Buffalo Bills: Things we know this week
With so many different ways that the Buffalo Bills have found to miss the playoffs. For those that don’t know, this dates back to the Flutie and Johnson era. I find myself disappointed in a “bummed out” kind of way as they continue to find ways to fail. I used to be angry and yelling as the losses would ruin my days or even weeks, but I have grown somewhat numb to the many different unique ways the Bills find to lose games.
AROUND COVER32
QB Rankings: Where each QB stands after Week 1
Mailbag On player safety and color rush uniforms
NFL: Packers lead Week 2 power rankings
Highlights: Watch the best plays from Sunday
I had the Bills penciled in with a win against Baltimore on my quest to identify ten wins in hopes of a post season appearance. I did fear our depleted defense could be the downfall. Instead they kept the Ravens to 13-points which is more than adequate. This performance should have given the team a solid opportunity for victory.
I never expected the quarterback — that I could not avoid hearing about on a daily basis – falter in so many ways. Scanning the entire field unlike his college days was on my list of things I wanted to see from him if he is to be a franchise caliber quarterback. Did these tasks get accomplished in some parallel universe football games that no one told me about?
The play to Clay that was successful after the original play broke down. Taylor escaped trouble and made an amazing throw that was the highlight of the entire game for the visiting team. All I noticed other than that was a quarterback resembling Trent Edwards in checking down and taking the safe approach.
Sammy Watkins is the kind of receiver and investment that if he is single covered the ball goes his way so he can make the play, after all, let us not treat Tyrod Taylor like Alex Smith. Get the ball in your playmakers hands.
Don’t miss the playoffs being safe and handcuffing Tyrod Taylor who has so much natural talent. Let him throw the ball. I am not implying you give him Brett Favre gun slinging privileges, but let him take some chances and if interceptions are the results, then work on that when the time is right.
The team that lead the league in rushing a season ago did not find it necessary to keep Felton on the roster — the blocking fullback they courted so aggressively a year ago — but chose to sign him again this week after the week one loss, either because of the injury to left tackle Cordy Glenn or simply because of the failure of the offense overall in week one.
I am simply disappointed. I am quite frustrated. I feel we get lip service from anyone and everyone associated with the team year after year and week after week. I get tired of people picking on Detroit, Cleveland or the Rams when our beloved Buffalo Bills right here in the Queen City that hold the record for consecutive seasons failing to qualify for postseason play.
READ MORE: Should Rex Ryan be on the hot seat?
Things we know about the Buffalo Bills this week:
Good news for the Buffalo Bills is they play Thursday night. This means the team will be able to move on quickly from the contest should they suffer another disappointing result.
Bad news for the Bills is they have only a couple days to prepare rest and nurse bumps and bruises from Sunday’s devastating loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bills were out gained nearly two-to-one in yardage — 308 to 160 — and was successful on only 3-of-13 third downs. The team also committed eight penalties for 89-yards, lost time of possession by nearly six minutes, made only 11 first downs to Baltimore’s 18 and missed a key field goal. Ouch.
On all five of Buffalo’s second-half possessions, the team could have taken the lead with a touchdown, yet never got closer than the Ravens’ 26-yard line. That time, the team were undone by only Dan Carpenter who missed a 49-yard field goal which would have tied the game.
How did the Bills keep the game so close since most of the offense took vacation or sick days? Who approved those personal days off? The offense never turned the ball over while the defense sacked Flacco four times and help the Ravens whenever they seemed to enter Bills’ territory.
The Bills swept the Jets last season. What exactly does that mean to the Bills chances of winning one or both of the games this season? Absolutely nothing. The Bills wearing the red rush jerseys again Thursday is the only certainty for the divisional matchup.
READ MORE: Bills week two defensive player to watch
The post Buffalo Bills: Things we know this week appeared first on Cover32.
