The Unappreciated Victims of the Bills Success
I really don’t want to take anything away from the Bills fans. I’ve never seen a fanbase so happy to be there like that fanbase was. Bills fans didn’t seem to care if they lost the game or not, they were just so happy to be invited, and that was honestly great to see. I’m genuinely happy for all those fans. The monkey is off their backs, and they can celebrate all they want. Just…think of the tables first. Aliens are going to visit earth after our inevitable nuclear holocaust and find a massive card table graveyard in Buffalo. So many ruined card tables.
I find it hilarious that after almost 2 decades of waiting, all they got was a field goal. In the worst game of the entire weekend. It would be tragic if the fans weren’t so damn happy just to be there. Imagine waiting 2 decades for a chance to win the lottery and you get 2 bucks on your scratch off. But you’ve blown so much money on tickets that you are actually happy about it.
What’s worse is I honestly don’t know if we’ll see the Bills here again any time soon. They already technically defied expectations (proving me wrong in the process) but let’s not forget: they backed into these playoffs. If you require other teams to lose for you to be accepted, you didn’t earn your place at the dance. You were a rebound that someone else is using because the first choice dumped them. The Bills were finally the beneficiaries of the universe instead of the team screwed over. For now, that’s probably enough to satisfy. Also it’s not like winning the Super Bowl requires you to be an unstoppable juggernaut. All you really need is an opportunity and anything can happen. I’ve witnessed it myself. All you need is a playoff berth. Your chances may be small, but if you get that berth, there’s a chance.
A lot of fans will get excited about the future of the Bills after this. Certainly has to be some room for positivity. This is Sean McDermott’s first year as HC and outside the Nathan Peterman debacle he seems like he knew what he was doing. The team was supposed to be a tank and competed all year. With some smart moves, this team could very well be on the up and up.
On the other hand, as a huge pessimist who throws nice things in the trash, I’m here to put the kibosh on that fun.
Everyone pumped for the positive future of the franchise because things are looking up needs to pop a few of those balloons lifting you into the sky and stay grounded. I can’t even count how many times we’ve been here: looking at a team that just took positive strides forward and seems to be heading for a good future only to fail the following season and have things unravel for dozens of different reasons. Last year the Giants were in the playoffs with a new coach and new outlook. This year was the worst Giants season in decades. Keep your expectations reasonable, Bills. Until you are in the playoffs more often than not over a few years you might want to view this year as an aberration until proven otherwise. Keep the support high but the skepticism right behind it so you don’t get crushed if bad things happen and realize that you waited two decades and change with only a field goal to show for it.
But for now at least, enjoy the season’s success and smash a few more tables, you monsters.
How many families have been started in the romantic stadiumking lot?
http://dailysnark.com/bills-fans-get-parking-lot-tailgating/
Unless you go 15-1 or better, you always require other teams to lose for you to get into the playoffs. The notion that backing in means you don’t deserve to be there is deeply flawed– that’s like saying, “Sure, you scored more points in the game, but this other team scored more in the fourth quarter so you don’t deserve t he win.” It may be less exciting, but you still earned it over the course of the contest.
The 4-10 Baltimore Brigade and 5-9 Cleveland Gladiators need to take with you.
you know what he meant brah
Come on man, that’s super pedantic and you know exactly what I meant. There is a difference between “controlling your own destiny” and essentially having your fate matter on the back of a completely different game. The Bills didn’t win enough games to have their fate decided by their own success in week 17 and required a completely different team to lose. It’s an indictment on your team even if getting to the playoffs is all that matters. If you don’t 100% control your own destiny in that final week, but you make the playoffs because the team that did lost, you backed in.
The not patriots afc east cycle between bottom of the playoff field/best team not in-utterly dissapointing-overachieving but still garbage every 3 years.
In other words, the Jets will the the AFC #6 seed next year.
But didn’t the jets miss the playoffs the their last rotation? Miami went, then bills this year but I don’t think I can count on the jets to complete the full rotation without Fitz
That why I said bottom of the field / best team not in. Also, McCown can pull off dumb shit. Ask any vikings fan or Mike Tice.
Fuck the tables. They got the FG they needed against the Giants (lol)
There’s a certain anime character who fucked a table.
as a huge pessimist who throws nice things in the trash, I’m here to put the kibosh on that fun
goddamn that is some real shit right there. i might put that on my business cards
but only with your permission, of course
Honestly, I’m happy for Bills fans. They made it. With Tyrod at QB (he’s not great but he’s really not bad, kinda sums up Buffalo as a whole IMO). Ultimately, that was an ugly game that I hope I will never see another of ever. That wasn’t a defensive slugfest. It was literally a battle of what which team sucked less and the fact that in the end, Bad Bort was bad, and still almost the best offensive player in the game speaks volumes. I think the Bills mafia would have played. With the way they manhandles those tables, who would want to line up across from that?
Assuming my own team evaporated from the playoffs, I had been hoping for a Bills-Vikings Super Bowl.
This is exactly what I wanted as well, however unreasonable. Think about how glorious the hype could’ve been! It would’ve been two 0-4 teams going against each other, in one of the team’s home stadium! Oh man I would’ve loved to have seen what Dave would’ve cooked up for that. Ugh, now I’m getting my hopes up that the Bills somehow get back into the playoffs on some technicality and make this come true.
That could have surpass the Cubs/Indians World Series.
The depression bowl
I too had been hoping for Bills vs Vikings. The Panthers also lost and the Lions/Bengals didn’t make it so no Kitty Litter Bowl either.
Alabama won. GSW won. At least the Red Sox and Dodgers didn’t go to the world series. Please. Somebody. Anybody. Beat New England
The funny thing is Nick Saban and Bill Belichick have never won a championships in the same year. When Alabama win, New England loses
Also there’s something unlucky about QB leading the league in passing yards since 1959. Basically all of the SB era.
I’m hoping the Vikings will make it as well but can anyone even trust these guys?
I AM THE TABLE
Getting a very strong “Brave Little Toaster” feel from this comic.
Still trying to figure out how and why the Bills’ table-smashing tradition began…
I can tell you that. Alcohol. Too much alcohol.
Wide Right
I seem to recall a certain other NY team backing into the playoffs at 9-7 and winning the whole thing, so ease up on the Bills Dave.
They didn’t back in. They barely made it, but they didn’t back in. When I use or think of the term “back in”, I think of a team that makes the playoff despite not controlling its own destiny. Controlling your own destiny is the key.
The 2011 Giants did not require any other team to lose in week 17 to make the playoffs that year. They controlled their own destiny, and beat the Cowboys.
I’d go a bit further and say you can’t back in if you won your final game, even if you needed help from other teams that week.
Further, they actually won the last 2 (or 3 of 4). Lucky to have been able to get there at 9-7 for sure, but not not exactly the same.
Plus didn’t the Giants had the toughest schedule that season?
I don’t think it was that hard, but the much maligned 4 game losing streak late season that almost tanked them came against an 8-8 Eagles team and 3 top playoff teams (49ers, Saints, 15-1 Packers), and outside the Saints game they put up a fight in each. The team was better than they get credit for but 2011 was still involved a fair amount of luck.
I think 2007 is the team that gets unfairly viewed as a fluke. The 2007 team was a legitimately good team that just happened to appear worse because they took down the 3 best teams in the league that season.
For Bills fans, the hope lies in the fact that *this* was supposed to be the season where we were terrible. USA today had us at 4 wins even before we started trading players for picks. The thing is, when we traded we tended to get good value back along with picks.
Trading back from 10 to the late 20’s for a 1st in 2018 and 2nd round 2017 and PFF’s Rookie of the Year Tre White. They traded Watkins (Rams 3rd receiving option) for a very solid EJ Gaines and a 2nd. Darby (solid but injured year) for Matthews (bust) and a third that effectively gave them Kelvin Benjamin.
The Bills have plenty of needs (QB, WR, DT and LB) but they have a lot of draft assets and a lot of cap room to structure in 2019. With 4 picks in the first two rounds, they have draft capital to take a shot at a rookie QB, and the fact that they made it this year means they have a foundation to build around.
Go Bills!
That literally has nothing to do with this comic. I do agree though. This was a VERY good season for the Bills, even if it doesn’t seem that way at face value.
It was regarding the comments that Dave had afterward. He was trying to be a realist, but I would say that this was supposed to be the year of suck, and have potential (potential mind you, they still have to execute) to set themselves up long term in this offseason.