Buffalo Bills Have Had Ample Help During 3-0 Start

Perfect article for a day like today. No one should let this quell any excitement from being 3-0 and just beating New England. No one should forget the two comebacks…an NFL first.

But it isn’t time to get ahead of ourselves. Enjoy the moment. But don’t start talking about playoffs yet.

I agree 100% with the premise but….

Penalties – i’ve seen more than a few penalties that were because of how good the Bills were playing. I’ve seen Stevie and Donald have PI calls because they beat the defender and the defender did that to save a TD. So while the penalties have occurred – Buffalo has caused teams to penalize us because we’re beating them – which is very good.

Health – over years i’ve heard plenty of people comment on how injury can ruin a team – and while true – the fact that the Bills are one of the biggest teams in the league we are able to impose ourselves on teams so hopefully, in theory, we’ll continue to have minimal injuries.

However, while the Pats and Raiders have had injuries the Pats defense has been more than suspect since last year and the Raiders rely on their run game more than their pass game. These are excuses but I wonder outside of Hernandez and maybe Chung i’m not sure how much the other teams injuries have hurt them to the extent that it would change the outcome of the games.

You have to be good to be lucky and you have to be lucky to be good. I think the best thing about this so far is that we do have a ton to work on. Hopefully that will keep them focused because they all should know that they aren’t there yet.

but I still don’t believe this Bills team is playoff bound or playoff ready quite yet. I think they can continue to build upon what they’ve started this season, and could very well be a playoff contender. However, I’m not ready to say this team is a top 10 football team, despite our best record in the AFC!!!

Stuff happens man, just glad less of it is happening to the bills right now. Yes, its true, if any team plays a perfect game and doesn’t have any injuries, they will probably win. I know the point is a larger one but BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Smiley face

And I like how you mentioned the Bengals and not the Eagles.

The Bengals have what looks to be a very very good defence. And when your team is playing with a rookie QB (as we all know) Your d has to be good if you want to win any games. But just because we are 3-0 we cannot start thinking games are already won before we play them,.

Cincinnati is a trap game for Buffalo.

Some of these points are valid, some not as much, but the long and the short of it boils down to by virtue of their 3-0 start, they can probably make the playoffs by going 7-6 the rest of the way. The actual 3-0 record is more significant in projecting where this team can go this year than the sum of the circumstances outlined above. While 2008 is obviously fresh in all minds, there’s a reason it was such a jarring experience- it was a remarkably spectacular collapse that happens two or three times a decade. The stats are clear as day- the chances of seeing a Bills playoff game in January are above 50% now.

It’s not like they could have passed for more yards on us. Btw, we could have really used T McGee back there.

Take advantage of the other team’s mistakes, health issues, penalties, and turn overs. They get lucky, stay healthy, limit mistakes and penalties. This team has done that so far. The last 10 years of teams were the ones getting hurt, making costly mistakes and dumb penalties, and having the other team get lucky.

 All I’m saying is to make the playoffs, you need everything on your side. Let’s hope the trend from the first 3 games continues…

One thing that should be pointed out (I don’t think I’ve seen it yet) is how productive we’ve been off of turnovers. Correct if I’m wrong, but I think it was 17 points against the Pats?

Good teams take advantage of what us given to them. If its an injury or a penalty. Go back and look at winning teams and you.tend to realize good things happen to good teams.

before fans start dreaming of the playoffs…

I’m not saying it’s an absolute sure thing but 3-0 teams make the post-season 75.9% of the time since the playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 1990. The numbers prove that the playoffs are a reality. The ones that are dreaming are those that say we don’t have a chance…

I think most fans understand that if the Bills played those 3 teams 10 times each they’d end up with a pretty wide range of results. The Pats especially would be a tall order to keep on beating and I doubt anyone thinks the Bills are better. But in terms of making the playoffs, regardless of how much help they’ve gotten so far, they’ve ended up in a good position with a lot of confidence going forward.

Only quibble here would be mentioning all the help the Bills got against the Pats and not mentioning that the Pats got a large amount of help earlier as well — on some very questionable calls and non-calls.

The Bills certainly have had their fair share of good breaks so far this season. However, it’s important to remember that they also had some bad breaks early on in the OAK and NE games yet showed the character to overcome them. I agree that 3-0 does not automatically put the Bills into the playoffs—‘08 showed that. But if the team can continue putting in a solid effort, the coaching staff continues putting together good game plans and makes the right adjustments then I see every reason for Bills fans to be optimistic. Are the Bills going 16-0 or winning the Super Bowl? Probably not. In the same breath, if they continue putting in the effort week after week either could be possible. For now, I’m personally happy the Bills are 3-0 and will continue taking things week by week.

Its interesting we had one of the largest lines in the league a few years ago with Dockery and Walker but we couldn’t get a thing done in the running and passing game. I wonder why? Maybe I answered my own question.

Me thinks somtimes that Mr Brian Galliford and Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan are in fact impostors from Pats Pulpit. The common idea: the Bills suck, we only lose and if we win its because we got lucky. Lets all try and stay pro bills or as Peter King of SI says have a ‘glass is half full’ view of our guys. The rest of the league/world is constantly bashing our team and putting us down, lets look on the brighter side of things for once shall we?

the bills have been overdo for some coin flips for quite some time. it doesn’t mean they will continue to get breaks, but if they gain confidence from it it doesn’t matter. confidence is everything with a team that clearly has the talent to be great.

I dont know about you but after 11 years I’m not in it to win 3 regular season games. Im not in it to gain national respect. Im in it to see this team get to the playoffs and I bet every single player and coach in that lockerroom are too and that means constantly looking on where you can improve and perfect your gameplan and approach. Complacency, even in the slightest, can doom a season. Starting 3-0 you WANT to be able to identify troubling statistics or circumstances, that means you can get better. If you couldn’t, teams would be able to figure you out soon enough.

The Buffalo Bills have not yet begun to fight and if you want to end a decade long playoff drought you dont start ignoring issues because everyone is feeling good. Dont take your eye off the prize because we feel better than we have in a long, long time. We only have that feeling because we have forgotten what the playoffs taste like – MUCH MUCH BETTER THAN 3-0!

Thats the goal. It is for the players and it is for the coach. Its extremely hard to do because its a long season and a lot can happen. As long as the team isnt resting on its behind, neither should Brian, these are exactly the kinds of pieces we need from him. If you want to just talk about how awesome the Bills are come on over and drink some beers with me, I’m really good at that!

This energetic, lovable, talented team has taken just the first steps on the long road to the playoffs, they havent earned a thing yet and they dont ask for it. Lets share that mentality. This isnt the baby. The baby is a playoff contender.

Injuries?
Starting WR Donald Jones back from a concussion just before the regular season.
Our starting LG out for the season.
Our 3rd WR (semi-starter) out for the season.
Starting CB McGee out.
Stevie Johnson fighting through groin/cramps issues.
Dareus still recovering from 2 lower leg injuries.
Aaron Williams carted off the field.
I’m sure there are more.

Basically 3 starters gone after 3 games. I don’t see a Bills advantage based on more or less injuries.

I’m tired of hearing it and it just been a day. Tom Brady did not throw 4 ints. The Buffalo Bills picked him off 4 Times. There is a huge difference. I picked up this hot girl the other night, was it me being Smooth or was it she had to much to drink? What ever the case The Bills Capitalized on there turnovers and they (Bills) created them. So I say The Bills picked Brady off 4 Times not the other way around. Go Bills!

I’m not going to rant about how this is harshing my buzz.

I’ll just ignore it for today. Then tomorrow come back and say, hmm, those are good points. Most probably, anyway. Or, I’ll knock them down if I can. Still, I think this WILL be a 4-0 team. It might then be a 4 and two team, though, if they’re not careful.

I’m just going to rain on everyone’s parade (hilarious)

I agree to a certain extent with the thing you pointed out Brian, but the fact you made an article about it makes them an over-statement. None of the players on that injury list really changed the complexion of any of their respective games. The Chiefs threw the ball so poorly Tony Moeaki is not changing that from a blowout to a win or even a close game. The Raiders threw the ball so effectively that they obviously didn’t miss Heyward-Bey. The same thing goes for the Patriots offense, Aaron Hernandez is not responsible for Tom Brady throwing 4 INT’s.

As far as penalties goes… good teams force bad teams into penalties or bad teams force themselves into penalties. Although against NE the refs were getting a little ridiculous, I think there was a point in the game where they had screwed Buffalo so bad on some ticky tacky stuff that they began making make-up calls against the Patriots.

the penalties were what had single-handedly killed Buffalo’s first half drives other than Donald Jones’s butterfingers… I’m am not very fond of Donald Jones, he is extremely underwhelming.

good wins, but a lot of season left to go.

Not so much the timing though. I would wait until after our first loss, if we have one. I do want to add something. This team is so so so different though. These things you mention we have experienced before and still couldn’t get it done. This team plays the whole game, all 60 minutes, they have beaten the arch nemisis in the Patriots, not the dolphins. This team beat the Raiders and DMac and they are a very good team. I respect the post, but this team is different and time will heal all wounds.

you are absolutely right. many things have gone our way. and we cannot keep falling to teams so early. i think we lack a good pass rush, and good coverage. nevertheless, we are 3-0 not simply due to luck. we are a decent team. fitzpatrick has been this team’s mvp. he has shown tremendous poise in the pocket. playing like a true general.

One thing that’s keeping me grounded is the memory of the Denver pre-season game. Our starters were in that game for nearly the whole first half and could generate no offense. Gailey was no doubt holding back a large portion of his playbook, but still.

I am as worried about this weeks game as I have been about the Pats and Raiders. A lot of balls bounced our way during the last two games. We must not mistake providence for destiny. The Bengals have a formidible d-line that is comparable to the raiders. Also, just because the 49ers were able to sack Dalton, that doesn’t mean we will! “On any given Sunday”.

Fitz has been quite lucky in his brilliance too. We all know that’s what comes with Fitz, but how he managed to throw/almost throw 3 back breaking picks in 2 weeks and have none of them count is amazing.

I think this means the football gods are no longer sharting on us honestly.

As I said in my response to Foreign above, I agree that we got very fortunate catching the Pats with these injuries and possibly the Raiders too. The penalties though I think are not as much of “luck”, but still help for sure.

It’s annoying as hell that people are only looking at one side of this Brady INT issue. When Brady suggested in his post-game interview that the reason they lost was because he committed too many errors to overcome and somehow gave the game to Buffalo… What about us? What about the two first possessions where Fitz threw interceptions? What about giving Brady the ball back on our 35, how was that not a gift? Then the next series another INT giving it to them on their 30.

Did our D play well in the beginning? no. But we committed some grave errors both on offense and defense in the first 20min of play, which is why we were staring up at a 21-0 deficit.

I applaud Chan & the boys for not losing their composure and battling back the way they did. Climbing back to 10pts just before the half sent a message to the Pats and we came out firing on all cylinders and Brady was like a deer in headlights. IMO he did not earn the 21 pts we gave them to him. If both teams would not have committed errors it would have been a different game but I think we still could have prevailed.

One game at a time, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I agree that we need to find a way to come out solid and not put ourselves into an early hole. I hope Chan comes out trying to establish the run a bit more in the future, less risk of turning it over and lets the guys shake off their pre-game jitters. This team is solid and confident, it’s great to watch.

Great article Brian and I agree with your overall point. Plus for any QB to throw 4 picks and only lose by a field goal, shows how much work there is still to be done and how thin the line is between winning and losing. I think we can all agree on that. As a Bills fan since the early 70’s, I remember way more bad teams than good. To even be whistling past the cemetery and even allowing myself to think about the playoffs already is a place I didn’t think I’d be at, but I am and happy about that. The better D still wins the Super Bowl way more times than the better O, so that’s where our season will be “won” or “lost” When we start winning the 16-13 games, that’s when I know we are for real. My early prediction is that at least two AFC teams will have 10-6 records and only one will be the wild card because the other one will be 11-5. We need to be better than just splitting all our divisional games and if/when we beat the Jets, that’s when I’ll really start to feel good about our prospects this year.