I was really still feeling quite relaxed after the Jets closed the gap to 19-17 in yesterday's final game of the season in Orchard Park. That was for two reasons: first, the Bills would end the season at either 7-9 if they had lost or at 8-8 had they won but out of the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season either way and with a higher draft position to be gained by closing the season out with a loss. The other reason was that the Jets, who were in a "win and in" situation, were quarterbacked by one Ryan Fitzpatrick with whom Bills fans were very familiar. The Harvard gunslinger has had an impressive season with the Jets and he had also put in an impressive performance for much of the game yesterday too. But I was highly confident that he would, when the game was on the line, force a pass into double coverage or otherwise find a way to throw a game-changing interception at a critical time. He did just that yesterday - twice actually - first to end a drive which would have given the Jets lead with a either a field goal or a touchdown and then, on the next drive, to seal the game and keep his team out of the playoffs. Steeler nation was likely not quite as relaxed as I was but things worked out for them thanks to the hapless Cleveland Browns, the Bills effort yesterday and to Fitzpatrick. He plays a high risk style which seems to pay-off when the stakes are low but always turns disastrous when it really matters. He was suitably distraught after the game and I felt for him.
So, at 8-8, another Bills season of mediocrity has ended. Another season with two home games played after the playoffs were officially out of reach negatively impacted my season ticket investment once again. But this is not another end-of-season where the fan base wonders whether the GM and/or the coach will be fired (like in Cleveland) as co-owner Terry Pegula said last week that both GM Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan would be back next season. It's the right decision but I hope that he demands some changes on the defensive side of the ball which performed surprisingly poorly. Gone will be Mario Williams who seems to have lost a step and spent much of the season complaining about schemes and late play calls. Also gone will be his $16 million salary and cap hit which could come in handy when the team tries to re-sign free agent linebacker Nigel Bradham. Roster spots are valuable so maybe its time to draft a kicker who can make field goals and converts and deliver deep kick-offs as the Bills are the only NFL team to carry a kick-off specialist. Dan Carpenter had his problems with the league's new 32 yard converts this season, including missing another one yesterday.
Over the holidays, we watched some of the sports docu-drama about the Bills 4 consecutive Superbowl losses, called "The Four Falls of Buffalo". Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas were seated on a couch watching footage from the 4 games and re-living the pain of losing each of them. Aside from the missed field goal in Tampa, Thomas's fumble early in the second half of the January, 1994 game against Dallas was probably the most deflating moment in any of the 4 games. The film included much discussion of the damage to the psyche of the team and its fan base after losing 4 straight championship games with some wondering if it was actually worse to get to the big game that many times, only to lose each one, than it would have been not to go at all. I reject this completely. As tough as it was, I look at it this way: the very best result that an NFL team can aspire to each season is to win the Superbowl. Only one team can do this but, surely, the next best result would be to lose the Superbowl. Would I have wished that the Bills had lost one or more of the AFC Championship games they won to spare me the pain of a Superbowl loss? No. The lead-up to the big game and the chance to finally win one (as the losses from previous years piled up) was well worth it. The only regret I have is that the Superbowl parties I hosted over those years generally took on a less-than-festive tone as the games became out of reach. Attendance suffered and, by the 4th one, I watched alone. After 16 seasons out of the playoffs, losing a Superbowl probably sounds like a fantasy Bills fans would be overjoyed to experience.
I spent a week in Muskoka over the holidays and, although the snow coverage was good and the skiing was decent by the middle of last week, the lake, as of Sunday morning, remained open (although with a minus 20 night last night, it may well be frozen as I write this on Monday morning in north Toronto). It seemed surreal to be hanging up our ski boots while watching the waves lap against the dock. The sheltered bays were covered with a layer of ice just thick enough to support a 42 pound dog who (probably unknowingly) risked her life multiple times by venturing out on it. Next time we go up, I hope we can stop worrying about that.
The NFL playoffs begin on the weekend. The two AFC road teams, Kansas City and Pittsburgh will likely be favoured when they travel to Houston and Cincinnati respectively. My dark horse team this year? Minnesota. I may post during the playoffs and/or the Superbowl. In the meantime, enjoy the winter.
