Archives for November 17, 2003

‘In case you found a more pleasantly entertaining way to spend Sunday afternoon, like eating all the light bulbs in your home, or removing your toenails with a pair of pliers, you missed the Buffalo Bills hitting bottom. The Houston Texans’ wheezing, stumbling 12-10 survival at Ralph Wilson Stadium wasn’t just the low point of this season, or even Gregg Williams’ crashing bore of a coaching tenure. Losing in such execrable fashion, at home, to a second-year expansion team operating with its second-string quarterback while failing to score an offensive touchdown for the third full game stands as the most pathetic moment in the franchise’s 44-year history. Yes, plenty of Bills teams have lost in heinous fashion to opponents who were supposedly even worse. But nobody expected anything of the teams that won one game in 1968 and 1971, or the two-time winners Buffalo fielded in 1976, ’84 and ’85. Even during the worst moments of Williams’ 3-13 rookie campaign two years ago, there were some signs of improvement, a few reasons to hope things would get better.’

‘Steve Tasker was, without question, one of the great special-teams players in National Football League history. His teeth-cracking hits on return men electrified crowds at Rich Stadium and often provided the Buffalo Bills with crucial field position before, during and after the franchise’s Super Bowl era. His blocked punt on a Sunday night against the Los Angeles Raiders in 1990 triggered his team’s run to the first of four straight AFC titles. He also provided a spark on kick returns, like his game-turning runback of a squib kick against the Raiders in the 1993 postseason, and as a receiver on the rare occasions he was asked to do so. Without question, Tasker deserves to be enshrined. On the Bills’ Wall of Fame. But the Hall of Fame in Canton? Nah. Before sending a nasty e-mail questioning my football knowledge, parentage, patriotism or sexual preference, hear me out.’

‘This loss was all about the Bills’ beleaguered offense which couldn’t score a touchdown against the NFL’s 31st-ranked defense (29th against both the pass and run) in both yards and points surrendered.’

‘OK Tom Donahoe, it’s time.’

‘”You can play as bad on defense as you want,” Wong said. “But if you don’t let them get in the end zone and you don’t let them kick a lot of field goals, you’re doing a pretty good job and you’re going to give your team a chance to win.”‘

‘Former Bills’ running back Thurman Thomas will receive the 18th annual Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Distinguished Service Award in special ceremonies prior to the Bills-Colts game on November 23.’

‘In a season that has featured one frustrating performance after another, the Bills hit a new low.’

‘”They scored 12 points, but they shouldn’t have score a point. That’s the way we as a defense have to look at it. We’ve got to make clutch situations on third down where we have defenses called to get off the field, but we didn’t execute well enough on those two field goal opportunities. We can talk about how the offense is struggling, but we just have to do our part. We could have held this team scoreless. We lost because we didn’t do that. That’s the bottom line.”‘

‘The Texans were excited because they basically strolled into The Ralph with a few players off the junior varsity and walked out with a victory.’

‘Whatever the explanation, it seems like yet another example of how ill-suited Williams is to be the head coach of an NFL team. We already knew that, of course, but it looks like we’re stuck with him for the rest of the year. It’ll be a long, cold death march.’

‘There’s a lot of glee to wallow in today. The Bills have gone three straight games without scoring a touchdown. Painful? Embarrassing? Only for those who fail to appreciate the degree of difficulty attached to the feat.’

‘Despite Williams’ optimism, it does look like Henry could be out a while. A concerned Henry left the locker room wearing a temporary cast halfway up his calf and a protective walking boot on his foot.’

‘Best sign: “Buddy Was Right!”‘

‘Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Mike Williams suffered minor injuries when his vehicle veered off Mile Strip Road and flipped over while he was driving to the game Sunday, said Orchard Park police.’

‘The most telling moment in Sunday’s almost unwatchable Buffalo-Houston game took place not on the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium but off it. With about nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter, with the Bills trailing by just one point and theoretically still in the game, thousands of fans packed up their belongings and headed for the exits.’