Twenty years later, today’s Bills try to repeat history

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, August 09, 2007  |  Comments( 21 )

 Buffalo Bills
As they were 20 years ago after the 1986 season, today's Buffalo Bills are attempting to keep improving as they try to overcome a few years of stinking. That's the nicest way to refer to each preceding era without cussing, as the back-to-back 2-14 seasons of the mid-1980s were miserable in a distinct but identifiable way to fans who have endured...
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CommentsComments: 21
 No.1
Nate		 10:01 AM
08/09/2007
Marv Levy was quoted as saying something to the effect of, "I used to tell myself after a loss, if we had only made one or two more good plays..., and then I realized what I was really saying was if we only had one or two more good players". In other words even great coaches need great players to win. The combined efforts of Bill Polian, John Butler and of course Marv Levy built a tremendously talented roster whose core stayed together through several AFC East Championships and 4 Super Bowl appearances. Of course this was in the days prior to free agency. Now you can build a Super Bowl contender from the worst roster in the league and watch it disintegrate to cellar dweller again through the forces of free agency, retirements and injuries in just four or five short years. It's ironic that as much as we assail Tom Donahoe much of the core of the current Bill's roster: JP Losman, L. Evans, J. Peters, R. Parish, J. Reed, R. Neufeld, B. Ceislak, K. Everett, Duke Preston, A. Schobel, C. Kelsay, R. Denny, A. Crowell, T. McGee, K. Thomas and J. Greer, J.Leonard, M. Haggans and J. Stammer were all Donahoe draft picks or free agent signings. It was also Donahoe who got some of these now key players like Peters, Schobel and McGee signed to relatively bargain long term contracts before they became overpriced superstar free agents. He also left Marv in a nice position draft pick and salary cap wise. So if the Bills do move into the upscale neighborhood of playoff caliber clubs in the next couple of seasons, let's not forget to give Mr. Donahoe his due. To my way of thinking Marv and Dick have three more seasons (4 at most) to get er done before the cycle of losing key players to free agency and retirements begins again. If the team truly shows it is on the upswing this year players like Losman and Evans will be more willing to resign with the team and better unrestricted free agents from other teams will be more eager to sign with the Bills. If they continue their losing ways the opposite will happen. Despite a daunting 2007 schedule the Bills must be at least a .500 team this season and have a very good off-season next year to finish the latest roster rebuilding job. If the Bills aren't a serious Super Bowl contender in 2008, chances are they won't be for the balance of this decade and beyond.
 No.2
RD		 10:25 AM
08/09/2007
Interesting write up. I think you should have touched on how both teams had several games in which the lost by a TD or less in 86 and 06.
 No.3
hondo		 11:37 AM
08/09/2007
Anthony, interesting comparison. I'll add one more similarity: an emphasis on special teams... Let's hope Losman, Evans, and Lynch become as productive as Kelly, Reed, and Thomas (two HOFers). And let's hope some of our younger defensive players turn into legit stars a la Bruce Smith. Altoghter, that's a lot of hoping - but that's what being a fan is all about.
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