Well, it was bound to happen… the cratering of fans’ confidence in these Buffalo Bills. Until they prove otherwise, this year’s Bills team just doesn’t give off the right kind of Super Bowl vibes. Pick
almost any week, and you’ll find plenty of debates looking to sort out Buffalo’s biggest on-field concerns.
There are two key issues that could keep the Bills from hoisting or even playing for the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy: that of the passing attack, and the inability to consistently stop an opponent’s run game. If you predicted there’d ever be trouble passing the football while quarterback Josh Allen was in his prime, you are among a very advanced breed of human.
It’s crazy, right? Perhaps even more shocking is that it’s a continued problem while the offense boasts a potent rushing attack behind James Cook III. Interestingly, Buffalo is 0-3 when Cook rushes for less than 100 yards. Not since Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas have Bills fans been so finely tuned into the team’s W-L record based around 100-yard ground performances.
At some point, Allen has to fully shed the festering funk. He appeared to do so against the Kansas City Chiefs, but then really fell apart versus the Miami Dolphins last weekend. If only the Bills had an elite wide receiver who demanded extra attention from a defense, yet still made the big plays in crunch time. Anyone know how things are going for Stefon Diggs in Foxborough? Oh… right.
On a serious note, tuned-in football fans know that when the playoffs begin, defense takes over. That brings to light another frustrating situation where Buffalo’s defensive line is playing well and getting after quarterbacks, but they just can’t stop a runny nose when it’s carrying a football. There are those who’ll insist that if you take out one or two massive runs (often for six), the defense showed well in containing the run. As Bills Mafia witnessed in Week 10, no matter how well a defense does to stop the run the first 45 minutes of action, if it caves during the final 15 there are no kudos to pass out.
Add it all up, and there’s real concern in Bills Country. Instead of talking about weekly accolades and season-long awards, it’s time for Buffalo to get its head on straight. Is that even possible with half the season complete? We’ll know soon enough.
Right now, just 12% of Buffalo Rumblings voters gave the team a nod of confidence that things are headed in the right direction. I see little reason to argue the point with those 88% of folks who just aren’t buying Super Bowl dreams yet. And yes, this is a fairly bizarre subject for a 6-3 team just a couple of results away from a meaningful jump back to the one seed in the AFC playoff race. But this is about optics, and right now very few see the team having what it takes for postseason success.
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It’s rare that any regular-season game against an NFC opponent is a must-win situation for the Bills, but this is no ordinary season. For now, there’s this new season-low confidence rating to repair, which means it’s time to get back to playing winning football if they want to dig the fan base out of its self-imposed sinkhole.
Let’s take a look at the fan confidence rating for the Bills’ Week 11 opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Owners of the same 6-3 record, Tampa Bay fans at Bucs Nation are quite a bit more confident in their team right now. However, here “quite a bit” doesn’t equate to overwhelming positivity. Losing breeds discontent in fandom, no matter how it happens.
Are you curious to see how fans of the other AFC East teams are feeling about their favorite squad’s chances? Take a quick look at what may read as mystifying percentages — at least for the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Really Gang Green?
Before we finish, here are the results from two national polls this past week that wanted to find out which teams voters saw as actual contenders, and those that are simply pretenders.
The Bills make the cut here, in what may surprise a lot of Bills Mafia at the moment. It’s clear that outside of the fan base, people still believe in the Buffalo Bills.
Think you’ve got what it takes to make a play on the Buffalo Bills this season? Head to FanDuel Sportsbook to get started now!
