If there's one thing worse than hate, or criticism, it's apathy. It's the idea that nobody cares.
Outside western and upstate New York, the Buffalo Bills are mostly an aside. An also-mention. An, "oh yeah. You hear about this? Friggin' Buffalo." Two stories come to mind:
* The Jerry Hughes/Zach Brown mis-Uber-standing (if they didn't want to wait foir a second bus, give them credit for getting to the stadium as quickly as they could instead of waiting for the second bus, making this a non-story) is one that's gained national notice. The other?
*Sammy Watkins' foot. He says he'll play through the soreness caused by the Jones fracture that needed offseason surgery.
National apathy should give you an indication how much belief you should put into 2016. These are people who live and breathe the NFL. Yesterday was their Christmas. But, there's always hope; never a shortage of that in this town. So, here's the wet Bills comforter:
If Sammy can't go, well, start your wish list for 2017.
With that in mind, the Bills have a quick turnaround against a Jets team reeling from another Fitz Finish, despite their defense sacking Bengals QB Andy Dalton seven times.
Couple that with an off-day by the Bills offensive line Sunday and the ankle injury by left tackle Cordy Glenn and Tyrod Taylor could be getting no sleep before Thursday--which is now (yes, in Week Two) the biggest start of his career.
But the Bills aren't alone. The Jets are the ones on the road Thursday night. And the Dolphins, despite their defense playing a solid 56 minutes before Russell Wilson led Seattle back at home, don't have a quarterback after the Tannehill experiment seems to be over.
And all are looking up at Jimmy Garropolo and the Patriots.
Imagine that. Well, in reality, this shouldn't surprise anyone. Remember yesterday's "been there" discussion?
With that daunting preface, here's your Ten Take Monday:
1. There are only so many comebacks in any athlete's career. RG3 better hope he has the lives of a cat after going on IR today with a fractured shoulder. He may return, but by November he'd better hope the Browns are as bad as they were yesterday if he wants to showcase himself this season. You can bet on it. Josh McCown will not lead this team anywhere.
2. The aformentioned Garropolo, along with the Eagles' Carson Wentz, the Cowboys' Dak Prescott, the Broncos' Trevor Siemien, and the Texans' Brock Osweiler showed the NFL they can hang with their new surroundings--for one week, at least--while Browns, Bills, and Dolphins fans searched for tissues and started charting college QBs. Then there's the promise of Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariotta, and Blake Bortles, who shared more ups than downs under center yesterday. Looks like the future of the NFL is in good hands with these gentleman, but with the simplifiation of the college game, it's gonna require much more patience and perhaps--gulp!--sitting for awhile.
And the teams in the best positions to draft developmental projects?
The teams that already have them. Y'know, your pals the Pats, the Packers, etc. Good teams.
That's hardly a coincidence.
3. "What a gutsy call by Jack Del Rio, huh?!?!" Yes. And, if he'd effed it up, he'd get killed for it. There are only 16 games in an NFL season.
But let's examine a couple of ideas here:
a. It's about execution. So if they'd missed, the players are the guys ultimately that should get the flack. Remember, the extra point isn't a gimmie anymore. It's a "likely, but..." But, it's easier for pundits to kill coaches instead.
b. The New Orleans Saints, and their Super Bowl-winning head coach, Sean Payton, were the ones who were unprepared for the go-for-two scenario. Can't blame Rob Ryan for that one, Coach.
4. So as Keenan Allen goes, so go the Chargers? The San Diego No. 1 wideout made Marcus Peters of the Chiefs look like Jason Peters trying to play corner. And then, Allen's knee buckles, Melvin Gordon gets 2015'd, and the Chiefs come back for a 1-0 start.
Can't blame Frank Reich for that one, huh Mike McCoy?
5. Did the Giants really have to win another 20-19 game? And Cowboy fans and their over-powered owner, Jerry Jones, weren't the only ones probably tearing what's left of their locks out when Terrence Williams ran downfield instead of to the sideline.
Tom Coughlin was probably sitting in an NFL office wanting to do the same thing.
6. Packer Nation was proud to welcome back Davante Adams and Eddie Lacy back into their good graces yesterday. Probably more welcome into Aaron Rodgers' arms than his brother, Jordan.
7. Carson Palmer may have looked old last night, but Larry Fitzgerald certainly didn't.
8. Ahem! Effin' Patriots. Yes, we've discussed this earlier, and many times before. And stop giving Bill Belichick credit for not calling a timeout, then calling one 15 seconds after he should have. That was clearly a miscalculation, and for the second time in his career, he lucked out by his indecision.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
Sometimes luck favors the prepared.
Sometimes you can win without Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
When will sometime visit Orchard Park?
Maybe the answer is criterion No. 2.
9. This is America and yes, whether you stand, sit or kneel for the anthem, you can, like Burger King, have it your way.
Even on the 15th anniversary of 9/11.
At least we're thinking and talking. Something we need to do more of by 11/8.
10. No matter what your circumstances--and America is FAR from perfect--you should thank Yahweh, Yeshua and the Holy Spirit you won the world lottery and became an American.
10 Again. The Buffalo Bills have burned out of their last excuse like Rex Ryan discards timeouts.
One local play-by-play voice offered the lack of preseason reps as a possible reason for Tyrod Taylor's performance yesterday.
To his credit, Rex Ryan said the starting defense was pretty well-rested in August and that didn't seem to bother them yesterday.
Except for maybe Ronald Darby, of course.
But the excuses are over.
Want to protest something red, white and blue? Something near and dear to your heart? Something you care about?
How about a Bills game?
If thousands of fans did a sit-out, maybe the front office at One Bills Drive would get the message.
Sadly, it's not the beginning of the end. It's not even the end of the beginning.
It's starting to feel like the four decades Moses & Co. wandered the desert.
At least there's the Sabres, right?
No pressure, Jack Eichel. You're the next in a long line of contestants trying to pull those two sabres from the stone.
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