Bills gained a lot without gaining much

By Anthony Bialy  |   Sunday, January 11, 2009  |  Comments( 57 )

Buffalo Bills
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The yards and scores didn’t often match for the Buffalo Bills last season. They out-gained their opponents in two of their not-infrequent losses and came within 20 yards on three other occasions, but their ability to hang close when it came to net yards meant exactly nothing for their record. This team needs to learn to play sharper football rather than simply play to push the ball ahead for a while.

There’s nothing more frustrating than a team that can put up big gains without putting up big points, and that’s become a specialty for the Bills. For example, Buffalo came vaguely close to doubling the offensive output of the San Francisco 49ers, 350 yards to 195, and put up 276 yards against the New England Patriots in the Turbine Bowl compared to the 241 the visitors managed. And they walked away with nothing from each.

And the Bills came close to evening the territory a few times during other losses. For one, the Miami Dolphins only topped Buffalo by a count of 358 yards to 339 in their first matchup, while the New York Jets’ 297 yards the next week were only 5 more than the Bills amounted. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns amassed 337 yards compared to the 334 the Bills amassed during the most trying Monday night game for the home team since, well, the last one they played against the Dallas Cowboys. How could this team simultaneously hang close and come up short so often?

It’s about turnovers: The Bills were minus-10 in the five losses where they surpassed or stayed close to their foe’s yardage total. A short field for the offense set up by an interception or fumble recovery by their defense is great for both morale and scoring chances, even though it actually hurts the total net ground mark. Rushers looking to crack the four-digit ceiling for the season and diva receivers may not like it, but the team benefits.

Their adversaries flexed at the right moments, too. Take that second Patriots game: The best example of their enemies setting a good example was the 12-yard pass to Wes Welker into the cyclone that set up the game’s single touchdown. It proved that New England wasn’t going to let the game’s climate conditions dictate control; simultaneously, they weren’t about to run even though the Bills and their stacked defense feebly anticipated that the Patriots would.

Most importantly, it was a gain that should have been weighted like an advanced placement class mark. The yardage on that reception proved more significant than any earlier forward movements made during the equivalent of general studies.

The Bills actually taught this lesson to others a few times, as the reverse happened on three occasions. The St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos all compiled more ground during their face-offs with the Bills in of course losing efforts. By fantastic coincidence, Buffalo finished with plus turnovers in each of those games, not to mention that the Chiefs specifically made a great deal of half-bogus advances through the air long after the Bills were only waiting for the clock to make their win official. But they didn’t apply what they learned frequently enough.

Despite Buffalo actually winning a few numbers battles, its inability to peak when necessary is why it didn’t always win the score battle, leading to its season tanking faster than your portfolio. Throw in an unfavorable turnover balance, and the Bills proved that working hard and working dumb can be the same thing.
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