Sammy Watkins: Forget feelings, Bills players need to take lead
Posted by Darin Gantt on December 20, 2015, 6:54 PM EST
Now with the Bills eliminated from postseason contention again, he’s ready for more people to voice their own hot takes.
After today’s loss to Washington which sent the Bills to their 16th straight season without a playoff appearance, Watkins was shifting responsibility away from coaches and onto the players.
“We need to forget about anybody’s feelings,” Watkins said, via Tyler Dunne of theBuffalo News. “We need to call people out. If I’m doing something wrong, call me out. If the line is doing something wrong or messing up, call them out. If the defense is doing something wrong, the defensive line, the secondary, call it out. Because at the end of the day, we’re doing it to win, not to get on somebody and make them feel bad. We’re grown men. This is our job. We get paid millions and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Forget the money. You’ve got to go out there each week and play for the guy next to you.
“Once we get to that point and realize that you could get fired the next day — and make it known. Hey, this is your job. If you’re not going to do your job, cut him. It needs to be a business. And I think once we get to that, we need some nasty coaches. If they’re not doing their job, get them out of here. If I’m not doing my job, step to me and get me out of here.”
Of course, the Bills just changed coaches a year ago, so it seems unlikely the changes will begin there. But it’s clear the Bills have some work to do beyond finding someone to goose season-ticket sales and give good press conference.
“I think everybody needs to look at themselves in the mirror — forget the coaches,” Watkins said. “It’s not the coaches’ team. It’s the players’ team. And we’ve got to take over as players.”
That’s fine, as long as those players are all pointed in the right direction.
Posted by Darin Gantt on December 20, 2015, 6:54 PM EST
AP
Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins has never been bashful with his opinions, such as when he didn’t think he was being targeted enough.Now with the Bills eliminated from postseason contention again, he’s ready for more people to voice their own hot takes.
After today’s loss to Washington which sent the Bills to their 16th straight season without a playoff appearance, Watkins was shifting responsibility away from coaches and onto the players.
“We need to forget about anybody’s feelings,” Watkins said, via Tyler Dunne of theBuffalo News. “We need to call people out. If I’m doing something wrong, call me out. If the line is doing something wrong or messing up, call them out. If the defense is doing something wrong, the defensive line, the secondary, call it out. Because at the end of the day, we’re doing it to win, not to get on somebody and make them feel bad. We’re grown men. This is our job. We get paid millions and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Forget the money. You’ve got to go out there each week and play for the guy next to you.
“Once we get to that point and realize that you could get fired the next day — and make it known. Hey, this is your job. If you’re not going to do your job, cut him. It needs to be a business. And I think once we get to that, we need some nasty coaches. If they’re not doing their job, get them out of here. If I’m not doing my job, step to me and get me out of here.”
Of course, the Bills just changed coaches a year ago, so it seems unlikely the changes will begin there. But it’s clear the Bills have some work to do beyond finding someone to goose season-ticket sales and give good press conference.
“I think everybody needs to look at themselves in the mirror — forget the coaches,” Watkins said. “It’s not the coaches’ team. It’s the players’ team. And we’ve got to take over as players.”
That’s fine, as long as those players are all pointed in the right direction.
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