Schneck’s absence being felt by Bills

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, December 25, 2007  |  Comments( 14 )

Buffalo Bills
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Out of all the individual positions in the NFL, long snapper is easily the most anonymous. The only time fans and media really care about the position is when the person filling the role fails to do his job. When a long snapper succeeds, it's viewed as routine; however, when the snapper fails -- especially at a critical juncture -- he is vilified.

Because of the position's anonymity and blandness, few batted so much as an eyelash when the Buffalo Bills released onetime Pro Bowl snapper Mike Schneck in early September. Schneck, although a relative unknown, was a key piece to the special teams puzzle in Buffalo for two seasons, but head coach Dick Jauron and his staff couldn't find a roster spot for the 30-year-old entering the 2007 campaign. After he was cut by the Bills, Schneck signed with Atlanta, his third team in nine years.

Late this season, Schneck's absence is noticeable in Buffalo, which has lost two games in a row largely because of its long snapper's inability to perform at a satisfactory level. Ryan Neill, a former defensive end, was plugged into Schneck's role entering the season, and because the 25-year-old fared well, nobody really noticed him. Now, though, Neill is clearly hindering the Bills.

During the Bills' 8-0 loss to Cleveland two Sundays ago, Neill snapped the ball well over punter Brian Moorman's head near the opponent's end zone, and it led to a key second-quarter safety for the Browns, who took a 5-0 lead in blizzard conditions.

As if that wasn't enough, Neill had yet another poor snap in a loss to the New York Giants this past weekend. With Buffalo leading 14-0 in the second quarter (in horrid weather conditions yet again), Neill bounced the ball toward Moorman, who was taken down by the Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw at the Bills' 23-yard line. Five plays later, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs found the end zone from 6 yards out and cut the Bills' lead in half. From there, New York outscored the Bills by 24 and won the game 38-21. Unfortunately for Neill, his failure clearly handed the then-listless Giants momentum and indirectly gave them enough confidence to fight back from a 14-point deficit and blow out the Bills.

Although a long snapper isn't the most appealing player in football, how well he does can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing. The 7-8 Bills have found that out late this season, and they'll need to find a replacement for Neill, one capable of handling poor conditions, for next year.

Frankly, expecting a reserve defensive end to fill a Pro Bowler's role seamlessly wasn't fair of Buffalo's coaching staff in the first place. Jauron took a foolish, unnecessary gamble, and it's now costing his team dearly.

Happy holidays from RealFootball365.com
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CommentsComments: 14  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Grant W		02:44 AM
12/25/2007
It was stupid of Dick and Co. to let Schneck go as Neill has really done nothing of any extra value beyond long snapping, and any...
No.2
petertghedog		09:16 AM
12/25/2007
My brother and I said that was an stupid move when they made it, and now it's killing us big time. Ivy league thinking?
No.3
Bob D.		10:09 AM
12/25/2007
I do not have a problem with Neill. Remember back to earlier in the season, with injuries and Hargrove out, there was more than...
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