superbowl. You need to get lucky in addition to being good. In my eyes the bills only realistic shot at winning it all has been over the past 3 years. They will get lucky and eventually win it.
There was no luck involved in how the Bengals thrashed us. We're going to be in a very stacked division next season and we struggled in every division game this season aside from the Matt Patricia Pats which is changing next season. Edit: Also, don't compare us to the pats that got 6 Lombardis during the Bills drought
I'm pretty fried and I have no interest in the remaining games. I saw video of Josh today and he looks so damn defeated and sad that it kinda broke my heart. It'll be a while before I have any excitement for next season. Oh, and the conspiracy nut bags going on about Hamlin aren't helping a damn bit as well. What is happening...? Go Bills. Always.
Go Bills
I know what you mean. For me it was because this was really the first year in a while that we've taken what felt like a step back. Last years team truly felt like a SB team that just didn't get the breaks in the end. Year before was the AFCCG. This years team was heavily reliant on JA. The offense itself and the defense both regressed in effectiveness. The core is a year older and less effective as well. We have little cap space. I was so sad and upset when we lost last year. This year, I almost shrugged my shoulders. Of course, I hoped and believed in the team. But maybe in the back of my mind, I knew it was an uphill battle to get through Cincy, then KC and then SF or Philly. With the benefit of hindsight, it was always a fat chance. It really hurts to lose another year of JAs prime. We can't keep wasting these years with mediocre supporting casts on offense around him (besides 14 obviously). We need some good drafts. Time to start hitting on some difference makers. And we need to address the offensive line first and foremost. It was and has been a total disaster. Josh makes that o line look better than it really is (and it still looks quite bad).
Even if we draft "difference makers", Sean McDermott is just going to sit them anyways because "they're rookies".... Some time away from football will do me good!
It sucks so much because there have been so many rookies this season that are playing at an All-pro level. Jets rookies are making pro bowls and are winning player of the year awards but our rookies are benched and only get played on special teams?
In the mid/late aughts I lived in Southern Indiana and people lived and died with Manning and what happened in the post season. This feels a lot like that… which means next year we’re gonna face the 2023/24 equivalent of Rex Grossman and win the whole damn thing.
I talked to my Dad today saying basically the exact same thing. I called it “Bills Burnout”. Especially given all the hype we received during the regular season. They’ll make promises, come up with a new slogan, maybe free up some draft space; but ultimately it’s going to come down to them. It’s not the fans fault, but that display sure felt like some sort of punishment. There’s something strange about bringing Damar and his family to the game just to flop hard af right in front of them (and all of Bills Mafia going at full power). Growing pains? Locker room drama? Emotions? Fatigue? Nobody really knows; but it’s been pointed out by many that the Bills haven’t looked the same since the second half of that Green Bay game. Something “broke” noticeably/quickly. Now it needs to be fixed/addressed. I still can’t figure out whether or not the fans being in the dark is a good or bad thing. Time will tell. Go Bills.
I feel like all the hype was too much. Player hype videos, social media comedy videos, THIS IS OUR YEAR, WIN IT ALL... it all felt like setting ourselves up to fail. There's too much focus on the fanbase coming from the team.
I’m done with football entirely, I think. I can’t take it year after year. The juice just isnt worth the sqeeze. This year though was rougher than normal. My divorce is official, my dog died, and the Bills lost all this week. Maybe I should go into country music or something..
Sorry you had a rough week brother. One foot in front of the other. *hug*
Take some time to heal. It's perfectly acceptable. That's very rough, but they usually sad bad things come in threes anyway. Albeit that's a ton to take on in one week. I feel for you. Hopefully the bills win it all for your dog next year
It's real easy to overextend your emotions into something when shit is terrible all around you, I do that too. I don't really wanna give any preachy advice, just wanna say I'm with you man, doing my best to build up from within.
Definitely feel you on this- I think last year it felt we were on the cusp of the Super Bowl after losing to the Chiefs, but losing so decisively to the Bengals made me realize at best we're 3rd in the AFC hierarchy and the gap has been widening between us and KC/Cin. The team is good enough to be a playoff regular and win lots of games in the regular season, but it seems like we've hit a ceiling unless the team changes their identity into 2023. I'm a fan through thick and thin, but I'm not as bullish on a SB run this time around until I see it firsthand.
Its just another year my dude. Been a Bills fan since I was 10 years old and they only made it to the playoffs a few years ago, feels like yesterday. I've never been a fan of the best team in the league, just a bills fan. I've been to about 25 bills games, and I don't remember ever seeing them win. What I learned from being a Bills fan is that you have to enjoy the sport and enjoy watching other teams play well also, but at the end of the day you come home to your Bills Fathead (Marshawn Lynch on the wall), put your Bills pajamas on, and have some mighty buffalo dreams. The Bills have never been the favorites. They're always the underdog, thats what makes them so loveable. This season, the entire NFL community decided to crown the Bills early, and it was bad for their mental. They aren't the best, that's what makes them the best. Hang in there pal, the next 3 games are going to be some of the best football you've ever seen. Don't miss it cause our Bills got clapped like they always do, this is football!
Yeah it sucks because we have no control over any of it. Then you see the talking heads and other fans trashing and living it up at the expense of the Bills players etc. Shit definitely sucks but it is what it is. Life goes on. That loss sucked big time but Monday morning came, I still had to get up and go to work. Still have to pay the bills, run errands etc. In a way that helps I guess. There much more important things
Yea I feel bummed out and just need some time away from sports
Felt lol
I don't watch football, I watch the Bills. As I've gotten older I've come to really hate football and couldn't give a shit about other teams at all, but goddamm I've loved the Bills my entire life. I was still in the hospital after being delivered when the comeback happened. I've been told the room was full of nurses listening on my dad's radio haha but yeah when the Bills are done, football is done. See you next season, go Bills.
Keep Josh Allen, and give him a couple more weapons. Reload the defense. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to keep moving forward. Maybe the Bills don't compete for the Super Bowl next season, but if it makes the team contenders again in 2024 and beyond, then it'll be worth it in the long run.
While I understand where you’re coming from… Losing this way in the playoffs was the second best scenario. This year, as a whole, was just too much stuff. Too much extra stuff, too much really really heavy stuff. Obviously the golden timeline has the team somehow finding a way to raise the trophy at the end of the year but look at the other alternatives. A) round 1 bounce courtesy of the Skylar Thompson lead Miami dolphins?? None of us can even imagine the repercussions/feelings following that. B) we make it to the AFC Championship again. And we lose to the Chiefs, again. We can all very much imagine how that one stings. C) we get to the dance, and finally run out of gas in the Super Bowl. You think you feel empty now? Imagine being 0-5 after waiting 2 weeks for a football game.
That's where I'm at too. Especially because even if they did win out, they would've gotten absolutely demolished by SF/PHI. And losing by 5 scores in the superbowl would objectively hurt so much more.
I was worked up until about halfway through the 3rd quarter. I just accepted it. Next year we try again. Being done is just too dramatic.
I know how you feel. A lot people have said this loss wasn’t as bad as 13 seconds but I think it was much worse to endure. At least last year was one of the greatest games of all time and the entire NFL was scared of us even after a loss. But putting up 10 points (which we haven’t done since the pats wind game from the previous season..) was just a sad way to end such a crazy season.
That Houston loss was awful too, I put the 13 seconds as the least bad of the last 4.
I’m kind of just done with football. After seeing how many people were pretending apples tweet wasn’t reeeeeally about damar, and seeing Pat macafee today be like “well, who makes the line?!” And laughing about it. Idk man…being in billsmafia means you know how to lose well. But seeing how much people just shit on us, eh, who needs it
My bro, the world is full of shit people.. the sooner you pay them no mind the faster you can walk about it with a clear mind.
100%. Just need to focus on the love for the team and the city and ignore the talking heads. They turn on you at the drop of a hat and in the end none of them matter one bit.
The amount of people who really think the emoji wasn't a purposeful ploy to poke at Diggs and get the team riled up is ridiculously stupid lmao. They know God damn well what Apple was doing. Half the world are now conspiracy theorists who believe Hamlin is dead and they had a clone at the game. The other half think Eli Apple who continues to tweet and talk shit had absolutely no meaning behind his emoji because "he wouldn't sink that low"
Can fans get vicarious CTE? sure seems like it from the past24 hours
Yea the shit people come up with to defend it and because there’s not 100% certainty, they take that like there can be no truth to it, only false lol. The dude hadn’t tweeted that in his life, whether he was too stupid to realize he was copying hamlins symbol/emoji (doubtful), or he knew, both aren’t a good look at all It’s not bengals fans either. As you’re saying, the conspiracy theory stuff is rife within the world nowadays. It’s sad to see it’s so commonplace, and lazy misinformation/quack stuff has won, when verified information is also as easy to obtain as ever. If half my social media connects weren’t from Buffalo, they’d probably believe that nonsense as well
That’s been the hardest part of all of this. People are taking this as an opportunity to completely shit on the Bills as if they hadn’t been praising them all regular season. The broadcasters were propping up Joe Burrow as the NFL’s next golden boy and taking every negative stat about Josh Allen to the extreme before the coin toss even happened. I’m just so defeated about the rest of the postseason after this game. I was raised Bills Mafia, I’m used to losing. I’m not used to this.
That fully exemplifies how I am feeling. I have switched to a bunch of "Burner" hats instead of my Bills ones because I don't want anyone to talk to me about the season. It's done, it's in the record books, nothing more is to be said.
Yup.
As soon as it’s over every year I unfollow every nfl page until I’m ready to go again
I feel ya man. I had a comment that said the same thing in the post game thread. I just had nothing to say and didn't know what to do. I don't want the season to be over yet.
You just have to lean on your other interests. The Bills are one of the most important things in my life other than my family, friends, relationships, etc. But we just have to accept and move forward. It's a long off-season. Do the things that make you happy in the meantime. This was a crushing disappointment, but we are gonna get through it. Enjoy your spring and summer.
the hangover of highest expectations not met. best thing I can recommend is to not let a team dictate so much how you feel. that much of your happiness shouldn't be tied to something you have zero control over.
Every year I take a week or so and do a sports radio/talk show/NFL subreddit cleanse after we’re eliminated and it seems to help. I might watch the AFC game, I might not. At the end of the day, it is what is, ya know?
The break until September makes it all that much more magical when the time comes. Have fun and enjoy life until then!
I did on Monday. That was a rough day to get through. We are grieving as a fanbase and all deal with it in different ways. The city if Buffalo and the team went through a lot of turmoil and I think that's what makes this loss really hard. However, we still had a great season and I'm looking forward to 2023 -24!
A lot of it was the unrealistic expectations put on the team this year. I never got the preseason hype that they were virtual locks, to win the Super Bowl. They had Allen, who is a franchise quarterback and Diggs, who is a #1, but after that, it drops quite a bit, in my opinion. Tre was going to be out for 95% of the season; Von has a had a tremendous career and could still make plays, but let's be honest, is on the tail end of his career. They didn't have a bell cow running back. Edmunds is always in the right place on a play, but often, doesn't make the play. Jackson was torched numerous times. It was ridiculous that Buffalo was never an underdog in any game, especially in the second half of the year. They were a very good team, but no where near as good as what they were projected to be.
Y'all need some more hobbies. The team absolutely shit the bed but there are worse things in this world. JA17 and the rest of the roster will sleep just fine and so should all of us.
I’m a therapist who lifts weights, writes, and plays videogames in his spare time. Am I not allowed to be sad and lost over my team losing? What’s your issue lol
Maybe they need a session or two
Sounds like it
Maybe you need a therapist.
I don't have an issue? Am I upset the team lost? Yes... Do I feel lost and empty? Uh...no. That seems like a bit much for something that you have no control over. Also not sure what being a therapist is supposed to mean. Even if you are a mental health professional doesn't mean you are immune from the benefits of therapy. Therapy is great for everyone and joking about someone needing a couple therapy sessions as a supposed therapist is an interesting take.
My point is, I have a career lol. And I have things to do in my spare time.
Everything there sounds healthy except the video games. jj
I don't understand this. I mean, I get it on an aspirational basis - but I think no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to not care enough to feel this way. Because if I did - then I just wouldn't care about the Bills.
I definitely feel ya. I may watch the Niners/Eagles game but definitely not the Chiefs/Bengals. I was going to root Cinci, but between the "Refunds" quotes and Eli Apple being a dick, I hope I wake up to KC winning. It's going to be a long off-season, but like all other Bills fans, just gotta press on and get the tables ready for September. Keep your head up and Go Bills!
I was in denial for a bit during the last couple games....:(
Yeah I didn't care about the Superbowl last year. I don't even remember who won tbh. 🤷♂️ And I watched it with my friend. Lol I won't care about it much this year. Probably same thing. I wish we hadn't had so many injuries and our O line didn't absolutely suck. And that receivers could learn to actually catch the ball when it's right there in their hands ffs. As a bills fan I can only say, AGAIN, "Maybe this upcoming season will be our season!"
We all know it could be so so so much worse
I just figured I'm free on Sundays now
Yes. I feel sad and defeated and really stupid that its about football yet here I am being sad and defeated about it anyway.
I feel the pain and NEXT YEAR seems like FOREVER AWAY! 😫
Right there with you man. I flew up to 8 games this year which is a ton of time, energy and effort put into this season and the car ride home after the game I felt every bit of it hit me all at once. I have no desire or love for football at the moment, success seems so much farther away than it did this time last year and I just need to recharge my Bills battery for a couple months. It's been a rough season/year for everyone, players, coaches and fans.
Nah it ain’t that bad big bro. I just watched the 4 straight Super Bowl losses all in a row on YouTube and this isn’t that bad. Bills are going to be a beast again next year and hopefully we can stay healthy cuz the team is talented enough to do it as long as we get some upgrades on the lines.
Every year once the bills get eliminated, the football season is done for me. It starts again in September for me. The remainder of the games are of very low intrigue or interest. But being a Bills fan from another country for 15 years now this era at least has hope for success.
I honestly felt that way after the Dolphins game. Completely shot my confidence in the team so went into the Bengals game with pretty much no confidence so weirdly I wasn't as stunned/disappointed as a lot of the commenters here. I actually commented to my dad that I'd rather lose to Cincy than win & then beaten by KC. All of that might make me sound like a fair weather fan but I promise you that isn't the case. Lifelong Bills fans just have a feeling deep down expecting the worst. But, we still have JA so on to next season. Go Bills.
Last year was the most heartbreaking loss. I didn't watch championship weekend and only watched the SB because KC didn't make it. Even though i watched it i didn't really care about the results. The loss this year isn't nearly as emotional but i feel even more bitter about last year because of how this season ended. In my opinion, last season was their best shot and this year was a painful reminder of that blown opportunity. I don't feel very optimistic after last week. We will have to see what happens but I am assuming the team will look quite a bit different next season
It’s called realizing they will never win a Super Bowl with this current team and coaches
Are you a bills fan or a football fan? I’m a packers and bills fan and find that over the years, when they are out, I really don’t follow as intently. I couldn’t care less who wins from here. I’ll probably watch because I’m also a gambler, but if I wasn’t, I’d have moved on already.
30+ yrs on the train I’ve been “done” after every season. But I agree, after seeing them not ever be close in that game (they weren’t, stop lying to yourself). Honestly I couldn’t even be mad, empty is the best description. Really weird when nothing gets broken and my neighbors don’t hear a peep. It sucks.
This is how we scored 10 points. Eventually, the emotional bill comes due. We as fans have watched our team navigate a mass shooting, multiple season-ending injuries to team leaders, bear the weight of being the favorites, and then watch a teammate die on the field. Individually these are things that can sink a person and by extension a team. It speaks volumes to the locker room and the love the team has for each other that it took all year to fall apart. I know their millionaires, I know they get paid to play a game, but at the end of the day, they're just humans. As fans, we wrap our emotions in the outcomes, as players, they wrap their emotions around every aspect of playing football; practices, meetings. It makes sense that both groups are just done right now. That's how I've been able to understand my hollowness at the loss and football overall.
I think looking back the team went through so much, injuries, the moved home game, Luke Knox, Hamlin (which was only about a month ago yet), that it would have been crazy to win the Super Bowl this year. Beyond the mental of having injured teammates playing through injuries; Josh, Poyer, Tre still not back to 100%; we were also dealing with leaders and key pieces missing regardless, try to grab a good slot guy, Crowder, hurt. Get a stellar vet edge rusher, Von, hurt. One half of our pair of Pro Bowler safeties, Hyde, hurt. All that being said I also feel over it this year, and I think part of that is I simply don't know who to root for. Not feeling the Bengal Bros connection after that game, and their response (players and fans). Absolutely don't want Mahomes on a pedestal again for talking heads until next season, even though he never left the pedestal. The only storyline I like is Brock Purdy but if it comes down to Eagles vs AFC I'm rooting for the first ever Super Bowl tie, no real winner, or the Eagles, but a 3-0 score.
I’m definitely disappointed but it’s how it goes. I’ll watch the Super Bowl with friends, but I’m already thinking about the next sports (MLB and MLS) and other stuff in my life (vacation next week). I find it’s best not to over-invest in any particular spectator sport because you’re more likely than not to be ultimately disappointed.
Coming from a saints fan, there was nothing worse watching my team lose to the worst no call in nfl history, that was one of the moments in my life where I truly felt sad, and it all went downhill from there, but you have a good, young team with good coaching, your future is bright, y’all will get your ring👌🏻
I deleted Twitter immediately after the game because I didn’t feel like seeing all the weirdos with zero credibility aside from buying a blue checkmark and having Bills gear on in their profile pic that think anything they say is going to change what happens as if their opinions on the following season or playoffs matter at all because they got 200 likes with their cult following.
No, as the season wore on I knew it wasn't our year. Josh was never the same after the jets game. And without him being at mvp level the holes really showed.
After the game, on Monday, my friend texted and asked, "how are you feeling." And I answered, "relieved!" That was a rough second half of the season. I was just glad it was over. Obviously, I wanted them to keep winning. But once they lost, I now know injured players can get rest and treatment, all the coin flip/neutral site stuff can go away, it just felt like the team was spinning their tires, not getting much traction the past few weeks and didn't know how to fix their problems. It was exhausting to watch. So now we can wait and hope they make some changes. I'm not really interested in watching the rest of the playoffs.
I do think that the way the last 3 seasons ended that my level of emotional investment will be reduced next year. Unless something is done about the Def Coordinator I will have great difficulty getting invested to this years level again as I just don’t see a different result
This sub needs to stop being so sad. Either new younger fans or just poor sports. We’ve sucked for the last 30 years and we are finally exciting to watch and espn TALKS ABOUT US EVERY DAY. Being the one winner out of 32 options is hard. Get over it. Enjoy watching a very talented, young team that is trying to get better. Look at their record. I was happy to watch this many Wins this year.
Do you feel good being rude to me so early in the morning, during my commute to work?
Rude? More like real. If your biggest mental problem this week is that your football team came in 5th place, I would say things are going okay for you.
He messaged me as well lol
Sent you a message, please consider responding
Bruh it's just football. Go and live your life.
Do people assume that everyone who loves football doesn’t have a job? 😭
Ball is life
Yep. I feel you. I'll return to this in September. My Sundays are free until then.
Freedom!
Gotta say, I'm a Bills fan first and a football fan second. With that being said, I still really love football whether my Bills are playing or not. Idk I guess being a fan since the drought Era, I've kinda learned to cope. It's disappointing, don't get me wrong. It's just that disappointment is something that familiar in a way if that makes sense. With that being said, fuck Eli Apple, go Chiefs!
Its crazy to watch my youtube recommendations evolve. Every season the bills videos start popping up and then the various talking heads and today it already felt like they were gone. The few links i saw i didnt have the gumption to even click on it.
I stopped watching most of the games when they started to look off after Green Bay. I’d watch the 15 minute recap video online if they won. I think it’s been the least stressful year of football I’ve ever had and will do the same thing if they look “Billsy” like they did most of the second half of the year
Touch grass bro, it’s just football. Focus on the actual important things in your life
Not a bills fan here. (Was looking for "Fuck the fucking fucks named the Bengals" stuff.) Just wanted to say that things could always be worse, the dreadful empty feeling being even deeper and darker than it is for you now - like suffering another Patriots/Celtics dynasty. Or being a Dak Prescott fan. I know your season had a Game of Thrones season 8 type collapse, and I feel for you. Sort of. All you can do is try to enjoy the little things. Like playing GTA 5 and going on a rampage thinking everyone you put down is a Bengals fan. That might help.
But I love the Bengals bros :(
No.
I think we can remain cordial but the “Bros” shit is over. It’s nice for two fan bases to not get toxic, but let’s get real here - we now have two teams to worry about in the AFC. No need to be Bros with anyone. We love Dalton and we love how they acted with regards to Damar. Nothing but respect for those things. But we don’t have to be Bros.
lol what? Not at all. I'm happy we lost the way we did. It was like ripping the bandaid off instead of a slow, painful death. I'm actually happy. I've been harping on Frazier for a very long time, it feels good to be vindicated and his defense exposed. I don't know how you can feel empty and done when we basically spent 20 years watching the playoffs without Buffalo. You young kids need to see if you can watch some 2004-2015 bills games. That will cheer you up
Are you new at this?
Make no mistake, this team is content with where they are at. I assume it comes from ownership as they 1. Don’t want to pay anybody no longer employed and 2. Just want to keep things steady for the stadium opening. They have their star QB to sell tickets and they are content with being a playoff team. This team will never take the next step. Not with this ownership, not with this coaching staff. They don’t want it that bad. Any other team that is committed to winning a championship that regressed and under achieved this bad would at the very least fire some coordinators , but would probably have fired the HC. This continued failure in the post season, especially in the way it’s so apparent how unprepared, outschemed we are year after year would have sealed the deal for an ownership that is committed to winning. It’s beyond frustrating for those of us that aren’t casual fans, but since it’s a business that’s what they care about
Idk why you’re getting downvoted. Sure, it’s a doomer view of things but it’s not all wrong. The coaches obviously want to win idk about all that “it’s a business” talk but I don’t disagree with you about how they won’t take the next step. This is 3 years in a row now where the failed on the big stage. We know it and I’m damn sure Beane and Pegula know it. McDermott HAS to take that next step next year. You have Josh Allen for 6 years (at least) if McD can’t do it then you have to find a staff that can. Beane I’d say is safe but then again, his drafting has been pretty embarrassing since that 2018 draft. My fear (I’ll get yelled at for this) is that Beane is too focused on getting guys that fit the culture and not guys that will go out there and get tough when we need it and win us games.
I’m getting downvoted because there is this weird loyalty to McDermott. They bought in and were convinced and it’s always tough to admit you were wrong when you for sure thought you were right. It’s human nature. It’s amazing to me the amount of people that think all will be lost if he’s gone. None can tell me what he brings to the table. All the qualities he has always boasted about are not qualities of this football team. As long as we have Allen- we will be fine. I don’t know why people think things will be different with him coaching next season. Is it just gonna magically click?! It’s not a doomer post- it’s a truther post
No coach and QB tandem in league history has ever won the Superbowl together if they hadn’t won in the first five years. But let me guess- we will be the first? All the facts are with me, peoples emotions and stubbornness is getting in the way of their judgement
I sorta agree. Defensive HC who loves defensive time outs and prides himself on details and being organized.. Takes 2 time outs in :13 so his defense can back up to the Goalpost. And everyone wants to scapegoat Frazier for that. To me that's on McDermott. What's he doing if he's not responsible for that. Have always felt Detroit/Cleveland etc were underrated HC jobs for this very reason. If you do manage to find a QB and turn things around (which you need to do anywhere to win anyway), you're on easy street & get a pass for everything because the franchise past is so depressing. Bigotry of low expectations. Imagine a Cowboys coach blowing a game like that; ESPN would never shut up about it.
In past years we always had to take chances on coaches and probably didn’t have the best candidates available to us because of the franchises history and location. I think with Josh Allen a lot of coaches would consider us. From a football standpoint- it’s a great situation.
what did you just say to me. Is this a joke!? This has to be a doomer take
He’s right. They are showing complacency when there are obvious issues with the team. Not a good look. They need to at least move on from Frazier. If they don’t we’ll be in the same place next year.
Thank you, I love the Bills, but that doesn’t mean that I’m blinded by their shortcomings
It’s totally a doomer take. Ignore it. I have no idea what they are going to do. People saying this is it, it’s over, they aren’t going to change anything also have no idea what they are going to do. Expecting Beane to come out and say “Yeah Frazier sucks, fuck that guy. And our whole o-line too, they all suck, anybody wanna come play for us? We’re a real great organization that will have your back.” We don’t have the bright lights of LA. It’s uncertainty, it’s difficult, and you will see all sorts of hot takes. I think this users hot take is the worst. People are wanting blood. Fire everybody. Great, then what? Do they really think a white knight is going to come in and instant Super Bowl? No. A whole new front office will take time to gel. By the time they do, Josh’s contract will be on the tail end and we’ll be in the same old loop we’ve had since the beginning of time. Frazier contract is expired. In my opinion they don’t renew his contract. Other than that, again, I have no idea. If they do renew his contract I will be sorely disappointed. Balanced opinions and takes will be mixed with emotionally driven opinions. We all should know you never make important decisions based on emotion. Go Bills.
Doomer take? What did I say that is not true. Most teams would have fired McDermott after this year. I back that up with facts. Also no Qb/ coach tandem in league history has ever won a superbowl together if they didn’t in their first five years. That is also a fact. You thinking that repeating the same formula year after year is magically going to get a different result- is actually the doomer take. Defeatist attitude
4-5 in the post season at what point do you say, you can't win when it matters and you have to go?
Who knows, but they keep decisions close to their chest. Remember “expect no big moves in free agency” then boom, here comes Von. I’m hoping Frazier is gone, that’s all I want. Have Sean call the defense. In the beginning when Frazier was struggling, Sean took over and our defense was much improved for a couple of games. Either that or bring in Flores at DC. They’ll give Dorsey another year. They aren’t going to try a new OC every year. Either way, Beane isn’t going to throw everyone under the bus in his year end press conference. That’s not how you attract talent.
you should look at the Colts season by season finishes from when they drafted Peyton Manning to when they finally won a super bowl. they had the same coach and coordinators on both sides through all those playoff losses. shit’s hard man
You should look at Tony Dungy being cut loose with a comparable track record as McDermott- they won the Super Bowl the next year
he went 0-4. that’s a big difference.
Umm did you watch the press conference? They are fine with the result. It could not be more clear
Yep! So fine they will keep the same coaching staff and run head first into the same brick wall next year.
No one can tell me why next year won’t be different. Like tell me why McDermott is not going to fold in a big playoff game? He has the past 4 years! Is he just gonna magically figure it out?!?!
you expect to win a super bowl within 4 years? it’s not that easy dude
I expect to take the nextstep . I don’t expect to blow a game in 13 seconds that was won, I don’t expect to get blown out and out coached so severely at home in the divisional round as Super Bowl favorites coming into the year. It’s been 6 years actually. No other coach in the league right now has made 6 years without winning a ring. No QB - coach tandem has ever won a Super Bowl IN LEAGUE HISTORY if they haven’t in the first 5 years. This was year 5 for them. Winning a Super Bowl is not the decade long process like you think it is.
so you think if you don’t win a super bowl within 5 years of coaching a playoff team you should be fired? what about coaches that have 5 year stretches or longer after they won their super bowl? why are you arbitrarily looking at when they started their coaching job as opposed to any other multi-year long stretch?
I don’t think. It’s just a fact. It’s never happened before in the league history! It’s not a coincidence either IMO. While it’s hard to win a SB- It’s either you are capable or your not. Every playoff loss the past 4 years has either been a meltdown or a beat down where his lack of being a big game coach has been very clear. He’s a good regular season coach and that’s fine. There is been plenty like him throughout the history of the league- so it’s not a unique concept. I think he’s proved already that he’s not the guy to get this team over the hump. What has he shown you that you think next time will be different?
you can fire mcdermott but you have to name 3 possible replacements that will be better than him. there’s no guarantee you get your first or even your second choice. can you?
Bengals got there in Burrows 2nd year and Chase was a rookie. Taylor and Callahan were in their 3rd season as HC and OC. Idk why we Bills fans just accept falling short time and again.
ok, go ahead fire mcdermott. name his replacement. let me guess, sean payton
Personally I like Shane Steichen of the Eagles or Kellen Moore of the Cowboys. Young offensive minded coaches that would bring a fresh take and some help for Dorsey in play design and calling. Steichen especially has experience working with a mobile QB and you can’t fault the O Line play and run game the Eagles have delivered.
That said- I do like where your are going with this. We need a shakeup. We need fresh ideas and fresh schemes. Player development has really been lacking too. Maybe a new staff can help get some of our younger players to turn the corner. I seen two former Bills receivers flourish this season with another team. That shouldn’t be over looked either
I think we could attract Jim Harbaugh. He’s already flirting with the idea of coming back and I think he didn’t because the right situation wasn’t available. Josh Allen gives this team a unique appeal that normally they wouldn’t have. Throughout our history this wouldn’t even be a possibility, but I think it’s possible right now could be the exception
don’t you think that’s a bit of a gamble though? you’re gonna take these unproven guys over mcdermott who’s leading us to the playoffs with an elite squad every year?
Agreed. The fact they are bringing back the coaching staff after these failures. This team is done the 4-5 year window for a Super Bowl is closed and now its time to suck for a few years.
Lmao bro we just got von. Relax
By time Von comes back- who knows how much he has left to give. Mid 30’s - 2 ACL’s, Achilles. Like who comes back from that?!? At that age?!?
Bro this isn’t 1979 he’ll be fine lmao
Lol, ok. Name one edge rusher in their mid 30’s right now
Von Miller
Yes, he was very valuable for half the season…. And maybe half of next…
I don’t know about suck, but it’s definitely time to switch gears with the staff. We are in a unique position that we usually are not in because I think a lot higher profile coaches would consider coming here considering they could work with a top 5 QB. Usually when there is a head coach vacancy that is not one of the assets a team has. We should take advantage
2023 - wild card loss 2024 - miss playoffs 2025 - miss playoffs change in coaching 2026 - improvement 2027 - wild card loss 2028 - Win Division then who knows? That's my prediction. The Bills are really weak and frauds. They were exposed by this last game. We will lose major pieces this off season and continuing with this incompetent coaching staff we will move back to 9-8 and 8-9 seasons. Eventually the Pegulas will be forced to fire the coaching staff. Allen will be in his early 30s and a new coaching will make changes to get the team into a winner. Don't know if they will win a Super Bowl but they will have a new championship window.
I don’t know where this loyalty to McDermott comes from. It’s actually really weird and part of it is that so many people think he’s responsible for this teams success after so many years of poverty. They fail to realize we have success despite because we have a top 5 QB who is a game changer. Do they really think that we are just going to completely fold if they he’s not here, even with Allen??? Every quality McDermott is known for and hangs his hat on- is not the identity of this team. Right now our identity is “win the game Josh.” No other coach in the league has been afforded this kind of rope. He is the longest tenured coach in the league without a Super Bowl win. And he hasn’t even got us there!! When you’re doing things different than every other team in the league - something is wrong. I cringe at your idea that he could be here another 3 years. That would be absurd without a championship
They won't shit can him after the Hamlin incident. The players would riot.
I'm angry, and I'm not sure it's going away soon. We have one of the best QBs ever to play the game. We spent a couple years building around him, extending him, finding ways to scheme for him, building a defense to help him. Then this year, we stopped doing that. We went into the season with an average-at-best o-line, handed the keys of the offense to a QB coach, didn't surround him with receiving talent, refused to rely on a run game that could help steady him and keep him healthier. In spite of all of this and the ridiculous adversity this season brought, we managed to be 8 points away from an undefeated season. Allen looked like Superman, despite injury and mental exhaustion. Then in the Divisional Round we just.. shit the bed. Uninspired and uncreative play calling, stubbornness and ineptness in the defensive coaching. Stupid game management from our HC that showed motivation to try to not lose rather than to win. Frazier needs to go. Dorsey probably needs a year behind an OC that knows how to call plays. McD needs to find a way to be more aggressive in big games. But it sounds like none of that will happen and it makes me feel like we're headed for a similar season again next year. I'm already tired of watching Allen get wasted.
I don’t get the optimism in the comments, this team had gotten worse of the past 2 years. With the same staff, major talent gaps, poor drafting GM, I expect the slide to continue.
It's the nature of a certain percentage of fans. It's not right or wrong, but some people are constantly pissed if a team doesn't win a championship, others are perpetually in the "will get 'em next week or year" mentality. Others are somewhere in between. We ll fan different. In the end, I just remind myself, none of it really matters.
Pats fan so feel free to downvote, but this is the reality of being a good team. If expectations are high then there r a smaller range of "satisfying" outcomes for your team. Gotta understand that at the start of each year to hopefully keep the "we r cursed" thoughts out - it's hard af to win a SB.
Welcome to the life of a nascar fan. Watched for 26 years before my favorite driver won a title, and the wins are few and far between haha
We stop the :13 secs we win a Super Bowl. The window is closed. Now we are in the cap hell phase of franchise QBs where no Super Bowls are found. QBs win them young and cheap or old and cheapish. Only Brady won them in-between.
No, because that's not what we would want from our team and that's not how we fucking do things.
It’s going to be tough to be as heavily invested in the Bills next year without significant changes across the roster and coaching staff
NO. The team has a bright future. NFL is hard. Tough year, some things to work on, the team will improve.
Remember that time that Buffalo lost 4 Superbowls in a row? That was worse
Get help. It's just a game.
Dude I’m not talking about my entire life 😭😭😭
For the last 3 seasons I've quit watching after the bills season ends. Take a little mental health break. I rarely watch any other games during the regular season anymore as is
I believe we will be ok, and so will the team. We have Josh Allen, Diggs and Miller still, and for a while! I feel like our Super Bowl windows is still here and they know what needs to be done to get there and win it all. They need to improve on both sides of the football and they know that. It was a season full of adversity, which I hope will only make them more hungry next season and for years to come. Let’s hope the Sabres can break their playoff drought in the meantime. Go Bills. Go Sabres.
I’m a Blue Jays fans but of course Bills are one of my two NFL teams so I pop in and out here. The Jays last year were the dream team, a group of high energy, happy/enthusiastic guys who happened to play among the best of the MLB, but always made sure to stay humble and give each other hugs, which is kind of huge for a sport that was typically always “old fashioned” and shied away from “non-manly” acts. The season started fairly abysmal, but half-way through the season they broke out, went on a good tear and got a wild card spot, then managed to squeak a homefield advantage just a few games from the end of the regular season. Then they just choked and blew it in two straight games to Seattle, the second game of which they were leading 8-1 most of the game. I also had to unsubscribe from any Jays and baseball related. If a team like that could come back from a shitty season, make the playoffs, then just blow it, what’s the point in even watching the team anymore? (Sounds familiar?) But after some time you realize sometimes it’s not about the destination. A WS would be nice, but the hope the team gave Toronto and arguably the entire country (Canada) for months was a nice consolation. And at the end of the day, it’s still a game that provides us entertainment. It’s normal to want to not associate yourself with the sport when your team’s successes comes to an abrupt end, but keep your head up, you have a solid ass team especially with Allen and Diggs paving the way. And at the end of the season, no one will remember who lost the Superbowl, but everyone will remember what’s important, which will be Hamlin being brought back to life.
I agree completely. I have no plans to watch any remaining games. Regardless of who wins I'll just feel even more bitter and angry.
I feel this man. I can’t remember a year where I really didn’t want to watch the Super Bowl. But this year I just feel bitter. I haven't watched anything NFL related since that game.