The Bills have been outscored 90-10 in the last 6 quarters of football. The coach left the podium saying, “I don’t know what’s wrong.” The most exciting player on our team is Leodis McKelvin, a first round pick who was a complete bust in his position selected and only returns kicks now. I’ve said this a thousand times before but “I don’t know how much worse this can get.”
And yet every week in Buffalo Bills football there is a gallant effort from coaches and the 53 men under them to find a magical way to bore you to tears and make you curse like a sailor.
I won’t go through all of it, but the Bills did make the 49ers go 3 and out on the first drive. They took the ensuing punt for a touchdown. Except, there was a holding penalty. Then when the score was 10-3 and it felt like we were losing 45-3, the Bills forced a fumble. Having the right to the ball for the second half and at their own 17 with an inept QB, the coaches decided to run some plays with 30 seconds left. Then they fumbled it right back and one play later were losing 17-3.
No matter how quickly you could have said, “game over”, the Bills defense said it faster. Without a care in the world, they conducted Einstein’s phrase of insanity. They did the same thing repeatedly. But they did it without a care in the world. “Hey Marcell, want to run the same 4 linemen pushing straight ahead with little success and have a 34 year old Indian man who just wants to right the wrongs of Super Bowls 1-4 (25-28 depending on how you note Super Bowls) from his youth cry in a dark, damp bar in NYC?” “Yeah, Mario, that sounds like it’d be fun. I know when an Indian sheds a single tear it means their heart is broken.” “Marcel, that’s a native american. They are different from Indians….oh god that running back just zipped pass us and most of the linebackers. We should probably mosey after him.”
I can’t imagine that the real discussions sound much different in the huddles. What else could they possible be talking about if for the last 6 quarters they have run the same defensive front over and over again? Would someone tell me?
Having taken a breath and having said all that, I don’t think they are that bad. They play like a talented team that doesn’t believe in what they are being asked to do. And, frankly, they’ve kept this completely uninspiring offense in games. In the first half they’ve only given up 21 points in the last two games. And 7 of those came from an offensive turnover deep in their own zone. This bad defense did get a goal line stand early. And they were paid back with a number of overthrows by Fitz.
There were two big plays to get us some momentum, and Fitz missed badly. What is stunning is that Bills receivers are getting 2 to 3 steps of separation. Almost unheard of in the NFL. Fitz doesn’t need to be accurate, he just needs to be remotely close. And we know he isn’t. The over throw to spiller was unforgivable. It wasn’t barely on the right side of the field.
If Chan is going to stick with Fitz, they are both going down together. I still think Chan is doing a good job play design wise. The offensive line is better than ever before in the last 5 years. The running game exists despite no long threat. The only thing missing is the QB accuracy.
I just don’t get how Brian Moorman, an NFL stud for 12 years, could get “punted” for 3 bad games. Fitz has had a full season of bad games since last year’s hot start. He is 4-12 in the last 16 games, but the man has carte blanche to keep repeated horrid performance after horrid performance.
I really don’t have the energy to complain much more beyond this. I strongly feel that Russ Brandon and crew just wants to move the team and collect their check. They enjoy these losses. They are doing what Alec Baldwin did in this season opener of 30 Rock. They are tanking it.
All I ask is when this team moves that they take this horrid, brutal curse with them and that the team is as magnificently terrible in their new town.
DVD Extras:
49ers: I said this to some friends prior to the game. “If I was the coach of the 49ers, knowing that I was a good team playing a bad team, why play my starters?” And my friends laughed at me. “That’s what you do in Madden.” But the Bills have routinely been smoked by backups. We have all seen this over the year. Why allow any of your starters get hurt when you back ups can still cover the spread?
Nix’s Effect on Draft- While Buddy Nix hasn’t blown a first round pick yet, he seemingly has missed all the other ones. Check out the last Nix based drafts:
2010 draft – CJ Spiller is the only starter. Troup(out) Carrington (backup), Easley (not a down in NFL and only made practice squad on a team in need of receivers), Wang (cut that YEAR), Moats (without injuring Favre, never hear from him), Danny Batten (cut), Levi Brown(cut), and Kyle Calloway (cut that YEAR). 5 of 8 players after Spiller aren’t on the 53 man roster.
2011 draft – Marcell Dareus, Chris Hairston, Aaron Williams only starters. Williams struggles a lot. Sheppard (not living up to expecations), Searcy (not much more than fodder), John White (drafted, and then cut and brought back only due to injury), Chris White (on team, but hardly ever used), Justin Rodgers (ST), Jasper (cut). Only 2 servicable players? Ugh
2012 draft– Gilmore, Glen, Graham, Potter (though not a full time kicker) look servicable but first year. Nigel Bradham was meaningless in the SF game. Ron Brooks (hardly used), Zebri Sanders (not starter), Tank Carder (Cut that YEAR). Gilmore and Glen seem like they could be good. Potter isn’t even allowed to kick for points.
What does this all mean? It means there is no talent on this team. It means that the next couple years aren’t going to look much better. We forgive Buddy for at least stopping all the first round busts. But he isn’t replenishing the roster. Which means as the injuries start mounting up, the efforts could get much worse. I know, how can it get worse than 45-3? I guess that’s why they have to play in Arizona.
0-3 – Against teams that don’t suck moose junk, the Bills aren’t even competitive. A true step backwards. Even 3 years ago, the Bills took offense when embarassment came in the form of another old owner flipping them the bird. This time, the front office seems to enjoy the collective FU they’ve received from 3 teams that have been to the playoffs last year.
Sanchez – I’ll leave you with this sad pathetic thought. I watched the monday night game. I watched the Jets kind of stay in the fight with a much better Texans team. I watched Mark Sanchez struggle dearly and took some mild enjoyment out of it. Then I realized, the Jets are going to part with him next year. And then I realized Mark Sanchez is going to be a Buffalo Bill next year.
Kevin Shenoy can be reached at onefansview@gmail.com and @KevinShenoy on Twitter.
