Like Tears In Rain: 2024 Buffalo Bills Preview

2023 PREDICTION: “12-5, tied for AFC East crown. As always, the injury factor will be dispositive, but we have reason for Hope.”

2023 REALITY: 11-6, winning the AFC East, disposing of the Steelers and running face-first into the Taylor Swift Buzzsaw.

It was a Tale of Two Seasons for the 2023 Bills, by turns sucking unexpectedly and rising to the occasion. Losses to trashpile teams like the Jets, Broncos and Patriots left them at 6-6 going into the bye week. They shitcanned prior Hot Commodity offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and installed shitty Carolina castoff Joe Brady as interim OC.

And it worked!

Despite missing large sections of their back seven (linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks) due to injuries, the Bills rattled off five straight wins to get into the playoffs.

Even with a defense consisting of more Thoughts and Prayers than a Republican Congressman after mass shootings, the Bills played the Chiefs tough in yet another Instant Classic. It came down to shitty strategic calls by and a predictable Wide Right.

2024 Big Damn Changes:

Equally predictable was the bill coming due for three years of trying to Run It Back with mostly the same roster. A lot of guys left. A lot of guys got cut or traded to get under the cap. Stefon Diggs tantrumed his way out of a second town, sufficiently hard that the famously conservative Bills decide that they would rather eat $31 million in dead cap space during Josh Allen’s prime than deal with his bullshit.

Pictured: Stefon Diggs’ dead money

But that’s not all. Thanks to the bloodletting, the Bills are in fact toting around twice that amount in total dead money- more than 20% of their cap space.

Pictured: Bills’ overall dead money

The offense may look like a bit of a throwback this year, as our three most proven weapons are two tight ends and a running back. James Cook broke 1500 yards from scrimmage last year, while Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox (aka The Roadhouse Twins) may be the best tight end duo in the league. This, combined with an almost-entirely-new set of receivers, means we are likely to see more two-tight-end sets than is currently fashionable.

But fuck fashionable. Fashionable got us influencers, bell-bottoms and ten thousand Sean McVay clones fucking up teams across the league. Let’s get nuts! Let’s get Old School!

“It worked for us!”

The defense looks frightening. Not in the “intimidates other teams” sense; more in the “I am afraid to watch” area. It’s patched together in an apparently random way. Rasul Douglas was a brilliant midseason pickup, Christian Benford was surprisingly good, and Taron Johnson was quitely a second-team All-Pro at nickel. But both of our starting safeties have left the field in an ambulance in the last 18 months, which is…not great. Still! Patched together might work!

“It worked for us!”

Schedule:

It’s tough sledding- seven playoff opponents, including the Goddamned Chiefs, the Niners, away at the Ravens and away at the Texans. But the last three games are Patriots-Jets-Patriots, so by the time every single one of our stars is crippled, at least we will be playing the chumps.

2024 PREDICTION: 11-6, playoffs. It’s gonna hurt, but I am Ready to Love Again.

 

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The Right Reverend Electric Mayhem
Feared conqueror; scholar; poet; revered holy man; professional raconteur; soldier of fortune; aloof yet thorough lover; bandit; blazing gypsy speedboat. I have been called some of these things.
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[…] the season preview, I declared myself Ready to Love Again. But like so many divorcées when Ron from JDate actually […]

WCS

“It didn’t feel like a Trump rally!” Greg Guttfield’s main criticism of night one of the DNC.
He then alludes that the American people just aren’t excited for Kamala Harris. And why didn’t she speak after Joe did? What’s she got to hide? Why didn’t Jill and Joe Biden hug more like Christians?

He’s just asking questions folks. No bias or spin here.

WCS

A FOX News poll shows Trump with a 49-48% lead in PA among “likely voters.”

Well, just cancel the election now. He’s got this wrapped up. Anything else is clearly just a commie take over and soshizm or whatever.

WCS

YOUNG CONTENT CREATORS GRANTED ACCESS AT THE DNC
MAINSTREAM MEDIA PRAISE BIDEN
DON LEMON INTERVIEWS NEW JERSEY VOTERS

These have been the headline chryons for FOX’s coverage of the DNC.

This is an honest question: what, how, who, and why do any of these matter? FOX knows things are shitty for them right now, so I know they’re desperate. But, seriously, THESE are the best they have to offer?

They’re not trying anymore, either. They quiet-quit when Biden stepped down. That said, the cynicism and capitalist machine must continue on, so let’s keep throwing literal poo at the wall to see what we can call chicken salad.

WCS

ABORTION ON DEMAND
Do free abortions and vasectomies at the DNC “advance the message”?

I swear, Chawlie writed these wurds.

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rockingdog

Found a funny:

me: hey how’s it going

fred flintstone: i’m pushing it with my feet

Unsurprised

I just learned 1 in 6 of the 1968 DNC protestors was a fed. That doesn’t even count the local pigs. This week it’s probably closer to 1 in 3.

Unsurprised

But to be perfectly frank,

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rockingdog

Apparently you can buy a Trump is a Scab shirt online.
That seems Rockingggg!

https://uawactiongear.org/trump-is-a-scab-unisex-red-tee/

Doktor Zymm

I have an amazingly sweet setup in Chicago, it’s super annoying that I can’t properly horseback ride here. Why can’t all the pieces of my ideal life be closer together?

blaxabbath

Determine what you want your life to be.
Then say no to everything that is not that.

Doktor Zymm

Pretty much what I’m doing, but that doesn’t help with the geographical dispersal part. Teleportation is really the key, but the laws of physics remain a cruel mistress

SonOfSpam

I’m working on that. Using TNT, I’ve got the first part down; it’s the rearranging part that’s proving elusive.

WCS

Same problem you have, eh? We should trade notes.

SonOfSpam

If you watch the explosion video backwards, it provides some helpful tips. But it seems like you need some kind of adhesive or double-sided tape. Velcro doesn’t stick to entrails like it should.

Doktor Zymm

I’m working from a different angle, synthetic humans with resonance. I’m only on the v2 and they aren’t any good yet

2Pack

A smart entrepreneur would set up stables north of town just off of I-94.

A lot of places around here that were dairy farms 15 year’s ago are riding clubs now. So there must be money in it.

Doktor Zymm

City riding places in the US have been drying up and are all basically gone now. There’s money there, true, but it’s just a few that drive things at the international competition level and most people who ride aren’t in those spheres

Bogdanski

I was going to say, look to the north. Kenosha or Racine have got to have something

Gumbygirl

There are tons of rich people in Chicagoland. They have to be riding their horses somewhere!

Doktor Zymm

Yup, about 90 minutes drive out of town. Barrington and such. Hour each way with my own car I can do. 90 min on rentals, impossible

SonOfSpam

This may shock you, but Reverend Warnock is an excellent speaker.

Also, he’s an actual Christian. Like, what they’re supposed to be.

Doktor Zymm

Like with the charity and stuff? Neat!

blaxabbath

Good thing we can vote for his sister!

WCS

It’s good to know that in the end, the ultimate loser of the 2016 election was the country and humanity as a whole.

Great experiment, this whole “two-party system.”

blaxabbath

Baby Boomers cannot handle being responsible consumers.

Doktor Zymm

I’m actually in Chicago today, heading back to CA tomorrow night before heading to Guyana.
I’m far enough north that there’s no DNC stuff in evidence, but I did get a decent idea of whatall is going on as far as parties and road closures and it sounds like a time

WCS

Guyana? Going to reclaim Jonestown for the MAGA types to move their cult to?

Doktor Zymm

They don’t seem to be inclined to flee the country unfortunately

SonOfSpam

Do you have to BYOKA or is it provided?

Gumbygirl

I know I probably told yinz this, but Gumby worked with a Guyanese man who was in their Army or National Guard, out doing training in the jungle. They were the first ones on the scene. He said he’ll never be able to forget the smell.

WCS

I’ve been trying to think of how to respond to this, and just wow.
No one should have to experience that.

scotchnaut

/watching Stop Making Sense for the first time in 10(?) years

I really should track down L.B. She and I went to this movie and danced in the front row way too many times.

Room mate: “Where you going?”

Me: “Out. Just going out.”

Room mate: “You’re not going to that movie again? JFC.”

Me: [eyes shift back and forth] “Nope.”

Room mate: “Sure. Say hello to that nerd for me.”

/he was a Springsteen fan, NTTAWWT

SonOfSpam

Hey, this Hillary lady’s giving a nice speech.

She should totally run for President next time!

SonOfSpam

She’s basking as the crowd chants “Lock him up” and is NOT telling them to stop.

Doktor Zymm

I’m generally against an overly punitive legal system and in favor of rehabilitation, but in Trump’s case, what’s to rehabilitate?

fleshwound_NPG

hello dnc

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fleshwound_NPG

dave out of context always rules

dave-peas.jpg
King Hippo

Because Hippo is a FARE Hippo (no promises re Other Hippo), I will match the zero minutes I watched of the RNC with zero minutes of the DNC.

If sommet important happens, Josh Marshall will let my Black ass know.

LemonJello

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I’m running the PBS stream in the background just so I get counted in the ratings.

Should anyone care to join me…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zMKDk_UwO0

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

CNN’s coverage of the DNC (artist’s conception):

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fleshwound_NPG

its still mid-august. plenty of time for them to fuck this up

also, plenty of time for trump to fuck this up further

remember when trump was convicted and biden’s re-election was a lock? that was a fun week in may. its been a looooong summer.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

It’s more fun to think of Trump getting shot and everyone insisting that *he* was a lock.

scotchnaut

[wife is making very loud noises in the kitchen while washing cooking implements]

Me: [internal dialogue] “Should we have the fight now out in the open or wait until we’re both in bed? Decisions, decisions…”

LemonJello

Also Scotchy’s internal dialogue: “She ruins the edge on one more knife and…”

scotchnaut

The Right Reverend Cesarean Section?

Gumbygirl

Explains the Mayhem thing

ArmedandHammered

Just make sure there are witnesses around and that you have an escape route pre-planned. Never start a fight, suddenly find yourself in a fight, or in the cold war argument without an escape plan ready to execute.

scotchnaut

I’m activating a sleeper cell in Estonia as you speak!

LemonJello

Minshew Mania has rolled into Vegas! Named starting QB of That’s Rikki’s Raiders!

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scotchnaut

Tonight’s Girlfriend: “Oh god, what’s a Minshew? Should I cover my face?”

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Gonna be my soundtrack for the season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1S3Gj8fao

King Hippo

Apparently, I missed the part in the Arsenal/Wolves match where one feller tried to give the man he was guarding the shocker. Somehow? Not VAR’d.

King Hippo

Wait, y’all are gonna START that resurrected dead guy this season? At least you get to play the Jest and P*ts 4x, he could cover those chucklefucks even if still actively dead.

LemonJello

They just can’t start him on a short week of rest…

Unsurprised

There better be a HUGE “but …” (balls …) because just seeing that gif makes me want to choke Jason Sudekis to death with his own severed penis. Assuming Olivia Wilde hasn’t already.

ArmedandHammered

My wife and I watched “State of the Union” with Hepburn and Tracy. Both were fantastic of course but I was surprised how much of the same issues we are facing, they were having as well back in the 50’s. Alan Ladd is awesome in it as well. And Hepburn is absolutely beautiful. But do watch it for the political stuff, a bit ham handed by today’s standard, but still relevant. And in watching it, I wondered how cynical and pessimistic we would sound to them with their idealism. The terror they show towards communism has me laughing but really should I?

Condition: Fresh from the oven lasagna

Unsurprised

Yes. The poors and lefty losers like me know our place

ArmedandHammered

Yes, I know they were Republican, I was referring more to the shittyness of politics and how it was all a numbers game just like it is today

ArmedandHammered

The main political snake in that movie – he was one of the assholes who had almost begged to rat to McCarthy at the hearings, which he did voraciously. Hepburn hated him, I mean that old timey righteous fate, so the only times the two of them spoke was during their scenes and only their dialogue. It really comes through in the movie. And Alan Ladd was a national treasure.

BugEyedBoo

Gerrymandering was invented in 1812.

Horatio Cornblower

DFO: Come for the football and dick jokes, stay for the shout-outs to Elbridge Gerry!

BugEyedBoo

Some words I like and don’t use as often as I like: gerrymander, deprecated, and ancillary.

ballsofsteelandfury

That Steelers preseason game didn’t inspire any confidence.

Either the Steelers’ Defence will be out of this world this year or the Bills’ Offense is going to struggle.

My money is on the latter.