Last Friday, Coach Doug Marrone expressed confidence in Buffalo’s chances to do something it hadn’t done in 17 years.
“I know this is going to happen: it’s going to be January and the snow will be coming down for a home playoff game,” Marrone said last Friday in an appearance on WGR 550.
The last time the Bills hosted a playoff game, it was the 1996 Wild Card game against the then upstart Jacksonville Jaguars. After this past weekend’s tough 34-31 loss to the Falcons, however, Buffalo has no chance to win the AFC East. But the 4-8 Bills still are mathematically in contention for the postseason, a fact not lost on Marrone.
“We’re not out of this thing, and I’m talking about the playoffs,” Marrone said this morning on WGR 550. “4-8 is not an indication of where this team is going … The plan is in place and we know exactly where we’re going”.
Marrone also quoted former Detroit Pistons guard and current President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars to make a point that it wasn’t just his team and his responsibility to get players to play to their ability.
“On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable,” said Marrone. “At the end of the day, it’s not my football team, it’s our football team”
Looking at their season in certain areas, Buffalo’s defense leads the league in sacks with 43, and has the NFL’s fourth-best running game. Among individual players, defensive end Mario Williams and rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso lead their positions in fan voting for the Pro Bowl, with Williams thrid in the league in sacks and Alonso third in tackles.
The Bills still looked for improvement this week, making two personnel moves, the release of third-string running back Tashard Choice and signing of tight end Tony Moeaki on Wednesday. Choice had been with Buffalo since being claimed off waivers late in the 2011 season, rushing for 427 yards and two touchdowns in that time, but the numbers don’t compare to the way the other running backs felt about Choice, according to Spiller.
“It was an emotional day especially in the running back room,” said Spiller. “We’re such a brotherhood in there, whenever you see one of your brothers leave it’s always sad. We understand the business side of it, it’s out of your control. We wish him well. I know him, I talked to him before he left he was a little hurt but I know he’ll bounce back. whoever picks him up, they’re getting a great player.”
With one spot remaining on the 53 man roster, Moeaki was signed a little over three years after they claimed current starting tight end Scott Chandler off waivers. Moeaki came to Iowa when Chandler was a senior, and said “it helps to have a friend on the team at the same position.”
“I’m happy to be here,” said Moeaki. “This all happened pretty quickly. “Every day I’ll look at it as a tryout. I want to prove myself.”
What Moeaki’s role on the team remains to be seen, but the Bills’ willingness to give him a roster spot shows they believe he could help them make the most out of the final quarter of the season. Buffalo has three out of its final four games on the road, beginning with two games in Florida, Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Bills ran for 195 yards against Atlanta on Sunday, with C.J. Spiller carrying 15 times for 149 yards for an average of 9.9 yards per carry. But Spiller will not let that success make him feel like the run game has momentum into this weekend’s game, but he also knows balance will be key to getting the victory.
“It was great, but like I said going in to the game, each week is different,” said Spiller. “We had a great game against Kansas City and then fell off the tail end a little bit. Just had another good running day, but this team is going to be ready and you can take some good away from the tape and see what you’ve done well, but we just have to take what they give us.”
“To me, I’m going in to the game trying to be balanced. We just want to have one more point than what they have at the end of the game. That’s the biggest thing; it’s not about all that other stuff. It’s all about who has that last point more than their opponent. That’s the mindset that you have to have and we want to have a balanced attack and I think we will.”
Marrone said that DT Kyle Williams and WR Marquise Goodwin are both listed as probable for Sunday. Williams is third on the team in sacks with 7. Goodwin did not record a reception last week, but had three games with 56 yards or more receiving out of the previous four.
