Archives for December 5, 2016

'After 2 1/2 quarters of playing genuinely impressive football against one of the league’s best teams, on the West Coast at that, the Bills folded like an origami swan.'

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'The turn of events almost defied description. One minute, the Bills were leading, 24-9 … the next, they were giving up 29 unanswered points on the way to falling to 6-6 and virtual elimination from the playoffs.'

'Taylor used four words or less to answer four questions in his postgame press conference. Perhaps that’s fitting. If he didn’t have any answers on the field, why should he be expected to after the game?'

'King responded by doing a celebration with the penalty flag that earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.'

'The others losses: The 2011 finale against the Patriots (that was actually on Jan. 1, 2012) and a Dec. 4 game against the Dolphins in 2005.'

'I should have known better. Long-suffering Bills watchers know better by now. They have a library of regrettable history as a guide. This is what the Bills do. They raise people's hopes, nudge their fans into a state of belief, and then, as always, they come crashing to Earth when it truly matters.'

'Buffalo simply doesn't have the passing game to compete. The offensive line is talented enough to pass block. Tyrod Taylor adds an effective running dimension that worries defensive coordinators.'

'“We knew we had to get those defensive stops and stay disciplined in our game plan,” Mack said. “We did that and we shut them down well in the (second) half.”'

'Taylor didn't help his own cause by showing poor decision-making and too often panicking and scrambling rather than maintaining poise and finding open receivers. And there were open receivers that he simply didn't find or overthrew or underthrew.'

'The Bills' season is, for most practical purposes, over. They likely needed to win all of their remaining five games to have a shot at making the playoffs as a wild-card team. Now, they're on the verge of elimination with four games left.'

'By quick count, the Bills rushed three and dropped eight on 12 pass plays. But Raiders quarterback Derek Carr still was good enough in the fourth quarter to pick apart the Bills’ zones. Buffalo blitzed five or more on just six plays. In a perfect world, the Ryan brothers would like to attack more than that. Ironically, Carr beat one of those few blitzes for the game’s go-ahead touchdown.'

'The weird thing about their 38-24 loss to the Raiders was the Bills showed no apparent signs of driving off the road. They were cruising along, enjoying the peace and serenity of a Sunday afternoon drive when suddenly someone jerked the wheel and steered them into a ditch.'

'The Bills rushed for 212 yards on the Oakland Raiders. How much more can you expect to gain on an NFL defense? The Bills’ pass offense is barely NFL caliber. They finished with 191 passing yards and had a mere 132 by the time Oakland took its 38-24 lead.'

'This group is exactly what its record indicates – a mediocre, average, .500 team that continues to spin its wheels.'