In a state of purgatory

by Brandon Mitchell

It took two weeks for the Buffalo Bills to learn how to tackle again. In the mean time they must have spent zero time on cutting back the penalties. They did however put together a time consuming game plan; a balanced attack if you will. Balanced right between the 20 yard lines. The Bills have proven this is a team that has more problems than it can handle right now. With the offense looking for an identity, the defense is looking for direction, and neither one can hold it's own weight. What has happened to the Bills? Have they found themselves opening too many doors looking for the right passage to victory? They must feel like a hiker when he realizes he is lost and can't find the way back to camp.

Ever try to pick something up with other little somethings in your hand, and when you come back up you lost two somethings for the one you just picked up? Then you gallantly try again this time to pick up two somethings you already had control over? To your amazement you still have left one something out there. Well, that's the Bills' staff is facing. While trying to fix one problem, two have more now arrived. Since the beginning of the season it's been one dilemma after another, along with a few glaring ones every game.

Where is the killer instinct; the will to put the opposition away? Where is the ability to manage the game clock throughout the game, not just into the third quarter. Kevin Gilbride must get sick to his stomach when he calls for a run. Maybe that's why he abandons it; so he doesn't toss his cookies. In fashion, the Bills steered away from another win by doing just that, and when it was needed the most. On a day when Travis Henry's 5.3 yards per carry, gaining 126 yards doing so, would have meant everything, it ended up as nothing more than numbers in a column. The offense wasn't showing any reason it couldn't keep running. Instead, Travis Henry was just cast aside. Gilbride by no means can be the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills next season. He is set in his own ways and will not budge on change.

What was he thinking? "We have our 100 yards rushing now I get to throw throw throw?" His pass-happy schemes aren't getting it done. It's not working with Drew Bledsoe, in fact It wouldn't work with any quarterback under center. Leave the air show to the Blue Angels.

The talent on the team is once again being wasted; diminishing with poor planning, no guidance and no leadership on the sideline. It's the raw talent that gets hurt the most. There's no one within the coaching staff that can help. The help that does come seems to do more harm than good. From the looks of things on the defense, there are cover guys that still can't look back for the ball, and don't know how to keep their hands off the wide receiver while the ball is in the air. It's like clock work out there. Either the coaches have no clue on how to get a point across, or no one is listening. That could be due to lack of respect for the staff in a couple areas. It's so bad that you can call the penalty before the play even happens. You know, it's all about management. The coaching staff is also a fleet of managers with the 'coach' title.

That is the sad part of the Buffalo Bills story this season. A winning team with horrendous coaching. The only aspect of the team that has changed since last season is that they had been putting up points early on this year. The reason is clearly Drew Bledsoe. Everything mentioned above is a carry over from last year.

That brings me to the top coach. None other than "the man with a thousand excuses." So far all he has done is to try and cover up his blunders. Gregg Williams is no head coach. His interview only made him sound like a leader. Let the truth be known: Williams is a follower. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just that you need leadership qualities to take a team to glory. Williams deserved his shot, and he missed the target. Time to search out yet another unproven? Or does the team need to hire an already proven leader.

You can see the necessity is urgent. There still is no pass rush threat to speak of. Players are mentally taking down the team, getting flagged on crucial plays. Quality of play drops like the stock market, and it starts around mid-third quarter. If the team is losing at any point in the third on, it falls like a bungi jumper, straight down in a swan dive. No survival instincts here. Just roll over and play dead. When a team that had lost four straight games comes into your house and destroys you, that's survival. That team knew it could not let up for a second if it wanted to stay alive.

How can you stop the rushing attack of the top running back in the league in his house, only to have him and his teammates summons up their survival skills to take victory? Until this team can do the same they are going to be a league beta. Feast or famine. I can see their ribs from the lack of a good meal. Like a beta in a pack of wolves, you get a few bites and a lot of licks on the food and that is it.