NFL teams sell their product to the people in two ways. They either win or have the hope of winning. The Buffalo Bills, currently constructed, can sell neither to their fans.
The not winning part is obvious. Every team in the league has spent at least one week in the playoffs this millennium except the Buffalo Bills. But even the bad ones have something in their organization that gives the paying public the feeling that things could change. In some cases it's a young quarterback, like in Miami. In other cases, as in St.Louis, its a recent change in head coaches. With some teams, like Philadelphia, its the excitement over the virtual certainly that a new man will be in charge of the on the field product. But in Buffalo they don't win and they don't change. I do not envy Russ Brandon trying to sell that over the next 6 months.
I have stated here many times that I personally like Chan Gailey and I believe that he is a good football coach. But three years in the position of power is a fair amount of time to make the determination that it is not working and a change is needed. The Bills are 15-31 under Gailey and that isn't even the worst of his statistics. The fact that they never win games against good teams away from Ralph Wilson Stadium is alarming. The statistical fact that they are 3-13 in the AFC East is even more damning I can understand New England's domination because they are the model franchise of the league. But so be below .500 against Miami and not even touch the Jets over three years tells you where this team and coach stand (not) going forward.
Players continue to preach their public support for the coach and I would expect nothing less from a professional. But the way owners speak with their wallets, players speak with their play on the field. If Sunday's game in Toronto was a referendum on how the current players feel about Gailey then they spoke louder than the angriest caller on WGR. You don't have to flat out quit on the field to prove that you don't really care about the outcome. You can jog after Russell Wilson as he sprints to the end zone and make it appear that there is an effort
Buddy tells us Chan can win but he doesn't. Chan tells us Fitz can play but he can't. The Bills tell us there has been progress but your eyes tell you that is simply not true. Sometimes a franchise needs change for change sake. Sometimes the product and the numbers back it up. In the case of the Buffalo Bills both scenarios fit. I know Bills fans deserve a winner, but in the meantime they deserve the hope that there can be one soon.
Mike Catalana
MCatalana@13wham.com
