The Buffalo Bills have to be the most cursed franchise in sports. Not even just American football.

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GrandAdmiral said:
"Wide right" is simply Buffalo's 28-3. It hurts my heart. :covri:
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Except, Grand, if you think about it from a singular, seperate perspective, "wide right", whether it was Scott Norwood missing a 47-yarder to potentially win Super Bowl XXV, or Tyler Bass missing a potential game-tying FG at 27-27, the fault for those missed kicks, as opposed to 28-3 is essentially on the PK themselves, whereas Falcons monumental collapse in SB 51 to New England involved a lot more people, OC and HC (Kyle Shanahan himself and Dan Quinn), and most of the team.

" Wide Right", falls squarely on the PK. They pay you hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions like Veniteri, Morten Andersen, Will Lutz even to make these pressure-cooker, high-tension kicks and well, what happened to Buffalo at SB XXV, and last Sunday night are two great examples of PK's not doing their jobs.

But, I won't be intellectually lazy and fall for the temptation to blame both of these losses on Norwood or Bass because historically, fairly examining those losses from a analytical standpoint, their teammates also failed to make key plays or defensive stops, especially in Super Bowl XXV with Belichick's masterful defensive game-plan, which is now in NFL's HOF, called "clock-ball". We also need to remind ourselves that in both of these games, they had short leads at halftime and failure to execute is another big factor why they lost. Buffalo's defense is the reason why they lost that great, classic OT game 2 years ago in 2021 Divisional Round by failing to stop Patrick Mahomes driving down the field with :13 seconds left to set up a game-tying FG.


Marv Levy might be a HOF HC but he didn't prepare, execute, or develop his teams' properly or get them ready, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically for any of those 4 Super Bowl losses and in each contest, but especially in the Bills first two SB appearances, they were way out-coached, outmanuevered, out-played. They also didnt do themselves any favors when their avowed, loudmouth former D-line coach mocked the famous Redskins, " Hogs" offensive line, comparing them to Neanderthals, making silly, ridiculous, honking pig-like sounds the Super Bowl week leading up to the game. Levy, I'm sure deserves to be in Canton but if you examine his in-game coaching decisions, strategic and logistical moves, gameplans, styles, he's no Bill Walsh or Tom Landry and aside from his time as Bills HC, his coaching career, overall was relatively mediocre, with the Chiefs. Bill Polian and Levy's HC predecessors, Chuck Knox and Kay Stephenson, drafted, arranged and built around 85% of those great 90's Buffalo teams. Levy just showed up at the right place, right time and inherited a championship-ready team.
 
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mdharper said:
The Bills have never, ever been heads up better than their best competition. Now you may be able to argue that in 50/50 games, like this one against the Chiefs, they're a bit behind that mark, but I don't care. In most of their losses, they were clearly the inferior team. Against the Giants in a 50/50 Super Bowl, and they lost by one. Sounds about right. They're not exactly cursed but were damned lucky to be in the AFC East. The Patriots were the successors to the Bills and had slightly better results thanks to Brady and Bellicheat.
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The common denominator in both of these scenarios and in the case of the 1990's Bills, one, massively overlooked reason why they were so unprepared, out-matched physically band mentally, beaten so handily was due to bad coaching, lack of execution, and focus. Levy's a HOF HC, but like Bud Grant and Dan Reeves before him, he couldn't elevate his abilities and skill sets and those of his players in the biggest game of the season. Most times, like 95% in crucial, big-time circumstances, they'd probably find a way to win, that OTHER 5% is when they can't win THE SUPER BOWL, ever.

And like with Levy in the late 80's and 1990's, one of the major reasons why Buffalo can't seem to advance to the Super Bowl is due to bad coaching and lack of decisive decision-making in Divisional Round, AFCCG'S. Good NFL HC's are like good NFL Pro Bowl QB's, like Danny White, they can get you to the playoffs but they don't elevate their game to a higher, transcendent level in big games like great QB's and HC's can like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Belichick and Andy Reid.

Sean McDermott is a very good HC, but usually their not the ones who typically win Super Bowls, and if by some chance, they get lucky like a Zac Taylor, they don't end up winning the game.
 
Saintman2884 said:
Except, Grand, if you think about it from a singular, seperate perspective, "wide right", whether it was Scott Norwood missing a 47-yarder to potentially win Super Bowl XXV, or Tyler Bass missing a potential game-tying FG at 27-27, the fault for those missed kicks, as opposed to 28-3 is essentially on the PK themselves, whereas Falcons monumental collapse in SB 51 to New England involved a lot more people, OC and HC (Kyle Shanahan himself and Dan Quinn), and most of the team.

" Wide Right", falls squarely on the PK. They pay you hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions like Veniteri, Morten Andersen, Will Lutz even to make these pressure-cooker, high-tension kicks and well, what happened to Buffalo at SB XXV, and last Sunday night are two great examples of PK's not doing their jobs.

But, I won't be intellectually lazy and fall for the temptation to blame both of these losses on Norwood or Bass because historically, fairly examining those losses from a analytical standpoint, their teammates also failed to make key plays or defensive stops, especially in Super Bowl XXV with Belichick's masterful defensive game-plan, which is now in NFL's HOF, called "clock-ball". We also need to remind ourselves that in both of these games, they had short leads at halftime and failure to execute is another big factor why they lost. Buffalo's defense is the reason why they lost that great, classic OT game 2 years ago in 2021 Divisional Round by failing to stop Patrick Mahomes driving down the field with :13 seconds left to set up a game-tying FG.


Marv Levy might be a HOF HC but he didn't prepare, execute, or develop his teams' properly or get them ready, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically for any of those 4 Super Bowl losses and in each contest, but especially in the Bills first two SB appearances, they were way out-coached, outmanuevered, out-played. They also didnt do themselves any favors when their avowed, loudmouth former D-line coach mocked the famous Redskins, " Hogs" offensive line, comparing them to Neanderthals, making silly, ridiculous, honking pig-like sounds the Super Bowl week leading up to the game. Levy, I'm sure deserves to be in Canton but if you examine his in-game coaching decisions, strategic and logistical moves, gameplans, styles, he's no Bill Walsh or Tom Landry and aside from his time as Bills HC, his coaching career, overall was relatively mediocre, with the Chiefs. Bill Polian and Levy's HC predecessors, Chuck Knox and Kay Stephenson, drafted, arranged and built around 85% of those great 90's Buffalo teams. Levy just showed up at the right place, right time and inherited a championship-ready team.
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You totally missed my point, but whatever.
 
GrandAdmiral said:
You totally missed my point, but whatever.
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28-3 collapse in Super Bowl 51 does involve a lot more players choking on a lead or not doing their jobs, as opposed to one guy (PK's) missing a late-game FG in a huge important, critical playoff game. And yes, both are equally devastating in their uniquely similar, (and painful) ways for both franchises, so yeah, I did get what you were saying.

My argument afterwards was that the logistics and amount of people involved were very different. I thought it might make for a interesting discussion topic since we're in the off-season now and maybe this would be a different tact then arguing about DA's overall HC competency, or lack thereof, or who is or should be our new OC going forward now that's Pete Carmichael is gone.
 
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Saintman2884 said:
28-3 collapse in Super Bowl 51 does involve a lot more players choking on a lead or not doing their jobs, as opposed to one guy (PK's) missing a late-game FG in a huge important, critical playoff game. And yes, both are equally devastating in their uniquely similar, (and painful) ways for both franchises, so yeah, I did get what you were saying.

My argument afterwards was that the logistics and amount of people involved were very different. I thought it might make for a interesting discussion topic since we're in the off-season now and maybe this would be a different tact then arguing about DA's overall HC competency, or lack thereof, or who is or should be our new OC going forward now that's Pete Carmichael is gone.
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Again, totally missed my point, but :melike:
 
Going to 4 straight Super Bowls in the 1990s (even losing all of them) doesn’t make you a snake bite franchise now when something doesn’t go right
 
2009ring said:
Let's see:
Vernon Davis
Minneapolis Meanlingless Miracle
NOLA No Call
Carney missing the XP after Pathon's TD
Browns hail mary

We've got some snake bit ourselves here friends.....
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The very big difference is that the Saints already won a Super Bowl. [Username checks out.]
 
2009ring said:
Let's see:
Vernon Davis
Minneapolis Meanlingless Miracle
NOLA No Call
Carney missing the XP after Pathon's TD
Browns hail mary

We've got some snake bit ourselves here friends.....
Click to expand...
When your franchise has a Super Bowl, you can’t say your franchise is snakebitten.
 

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