Wednesday, January 05, 2005
I let myself get caught up with the Bills, and as a result spent an irritating Sunday afternoon that might have been better occupied by almost anything else. I did it in spite of knowing (a) that the Bills' run came against inferior competition; and (b) that Pittsburgh really is probably the best team in the league right now. Gregg Esterbrook breaks it down into smaller pieces: "Though the Bills sure made the second half of their season interesting, on the year they only beat two teams that finished with a winning record. Buffalo had boasted about scoring more points than Indianapolis over the previous six games, but yet the Buffalo offense recorded only seven points in the second half as starter after Pittsburgh starter bowed out of the contest. Buffalo has boasted a lot about its highly ranked defense, but in the club's three meetings with elite teams -- New England twice, then Pittsburgh -- the Bills surrendered 89 points. Anyway if you can't hold a lead against the other team's practice squad in the fourth quarter at home with a playoff invitation on the line, you do not belong in the postseason."
One further note: nobody seems to have mentioned it, but all of the Steelers subs-- and particularly Tommy Maddox-- were highly motivated. This was not an instance of getting some playing time for a bunch of guys with no experience-- this was a bunch of guys who have started, or would start for a number of good teams, playing to demonstrate exactly that. McGahee and Reed are a good foundation, the coaching staff seems to have a clue, the D is solid, likewise Special Teams (and the O-Line was better than expected). I hate to admit it, but Jerry Sullivan may be right. The hardest thing to get in the NFL is an elite QB, and the Bills don't seem to have one.
One further note: nobody seems to have mentioned it, but all of the Steelers subs-- and particularly Tommy Maddox-- were highly motivated. This was not an instance of getting some playing time for a bunch of guys with no experience-- this was a bunch of guys who have started, or would start for a number of good teams, playing to demonstrate exactly that. McGahee and Reed are a good foundation, the coaching staff seems to have a clue, the D is solid, likewise Special Teams (and the O-Line was better than expected). I hate to admit it, but Jerry Sullivan may be right. The hardest thing to get in the NFL is an elite QB, and the Bills don't seem to have one.
