The Resurrection of The Buffalo Bills
Nov 10, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) and Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone (right) watch a scoreboard replay against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Well, it’s safe to say the Buffalo Bills season has come to an end. This year was about as entertaining and suspenseful as listening to Chris Collinsworth talk about Tom Brady during a Bills game on national television. I for one am thankful that I do not have to watch the highlights of Bills games anymore, as I find more entertainment scratching myself in the morning while recovering from a hangover. But enough about me, as there is much more at stake than a losing record.
Chaos brings order, it’s just how our universe works. The same theory can be applied to the Buffalo Bills; although their season was complete crap, our weaknesses as an organization have been exposed into the spotlight and now we must exterminate the infestation of disease from the root if we want to make the playoffs before the next millennium.
This article will be an introduction to the path of enlightenment the Bills must follow in order to become a respected and winning franchise. The first step?
Invest in EJ Manuel.
Whether or not he is the future of the Buffalo Bills franchise, we have spent too much time, money, and effort in helping the rookie quarterback find his bearings in the NFL. Luckily for us, we can work on the issues that hinder his performance as a quarterback as well as work on the things that cause sophomore slumps: technique, footwork, game management, and ego are small factors that combined with a poor performance can turn a first round draft pick into Vince Young.
The relationship between Buffalo and their quarterbacks has been similar to that of Jesus and the ancient Romans; we worship them and place the pressure of the world on their shoulders. When they cannot come through, we hang them on a cross and execute them, believing that they are the fault for our troubles. Which, sometimes is the case.
However, Manuel is not the issue with the offense and I believe consistent NFL experience and an expanding knowledge of the offense will help Buffalo in the long run. The key is continuing to build Manuel’s confidence; give him weapons and teach him to play like an NFL quarterback, not a college quarterback who answers to his coaches like a son does to his father after breaking his mother’s vase. Manuel is the foundation of this Buffalo Bills team and he must be treated as such. Every great franchise quarterback has the backing of his franchise and this is the first step to becoming a strong organization. Invest in your quarterback.