There are plenty of polarized opinions floating out there about some of the big names on the trading block this offseason, but few are drawing more conflicting vantage points than Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry and Washington Redskins wide receiver Rod Gardner.
Henry, who lost his job last season to Willis McGahee, is seen in some camps as a quality second-tier back – someone who can get a team 1500 total yards as an every-down guy. In others, he's seen as a poor man's Ahman Green, a player who offers slightly less spectacular production than the Packers running back and comes with the same fumbling issues prior to 2004.
"[Fumbling is] the overwhelming first concern," an NFC executive said of Henry. "People have done their homework on him. The asking price [of a second-round draft pick] is too high. I'd be surprised if they get higher than a [third-rounder]."
As for Gardner, who also is whispered to come with a second-round price tag, the knock is said to be focus. That criticism may overwhelm the belief that he still has room to reach his potential.
"They won't get a [second-rounder] for him, either, if that's really what they are asking for," the executive said. "His numbers aren't great, and he doesn't play big with his body. He'll never be a No. 1 [receiver]. If you're going to take on somebody with those [focus] problems, it has to be for a guy like [Pittsburgh's Plaxico] Burress."
Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe might not be a Bill much longer. Bills president Tom Donahoe indicated two weeks ago that J.P. Losman will compete for the starting quarterback job next season, which could mean Bledsoe will end up elsewhere. The Bills' brain trust thinks it has to go with Losman if possible next season, The Buffalo News reported this week. The Bills took Losman with the 22nd overall pick in April, and gave the Cowboys a first-round pick in 2005 and second- and fifth-rounders in 2004 to get him. That means Bledsoe would have to be willing to face a strong challenge for his job, and to accept a backup role should Losman progress as the Bills expect. The paper reported that the team has not asked Bledsoe to take a pay cut and has not given him any deadline for making a decision about 2005. Bledsoe is scheduled to make $3.3 million in base salary next season and is due a $1.05 million roster bonus. His total salary cap charge is $6.5 million. If the Bills release Bledsoe, he would count $4.3 million against the cap, which is the amount of amortized bonus money left from the $6.5 million bonus he received in May.
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Jim Braxton got the most out of his much-too-brief 37-year life.The powerful Buffalo Bills fullback who helped paved the way for O.J. Simpson’s record-breaking career died of lung cancer in the summer of 1986.
“We have lost an outstanding former player and an exceptional human being,” said Buffalo Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson at the time of his passing. “People who saw Jim Braxton perform with such distinction during the mid 1970s will find it hard to believe he has been taken from us at such a young age.”
Cornerback Nate Clements is joining three of his teammates in Hawaii this February. The fourth-year player from Ohio State qualified for his first Pro Bowl on Friday and will play cornerback for the American Football Conference All-Stars.
Odds are good that when you watch the 56th annual Senior Bowl this Saturday, Jan. 29 in Mobile, Alabama (4:00 p.m. EST/ESPN2), you'll be watching a future Buffalo Bills player.
I have to say that this weekend’s games were without question the most boring set of games to be played since the XFL showed games on TV. I literally fell asleep during the Eagles-Falcons game. I woke up as Vick threw his only interception. The Eagles then just ran out the clock and made Vick look like an average QB. I guess the lesson is if you have a fast LB corpse (which the Bills do), one of them should stay at home on the bootleg. The Falcons offense is then reduced to about 8 more plays. That is worth noting since we play them at home next year. Then there was the Steelers-Patriots game.
Let me just get the following out of the way. Yes, the Patriots happen to win all the time. Fine, most of the free world is willing to make love to the Patriots at the drop of a dime. Do I have to like it or agree with it? No, no I don’t. The Patriots just psyche out every team they play. They did it to the Colts, and they did it again to the Steelers. This reminds me of a time in high school.
My best friend Kabir, a known video gaming genius, came over to play Virtua Fighter for the first time. I had just received the Sega Saturn; at the time it was a big deal. I realize as I write “to play virtua fighter” it sounds as antiquated as “to play Pac- Man.” My other pal, Mark, came over to see the new system in action as well. We rotated through as the loser had to give up the controller to the odd man out. Kabir literally won 26 matches straight. Each fight was a best of 5 series. There were lucky wins, there were thorough domination wins, there were questionable wins, but they were all wins. Mark and I traded the controller only to hope that we’d be the guy to show Kabir what losing tastes like. Despite wanting to be the one who dethroned the Kabir Dynasty, Mark and I rooted for one another. We died a little bit each time Kabir raised his arms in victory. Every time I touched the controller, the pressure was just sitting on my shoulders. And even if you won the first two in the series, something would happen where you just knew Kabir was finding his groove and he slapped you around until he won. He got into our heads. It was so frustrating. To this day, Mark and I still harbor ill will to him for those losses. Kabir was the original Patriots.
So you probably are thinking, “we know that Kevin is rooting for the Eagles.” No, I’m not. I’ll tell you what I am really rooting for. I am rooting that the game goes into Overtime and neither team can move the ball from February 7th until Sept 13th (or whenever the next season starts). Meanwhile as they fight back and forth between the 40 yard lines, the Bills win two default games against the Pats since they will still be playing the Super Bowl (as well as 14 other games). Of course Super Bowl XXXIX remains a tie until the Bills play an improbable opponent in the NY Giants in Super Bowl 40. Of course we win, and the NFL has no choice but to call Super Bowl XXXIX a draw and hence the most disgusting Super Bowl of all time. Meanwhile the Bills go on to play another improbable Super Bowl team in the Redskins the following year followed by two more Super Bowl against the Cowboys. During this Super Bowl l run, someone runs over to Bill Belichick and tugs on his face. In Scooby-Doo style, his face comes off and underneath it is Rich Kotite. In shock and horror the NFL and all the announcers cringe in a “Crying Game” type fashion, and we erase 2001-2005 from the NFL history books. In its place is a picture of Richard Nixon and the caption, “and you thought an 18 minute gap was a long period to hide.” That is what I root for. It’s all that I really have to believe in.
Why the venom against the Eagles? Philly fans are obnoxious. They belong to be lifetime losers. I think you all know their track record (cheering when opponents are injured, begging to draft Ricky Williams and booing when they picked Donovan McNabb, Cheering for A.J. Feely to start, needing a prison within the Vet to keep them in check, they suck as NHL fans as well, etc). They will torch the town if they win a Super Bowl l. As a matter of National Security, they shouldn’t win the Super Bowl.
To ask me to pick is like telling me Hezbollah and Al Queda had decided to fight each other. Pick a side. Hell no. The conservative right has decided to fight the KKK …..hhmmmm, I still got nothing. Sometimes there are fights between good and evil. But often times it’s a fight between stupid and equally stupid. You are best to just not get involved. There will be no winners. Just losers. Who’s your favorite singer, Ashlee Simpson or Jessica Simpson? Abstain. Which song really gets you going, “People” by Barbara Streisand or “Memories” from Cats the Musical? Veto. Who you rooting for, the Pats or the Eagles? No thanks. It’s that simple. Just say no.
I heard of people choosing not to watch the Superbowl. Instead they are going to the movies. Unfortunately, my football addiction and lack of self control won’t allow for that. I’ll be in front of the TV hoping and wishing for my scenario to play out.
On the side:
- Belichick is now close to being compared to Vince Lombardi. Can someone stop the insanity?
- Corey Dillon, whether they win the superbowl or not, is still, in my books, considered a loser. If you just ditch your loser team to win a championship, a la Hasek, that doesn’t make you a winner. In fact it makes you a bigger loser. Especially when the team was positioned to do it without you. The case is true for Dillon as it is with Hasek. For the rest of their lives they will have to justify they really are winners. It’s just funny that those kinda players speak so highly of their new team. It often comes off as over compensation. Much like when someone you know is on his or her “rebound” relationship. All they do is tell you how cool the new person in their life is. You know that they’ll be broken up in like 5 days.
- Who hates Rodney Harrison with a passion? He’s such a baby. Over excited and annoying, I place a hex upon him. I have no real hexing ability, but damnit, I’m doing what I can over here. When he was running the INT back for a TD, I sat there looking at the TV with the face Robert De Niro has in “Meet the Parents” when Greg tells him he milked a cat.
- The young girl who sang the national anthem for the Steelers game was pretty amazing. Nice set of pipes. Conversely, Poindexter wasn’t so good for the Eagles. I had to change the channel as though I was watching a bad performer during American Idol. I felt like I was killing the anthem in front of a sold out stadium.
- Was I the only guy during the FOX pre-game to think that Terry Bradshaw had some horrible growth on his face? I don’t know why they put his microphone so tight across his face.
- Will Andy Reid die of pneumonia? I watched the Gatorade bath occur in the final minute of play. It took them about half an hour to get indoors. True I sound like a parent, but I am only jittery as I got sick recently and wouldn’t wish that upon any human being, not even the Patriots. See? I’m not playing. I have become neurotic about staying health. I’m practically eating out of my Purell Hand sanitizing pack. Anyways, after the bath, I sat there like Andy Reid’s mom. “I realize that’s what they do after a victory, but he really should get indoors. He doesn’t even have a proper hat on.”
- Good thing the Steelers used all their fireworks display during the national anthem.
- I think you can officially claim that it sucks to be Duce. He’s getting really good at losing at the conference championship games.
- Who honestly thinks the Steelers will be any good next year? I’m posting this on the boards. I find it hard to think that with the parity (god, I hate that term so much just because of its sheer overuse), the Steelers will have another superb record. It was an amazing run. They played incredibly well in the first 11 games or so. But the games I saw against the Giants, the Bills, the Jets, and the Pats, they were a very beatable team. Their offense lacked imagination. I can see them in the playoffs next year, but perhaps as the 10-6 team that they deservedly are. I'm not saying they are a terrible team, just not really a 15-1 team. The Bears of 85; that was a legitimate 15-1 team.
An obstacle that might have kept the Dolphins from acquiring running back Travis Henry from Buffalo apparently doesn't exist.That's because the Bills wouldn't be concerned about trading Henry to a division rival.
''We gave him permission to seek a trade, and if we get the right compensation, we would do the trade whether it's Miami or someone else,'' Bills president Tom Donahoe said before Wednesday's morning practice for the Senior Bowl. ``We're not going to give him away, but it d
The Bills have made trades within the division before, as recently as 2002 when they acquired Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots for a 2003 first-round selection. Henry wants to be traded to a team where he can be the starter. He was relegated to a backup role in Buffalo this past season when former University of Miami running back Willis McGahee took over the starting role.oesn't matter if the other team is in our division.''
For Jeffrey Slater and the many other former Buffalonians living in Southern California, it doesn't matter where they live: they will always be fans of the Buffalo Bills.
On both sides of the ball, the players stick to what they do best. Bill Belichick comes up with a plan, and the Pats stick to it. They're a veteran team that knows each other very well and will not make many mistakes. You're not going to see them beating themselves.
Atlanta beats Philadelphia if ... Michael Vick controls the game. The speedy QB is the key to this contest for Atlanta. The Eagles have to be able to stop him on designed runs and scrambles.
One of the reasons Vick is so dangerous is because he makes the play last longer, and that means the offense has a chance for more big plays. It may mean he takes an extra sack, but it's probably worth it because of the pressure those extra seconds put on the defense.
Before I start my view of the 4 games, let me explain that I am suffering from the Mutaba. Yes, that is the Monkey disease from the movie “Outbreak”. I have never been so ill. I don’t know if you need to know that, but I think my mind wandered a lot during all the games. I’m living like Howard Hughes, I’m just not storing my urine. Anyway, one thing in this haze that struck me as bizarre were the commercials shown during the games. Fixodent, Levitra, and Insurance commericials. I thought football was the most successful professional sport because it got males from 18-39. If I ever meet the 18-39 year old that has Fixodent and his Levitra covered by AIG insurance, I’ll just give it up to the NFL for knowing their market. Until then, I remain skeptical.
Jets vs Steelers
Who is with me when I say thank God the Jets joke of a season is over? For the last three weeks this team has told the world, “We don’t want to win.” Perhaps they never said it with words, but by going to overtime with the Rams and giving the Chargers a second chance to win, they showed it. Luckily Bill Cowhert isn’t as stupid as Martz and Schottenheimer. They were one of the most questionable 10-6 teams. They just got weaker and weaker as the season grew on. Yet, not one fan from Jetville gave up. They were so self confident. They refused to be placed in the company of the Bills because after all, “They were 10-6.” Jerks. Off season is the same to everyone except one team. Welcome to the club.
During the game, the Jets played a prototypical Buffalo Bills game. Defense scored, special teams scored, and the offense couldn’t even be counted on in the fourth quarter to not go 3 and out. When Bettis fumbled the ball, I could only grasp onto a 3 and out scenario for the Seelers to be successful in winning. And there was Hackett and his Republican offense bailing me out. He is the most conservative guy in football since Rush Limbaugh took his KKK hood and left the NFL.
Roesthlisberger looked shaky but not bad. Why the Steelers elected to throw as much as they did struck me as odd. They figured it out in the end to just run, run, run until the Jets fell apart. It was funny to watch the Bills play the Bills by the 3rd quarter. There were two coaches trying to figure out ways not to have their QB lose them the game. Too bad Herm didn’t think about having his kicker not lose the game. If I didn’t hear the wide right jokes so much from Jets and Giants fans, I would have had some compassion for Brien has his two misses.
The Buffalo press doesn’t eat players alive like the New York press. The Buffalo press acts more like the popular girls in high school. They innocuously make some comments until everyone is on board and then they just state the obvious. For example, the Buffalo press won’t come out and say Lindell sucks, but they’ll have an editorial or two that merely “questions” Lindell’s ability. They run the same story until that player digs himself out or we, the fans, run that person out of town. The New York Media really goes for blood. If I was Doug Brien, after the second miss, I would have been trying to figure out how Brien or Doug can be used in a sentence that says “You suck”.
Rams vs. Falcons
See this is why 8-8 teams shouldn’t be allowed into the playoffs. In fact, I think any team coached by Martz should not be allowed to be called an NFL team. The play calling and personal decisions make me think that Martz is just a 14 year old running a football team. The guy runs his team the way I play Madden. It’s fun for me because I can always reset the game. I don’t have a fan base that is looking for the taste of victory. There is no money on the line when I play (usually).
This guy is pass happy and depends so heavily on Offense. I don’t know the exact stats, but the guy carries more receivers than normal. It was mentioned that that was one of the reasons his special teams suck so badly was because they don’t have the proper personal to cover kicks. Even our Bobby Aprils, SP genius who saved the Bills, had troubles with the Rams. The Rams would be stupid to think that Martz can ever lead this team to a championship. I don’t know too many St. Louis Rams fans but I don’t know how they deal with this. This guy just whittled away at the Super Bowl Dynasty-like team they seemed to have. In fact, he’s partly responsible for having the Pats be considered the greatest team ever. I think Martz should face jail time.
Another thing that I realized was why Kurt Warner went from Hero to Zero so quickly. Martz has no protection schemes. The receivers run 8-10 yard routes and the blockers just get steam rolled. Bulger is going to follow the same fate if this goes on. The commentator even said it, “if it was fight, they would have called it off by now.” The last time I thought a QB took such a pounding was when I watched Patrick Ramsey in Washington. It was ugly.
This game bored me to the point that I started watching “the Muppets take Manhattan” on Showtime. I forgot how much I liked that movie as a kid. That is not to say that I liked it much as an adult.
I think the Falcons looked pretty sexy. There were a handful of runs for Warrick Dunn where he wasn’t even touched and he was slowing down before the endzone like 10 yards out. Vick looked pretty good. The Falcons really looked like a Mike Tyson like boxer working their way back up the ranks to the championship fight. They didn’t toy around very long. They had the Rams knocked out on the punt return TD. If they can run half as efficiently in Philly, they have a great chance to win.
Vikings vs Eagles
This distaste that I have for Mike Tice is not even measurable. He is this meathead coach who believes in Randy Moss for no reason what so ever. Tice, like Martz, coaches like you or me. It’s a good idea for a split second when we talk about our plans for fixing a team, but you need a guy with some brains and presentation skills to motivate and execute. Sure it’s cliché, but its only cliché because its true. Tice is a coach only because he’s a former player, not because he showed anywhere else on any other level.
Tice is like the loser in high school and Randy is the cool kid. And Randy seems to be happy as long as his ego is stroked and Tice strokes it every time. If Randy is pissy, Mike is the first guy to call. If Randy is confident, then Tice plays confident. It’s pathetic. On the fake field goal, that was quintessential Moss. Tice designs a play on special teams that needs Moss to know the call. And Moss is just randomly walking around not sure if he is supposed to stay or come off. Why make Moss the focal point when you never know when he’s going to take a vacation? Use your roster. I think the feeling that Ferrotte had when he looked to pass to Moss was the feeling that every Vikings fan has. They need and want to believe in Moss so much, but when you look, he’s just not there. And then things decay to the point that you lose to the Cardinals on the last play or can’t beat a hapless Redskin team. Bills fans should be happy to have the Bledsoe controversy. I would hate to have a superstar with above average talent on our team that was such a piece of work mentally that you can’t get under him under control.
The Vikings organization hasn’t been the same since the Hershel Walker trade. Their front office hasn’t shown any signs of life since. They seem to think that Tice, Moss, and Culpepper are the only pieces they need. They don’t want to pick up a healthy reliable RB, a second receiver, or some more defensive help.
Eagles effectively won the game on the bizarre-o TD catch by Mitchell. That killed whatever momentum the Vikings had brought in scoring their first TD.
Colts vs Pats
It was nice that the Refs called some little known rule about a QB’s hands under center from keeping a Colts drive from scoring a TD within the two minute drive of the first half. Has this team ever made it to the Super Bowl without the help of the Refs? Can the NFL please just say that they want to father the children of each and every Pats player. Lets just get it all in the open. Don’t you think it’s strange that non-football towns like Tampa, Baltimore, St. Louis, New England has been winning Super Bowls of late. Most of this is just anger speaking, but it helps make sense of how a Tom Brady, a Brad Johnson, and a Trent Dilfer would be Super Bowl winning QB’s. Towns like Philly, Buffalo, KC, Pittsburgh. Their fans will always show up. The money’s always there. So how do you get towns that are traditionally fair-weather or uninterested in their team? I know. Let’s call it the Tuck rule. I can’t prove anything, but I’m just throwing it out there. I will never, even if the Pats win every Super Bowl until the day I die, credit this team as being a good team. I have no other way to explain it at the moment, but give me some time. One more thing, for a northern area, why do so many of these Pats fans have blankets at the stadium? Be a northern for god sakes and get one good coat and deal.
Where did the Colts go? The Colts that we all know and love, where did they go? This pats team is just driving me nuts. Now I’m pretty sure they are going back to the Super Bowl and they are going to win it again. I don’t know how I keep coming back for more each year. I must have an IQ of like 12. The Rainman wouldn’t have kept watching the NFL if his football counterpart kept winning the Super Bowl. Yet here I am.
I’m not sure how to break down the game. It was typical New England football. It was so boring that I found myself flipping channels. I know that Dallas Clark needs to learn how to catch in bad weather. I think that the Colts “out thunk” themselves. Once they went 3 and out on the first drive, the confidence just kept sliding. Then came the snow. I am left dumbfounded, and I think, sicker than at the beginning of the day.
We’ll talk to you next week.
As a Buffalo Bills fan, I have really no need to watch the conference championship games or the Stupid Bowl. What’s the use? There aren’t any teams worth watching, or that I care about. Atlanta, Philadelphia, New England, and Pittsburgh. Ho-hum, wake me up when the Bills make their first selection in the draft. Nothing appeals to me here, and as a Bills fan, why would I care about any of them? Can’t see why, but I will go through each of them on why I shouldn’t care about these games this year.
Philadelphia: They will escape being the Buffalo Bills (ie losing four straight) of the NFC Championship games, however, they are boring and one-dimensional. All they do is run now that TO is gone. And they are annoying with that yahoo at wide receiver. I wish that TO would stop talking. Their defense is very pedestrian to me, nobody really sticks out and makes me say wow. Lito Sheppard? Ok, so he made the Pro Bowl, but he’s tiny and nothing more than a kick returner to me. Brian Westbrook, in any other system, is a third down back. But they have Donovan McNabb, and as a Central New Yorker he’s the only reason to watch them.
Pittsburgh: Can’t they ever stink? I mean come on, please just bottom out once please? Have a Miami Dolphin melt down. They are the most consistent team out there. Ok, so they had a down spot, but nothing too bad. Oh, and by the way, the Pittsburgh media wants you to know that Big Ben is the best rookie quarterback to come out in years. Just in case, if you forgot about that. They are very vanilla and boring, but they win and play hard. Also, another reason why we shouldn’t care about them, is that they kept us out of the playoffs.
By the way, I expect to see Philly and New England in the Stupid Bowl.
That’s my view from my chair, care to share yours? Drop by The Bills Zone to discuss this with other Bills fans.
With every upcoming NFL season, all fans, from the novice to the die-hard variety, all devote much anticipation as to what, and how their favorite NFL team will do in the season to come. As the off season comes, and your team is left out of playoff contention, fans always will hope, dream, and sometimes pray for a better season next year. The same could be rightfully said for all of the very loyal Buffalo Bills fans. Many Bills fans garnered much excitement at the prospects of new coach & offensive guru, Mike Mularkey. Buffalo fans also were excited to see new draft pick Lee Evans, and also young stars such as Chris Kelsay, Terrance McGee, and certainly were very excited about finally seeing the former University of Miami tailback, Willis McGahee, suit it up, after sitting out all of 2003 recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered in the title game versus Ohio State.
As the hopes & dreams of the upcoming season were envisioned and hypothesized, the 2004 season finally kicked off; but in a very ominous way as the Buffalo Bills lost a heartbreaker versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on a last second 4th down conversion, that left a sour taste in players and fans alike. The loss seemed to have a resounding impact on the team, as it went on to drop its next 3 games, leaving the Bills and the Miami Dolphins the only 2 winless teams in the NFL (both have identical 0-4 records). An 0-4 start, with minimal offensive output, only led to many of those hopeful fans loosing their confidence and thus crushing their dreams of grandeur for the 2004 season.
As Week 5 came around the Bills would face the winless Dolphins, but would do with the much maligned Willis McGahee, playing a featured roll. The previous game in week 4, Bills starting running back, Travis Henry, got hurt which would open up the door for McGahee to finally showcase his talents in the NFL game. He did not disappoint, as he rushed for 100 yards in his first NFL game, and the Bills went on to win the game 20-13, and also started to revive hope in the hearts and minds of its beloved fans.
The Bills would then go on to win its next 2 out of 3 games, (with wins coming against the Jets and Cardinals) and with their record at 3-5, the Bills would take it to prime time in Week 9 as they would play the week's Sunday night game versus the super bowl champion New England Patriots. The game was a 29-6 abomination, as the Bills amassed only 8 first downs, and a putrid 125 total yards of offense, thus dropping the Bills to 3-6 team, and killing the hopes and visions the fans were starting to dream up for possible playoff implications.
With the loss, the Buffalo Bills could've lost all of their confidence and but they didn't. Matter of fact, something else happened. For the first time since the early 1990's the Bills started to score points, and were winning with regularity. Willis McGahee was rushing for 100 plus yards week after week, Lee Evans was living up to his lofty expectations, the Bills defense was forcing turnovers and reeking havoc, and the fans were talking. Next thing you knew the Bills had a winning streak. The streak reached 6 consecutive games, but not only were they winning, but they were winning by embarrassing their opponents. Over that 6 game stretch, the Bills averaged 38 points, and an average margin of victory of 23 points, which invigorated Bills fans with playoff possibilities. The answer to the Bills hopes, and dreams of playoff aspirations were answered in the last week of the season; unfortunately they were not what fans had hoped for, as the Bills dropped a heartbreaking game to the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers, thus ending a brilliant playoff run, which would have made them the 2nd team in NFL history to make the playoffs after an 0-4 start (San Diego Chargers in 1994 was the only other).
Although the aspirations of having a playoff team did not play out, Bills fans do get to enjoy its first winning season since 1999, and more than anything else, fans next year will have optimism larger than any other year since the early 90's. When fans start to follow a particular team, fans have to endure ups and downs, and for the past 10 years or so, Bills fans have certainly been waiting for a return to prominence. The 2005 season will feature Willis McGahee who figures to build upon a brilliant rookie year in which he amassed over 1100 yards, and scored 13 touchdowns. 2005 will also feature Lee Evans, who had a great rookie season catching a team high 9 touchdowns, and totaling 843 receiving yards (most of which came in the 2nd half of the season). The Bills might also unveil their quarterback of the future, JP Losman, at some point next year, and only time will tell how good he may be for this team.
One thing is for sure, the Bills nation is already hoping and dreaming about next year, but this time it is with more certainty than it has been since those great super bowl teams we came to love in the early 1990's. Wait until next year will be a battle cry heard by all Buffalo fans for 2005, and by the way the Bills played the 2nd half of the season last year, this team people will take notice, and the fans will be able to dream and hope that much more...
Like it or not, people need to grasp what they’re seeing with the NE Patriots. Assuming they complete the run for this year’s Super Bowl which would give them three in the last four years, in this era of free agency they are arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Or are there any doubters left that cling to the notion that 34-4 (again, assuming NE wins out this year) including 20 in a row at home is all good fortune and favored treatment from the refs?
Today BillsZone.com continues the review of the 2004 Buffalo Bills season with a review of the special teams and a look forward to the draft and the off-season. George Allen was one of the first coaches that realized special teams are one third of a football team. Upon his hire Marv Levy's (Allen's special teams coach) first objective was to improve a horrible unit. An excellent sign is that new Buffalo Bills Head Coach Mike Mularkey address the unit right away by bring in Bobby April from the St. Louis Rams. April succeeded in turning the group into one of the best units assembled by a Buffalo Bills team. As the team goes into the 2005 season things look bright but as with the rest of the team there is some room for improvement. Let’s start our review of the special teams with its shining star: Kick Return Team – The emergence of All Pro Terrance McGee sparked a unit that has long failed to give the Bills good field position. McGee, who is only in his second year, returned three kicks for TDs and led the AFC with a 26.3 yard average per return.
Punt Return Team – This unit also displayed great improvement and the days of “punt catcher” are long over. Nate Clements averaged 9.3 yards per return and added a return for a TD against the St. Louis Rams. Rookie “Fast Freddie” Smith showed that the Bills have some depth at the return position by averaging 17.4 yards per return and also added a return for a TD. The only downfall of the pair was a couple of fumbles and critical errors in judgment by Smith. The unit also benefited from a blocked punt against the Cincinnati Bengals by reserve TE Jason Peters that he covered in the end zone for a TD.
Brian Moorman – For much of the early season Punter Brian Moorman was the teams MVP. He not only was the best chance of improving field position but he was also successful on fake punts against Oakland (a pass to Kevin Thomas) and New England (a 34 yard scamper for a first down). Moorman averaged 43.2 yards per punt but had an impressive net average of 36.8 yards per punt. His longest punt of the season was an amazing 80 yards but he only buried 17 punts inside the opponents 20.
Rian Lindell – Although Lindell only missed four kicks all season (24 of 28) and just two inside the 40 fans have grown to not trust his leg. His longest kick was 43 yards which was the shortest in that category in the AFC. The capper was a missed 28-yard chip shot against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season finally that many feel swung the momentum of the game. Lindell is not only inconsistent at reaching the goal line on kickoffs but had only three touchbacks all season. Lindell does not match up to Bills kickers such as Steve Christie and Scott Norwood.
The Draft and Off-season
So what do the Buffalo Bills have to do to improve upon on 9-7 and make the playoffs in 2005? Just having a year under the belts of rookie Coach Mike Mularkey, rookie (for all intents and purposes) Running Back Willis McGahee and rookie Wide Receiver Lee Evans will greatly help this team. Strangely, the injuries in the secondary also helped give players like CB Terrance McGee and S Rashad Baker playing time and they should continue to improve next year. The injury to Troy Vincent also gave the Bills a chance to see if Vincent could play FS. It is possible the Bills will start 2005 with former All Pros Vincent and Lawyer Milloy at safety and All Pro alternate Clements and McGee at CB. That could be a very formidable unit. Offensive line coach and Buffalo native Jim McNally improved a patchwork unit and another year of his tutelage will only benefit them more. Although things look bright what stands in the way of this team making the playoffs in 2005? Following is a priority list that President and GM Tom Donahoe must address this year. After the top five the priority can be moved around based on free agency and the draft.
1. Left Tackle – Yes, QBs and RBs are the glamour positions of the offense but without a strong LT right handed QBs can get killed from the blind side. Drew Bledsoe is not very mobile (a little of an overstatement) and JP Losman is not seasoned at picking up blind side blitzes. Jonas Jennings showed improvement at the position just in time to be an unrestricted free agent. If he leaves the Bills have a few internal possibilities in Trey Teague or Mike Williams. Moving either of them will only leave a hole at another OL position. The Bills could resign T Marcus Price but would still have little depth and Price has not shown that he can stay healthy enough to play a full season. Without a 1st round draft choice the Bills probably won’t get a starting T in the draft. Donahoe will probably have to spend big money to keep Jennings or spend some money to bring in a free agent replacement.
2. The rest of the OL – Does the team stick with continuity and just replace or resign Jennings? If they start moving players around what position do they leave open to address during the off-season? Do the Bills try to upgrade the LG position or will Ross Tucker be fine under another year of McNally’s teaching?
3. 3rd Wide Receiver – Josh Reed is coming very close to being a bust. Dropped passes, sloppy routes and bad penalties are pushing his stock lower. Sam Aiken showed good hands but still made some mistakes in running after the catch. Whether the starter be Bledsoe or Losman a third option is a must for better success next year (thanks to Bob Balistreri for point this out after the Pittsburgh game). The team also has to examine restructuring Eric Moulds contract.
4. Left Defensive End – There is a lack of toughness and strength from the LDE position. Chris Kelsay looks promising but the position needs a more reliable pass rush and neither Kelsay nor Ryan Denney has shown to be a force against the run.
5. Linebacker – After the starters there is little to no depth. Jeff Posey is adequate. Angelo Crowell has to start showing that he was worthy of a 3rd round pick. The loss of any of the starters could be devastating to the defense. This position has to get some depth, quickly.
6. The draft – Because of the JP Losman trade the Bills will send the number 20 pick in the NFL draft to the Dallas Cowboys. Without a first rounder it is likely that the Bills may not get much help among the starting 22. The war room may be a buzz seeing the Bills move a player (Henry?, Reed? or both?) and a draft choice to possibly move into the first round. The Bills could also try to trade a player to move a pick from the low second or third to a higher second round pick.
7. Kicker – Can Rian Lindell be trusted outside of 40 yards or in pressure situations?
8. Quarterback – This question falls to number eight because there are two alternatives on the team and one of them will be the starter in 2005. The Front Office has to decide if Drew Bledsoe is the starter (and on a short leash) next season or if the position is up for competition. There is nothing to indicate that JP Losman will be the starter in 2005. Whatever the case, the Bills cannot let Bledsoe twist in the wind like they did Gregg Williams. If every position is up for evaluation then so be it. If Bledsoe is the starter without competition then the Bills owe it to the team and the fans to say something before camp in July.
9. Back-up Running Back – Travis Henry wants out and who could blame him. The Bills also could use some value for him in a trade. Shaud Williams displayed some nice running and could serve in a pinch but is small and may not be very durable. Donahoe has to decide whether he can get good value for Henry and if he can swing a deal he may have to find a veteran player to come in to back up McGahee.
10. Fan interest – Yup. It is still a business and the Bills have to figure out a way to sell a 9-7 non-playoff team with an aging QB to the fans. The home schedule could sell itself but it isn’t going to be an easy slate by any means. In addition to traditional division rivals Miami, New England and the Jets, the team plays Houston, Denver, Kansas City, Atlanta and Carolina. Four games against playoff teams, two games against strong teams that had weak seasons, a game against an improving Houston and Miami (lock it in as a W!).
The prospects for 2005 look pretty good. A core of young talent interspersed with some veteran leadership and a 9-3 finish have left fans with much hope for next season. A good salary cap situation and the lack of a 1st round draft choice actually give the front office some room to reinforce a few positions on the team. However, many questions remain for a team and a group of coaches that, staring the playoffs in the face, blinked. The off-season is officially underway.
Offense in Review
Oh, What a Weekend
There is nothing better than the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Four games over two days featuring the eight best teams in the NFL. And I didn’t have to work a single hour over the weekend. Life is good …
Fate of two Bills: One gets his due, other loses face
Bobby Knight could throw an arm around Bill Parcells' shoulder and assure his good friend he knows how dearly it hurts.
Have Playoffs Taught Us Anything About 2005 Bills?
Did we learn anything from the weekend playoff games that in any way could apply to the Bills? It’s a stretch, obviously, but there are a few things worth considering as we wait for next weekend’s conference title games. Anything short of the playoffs in 2005 for the Bills, will be a major disappointment.
Brandt's Rant: Ranting on the AFC
As a Buffalo Bills fan, I will never call the Stupid Bowl what it’s real name is, I still have nightmares about the game. And the AFC has really never helped me with that, for years they trotted out teams that had no business being there. Now we have three teams coming up that bore me, Steelers, Pats, and the Jets. Yawn, wake me up when those teams are out, because I really don’t care about them. There is one team that belongs in the super bowl but probably won’t get in, that is the Indianapolis Colts.
The AFC seems to be built on teams who run the ball 99% of the time and play great defense. Ok that eliminates the Colts, they don’t play much defense and they are predicated on the pass. That’s fun football to watch, ok so it dictates a very long game, but heck it’s going to be great to watch. I am someone that rather watch a high scoring passing offensive team with little defense than the Steelers. Then why am I a Bills fan? The colors, and the history, (I’m a history major). Plus the Colts are the Syracuse Orange of the NFL, and they are my favorite college football team, my alma matter doesn’t have a football team (well we have one, but they stink). I like to root for players that I have seen in person. There offense is really exciting and fun to watch.
That brings me to the Pats, what a boring team. Damn, I can’t stay awake during their games, well unless they are playing us. Their QB is quite average as far as talent, and they don’t have any players that really stand out, or make me say wow on offense. Corey Dillon? Nope, just Travis Henry with a rap sheet. Troy Brown? Nope, just Josh Reed on defense. Tom Brady? Nope just a second stringer who should be paying Mo Lewis for his chance at stardom. And then that coach of theirs, damn, what a snore. You can hear crickets chirping when he talks, I mean come on say something stupid or outlandish. He talks so monotone and boring, I mean come on SAY SOMETHING STUPID DAMIT. At least Tony Dungy took the moral high ground on that Desperate Housewives thingy.
With that said, I want the Pats to lose historically, just because they beat us this year. You beat us, I hate you, well at least for the rest of the season. And next the Steelers have to choke up on something, hopefully on the one-yard line as time expires. Oh wait, they did that ten years ago. Well maybe the hot shot rookie needs to throw an interception. Or better yet Willie Parker needs to fumble.
The 2005 season represents Tom Donahoe’s fifth year as General Manager of the Buffalo Bills. Much has been made of the fact that the team has yet to make the playoffs during his tenure, resulting in a five-year playoff drought for the Bills. Fan opinion seems to be divided into two camps: One group thinks four years is long enough to assemble a winning formula in today’s NFL, and that Free Agency should speed up the process. The other group discounts the cap purging year of 2001, and believes Donahoe deserves the benefit of the doubt, as the team is headed in the right direction, just missing the playoffs in what amounts to only their third year of building. Who’s right? Both have valid arguments, actually. While there have been some extenuating circumstances over the last couple seasons, and although the team seems to be on the upswing, most Bills fans have become impatient, and rightly so. Teams like Miami and San Francisco rarely spend more than one season below .500, while the Bills sometimes seemed destined to be bogged down at the bottom of the league for several seasons at a time as they rebuild. Unfortunately, the success or failure of a GM cannot simply be measured in wins and losses, or, at least it shouldn’t be. Other areas need to be considered.
In as much as the enigmatic Donahoe shies away from the press, some of his moves behind the scenes have been quite bold. He’s not afraid of controversy, and in fact, sometimes, like his players, thrives on it. In order to properly evaluate the Bills GM, we have broken down the position of General Manager into four major categories, Players, coaches, community, and marketing, so that we may take a closer look at Mr. Donahoe’s actual accomplishments.
Players:
Some of his picks have panned out nicely. Aaron Schobel and Nate Clements have lived up to their #2 and #1 draft picks respectively. Chris Kelsay played better this year, and Willis McGahee broke out. His knee looks to have rehabbed nicely. Time will tell whether he can handle the rigors of a sixteen game NFL schedule, but the smart money believes he can. McGahee’s success probably spells the end of Travis Henry in a Bills uniform, but the second round pick from Tennessee had three solid years rushing the football here. Donahoe’s biggest selection, (both literally and figuratively) Mike Williams, was a slow start, but had an improved 2004, and should benefit not only from Line Coach Jim McNally’s tutelage, but from off-season additions to the line as well. 2004’s first round pick, wide receiver Lee Evans, has done everything you could ask of a rookie first round pick. JP Losman saw only limited duty in 2004, but seems to possess a mental toughness the position has not seen since the retirement of Jim Kelly.
Disappointments include Josh Reed, who never regained his rookie form, Ryan Denney, Coy Wire, and Justin Bannan. although Wire has been a standout on special teams the last two seasons.
Unfortunately for Donahoe, fans like to hang the Drew Bledsoe trade around his neck, even though most agreed with it at the time. Most of us would have made the same deal, based on Bledsoe’s past reputation, and given the trauma we had been through at the position. How Donahoe handles the Quarterback position this off-season will go a long way to determining the length of his tenure here.
Player evaluation: B+ Coaches:
Probably the most bothersome decision Donahoe has made as GM of the Bills was the selection of Gregg Williams as his first Head Coach. That one decision probably his most important, set this team back three years. Of course, only the Bills brain trust knows what type of arrangement they had, but most could sense that Williams was not ready for the job. Still, TD got his man, and sent the Bills into one of those series of losing seasons, they have become synonymous with throughout their history.
Not seeming to learn from his mistake, he then hires Mike Mularkey away from the Pittsburgh Steelers, all while several veteran coaches are looking for work. Most like Mularkey’s easygoing demeanor, which already puts him light years ahead of his predecessor, but he's still very inexperienced. At least this time, Donahoe helped out his Head Coach by finding him some experienced assistants. April, Wyche, McNally, and Clements are all solid at their positions.
Coaching Evaluation: C
Donahoe in the Community
Platitudes rang hollow after his "Save the postage." comments last season to the Buffalo faithful. You simply don't treat fans as loyal as these in that manner. Buffalonians have suffered through too many two-win seasons for that kind of sentiment. He doesn't do much personally in the community, and sometimes the stands at the Ralph look like Saturday Night at the Fights. Most feel he is standoffish at best with the press, and after four years here, he still isn’t even listed in the team’s media guide.
Community Relations: D
A real strength of Donahoe’s has been marketing. Moving the training camp from isolated Fredonia to Rochester has been the cornerstone of regionalization, and opened up the team to more fans east of the city. Donahoe expanded on that, by moving the entire Buffalo Bills Experience there each summer.
Kids night, now several seasons old, has resulted in an average of 65,000 paying customers entering the turnstiles annually for that event. Low preseason ticket sales have long been one of Mr. Wilson’s pet peeves. Selling out a preseason game for the first time in 32 years is an incredible achievement, considering the team never even came close to accomplishing that feat during the Super Bowl years of the early ‘90’s.
During his tenure here, the Bills Store opened, with a satellite store in Rochester. Donahoe was also instrumental in instituting the Bills first major uniform change in over three decades. Like them or not, they are contemporary.
He renewed with WGRF 97 Rock, to be the “Voice of the Bills”, sparing fans the poor reception of AM, and the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse Bills TV Network has broadcast their preseason games further than they have ever been broadcast before. Now fans as far east as Utica, and as far south as Ithaca receive all the games. They even run non-sold out home Preseason games on tape delay. These have all been major accomplishments. Frankly, he's done a magnificent job at marketing and regionalizing the team.
Marketing: A+
Overall, he grades out at about a C+ That grade is always in flux, and the next two years are crucial. Buffalo needs to make the playoffs next year, or all the other positive things he's done take a back seat. The drought is already five years and counting. Despite the pressure, conventional wisdom says he stays put, and perhaps earns a contract extension.
Why? Mr. Wilson. He gave him the title of Team President, and along with it, unprecedented control of the day-to-day affairs of the team. Wilson has had a hands-off approach ever since the Wade Phillips-Ronnie Jones debacle. He chose him. He likes him. He makes money with him. At the end of the day, that's really all that matters, from a business standpoint.
Forget that he sometimes overpays for guys whose better days are behind them. Forget that this team hasn't even sniffed the playoffs since the "Immaculate Deception" (That was five years ago folks!) Forget the utter stupidity of hiring Greg Williams.
The stands are full. The games are sold out. Merchandise sales are up, local sponsors are in place, and salaries (particularly Mr. Donahoe’s) are in line.
He isn’t going anywhere soon.
From Dictionary.com: Place-kicker n : (football) a kicker who makes a place kick for a goal Lindell just seems to have a mental block when it comes to clutch time. I have really never seen it, he can hit when there’s no pressure on him, but when the team counts on him, CLANK. We should be in the playoffs, but with this kicker we aren’t. DANG IT. When will the madness stop? Will TD come to his senses and cut this guy? Probably not, he tends to stick with people a little long. I will not blame Ralph for anything; he’s a god for bringing the world the Bills.
But what to do? Waste a draft pick on a kicker who might not pan out? Sign someone off of the street? Sign one of the ancient Andersons? See this is why we are posters and fans, and they get paid for decisions, they for the most part know what they are doing. That’s not saying that I couldn’t scout a good kicker or a left tackle, but they have more experience. We just have to trust the scouting department with this one, but I will say, he loses another game for us, Buffalo might riot.
Here’s some of the names for kickers in the draft (I’m no draftnick) Mike “no relation to Ted” Nugent, Jonathan Nichols of Mississippi, Dave Rayner of Michigan State (even though I despise Michigan State), and Rhys Lloyd of Minnesota. Do you want to trust our pressure moments on a rookie kicker? Is Lindell better than these players? Yes, I have no qualms about, but is he better in the clutch than them? Probably not. So draft a rookie and sign some bum off of the street.
Seattle vs. St. LouisJets Vs Chargers.
This had all the makings of being a classic Jets Collapse. A friend of mine here in New York told me that Jets stands for "Just end the Season". I love it because I agree with it. You may have all heard this before, but it was worth repeating.
Herm Edwards screaming at the Running backs coach, the bone head roughing the passer, losing the coin toss. It was all lining up to be so hilarious. I was savoring at the thought of coming into work to see all the down faces. When Antonio Gates caught the touchdown I realized that I haven't rooted for a team and see them win a big game in at least 4 years over the swath of 4 major sports. The Chargers were going to redeem me. Then we saw why they are called the Buffalo Bills of the West. Wide right! There is only one team that doesn't annoy the urine right out of my body in the AFC. Let's go Colts.
Colts vs Broncos.
Yeah, the Denver Broncos really deserved to be a playoff team. I've seen cholic-y babies respond more positively than the Bronco's Defense. I know the NFL must have been cursing by the middle of the second quarter. "Where are the Bills? They might not be able to win, but the country would not be turning their tv's off by the boatload like this." It looked very much like 1990 Bills Ball.
Minn vs Pack
I wonder as a Bills Fan, if Brett Favre had that kinda season with us, if I would be anti Farve. I guess the difference is that he has had success and he always makes you feel like he can win. Plus he's been in the same town for a long time, so people have a reason to stand behind him even after a 4 INT game. Bledsoe probably gets it worse because we didn't get to see him during his glory years. That is to say if you believe he had glory years.
Anyhoo, it was painful to see another team who will be drafting ahead of us getting further with a coach who is about as stupid as Ashlee Simpson. Any guy who thinks a ratio of passes getting to one receiver is the defining point of an offense shouldn't get access to Playstation football, let alone a real team. The game should be completely off limits to him. However, he gets brought back for another year. Go figure.
The Buffalo Bills granted Travis Henry permission to seek a trade, giving the disgruntled running back a chance to become a starter again after losing his job to Willis McGahee.
Like Madonna dying at the end of Dick Tracy, this was pathetic. The season came complete circle. The things that cost them the Jags game was out in full effect in the Steelers game. They were a team that made mental mistakes, played great defense in spurts, and had an impotent offense without a Viagra popping quarterback.
The Bills stayed away from the run when it was working, had shoddy special teams, and had a kicker who could not make a field goal on the scoreboard side to help ice the game that had no wind conditions. The Buffalo Bills played a team they could easily have beaten but somehow found themselves in a street fight. Granted in between both of those games, the Bills season turned around. They tightened up the defense by always making second half adjustments, by having a special teams unit that had found a new groove, by running the ball well. I’m perplexed on how they returned to the same place for the last game of the season. It was a circular ride that didn’t include many wagons. They were on a gigantic Ferris wheel. It only feels like we were riding the Fantasy Island Ferris wheel.
It was shocking to see Drew Bledsoe come out and play as poorly as he did. As bitterly as this country is divided between Republicans and Democrats, Bills fans are equally as divided on whether to keep Drew or to give him his walking papers. I’m not a big Bledsoe supporter. I think you can track back in most of my articles and see that. I’m going to attempt to be non-partisan as I conclude he must go. Hopefully, I can sway a couple of you to rethink your stance, if you haven’t already changed your minds.
Drew had exactly 2 games out of 16 where he placed the load on his shoulders and willed this team to win. The Dolphins game and the 49ers game are those games. He threw touchdowns, and he threw all day. Now on the flip side, he single handedly lost both Patriot games, the Ravens game, and the Raiders game. You can even extrapolate that had our stud defense and amazing special teams (sans Fancy I Lindel) not played as well, he could have tossed the Browns game and the Bengals game for that matter. Four games to be personally responsible is a big deal. It’s so big you have to ask, “Does he deserve one more chance?”
If you give one guy with average NFL talent 16 games to play, he could win about 2 or 3 games by himself. So where is the value, on a cost basis, of having a multi-million dollar, former 1st round, veteran QB? All throughout the season, we fans have asked very little of a guy with that description. We asked him to not lose the game. When the Bills have the lead, he has played decent. But when asked to win a game playing from behind, he transforms back to the guy who holds the ball for like 20 minutes in the pocket, looking at people as he telegraphs passes right into their hands. If the Steelers DB’s actually showed interest in catching the ball, they would have had 3 more interceptions.
The Fumble/TD return, aka the play that sealed the deal for Pittsburgh, was prototypical Bledsoe. It was so typical that the stadium couldn’t even boo. We have just come to expect that when we need a miracle, we only have to look at the QB and realize a miracle is out of the question. This is not a mistake a 12 year pro can make. When the score is 19-17 and there is an entire quarter to play, 12 years of experience and a good arm should make me feel a whole lot better than it did. If Losman made that mistake or a young guy where there is a lot of upside to be had, that mistake drives us nuts for the game. But it makes us think, “I bet he’ll never do that again. I bet he’ll make an effort to not make the same mistakes in the future.” Bledsoe has always made those same mistakes his entire career. If he didn’t learn from those mistakes in New England and 2 prior years in Buffalo, we can’t expect that next year he’ll learn from these experiences. We’ve treated him like a dog in training camp. The Bills had an alarm clock go off after 4 seconds to get him to learn to throw it faster. Pavlov’s dog was throwing the ball after 4 second before Drew learned his lesson.
Part of me believes that as a nation we still completely believe in baseball. Three strikes; you’re out. It stands as the golden rule in baseball as well as how we approach legal squabbles. Perhaps it should stand when evaluating the Bledsoe era. We’ve given him three seasons and he’s given us 8-8, 6-10, 9-7. For a guy who is a former 1st round pick, mediocre should not be accepted.
Whatever you personally conclude, I don’t think he should be given a chance next year. Unless he wants to restructure again and be willing to be Kurt Warner, it’s worth watching the same mistakes be played out by a young guy with upward potential. In a worst-case scenario, maybe Losman starts out slow and we have a losing season, you know the lessons he learns will be pushed forward to the following year. With Bledsoe you know the errors he made can’t be used for a future date. The Buffalo Bills just pushed back the development of a QB that many people believe will be a good one within another year. They need to a QB who won’t lose us games, and have more chances to win us games. I truly think a mobile guy like Losman will make the play book and McGahee more dangerous. It will make the already improved O-line better. The guy is a first round draft pick, and he has a lot to prove. Let’s get him up to pace. Additionally, I think there is magic to be had between a young QB and a young, first time head coach. Think back to Kelly, Levy. They were new to each other and new to the NFL. They bonded together and they made the magic happen. The Bills have laid the blueprint down.
I won’t just blame Drew though. I’m going to go after a group I’ve never dared speak against. I’m going after the fans. The ones who decided to brave the cold 50+ degree weather were awesome (did you sense the sarcasm?) It’s the one fourth of the stadium that didn’t show. This is the biggest game at home in at least 5 years and one fourth of the stadium is filled with Steelers fans. How in God’s name is this possible? It was absolutely ridiculous. It was embarrassing. Does this happen at other stadiums? Thank God the fans that do show up are crazed out of their minds.
Kevin’s DVD Extras
Dear Buffalo News Sports editors, never run an article about a scrub kicker and his desire to get a chance to win a Bills game ever in the history of the paper again. I note this only because when the Bills went to Superbowl XXV, the week before the game, there was an article with Scott Norwood. He naturally was having, up to the point, another great season for the Bills. In this article he was asked if he could kick a game winner if needed. Naturally he said the clichéd “As a kicker we live for this moment. I’m ready”. Now fast forward to this miracle season that we’re having. In the same exact tone, they talk to Fancy I about his season. Statistically, he has been fairly reliable and good stuff. In practicality he was useless. Longer than 40 yards, blah blah blah, you know how it goes. And again he was asked, “You haven’t been asked to kick a big time field goal all year, are you ready?” Again, the clichéd answer. Sunday, he missed a chip shot. I know that is a chip shot not because I’ve watched football all my life, but because in high school, two of my jackass friends and I ran out onto a football field and kicked field goals for an hour just for the hell of it. All three of us made that field goal. Subsequently I know you can tell that we were real cool in high school. The real kick in the nuts was not only seeing him miss it, but as you tracked the ball missing the intended destination, you had to look at the terrible towels swirling in the air. Fancy I needs to take a fancy flight to another fancy town and fancy himself anything but a Buffalo Bill. Draft a kicker, convert Moorman to do both jobs, hire a high schooler, whatever. I believe there are rockettes who have stronger kicking motions than Fancy I. He must go. It was a crap call by the coaches to string it outside on the short side of the field, and it certainly was not time for trickery. It seemed that running the ball was working without the gadgets. In my opinion they stayed away from the run way too much for the entire game. Willis was averaging over 4 yards a carry. On the 99.9 yard drive, he had his signature stiff arm going. It was just strange to see them down by two and come out throwing like they needed to score in a hurry. In the words of Al Pacino’s character in “A Scent of a Woman” it looked like Willis was “just warmin’ up.” Hindsight is pretty sweet, no? 
Today BillsZone.com continues the review of the 2004 Buffalo Bills season with a look at the defense. Another 24 hours and what do you know? The daylight happened this morning (this is Buffalo, the sun doesn’t shine much in winter), my kids were still healthy and work beckoned. Having put Sunday’s events away let’s continue our review of the 2004 Buffalo Bills football season. Today the focus is on a defense that many consider one of the best in the NFL. Are they really? Going into the 2003 season defensive guru Dick LeBeau was brought in to help tutor Defensive Coordinator Jerry Gray. Many, myself include, worried that there would be a slip in the play of the defensive side.
Happiness can be felt in that the defense continued to make great strides this year. Overall, the unit got better in takeaways, sacks and points against. However, this unit is a microcosm of what is wrong with the Bills. Even though the unit ended up ranked number two in the league in total defense (as measured by yardage against) there are still vital improvements that need to be made. Too often the defense gave up conversions on vital 3rd downs. While strong against the weaker sisters on the schedule the defense could not come up big against New England or Pittsburgh. Given the success the defense did have it is hard to be hyper-critical of the unit. That being said the defense was called upon twice this year to hold leads late in games (Jacksonville and New York) and failed. The offense needed to score more points in those games but the team was in a position to win and the defense did not come through in the crunch. Finally, the unit failed against a Steelers team that had nothing to play for and was unable to stop a running game consisting of a 3rd and 4th unit running back and some reserve offensive linemen.
Defensive Ends – For most of the season the Buffalo Bills only had three ends on the active roster. Ironically, they are all second round draft picks that lack a little in the size and speed department. Aaron Schobel, resigned to a long-term contract just before the season, continues to get better at the Right Defensive End but he is no Bruce Smith. His play and style are much better suited to that of being the next Phil Hansen on the left side. Which bring us to the weakest part of the defense. The LDE position has had troubles since Hansen retired and the combination of Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay are hardly making fans forget the former beloved Bill from North Dakota. Denney may never be more than a suitable backup and even though Kelsay has shown flashes they have not been regular enough to ease fears of the fans. Pass rushing is also a weakness. Schobel, like Smith before him, is capable of yearly double digit sacks; however, Smith was always able to come up with the big sack at critical times. This unit does not do that consistently enough. Linebacker Jeff Posey has been ineffective as a pass rushing specialist. General Manager Tom Donahoe needs to make DE a priority during the off-season.
Defensive Tackles – Without the mountains that are Pat Williams and Sam Adams the Bills defense would not operate. After being benched for the second half of the Miami Dolphins game, Adams played his best football in two years. Williams is an unrestricted free agent and wants to stay in Buffalo. Ron Edwards, Justin Bannan and newcomer Tim Anderson are back-ups that appear to be dependable but not spectacular. As a whole, this unit is solid and signing Williams should be a priority for Donahoe in the off-season.
Line Backers – Possibly the most solid defensive subunit, the starting line backers are solid and continue to get better. MLB London Fletcher again led the team in tackles and provided leadership after overcoming some bad penalties to start the year. Takeo Spikes made the Pro Bowl and has developed into a warrior. Like the reserve DTs Jeff Posey is dependable but not spectacular. The problem with the unit is the lack of any real depth. The Bills have yet to get any production out of 2003 3rd Round draft choice Angelo Crowell. The best reserve LB is special-teamer Josh Stamer. Any serious injury to the starters and the defense could suffer.
Corner Backs – Does this subunit do the job?? Yes. Are they maddening?? Yes. Pro Bowl alternate Nate Clements displayed big play ability but sometimes forgets that the easy play is sometimes the best play. Simply knocking down a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first game of the season might have resulted in the Bills playing in the playoffs. All Pro players do not make those simple mistakes. Terrance McGee was pressed into service after an early season injury to free agent acquisition Troy Vincent and played well. McGee shows promise but needs to tighten up his coverage depth as he is susceptible to the quick out pass. His lack of size may also be a negative. Kevin Thomas and Jabari Greer provided depth but nothing spectacular. The real problem with this subunit may lie in the future. Clements is a free agent after the 2005 season and none of the corps is signed past the 2006 season. Donahoe has his work cut out for him getting three solid long-term cornerbacks without breaking the bank.
Safeties – Although there was some encouraging play from this subunit 2004 was far from what was expected. Strong Safety Lawyer Milloy’s broken arm (coupled with Vincent’s knee problem) weakened the defensive backfield as a whole but the group lacks talent. Milloy was solid after his return and Vincent was inserted into the line up at Free Safety when he was healthy. Although the starters look set, depth is a major concern, though. Coy Wire was a healthy scratch for the season finale and hasn’t seemed to be able to convert from college linebacker to pro safety but has a future as a special-teamer. Veterans Izell Reese and Pearson Prioleau found their roles on the team reduced and both will probably not be back for 2005. Rookie free agent Rashad Baker showed promise in limited playing time.
Tomorrow: Special teams and the off-season.
The Zone's Look at the Offense
Up My Flagpole: The Offense in Review
OK. It’s done. The Buffalo Bills had a nice playoff run ended on the last week of the REGULAR season. I’ve been home for three hours – ate dinner, read the paper and cleaned out and inventoried the freezers – reflection time is over. 9-7 was nice and getting to look at the real playoffs from the outside was a nice tease but like the lovable loser that never gets the girl a tease is still a tease. I will say up front that, overall, I am happy with the season. I thought the Bills would finish with an 8-8 record. However, I am not happy with how they got there.
The Buffalo Bills cannot be blamed for having their seven weakest opponents crammed into the latter half of the schedule. Call it a simple quirk of fate resulting in the appearance of a late season playoff run by the local heroes. Scramble the order of the games around and maybe it becomes a maddening up and down rollercoaster season that still sees the Bills miss the playoffs with a 9-7 record. One win against a team with a winning record isn’t much to be happy about. As nice as it is to be able to build on the season it is time to reflect with critical eyes on the 2004 season that was. This three part series will review the 2004 season. Thankfully, I only have to point out the problems and concerns left behind by the disappointment of not getting to the playoffs. I would have to sit in the President and General Manager’s chair to actually answer them. Speaking of which, we start with:
Tom Donahoe – Thanks to the Buffalo Bills' late season run Donahoe gets an upgrade and a reprieve. What started off as a calamity (tearing down the team and fixing the salary cap) has turned around such that the team is on the correct road. Unlike previous administrations Donahoe cannot be faulted for inactivity. However, he can be faulted for results. As covered in this year in review, there are still holes that need major fixing but overall Donahoe has done enough of the right things covered by the President title to keep that job. Forcing him to relinquish the GM spot is moot. The team turned out to be a winner and handing over the reigns would result in the job going to an insider. Donahoe is back on solid footing and a winning season in 2005 should result in the renewal of his deal.
Mike Mularkey – Rookie coaches and winning in Buffalo are not exactly synonymous. Mularkey showed incredible poise and patience, especially when the season looked lost after a disastrous 3-6 start. He got the Bills to believe and trust in, not only the team, but themselves. This is not to say Mularkey did not struggle in his premiere season. At times he looked all the rookie as did several of his players. That being said, it has been a long time since a young rookie coach has looked so good on the Buffalo sidelines. At this point brighter days do appear to be ahead.
The Offense – After taking four games to get the system devised by new offensive coordinator Tom Clements the offense took off with the insertion of Willis McGahee in to the lineup. The Bills are still fronted by a patchwork offensive line and questions at some of the skill positions. Inconsistency in today’s NFL gets you watching the playoffs on TV. The Bills offense, while excellent when the field was shortened, still had trouble putting together long, time consuming drives. Another season of the system and a full year of McGahee will help.
Drew Bledsoe – In the end it can be argued that Bledsoe’s ineffectiveness cost the Bills a few wins and the playoffs. Better performances by Bledsoe against Jacksonville, the first New York Jets game and the finale against the Steelers and the Bills might be looking at playing well into January. However, the new Buffalo Bills’ brain trust, while salvaging Bledsoe’s career, never made him into more than a highly priced caretaker. There are still a few ingredients that will help Bledsoe get to the next level but at 33 it is time to stop the charade that he is capable of leading this team to a Super Bowl. The only options at QB for next year are Bledsoe or untested rookie JP Losman who basically had a cup of coffee in the league this year. Even though he steered the ship to nine wins Bledsoe’s unspectacular, even lackluster, performance only warrants him the starter’s job next year on a short lease. If the Buffalo Bills come out of the gate .500 (or worse) next year after 6 games Mularkey and Co. will have to seriously think about passing the keys to Losman.
Eric Moulds – Do you ever wonder what kind of career numbers Moulds might have if he had the hands of Andre Reed? Moulds has the skills but he is also prone to drops. Simply, Eric needs to redo his contract to make it more salary cap friendly and then shut up and go play.
Willis McGahee – (NOTE TO SELF: Don’t gush too much). OJ Simpson was the best open field runner and Thurman Thomas the most complete running back to ever play for the Bills. That being said, McGahee has all the tools to someday join them as the best Bills RB ever. Toughness, speed and vision are the qualities that all successful backs command. McGahee appears to have all three. Mix in the determination to prove detractors wrong and show that his knee is a thing of the past and Willis could be the NFL’s next 2000 yard rusher.
Offensive Line – The patchwork continues and 2005 will see more of the same. Tom Donahoe’s first order of business in the off-season is Left Tackle. Jonas Jennings is a free agent and by all accounts is already a former-Buffalo Bill. Jennings internal successors are slim; switch Mike Williams (no pun intended) from RT to LT or move Trey Teague from C to RT. Either choice leaves a hole someplace else in the line. Without a 1st round draft choice the Bills may be left with no option than to try to find a LT in free agency. That will cost big money which is probably why they should throw big money at Jennings in the first place.
Lee Evans – A very nice year by the rookie from Wisconsin. It should be very exciting to him across from Eric Moulds for the next few years.
Josh Reed – If you look really hard the word bust is sneaking up on Reed. Dropped passes, sloppy routes and bad plays catch up to NFL players really quickly. Two terrible penalties against the Steelers only accentuated the anchor that Reed is placing on the offense. Every successful QB has three options at WR. Reed could have provided that but failed miserably. Earlier in the season it would have been easy to suggest that Reed deserve the same short lease that Bledsoe has earned. However, after the season finale Reed can best serve the team by being traded for a draft choice.
Tight Ends – Choose one. Mark Campbell, Tim Euhus, Ryan Neufeld, Rob Trafford, Jason Peters or dare I even say Ryan Denney? Injuries didn’t help but this unit lacks, well, everything. A true third alternative to Evans and Moulds would have helped Bledsoe greatly but the TE was underused. Whether it was the schemes or the personnel the Bills have to get more production from the TE next year.
Tomorrow: The defense.
Imagine what it feels like for Jim Kelly to watch No. 18 at work. The Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer is reliving his playing days.
The Buffalo Bills' resurgence in 2004 solidified Tom Donahoe's position at the top of the organization.
Buffalo’s disappointing regular-season finale notwithstanding, the optimism the Bills generated over the season’s last three months is undeniable.
"I think there were some games where he didn't play good enough to win,'' Donahoe said. "I think we need better play consistently from that position as we do with several positions with our team. But there's no question that Drew improved.''
Syracuse has received permission from the Buffalo Bills to interview defensive coordinator Jerry Gray for their head coaching position.
Established in 1997 by Pro Football Hall of Fame member and former Buffalo Bills Quarterback, Jim Kelly, and his wife, Jill, after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with Krabbe Leukodystrophy, an inherited, fatal, nervous system disease. The Hunter's Hope Foundation is the Kelly’s life long commitment to increase public awareness of leukodystrophies as well as to increase the likelihood of early detection and treatment. All Hunter’s Hope funded research will be coordinated through the HJKRI. This includes research that will be conducted at the Institute as well as research conducted at other locations. Future research will be focused on both correction of the genetic defect as well as repair of the already damaged brain, providing a total solution for children with Krabbe’s Disease. In addition, this research will not only help children with Krabbe’s and other leukodystrophies, but also patients with Multiple Sclerosis, stroke, and other diseases in which there is white matter destruction of the brain.
To achieve the ultimate goal to identify new treatments, therapies, and a cure for Krabbe and other leukodystrophies the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute (HJKRI) is currently under construction at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo. Construction is scheduled to be completed by Spring of 2006. To help the cover the cost of building the institute, The Hunter's Hope Foundation is raffling off a 2004 Chevy SSR, retailed at $45,000. All of the proceeds from the raffle will benefit the institute which is currently under construction at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo. For more information about how to purchase a ticket for this raffle please contact Frank Stephen via ebenezer133@yahoo.com or by PM (member name Ebenezer) on the Bills Zone Message Boards. Further information can also be found at the society's website, HuntersHope.org.
The Buffalo Bills aren’t in the playoffs (said in the tune of Jim Mora Sr.), and there are many reasons why our favorite team isn’t there. While most will point to the start of the season, I think that it’s not because of that start, but what came out of those games. While you could point out the whole offense and the play calling, I signal out ONE PLAYER. And you might as well take three guesses as to whom I’m talking about. And it’s not Ryan “Miss the Kick” Lindell. Nope, it’s our billoved quarterback Drew Bledsoe. He’s the quarterback that we all love, that is love to hate. Now, I am not going to attack him personally for two reasons. 1) I don’t know him, and he could be a decent guy. 2) I just don’t want to be that type of writer.Outside of his first season, has she shown anything but mediocrity? Nope. Boy what a waste, but considering we were coming off the debacle that was RJ and the dwarf, heck you could have brought back Todd Collins and that would have been better. Yes his history shows how good he was and he looked like he was heading for a very good career if he continued along that way.
Though it was always said about him that he was hard on his offensive lines because of how long he would hang onto the ball. Looks like the offensive line has been paying him back for all those years. I wouldn’t put it completely on the offensive line, because they can only block for so long before they tire out or their ability erodes them. But people should have known that he was going to be this bad, I mean come on people, he’s as mobile as Pat Williams is. And Pat is 100 pounds heavier. There are only so many hits an immobile QB can take before his skill just goes completely out the door. And we traded a draft pick for this yahoo?
He’s the number one reason why we’re not going to Indianapolis this week, and he’s the number one reason why I’m not ripping the Colts this week. DAMN HIM. He hung onto the ball too long and kept focusing on Moulds, not to mention that stupid INTERCEPTION. Boy he is looking like an undrafted rookie free agent, rather than the number one pick that he was. Those were just stupid mistakes, and come on Drew, don’t you have a brain in the head of yours?
He can’t be our quarterback next year, just can’t be. Now I’m not going to say that if he is the quarterback next year I won’t be a Bills fan, because that’s not possible. I will always be a Bills Fan. But if the last two years are any sign of what’s to come, we are going to finish with the same record and the defense is going to have to bail out our offense again. Please Ralph cut your loses with Drew, you might like him as a person, but he stinks as a player. Cut him RIGHT NOW, and then draft someone like Stefan LeFors of Louisville as the third stringer. We can keep Matthews, he’s not terrible, and don’t sign the religious banner waving Kurt Warner.
I’m Stephen Brandt, and I’m now a Drew hater.
BILLS TEAM NOTES: The Bills scored 24 points in their final game of the year, giving the team its highest output in a over a seven-game span in team history with 252 points (old record was 241, games 3-9 in 1990)…For the 12th time this season, the Bills defense allowed less than 300 yards, limiting the Steelers to 262 total yards yesterday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are so good that they ended Buffalo's playoff hopes with their backups.
Fourth-string running back Willie Parker had 102 yards rushing and backup linebacker James Harrison returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown, helping seal the Steelers' 29-24 win over Buffalo on Sunday. The Steelers won their 14th in a row to match the record set by Miami in 1972 and became just the fourth team in NFL history to finish 15-1.
The Bills (9-7) had a six-game win streak snapped, and squandered a chance to win their first playoff spot since 1999. Their loss automatically put the New York Jets in.
Buffalo made it close when Willis McGahee scored his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard plunge with 78 seconds left. But the Bills failed on an onside kick when Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor the ball.
It was an exceptional performance by the Steelers, who already had clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs. They won without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Jerome Bettis, receiver Plaxico Burress and linebacker Kendrell Bell. And from the third quarter on, their lineup included quarterback Brian St. Pierre, promoted from the team's practice squad last week, and a defense with just five starters.
St. Pierre, who replaced Tommy Maddox late in the third quarter, missed on his one pass attempt in an NFL debut that consisted of him handing the ball to Parker.
Maddox went 12-of-24 for 120 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
Bills still sore about losing to Steelers
"I might take a few weeks to get over it," cornerback Nate Clements said. "We had a good season, but I'm still disappointed. I'm a sore loser and I can't help that. I'm just that competitive."
Bills can't take next step with Bledsoe
Bledsoe's performance in the season's biggest game was like a two-by-four to the head, a jarring reminder of his shortcomings and his tendency to come unglued at the most inopportune times.
Henry wants to play elsewhere next season
"Like I said at the beginning of the year, I'm not a backup. Whatever they decide to do, wherever their mind is at, I don't know. I already know where my mind is at."
An eye toward the future
"Overall, I am proud that I was able to stay the course and keep going forward as a leader on this team through some very hard times," Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe: Bills are my team in '05
Predictably, Buffalo Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe was in a sad and sour mood Monday morning.
What's your take on the Bills' 2004 season?
Sal: Well, it certainly was an interesting ride that these baffling Bills took us on.
After the Buffalo Bills' glorious comeback run crashed in pieces at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, Drew Bledsoe told reporters that the possibility of losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers had never crossed his mind in the days leading up to the regular-season finale.
The Bills’ Super Bowl dream came to a close on the frozen surface of Three Rivers Stadium with a 40-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the AFC playoffs. The Bills, playing without DE Bruce Smith who remained in Buffalo with the flu, quickly found themselves trailing 20-0 with under five minutes to play in the first half. Instead of packing it in, the Bills persevered and kept the game close by adding a one-yard RB Thurman Thomas TD plunge with under a minute remaining in the first half to close the gap to 20-7. For Thomas it was his seventh consecutive postseason game with a TD, second highest streak in NFL history.
The Steelers quickly regrouped to add a FG which made the score 23-7 at halftime. Pittsburgh added another three-pointer at the start of the third quarter before the Bills offense would get jump-started by a 40-yard run on a reverse by WR Steve Tasker. Two plays later backup QB Alex Van Pelt, in for a shaken QB Jim Kelly, hit TE Tony Cline on a two-yard TD pass to close the gap to 26-14. It was Cline’s first-career touchdown.
On their first possession of the final stanza the Bills drove 36 yards in six plays which was capped off by a nine yard pass from Kelly, who returned in the middle of the drive, to Thomas to make the score 26-21. For Thomas, it was his 18th postseason TD, making him the NFL’s career postseason TD leader at the time.
Pittsburgh took their ensuing possession and held onto the ball for 5:07 in driving 76 yards for the game-clinching TD to make the score 33-21. The Steelers added one more score in the waning moments to provide the final margin, 40-21.
In what was quickly turning into a Cinderella post season, the Buffalo Bills moved on to Pittsburgh to take on the AFC Central division champions. Buffalo took advantage of three Pittsburgh turnovers, and sacked QB Neil O'Donnell seven times en route to a 24-3 victory, earning the Bills their third consecutive trip to the AFC Championship Game. Pittsburgh's only points came on its first possession when K Gary Anderson connected on a 38-yard FG. Buffalo set the halftime score at 7-3 when QB Frank Reich hit OL Mitch Frerotte out of the backfield on a one-yard TD pass. The score was set up when DE Bruce Smith sacked O'Donnell, forcing a fumble which was recovered by DE Phil Hansen on the Buffalo 41. On the Bills' first possession of the half, Buffalo marched 80 yards in 13 plays, capped off by a 17-yard scoring strike from Reich to WR James Lofton to make the score 14-3, Buffalo. After a botched FG attempt by Pittsburgh, Buffalo drove 44-yards, setting up a K Steve Christie 43-yard FG. The Bills put the game away on their next possession, putting together an 86-yard drive that ended with a FB Carwell Gardner one-yard run to set the final score, 24-3. RB Kenneth Davis rushed 10 times for 107 yards, while WR Don Beebe grabbed seven passes for 72 yards to compliment Reich's 16-23 passing performance. LB Darryl Talley recorded seven tackles and a sack, and NT Jeff Wright and DE Keith Willis had two sacks a piece to lead the Buffalo defensive effort.
In week 2 they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at Rich Stadium. Both teams entered the contest with 1-0 records. The Steelers quickly got a clinic in the no-huddle offense, as Buffalo racked up 52 points in a 52-34 win in front of 79,545 at Rich Stadium. Quarterback Jim Kelly, who grew up in Pittsburgh, torched his boyhood team for six touchdown passes, setting a club record and a personal high, with four of those tosses going to Don Beebe, who tied a team record with Jerry Butler for four touchdown receptions in a game. It was especially sweet for Beebe, who was lost for the season with a broken leg one year ago. Against the Steelers on that September afternoon, Buffalo recorded the second-highest point total in team history, and the most ever in their NFL existence.
On their second drive of the game, Buffalo opened the scoring with a 53-yard strike from Kelly to James Lofton 6:18 into the game, and the Bills quickly added a Scott Norwood 50-yard field goal to give the Bills a 10-0 lead as the first quarter ended.
Kicker Gary Anderson put Pittsburgh on the board, but then the Kelly to Beebe show began. On Buffalo's next drive, the Bills went 80 yards in 10 plays, and Kelly hit Beebe for a 34-yard touchdown with 3:46 gone in the second quarter. The defense held Pittsburgh on their next possession, and notched another touchdown toss. Buffalo capped off a 63-yard drive with a 14-yard reception from Kelly to give the Bills a 24-3 lead with 6:57 remaining in the half. Pittsburgh did narrow the gap before the half to 24-10, as they got a 56-yard touchdown run by Barry Foster late in the half.
Buffalo opened the second half with another scoring drive, as they drove 80 yards down the field and Andre Reed caught Kelly's fourth touchdown pass of the day to give the Bills a 31-10 lead with 3:47 gone in the second. However, the Steelers wouldn't go away quietly, putting together a 17-point run to make the game close by the end of the third quarter, but the Bills then put the final exclamation point on their record-setting afternoon with a fourth-quarter explosion.
Just 1:51 into the fourth quarter, Beebe caught a 11-yard touchdown pass, which tied Kelly for the club mark for throwing five touchdown passes in a game, which tied him with his own mark set in 1989 and Joe Ferguson hit twice. The touchdown also made Beebe only the fourth Bill to catch three touchdowns in a game. Just over five minutes later, Kelly hit Beebe again for a 4-yard pass, breaking the club mark with his sixth touchdown pass, and making Beebe only the second Bill to have caught four touchdowns in a game, and with it Buffalo had a 45-27 lead. Nate Odomes put a cap on the afternoon by returning an interception back 32 yards for a touchdown just :45 after Beebe's last touchdown. Thurman Thomas finished with 107 yards rushing on the day.
After a Roy Gerela FG opened the scoring for the Steelers in the 1st quarter, Buffalo returned the favor. Joe Ferguson hit his TE Paul Seymour for a 22- yard TD to give the underdog Buffalo Bills an early 7-3 lead.
Pittsburgh dominated the second quarter blowing the game open. Steeler QB Terry Bradshaw lit up the Bills for 143 yards in the quarter engineering 4 TD scoring drives. Bradshaw hit RB Rocky Bleir for a 27 yard score, then drove Pittsburgh to the goal line on the next 3 possessions. Each drive was capped off with Franco Harris TD runs of 1, 3, and 1 yards. The only thing that went right for Buffalo was 2 blocked extra points. The Steelers went into the half sporting a 29-7 lead.
Ferguson and Simpson hooked up mid way through the 3rd quarter on a 3 yard TD pass to bring the Bills to within 15. The Steelers took control of the game by running the ball an incredible 51 times for 235 yards. Ball control and Chuck Knoll’s stingy Steel Curtain defense locked down OJ Simpson and held the star RB to 49 yards on 15 carries. Gerela's 4th quarter FG made the final Pittsburgh 32, Buffalo 14. It was an unspectacular performance for what would turn out to be his only playoff appearance. The Electric Company, Buffalo’s famed offensive line, held the Steelers to no sacks in the game, despite the Steelers leading the league with 52. Pittsburgh went on to win their first Super Bowl over Minnesota 3 weeks later.
Grading the Bills
Passing game
(D) Drew held too long on sack-fumble-touchdown play. Couldn't convert third downs. Didn't get any no-huddle rhythm going.
End of the line
All that remains is a long, dreary offseason in Western New York. Well, there's always hockey season. Oops.
Lindell's rare miss will keep him awake
"I definitely won't get much sleep tonight," Lindell said after the Bills' 29-24 loss. "I thought I hit it well. I just told myself to stay slow like I always do. I just ended up pushing it."
Steelers are special, no matter who suits up
The coming weeks will tell whether the Steelers warrant consideration as one of the better NFL teams ever assembled, single-season division.
Wasted opportunity haunts Bills
TREY TEAGUE: "It's going to hurt for a while because people are going to be playing next week and we're not."
Fourth-stringer Parker turns in first-rate performance
Willie Parker knew early last week that he would be getting the ball Sunday afternoon against the Buffalo Bills.
Chance at validation vanishes in a hurry
Then, suddenly and inexplicably, time ran out on the Bills' magical late-season run. It was as if someone had let all the air out of their balloon or slashed the tires on the bandwagon.
Fans dejected but hopeful
"It's only football, for Pete's sake," Dyl said. "In other countries, they're dealing with a tragedy that has killed more than 120,000 people. The people in those countries have a real reason to be depressed.
Steel Curtains
"There's no reason we shouldn't be still playing," Teague said. "It's just frustrating. I couldn't have fathomed that today would turn out like it did."
The two-minute read
Play of the game
James Harrison's dagger-to-the-heart fumble return for a touchdown.
Bills coaches fumbled big call
Here was a chance to shove it down the Steelers' throats and take firm control of the biggest game played in these parts in at least five years.
Steelers JVs get the job done
Buffalo Bills cornerback Terrence McGee squinted into the bright television lights and flashed a confused look when asked what he thought about Willie Parker.
Fans find no solace in a near miss
Nick Colosante, a Buffalo Bills fan who seems to look at the dark side, had an uneasy feeling.
Over and out: Bills' playoff dreams soundly crushed
All week long the Buffalo Bills told us to Bill-ieve.
Buffalo Bills report card
Quarterback: Will Drew Bledsoe ever beat a good team in a big game?
Here come Bledsoe's critics
In time, the pain will subside and folks will remember the six-game win streak.
Brandt's Rant: Zoned out on Pittsburgh
So the Buffalo Bills play the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, so when I sat down to research this rant, I had a lot of trouble thinking about what to yell at Steeler fans for. There’s not much bad about them. Their owner is a good guy; they spend their money wisely (well not all the time, but more than some), the fans are not completely devoid of brainpower, and they haven’t sucked for long periods of time. So what can a man rant about? I could say that their uniforms are boring, but that is only two sentences long.
Before you turn away, I am not going to rip the TWO head coaches they have had in recent memory. I commend them for sticking by their coaches through their few tough years. They should really write a book on how to stick by your coach, the other 31 teams would learn a lot. Heck the Miami Dolphins have had 3 coaches this CALENDER YEAR. There’s no wonder why they are so bad. Then there’s the Washington Redskins who change coaches like most people change their underwear. Our Bills have had many coaches, and some of them have been stupid hires, but Ralph rights the ship most of the time. Hopefully Double M stays around for 20 years. But that probably won’t happen again in this climate.
Chuck Noll is a legend, there are no two ways around that, and I was fortunate to be able to see him coach. Ok so it was at the end of his career, but great coaches are great coaches. The game really never passes you by unless if you are very stubborn or not into it. Chuck should have many buildings and football fields named after him. And then there’s Coach Cowher. I love his fiery personality. You can really see that players like to play for him, and also to a point fear him. Yes he’s gotten some flack for having less than stellar records over the past couple of years. However he is a very good coach.
All in all the Steelers organization is one of the great organizations in pro football, heck all of pro sports and I can’t say too much against them. I wish them well in the post season, unless of course they face off against my beloved Buffalo Bills.
A team that has had two coaches in their franchise history has to be commended for their loyalty and their love of their coaches. I’m Stephen Brandt, catch more of my work and other great stuff at The Bills Zone
Willie Parker, Brian St. Pierre and James Harrison -- who are these guys, you might ask?
BUFFALO is aiming to gatecrash the Super Bowl play-offs — and be the team no one wants to face on the road to Jacksonville.