Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Remember the phrase, "In the hunt"?
Oh, did we ever hunt during the drought.
Knowing the stakes going into Sunday night’s game in Cincinnati against the Bengals doesn’t change how jarring it is to see the Buffalo Bills way over on the right side of the onscreen graphic painting the AFC playoff picture.
You may have to squint. They’re way over on the right side of the screen. With the New York Jets and Houston Texans.
Ouch.
5-4 is the record, and that’s currently good for ninth in the AFC. All four of the Bills' losses have come in the conference, which could prove problematic if they’re duking it out for a Wild Card spot.
Ah yes, tiebreakers. A staple of the "in the hunt" life.
Yes, the Bills are still only one game behind the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East. So keep pace with them here the next seven games, beat the Dolphins in Week 18, and you’ve got the division.
It’s the keeping pace we should be worried about.
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Miami has the Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans and two meetings with the Jets before finishing with the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and the Bills.
Maybe the Jets will prove as troublesome for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as they have been for Allen, but right now, it seems any defense is capable of bogging the Bills offense down.
10 days after seemingly finding their footing early against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bills started fast against the Bengals, but then fizzled.
Explanations for not using more hurry up pace from Josh Allen and Sean McDermott were exasperating. Is it possible the quarterback and the coach are losing faith in offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey?
That’s a lot to suggest based on postgame news conferences, but both sounded more confounded than usual when answering questions specifically about the Bills not using more up-tempo pacing after finding success with it in their previous game.
McDermott: "I don’t have a good answer for you right now, I’ve got to look into that."
Allen: "Just the game plan that we had going into it."
Allen also alluded to trying to execute the play that is called when asked about a lack of involvement for Gabe Davis, who smashed in the Buccaneers game, but had no catches on only two attempted targets.
It’s certainly possible both Allen and McDermott are just tired of having to answer questions about a once high-powered offense that can’t seem to keep enough grease on the gears.
However they’re feeling, here’s the reality: The quest for the No. 1 seed in the AFC is most likely over.
After the Denver Broncos next Monday night, the Bills' next four games are vs. Jets, at Philadelphia Eagles, at Kansas City Chiefs, vs. Dallas, with a bye week sandwiched in the middle.
Slugging it out for a Wild Card with all the other "hunters" is where the Bills are probably headed.
Time to familiarize, once again, with tree stands, camouflage clothes and, yes, deer urine. It’s time to hunt.
