WEBVTT - Bills By The Numbers: Assessing The Playoff Picture As Stretch Run Looms 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:03.480 After a brief holiday hiatus, we are back here on 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:05.480 Bills by the Numbers, where we let the stats tell 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:07.200 you where the Bills are at. We're presented by Fan 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:11.280 Duel Make every moment more coming up? How well positioned 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:15.040 are the Bills in the AFC Conference playoff race? Is 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:19.440 the division title even a remote possibility? And what opponents 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:23.000 could be a bad postseason matchup for Buffalo? Steve is 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:27.440 quizzed on Bill's December history, and we'll have our one 0:00:27.560 --> 0:00:31.080 burning question. Somebody get the shovel. We got to move 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:45.760 some snow. Oh, it's good to have you with us. 0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:48.080 Steve Bill's Ball of Famous, Steve's Master on Bill's played 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:50.800 by playman Chris Brown, and we've made it to December. 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:53.400 Here in the twenty twenty five season, the Bills, heading 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:56.560 into Week fourteen, are in the seventh and final playoff 0:00:56.600 --> 0:00:59.920 position at eight and four as the lowest seated wild 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:03.200 card team. That is, of course subject to change, as 0:01:03.360 --> 0:01:07.280 eight teams are separated by three games in the lost 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:11.839 column with five to play in the AFC. Right now, 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:14.760 the New York Times playoff simulator projects the Bills to 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:17.120 finish eleven and six and be the five seed in 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.840 the afcmen the season is over. They have the Colts 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:23.560 and Jaguars as the six and seven seeds with ten 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:29.000 and seven records. Their division champions are New England, Denver, Jacksonville, 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:32.040 and Baltimore, which would mean the Bills would face the 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:35.759 Ravens in Baltimore in a rematch of last year's divisional playoffs. 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:39.160 Thoughts on that, Steve Tasker, that is juicy. 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:44.959 Yeah, I have not happy thoughts about that. Okay, let's 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:46.759 face it, though, when you get in them, nobody knows 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:48.680 better than the Buffalo Bills. When you get into the playoffs, 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:50.920 you're going to start meeting some really quality teams who 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:53.520 are really playing well and have figured some things out. 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:56.080 Whether they've been injured in the regular season or not, 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:00.520 they're overcoming it and they figured out how their best 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:02.520 way to win and they're very good at it. So 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:04.880 you're gonna it's not gonna be any cakewalk no matter 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:06.960 which of the division winners you get as a wild card. 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:12.760 It's gonna be an uphill battle. And so I'm I. 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:14.640 You know, the theme of this pod is, you know, 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:17.560 kind of this post game tournament, postseason tournament that. 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:19.400 We're talking about, and how it's shaping up. 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:26.960 I don't know if there is a favorable path to 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:28.560 get to the super Bowl for this team coming out 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:30.640 of the wildcard because they're all all the teams that 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:33.440 are division winners that seem like rough matchups right now. 0:02:33.840 --> 0:02:36.799 Well right, but I think if you if you get 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:42.679 the top wild card seed, you're playing the conceivably weakest 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:48.040 division winner, and the Ravens are beat up. They're a 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:51.119 beat up crew. Derrick Henry does not look the same 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:53.160 as he did in September. Maybe those thirty one year 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:56.520 old legs are finally slowing down. I'm not dismissing Baltimore 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.040 as a walk don't get me wrong. Right, Plus, you're 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:01.600 in their building, and we know how when that crowd 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:03.720 gets behind them, if they go to a fast start, 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:04.799 they're a front running team. 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:06.440 They're gonna have a chip on their shoulder from what 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:10.480 happened in Week one. They'll remember that. They'll remember that. Yeah, 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:16.400 I'm I get you, and you're right. But I'll say this, 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.000 just because Baltimore has the worst record doesn't mean in 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.040 a month and a half we got five weeks. Yes, 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:22.799 it doesn't mean that in five weeks they're not gonna 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:25.080 be the team you don't want to play. That's true, 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:27.720 a lot like the Cincinnati Bengals have been in years 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:29.760 past when they just missed the playoffs, where it's like, man, 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:32.280 I hope they don't get in. Yeah, right, So it 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:35.640 could be like that for any one of these division winners. 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:38.120 Although you know New England looks like that, has looked 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:40.120 like that for ten weeks, right, And best to luck. 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:42.080 As to who the AFC South Champs gonna be. I mean, 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:43.720 that's would be the Colts, it could be the Texas, 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:45.200 it could be the Jaguars. You don't know. 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:50.400 That may be the division champion that I might relish 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:51.320 playing the most. 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:53.080 Yeah, but I mean you don't know who the AFC 0:03:53.120 --> 0:03:53.960 North champs gonna be. 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:54.480 That's right. 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:57.000 I mean, to your point on the Bengals, there are 0:03:57.000 --> 0:03:58.760 two games out on the lost column at four and 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:00.680 eight with five to play. They could get in. 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:01.920 I could get in. 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:04.240 They could get in. They could win the division. The 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:06.880 division championship is the best route to the place. 0:04:07.080 --> 0:04:12.040 Nobody has iced the division yet. Uh. Certainly, the New 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:14.520 England Patriots look far and away like they're gonna run 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:16.760 off with the East. They still haven't mathematically. 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:17.720 We'll get into that. 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:21.560 But yeah, the Ravens, Steelers, Bengals. Steelers out to a 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:27.000 fast start. Now they're stumbling. Year they're in flames. Ravens 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:30.320 just the opposite, stumbled out of the gates. Now they're cooking. 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:34.120 But they look hamstrung, no pun intended, look the same. 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:35.520 He's injured, clearly. 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:38.400 The Bengals, Joe Burrow's back in the saddle, and they 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.280 look they looked like grease lightning last week against the 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:46.320 Baltimore Ravens, SO and Cleveland. They may have the best 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:50.360 defense in the division right So, not that they're going anywhere. Yeah, 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:51.840 they're not gonna go anywhere, but they are they can 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:54.479 be a huge spoiler for any of these teams. So 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.600 I'm I'm with you. I'm you don't know who it's 0:04:57.600 --> 0:04:59.320 going to be. It's a wide open race. There are 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:06.360 conceived within reason two and a half teams, the Steelers, Ravens, 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:11.440 and Bengals. And I like the Bengals better than Steelers 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:12.839 right now. Steelers are in flames. 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:16.000 Bengals can't stop anybody. But if they could score thirty 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:18.000 five every week, I'll win more than they love. 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:21.680 Yeah, but in the long term, when you live like that, 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.600 it's not sustainable. It's not sustainable because you know, somebody 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:25.839 drops a pass and you lose. 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:29.640 The Bills currently have a ninety one percent chance to 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.479 reach the postseason, sitting at eight and four, but just 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:35.039 an eight percent chance to win the division. New England, 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.200 as we know, has the division league by three games 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.039 over Buffalo with five to play. They also have a 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:43.320 superior division record, three and oh to Buffalo's two and 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.960 two mark. What's interesting is the Patriots are five and 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:50.280 two at home and a perfect six and oh on 0:05:50.320 --> 0:05:54.800 the road. Buffalo faces them coming off of theirby in 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:58.599 week fifteen. If the Bills beat Cincinnati in Week fourteen, 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:02.600 their chances of win the division improved slightly to eleven percent. 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:04.799 If they follow that with a win in New England, 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.280 those chances improve to twenty four percent. The division is 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.400 a long shot at best, because they would also need 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.600 New England to fall off a cliff. But how likely 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:16.800 do you see the Bills running off a string of 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:19.200 wins in December? Let's start there. 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:23.000 Yeah, I mean, I certainly think they're going to have 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:25.800 a winning record for the rest of the way. From Cincinnati, 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:29.600 New England, Cleveland, Philly and the Jets they're going to 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:31.240 win more than they lose. I don't know that they're 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:35.240 going to go four and one. They might, they might. 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:36.760 I don't know that you can go five and oh. 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:37.880 I don't know they're going to go five and oh 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:40.599 finish the season six and oh. Coming off the Pittsburgh game, 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:45.479 although it's going to be a tussle every game, I 0:06:45.480 --> 0:06:47.039 think the Bills are going to play well enough to 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:48.720 do that. They've got Philly at home, They've got the 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.760 Jets at home. They've got Cincinnati at home. The New 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:53.640 England and Philly game are the ones that kind of 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:58.560 stand out as real issues. Philly, It'll be interesting to 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:01.080 see the kind of shape therein emotionally when they get here. 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:02.320 They are getting run through. 0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:05.400 The Ringer and Dallas is super hot right now and 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:06.599 in their division. 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:09.479 Yes, their fans are unhappy, their team is unhappy. They're 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:12.400 getting picked apart in the media. They have all kinds 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:14.240 of stuff going on that they have to deal with. 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:18.000 Forget about the team they're playing. It's like putting fires out. 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:19.960 There's a good chance to go to need that game though. 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:24.360 In Week seventeen, absolutely so. The New England and Philly 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:25.600 games are the ones that you kind of look at 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:27.760 and go, man, here we go. But the other three 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:30.760 you're gonna be favored in, and you should be. And 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:32.760 they get a break with having the ones at home. 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.600 They've got at home. So yeah, the Bills could. The 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:38.880 Bills are always gonna have a winning record coming down. 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:40.720 They've played very well at this time of year in 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.840 years past. Their coaching staff and McDermott have done a 0:07:43.920 --> 0:07:45.880 very nice job of finding like I said in the 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:50.120 beginning of the podcast this segment, they're good at figuring 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.080 out their best way to win, even after all the 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:54.120 injuries and after the turnovers and all the things that 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:56.200 have happened to them in years past. And they have 0:07:56.440 --> 0:08:00.320 figured it out. And so I would imagine going to 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:02.480 continue to do that, and so they'll play some of 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:04.360 their best football coming down the stretch. 0:08:04.520 --> 0:08:09.440 They typically have under Sean McDermott. And so I'm bullish 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:13.440 on the Bills finishing strong here again. And I think 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:20.480 for some reason, with this group, when the picture of 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:23.800 what needs to happen for them to get where they 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.400 want to go comes clearer into focus here at the 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:30.200 end of the season, they're they're really good about kind 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:33.760 of honing in and going want to know every. 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.160 Single that comes from the that comes from Josh. We've 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:40.439 seen it with just casual observance of watching him play 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:43.040 in big moments, and you go into the analytics, it's 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:46.720 the same thing. He he's got an extra gear and 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:49.520 he seems to find it in this time of season. 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:53.480 Now, if Buffalo is able to win four of their 0:08:53.559 --> 0:08:56.600 last five and their only loss is to the Eagles, 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:59.600 which would not be a conference loss, they would finish 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:02.920 twelve five and would have the top wild card seed 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:04.920 locked up. The only way that would be good enough 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:07.680 to win the division, though, is if the Patriots lose 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:11.240 three of their last four, with two of the three 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:14.720 being division losses, one obviously to Buffalo and head to head, 0:09:15.000 --> 0:09:17.600 and then they'd have to lose to the Jets or Miami. 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.800 As we said at the top of this podcast, Buffalo 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.360 is projected to face the Ravens in Baltimore according to 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.439 the New York Times Playoff Machine, knowing the other projected 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:30.520 options would be Denver or Jacksonville in the wild card round. 0:09:31.120 --> 0:09:34.440 Is there an opponent you would prefer over the Ravens 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:36.000 in that group? 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:40.120 Yes, well Jacksonville, Yeah, I would not. 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:42.880 That going to Jacksonville has yielded fruitful results of this 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:43.960 team under McDermott. 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:46.400 Either I would take. I would take any team in 0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:48.040 the South except Houston. I don't want to go down 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:51.599 there either. Yeah, we had, we've seen that. But Indianapolis 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:53.679 or Jacksonville. I would take any either one of. 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:57.800 Those teams, not over though, with that No, not with. 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:00.280 That defense, and going up there in the altitude late 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:03.680 in the year, it'll be bitter cold, dry, It'll be dry, 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:06.199 but it'll be bitter cold. Now, Buffalo's played well up there, 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:08.400 not that they've won every game up there, but Josh's 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:12.079 played well up there. Remember they had the nice game nineteen. Yeah, 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:17.320 but twenty twenty, those would be the ones that either 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:19.319 Jacksonville or Indianapolis coming out of the South would be 0:10:19.360 --> 0:10:21.040 a more favorable matchup in my opinion. 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:25.400 Okay, yeah, I don't want to I don't want to 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:28.600 play Houston. That might be one of Houston or Denver. 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:33.800 They're not good matchups for Buffalo. I They're both very 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:37.760 good at stopping the pass because of their pass rushes, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:39.280 so yeah, and. 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:40.920 There's no way going to play them here, and. 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:43.840 Their run defenses are strong enough to slow down what 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:46.920 you do on the ground, even a league leading rushing attack. 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:50.439 So I don't think those are good matches for Buffalo 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:52.319 at all. You want to give me Jacksonville, I'll take 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:54.920 it in a second. You want to give me Indianapolis 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:59.560 talented team, a lot of highly skilled players. I just 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:03.880 think they're new to the postseason. I think you slow 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:06.520 down Jonathan Taylor, put the game in Daniel Jones hands, 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:11.679 and you probably have them Ravens tough in their building, 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:16.640 playoff tested, battle tested, is Lamar healthy though. That's that's 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:18.520 the big thing. I was watching those options. 0:11:18.559 --> 0:11:21.640 I was watching last week's game Cincinnati against Baltimore, where 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:24.040 Cincinnati lumped him up pretty good. Baltimore was all over 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.120 him in the early going. They had I say, a 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:32.160 likely muff a touchdown, Yeah, that he had. It was unbelievable. 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:36.280 Then they had another touchdown called back and that so 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:41.000 that game changed dramatically, and you would expect. I was 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:43.720 shocked when I saw the final score of that game. 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:48.320 When when you look back at it and Baltimore bolt 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:52.240 Baltimore loses only scores fourteen points against Cincinnatis defense, Well, 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.680 you see the reason. They had two touchdowns taken back 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:58.840 and so that's and that not only takes it off 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:01.760 of their ledger, but all so gives Cincinnati an extra possession. 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:07.320 So all that stuff being said, Baltimore doesn't look the same. Yeah, 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:12.240 they just don't. As you know, the bad breaks they got. 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:16.800 Lamar just doesn't look the same. And I'll say this 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:20.360 to Cincinnati did some dumb stuff defensively that I don't 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:25.720 think Buffalo would do. We'll just see. 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:32.360 He's had three different injuries over the past month, knee, ankle, toe, 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:37.600 He's not moving the same way. I think it's impacting 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:40.760 his decision making because of you know, he's playing hurt 0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:45.040 and it's distracting him. I think it's impacting how he 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:48.319 plays the dynamic athlete that he is. I mean, I 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.480 don't think I think he's only had I'm not sure 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.040 he's had an offensive touchdown since he's returned to the lineup. 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:56.800 It's been mostly rushing touchdowns for the Ravens and he 0:12:56.880 --> 0:12:59.560 has not impacted them on the scoreboard nearly as much 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:03.160 as where you seeing him. There is a chance that Baltimore, 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:09.200 Kansas City, and Cincinnati all missed the playoffs. How would 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:13.880 that change your outlook on Buffalo's chances? This postseason, if 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:17.760 those clubs were all out of the playoff picture. 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:21.760 Well, and if that's the case, there's no question Buffalo's 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:26.080 got the best quarterback in the conference in the playoffs SILF. Now, 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:30.000 Drake may is playing extremely well, no question. But Josh's 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:32.120 got a bigger engine and he's got a higher ceiling 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:36.640 and all that. Here's the problem. Yes, your quarterback's better 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:39.480 than anybody else in the tournament. But I don't know 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.280 that this roster and the team that's made up around Josh, 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:44.079 because of the injuries and the turnover and the stuff 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:46.040 we've seen, that he doesn't have more question marks than 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:47.840 any roster that's been around Josh and one of these 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:50.880 other tournaments they've been in. So I don't know that. 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:52.880 I don't know that the answers to the questions we 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.520 have about who the injuries, the pass rush, Bosa's health, 0:13:56.960 --> 0:14:00.000 Ed Oliver's out, all the you know, all the injuries 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:06.880 that they've had, Michael Hoyts out. This surrounding cast around 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:09.959 Josh may have more question marks than any roster Josh 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:11.960 has gone to the tournament with it outside of maybe 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:16.080 two now to nineteen. Right, So yeah, I mean, you 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.640 love it that those quarterbacks are out of the mix 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.280 because it gives you, you know, the trump card every game. 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:24.440 But I don't know that this supporting cast has been 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:27.920 healthy enough and shown enough ability to overcome it that 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:29.480 it would make a difference. CJ. 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:31.480 Stroud has not gotten it done in the playoffs for 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:36.560 the Texans. Daniel Jones is a mystery. Bo Nicks has 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.560 his detractors. They can't score points right now, right defense 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:40.560 is winning them games. 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:41.640 Drake May is a problem. 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:46.360 May is a problem. Drake May is a problem for 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.240 stretches of this season. He's been the most efficient quarterback 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:53.520 in football, and he's a big play quarterback as well. 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:57.400 So and he's got an aces coordinator who has been 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:02.000 there and won Super Bowls and m Annuals. So that 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.400 guy's probably your biggest threat if those other Cats are 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:07.560 not in the playoffs, as has been the case for 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:11.040 the last several years. Let's pivot to the numbers game, 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:15.200 where we'll see if Steve can nail down some Bills 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:16.680 December history. 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:17.280 Here we go. 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:22.560 Question number one, Steve, how many wins do you think 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:26.320 the Bills have in the month of December since twenty twenty, 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:30.680 so the last five Decembers how many total wins do 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:32.280 you think the Bills have concumulated? 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:35.000 How many Sundays is that total? Give me that? Usually four? 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:41.560 All right, so it's five four twenty. Uh, well, they 0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:43.640 had to won that where they lost it to throw 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:51.640 away a game, let's say twenty. I'll say they finished eighteen. 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:56.160 You nailed it, Steve. It is exactly eighteen, exactly eighteen. 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:03.080 Question number two, how many times since twenty twenty have 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:06.680 the Bills gone undefeated in September. 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:09.240 Twenty to twenty one? 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:14.560 Four undefeated in September since. 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:16.320 Twenty September or December? 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:22.120 December? December undefeated in December? I will say since twenty twenty. 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:24.360 Well, I mean three times. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:26.880 Three times will be correct. Two for Tuesday. 0:16:27.200 --> 0:16:29.240 I did the math on that because it had you 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:30.320 don't have two losses in that? 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:35.560 Well you got you actually have three total losses. But yes, okay, 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:36.840 but you're on. 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:38.200 My bad math two for two. 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:42.320 Question number three, since twenty twenty, what do you think 0:16:42.360 --> 0:16:45.320 the Bills points per game average is in the month 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:49.960 of December since twenty twenty? Points per game average, I'll. 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:55.000 Say thirty two and change, oh so close, really thirty 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:55.360 one and. 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:59.480 Change thirty one points per game on the nose and 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:05.679 question number four since twenty twenty, which single season was 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:08.960 it that the Bills averaged the most points per game 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:12.600 in December? You know, over all those years they've averaged 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.240 thirty one. What's the high water mark in December? Which 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.720 year in that stretch? Twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, twenty 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:21.000 twenty two, twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four, let's say 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:24.040 twenty twenty four, and Steve, you have gone got four 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.600 four in the numbers game running the table. 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:29.520 That's girls, Steve. 0:17:29.240 --> 0:17:34.440 Is mister December. I've missed December twenty twenty four. 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:36.720 They fever got me. The first one that got me 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:38.760 when I got eighteen out of twenty win. That was 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:39.400 that was big. 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:44.320 Twenty twenty four, they averaged thirty seven point eight points per. 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:47.199 Year they had had the they remember they had the 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:49.679 LA game forty two that they lost and then they 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:53.920 scored forty four, forty eight, forty eight and beat against Troy. Yeah, 0:17:54.000 --> 0:17:54.520 that was that. 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:57.240 That juiced the number up a little bit. Let's go 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:00.560 uh in case you're wondering, in twenty twenty the Bills 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.600 were four and oh. In twenty twenty one, two and two, 0:18:05.440 --> 0:18:08.360 twenty twenty two, four and oh twenty twenty three, four 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:11.920 and oh twenty twenty four, four and one. 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:14.880 Then they had to throw away game in twenty twenty. 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.480 Four, but that was in January. Oh okay, so that 0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:19.679 didn't count. There was another loss mixed in there. I'm 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:23.360 not going to pretend to know where it was. But yeah, 0:18:23.440 --> 0:18:25.480 four and one last year in the months of December. 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:29.640 They can go four and one this year in December, right, 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:34.560 and New England stubs their toe. You never know. Bills 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:37.160 fans get in on the action with FanDuel America's number 0:18:37.200 --> 0:18:39.879 one sportsbook. Just download the app today to play any 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:42.720 way you want. Plus, with live betting, you'll get updated 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:46.040 odds on games that have already started. Best of all, 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.520 you get paid your winnings fast. Make every moment more 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:52.560 with fandel Official sportsbook partner of the Buffalo Bills. Time 0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:56.560 now for our one burning question, and this has to 0:18:56.560 --> 0:19:01.040 do with Buffalo's defense. Does Jack Thompson and play on 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:03.719 the defensive side of the ball warrant more time at 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:08.480 the middle linebacker spot even when Terrell Bernard is healthy again? 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:16.600 Uh yeah, I would say yes. The thing that you 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:19.960 know Milano has stayed healthy and seems to be playing 0:19:19.960 --> 0:19:22.400 a little bit better. You see him making attackle once 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:23.720 in a while. He's not you know, he's not the 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:27.160 All Pro uh Matt Mlano three years ago, but he's 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:31.199 playing better. Shaq Thompson brings something to the table. And listen, 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:34.520 I'll say this though too. What we have noticed about 0:19:34.560 --> 0:19:38.159 Shaq Thompson from the Pittsburgh game to the middle of 0:19:38.160 --> 0:19:40.879 the week and coming into the Cincinnati game is his 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:43.400 leadership and what he brought to the table and the lead. 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:44.760 You know, he stood up in the meeting, he did, 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:46.919 you know, gave all this stuff and and got his 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:49.240 guys fired up. That's also what Terrell, That's why Terrell 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:51.640 Bernard is on the field. He's that the same He's 0:19:51.680 --> 0:19:56.160 cut from that same cloth. So it will come down 0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:58.760 to the guy they want on the field, how he 0:19:58.760 --> 0:20:02.760 plays the physical and the and the tackling ability and 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:07.919 the size of Shaq or you know, the athleticism and 0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:12.719 speed and playing in space of Terrell Bernard. Neither one 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:14.200 of you get the feeling. Neither one of those guys 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:17.280 will balk at any way. They are used. They're all 0:20:17.359 --> 0:20:20.119 they're buying into whatever the plan is. So if you 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:22.159 if you switch them in and out on down and 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:25.800 distance for coverage and run stop or whatever whatever. I'm 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:30.560 sure neither guy will beef that at all. But Shaq 0:20:30.640 --> 0:20:33.640 Thompson has earned more opportunities and we've we've talked about 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:36.159 it at length with the Sean McDermott era. When you 0:20:36.200 --> 0:20:39.040 earn it, you get it, So it's hard to envision 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:40.160 him not getting more. 0:20:40.400 --> 0:20:44.280 Yeah, he has been a physical presence at the second 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:47.040 level of their defense. I think over the course of 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:49.479 the season when he has been in there, he's been 0:20:49.520 --> 0:20:52.840 their most consistent linebacker. I don't think we're talking out 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:56.320 of school and saying that. And look, it's not an 0:20:56.359 --> 0:20:59.399 issue right now because Bernard is dealing with a pretty 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:02.359 bad elbow injury. We don't know the nature of it, 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:04.440 but it kind of looked like it got dislocated. That's 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:07.280 not fun. It's gonna take him in it for him 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:10.359 to get right. But when he does come back, this 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:12.520 is a very good problem for the Bills to have 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:14.560