Game 17 thoughts: Dolphins at Bills

It would help if the rest of 2021 wasn't already looking so bleak in general.

Also, I've proven that missing the playoffs at 10-6 doesn't leave a team any better off than missing the playoffs with a losing record. Might as well have just left Tua in to blow the Raiders game. That way they finish 8-8 which is still as well as any of us expected and get better draft position as a whole.

Bleh. Meh. Feh.

DolFan 316 wrote:It would help if the rest of 2021 wasn't already looking so bleak in general.

Also, I've proven that missing the playoffs at 10-6 doesn't leave a team any better off than missing the playoffs with a losing record. Might as well have just left Tua in to blow the Raiders game. That way they finish 8-8 which is still as well as any of us expected and get better draft position as a whole.

Bleh. Meh. Feh.

We should get good draft position in 2022 with Tua starting all 16 games next year. I predict a strong 7-9 team.

HalCHorn wrote:Excellent progress was made this year.  In the end, though, not quite ready to run with the big dogs.  We were 1-4 against teams that eventually made the playoffs, with the lone win against the Rams.  That doesn't diminish with a roster that had quite a few holes even before the inevitable injuries.  We just had less margin for error than the teams above us and it caught up with us.

The Browns and Rams both lost to the Jets, and they're both in. How are they any better than this team? The Bears lost 7 of their last 10 and are in And the Browns had half their team come down with the virus and still won. I didn't see anybody conceding defeat last week but now suddenly people knew this team wasn't good enough all along?

The holidays may be over but Festivus has begun, and we're up to the airing of grievances part. I need to do this.

DolFan 316 wrote:

HalCHorn wrote:Excellent progress was made this year.  In the end, though, not quite ready to run with the big dogs.  We were 1-4 against teams that eventually made the playoffs, with the lone win against the Rams.  That doesn't diminish with a roster that had quite a few holes even before the inevitable injuries.  We just had less margin for error than the teams above us and it caught up with us.

The Browns and Rams both lost to the Jets, and they're both in. How are they any better than this team? The Bears lost 7 of their last 10 and are in And the Browns had half their team come down with the virus and still won. I didn't see anybody conceding defeat last week but now suddenly people knew this team wasn't good enough all along?

The holidays may be over but Festivus has begun, and we're up to the airing of grievances part. I need to do this.

We lacked the good fortune of (Bears, Rams) being in the NFC (we're a lot better than Washington too), and (in Cleveland's case) of facing the Steelers A) at home; B) with the QB and several other starters sitting for the whole game.  

I doubt if any of the above win a single playoff game.  Browns might, because the Steelers have been really shaky the last month and Tomlin might regret letting the Browns back in like that because we've seen teams that just barely backed in making an inexplicable run before (Cardinals in 2008 for example).  

Hey, I never concede until it's over, but one and done is what most of us would have expected if we had made it in.

HalCHorn wrote:Hey, I never concede until it's over, but one and done is what most of us would have expected if we had made it in.

This team definitely could've taken the Browns, Colts or Steelers. And there would be no shame in losing a playoff game to the Bills, Ravens or Chiefs (who I think will go one and done this time around). Even facing the Titans wouldn't have resulted in the utter disaster that was yesterday's game.

You're right though, what it ultimately boiled down to was the Fins being unlucky enough to be the one team that drew an opponent that didn't suck and was actually trying. None of those other 10-win AFC teams would've beaten the Bills either.

CarsonChris wrote:

DolFan 316 wrote:It would help if the rest of 2021 wasn't already looking so bleak in general.

Also, I've proven that missing the playoffs at 10-6 doesn't leave a team any better off than missing the playoffs with a losing record. Might as well have just left Tua in to blow the Raiders game. That way they finish 8-8 which is still as well as any of us expected and get better draft position as a whole.

Bleh. Meh. Feh.

We should get good draft position in 2022 with Tua starting all 16 games next year. I predict a strong 7-9 team.

Yep, we're going to improve the roster and win 3 fewer games. The QB that won 6 of 9 games in 2020 is going to win 7 of 16 games in 2021. Sure, makes perfect sense.

Hey, at least you have Tua starting 16 games. When he was drafted a lot of people thought he would never be healthy enough to play at all!

DolFan 316 wrote:
This team definitely could've taken the Browns, Colts or Steelers.

So Tua sucks and needs to be replaced, but somehow we would've beaten the Browns, Colts and Steelers in the playoffs???

DolFan 316 wrote:

HalCHorn wrote:Hey, I never concede until it's over, but one and done is what most of us would have expected if we had made it in.

This team definitely could've taken the Browns, Colts or Steelers. And there would be no shame in losing a playoff game to the Bills, Ravens or Chiefs (who I think will go one and done this time around). Even facing the Titans wouldn't have resulted in the utter disaster that was yesterday's game.

You're right though, what it ultimately boiled down to was the Fins being unlucky enough to be the one team that drew an opponent that didn't suck and was actually trying. None of those other 10-win AFC teams would've beaten the Bills either.

Good point about the Chiefs, who really look like they could use that extra week of rest. That's the great unknown this year, with only one team getting a bye: that seems like a huge advantage, will it turn out that way?

Unless the Bills or Steelers get upset, Chiefs will be playing the Titans/Ravens winner, and both of those teams look capable of pulling an upset off.

HalCHorn wrote:
Unless the Bills or Steelers get upset, Chiefs will be playing the Titans/Ravens winner, and both of those teams look capable of pulling an upset off.

I agree that the Ravens could take the Chiefs, though I think it's unlikely. But that's a game I'd love to see.

The Chiefs might put up 50 against the Titans - that Tennessee defense is absolutely awful. The easiest way to beat the Titans is to jump out to an early lead and put the game in Tannehill's hands. And the Chiefs are built to do just that. I wouldn't give the Titans a chance against KC.

As much as I hate the Bills, I would love to see a Bills-Chiefs championship game...that could be an epic battle.

JMP wrote:So Tua sucks and needs to be replaced, but somehow we would've beaten the Browns, Colts and Steelers in the playoffs???    

Hey, you're the one who thinks Tua's still a franchise QB. And besides, none of those teams seem to be in the same universe as the Bills right now. At the very least, any of those matchups would've come right down to the end unlike this team's previous pathetic playoff performances.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:So Tua sucks and needs to be replaced, but somehow we would've beaten the Browns, Colts and Steelers in the playoffs???    

Hey, you're the one who thinks Tua's still a franchise QB. And besides, none of those teams seem to be in the same universe as the Bills right now. At the very least, any of those matchups would've come right down to the end unlike this team's previous pathetic playoff performances.

But how can that be??? Tua sucks! The Colts and especially Steelers both have great defenses - how could we have beaten them with a scrub like Tua?

JMP wrote:But how can that be??? Tua sucks!  The Colts and especially Steelers both have great defenses - how could we have beaten them with a scrub like Tua?  

At least you finally admitted Tua's a scrub. The first step towards solving a problem is admitting you have one

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:But how can that be??? Tua sucks!  The Colts and especially Steelers both have great defenses - how could we have beaten them with a scrub like Tua?  

At least you finally admitted Tua's a scrub. The first step towards solving a problem is admitting you have one

Nice...but still doesn't explain why you think we'd win those games if Tua is actually as bad as you think.

JMP wrote:I think we had about 7 dropped passes today, plus the Hollins fumble.  We need receivers in the worst way...it's embarrassing to trot this group of garbage onto the field each week.

Oh man...I was apparently way offbase. Seems like the Phins actually had 9 or 10 drops yesterday (depending on the source), not 7 like I said. We still would have gotten blown out, but man that's UGLY.

I think Parker, Williams and Bowden are keepers, and Perry if they can figure out how to use him. I'd even consider keeping Albert Wilson for depth. I'd dump all the rest. But you can't count on Parker and Williams being your top guys - they are too unrelaible. So, sign a guy like Robinson (if he actually hits free agency), draft a stud in round one - and the receiver position becomes a strength instead of a liability.

One free agent WR I'm keeping an eye on is Kenny Golladay...wondering if he would be cheaper than expected because he barely played this season? That dude is a beast.

JMP wrote:One free agent WR I'm keeping an eye on is Kenny Golladay...wondering if he would be cheaper than expected because he barely played this season?  That dude is a beast.

Now THIS we can agree on!!!

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:One free agent WR I'm keeping an eye on is Kenny Golladay...wondering if he would be cheaper than expected because he barely played this season?  That dude is a beast.

Now THIS we can agree on!!!

I'm sure the Lions will re-sign him, just as I'm sure the Bears will re-sign Robinson, but hey, you never know. Chris Godwin is the one receiver I think will hit free agency...but I'm not as high on him for some reason.

It was a terrible performance and a disappointing end to the season but in retrospect we had a great season for a rebuilding team and I think the future is bright. I'm not going to let this one game ruin all of that. The team still has a lot of holes and is in desperate need of playmakers on offense. I think it's premature to toss Tua to the side. He needs to improve and play better, there is no doubt about that, but spending another top 5 pick on a QB would just be a waste of a pick. As upsetting as yesterday's performance was, I don't know anyone who thought we would be playing for a playoff spot 4 months ago. The Bills are simply a better team and we knew that. Still a ways to go to catch them.

Killah Sith wrote:It was a terrible performance and a disappointing end to the season but in retrospect we had a great season for a rebuilding team and I think the future is bright.  I'm not going to let this one game ruin all of that.  The team still has a lot of holes and is in desperate need of playmakers on offense.  I think it's premature to toss Tua to the side.  He needs to improve and play better, there is no doubt about that, but spending another top 5 pick on a QB would just be a waste of a pick.  As upsetting as yesterday's performance was, I don't know anyone who thought we would be playing for a playoff spot 4 months ago. The Bills are simply a better team and we knew that.  Still a ways to go to catch them.

Good to see you here!

And, excellent post!

Honestly, the Dolphins needed to get the shit kicked out of them by the Bills. It gives them a good yardstick to measure any true successes they had this season.

You use this as motivation if you're worth a damn. If not, then f-off.

Degarmo wrote:Honestly, the Dolphins needed to get the shit kicked out of them by the Bills.  It gives them a good yardstick to measure any true successes they had this season.

You use this as motivation if you're worth a damn.  If not, then f-off.

Yep, that's a great point. And hopefully the fact that the Bills continued to blitz on defense and throw bombs on offense even when they were up by 152 points or however the hell much better stick with the Dolphins and feed the fire.

DolFan 316 wrote:

So again, why was this "expanded playoffs" even necessary?

Mo' Money, Mo' Money, Mo' Money.