shelby
12-03-2007, 03:39 PM
Don't count the Buffalo Bills out of the postseason party just yet. Thanks to their last-second win over Washington on Sunday, the pesky Bills are still in an improbable hunt for an AFC wild card spot.
Getting to its current 6-6 record, Buffalo has overcome devastating injuries, instability at quarterback, the second-worst offense in the league, and the third-worst defense. And despite losing their opening three games and four of their first five, the Bills amazingly find themselves just a game behind 7-5 Cleveland and Tennessee in the race for the final playoff slot in the conference.
With a game against winless Miami this Sunday followed by a matchup in Cleveland against the Browns, Buffalo has a real opportunity to end a seven-year playoff drought.
"You gotta believe or else nobody else will," coach Dick Jauron said on Monday, a day after Rian Lindell's 36-yard field goal with four seconds remaining dealt Washington a stinging loss. "As a group we've had faith."
The numbers are staggering: Buffalo has allowed nearly 1,000 more passing yards than it's accumulated with the quarterback carousel of rookie Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman. They've also been outscored by 90 points overall, allowed opponents to convert nearly 50 percent of their third downs -- worst in the league -- and have mustered only 188 first downs on offense (second-worst).
Still, Buffalo continues to plod forward. "It's a credit to our guys," Jauron said. "They've just hung in there. Our players play hard and with a lot of heart."
full story (http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=644008&category=New)
Getting to its current 6-6 record, Buffalo has overcome devastating injuries, instability at quarterback, the second-worst offense in the league, and the third-worst defense. And despite losing their opening three games and four of their first five, the Bills amazingly find themselves just a game behind 7-5 Cleveland and Tennessee in the race for the final playoff slot in the conference.
With a game against winless Miami this Sunday followed by a matchup in Cleveland against the Browns, Buffalo has a real opportunity to end a seven-year playoff drought.
"You gotta believe or else nobody else will," coach Dick Jauron said on Monday, a day after Rian Lindell's 36-yard field goal with four seconds remaining dealt Washington a stinging loss. "As a group we've had faith."
The numbers are staggering: Buffalo has allowed nearly 1,000 more passing yards than it's accumulated with the quarterback carousel of rookie Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman. They've also been outscored by 90 points overall, allowed opponents to convert nearly 50 percent of their third downs -- worst in the league -- and have mustered only 188 first downs on offense (second-worst).
Still, Buffalo continues to plod forward. "It's a credit to our guys," Jauron said. "They've just hung in there. Our players play hard and with a lot of heart."
full story (http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=644008&category=New)