Categories
Personal Sports

Winning Is All That Matters!

Wins and Losses

Are you a sports fan? Do you enjoy participating in competition, or just watching other compete? There is often tension, drama, emotional highs and lows, and plenty of excitement. And in the end, there is a winner, and a loser. (Unless a draw is an option for the final outcome in the particular sport of choice.)

The outcome is usually the way we judge a game. Did you win? You were the best team out there! Did you lose? Tough break. They were better. If it’s a league, where you’re tracking your wins and losses, chalk one up in the loser column for you and your team.

I’ve always thought this was such a strange way to judge effort, ability, and even the result of a particular contest. First, there are so many things that go into a win or a loss, and often a couple bounces or calls that were a hair’s breadth from going the opposite way may have determined that final outcome. So did the better team win? Or, were they just lucky?

Honestly, it’s often a toss up—and can even be well argued that the better team ended with fewer points.

And yet, we even champion the phrase, “Winning is all that matters!”

Bottom line is, that’s true. The way we have set things up is based on wins and losses. The ultimate champion in any sports league—the best team—is the one who outlasts all the others by winning. It doesn’t matter if it’s ugly, if the other team was better, or if they win by dominating their opponent—just win.

You don’t even have to win all of your games! The NY Giants won the Super Bowl a few years ago, after “sneaking” into the playoffs. In what might have been considered a sub-par season (9-7 overall, they were 7-7 after week 15!) they beat the New England Patriots (whom many considered a far superior team, for many reasons) … and THEY are the Champions.

Just because they won the right games, at the right times.

It’s funny to me, actually; how much emphasis we place on the final outcome. I don’t have an alternative, though. What else could you base it on? Everything else is simply subjective, based on opinion more than a measurable actuality. But still, there’s so much “luck” involved, and we base so much value, or “worth” on these ‘W’s and ‘L’s.

I think I may be more understanding of this as a fan of the Buffalo Bills. Did you know that this NFL franchise has not collected enough wins in any of the past thirteen seasons to advance to the post season playoffs? Thirteen! They have a record of 82-126 over that span of years. A win percentage of thirty-nine percent. That’s really incredible. I’ve watched most of those individual contests, and while it’s not really fair to say they “should” have won any of those games that they lost, there certainly were dozens that could have been flipped to wins by just one or two timely plays going the other way (and those plays being just a bad bounce, or a fraction of an inch from doing just that!)

And so, our team and its fans continue to be the butt of many a football joke. Just because of a few plays.

Overall, this usually is a good measurement. Those teams were not very good. But they weren’t maybe as bad as the W/L record would suggest. Nor are the winners necessarily as “good” as their record suggested. And yet, they are lauded as the best.

This is not a sour grapes post. 🙂 Yesterday my Bills won on a last second touchdown, in a hard-fought, back-and-forth game where either team could have won—and maybe the Carolina Panthers “deserved” the win even more. (Or at least, as much as the Bills.)

But the Bills won. They are 1-1. They feel better about themselves. Just because they finished with one more point. (Thanks to a penalty, and a few other beneficial moments.)

In the previous week, the Bills may have actually been the “better” team, but they lost. There were dropped passes, bad calls, penalties (which were correctly called) and in the end, the Bills lost on a last minute field goal.

I still say, wins and losses are a funny way to gauge the overall worth or ability of a team.

I guess that’s just a strange part of “sport”. In the end, winning is probably not all that matters. At least, not to me. Playing hard, good sportsmanship (whether winning or losing), competition, dealing with adversity, and just the enjoyment of physical activity and exertion… leaving everything on the field, as they say—all of these are great parts of sport, win or lose.

A famous quote, attributed to Thomas Edison, reminds us that winning and losing may not be the best measurement of any particular outcome:

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that will not work.[1. Note: This quote is interesting. I found several versions of it, usually differing on the number of failures (700, 1,000, and 10,000 being most common). But also the subject of the failure differed at times (battery storage vs. the carbon filament for light bulbs) and also there was some stated doubt regarding the attribution to Edison at all! Interesting.]

So I contend that whether your final result is a win or a loss, the ‘W’ or ‘L’ does not determine the worth of you, or your team, or even your effort on that occasion. People say there are “moral victories” (meaning you can take something good from a loss) and then others strongly object, saying there are NO moral victories. Wins are all that matters. That’s just silly … it’s a GAME! So many things go into it, and the final result can go either way. That’s what makes it fun!

Enjoy the competition. Play hard, win or lose. And even enjoy watching and cheering for your team, win or lose.

We Bills fans certainly know how to do the latter! 🙂

Categories
Sports

The 2013 Buffalo Bills Season: A Prediction

I am in Bills mode today, and so, I’ve decided to publish my VERY EARLY predictions for the Buffalo Bills 2013 season. Take it for what it’s worth, from a person who follows the daily goings on of this franchise very closely, and also (1) has a Twitter account under the name GregTheBillsFan, and (2) is also an admitted optimist.

(Obviously this is all based on few-to-no major injuries, too.)

Buffalo Bills 2013

Buffalo Bills 2013 Season:
Week by Week Predictions

New England – W (1-0)

Week one. I can’t wait for week one! Brady looks insanely great, still, again… always! It doesn’t matter who he’s throwing to. BUT, they’ve lost Welker (a Bills killer) and won’t have Gronk, nor obviously Hernandez. Brady makes up for just about anything else lacking on offense, but the true strength of the 2013 Bills is actually looking more and more like it will be the Mike Pettine defense. That may sound strange as the Bills’ defense was beyond porous last year. They were awful! However, if our D can pressure Brady enough that our 80-plays-per-game offense can score ~24-30 points… there’s a chance this one goes our way. Certainly the Bills are putting a LOT of effort into getting this particular win, at home, to start the season. We’ll see if they can do it.

Carolina – W (2-0)

Mostly guessing here. (Even more than the rest of these guesses!) I think the Bills gain confidence from the BIG week one win over the hated Patriots, and (I think) they are better than Carolina, and at home… Bills win. EJ Manuel impresses, looking better than Cam Newton.

@ NY Jets – W (3-0)

Ha! The Jest! Um… do I need to explain why the Bills will win this one, AND the Nov 17 game at The Ralph? No. I do not.

Baltimore – L (3-1)

The entire region is super-energized by this completely different Bills team. Aggressive, hard-hitting defense. Explosive, point-scoring, high-paced offense. THREE and OH?!? And then reality settles in as the Super Bowl champs come to town and methodically earn themselves a relatively easy win. (By a TD or so.)

@ Cleveland – W (4-1)

Thankfully, the Bills head to Cleveland after the sobering reminder that a perfect season is nowhere within their reach. Though Cleveland has some interesting young talent, the Bills had no problem there last year, and should have even less of a problem this year.

Cincinnati – W (5-1)

This is a tough one. In the recent past, the Bills have always seemed to be able to beat Cincinnati. The exception being the last time they played, losing 23-20 in a game that they truly should have won. (Typical Fitzpatrick/Old Bills blundering.) Before that, the Bills had won ten consecutive meetings between the clubs. (The Bengals last beating them in November 1988! On their way to the Super Bowl.) SO… history would suggest that the Bills, at home, stand a good chance of winning this one. It should be a VERY interesting defensive game, actually. Both teams should have better-than-average defenses … AJ Green vs Gilmore and Byrd. CJ Spiller and Stevie Johnson vs the Bengals D… IF they are the team they seem to be shaping up to be, the Bills eke out a win at home.

@ Miami – L (5-2)

Time for more reality setting in. Traveling to Miami … big game for the also-revamped Dolphins since their visiting division rival has a nice jump on the season at 5-1. Bills either out-matched (only defensively) or overconfident, lose in a game they wish they could forget.

@ New Orleans – L (5-3)

NO! NOT AGAIN!!! The Bills head to New Orleans (Coach Marrone‘s old stomping grounds) to face Sean Payton‘s Saints, and though they score 30 points or more, they can’t keep up with New Orleans’ offense at home. Two losses in a row, and now three out of four… the city of Buffalo is in a panic!!!!

Kansas City – W (6-3)

Thankfully… the Bills come back to the comfy confines of The Ralph, and get to play a game against the Chiefs! Another opponent the 2012 team had no trouble with. The 2013 team will, again, have less trouble. Easy, confidence-rebuilding win.

@ Pittsburgh – L (6-4)

How not nice of the NFL schedulers. They keep throwing these really tough-to-beat teams in, JUST when the Bills regain their confidence!! Manuel has been compared (by GM Doug Whaley, formerly of the Steelers organization) to one Ben Roethlisberger. But the real Big Ben will likely wear down this much-improved Bills D… and Polamalu and company will remind Manuel that, well, he’s still just a rookie. Bills lose. Again.

NY Jets – W (7-4)

The schedulers are not completely heartless, however. Just before a bye week, their pride again wounded by their current 3-4, up-and-down skid, the Bills wear large grins as the incompetent NY J-E-T-S, Jets Jets Jets! come to town for another thrashing. Bills get their biggest win of the season as Mike Pettine completely confounds poor little Marky Sanchez and his offensive offense.

BYE

No loss here! Good news! Good news!!!!
(You have to say that like Roscoe P. Coletrain…)

Atlanta – L (7-5)

Atlanta is good. Really good. The Bills are enjoying their crazy, much-improved, way-over-500 record after their week off… glad to be hosting a really good team. Home game, in December—but this one is the Toronto game. Played in Canada. In a dome. Still, the place is rockin’. Already a 4pm, nationally shown game, might even get flexed? (Moved to Sunday or Monday night?) BUT… Atlanta is too good for this team of youngsters. Plus, they are coming off a ten-day break, too, having last played the previous Thursday (Thanksgiving Night). Falcons find a way to win, in a really exciting game. Bills drop another, to go 7-5.

@ Tampa Bay – L (7-6)

Buffalo travels south again, and has a similar result. The Bucs are hard to predict, but have enough talent to hold off this Bills team in their own stadium. Rian Lindell kicks the game-winning FG, but feels bad about it, because he’s such a nice guy. Bills lose again… their hopes are beginning to crumble. 🙁

@ Jacksonville – W (8-6)

BUT THEN … they get to play the JAGUARS!!! Another confidence-boosting game. (It’s nice to have the last-place schedule sometimes!) Bills defeat former teammate Paul Posluzsnzy and friends. Fairly easily.

Miami – W (9-6)

Having already lost to Miami in their previous meeting, the Bills know that Miami, in Buffalo, in December… they can’t lose this game. The RBs put up 250 yards on this really good Miami D, and the Bills win by 10 points or more, convincing some that the playoff drought may indeed end THIS year! Especially with New England faltering, if ever so slightly.

@ New England – L (9-7)

And in an appropriate ending to this upstart season, for a reenergized franchise … the Bills travel to Foxboro to face their arch-rival, the Patriots. The Bills have never (I said NEVER) won in Foxboro. Never. Ever! They have come so close. Many times. But have never won there. To make the playoffs, they will almost certainly need to win this game. But, unless Tom Brady is injured… I think the Patriots remind the Bills that they’re not quite done just yet. The MUCH-more-fun-to-watch (and much better?) Buffalo Bills are sent home after a hard-fought, exciting last game of the year… losing to the New England Patriots, finishing with a 9-7 record.


Of course, all of this is clearly just speculation. First, as I said at the top, the Bills need to not have any major injuries—certainly no season-ending injuries to key players—which has actually been one of their problems over this 13-year playoff drought.

And, obviously, I can’t even know this team… so what about all the others? Just guessing as to how they are going to play. (Except for the Jets. We know for certain that they will be horrible.) 😉

But, for now, in August … that’s my prediction for the 2013 Buffalo Bills season.

Guess they don’t even have to play the games now!

Go Bills!

Categories
Sports

The Very Intriguing Buffalo Bills

Bills QB EJ ManuelThis year’s Buffalo Bills are very intriguing.

Really. They are. You may not believe me, but they are.

I do realize this is much like the boy who cried wolf, pretending over and over again that he had big news, only to find no one would believe him when it was finally imperative that they did.

Only in that story, the boy knew he was fibbing. Most Bills fans have been quite honestly and innocently duped by their own foolhardy, undying, overly-optimistic loyalty to the Buffalo Bills franchise, and a healthy dose of marketing by the well-oiled machine that spews forth powerful propaganda from the offices at One Bills Drive.

Why do I believe this? What could possibly cause me to utter such utter nonsense?

The Coaches

Bills Head Coach, Doug Marrone

You may have read here before that the Bills are nearly completely different from the very top (Russ Brandon is now in charge of the Bills world) on down. All of the coaching staff is different, so many players retired or were let go—different, new players filling their voids—and probably most noticeable, as well as most notable—the Bills spent the sixteenth overall pick on their “quarterback of the future”. This from a franchise who had never in its fifty-plus years selected a quarterback with their first pick of the draft!

There are regular reasons to be excited about this football team (good players) but I’d say the most intriguing aspect of the 2013 Buffalo Bills is the coaching staff.

The previous staff was completely obliterated, and not too long after they were “dismissed”, Doug Marrone was hired. Please refer to my article from last January to review some of the thoughts that were swirling about inside the collective head of the Buffalo Bills fans after this hire, but needless to say, there was more unknown than dissatisfaction.

Then he hired a few coaches, including Nathaniel Hackett as his Offensive Coordinator. Hackett previously worked for the Bills organization as Offensive Quality Control, or something like that. Basically, he played a very minor role. Not long after Marrone brought in the Syracuse University coaches that he wanted, he and Russ Brandon wooed the New York Jets defensive Coordinator for that same role on the Buffalo Bills coaching staff. He accepted.

Now things were beginning to get interesting.

Mike Pettine and Nathaniel Hackett

Hackett brings a very up-tempo, no-huddle, score-lots-of-points approach. Every report calls him innovative, and without a doubt he is energetic. It might be a more accurate portrayal to say he is pure energy! This is a drastic change from the previous coaching staff (and several before that) who were very established, grizzly NFL veterans. (Read: old and haggard.)

Mike Pettine, the new D-Coordinator, is not as vivacious as the young coach Hackett, but he’s on the younger side of the NFL coaching scale, and he’s equally innovative. He’s also had great success everywhere he’s coached. Previously the Jets’ Defensive Coordinator, he also coached the Baltimore Ravens defense with Rex Ryan before that. Again, wherever he’s been, his defense has seen great success.

The scheme fundamentally aims to fool the offense as much as possible—look like you’re coming with a blitz, from multiple positions, and then don’t. Or do. They’ll never know!—and apply MUCH pressure. Oh, and hit hard. Really hard.

So far through training camp and two preseason games, that’s exactly what we’ve seen.

Offensively, the Bills are running around 80 plays per game (that’s a good clip!) and they are getting yards and points.

This really is intriguing!

The QB Competition

Bills QB EJ Manuel

Probably the first thing about the 2013 Bills that fans and outside observers would all label ‘intriguing’ is the quarterback competition. After drafting EJ Manuel number sixteen overall, him being the first QB taken by any team in the draft, many eyes are on that position battle. And why not? The Bills really haven’t had a great QB since Jim Kelly, over twenty years ago! There were flashes of fun with one year of Drew Bledsoe, and another of Doug Flutie … but then we’ve had the insufferable stretch featuring the likes of JP Losman, Kelly Holcomb, Trent Edwards and even the lovable Ryan Fitzpatrick.

(He was especially lovable with that cute, orange furry face!)

The expectations bar is of course set quite low for whomever might assume the role of primary signal caller, but beyond the obvious, this really is an intriguing time.

Injuries have thrown an interesting wrench into the whole process. First, the veteran Kevin Kolb missed time because of a freak, off-field slip that hurt his knee (as well as some personal, family issues that he needed to tend to) and then news emerged after the second preseason game that EJ Manuel was having surgery on one of his knees following an injury sustained in that game.

Prior to the injury, Manuel had been separating himself a bit from the other two QBs in camp practices as well as game play. His poise, decision making, and obvious athletic ability have been consistently better than Kolb.

My theory is that EJ was only barely injured, and the coaches decided to (1) make sure he was better than OK before having him play anymore, and (2) since he was a clear front runner, they needed to see the other guys more anyway!

“Wait…” you say, “Why do you keep saying ‘other two guys’? It’s just two total, right? Kolb and Manuel? There is no third, right?”

Or so the media would have you believe.

jeff-tuel

Bills fans, on the other hand, are going gaga for Jeff Tuel. “Tuel Time” mania is sweeping the Bills Nation!

Jeff Tuel? Who? Indeed. The undrafted free agent has won the QB-starved hearts of Bills fans everywhere with his nearly flawless completion percentage, his strong, confident throws, and yes… touchdowns! We love touchdowns!

At this point in the history of this franchise, we don’t care where you came from, your pedigree, or any expectations the NFL experts may have of you … if you get us TDs, you’re IN!

Here’s the transcript of a recent exchange between a reporter and coach Marrone regarding the plausibility of Mr. Tuel assuming the role of starting quarterback:

Reporter: Where does Jeff Tuel stand in this QB competition. Is Jeff an option to play in week 1?

DM: I think … it was interesting… when you draft… a lot of what we’ve seen publicly is a lot of the emphasis is on EJ & Kevin. Whether I miscommunicated that, or whether that’s what we wanted to see. But I think if you go back and you look in the beginning, I said, ‘Hey, you know, I really like this kid we took from Washington State, who’s really done a good job,’ and really everyone was like, ‘Eh… what is he talking about?’ And I think we’ve seen that he’s gone in there and he’s really done a nice job. So at the end of the day … yes, I want him to compete to be a starting quarterback. Then we’ll evaluate whether that’s good enough for us to win with.

I had noticed before hearing this that there has been a strange, unanimous rejection by the media of any notion that Tuel had any part whatsoever in this QB competition. And, to be fair, the rest of that Marrone sound byte was basically “coach speak” about wanting every player to compete as though they had a chance to be the starter. This should signal that the media are correct in their presumptions. BUT…

You can’t argue with the young guy’s success!

Is it really possible that the Bills would field TWO rookie QBs in 2013? It’s possible. The Redskins had two rookies as their numbers one and two last year. The Bills may follow their lead with Manuel and Tuel being their one/two in 2013.

More intrigue!

Team Speed: FAST!

flash-goodwinOne thing that might be overlooked by some about these Bills is their speed. CJ Spiller is already one of the fastest men in the NFL at any position. Brad Smith is faster than most people realize. And CB Leodis McKelvin led the league in punt return average last season thanks largely to being fleet of foot.

This year, the Bills have added even more straightaway speed by drafting WR Marquise Goodwin, who was also an olympic track athlete. He joins TJ Graham, drafted in 2012, who also has track speed in his dossier, being a track runner himself. (Even Graham’s mother was a track star!) He has only improved on his sub-4.3/40 speed in 2013, as well as improved his game as a receiver. Many reports from offseason workouts were saying that Graham has been the player to watch.

So there is offensive team speed. Ridiculous team speed. I heard an interview with the Madden 25 player ratings guy, and he said there are four receivers for the Bills with 90+ speed ratings. “You’re going to like your receivers,” he told the Buffalo-based interviewer.

But the defense is just as fast. Quick to the ball. Running all over the place. Watch out for the linebackers this year. Rookie LB Kiko Alonzo looks to be the starter at the middle line-backer position, and he’s so far done really well. Guys like Manny Lawson, Jerry Hughes, and a few others are flying to the ball so far in training camp and preseason.

The speed of this group is very intriguing!

The Star Power (Yes! There is some!)

CJ Spiller

It would stand to reason that a team who has failed to make the playoffs for thirteen consecutive seasons might begin to accumulate very talented players. The system is set up to reward the worst teams with the best upcoming talent. So it’s not completely unbelievable to say that there are some very talented players on the Buffalo Bills roster.

But then, we also have the history of the past thirteen years. We know what the Buffalo Bills do with that talent. Generally, they squander it.

And sadly, players like Eric Moulds, Lee Evans, Aaron Schobel, and a healthy amount of other players have toiled in relative NFL obscurity because of their team’s lack of success. One could ply the chicken-or-the-egg argument here, of course. Couldn’t lack of team success be a result of a lack of talent? (And thus, that deserved obscurity.) Perhaps.

But I’m going to say that many players who’ve donned the Red, White and Buffalo Blue have been unfairly forgotten by much of the NFL universe because of the black hole that this franchise has been for so long.

Now, despite this reputation—which again, is quite well-earned—the Buffalo Bills roster boasts some true NFL stars. CJ Spiller became a well-known name last year as he continually ripped off really long, electrifying runs—true highlight reel material.

Stevie Johnson is the only Buffalo Bills receiver to post consecutive, thousand-yard seasons. Only. Ever. On a list that includes all-time favorite Andre Reed, Hall of Famer James Lofton, and the aforementioned Eric Moulds. And Stevie’s done it THREE consecutive seasons. WITH Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards. Guys. There’s something … a LOT… to that. He’s really good!

FS Jairus Byrd, Buffalo BillsOn defense, the backfield boasts two relatively young NFL stars: Jairus Byrd and Stephon Gilmore. Who? Again, the obscurity of ineptitude. Jairus (who just signed his Franchise Tag Tender contract while I was finishing up this article!) is a Pro Bowl safety, who led the league in interceptions in his rookie season. He continues to be the “ball hawk” type, aided by his fellow backfield mate, Stephon Gilmore. Only entering his second year in the league, Gilmore has already been labeled a “shut down corner”, which just means he’s really good.

Don’t forget $100M Mario Williams is on this team, and, DT Kyle Williams, whom many feel is the best player on the Bills defense—maybe the team!

And, while you can’t call rookies “stars” just yet, don’t forget that EJ Manuel brings some level of “star power”, as do Kiko Alonzo, an aggressive and talented MLB, and super-speedy WRs Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin (who already has a 107-yard kick return TD on his NFL stat sheet!). This whole team looks really, blazingly fast!

In addition to the draft, the Bills actually seem to have done pretty well in other offseason moves with the line-backer pair, Jerry Hughes and Manny Lawson creating consistent pressure (havoc!) in training camp and the first two preseason games.

These players will not be the “face of the franchise” yet, other than Manuel, but they may be someday soon.

bills-d

Cool Heads Prevail

All I am trying to say is, this year’s version of the Buffalo Bills will almost certainly be intriguing.

They are a completely different team. Wholly. The only parts that remain from any years past (including only one season ago) are what most would consider the best parts (Spiller, Jackson, Johnson, Byrd, Williams, Gilmore, etc.) They even released K Rian Lindell this week. He’d been the Bills kicker for 10 seasons, leaving the franchise as the most accurate kicker in its history, and only 38 points away from being its highest all-time scorer, too.

From players to coaches, to general manager, to the man calling the organizational shots: these are not the same Buffalo Bills.

And honestly, that is what is intriguing. I have no idea if they will win. I think they can? But I have no idea. I have no reason to think that they won’t, simply because these people who are wearing the Bills’ colors are nearly all NOT the people who have been for the past 10-15 years of complete incompetence. That seems like a good thing!

The season starts in just a few weeks, and you can bet that we long-time Bills fans will be clad in red-white-and-blue at 1pm on September 8th, anxious to see what this rendition of our Bills can do.

We’ll find out soon!

Go Bills!

Categories
Family Sports

A Visit to the 2013 Buffalo Bills Training Camp

For a decade now, in what is certainly an annual tradition for the Campbell family, we welcome each new Buffalo Bills season by attending the first (and several more) training camp practices.

The practices are held at St. John Fisher College (our old stomping grounds … Ian was practically born there!) and are full of so many fun things to do and see—all for only a couple bucks![1. The event is free, but you have to be shuttled there on busses. Adults (12 and up) pay $1 each to ride the bus. Not too bad!]

Buffalo Bills Training Camp 2013 - St. John Fisher College

The allure of this event is not just football. Sure, that’s the main draw, and we Campbells are always excited about Buffalo Bills football. (It’s true. We may have a problem…) But beyond watching the players practice in groups and as a team, sometimes only a few feet away from you, there are activities galore!

ej-manuel-bills-training-camp

buffalo-bills-qbs

The Campbell kids (and many others) love the Interactive Zone. This is a section of the campus dedicated to inflatable, football-themed fun! You can run through inflated obstacle courses, kick field goals through photographic goal posts, throw touchdowns into giant images of CJ Spiller and Stevie Johnson, and many more super-fun activities. (We often end up spending as much time here as we do watching football!)

cam-em-bills-camp

There are several other vendors at the Training Camp, also, and most of them have some sort of giveaways. One of our first stops every year is the “Plinko”-style game at the Verizon booth. Some of their prizes include mini-footballs (handy for autographs!), stickers resembling “eye blacks”, and this year, bead necklaces in the Bills’ team colors.

Speaking of autographs, certainly one highlight for the older boys is flagging down players and coaches to sign anything and everything they can think of. The players will often come over to the fences where the eager fans are lined up with their Sharpees and jerseys, footballs, programs, and every other sign-able thing.

Bills Rookie QB, E.J. Manuel signs Cam's blue football—with a personalized birthday message!
Bills Rookie QB, E.J. Manuel signs Cam’s blue football—with a personalized birthday message!

The Bills also have a tent set up where three or four lines are formed for scheduled autograph sessions for specific players. This year the Campbell kids got photos and autographs of the QBs and some of the DBs in the Autograph Tent.

Bills DB, Leodis McKelvin, posing for a photo with Alex (and signing his autograph book)
Bills DB, Leodis McKelvin, posing for a photo with Alex (and signing his autograph book)

It’s not just limited to players, though. This year the boys even managed to flag down Peter King of Sports Illustrated (and a few other publications/media outlets) and get him to sign an item or two. Bills reporter, Chris Brown, and a few other lesser-known media members have also penned their names to one or more of the Campbell brothers’ possessions!

campbell-kids-bills

Bills Training Camp is definitely one of the highlights of the summer for us. It also signals the end of summer, and the beginning of fall. (The best season of them all!)

What will 2013 hold for this Buffalo Bills team? Not sure. There’s been so much change here. (Did you read my post from early July about this year’s Bills team?) It really does seem promising. At least it will be different.

In the end, it’s just fun. Like training camp. Fun!

Kirsten said today, “Sports are weird. They just… try to get this ball across these painted lines…”

Yep. Pretty much. 🙂

But we still find the fun.

Go Bills!

buffalo-bills-offense-training-camp

Categories
Sports

All Quiet on the Western (NY) Front

empty-sabres-locker-room

The ice has been silent for a couple months now. The offseason football personnel moves have been made, and practices have come and gone.

The end of June brings near complete silence in the two worlds of professional sports in Buffalo, NY. In the 24/7/365 sports world that America seems to currently inhabit, this is definitely a unique time of the year!

The silence will end this weekend as the NHL Draft will take center stage. Not long after that will be the free agent “frenzy” that occurs every July. And at the end of the month, the Buffalo Bills will hold their first public practice of 2013 at St. John Fisher College, here in Rochester, NY.

But for now, the sports talk radio guys don’t have much to talk about during their sixty-eight hours every week of live programming, other than their own rumors and speculation. (It’s kinda funny, in a sad way…)

The Buffalo Sabres: Who’s Next?

The Sabres, who have missed the playoffs more than they have made them in the past five seasons or so, are “rebuilding”. Their management says it could be a painful process. (Nice vote of confidence!) But some teams have proven otherwise. A few recent Stanley Cup champs were at the bottom of the league—lower than the Sabres—just two to five seasons back. The turnaround could happen quicker than the most dire predictions predict.

The word on the street (or, rather, the internet) is that the draft on Sunday is rather deep. Like, three-rounds-of-great deep. That should be quite encouraging to Sabres fans, as the team has five picks in the first three rounds, and two star players that are very likely to be traded (for potentially more picks, as well as players). They are in a good position to really improve their team, and do so quickly.

There was talk of the team with the first overall pick being willing to make a trade, but that doesn’t look very likely; they plan to use it. And while Nathan MacKinnon seems like he’ll be a very good player (even Rick Jeanneret think so), there’s a young kid—only sixteen—who already has the signs of being “the next Sidney Crosby“.

With the draft, you never know. You really never know.

One thing we know for certain is that the Sabres will look pretty different in the 2013/2014 season. That began last year with the firing of Lindy Ruff, whom some figured to be the Sabres coach until he wanted to leave. Add to that the past two seasons of dumping core guys like Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, even Paul Gaustad… and then the potential trades of Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek—this team will look different.

Hopefully they will also play “different”.

Buffalo Bills 2013

The Buffalo Bills: Retool Complete?

Speaking of “different”…

Just down the 219 in Orchard Park, NY, the Buffalo Bills have been not-so-quietly overhauling their franchise, as well. The swift changes started last December with the firing of Chan Gailey and his entire staff, and after a fairly exhaustive coaching search—even though it only lasted little more than a week—the Bills hired their new coach, Doug Marrone, and their feet have barely hit the ground since.

Last year’s QB Ryan Fitzpatrick—a four-year starter for the Bills—is gone, so are many of the players who have been around for a while here. Several veterans retired or were released, leaving a very young, very new-looking roster.

There are still some recognizable faces: CJ Spiller, Stevie Johnson, Mario Williams… but the Buffalo Bills are sporting a vastly new look, much like their Buffalo pro-sports cousins, the Sabres.

The Bills always start out with the somewhat severe handicap of playing in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s division, but things don’t look that great for them (on many levels). That leaves the Jets (Ha!) and the Dolphins, the latter having done some major retooling themselves this offseason.

So when football starts in earnest on July 28th for the Bills, there is really no telling what the new season will bring. Really. Of course, you never know what will come, but this year: new coaches, new defensive and offensive schemes, new general manager, new quarterback(s), and plenty of other new players at plenty of other positions.

These guys will be wearing the familiar uniforms of the Buffalo Bills, but in large part, they are a completely different team!

That seems to be the word for the Buffalo teams, huh?

Think Different

Apple used the phrase “Think different.” in the 1980s when they were the upstart, rebel computer company—which, eventually changed the technological world, no?

The Bills and Sabres are trying hard to copy that success in their own “different” ways.

While they have both become perennial losers—indeed, laughing stocks; Bills more than Sabres—they could both be on the fast track to being perennial contenders. They actually do both have some critical pieces in place for that, and certainly these completely new casts of characters.

I know I’m ever the optimist, but this really could be interesting…

Let’s go Buffalo!

(Ahem… when everything starts up again, I mean…) 🙂

Categories
Sports

Are Buffalo Sports Eternally Doomed?

Aaron Maybin, Bills First Round BustThe Buffalo Sabres got their first win in five tries last night. It came by way of a(nother) great performance by goalie Ryan Miller. They have seven wins in this lockout-shortened season. Strangely, they are currently the worst team in the Eastern Conference, and yet they are only four points out of the final playoff spot.

The level of ineptitude (and apparent apathy) that they have displayed thus far was actually sufficient to cause the organization to fire their coach of sixteen years. (Which, honestly, even though it happens all the time in the league, many people in Buffalo figured it would never happen here!)

And now, the Buffalo Bills, who cleaned house at the end of the last season, are potentially not going to draft a quarterback in the first couple rounds?

Are we ever going to see a championship team here in Buffalo?

They really have come close. Obviously the Bills in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, a Ronnie Harmon catch away from six straight AFC Championship games. SIX, people! And the four straight Super Bowl appearances will likely never be rivaled. And, the Hall of Fame inductees from that team keep coming.

Tyler Myers - SabresThe Sabres have a couple Stanley Cup Finals appearances to their credit. (But no Cup…) They have a President’s Trophy (first place in the league for the regular season) and that team had some really notable names… but they are all gone.

Now names like Tyler Myers, and Tyler Ennis, and Stafford, Foligno, Enroth, Grigorenko, Brennan, McNabb, Adam, and on and on, are leaving a bad taste in the mouths of Buffalo sports fans everywhere.

Why can we never catch a break?

Free Agency is coming up for the Buffalo Bills. It begins on March 12th. The draft follows that in late April. The NHL trade deadline is much later than usual this year (because of the shorter season) at April 3rd. The Sabres’ deal makers have repeatedly stated that they are interested in making moves, “but we need to have a partner. It’s not like XBox.”

Since late last year, the Bills have said they want to draft a top-notch QB.

But since the new coaching staff has come in, they have been releasing (or not re-signing) veteran players at an alarming rate. This leads one to believe that they will use the draft to fill those holes. (Oh, and they also re-signed QB Tarvaris Jackson, and “reinstated” QB Ryan Fitzpatrick by publicly announcing that he and Jackson will compete for the starting job.)

With so many “new” holes, and making that move at quarterback (along with what most who follow the draft say is a “weak” class of QBs) does that mean that the Bills won’t draft a QB in the first couple rounds??

It may not even matter.

Unfortunately, the Bills’ recent track record with the draft goes something like this:

  • 2012: Stephone Gilmore, Cordy Glenn, T.J. Graham
  • 2011: Marcell Dareus, Aaron Williams, Kelvin Sheppard
  • 2010: C.J. Spiller, Torrell Troup, Alex Carington
  • 2009: Aaron Maybin, Eric Wood, Jairus Byrd, Andy Levitre
  • 2008: Leodis McKelvin, James Hardy, Chris Ellis
  • 2007: Marshawn Lynch, Paul Posluszny, Trent Edwards

No QBs. And not a great list overall, though there are some good players there. (Even a couple Pro Bowlers in Byrd and Spiller.)

It’s a bit unfair to come to any real conclusions regarding last year’s draft (though, it does seem they did get a very solid player with the pick of Gilmore), and one must also consider that there were two different “regimes” overseeing those drafts (Jauron/Levy, Jauron/I forget, and then Nix/Gailey).

But the italicized players are no longer with the team, and in some cases, no longer in the NFL. These are guys picked in the top three rounds.

C.J. Spiller is going to be great. And there’s no way that BOTH Byrd and Levitre leave Buffalo (they just are not currently signed). But the rest…

It sure seems like perpetual, eternal sports doom for this city. For both of the major pro sports franchises.

I do find myself hoping that the bottom really falls out for the Sabres. From what I’ve read, there are three really good prospects in the 2013 NHL Draft. So, if we add one of those guys to some promising young players already part of the organization at some level … seems good, no?

But then you remember the whole Buffalo thing.

It seems like we have a lot of this to look forward to in the near future…

“Tarvaris Jackson throws it deep to T.J. Graham… he’s got his man beat! … OH! He drops the ball and the game is over! I don’t know why they didn’t give the ball to Spiller a whole lot more than they did in that game, do you, Mark?”


“Tyler Ennis makes a move to get around Chara… a beautiful pass across to Myers… OH! He fanned on it! But the Sabres get it back again, Leopold around behind the net… out in front to Foligno…. OH! He fired it badly wide of the open net! Rask was completely out of position, but he fired it WAY wide!”


Yep. Seems to be the way it shall forever be…

Categories
Sports

End Of The Lindy Line

Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres announced today that they have “relieved Lindy Ruff of his coaching duties”.

That is the “nice” way of saying, “We fired him.”

It’s been asked for, begged for, longed for, pined for, and even fully expected for a few seasons now. Sabres fans (and players?) have felt the need for change due to the teams year after year being appropriately labeled “Underachievers”.

Actually, it is only because of loyalty to the man who has spent 25 years of his life with the Sabres organization, both as a player (1979-1989) and as its head coach (1997-2013) that he was still employed by the team.

Strange. Writing that closing date for Ruff’s coaching career felt a bit like an obituary just now.

Prior to today’s announcement, Ruff had been the second-longest tenured coach in American pro sports. Now the silver medal would currently go to Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators. (This could be the proverbial writing on the wall for Mr. Trotz…)

I actually remember the day, as a long-time Sabres fan, when the team went through coaches as fast as their Buffalo pro-sports counterpart have in the last decade and a half, or so. Rick Dudley, John Muckler, Ted Nolan… all fine coaches, actually. But they all only lasted a few years, then they were “let go”.

Lindy Ruff 1998But not Ruff. His record at his departure: 571-432-162. That’s one thousand, one hundred and sixty-five games. That, folks, is rather impressive. Even if you’re not a fan of his coaching of late (or ever) you’d have to give at least a slight tip of the hat to his incredible longevity. (And a winning percentage of .560 over that span, as well.)

Only three coaches in NHL history have coached more than a thousand games with the same team.

The Sabres have replaced Ruff with Ron Rolston, who was the head coach for their farm club, the Rochester Americans, up until about 5pm ET today.

And thus begins a new era.

I’m not really sure what to expect. I am an eternal optimist, and even I have been saying for a few weeks now, “I guess it’s time they fire Ruff!” The players have been lackluster (by many accounts) in several of their games this season. The 2013 season began well, with two straight wins, but since then the Sabres are 4-10-1.

Some of their wins have been fantastic. A 7-4 win in Boston, scoring four goals in the third, and overcoming a 3-1 second-period deficit as well. They’ve even looked pretty good in at least a couple of the losses: this past Sunday 4-3 to Pittsburgh, and a loss to the Ottawa Senators by the same score a couple weeks prior.

Were the players purposely not playing their best or their hardest to force management’s hand? Did they hope to see Ruff’s tenure severed?

No one can know that but the players.

We will now test that theory beginning tomorrow. The Rolston era will begin in Buffalo.

Boy, that sounds weird.

I look forward to seeing a new and different Sabres team. It can only get better, right?

And I wish the man, Lindy Ruff, who has lived for a while now in one of my home towns (Clarence, NY) only the best. Whether he coaches somewhere else or not—the affirmative being most likely—he will be forever admired and loved by the Buffalo community.

He’s a bit of an icon.

And now he’s gone. May he rest in peace.

Well, at least, his longest tenured coach bit.

Categories
Sports

Buffalo Bills: Upheaval… Partly.

doug-marroneToday is Football Day in America. Actually, around most of the entire globe. People everywhere are excited about “The Big Game” played on this first Sunday of February. The best two teams in the NFL—perhaps the greatest sports league in the world—clash in a winner-takes-all contest for ultimate supremacy!

But I’m thinking about the draft, and free agency, and our new coaching staff.

Yes, that is the life of many Bills fans. Our season ends as the clock hits 00:00 in week seventeen of the regular season (but really, it feels like it ends somewhere around Thanksgiving).

Ah, the life of a Bills fan!

But, it’s not all sunshine and lollypops. (Wait…)

While everyone else is talking about Ray Lewis using deer antler spray or the Brother Bowl (Alex calls it the SuperBaugh) … we are discussing the Bills becoming Syracuse West, the Senior Bowl, which QB will be the best fit, and free agent and/or trade possibilities.

And since we’re in football mode… let’s look at some of the reasons for hope here in Buffalo. (I know… I can always find those. But really, read on!)

Heart Transplant

And maybe a brain transplant? A lot has changed at One Bills Drive, and also, not a lot.

The players are all the same. Even Ryan Fitzpatrick has not yet been dethroned. He remains the Bills top QB, though there is rampant speculation about who might supplant him next season. (Will cover that below.) The two-headed RB monster should remain in place in the Bills’ backfield. Stevie Johnson is still Stevie Johnson. The Bills are (as far as I know) trying to re-sign solid left guard Andy Levitre and Pro Bowl safety, Jairus Byrd. Much of the on-field Bills will look the same.

However, starting at the very top, the Bills are markedly different.

First, Bills owner Ralph Wilson—a nonagenarian beloved by the city and the league—has for the first time in his 50-plus years of owning this franchise, ceded control to another person: Russ Brandon. That is truly a remarkable change. A few years ago, Russ had some fancy title, and acted as the General Manager of the team (though I believe there was a more football-minded “sidekick” with equal or more football-related decision making power) … that didn’t work out that well, so they gave him a different fancy title, and brought in Buddy Nix as a true NFL GM. All the while, Ralph Wilson, by all accounts, had daily contact and directives for the team and administrative staff. (Though, he was no Al Davis.)

Well, Brandon has done a fine job with the organization in all areas (he’s a savvy business man and marketing guru to be sure) and so, Mr. Wilson decided it was time for him to “retire” more officially, and he has now granted full control of the Bills organization to Russ Brandon.

Neat.

Once that was in place, the younger, more decisive Brandon wasted no time.

Chan Gailey and his entire coaching staff were fired. They decided to keep Buddy Nix, but I think they re-titled him also. A few other guys were moved around, and then within six days of the start of their search for a head coach, the Bills chose the man you see at the top of this article: Doug Marrone.

Doug Ma-who???

The Bills have done it again! They could have hired someone with a reputation, a record, or at least a recognizeable name! Instead, we get a no-name, never-head-coached-in-the-NFL yahoo … sheesh!

Well, you see… it actually feels quite different this time.

This time… the Bills interviewed the guys with the big names. (Including Chip Kelly, whom everyone seemed to be gaga over.) And guys like former Bears HC, Lovie Smith, were publicly stating that they wanted to be the Bills choice for head coach.

Yes! For real!

The same was true with their eventual choice, Marrone. Apparently the Bills were one of four teams vying for Marrone’s head coaching services. And he chose Buffalo.

It makes some sense that the Bills had an edge. (He has a relationship with the Bills administrative guys, he’s lived in NY for a while now, as head coach of Syracuse, just a couple hours away, and a few other such intangibles.) But truly, that a sought-after head coaching candidate would choose Buffalo over other teams… that says something.

And very shortly thereafter, Marrone began putting his staff together, including bringing in the Jets former Defensive Coordinator, Mike Pettine. One thing the Jets have had over the past several seasons is a good defense. So that hire is certainly promising.

Lastly, the new coaching and higher-ups staff for the Buffalo Bills is young! Some are really young, like Offensive Coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett. He was the offensive quality control coach (or something like that) a few years ago here in Buffalo, but now, at age 33, he’ll be heading up the offense featuring up-and-coming NFL stars such as Stevie Johnson and C. J. Spiller.

Truly, it may not be as visible on the field on Sundays, but this Bills team has had some impressive upheaval in the off-season so far. It seems like that can’t help but produce change.

Quarterback

The biggest question for the Bills now is their QB. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a tremendous start to the 2011 season, taking the team to a 5-2 record before being cracked in half by former Bills LB, London Fletcher. After that, he was never the same. Including pretty much all of last season.

Fitz has guts. He’s perhaps the toughest QB in the NFL. (Maybe Roethlisberger could challenge for that title.) He’s fearless, and has a pretty strong arm, actually. He can really zip the ball into tight spots. He’s also highly inaccurate, or, can be? Not sure how to say it. Maybe 40% of his throws are off-target? Yikes. That just can’t pass for an NFL starter, no matter how many other intangibles he might have.

So the hunt is on for a new starting QB option.

Will it be the draft? Not sure. They will definitely draft at least one quarterback in this year’s draft. However, most reports suggest that there may not be a true first-round talent in the draft. So do the Bills take a chance on a guy with the 8th overall pick? Or do they draft a big lineman at that spot and either trade back up or hope their QB guy falls to their pick in the second round? I’m really not sure. They attended the Senior Bowl and the reports I hear favor Tyler Wilson from Arkansas from that group of six QBs. Of course there is speculation that Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib would be selected by this new Bills coaching staff that features eight coaches from last year’s Syracuse staff! But, again, Nassib is certainly not worth the 8th overall pick … could be be available for the Bills’ third- or fourth-round picks? We shall see.

So what about free agency? Technically, Super Bowl QB, Joe Flacco, is not under contract following this season. You think the Bills might go after him? Um… do you think the Ravens would EVER let him go after this year’s playoffs? Never.

So what other options are there? There is certainly the possibility of a trade. Alex Smith is one rumored option, as well as Seattle’s now-backup, Matt Flynn. Do the Bills want a guy like that? Or should they just put everything on a rookie that they select? Recent history has shown that rookies are certainly capable of great things in the NFL. (This year alone: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson had great success.)

Whichever route they go, the Bills will almost definitely have a new guy under center in September of 2013. My hunch is that they will get their guy through the draft. (That seems to be Nix’s M.O.) It will be very interesting to see who that guy ends up being!

Reasons for Hope

There really are reasons to be optimistic as a Bills fan. Let me list a few, bullet-point style:

  • CJ Spiller: CJ finally made it to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. (He should have been selected as a starter, in my opinion.) This guy is going to be fantastic. And Fred Jackson is actually fairly amazing, too! What a great tandem. I liken them to Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson in LA a few decades ago. Not a bad problem to have!
  • Defense: So, the Bills defense is fascinating. They have Pro Bowl caliber players on the D-line (the two Williamses, and even Marcell Dareus perhaps) and they discovered a new better-than-average player in Kyle Moore last year thanks to injuries. Don’t forget Mark Anderson, who was supposed to be pretty great, too … never got to see it as he was injured much of the season in 2012. Then with Stephon Gilmore, Jairus Byrd (they have to re-sign him!) and a few other very promising young guys—just a couple additions to this defense could make it great. (Not to mention a new guy at the helm, who has had great success in Baltimore and New York.)
  • Schedule. The Bills get the last place schedule again this season. That could be good, until you look at the list of opponents. I’m not sure this is a reason for hope… but it could be? 🙂

In short, we’re in off-season mode already here in Buffalo and so far it’s been at least interesting, if not downright impressive.

New coach, new attitude, new coaching staff, new decision making at the top … add a handful of new key players via draft and free agency … the Bills really should be in contention for at the very least the playoffs this next season, if not winning in the playoffs.

Don’t forget the ancillary things that have already happened here. The Bills signed a new stadium lease (10 years, I believe) and a new 5-year deal with Toronto. (That is a sore subject with many Bills fans, but it does increase the potential fan base, as well as simply bring cash to a team that doesn’t make as much as other teams.)

They certainly are busy. You can’t deny that.

And for the most part, the moves seem to be positive, aggressive, and hopefully will finally lead to the Bills being a winning, respectable franchise in the NFL again?

That would be impressive.

(My 14-year-old and 11-year-old NFL fan sons don’t know a Bills team other than the joke that they’ve been for all of their lives. How sad! The Bills went to FOUR straight Super Bowls when I first became a fan of theirs. THAT is what I hope they get to see from their team again some day… soon? We’ll see)

Go Bills!

Categories
Sports

The State of the Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots Sep 30 2012It’s ugly.

No way to sugarcoat that. It’s just ugly. BUT, as with all things, there’s always hope.

First, though, here’s what’s wrong.

Loser Mentality

There is still a feeling among Bills fans—and apparently among the players, too—that the Buffalo Bills are supposed to lose. In the past, that may have been so, with second-rate players and coaches, and roster depth at next-to-none. Is that really where we are now? What about the offensive line that had the team near or at the league lead in rushing, and essentially allowing zero sacks through one game? What about having the league leader (or near it) in rushing and all-purpose yards last year and this year (before injuries)? (And, they were two different players!) What about Fitz still leading the league in TD passes? Stevie Johnson is the first Bill ever to have two straight 1,000-yard seasons; Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, even the somewhat inconspicuous Mario Williams… our whole D-line! Plus Chan Gailey and Dave Wanndstedt are two fairly respectable names around the league on offense and defense.

This team does not lack for talent.

What they also do not lack is a preponderance for self-doubt, throw-in-the-towel, fatalistic, roll-over-and-die…ness.

Chan Gailey mentioned this in the preseason. He saw it in the game against Pittsburgh—you know, the one where the teams play all their starters for most of the game? He said (my paraphrase) that the team gave up too quickly on defense. They had been completely dominant up until allowing Pittsburgh a third-and-very-long conversion from their own goal line. Then they were just in a daze, which the Steelers were happy to take advantage of, marching down the field for a score before half-time. Prior to that, the defense was truly amazing. After that, they were truly horrendous.

Somewhere on this team (I’m still hoping it’s not all of the team) there is a good deal of “loser mentality” that accepts (almost welcomes) being run over (literally) by the opponent.

Somewhere else, there’s the never-give-up, fight to the finish that we saw last year. But it’s been gone for a while now, and the team’s record shows it. They are 3-10 since last October 30th.

(Note: I offer that statistic knowing full well there are many factors. It is still factual. 3-10.)

Thurman Thomas' Super Bowl XXVIII fumble

The Thurman Thomas Fumble

What Bills fan can forget the four straight Super Bowl appearances? We may try, but it’s still enough of an accomplishment that it’s oft-mentioned with pride.

There was the heart-breaking wide right of Super Bowl XXV, then the dominant performance by Mark Rypien and the Redskins offense in Super Bowl XXVI, the disastrous blowout in Super Bowl XXVII, followed by the deflating fumble by Thurman Thomas in Super Bowl XXVIII.

Do you remember that play? The Bills had a good lead into the third quarter of that game. On an offensive possession in the third quarter, Thomas fumbled the ball away, and the Cowboys scored on the return. After that score, the game was still tied, but that didn’t matter. Somehow (see above) the Bills knew they were going to lose—and they played like it.

The Cowboys went on to score a few more times and ended up with an “easy” win, when the reality was, the Bills had been in it, even winning it into the third quarter.

I believe that same thing happened in yesterday’s game.

The Bills had a good, solid lead into the third quarter. Donald Jones scored on a long TD play from Fitzpatrick to make the score 21-7. The Bills had held New England in check (well enough that they had only scored 7 points!) and they had been able to move the ball and score. All was well.

Then the Pats answered.

They moved the ball by running AT WILL. It was bad. Large chunks of yards. It really seemed like the defense was stunned. (See #1 above…) I think they actually were. They were barely moving at the snap of the ball. They seemed shocked that the Patriots—or anybody—could put up yards like that against them on the ground.

(This is almost a case of the opposite of the “loser mentality”, where they seemed to think they were “too good” for that to be happening.)

The Patriots marched down the field and scored their second touchdown of the game, and even though the Bills were still winning, the entire team was completely deflated and had (apparently) already given up the game.

Just like in Super Bowl XXVIII.

Too Much Money?

Everyone in Buffalo is questioning Mario Williams.

Clearly, the expectations were high (probably too high) when he arrived. He was to be the savior of the team. The next coming of Bruce Smith, forever beloved by all Bills fans everywhere.

But Mario Williams was not and is not and will not be Bruce Smith. So far, he’s not even Aaron Maybin. (OK, maybe not that bad…)

The craziest part to most of us fans aside from just being unnoticeable is that he also seems to not care. You can’t really know whether or not someone “cares”, but he just doesn’t seem to “go after it” as they say. There’s no energy to his play. And he’s going up against guys he should just completely dominate as a former 1st overall pick (or even just as a 6’6″ 292 lb “freakish” athlete, as some of his teammates have described him).

My wife commented earlier in the preseason that Fitzpatrick “doesn’t seem to care”, either. Is there something to this? What’s going on with these guys with their mega-bucks contracts? Is part of the reason for (at least slightly) lackluster play or effort due to the fact that they’ve already made their (guaranteed) millions? Perhaps…

I’m actually (strangely) hoping it’s more due to #s 1 and 2 above. But, when you’re not working to get paid … it’s easy to get a tad (or more than a tad) lazy.

Conclusion

What do we say then about these Buffalo Bills? After week one, they were the laughing stock of the NFL. The hapless NY Jets (who have indeed appeared quite hapless since week one) put up 38 points on their newly renovated, brick wall defense. Then a pretty sound thrashing of Kansas City (akin to what NY had done to them one week prior) turned the conversation around—or, at least, confused it—and all was at least OK again in Buffalo. After a comfortable-but-challenging win (on the road) in Cleveland—with zero INTs from Fitzpatrick—things were looking up again, even to the third quarter of the game against New England.

45 second-half points later, and the sky is falling, the season is over, and all the familiar refrains resound throughout Bills-landia.

WHEN will it EVER END!?

It only ends when this team decides that they can and they will win. Two big (and I do mean “big”) setbacks are the loss of Cordy Glenn and Kraig Urbik will both be out for 2-3 weeks or more. That’s not good news for a line that was looking like it might be the best in the NFL (until yesterday). Add on the upcoming schedule: @ San Francisco, @ Arizona, Tennessee, @ Houston, and @ New England (followed by Miami at home 4 days later)… things do not look well for the Bills.

However, there’s still reason for hope. (If you’re an optimist like me.)

Surprisingly, Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the league—all by himself—with 12 TD passes. (He also has thrown 7 INTs, which also ties him for the league lead, unless Jay Cutler has a bad night tonight… hmm… doesn’t he always?) CJ Spiller doesn’t lead the league anymore, but he’ll be a week healthier next week, as will Fred Jackson. Scott Chandler seems to be a top-tier tight end. We do still have Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus and the rest of the DL (even if Mario is a no-show). Leodis McKelvin has been pretty impressive when returning kicks (didn’t really get to yesterday).

If this humiliating defeat was a good, hard slap to the face for the Bills players (and, if they actually do care about winning) then I expect they’ll have a big turnaround in effort, attitude, and hopefully results this week. San Francisco lost to Minnesota (they did!) but they also shut out the Jets. (In New Jersey, no less!!) So, it’s a tall task, especially if you watched that 45-pt second half unfold. But it’s doable.

All depends on how the team responds to what happened yesterday.

If Buffalo is cursed, I guess there’s not much we can do. Otherwise, I think they do have the talent they need to have a winning season. They’ll have to win at least one more than they lose the rest of the way to do that.

At this point, that feels like wishful thinking. Sunday in San Fransisco, they get a chance to start making it reality.

Categories
Sports

Things Are Looking Rosy for the Buffalo Bills in 2012! (Really… they are!)

Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, Mark Anderson, Shawne Merriman, Chris Kelsay

Yes, fans, football season is upon us!

Tonight the Bills will take the field for the first of four “warm up” games. This evening they play the Washington Redskins at home. (That means that we get to watch it one day later, since we will not be at the game!) If you are a fan of our team, you’ll recall that our quite-sorry defense put on a 10-sack, shut-out performance against this opponent last year! Wow!

Don’t expect a shutout tonight. (Even with a vastly improved defense!) In fact, don’t really expect to learn anything from the score, win or lose.

Preseason games are weird. It’s really not about the game plan, or the scoring, or anything that might matter in a regular NFL game. It’s more about seeing mostly the backup players in “game conditions”. You want to see who should fall where on the roster once the season begins. It’s about “getting into football shape” (readjusting to the quickness of real football, actually hitting people, stuff like that).

At least, that’s what I’ve heard… 🙂

So, rather than discuss tonight’s game here, I thought I’d give me somewhat regular, somewhat annual preview of the upcoming Buffalo Bills season!

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

Believe it or not, there are many. (And those aren’t just Bills-colored glasses!) But, check the reasons for pessimism that follow for the “reality check”.

  1. The Defensive Line
    In the photo at the top of this article—taken on the first day of Bills training camp in Rochester, NY—you see the biggest reason for optimism around Western New York—the greatly-bolstered defensive line! Adding the most prominent free agent (other than Peyton Manning, I suppose) definitely helped. But in addition to Mario Williams, the Bills added Mark Anderson, who had 10 sacks last year. Plus they get Pro Bowler Kyle Williams back, ostensibly healthier than he’s ever been following last year’s surgery. Then there’s Marcell Dareus, last year’s third overall draft pick (who really shouldn’t be overshadowed in anyway, but somehow gets mentioned third or fourth on this line). PLUS, Shawne Merriman seems to be healthy, along with Chris Kelsay. Are you kidding me? If these guys are as good as they seem to be, this defense is going to be fun!
  2. A High-Scoring, Multi-faceted Offense
    I know, it sounds funny. “Who do they have? Uh… Stevie Johnson… and, um… is Marshawn Lynch still on that team?” Right. I know. So far, the Bills (thanks to many losing, non-playoff seasons) are very much “off the radar”. BUT (big but) …

    Last year, Fitzpatrick (he’s the starting QB, the guy with the huge beard) was actually in the top QBs in the league in passing, TDs, rating, etc. Then he got hurt. (After his center(S) got hurt.. and his star RB got hurt… and … yeah. Lots of hurt.) So his numbers dropped off, and people said, “Yeah, that’s just Fitz. He’s not really that good.” But… don’t be so sure.

    Stevie Johnson is that good. Fred Jackson was truly an MVP candidate (leading the league in rushing and close in all-purpose yards through the 10 weeks he played) and CJ Spiller filled in more than admirably. Plus, our receivers may not be known yet, but there is a competition for those roster spots because they don’t know who to cut, rather than whom to keep. (Which is how it has been in years past.)

    Add a one-year-smarter offensive line, plus a couple new players for depth, and, barring injury, this offense should put up some points!

  3. The schedule
    Yes, that may seem silly, but really, it is very much in the Bills’ favor. They begin with three win-able games. First at the division-rival NY Jets (a great game to test/prove their off-season improvements), and then Kansas City in Buffalo and at the Cleveland Browns. They should win at least two of those, because the only tough stretch of the season follows. New England, at San Francisco, at Arizona (maybe not so tough? who is their QB again?). Then they play the Tennessee Titans (Chris Johnson…), at Houston Texans (Mario’s home coming). THEN, get this… the Miami Dolphins, at the Colts, St Louis Rams, Seahawks, at the Dolphins, then Jets at home. THAT is a great way to end the season. Even if they are 5-4 or 4-5 after that second New England game, things look pretty good for a return to the playoffs!

REASONS FOR PESSIMISM

  1. Unproven Talent
    Perhaps this doesn’t need to be said, but, the Bills still have to actually put a whole season together. Injuries are definitely to blame for some of their implosions, but regardless, they still have to show they can do it. Period.

    Can the no-name receivers get it done? Can the very young, inexperienced offensive line perform well enough? Can Fitz be a playoff QB in the NFL?? How about our young secondary? And just who are the LBs again??? Plenty of questions.

  2. Injuries
    OK, this is a weird one, but really… STAY HEALTHY!!! Over the past five years or so, the Bills have been among the (or THE) league leaders in players—important players—on injured reserve. The teams that make the playoffs, and the Super Bowl, have fewer. That said, they also have depth. Until now that has not been true of the Bills, but if they expect to make the post season, they will need fewer injuries!!
  3. It’s Buffalo…
    Sadly, this might be the biggest reason for pessimism! 🙂 Whether it’s the Bills (12 years and counting with no playoffs) or the Sabres (new owner spending lots of money on an already OL-to-good team and still missing the playoffs)… Buffalo seems destined to never quite be good enough.

    The four Super Bowls… Wide Right… the Music City Miracle… the President’s Trophy season with no Stanley Cup. No Stanley Cup. No Lombardi Trophy.

    Yep. Buffalo.

So the good thing about 2012, I’m the opinion of this very long-time Bills fan, is that there really do appear to be more reasons for optimism than pessimism.

Tonight begins the proving of that.

Go Bills!