By Rich Kowalski / Billswire.usatoday.com
We’ve seen it before. A rush of excitement and optimism shot straight into the veins of western New York by the hand of a surprising victory only to be ruined by the all-too-likely defeat.
It’s truly nothing new. As someone who grew up in Buffalo, just miles from New Era Field, this is commonplace. It’s almost subconsciously comforting for Bills fans to be in a familiar place because it makes the highs of the team even higher.
On Sunday, all of Buffalo felt that 22-0 beatdown by the Green Bay Packers as Aaron Rodgers and his future-Hall of Fame arm said that even in a rout of the Bills, the Packers offense was “terrible”.
(As terrible as those throwback jerseys they dawned Sunday? I doubt it.)
At Lambeau Field on Sunday, Josh Allen and his team looked like a shell of themselves from the week before. Any confidence that Allen might have built on was most likely annihilated by the weight of seven sacks and two interceptions, one of which might have jolted fans to the bathroom to vomit. You should know which one I’m referring to.
To be honest, if the Bills had done something like beating the Green Bay Packers after taking down the Minnesota Vikings the week before, we’d all be blindly ignorant to the concept of luck and be set up for a major letdown. But, we weren’t. We were treated to a full display and exposure to every negative attribute the team has.
But through the miscues and a dreadfully performing offense, there is hope, unlike some hopeless seasons in the not-so-distant past. It’s Allen that provides the hope.
Fans should understand that, although some of these players who are currently on the roster may cause you to order another beer, they aren’t permanent.
Take, for instance, offensive lineman John Miller. While he may be frustrating to watch now with the rest of the line, his contract is up after this season. He’s an unrestricted free agent. He’ll most likely be replaced.
Here’s another. Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Buffalo traded for the guy around a year ago after the Carolina Panthers picked up the tab on his fifth-year option and he doesn’t look like he’s working out for the Bills. His contract also expires after this year and Buffalo would end up replacing him.
My point is, yes, this season has really high chances of being incredibly disappointing for nearly all involved but this isn’t really supposed to be the Bills’ year. Their plan is still in the infantile stages. The team isn’t really expecting to peak until 2019 or 2020 if all goes well in the offseason.
Many of the names seen running onto the field with blue and red on this year won’t be here for the peak. They’ll be released, traded, or whatever else general manager Brandon Beane wants to do with them. The team is currently solving a Rubik’s Cube to find a combination that works for the coaches and what works for the players, especially Allen.
So sit tight Buffalo, it’s going to get bumpy and it’s going to feel awfully familiar but, it will get better.