Bills won’t win until they, and we, know who they are

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, January 15, 2009  |  Comments( 80 )

Buffalo Bills
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There aren’t just four teams playing for two Super Bowl openings this Sunday; rather, there are four identities competing. The semifinal franchises embody a clear symptom of football success, as it’s easy to notice what’s good about who’s left. The boldly obvious characteristics common among the last teams standing are also conspicuously absent from the Buffalo Bills, who should take note of the connection between their lack of face time during the playoffs and their lack of a face.

Everyone left is interesting. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the team that gets what it wants with a daunting 3-4 defense aided by Ben Roethlisberger rarely failing, while their foe the Baltimore Ravens employ a relatively less historical but nonetheless ominous group of play-stoppers.

As for the senior conference’s survivors, the Arizona Cardinals are built around the Kurt Warner Air Show, joined by lieutenants Larry Fitzgerald and (probably) Anquan Boldin; meanwhile, it’s hard to recall a time when talk regarding their foe the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t revolve around how stupendous, faded, hurt, underrated, overrated, or goofy quarterback Donovan McNabb was at any moment. Regardless, he can’t be ignored, which is more than can be said for the Bills for most of this decade.

Importantly, the two AFC teams in particular have remained consistent for ages. The Steelers have been plunderers who offer no quarter on and off for seven or eight presidencies, while the Ravens have fielded a formidable defense for almost as long as they’ve been the Ravens. That’s despite the necessary personnel turnover during that time: Ray Lewis might be more associated with Baltimore than Boog Powell and John Waters combined while safety Ed Reed is a more recent constant, but the franchise’s ability to limit enemy offenses goes beyond the individuals it currently employs.

Conversely, Philadelphia has been wed to one player’s identity for nearly a decade: McNabb’s Keith Moon-style play and personality have defined the franchise since his drafting, aside from the risibly misguided attempt to start the Kevin Kolb Era for a few minutes this season. McNabb is who the Eagles are.

So, who are the Bills? It’s a question that tellingly requires some thought, which in turn is a process that might never produce an answer. For one, they haven’t been able to rely on Trent Edwards coolly running the show for most possessions every single game and haven’t been willing to lean entirely on the running attack, either.

Their faceless offense might be part of the reason why the defense in turn is relatively obscure; still, the other side is caught in a no-man’s land between functioning as an aggressive unit and as a stifling coverage-focused ensemble. While they were good at times last season, they rarely rose to greatness and importantly didn’t make themselves uncommonly distinct.

On the other hand, the remaining playoff teams have each reached the Final Four by keeping schemes over time, retaining charismatic players with uniquely superhuman talent levels, or a combination of both. It’s like learning multiplication tables: You know the answer to six times eight faster than you can think it, just like you know what, say, the Cardinals are about this season as soon as you read the name.

Meanwhile, the Bills aren’t connected to one player or style, and their indefinable nature has resulted in thorough mediocrity. Whether it’s their quarterback, rushers, or defense that dominates thoughts, Buffalo has to find one aspect that defines it, and more importantly stick with it until the definition sticks.
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