The 2011 Buffalo Bills – Now Or Never

By Ron Bullard

Let me begin by saying hello to the most loyal fanbase in all of professional sports. So much so that Chris Berman needs to change his quote to “nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills and their fans”. You guys are great please continue to do what you do.

Which brings me to the point of the article (Now Or Never), as bad as it may look right now, you must keep in mind there’s a lot of football left to be played. With that being said, however, it’s time for the Bills to make their stand. If they were to run the table it would give them a 10-n-6 record on the year and it would give them a sense of respectability around the league. But unless the teams ahead of them (Bengals, Steelers, Jets) collapse down the stretch that finish may not get them where they want to be which. is the playoffs.

Now from what I saw this past Sunday in New York I feel as though the Bills still have one more solid run in them this season. They were a few miscues on offense and a few missed opportunities on defense away from stealing victory from a Jets team that I truly feel was the inferior ball club on that particular afternoon. Mark Sanchez was clearly outplayed by Ryan Fitzpatrick, this is a good example of game stats being misleading as Sanchez was 17 for 35 for 180 yards 4 TD and 1 INT.

But in all actuality he could have thrown at least two more interceptions in that game that Bills defenders managed to get their hands on but just couldn’t real them in. Had this happened the outcome of this game would have gone in a completely direction with not only with the Bills winning but winning in a very big way.

Fitzpatrick’s numbers were as advertised 26 for 39 for 264 yards 3 TD and 0 INT and a passer rating of 112.0. Meaning he was every bit as effective as a passer that his numbers suggests he was, and not nearly as careless with the football as his opponents’ signal caller. That’s neither here nor there, like that old saying goes “ hindsight is always the clearest sight” so this team has to now set its sights on the task at hand which is going the rest of the 2011 season undefeated.

A lot can happen between now and seasons end, we’re talking (key) injuries, offensive funks can occur for a couple of games and these are things the Bills can take full advantage of if they (in the words of the late, great Al Davis) “just win baby”! There is no room for foul-ups at this point, there is no room to leave touchdowns on the field and settle for field goals, the Bills must play error-free football the rest of this season for this story to at least have a chance for a happy ending.

“Now Or Never”! No more room for botched kick offs, dropped interceptions/game winning touch down passes, blown defensive assignments in the secondary that lead to WRs being wide open in the back of the end zone. NO MORE!! No more allowing quarterbacks who will never be above average in this league (Romo, Moore, Sanchez) to look like future Hall Of Famers at the expense of your defense! Now’s the time for the Bills to show the world once again they are in fact still the resilient team everyone had them labeled as since their Super Bowl run of the 90s.

Steve Johnson has the right idea. That’s not to suggest I’m in agreement with the now infamous TD celebration but at the same time I’m not in disagreement of it either. The shot in the leg part aside, I love the in your face action by Johnson towards a team that basically called you and your team soft a couple of weeks ago. He took the fight right to the chest of (who most say is) the NFL’s top cover corner, in case anyone’s missed it in two meetings against Revis this season Johnson has bested him to the tune of 11 catches for 159yds and a TD.That’s a catch per game avg. of 5.5 and a yard per game avg. of 79.5. Yes, he made Darrelle Revis look like an average NFL corner and he was proud of it. I don’t see a problem with that! I don’t see a problem with Johnson showing a little disrespect for a team that recently did the same towards himself and his teammates!

With that being said it’s safe to say there’s a “Why So Serious” Bills flag mounted atop the highest point of “Revis” Island!! Kudos to Steve Johnson for his hit back when hit mentality! If him and the rest of the Bills aren’t expected by their opponents, and their critics to come out swinging at this point and time then when will they be expected to? The Bills have five more games to at least tryand right the wrongs of their season, and whether you love their approach or not people it’s “Now or Never.”