THANKS TO THE 2017 BILLS
One and done.
Jacksonville 10, Buffalo 3.
You made it to playoffs. You gave it your all. It wasn’t good enough.
Thank you to the 2017 Bills.
One and done sure beat none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none and none and done.
You weren’t a great team. Actually, you were a far below-average team nearly everywhere except in the standings – and 9-7 was good enough to sneak into the playoffs in the ridiculously weak AFC (23-41 versus the NFC head-to-head this season).
It was an interesting roller-coaster ride, with a few more ups than downs.
The ups included:
The opportunistic defense. The Bills had a plus-14 turnover differential during their surprising 5-2 start.
Quality road wins over Atlanta and Kansas City.
The revamped secondary – expected to be a weakness – was one of the best in the NFL.
The rookie class of 2017 came through.
A few big-name players who didn’t buy into what the new regime was selling were cut loose. The players who remained bonded and collectively probably overachieved.
LeSean McCoy had a solid season as the team’s only consistent offensive threat and has come to appreciate playing for the Bills as much as the fans have embraced him as a great player and one of their own.
The classic Snow Bowl home victory over Indianapolis.
Western New Yorkers finally watching their own team again in a playoff game. The Cleveland Browns – as if their 0-16 season wasn’t enough – now carry the burden of the longest playoff drought in the four major North American pro sports.
Sure, Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville was a bummer. It hurt to hold an opponent to 10 points and lose. And it hurt to lose to a quarterback as lousy as Blake Bortles – who beat the Bills more with his legs than with his arm.
Some of the stuffy network NFL analysts mocked the Bills-Jaguars game and hoped the rest of the playoff games would be more entertaining. They probably will be. But no game will mean more to any fan base anywhere as Buffalo’s trip to Jacksonville meant to western New Yorkers.
The Drought is over. And the Bills figure to be on the upgrade and could return to the playoffs very soon – with a stronger and deeper roster and with a better chance to win.
Making the playoffs cost Buffalo a few spots in the college draft but it was a price worth paying. For the first in 18 years, the Bills will be among the 12 reigning playoff teams next season.
BYE-BYE TYROD TAYLOR...AND (HOPEFULLY) HELLO SOME NEW RECEIVERS
A popular text subject during Sunday’s loss was the “possibility” of quarterback Tyrod Taylor playing his final game for the Bills.
I don’t believe there was any doubt that it was Taylor’s final game in a Buffalo uniform. I think it was clear that Tyrod would be playing for another team next season when coach Sean McDermott benched him in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman for the game November 19 at the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a gutsy move by McDermott and it backfired in epic proportions.
Taylor was a scapegoat to the very end. Many fans believe he was the major reason the Bills were all out to make the playoffs. They thought he was the weakest link. I disagreed – and still do.
Taylor is an average NFL quarterback. Sure, the Bills would be a better team with a better quarterback. But who? Most of the better QBs in the NFL were on other teams. Nathan Peterman? Some of you wanted him to replace Taylor and you briefly got your wish. The week after Buffalo’s embarrassing loss to the Chargers, Taylor returned as starter to help win in Kansas City.
The Bills scored only three points on Sunday. Taylor wasn’t sharp. But look at what he had to work with. Running back LeSean McCoy was pretty much a one-man offense. Receivers were dropping the ball all over the place. It was a tough game to watch if you were waiting for Buffalo’s offense to get untracked.
Good luck to Tyrod. He’ll probably be on another NFL team next season. He might even start. But wherever he goes, I hope he for his sake that he has some better targets to throw to.
BOB’S PICK: ALABAMA 24, GEORGIA 17...TALE OF THE TAPE
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game Monday night in Atlanta is an all SEC-showdown. Some people believe two teams from the same conference is less than ideal, but I think these are the two-best teams in the four-team tournament and deserve to be here.
Tale of the Tape (rank among the 129 FBS teams):
Winning percentage – Alabama 12-1; .923 (4th)...Georgia 13-1; .929 (t2nd)
Scoring offense – Alabama 37.9 (12th)...Georgia 36.3 (17th)
Scoring defense – Alabama 11.1 (1)...Georgia 15.7 (5th)
Total offense – Alabama 449.7 (27th)...Georgia 440.3 (31st)
Rushing offense – Alabama 255.8 (10th)...Georgia 267.4 (8th)
Passing offense – Alabama 193.9 (91st)...Georgia 172.9 (109th)
Turnover margin – Alabama +13/22/9 (t5th)...Georgia +5; 19/14 (t35th)
Time of possession – Alabama 30 (67th)...Georgia 32 (19th)
Sacks by per game – Alabama 2.77 (2nd)...Georgia 2.1 (54th)
Fewest sacks allowed per game – Alabama 1.86 (t52nd)...Georgia 1.29 (t19th)
Fewest penalties per game – Alabama 4.92 (t28th)...Georgia 6.36 (t82nd)
Fewest yards penalized per game – Alabama 40.62 (t22nd)...Georgia 55.9=0 (75th).
Bob’s pick: Alabama 24, Georgia 17. The Crimson Tide is favored by 4 points.
IS SYRACUSE IN DANGER OF LOSING FOUR IN A ROW?
It was a lost week for Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange basketball team and this week could be just as bad.
We know by now what this SU team can’t do – get into scoring contests. The Orange collectively don’t shoot well enough or run well enough to win shootouts. They also lack depth.
So SU’s best chance to win is to slow things down, play strong defense, dominate the boards – and stay out of foul trouble.
That formula didn’t work last week. SU lost at Wake Forest 73-67 and home to undermanned Notre Dame 51-49. Wake Forest is an NIT-type team and the Irish were minus injured stars potential first-team All-America forward Bonzie Colson (averaging 21.4 points and 10.4 rebounds) and point guard Matt Farrell (averaging 15.9 points and leading the team in assists).
The biggest problem in last week’s two losses was lack of rebounding. SU is collectively tall but too many of the long arms lack muscle. Boeheim summed it up perfectly after the loss to Notre Dame: “Our inside guys are thin and they just punished us on the boards.”
This week could be another disaster: at Virginia Tuesday and at Florida State Saturday. The Cavaliers are 14-1 (3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) and lead the nation in scoring defense (allowing 52.7 points per game). The Seminoles are 12-2 (1-1 in the ACC).
Syracuse entered Saturday’s game against Notre Dame ranked 260th among the Division I teams in scoring (71.4 points per game), 261st in field-goal percentage (43.1) and 319th in three-point field-goal percentage (30.7).
SU figures to be much better next season – more quality players, better depth and more likely to run-and-gun. But the remaining 15 games this regular season – all versus ACC foes – figures to be a difficult challenge. The Orange now are 12-4. How does 20-11 sound?
AMERKS FACE A BUSY WEEK...CHANCES ARE, THEY’LL DO FINE
The Rochester Americans came through for their home fans with two victories last weekend – 3-2 in overtime Friday over Bridgeport and 3-1 Saturday over Lehigh Valley. The wins boosted their home record to 10-7-0-1 (21 of 36 possible points in the standings; .583 point percentage, 13th in the 30-team American Hockey League).
Rochester is 12-1-3-2 on the road (29 of 36 points; AHL-best .806).
Overall, the Amerks are 22-8-3-3 (.694 point percentage). They’ve outscored opponents 113-95 (+18).
Rochester faces a busy upcoming schedule, with four games in six days and nights: Wednesday at Belleville; Friday home against Binghamton; Saturday at Syracuse; Monday afternoon, January 15, versus Utica.
CAN’T BLAME THE SABRES FOR PROMOTING ULLMARK AND GUHLE
The Buffalo Sabres on Monday morning promoted goalie Linus Ullmark and defenseman Brendan Guhle from the Ameks.
I’m sure Buffalo GM Jason Botterill would’ve preferred to keep Ullmark and Guhle in Rochester all season, but the Sabres forced his hand by playing so poorly: 10-23-9 record, second-worst in the 31-team National Hockey League, including 5-10-3 at home. Outscored by 51 goals (143-92); only Arizona is worse (-52).
The better Rochester played, the more Sabres fans wanted changes upstairs. Assuming Ullmark and Guhle have been promoted permanently, Botterill can unload a few veterans for more prospects.
Buffalo ranks sixth in the N HL in average home attendance (19,231; behind only Chicago, Montreal, Detroit, Philadelphia and Toronto).
Sabres fans (and media) have become increasingly frustrated and recalling top prospects from Rochester was inevitable.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Monday, January 8
Glenn Robinson (24)...Isaiah Crowell (25)...David Silva (32)...Jeff Francouer (34)...Jeff Francis (37)...Carl Pavano (42)...Mike Cameron (45)...Jason Giambi (47)...Billy Joe Hobert (47)...Dwight Clark (61)...Calvin Natt (61)...Bruce Sutter (65)...Marian Stastny (65)...former AHL star and Finger Lakes trainer Danny Poliziani (83). Kim Jung Un (35) and Stephen Hawking (76) are invited to the birthday party... Elvis Presley was born on this date 83 years ago (1935) and died in 1977 at age 42. David Bowie was born on this date 71 years ago (1947) and died in 2016 at age 69.
Tuesday, January 9
Michael Beasley (29)...Chad Johnson (40)...Scott Thornton (47)...Dave McLlwain (51)...Muggsy Bogues (53)...Jim Wiemer (56)...Mark Martin (59)...Rob McClanahan (60)...Bruce Boudreau (63)...M.L. Carr (67)...Robert Newhouse (68)...Bart Staar (84). Kate Middleton (36) and Dave Matthews (51) are invited to the birthday party.