Buffalo Bills: 9-7, Marrone opts-out of contract

[Woodhouse]

Bills lose 24-17 to the Broncos and fall to 7-6.
(Thread's continued from here.)

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[misterchainsaw]

Bills lose 24-17 to the Broncos and fall to 7-6.
(Thread's continued from here.)

Totally different type of challenge defensively next week against Green Bay, but this week's defensive performance at least gives me hope we can slow them down, especially at home. Green Bay's defense isn't as good as Denver's, hopefully we can look a little more competent offensively too (not holding my breath)

 

[Takeo]

Moral victory.

But most of these games are falling the Bills way today. Chiefs just went down. Need to cheer for the Golden Boy tonight! Bills will get their shot against Aaron Rodgers in a meaningful game next week.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Moral victory.

But most of these games are falling the Bills way today. Chiefs just went down. Need to cheer for the Golden Boy tonight! Bills will get their shot against Aaron Rodgers in a meaningful game next week.

Too bad Houston pulled it together against Jacksonville. A loss there and you could pull together a feasible scenario where 9-7 could get it done if Cincinnati collapsed down the stretch and Pittsburgh ran away with the division. And just imagine if the Jets actually held on vs the Fins!

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Too bad Houston pulled it together against Jacksonville. A loss there and you could pull together a feasible scenario where 9-7 could get it done if Cincinnati collapsed down the stretch and Pittsburgh ran away with the division. And just imagine if the Jets actually held on vs the Fins!

Folk made 5 FGs today too. He couldn't have made the ones against Miami?

But Bills have a tough game in two weeks at a suddenly hot Oakland Raiders team that has won 2 of 3 against playoff teams from last year!

 

[misterchainsaw]

True enough. Playing around with a few scenarios on the playoff machine and 9-7 would take a couple huge spoiler games from the Jets and Jacksonville to get us in (if you assume our wins are vs GB and @Oak but not @NE)

Winning out plus chalk elsewhere (as determined by 538's ELO ratings heading into this week) would get us in as the only 10-6 team (Pittsburgh would win the AFC North at 11-5, Baltimore would be #5 at 11-5).

Chalk would be (home team in bold and excluding obvious games):
WEEK 14:
New England over San Diego

WEEK 15:
Pittsburgh over Atlanta,
New England over Miami
Indianapolis over Houston
Cincinnati over Cleveland
Denver over San Diego

WEEK 16:
San Francisco over San Diego
Baltimore over Houston
Carolina over Cleveland
Pittsburgh over Kansas City
Denver over Cincinnati

WEEK 17:
Baltimore over Cleveland
Kansas City over San Diego
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati

I'll rerun the numbers when the new ELO ratings come out, but they actually have some leeway here and with the teams they're in competition with also losing I don't see it changing much.

 

[Takeo]

Not that I think they have a realistic shot, but I always hope to stay mathematically alive as long as possible just for entertainment's sake. Best case scenario is they are mathematically alive at 8-7 going to New England. They haven't had a meaningful final day since they blew the game against the Steelers sixth stringers. Even if it's a super long shot I'd take it.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Not that I think they have a realistic shot, but I always hope to stay mathematically alive as long as possible just for entertainment's sake. Best case scenario is they are mathematically alive at 8-7 going to New England. They haven't had a meaningful final day since they blew the game against the Steelers sixth stringers. Even if it's a super long shot I'd take it.

KC would have to lose at home to Oakland next week for that to happen. Unless you want to hope for the Hail Mary of a San Diego-KC tie in the final week of the season. If neither of those two things happen the winner of that game has 9 wins and the tiebreaker - even in a 3 way tiebreak situation, and *insert 1st and 2nd place AFC North team* is either going to run far past 9 wins or lose to other teams that will get to 9 wins and win tiebreakers.

EDIT: Sadly, Miami still has the tiebreaker even if the Bills beat New England and Miami loses to New England to both finish 9-7 via conference record. Their common opponents record will be even at 8-6 (Buffalo's non-common games were Cleveland(W) and Houston(L) vs Miami's Baltimore(L) and some ****** AFC South team (Jacksonville?) (W)

 

[Takeo]

Folk made 5 FGs today too. He couldn't have made the ones against Miami?

But Bills have a tough game in two weeks at a suddenly hot Oakland Raiders team that has won 2 of 3 against playoff teams from last year!

My good man, you may not call a team "hot" that lost 52-0 a week ago!

For the record, Mike Pettine is an awesome coach. He has handled every aspect of this season perfectly. His press conferences are great. And the lowly Browns are still alive. He might be the one that got away...

 

[Takeo]

KC would have to lose at home to Oakland next week for that to happen. Unless you want to hope for the Hail Mary of a San Diego-KC tie in the final week of the season. If neither of those two things happen the winner of that game has 9 wins and the tiebreaker - even in a 3 way tiebreak situation, and *insert 1st and 2nd place AFC North team* is either going to run far past 9 wins or lose to other teams that will get to 9 wins and win tiebreakers.

EDIT: Sadly, Miami still has the tiebreaker even if the Bills beat New England and Miami loses to New England to both finish 9-7 via conference record. Their common opponents record will be even at 8-6 (Buffalo's non-common games were Cleveland(W) and Houston(L) vs Miami's Baltimore(L) and some ****** AFC South team (Jacksonville?) (W)

Yeah I haven't even looked into the details. Just hoping blindly. Nice work crunching the numbers. Appreciated.

 

[johnjm22]

The season is pretty much done. It was more fun than most years. It's damn hard to win in this league when you don't have a QB.

You know what sucks? Teams like Oakland and Jacksonville are in a better position than us moving forward. They have young QB's that at least have a chance of developing, plus they have high 1st round picks this year. The Bills have neither.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Yeah I haven't even looked into the details. Just hoping blindly. Nice work crunching the numbers. Appreciated.

Apologies for the shot earlier, btw. You were absolutely right on the pass interference call. Frustrating thing is if he makes a play on the ball rather than the guy it could have been 6

 

[NotABadPeriod]

So let's talk QBs the Bills could take this year.

I'm going to assume that Mariota/Hundley/Winston all go off the board before the Bills 2nd rounder. Cook will be returning to Michigan St next season.

So out of these guys, who would you be interested in taking and in what round?

Petty
Prescott
Carden
Mannion
Hogan (lol, this would be the most Bills selection ever)
Grayson
Waters
Halliday
Other?

There are certainly some intriguing options, but not a "can't miss" guy (obviously). Curious what people who follow college football closer than I think about them.

 

[misterchainsaw]

So let's talk QBs the Bills could take this year.

I'm going to assume that Mariota/Hundley/Winston all go off the board before the Bills 2nd rounder. Cook will be returning to Michigan St next season.

So out of these guys, who would you be interested in taking and in what round?

Petty
Prescott
Carden
Mannion
Hogan (lol, this would be the most Bills selection ever)
Grayson
Waters
Halliday
Other?

There are certainly some intriguing options, but not a "can't miss" guy (obviously). Curious what people who follow college football closer than I think about them.

Alternatively, any interest in guys who could be available via trade (thinking Bradford and Cutler, here). or even free agency? Manuel's been ok in spurts. I wouldn't mind throwing the dice on Bradford and going with (a hopefully improved) Manuel as backup to the injury prone QB.

I was hoping Dallas **** the bed defensively and that JerryWorld would finally give up Romo, but that probably isn't happening at this point.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Alternatively, any interest in guys who could be available via trade (thinking Bradford and Cutler, here). or even free agency? Manuel's been ok in spurts. I wouldn't mind throwing the dice on Bradford and going with (a hopefully improved) Manuel as backup to the injury prone QB.

I was hoping Dallas **** the bed defensively and that JerryWorld would finally give up Romo, but that probably isn't happening at this point.

Jones loves Romo though, so he wouldn't give up on him. He passed over Manziel for a reason.

If there's any QB that could get run out of town, it's Eli Manning. Don't know though if the financials make that too messy.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Jones loves Romo though, so he wouldn't give up on him. He passed over Manziel for a reason.

If there's any QB that could get run out of town, it's Eli Manning. Don't know though if the financials make that too messy.

I don't know why my link's not working =(

 

[Paxon]

I don't know why my link's not working =(

You have an extra ] before the closing tag

 

[misterchainsaw]

You have an extra ] before the closing tag

Thanks. I blame the beer.

 

[Paxon]

Remember when we punted on like 4th and 2nd? Pretty cool stuff right there. :dropkicks Marrone out of the NFL:

 

[Takeo]

So let's talk QBs the Bills could take this year.

I'm going to assume that Mariota/Hundley/Winston all go off the board before the Bills 2nd rounder. Cook will be returning to Michigan St next season.

So out of these guys, who would you be interested in taking and in what round?

Petty
Prescott
Carden
Mannion
Hogan (lol, this would be the most Bills selection ever)
Grayson
Waters
Halliday
Other?

There are certainly some intriguing options, but not a "can't miss" guy (obviously). Curious what people who follow college football closer than I think about them.

Too early still, but I wouldn't waste my time with a QB after the 2nd round. Odds are not good finding a legit starter in the mid rounds.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

I don't miss living in WNY when it comes to rooting for the Bills.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I don't miss living in WNY when it comes to rooting for the Bills.

Doesn't matter where you go, Bills fandom follows you like an STD.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

Doesn't matter where you go, Bills fandom follows you like an STD.

That may be true, but I don't have to listen to the BS consistently every day, like the previous thread. It's much easier to root from afar.

 

[Girgensons28]

Reports are that Chicago has buyers remorse, so go after Cutler. He'll at least throw the ball down the field.

Go Broncos.

 

[kenfury]

I am happy that come December the games still had value for me to watch. Compared to other seasons, I'll take 8-8 or 9-7. Although QB is a place of need I dont see help coming on that front unless the Bills find a gem. Where serious inroads can be made through free agency is the O line. Let Pears walk, slide Henderson to backup duty for a year and build a line that does not do their impersonation of a turnstile every game. A King Dunlap or Iupati type would probably do wonders even if OL is not sexy. Can we steal some help in the secondary? Revis, Thomas, or Sherman would solidify the backend. I guess my point is you can work around deficiencies in QB, doubly so if that position is not fixable right now.

My main concern is RB. CJ could very well walk, I love Freddy but I dont know how much he has left in the tank and we cant survive both a middling QB and RB. Unless we want to inquire about Petersons availability...