(Cutline: Josh Allen and the Bills have only lost two games, both to 6-3 teams. Ben Green/Buffalo Bills photo)
By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun and Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist
Some mid-week thoughts on the Bills:
AS BUFFALO place-kicker Tyler Bass went through his struggles starting late last year, fans had him gone with the next missed kick.
But that wasn’t the case in the Bills locker room.
The 27-year old Georgia Southern alum is one of the most popular players on the roster. Quiet and unassuming, Bass had the full support of his teammates who anguished as he missed an extra point against the Dolphins last Sunday and on a later PAT that hit the upright before the ball bounced through.
So what possible reason would coach Sean McDermott have to run him out there with 11 seconds remaining in a 27-27 tie and the ball at Miami’s 43-yard line to try a 61-yard field goal to win the game?
“I trust him,” McDermott maintained, knowing that a miss would give the Dolphins the ball at Buffalo’s 49 with five seconds left and a possible chance to try its own game-winning field goal.
Bass’ kick would have been good from 65 yards and he had to fight back tears when McDermott presented him with the game ball, and again as he spoke to the team — many of them also in tears — as he thanked his mates for their support during his struggles.
AS FOR the win, McDermott admitted, “We didn’t play a great game …we didn’t have our ‘A’ game, give Miami credit (for playing well) but we hung in there.
”There’s always things to work on (I’ve) got a long list from this (Sunday’s) game starting with the fact they ran the ball on us really easily … too easily.”
“It’s certainly good to win,” he said, “it’s hard to win in this league, and there’s different ways to win. I think it’s good when you can find different ways to win … that’s a healthy trait.
“That said, we’ve got to continue to grow every week. The players have done a phenomenal job … the coaches managing through these injuries that we’ve had and players have stepped in and stepped up. It’s just about trying to grow every week, and put some wins together, and we’ll see where we are at the end of the season.”
WHEN THE season began, there was a perception that it would be a down year for Buffalo (full disclosure, I picked them for 10-7), mostly because of the loss of wide receivers Stefon Diggs (trade) and Gabe Davis (free agency), lack of depth at linebacker (star Matt Milano out until at least December) and the loss of starting safeties Jordan Poyer (free agent) and Micah Hyde (retirement).
But here are the Bills, at 7-2 just past midseason, tied for the third-best record in the NFL with Washington, behind only Kansas City (8-0) and Detroit (7-1).
One factor is that the AFC isn’t very good this year, nine of 16 teams having losing records. Indeed, of Buffalo’s seven wins, five of those teams had losing records (Dolphins twice, Jets, Titans and Jaguars). Seattle had a winning record until losing to the Bills and Arizona, which lost in the opener, has rebounded to 5-4.
The point is, the Bills have lost to two good teams — Baltimore and Houston, both 6-3 — but beaten every other team they should have.
The big test starts a week from Sunday with home games versus Kansas City and San Francisco, those two games interrupted by a bye, then trips to the rejuvenated Rams and Detroit.
That’s a tough four games in five weeks but the Bills go into it with a four-game lead over the Jets (3-6) in the AFC East and having beaten them on the road.
Buffalo’s last three games are two with the Patriots sandwiched around the Jets in Orchard Park.
That a pretty soft finish.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
Read more from Chuck:
• Solid win to open the season for the Bonnies
• Bass vindicated by 61-yard field goal to beat the Dolphins
• Bills don’t own the Dolphins but have an option to buy; prediction 27-20 (final was 30-27)
• The season is here for St. Bonaventure basketball
• St. Bonaventure speaks out, “We got Woj”
• Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess
• Pollock on the passing of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman
• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays
• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?
• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department
• The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update
• Bill Walton was must-see basketball when he played in Buffalo for the Braves
• Memories of the Indy 500 and a look at racing NASCAR on the same day
• Looking ahead at another rebuild for Coach Schmidt and St. Bonaventure basketball
• The Bills made mistakes, but were impressive against the Seahawks
• Fans, Bills dominate in Seattle
• What a season so far for Josh Allen
• The Bills are in a great spot
• The defensive spark the Buffalo Bills needed
• Pollock Prediction: A Bills win over the Titans
• The Bills’ win set them up well in the AFC East
• Bills win in capture the flag over the Jets
• Jets and Bills will be a 3-point game (it was)
• What is the problem? Is it the QB or the receivers for the Bills
• Chuck Pollock predicts a 23-20 Texans win over the Bills (final was 27-20 Texans)
• One bad game doesn’t define the start of the season for the Buffalo Bills
• Loss by the Buffalo Bills came down to one ill-fated play
• Pollock Prediction: The 1-2 Ravens will beat the 3-0 Buffalo Bills
• St. Bonaventure speaks out, “We got Woj”
• The Bills are buying into McDermott’s mantra ‘everyone eats’
• Suddenly, the Bills turn everything around
• Josh Allen on the electricity of Monday Night Football
• Why Bona was worth more than EPSN’s millions for Woj
• Win by the Buffalo Bills may be been McDermott’s finest job as head coach
• Chuck Pollock with a historical look at Bills training camp for fans and the media
• Tony Hunter’s passing evokes memories of Jim Kelly in the draft
• Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess
• Pollock on the passing of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman
• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays
• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?
• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department
• The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update
• Bill Walton was must-see basketball when he played in Buffalo for the Braves
• Memories of the Indy 500 and a look at racing NASCAR on the same day
• Looking ahead at another rebuild for Coach Schmidt and St. Bonaventure basketball
• O.J. Simpson left a mixed legacy … in the wrong order
• When do we hear from Schmidt?
• Barb Questa to the rescue once again for St. Bonaventure with the AD situation
• Bona’s Manhertz’s self-inflicted NIT embarrassment ended his tenure
• St. Bonaventure made every excuse to skip the NIT except the eclipse
• A look at the current Bona player situation and how it relates to the past
• The Buffalo Bills have had darker days with cuts during off-season
• Caitlin Clark brings up memories of St. Bonaventure women and men’s basketball players
• St. Bonaventure primed for strong finish in Atlantic 10
• Feature on the Bonnies as the season winds down
• Pollock on Joe Brady and the Buffalo Bills’ win over Miami
• Bills victory in Miami felt like a home game
• Why are the Dolphins favorites to beat the Bills?
• The Buffalo Bills may have won, but special teams continues to be an issue
• The Buffalo Bills win, a breakdown of the performances, quotes and interesting stats
• Making the grade: Chuck Pollock grades the Buffalo Bills position-by-position
• The Bills will have a new look with six captains who started off the roster
• Bills took some risks with the roster cuts
• Preseason has not panned out the way McDermott planned
• Suddenly, major injury issues for the Bills
• It was a win over the Steelers but a loss in other departments
• McDermott on the Bears game: That’s not how we play
• Bills to debut new ‘dynamic kickoff’
• Beane says this is a new NFL team
• Beane responds to Josh Allen critic
- • A look at the early and late schedule issues for the Buffalo Bills
- • John Murphy left a legacy in broadcasting for the Buffalo Bills
- • Beane assesses the Bills’ draft picks
- • A look at the first three picks by the Bills
- • Will the Bills regret trading out of the first round?
- • A look at the Buffalo Bills going into the NFL draft
- • Pollock on the Bonnies and the need for a defensive lineman in the NFL draft for the Bills
- • O.J. Simpson left a mixed legacy … in the wrong order
- When do we hear from Schmidt?
- • Barb Questa to the rescue once again for St. Bonaventure with the AD situation
- • Bona’s Manhertz’s self-inflicted NIT embarrassment ended his tenure
- • St. Bonaventure made every excuse to skip the NIT except the eclipse
- • A look at the current Bona player situation and how it relates to the past
- • The Buffalo Bills have had darker days with cuts during off-season
- • Caitlin Clark brings up memories of St. Bonaventure women and men’s basketball players
- • St. Bonaventure primed for strong finish in Atlantic 10
- • Feature on the Bonnies as the season winds down
- • What to make from the Super Bowl
- • A look at free agency with the Buffalo Bills
- • Don’t blame Bass for the playoff loss
- • St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt was right about the Atlantic 10 and the Bonnies
- Why the Bills and Steelers might be the best wild-card game this weekend
- • Bills claim the No. 2 seed
- • Pollock predicts a 35-30 Dolphins victory
- • It’s 2024 and the Bonnies season starts for real
- • The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update
- • Bonnies look sharp in tune up to season
- • Pollock’s playoff picture
- • It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win for the Bills
- • The Bills need a win, not a blowout
- • McDermott deserves praise after win vs. the Dallas Cowboys
- • On this day, the Bills manhandled the Cowboys
- • The Bills win at KC turned the heat down on McDermott and Miller
- • At last, another teams gaffe helps the Bills win
- • The Bills must beat the Chiefs and distractions
- • Who is this Ty Dunne?
- • Why Chuck Pollock returned to writing and covering the Bills after a two-week “retirement”
- • Flags? Taking a knee before the half? Buffalo Bills’ apologists are whining in the wrong place
- • Was Dorsey the latest sacrificial lamb?
- • POLLOCK PREDICTION: McDermott will fire Dorsey next
- (You can support the work of our journalists and keep this site free with a PayPal donation HERE)
- • Awkward press conference for the Bills and McDermott
- • If season ended today, the Bills are out of the playoffs
- • Are the Bills a playoff team?
- • Bills produce a third straight stinker
- • An ugly win for the Buffalo Bills
- • The AFC is wide open with Buffalo injuries
- • Injuries were worse than a loss in London
- • Bills prepare for Jacksonville
- • The passing of Russ Francis and what it was like covering the Bills in the 1970’s
- • News and notes from a costly win by the Bills over Miami
- • A look a high school, college and NFL blowouts
- • Did the Bills find a middle linebacker in win vs. Washington?
- • Pollock Predicts: Take the Bills over Washingto
- Tags: #Buffalobills
- #billsmafia
