Snickers Time?

Before Thursday night's Buffalo Bills loss 37-31 loss to the New York Jets, the entire panel of ESPN's Around the Horn picked Gang Green to win without hesitation. CBS/NFL Network's crew followed suit. Nobody bet on Red tonight in the league's first Color Rush game of the season.

And they were right. Not because they really believed the NY Jets were necesarily a better team. Because they appeared to show signs of life the week before, unlike the Bills offense.

If it weren't for a bomb, a few broken plays and a fumble return for as touchdown, the Bills weren't in this one much, either.

After the 13-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Bills were irrelevant. Now, they're just bad AND irrelevant. And may even get worse with Arizona--NFC favorites--and the Jimmy Garropolo-led Patriots, coming off a few extra days of prep time after next Thursday night's title with the Texans.

Yes, it's that bad. The Bills Mafia and the brass that put this team together--the one that won the offseason--are staring at Year Seventeen.

Fans are already duct taping their jerseys with nameplates of Taylor and Manuel and scribbling "C. Kelly" in black magic marker.

They're wishing for the stability of the Doug Marrone Era, punts and all.

They're asking themselves if they wish they had Ryan Fitzpatrick again instead of the Nine Million Dollar Man, Tyrod Taylor. The former Bill and his former head coach-turned offensive coordinator (Chan Gailey. Remember Chan?) skewered Ronald Darby, Aaron Williams and even Stephon Gilmore at times for 374 yards and a touchdown.

Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall--who gave Jets fans a scare with a first quarter injury--each collected six grabs for 126 and 101 yards respectively, while the unknown Quincy Enunwa added six receptions of his own for 92 yards. And even he left the game for for a bit.

Last week, the defense kept the Bills in the game while the offense struggled. Thursday night neither side provided much help save for a Nickel Robey-Coleman touchdown return after Preston Brown stripped Jalin Marshall of the football.

One turnover out of four fumbles. Doesn't exacty off-set almost 500 yards of total offense or eight-of-13 converted third down attempts, does it?

The Bills defense seemed unprepared, even unsettled in their back seven as the former quarterback carved Rex and Rob's defense, and digested just over 39 minutes of possession.

In essence, eff this.

Let us count the ways:

* In the first drive, the Jets fumble twice and convert three third downs with a fourth in tow thanks to Stephon Gilmore holding call. Gilmore would also miss a tackle on a later third down, but the Bills would hold the Jets to a field goal.

* After the 84-yard Goodwin TD which took all of 85 seconds off the clock, the Bills defense returned to allow another Jets field goal at the end of the first quarter. The defense--mostly due to their ineptitude--on the field for 13:35.

* Taylor & Co. put the defense back on the field after a three-and-out, Brandon Marshall caught two balls over the "best secondary in the league"--Darby and Gilmore leading to a Jets first touchdown.

That's three Jets drives, two fumbles, two field goals, a touchdown and zero punts.

* An ensuing offensive drive that wasn't a three-and-out, but lasted due to its own dumb penalties, including a holding by tight end, Nick O'Leary, which wiped-out a possible fourth-and-two at midfield.

* Then another Jets TD drive. Usual suspects: Enunwa, Marshall, Decker making Gilmore and Darby look like the remnants of the John Butler/Wade Phillips purge.

Sure the Bills would follow with a sputtering drive featuring an EJ Manuel cameo, who would later return thanks to the NFL (finally) acting on it's concussion protocol. What better way for the league to say "See? SEE!" than Thursday Night Football.

EJ's fourth-and-short conversion was actually a curse in disguise, as offensive coordinator Greg Roman seemed to giddy-up after the first one, only to set his offense up for failure on the next one, the more important one, in the second half.

Roman, the innovative offensive mind belongs in the Hall of Fake with The Mangenius and the Blundertwins who were supposedly all-in after winning the offseason. Roman seemed to have ideas for his backup quarterback than his star halfback, who ran east and west like Ronnie Harmon and CJ Spiller.

Heck, things are helter skelter now, Bills fans actually want Spiller back. Much like they wanted a Fred Jackson return and consideration for a Stevie Johnsin reunion. Yes, things have gotten so bad that fans are calling for players who were Bills-good, not NFL good, just because...

Just because.

And it's only Week Two.

Ryan Fitzpatrick floated the ball like a backup QB on Super Tecmo Bowl (if you're young or old enough to remember Frank Reich backing up "QB Bills" because Kelly wouldn't allow licencing, you know what that means.) Yet, back shoulder throws and comebackers and slants and Fitz didn't Fitz no matter how hard he tried.

Oh, no. That was the OTHER quarterback.

Tyrod Taylor doesn't attempt throws over the middle, let alone make them. Other than his Marquise Goodwin rainbow touchdown, the rest of his throws looked more Vince Young than Steve Young; capped by the fourth quarter pick usually reserved for the former Bills signal caller, severely underthown and landing into the hands of underrated corner, Marcus Williams. Williams didn't do anything spectacular on the play; he just caught a ball that died on arrival.

Game. Blouses.

Fitz may only have two wins against Rex Ryan, but Thursday may have been the last laugh. The Jets, not the Bills, look like the buttoned-up team that could challenge for a wild card. Let's not go crazy; Fitz will still Fitz. But the Bills aren't even in his ballpark right now.

New Era Field, one game in, is already a punchline. The Cap (ugh!) or The Lid (really?) should have a cap put in IT.

Not to mention, what other slogans died Thursday night?

"Bills Run Deep." Or sideways, or not at all.

"One Buffalo." (Altogether now) When does Sabres season start?

"We won the offseason." Like Charlie Sheen in 2012.

"All In." Who will get the ax--if anyone does--next?

"Going for Broke." Or broken.

"Bruuuuuuuuce." No, that was just halftime.

"It's only September."

Not bellowed yet, but soon, only nobody is buying. Writers and pundits get angry when fans recite obvious cliches like "if they on't beat the Jets, the season is over," but this is one instance where the truth stands out like a bloody glove behind Kato Kaelin's guest house.

(Sidenote: did your household or crew mention the "other" non-retired non-issued number while Bruce Smith got his honor last night? Of course they did.)

In 2014, Buffalo Bills fans worried about keeping a team in western New York had the Pegulas, again, come to their rescue.

In 2016, the Buffalo Bills lack a quarterback, a healthy No. 1 wideout, a situational run game, a defense, a head coach, an offensive coordinator and a muzzle.

(Spare me this is "last year's narrative. The twins have a frickin' show dedicated to nothing but empty promise.)

In 2016, Bills fans need the Pegulas to come to their rescue and actually build an actual team in western New York.

But don't count on it.

Starting with Rex, they still have another 20 million reasons not to do so.