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Are we playing with house money?

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Simpelton

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Like, how badly do we need this really? Is this season already a success regardless of what happens?

Seems to me like we're not supposed to be here. Not from the league's standpoint, or from the team's preseason goals. This was supposed to be a year where the team got experience, learned how to work together, and ramped up towards future championship runs. We're here ahead of schedule, and the developmental gains from our youth movement have been obvious to all.

Don't get me wrong, I love all the haters screaming about how the hell we're back here only 6 years after we won our last one. I rejoice at the lamentation of the Bills fans in particular, and all the others that were genuinely hoping we could be contained. The tears are delicious, and they're really hoping that they can talk crap with us if we fall short this year, but at this point there's nothing they can really say. We got further than most of them. We made more noise than I bet most of us thought we would already. If we fall in the CCG or the Superbowl, then we went from bottom 4 to top 4 in a single year. Most of the usual suspects don't have a single leg to stand on, so the haters still won't be able to say a damn thing.

I mean, I do want to win this thing, but it just feels to me like the pressure to do or die isn't there, at least not for me. The players haven't won one yet, Vrabel hasn't won one as a coach, I expect them to be hungry, I'm not worried about that, I expect them to play with heart, hunger and rage and I have no doubts about that. I'm talking about myself. I don't have to give myself a heart attack this year, and that's a nice feeling.

Now plunge the dagger into the hater's hearts and do the thing that will make this from satisfying to hilarious. Go play a game of football, you guys know how to do that, and that's all this is. No pressure at all, it's just a game of football like all the others.
 
As far as I'm concerned yes this is 100% house money. I predicted a 7 win season and instead here we are.

With that said now that we're this far I wanna win it all of course. If not I'll look forward to next season when this team will have another draft on the board and use their cap space to be even better than they are today. It's great to be a Pats fan these days.
 
Agree with what you’re saying. However, Tom and Bill fooled us into thinking opportunity like this is routine. Team is mostly healthy and 2 wins from a championship. Opportunity as a fan should be savored. We will probably be in this position again with Drake and Vrabel but you never know
 
There is no such thing as house money in the NFL. The Pats could be 8-9 next year. Injuries, bad drafts, coaches and players turnover, chemistry, luck, schedule, every season is a separate story.

I've been feeling the same anxiety i felt in 2001, in 2007 and in 2018, because every great season could be your last in the near future.

I see this season as being as must-win as any other, a hundred things have gone right for the team to be where it's at, including an almost impossibly great contributions from both the free agent class, and the draft, Maye's growth, a weak AFC in general, and the schedule in particular, incredible injury luck, and great chemistry.

The odds of all of those things combing again in a single season are almost none, whether injuries, bad drafting, or the improvement of several AFC teams, something is going to give, whether we want to or not. Every SB run is a must-win, because you can awake a Bills fan and realize that a Super Bowl is never, ever a guarantee. Strike while the iron is hot, and whatever the future brings, deal with it then.
 
The house money vanished with Bo Nix's ankle.

Losing to Stidham would be a terrible note to end the season.

And losing the SB is always crushing.

We're in ring or bust territory. Also you never know when you're going to be this close again
 
Like, how badly do we need this really? Is this season already a success regardless of what happens?

Seems to me like we're not supposed to be here. Not from the league's standpoint, or from the team's preseason goals. This was supposed to be a year where the team got experience, learned how to work together, and ramped up towards future championship runs. We're here ahead of schedule, and the developmental gains from our youth movement have been obvious to all.

Don't get me wrong, I love all the haters screaming about how the hell we're back here only 6 years after we won our last one. I rejoice at the lamentation of the Bills fans in particular, and all the others that were genuinely hoping we could be contained. The tears are delicious, and they're really hoping that they can talk crap with us if we fall short this year, but at this point there's nothing they can really say. We got further than most of them. We made more noise than I bet most of us thought we would already. If we fall in the CCG or the Superbowl, then we went from bottom 4 to top 4 in a single year. Most of the usual suspects don't have a single leg to stand on, so the haters still won't be able to say a damn thing.

I mean, I do want to win this thing, but it just feels to me like the pressure to do or die isn't there, at least not for me. The players haven't won one yet, Vrabel hasn't won one as a coach, I expect them to be hungry, I'm not worried about that, I expect them to play with heart, hunger and rage and I have no doubts about that. I'm talking about myself. I don't have to give myself a heart attack this year, and that's a nice feeling.

Now plunge the dagger into the hater's hearts and do the thing that will make this from satisfying to hilarious. Go play a game of football, you guys know how to do that, and that's all this is. No pressure at all, it's just a game of football like all the others.
Two things can be true:

1) Yes, it's house money. This roster is still in a rebuild.

2) You can't just throw away final 4 appearances. It's hard to get here. Once they won 14 games in the regular season, that changed the calculus. This is the best defense in the NFL as we speak, and a QB who is at worst two-2 in the NFL in MVP voting. Considering the opponent (Backup QB or not), it would be very disappointing to at least not make the Super Bowl at this point.
 
The house money vanished with Bo Nix's ankle.

Losing to Stidham would be a terrible note to end the season.

And losing the SB is always crushing.

We're in ring or bust territory. Also you never know when you're going to be this close again
 
No, for obvious reasons. Just because you expected the team to be worse before the year started means nothing. These opportunities don't grow on trees. We could easily and probably even realistically not be back here next year. Strike while you can. Not to mention we absolutely should win this game. If anything, the broncos are playing with house money.
 
We’ve been using “house money” since Week 8 with win #6!
 
I've thought we were playing with house money since we won our 10th game of the season, everything after that has been gravy for me.

Now, is that to say that I won't be disappointed if we lose on Sunday? No, of course I will be. But given my expectations before the season started I'm thrilled with where we are at.
 
If we lose in the AFCCG, should we write off this season as a dismal failure? No.

But that doesn't mean we can't hope for more. I think we deserve more, in fact. Denver probably shouldn't even be there, given their extreme good luck in eeking out so many close wins in coin flip type games.

Like 2001, it would be a level of success that's ahead of "schedule". Not gonna complain or cry, whatever happens.
 
If we lose in the AFCCG, should we write off this season as a dismal failure? No.

But that doesn't mean we can't hope for more. I think we deserve more, in fact. Denver probably shouldn't even be there, given their extreme good luck in eeking out so many close wins in coin flip type games.

Like 2001, it would be a level of success that's ahead of "schedule". Not gonna complain or cry, whatever happens.
We have a lot going for us that Road Record. I really hope we are not the Home Team in the SB: there's something about the Road.
 
Two things can be true:

1) Yes, it's house money. This roster is still in a rebuild.

2) You can't just throw away final 4 appearances. It's hard to get here. Once they won 14 games in the regular season, that changed the calculus. This is the best defense in the NFL as we speak, and a QB who is at worst two-2 in the NFL in MVP voting. Considering the opponent (Backup QB or not), it would be very disappointing to at least not make the Super Bowl at this point.
 
The only annoying thing about losing now is we’d have to hear DuR SkEdUuLLe talk all offseason. 2002 was annoying enough hearing that we were just one year wonders….
 
In a vacuum? Yes they have VASTLY outperformed any reasonable person’s expectations.

But Goddammit now they they are in the AFCCG I want them to win the whole ****ing thing!

That said…I do have a gut feeling, fear maybe that Peyton will scheme up a gem to make this defense look bad, and that Drake will make some crucial young guy mistakes and Denver will advance.

If they win, it will be because the Defense IS legit and not a byproduct of playing two awful O-lines to get here, and Drake plays nearly error free.
 
I don't care how bright the future looks, you can never count on getting back even to this point. You can say "house money" in the sense that we aren't going to look back at it as some huge failure that they didn't win this year. But they absolutely need to be balls to the wall to try and do it because you never know if you get back here.

After the Bo Nix injury though, I will say that a loss this week does warrant some criticism. At least on the surface. It does depend on HOW they lost the game if that happens, but on paper they absolutely should be in the Super Bowl now. Losing to SEA or LAR wouldn't be anything that anyone should criticize too much though unless something particularly egregious happens in the game to cause it.
 
Too many things have happened to favor us at this point .. let's not waste it now and get ring 7 and then We can worry about house money later..

Just check all the preconditions that have been met so far in season.



No Lamar, mahomes or burrow in post season - check

HFA for at least 2 playoff games - check

Great health all across team - fingers crossed - check

Rookies playing beyond expectations - check

Veteran wide receiver perceived as malcontent who after acl surgery plays like wr 1 and also serves as team commander - check

Highest paid free agent on defense playing like stud - check

Having best CB duo for Mann to man coverage along with fastest slot corner - Check

Unheralded free agents working out and playing well as team - check

Championship opponent having backup QB - check

Easiest schedule in last 3 decades for regular season - check


No way this kind of permutations happen again .


We need to get the ring . No option. The gods have conspired to give us this one. It will be sacrilegious to lose .


Would I be distraught if they lose ... No

But I want them to win all the games remaining in this season ...
 
The whole House money notion is ridiculous.
If you make it the final 4, winning the SB is the only result that is acceptable.
These opportunities don’t come along often, for some teams never.
You need to take advantage of the opportunity is in front of you. Next year or any year after is not guaranteed.
Just ask Buffalo, or Washington.
Our schedule is infinitely harder next year. Players come and go, injuries happen.
Eff House money.
SB champ or bust.
 
Like, how badly do we need this really? Is this season already a success regardless of what happens?

Seems to me like we're not supposed to be here. Not from the league's standpoint, or from the team's preseason goals. This was supposed to be a year where the team got experience, learned how to work together, and ramped up towards future championship runs. We're here ahead of schedule, and the developmental gains from our youth movement have been obvious to all.

Don't get me wrong, I love all the haters screaming about how the hell we're back here only 6 years after we won our last one. I rejoice at the lamentation of the Bills fans in particular, and all the others that were genuinely hoping we could be contained. The tears are delicious, and they're really hoping that they can talk crap with us if we fall short this year, but at this point there's nothing they can really say. We got further than most of them. We made more noise than I bet most of us thought we would already. If we fall in the CCG or the Superbowl, then we went from bottom 4 to top 4 in a single year. Most of the usual suspects don't have a single leg to stand on, so the haters still won't be able to say a damn thing.

I mean, I do want to win this thing, but it just feels to me like the pressure to do or die isn't there, at least not for me. The players haven't won one yet, Vrabel hasn't won one as a coach, I expect them to be hungry, I'm not worried about that, I expect them to play with heart, hunger and rage and I have no doubts about that. I'm talking about myself. I don't have to give myself a heart attack this year, and that's a nice feeling.

Now plunge the dagger into the hater's hearts and do the thing that will make this from satisfying to hilarious. Go play a game of football, you guys know how to do that, and that's all this is. No pressure at all, it's just a game of football like all the others.
They have earned this just as much as every other team that has ever gotten this far. It’s a shame to diminish it because you didn’t believe in them.
 
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