Buffalo Bills Miss Opportunity In Awful Loss To Niners

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...