Covitz: At 0-6, Bills have been tantalizingly close to victory this year

[Tribal Warfare]

At 0-6, Bills have been tantalizingly close to victory this year
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

Poor Chan Gailey. This isn’t exactly what he signed up for when he was hired as the Buffalo Bills’ coach this year.

The Bills are 0-6, the worst start by a Buffalo team since opening 0-6 in 1985.

They have allowed 34 or more points in five consecutive games. And Buffalo comes into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to face a Chiefs team that is 3-0 at home this season.

“When you sign up, you’re not sure what you’re going to get,” said Gailey, who spent 2008 as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator and served as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1998-99. “But you take it as it comes. You deal with it …

“We’ve got some good football players. The guys are playing hard but just haven’t been able to get a W.”

And with the specter of the Detroit Lions going 0-16 just two years ago, the Bills certainly don’t want to join that ignominious company.

“It’s tough to sit and look at where we are right now and stay upbeat and positive, but that’s what we have to do,” said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who took over as starter in week three and has a 102.2 passer rating, second only to Peyton Manning’s 103.4.

Unfortunately for the Bills, they played well enough to win three of their last four games.

•A 95-yard kickoff return by rookie C.J. Spiller drew the Bills within 24-23 at the end of three quarters at New England on Sept. 26, but the Patriots went on two long drives and won 38-30.

•The Bills jumped to a 13-3 lead and played turnover-free ball at home against Jacksonville on Oct. 10, but they couldn’t stop the Jaguars’ offense and lost 36-26.

•And last Sunday was the most bitter defeat of all. The Bills rolled up 506 yards of offense on the road against Baltimore’s vaunted defense and led 24-20 at halftime. Baltimore, however, took a 34-24 lead in the third quarter before the Bills sent it into overtime with 10 consecutive points in the fourth period.

After Buffalo’s defense forced a three-and-out in overtime, the Bills reached midfield. But Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis wrestled the ball from the grasp of tight end Shawn Nelson, setting up Baltimore’s 38-yard field goal that handed the Bills a 37-34 defeat.

It was no moral victory as far as the Bills were concerned.

“If you don’t win, you don’t win,” Gailey said. “I’d rather look bad and win. We’re getting better, but there’s nothing to show for it.”

Nose tackle Kyle Williams said the Bills are frustrated but not discouraged.

“It would’ve been very easy to get discouraged letting (Baltimore) back into the game, letting them score 14 points in the third quarter and get ahead of us by 10 points and everybody could’ve gone ‘OK, same old, same old,’ ” Williams said.

“But I think it’s a testament to the guys in here. I don’t think anybody in here’s going to tank … Nobody’s going to lay it down and give up.”

Fitzpatrick wasn’t sure whether the performance at Baltimore was encouraging or even more demoralizing.

“Anytime you lose, it’s hard to say, ‘Oh, we played great,’ so you look at it and take away some of the positives and try to build on those, and at the same time evaluate why we lost the game,” Fitzpatrick said. “The turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) were the biggest issue for us. Each game is a learning process, and hopefully we’ll continue to grow and get better rather than going the other way.”

In a strange sort of way, the Bills, much like a defending champion, are getting every team’s best shot. No one wants to be the first to lose to a winless team.

“This is the NFL, and this is their job and their livelihood,” Fitzpatrick said. “The unique thing about the NFL is that anybody can beat anybody on any Sunday. We’ve got to keep building on the small victories, the things that have gone well, and just keep moving forward. This will be a big week for us just because I feel like we have improved. And hopefully if we continue to improve, we’ll get some wins.”

If the Bills lose at Arrowhead — where they defeated the Chiefs in 2008 and ’09 — their next chances at winning will come in front of fans who are growing disenchanted with Buffalo’s sixth consecutive losing season.

The Bills will play Chicago next week in their home away from home in Toronto and entertain the Lions in Buffalo on Nov. 14.

“They’ve been disappointed,” Haley said of the Buffalo fans. “They want a winner. Everybody does. It’s their team. They’re passionate about their team. It’s been hard on them, and I understand that.

“Most of them were growing up when Jim Kelly and all that crew were going to Super Bowls. They don’t like not winning.”

[MIAdragon]

We've been tantalizing close to 6-0 this season.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

This is a ****ing trap game. These guys have been playing well as of late. We better not come out sleep walking, or we're gonna get bit in the ass.

[Chiefless]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

This is a ****ing trap game. These guys have been playing well as of late. We better not come out sleep walking, or we're gonna get bit in the ass.

for reals.

[bevischief]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

This is a ****ing trap game. These guys have been playing well as of late. We better not come out sleep walking, or we're gonna get bit in the ass.

this

[Dave Lane]

They took a really good team like the ravens to OT this will not be a cake walk.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

This is a ****ing trap game. These guys have been playing well as of late. We better not come out sleep walking, or we're gonna get bit in the ass.

I don't think that happens.

I thought Jacksonville was a bit of a trap game. That was a desperate team and I thought the Chiefs looked half asleep at times in the first half.

Buffalo vs. baltimore was more of a trap game. I'm pretty sure the Chiefs saw what happened last week and know not to fall asleep on this team. The Chiefs' pass defense will need to be nails, because Buffalo has become surprisingly good in the air. The good news is, the matchups look pretty decent. Arenas on Parrish, Flowers on Evans, Carr on Johnson.

[CaliforniaChief]

I agree, Floppy. I'm nervous about this one. I'm gonna be nervous about all of them, though.

[stevieray]

something tells me Haley isn't taking the Bills game for granted.

[Halfcan]

Fug the 0-7 Bills!!!

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

This is a ****ing trap game. These guys have been playing well as of late. We better not come out sleep walking, or we're gonna get bit in the ass.

Agreed. However, I think the game last week against Baltimore will have the Chiefs prepared and up for the game. The Bills showed that they can score with any team.

[Reerun_KC]

Bring them on...

[Wyndex]

lol

“If you don’t win, you don’t win,” Gailey said. “I’d rather look bad and win..."

[ElGringo]

Really wasn't worried about the game this week til I read this thread, yeah, thanks for that.

[kcfanXIII]

i've been concerned about this game for a few weeks. i've watched lee evans points total get larger each week while he sits on my fantasy bench. from what i understand though their defense is the exact opposite of nails. here's to hoping the chiefs are pumped up for this game.