What an uninspiring effort by the Buffalo Bills.
They destroyed the last bit of hope anyone had for them to make the playoffs yesterday with a 10-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
I'll admit that I overlooked the Niner's game. I was fully expecting the Bills to win in convincing fashion yesterday. I was ready to be 7-5 heading into Toronto to take on Miami. The Bills played well on the road in Kansas City, why would they lose to a worse team at home?
Well apparently the Bills overlooked the Niner's too.
That term "overlook" is used a lot in the NFL, but the Bills seemed as though they literally overlooked San Francisco.
Were they watching film on the Dolphins last week, I wonder?
My first disappointment is Trent Edwards.
I did not watch the first half, but rather listened to it in the car. From what I heard Edwards wasn't playing great, but he wasn't awful either. He was completing passes to the wide receivers and moving the ball down the field. The game had all the feel of the St. Louis, or Oakland game. The fourth quarter comeback feeling was in the air.
Then Jack Losman (thanks Nick Mendola) came out for the second half and all was lost.
The FOX broadcasters said Edwards had a groin injury, but neither one seemed convinced that the injury was legit. The sideline reporter even said that Edwards told some offensive linemen that he was fine.
Whether or not he was really hurt, I don't know. But in the most important game of the year Edwards was on the bench with a groin strain/pull.
That's not good enough for me.
In that situation the Bills needed their quarterback to gut one out.
As a disclaimer, I will admit that I have never had a serious groin pull. I don't know what it limits you from doing. Is it an issue of pain or the inability to use the groin? I couldn't tell you. But from Edwards post game remarks it seemed to be a pain issue.
Would Jim Kelly have sat out that game due to pain? I don't think so.
I really hope the coaches pulled Edwards and that he didn't pull himself.
We know this coaching staff is inept, but we want to believe our quarterback is tougher than that, and more competitive.
Let's say Edwards did have a real groin pull and told the team and coaches about it, but said I am going to play through it and he goes out and the Bills comeback and win.
Can you imagine how far that would have gone in the locker room? It might have been the catalyst that propelled the Bills into the playoffs. But we will never know.
How bad is Losman? I mean really, how bad?
What an opportunity to come in and play for your next contract. Instead he locked up a contract in the Arena Football League.
The coaches should be ashamed to lose that game, even with Losman.
Where was the deep ball to Evans? That's the one thing Losman can do well, but they didn't throw it once.
And why didn't Marshawn Lynch reach 20 carries? He finished with 16 carries for 134 yards, but four more carries in crucial points of the game could have been the difference between winning and losing.
This Bills team is as disappointing as any I have watched. People have said, "Well at least we aren't Lions fans." Well I counter with, "Well at least Lions fans aren't being tortured!"
Buffalo has a good core of players, and I believe that Edwards is the real deal, but what is missing is a catalyst. That final piece that will put Buffalo over the top and into contender status.
Buffalo needs a good coach.
After the game I discussed with another fan what the Bills should do for a coach. We both agreed that Bill Cowher would be the best candidate, and that because he is the best he will never end up in Buffalo.
Sad, but true.
Lastly, as if to further punish Bills fans for some unknown wrong, the football gods decided to let the Jets and Patriots lose yesterday.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
Just think, the Bills could easily be 8-4 and tied for the division lead right now.
Yet here we are, jealous of Lions fans...
8 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Adam Huczel 7 months ago
Great article! I too had to listen to the game via radio. I did not appear to hear any play in particular in which Edwards may have tweaked the groin. I have the notion that it was a coaches decision to rest Edwards, but we may never know the real answer. As a fan, I would like to hear the explanation for his departure from the game. And J.P. Losman who is resembling a shaggy and awful interpretation of Adam Sandler more than a decent quarterback these days, has been nothing but a brutal sight of sure loss for bills fans. Never do I remember knocking over a tiny radio as I scream "Throw the bleepin' Ball! I would like to see Hamden come in to at least see what he is capable of. As far as a coaching change, I too would love to see a Bill Cowher in Buffalo. I envision a younger more passionate coach who isn't afraid to kick a man in the behind and demand nothing less than 100% effort. Perhaps a man just shy of Mike Singletary, the coach who just embarrassed the heck out of us! It's time we put passion and fire ahead of a scholar brain for once. (A combination would be fantastic!)
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Garrett Hirschman 7 months ago
Bill Cowher would be a perfect fit. He would bring that tough hard nose defensive style to Buffalo and he would use Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson like they should be used. He would fire up the team and turn us into a playoff team. I think with our current roster he could get us into the playoffs.
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Jarrod Seybolt 7 months ago
I realized something about the Bills today. I had previously been disheartened by the Bills choice to play in Toronto, however after seeing the next listed NFL game to be played in London it made me thing how smart the Bills choice was. They will never be one of those teams that has to go across the ocean to play a game. So when watching the Dolphins game just think that instead of being in London the Bills will be in Toronto which is at least close to home and should be the majority of Bills fans. As for the Niners games I think to myself 54 points then 3 points? HOW? Bills need new coaching and Cowher would be perfect however he would never. The Bills need a hot head coach who will show emotion and light a fire up under them. Call out the poor play and not just say "yada yada growing pains" as every excuse. Jauron cant even challenge correctly, in fact I'm not even sure if he knows what the red flag is for. I dont know who the Bills would find but I'm sure there is a better fit out there.
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Garrett Hirschman 7 months ago
We lost because we out thought ourelves and our starting quarterback wouldn't man up and lead this team to a victory. Bill Cowher is the perfect fit for Buffalo. We are a good coach away from being a playoff team. And we all have seen Bill Cowher get hot headed. The problem is that Ralph will never pay his asking price, which I have heard to be $8 million per year. But think to yourself, have we ever had a Super Bowl winning coach in Buffalo? NO! Perhaps a coach who has won before can do it again, no? My guess is that Jim Fassel, or Brian Billick, (who might not be awful) is going to be our guy.
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Matt James 7 months ago
My thoughts on a new coach that the Ralph may interview if he wanted to move in that direction would be......
1. Romeo Crennel
2. Matt Millen
3. Joe Buck
4. That guy from Orchard Park that just won NYS football champioship
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Garrett Hirschman 7 months ago
HAHA, I like those choices, but your missing some big names like, Steve Spurrier, Bobby Petrino, Bill Callahan, and Scott Linehan. Those are the big names we need;)
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Jeremiah Griffin 7 months ago
Seemed to be popular opinion that Trent Edwards was benched because the Bills thought JP Losman could get something going on offense in the second half. I don't know why they thought that. The Bills moved the ball they just didn't score.
If Edwards does have a groin pull, that is painful. I had a very serious groin pull when I played college basketball, and I was out for 3 weeks....
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Garrett Hirschman 7 months ago
Thats the part I don't know about, the groin pull. If it was that bad then what could they do I guess.
That still doesn't excuse Losman's bad play, and the fact that Lynch wasn't used more with the backup QB in. If your backup can't get more han three points against a defense that bad, then he needs to be the third guy for sure. Thanks for the comment.
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