One Fan's Open Letter to Buffalo Bills' Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson

Let me preface this by saying you two represent the entire Bills offense right now.  If we were to lose either of you, our aggressive offense would revert to the fluttering inept unit it’d been for the past few years before Chan Gailey stepped in.

Stevie, can I call you Stevie? You’ve done everything the Bills organization has asked of you. Despite hype in your rookie season that you would take this league by storm, you calmly waited and developed, as the organization didn’t utilize you the way many thought they should.

Last year, you were finally given your shot and made the most of it, with 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns. Clearly, Mr. Johnson, you are a budding star not only within the Bills organization, but also in the greater landscape of the National Football League.

Let’s find something to equate your situation to, Stevie. Although he’s a much different type of receiver, another entering his contract year was DeSean Jackson. Jackson tried to holdout for a new contract, being a two-time Pro Bowler and a volatile threat for the Philadelphia Eagles, but Jackson eventually ended his holdout when he was threatened by losing a year of free-agent eligibility.

When he returned one day before the deadline on Aug. 8, he had this to say: "The only thing I control is playing between the white lines. I can't control contracts. I can't control anything else." Stevie, worry less about controlling contracts, and more on leaving defenders dizzy, and the contract situation will take care of itself.

Now, Fred. Lovely, workhorse, dependable Fred Jackson. You’ve also done everything the Bills have asked of you since Marv Levy scooped you out of NFL Europe, recognizing you as a Coe College alum.  However, now you’re allowing fans to see the less-dedicated side of you, someone who puts himself ahead of the team. 

Regarding your contract situation, you had this to say: “I’m annoyed by it. I’ve been playing at a high level for three straight years now. I would like something to be done about it this year." First off, Fred, you signed a four-year extension two years ago. Do you remember what you said then? "You can say there was some frustration at times, but I think that's part of the process. Today's the day…”

Frustration is part of the process. You know what else is part of the process? Playing out the duration of your contract, even though that’s seemingly a lost art in the present-day NFL. Fred, you’re definitely worth more than your contract, but that doesn’t legitimize trying to parlay a great opening two weeks into a new contract, even if Fitzpatrick thinks you’re “the greatest teammate of all time.”

The bottom line here is two-fold. The both of you are essential parts of the Buffalo Bills, and the fanbase doesn’t want to see either of you go anywhere else in the coming years. However, the game approaching this weekend is the biggest Bills game in three years since the Bills beat the Chargers to improve to 5-1 in the 2008 season.

Not that you need to be reminded, but the last seven times the Pats have visited Buffalo, the Bills have been outscored 214-53. Maybe, just maybe, you should stop worrying about your individual numbers, and focus on putting up the numbers to beat Brady’s bunch. If you guys take care of that, you are well on your way to getting what you want in the end.  Thank you for your time, and let’s go Buffalo.