Bills specialize in disappointment

By Anthony Bialy  |   Friday, January 02, 2009  |  Comments( 159 )

Buffalo Bills
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On a day when Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson clawed his way for every yard available, his two most noticeable touches came on the punt he fielded in the end zone for a touchback and the third-quarter kickoff he returned for 10 yards. Namely, why did they exist? The team knew he would be called upon to bear the load on offense against the New England Patriots last Sunday thanks to Marshawn Lynch’s troubled shoulder, which means the Bills also knew that he couldn’t afford to fritter away energy.

Yet, there Jackson was suitably dashing about like a lunatic during possession changes, which was as much a sign of his selflessness as it was a sign of the coaches’ unconsciousness when it came to kicking plays. It was just another aspect that staffers bungled, both in the last game and most of the games.

At least the feeble performance of the team’s kickers themselves can be stuck on the conditions and not the players or even the staff’s clueless nature. As with every other Bill, Rian Lindell didn’t score, as he missed his single field goal attempt, while the usually steadfast Brian Moorman averaged a mere 31 yards on his three punts, a rate affected by an understandably sad 13-yard effort after Buffalo’s first possession.

The comical trajectories of the kicked balls appeared to be effects worthy of a "Three Stooges" short, as if Curly had filled footballs with helium for some valid reason leading to disastrous results and Moe thrashing Larry. While there was nothing that could have been done about the conditions short of acquiring the Weather Dominator from Cobra Command, the fact is that coaches could have avoided the wind completely by having their punter run for it.

That would have been a welcome novelty throughout the season, as the uncommonly athletic Moorman bizarrely threw one pass in 2008 while making zero rushing attempts. It used to be that his vigorous constitution combined with special teams coach Bobby April’s daring inventiveness made punts an extension of the offense; instead, the punter just punted almost every time last year even factoring Keith Ellison’s rush on a fake against the New York Jets, and the boredom of predictability is exacerbated by memories of how exciting the plays once were. As with about a dozen other aspects of this team, kicks are now like a loveless marriage: The thrill is gone.

The situation looked worse by comparison’s sake to an opponent that’s willing to spice up things. Of course, the best special teams play of the afternoon was quarterback Matt Cassel’s not-yet-fourth-down punt for 57 yards both gross and net; it was a play last called in organized football by the Syracuse Orangemen in 1987, and it was revived at the precisely right moment.

Whoops, teams aren’t supposed to punt on third down, and nonetheless the Patriots went ahead and booted the ball at a perfectly odd time. That cunning sneakiness that pinned the Bills at their own 2-yard line is why the Patriots are an eternally successful franchise for whom missing the playoffs is an aberration. Buffalo fans can compare their team to New England either in this game or in general and feel great sadness.

Trickery at the right time is the difference between special teams being an asset and a nonentity; the same can be said for football in general, as seen with the two teams in question that faced off Sunday. Of course, the Bills weren’t sharp enough to refrain from forcing their primary back for the day to work during kicks, so why would they possess the sense to even consider that fooling an opponent is an option?
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About Anthony Bialy

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CommentsComments: 159  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
Amir FaSaad		03:29 AM
01/02/2009
Bialy, What were you trying to say !?! Something about STs being inadequate ? Why didn't you bring up how, if NE won the toss,...
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No.2
Amir FaSaad		05:54 AM
01/02/2009
Mornin' 365ers, This kid KILLS me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0QjEeNYpM&NR=1 This could be our theme song when we go to...
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No.3
Steve in VA		10:31 AM
01/02/2009
Good morning Amir & Happy New Year! I got through 1 paragraph of AB's article and lost interest. At this point, I've lost...
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