The Buffalo Bills have been on the precipice of the Super Bowl. This series examines how they finally bust through. First, precedent. Bill Polian and the Colts feel like they're looking in a mirror.
1/ Someone at OBD showed McD TD's 3 parter from November, they read it, counseled him and he turns into a CEO that is not exactly liked, but at least respected. His charges are free to scheme and plan accordingly. (Green shoots of this: the last 6 games of the reg szn and the playoffs.)
2/ Beane pulls a Gutekunst 2022 & nails this draft with players offensive talent who come in and allow ...
3/ Your stud QB to elevate those around him while providing a platform for his own prodigious talents which...
4/ Allow him to impact games while also avoiding injury as he heads into his year 28 season...
5/ ...which gives the defense a tiny bit of breathing room to "re-tool" while continually finding ways to turn lower tiered talent into serviceable starters (Benford, Dodson, etc etc).
The division is still very much winnable and the schedule, while daunting, is filled with fun matchups which, as TD (and Bill Polian knew)...you just have to make the playoffs and, eventually, things will break your way (just ask PM18 and Matthew Stafford, etc.). The Chiefs are obviously formidable, etc etc, but hey, with JA17 - you're always gonna have a chance.
Great article, Tyler. I understand having a "C" on your chest isn't the only way to be a leader on a team, but the mass exodus of formal leadership this offseason - Poyer, Hyde, Morse, Davis (+ White) - has me wondering who will step up on the player side to make sure failure doesn't creep into anyone's mind and nerves are calmed when things don't go as planned.
The most optimistic scenario:
1/ Someone at OBD showed McD TD's 3 parter from November, they read it, counseled him and he turns into a CEO that is not exactly liked, but at least respected. His charges are free to scheme and plan accordingly. (Green shoots of this: the last 6 games of the reg szn and the playoffs.)
2/ Beane pulls a Gutekunst 2022 & nails this draft with players offensive talent who come in and allow ...
3/ Your stud QB to elevate those around him while providing a platform for his own prodigious talents which...
4/ Allow him to impact games while also avoiding injury as he heads into his year 28 season...
5/ ...which gives the defense a tiny bit of breathing room to "re-tool" while continually finding ways to turn lower tiered talent into serviceable starters (Benford, Dodson, etc etc).
The division is still very much winnable and the schedule, while daunting, is filled with fun matchups which, as TD (and Bill Polian knew)...you just have to make the playoffs and, eventually, things will break your way (just ask PM18 and Matthew Stafford, etc.). The Chiefs are obviously formidable, etc etc, but hey, with JA17 - you're always gonna have a chance.
Great article, Tyler. I understand having a "C" on your chest isn't the only way to be a leader on a team, but the mass exodus of formal leadership this offseason - Poyer, Hyde, Morse, Davis (+ White) - has me wondering who will step up on the player side to make sure failure doesn't creep into anyone's mind and nerves are calmed when things don't go as planned.