Playoff Picture

[elijah]

Today was huge for us and couldn't have gone any better (especially if Kansas City loses tonight).

Pittsburgh took a surprising loss, we beat Cleveland, and San Diego beat Baltimore. Now it's looking like Kansas City is going to lose. The only way this week can get better for us is if New York manages to beat the Dolphins with some black magic.

As for the playoff picture, it's looking like

#5 - San Diego (8-4)
#6 - Kansas City (7-5)

#7 - Buffalo (7-5)
#8 - Baltimore (7-5)
#9 - Pittsburgh (7-5)
#10 - Cleveland (7-5)
#11 - Miami (6-5)

We do somehow have a realistic shot at the playoffs still alive. We're almost definitely in if we win 3 of the last 4. Asking for 2 is reasonable, but for 3 we need to be playing at our absolute best.

 

[johnson]

No chance, realistically. Denver is 6-0 at home. New England is 6-0 at home. The Bills aren't going to march into either of those places and buck the trend. This is where Kyle Orton, much as he's a great upgrade over EJ, is going to be outmatched by Peyton and Brady where they are their best.

Oakland has to be a win. You can't possibly think you're a playoff team and lose to Oakland.

Beat the Packers at home? Not impossible, but highly unlikely.

At best, they go 9-7. I think they end up 8-8. Wildcard needs to be 10-6 at a minimum, maybe even 11-5.

 

[TKOSpikes]

We play the three best quarterbacks in the game in the next four games. I don't see how we avoid 8-8.

Dominated Houston. Stupid Watt INT/TD was the ONLY offense for the Texans.
Dominated KC. Manny Lawson doesn't contain Charles on a 4th down or Alex Smith late in the game. Two plays in the last 5 minutes of the game and beat us.

Mind you, we should have put the ball in the end zone more often, especially after well sustained drives...but we're that close from being 9-3 right now with cushion for this gauntlet. So frustrated.

 

[johnson]

TKO: That "close to being 9-3" isn't really fair. You have to look at the other side of the coin too. They should have lost the Lions game (only won due to unforced errors in their kicker missing 3 FGs) and arguably the Vikings and Bears game.

So while they could be 9-3, they could also be 5-7 or 4-8.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Lose out: KC, SD, and Pitt or Bal.

Win out: BUF

Tough scenario, can't see Baltimore losing @Hou and vs Cle.

If Pitt loses out (they play KC this week), so if KC wins then loses in week 17, I'm not sure how that scenario plays out. I think we'd get in (winning out), regardless of what Baltimore does.... unless Bal wins out and beats out Cin...

Cin can't lose out and help us unless Bal loses out too and we win out, putting Pitt and us in.

...I think.

 

[johnson]

I could see Baltimore losing to Houston if the Texans D has one of their dominating performances. Be nice to go into the last week of the season having a fighting chance, even if it still required like 4 teams to lose plus beating the Pats on the road.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Cin: vs Den, @Pitt -- two losses would be great 9-6-1.
Pitt: vs KC, vs Cin -- two wins or split division champs 11-5/10-6.
Bal: @Hou, vs Cle -- two wins or split 11-5/10-6.
KC: @Pit, vs SD -- two losses, or split 8-8/9-7.
SD: @SF, @KC -- two losses or split 8-8/9-7.

And two wins for us 10-6.

Doable, except for the Foxboro part.

 

[johnson]

If NE wins this week and DEN loses, wouldn't NE be guaranteed HFA throughout the playoffs even if they lost to the Bills then? IF so, maybe they rest some starters? Pats aren't the type to do that though. They rarely bench Brady even in blowouts.

 

[David_son]

Its week to week now we have to win against the Raiders we are by far a better team and we cant lay an egg. Recently we have always played the Pats tough so if Orton is on and we can actually score in the red zone why cant we win. We held Manning and Rodgers to zero TDs why cant we do the same to Brady. I think its a mental thing, he has dominated us for so long that I think its in the players head that we cant beat him.

 

[David_son]

I say lets buy Brady tickets to some NHL games maybe he will get the Mumps and have to sit out that game.

 

[johnson]

Bills typically have one really close game with the Pats and one where they get blown out. They already had the blowout game, so time for the close one.

 

[TKOSpikes]

SF blew it! Now Pitt has to beat KC, then KC has to beat SD next week. Would have been a lot easier if that game next week didn't matter.

 

[TKOSpikes]

And the Raiders just painted over the so-called playoff picture.

Shut down Peyton and Rodgers, but can't handle Carr.

....and the offense is bad.

 

[johnson]

And the Bills lose to the pathetic Raiders and remind us all they are still...the Bills.

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

Bills typically have one really close game with the Pats and one where they get blown out. They already had the blowout game, so time for the close one.

Not at Gillette, ......esp. After the pathetic performance my pats displayed in jersey yesterday,.....if Denver wins tonight look for a pissed off patriot squad going all-out Sunday = no prisoners taken...!

 

[DJ]

I'm sorry for yesterday.