CHARLOTTE, NC— Sixteen years of straight agony. Losing. Heartbreak. It is those three words that have summed up football since the 1999 NFL season in Buffalo, NY. To think the Music City Miracle was that long ago is hard to fathom.
Sunday afternoon’s 35-25 loss to the Redskins in the nation’s capital sealed the deal for the Buffalo Bills, handing them another empty season. Sixteen consecutive years without playoff football.
I was seven-years-old, Bill Clinton was president, Eggs were 0.89 cents a dozen, gas was $1.22 a gallon, George Pataki was New York’s Governor, Wade Phillips was Head Coach, and Rob Johnson was under center the last time the Bills were in the playoffs. Take that all in for a second. That is a long time ago.
Is Buffalo cursed? One would think so.
From “wide right” in 1990, to “no goal” in 1999, to “The Homerun Throwback” that lost the Bills their last playoff game they partook in on January 8th, 2000. Buffalonian’s never getting the chance to mask in the glory or celebrate a championship with their beloved fans.
Forget the four falls; it’s more like sixteen. Sixteen straight falls for Buffalo.
Most upsetting part of all of this, if you’re a Bills fan? Look at the Jets with Rex and now look at them without Rex. This year, Todd Bowles has led the Jets to a 9-5 record with two weeks to go in the regular season and has them on the cusp of a playoff berth. The Bills are on the cusp of hitting the golf course in two short weeks for a sixteenth consecutive season.
Why do I bring up Rex?
Coaching.
Do I blame Rex?
No. I blame his staff.
Rex is not to blame for yet another blundered season by the Bills. He found a diamond in the rough with Tyrod Taylor who has been tops in the league amongst NFL quarterbacks this year. With Taylor, Rex and the Bills may have found their first franchise Quarterback since Jim Kelly.
Then whom do you blame? Who do us Bills fans have to throw this lost season on after an off-season of so much anticipation and hope?
Throw the sixteenth straight season without playoffs on Dennis Thurman, and the Bills front office.
First off, the Bills should have never let Jim Schwartz walk out the door. Former Detroit Lions Head Coach, Jim Schwartz, was the Bills defensive coordinator in 2014 and ran a 4-3 defense that terrorized the NFL. Last season the Bills led the NFL in sacks (54) and were close to the top of the league in creating turnovers. This year with two weeks to play, the Bills have 20 sacks, which is a stat that falls toward the bottom of the league.
How does a defense that was at the top of the league last year make a downward spiral so large, especially a defense with all of its players from the year before returning and a rookie of the year candidate in Ronald Darby?
COACHING.
Dennis Thurman has killed the Buffalo Bills defensive attack and has had players like Mario Williams frustrated. Mario has had 10+ sacks every season of his tenure with the Buffalo Bills, except this year. Mario Williams has just 4.5 sacks this year for the Bills. That is ten less then his season total of 14.5 last year.
The Bills Front Office is to blame for not only letting Schwartz walk, but for allowing Rex to control what coaches he wanted to bring in. And it’s a whole other story if you get me going about how we released the heart and soul of the team in Fred Jackson. There was nothing wrong with the defense last year. No need to change something that is good.
A lot needs to happen at One Bills Drive this off-season and it is time for multi-billionaire owner Terry Pegula to speak up about his team and what he thinks needs to be done.
The bright side? The Bills have been scoring points.
Greg Roman and Tyrod Taylor seem to be clicking on all cylinders. Other than a handful of bad and questionable offensive play calls, Roman and Taylor have had the deep ball more successful then I have ever seen it in Buffalo. Sammy Watkins is playing like the player we all know he has the potential of being, and Lesean McCoy is by far the greatest running back to wear a Bills jersey since Thurman Thomas donned the Buffalo red, white, and blue in the glory days of the 90’s.
So what’s the solution? When will the heartache come to an end?
Enter each year with so much hype; win a couple of big games. Then–just collapse. It is almost this that has become the constant norm in Buffalo. But when you talk to Bills fans everywhere, including myself, the optimism never really seems to relinquish.
If the Bills can work on keeping the offensive side of the ball clicking and work on a scheme that fits this defense, I feel that the drought could come to an end as early as next year. Give Rex an off-season with these players after having a season under his belt and lets see what he’s made of. Ryan did go to back-to-back AFC Championship games with Mark Sanchez… So I will give him a break. It’s the people around him that need work
Even though the Bills hold the longest active playoff drought in all major pro sports, billiever’s still fill the seats of Ralph Wilson Stadium each and every week. It is the fans that deserve this almost two decade long period of pure torture to come to an end. Buffalo loves the Bills and Buffalo is nothing without the Bills.
Until next year, keep on billieving. Go Bills. Our time will come… Hopefully.
Michael Loffredo 