Buffalo Bills: Resurecting an Image of a Downtrodden Franchise

You’re probably wondering what I was smoking when I decided to crop an unfocused, seemingly innocent photo of a turned over Buffalo Bills helmet. 

But as the ‘ole ball coach Lee Corso would say, “NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND.”

See, this photo is brilliant. It’s telling. It’s compelling. It’s the Bills franchise as it stands: a franchise in turmoil, a franchise lost. 

I’m a Bills fan, but this team has been a joke for a long time. The current coaching search has been disappointing, the quarterback play, Terrell Owens experiment, Mike Williams selection and Tom Donahoe effort all backfired. Holy cow, I could go on and on.

The biggest beef, and probably largest of any fan, is zero playoff appearances since 1999. Perhaps I’m a skeptic and so be it, but I have no reason to BILL-LIEVE in this team.

Having said that, as a fan deep down, I’m hopeful. Here are my five highest priorities the Bills and Buddy Nix need to fix if they want any chance at competing.

 

 

1. As it stands today, the Bills are completely unfocused.

 

What’s this team’s identity? This issue, I’m assured, is addressed with the next head coach and Nix’s philosophies. It has to be or success is unattainable.

A GM, owner, president, staff and coaches need a bond and common goals. More importantly, they need to be on the same page, something clearly lacking between the years 2000-2009.

 

 

2. This team needs to find good players.

 

Other than a few studs brought in here, the team’s lack of depth has cost them. Injuries have been a problem, which I will address next, but when players get injured the Bills line up “fill-ins.” Even their starters are sometimes head scratchers. Nix must find talented football players. 

 

 

3. What’s going on with all the injuries?

 

A concern I have is the trend of Bills players on IR. It hasn’t just not been this year. The Bills, to piggyback on this point further, fail to sew up games in the fourth quarter. Are they exhausted by then? A new conditioning program/emphasis on team health needs to be addressed.

 

 

4 . Find a legit quarterback, please!

 

As important it is for football to be considered a team sport, no other position in the NFL game is more important that the man under center. Trent Edwards, J.P. Losman, Shane Mathews, Kelly Holcomb, Gibran Hamden, Ryan Fitzpatrick—yikes. The lone QB who garners any respect was Bledsoe. The Bills have yet to find the right man to lead this team. 

 

 

5. Matter in the League

 

Win more than seven games a season, make the playoffs and this team won’t be considered such a laughing stock. I guess what I’m saying is obvious: Winning takes care of a lot. But it doesn’t take care of everything. The Bills need to brag more, boast about their heritage, not be afraid to make bold decisions.

Nationally, the Bills are never talked about (except when they signed T.O.) in a league saturated by larger markets with deeper corporate pockets. They need to make drastic moves, but not ones that will set them back on their plan. Bottom line from a fan’s perspective is that they need to act like they aren’t just concerned about business, but winning, too. 

Right now, all of these issues need to be addressed, not in any particular order. They may take some time, (especially a QB and they need one badly!) but right now the Bills are on the fringes of irrelevance. Their future is murky, and unclear. They are alone year-after-year, ousted from playoff contention for a decade. 

Bill Cowher doesn’t find this job appealing. He wants to coach again, but in an ideal situation. I’m not surprised he hasn’t jumped on board with the Bills. The Bills need to address a variety of issues as outlined. Right now the Bills should be in heaven. They are the only team currently looking for a coach. Instead, the Bills can’t sell what little they have.

It’s depressing as a fan to realize it, but it’s true.

I hope some day I can offer a brighter review of the franchise, one where I can turn this hazy photo of a Bills helmet into a clean, crisp dome of a legit NFL franchise. 

 

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What Happened to Beast Mode? Marshawn Lynch Should be Used as Trade Bait

When the Buffalo Bills new General Manager was introduced I was perplexed like many fans.

Now that Buddy (…no not the Will Farrel elf) is in charge of personnel decisions at One Bills Drive, my attention didn’t immediately turn to who the next head coach would be. 

Instead, I thought who’s this new general manager bringing in and perhaps more importantly, who’s out the door. 

The first player that came to mind, and is expendable, is former first-round pick Marshawn Lynch.

It’s really incredible if you think about it. In his rookie campaign in 2007, he rushed for 1,115 yards, averaging four yards per attempt on 280 touches. 

In 2008 his role diminished slightly, carrying for fewer yards (1,036) and carries (250).

And 2009 is by far his worst output on the field as a pro. He’s failed to gain 500 yards, and has only 119 attempts since Fred Jackson has solidified the feature back role. 

Undoubtedly, Lynch’s three-game suspension at the beginning of the season hampered his chance to get off to a roaring start, but his off the field immaturity coupled with his average production this season leaves Buddy Nix with a decision. 

In my eyes, Lynch is perfect trade bait for three reasons. Number one is that he is an average back. Second, he’s had problems off the field. Third, Lynch resembles a player from a regime Bills’ fans want to forget. 

I’ll admit, I had high hopes for this Bill after his rookie season. He has a contagious personality. He’s hilarious and a good sound byte.

But it’s time for Buddy to dangle Lynch as a trading pong in the off season, maybe even the draft. 

More so than a new head coach, the path towards rebuilding this inept franchise begins with weeding out the average football players.

Buddy can start with No. 23.

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Bills’ Official Statement on Coaching Search Very Intriguing.

The Buffalo Bills released a statement to address the status of their next head coach. 

It read:

“The Bills organization is focused on the next seven games and the efforts of Coach Fewell, the coaching staff and our players. We understand there will be much speculation regarding the head coaching position, but we will not comment during the process until a new head coach has been announced.”

How big of a blanket statement is that?

I don’t want to put to much stock into this statement other than to point out what they don’t mention here. 

Sometimes what isn’t said is more important than what is.

If I had to venture a guess, the Bills didn’t deny the fact they are considering every possibility, including Shanahan. Without mentioning potential replacements, it appears they aren’t opposed to bring in coaches who demand big salaries. 

This is potentially the best jumble of words ever assembled by the Bills media relations department. 

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Paul Posluzny: Gained Mass in Offseason

I happen to work part-time at a fine grocery market, one where Bills players frequent since it’s location is located just a few miles from the Ralph. 

This afternoon Paul Posluszny happened to drop in, probably stocking up on some dormitory food for camp later this week.

Beyond the gawks from females and every employee pointing him out, I noticed something different this time about Poz.

He’s monstrous. Please, take my word for it.

I didn’t stalk the guy, but he’s noticeably larger than his rookie season when I first saw him in person.

In my estimation, he needed to add the weight in order to compete on the interior in the AFC East.

Posluszny now looks more like a prototypical middle linebacker. He’s thicker and he’s broader. 

Before, I always believed he served better as an outside backer because of his speed and his mediocre size.  

But, if there’s any question whether he can meet fullbacks in the hole, I’m confident that he has the physicality to do that now.

Posluszny relies on his instincts and quickness to get to ball carriers. But last season, too many times, he didn’t consistently shed brute offensive lineman. 

This season, I’m expecting to see Posluszny go through would-be blockers rather than to try and slip around them. 

His talent has always been unquestioned, but now it appears he has the muscle to withstand NFL offensive lineman through a 16 game regular season. 

 

 

Buffalo Bills: You Have To Be Concerned With the Backfield

After Commish Roger Goodell told Bills’ Running Back Marshawn Lynch to take a seat for the first three games of the regular season, attention in the Bills front office turned to free-agent tailback Dominic Rhodes to provide insurance in Buffalo’s backfield.

There’s just one problem.

Is he the starter or the backup?

Fred Jackson has made it known that he wants a new deal and so far the Bills are unwilling to budge. Out of all of the position battles leading up to the season, it’s the running back spot that I will pay most attention to. 

Depending on how Jackson wants to handle his contract will largely impact the Bills offense and those first three games of ’09.

And it’s very likely, with the uncertainty at running back,  the Bills could start 1-2 or 0-3. Looking at the schedule, the Bills face the Pats on the road week one and then host the Buccaneers and Saints.

The Bills were interested in Rhodes early during Free Agency, but the Lynch suspension made it all the more necessary to sign the former Indianapolis Colt. 

Rhodes is a capable backup, rushing for over 500 yards last season, even for the Colts, who were by far the worst rushing team in football.  

But the Bills are only one injury away and/or holdout from facing serious problems in the backfield.  

Rhodes will contribute, but he’s no Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson. I’m actually hesitant to put either of those two in the starting role, but it’s a choice that the Bills are forced to make.

I guess I answered my own question. Neither Jackson nor Rhodes will be dubbed the starter or back-up. It’s a shared venture, a patch-job until Beast Mode returns to the lineup.  

Undoubtedly, the Bills will test both players during camp and in the preseason, but the Bills will probably enter game one with the mentality of playing “the hottest” guy. 

But whoever begins the season lined up behind Edwards will be a decision that will lead all the way to opening night in Gillette Stadium. 

 

Buffalo Bills: It’s Turk Schonert’s Time to Shine

There is no excuse this year.

None.

The Buffalo Bills will enter the 2009 season riding a 10-year drought from playoff action and a decade of, frankly, mediocre football.

Even more so, I turn to the offense, which has gone under tremendous overhauls in the 21st century, implementing the “West Coast” with Rob Johnson, a shotgun-happy offense with Drew Bledsoe and Kevin Gilbride, an extremely bizarre, sometimes conservative, sometimes mind-numbing offense with Mike Mularkey, and now its the second go-around with Turk Schonert.

Needless to say, the Bills have tried everything and still the result musters zero postseason berths.

In his second year as Bills offensive coordinator, Schonert’s job will never become more scrutinized and analyzed than all of those prior failures combined. 

Like every NFL season, expectations are high. But for a team so desperate to make the playoffs, perhaps this year more than any other, a lot is riding on the offense to produce big numbers. 

On paper and in theory, this team has added to its core group with the likes of T.O. and addressed the offensive line and tight end positions via the draft. 

But historically, this team has lacked assertive play-calling in crucial moments. Coaching has cost this team games on plenty of occasions.

The litany of mistakes range from throwing a halfback pass inside the 10-yard line on the road to blowing a Monday night fiasco against a team from Texas that I will refuse to mention.

Now, Turk can reverse all of those bad memories into a splendid 2009 campaign. 

So what do we expect from the Bills this season on offense?

I don’t anticipate much change at all in the playbook. In fact, this coaching staff is so concerned with maintaining continuity, that completely flipping the playbook for Owens’ arrival doesn’t make sense. 

Now that Edwards will have another go-to target, Schonert’s offense will cast a facade. This will still be the same offense, with an upgrade in personnel as the hitch. 

I happen to like Schonert’s approach to the offense. He’s not afraid to throw on first down, and he’s emphasized a good mix between run and pass.

The one beef I have with Schonert, however, is his inability to recognize when Lynch or any other back is dominating. Give him the rock!

Sometimes, Schonert sticks so much to his chart that he misses the fact that his running backs are averaging over 4.0 yards a carry.  

But, if you revisit Buffalo’s hot start last year, take a look at the plays on offense. The Bills marched down the field and they had a plan of attack. 

With Owens in the fold and Shawn Nelson’s presence at the tight end spot, look for Edwards to find open receivers down the field.

Last season, Edwards checked down so much simply because Evans felt double coverage on the outside and other receivers weren’t good enough compliments.

Owens will make Schonert’s job look masterful, when in fact it’s the same offense.

As Schonert told Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks, “I think everybody around here is excited about the possibilities,” said Schonert,  “Right off the bat he (Owens) gives Trent Edwards another weapon. He’s a guy who has produced and always gotten into the end zone. There’s no doubt about it, we’ve got to get in the end zone more.”

I’m sure Schonert will add a few wrinkles, as well as he should. Every coordinator makes adjustments year-to-year, game-to-game, and the best ones do it possession-to-possession.

But, the scheme, the terminology and the philosophy of the offense won’t waver far from last season.

With Eric Wood, the Bills Finally Got It Right

I have to admit, I’ve never been more excited to watch a rookie offensive lineman in my life.

Eric Wood, selected 28th overall, wasn’t the glamour pick Bills’ fans wanted to see at this year’s draft. But it’s exactly what Buffalo desperately needed—a nasty offensive lineman that punishes his opponents and has been termed by analysts as a “finisher.”

Nice.

In the AFC East, Richard Seymour and Kris Jenkins have wreaked havoc on the Bills, but the addition of Wood will neutralize those two from eating Trent Edwards for lunch and gobbling Marshawn Lynch behind the line of scrimmage.

When the Bills hosted the Jets last season, Jenkins was a menace, disrupting plays before they began. The entire afternoon, he was playing on the other side of the ball, sacking Edwards twice and throwing Buffalo’s interior lineman around like rag dolls. Big No. 77 was unleashed, partly because he’s a fantastic talent.

But, the Bills lacked the strength and tenacity up-front to, at the very least, get a finger on the guy.

It showed in the offseason, after the front office realized they needed to shore up the front line, cutting veterans Duke Preston and Derrick Dockery.

The addition of Wood adds instant help to a team that hasn’t drafted an offensive lineman in the first round since the team’s No. 4-overall selection of Texas product Mike Williams.

An extreme disappointment, Williams was incredibly soft. Same could be said about Dockery, a bust after signing a behemoth free-agent deal (seven years, $49 million).

Instead, the Bills smartened up and added Wood, a mauler and the total antithesis of Dockery.

It’s important to see that Russ Brandon and Co. figured out the biggest offensive line doesn’t guarantee success.

Not to be underestimated, the Louisville product is a film-room-aholic. His studious mind-set immediately will pay dividends as a rookie. Already immersed in a pro-style offense at Louisville, Wood will be able to grasp offensive coordinator Turk Schonert’s terminology in no time.

Wood can play guard or center, giving the Bills flexibility as they try and piece together a unit in flux. The Bills and Coach Dick Jauron preach versatility, being able to play multiple positions.

It’s likely that Wood will begin his career at guard for Buffalo.

The bottom line is that Wood is a blue-collar, blue-chip prospect. Buffalo fans will watch a man who loves to take it to his opponent. In many ways, he reflects the city and its people.

Finally, an offensive lineman who wants to take to his opponent and won’t shy away from stating it.

Wood might be a rookie, but he’s already impressive.

If you were to ask me who will where those goofy “C’s” on the left shoulder of a Bills uniform in a couple years, I’ve got my money on Wood.

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