Roth: Bills end bickering, for now
ORCHARD PARK – It was quite the Christmas week for the Buffalo Bills, who, after being eliminated from the NFL playoff race, seemed to be coming apart at the seams like a pair of Santa Claus’ pants.
With players pointing fingers at each other and the coaches, the Bickering Bills of 1989 fame seemed like the Waltons, a tight-knit family by comparison.
Enough already.
After all of this holiday jeer, the Bills had one job to do on Sunday against the equally disheveled Dallas Cowboys: just shut up and play. And play they did, winning 16-6 at rainy, cold Ralph Wilson Stadium, a game between two non-playoff teams that looked as ugly as that sweater you found under the tree and is already earmarked for regifting.
Until that day arrives and Buffalo’s 16-year playoff drought is history, I’ll never say everything is well with every Bill in Billsville. But Sunday was a start after a very big fall.
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“We’re not in the playoffs but we’re building something here,’’ said receiver Sammy Watkins, whose voice is now catching up with his gifted hands. “I think now more leaders are speaking up and calling people out, and that’s what we need. We’ve got to become our team, not the coaches’ team, not the outside world. We’ve got to control what we can control and I think it’s getting there. Everybody’s having fun. It’s the time of year to build off that and come together.’’
Nobody was holding hands and signing "Kumbaya" in the Bills’ locker room. But with two home games scheduled to finish out Rex Ryan’s first season as coach, the Bills either can come together and play hard for him and get to .500 or this is a bigger mess than we know of.
So I give them credit for pounding out a much-needed win and doing so with a depleted lineup that should’ve warranted a ticket refund.
With injuries and performance issues mounting, the Bills and Cowboys combined to start 11 new players, in essence, kicking off the 2016 preseason. After losing linemen John Miller and Marcell Dareus during the game, Buffalo at one point was down 10 starters.
And yet they got their record to 7-8 with a very interesting rematch with Ryan’s old team, the New York Jets (10-5), yet to go and sure to supply ample hype to ring in the New Year.
“I know we’re not competing for the playoffs and I know what that means to this community,’’ Ryan said. “But you can’t be disappointed with the efforts of the players out there. You’re playing without 10 starters and the guys stepped up.’’
Granted, at 4-11, America’s Team is now America’s Afterthought. But Dallas, while offensively neutered without Tony Romo at quarterback, still plays a decent level of defense with the likes of Greg Hardy, Sean Lee and Rolando McClain in the lineup.
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And all the Bills did was rush 40 times for 236 yards – without Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy – to stay in command from start to finish, much to the delight of 70,172 fans who redefined what “diehard’’ means.
Backup running backs Karlos Williams and Mike Gillislee, along with quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who officially displaced Doug Flutie as the Bills’ greatest running QB ever, ran through, over and around the Cowboys with Gillislee’s 50-yard touchdown burst sealing the victory with 2:25 to play.
The Cowboys were extremely impressed with Taylor, with coach Jason Garrett calling him “one of the best athletes playing quarterback in the NFL.’’ Indeed, Taylor turned in the play of the game, converting a third-and-6 late in the game with his legs to set up Gillislee’s big run. Without that play, the Bills punt and then pray.
“Sometimes on third down you have to go get them and keep the drive alive,’’ said Taylor with his no-big-deal demeanor.
He ran 14 times for 67 yards and with 517 for the season broke Flutie’s mark of 476 set in 1999. That was Buffalo's last playoff year, but Flutie had the NFL’s No. 1 defense, not No. 21.
Lack of support wasn’t an issue against Dallas and Kellen Moore, the fourth man to play quarterback for the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight this season. He was held to a 48.6 rating, which in the world of statistics is a speck of sand. Star tight end Jason Witten had one catch and Dallas didn’t score a touchdown.
I don’t care who is under center, that’s a pretty good day’s work when a team is missing its two starting corners (Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby). Leodis McKelvin and Mario Butler (who had a lot better game than Mario Williams) deserved some love, as did backup linebacker A.J. Tarpley, who had an interception and forced fumble.
“Guys come in, they’re professionals and want to play football, they’re eager, they’re hungry and you get results,’’ defensive end Jerry Hughes said.
Fresh bodies. A fresh attitude.
And now come the Jets who can clinch a playoff berth without the coach they fired and with a quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) the Bills let go. Spoiler is a lousy role to play in Week 17, but the Bills plan to play it like Philip Seymour Hoffman did Capote.
“Well, we got something to play for now,’’ running back Boobie Dixon said. “We’re not going to the playoffs, so that’ll be our Super Bowl.’’
That’s a pretty lame Super Bowl. But celebrating sure beats bickering any day.