If you don’t know how to play craps, don’t squeeze yourself into a table at The Bellagio and throw $1,000 down on the pass line. If you can’t be faithful to one person, don’t get married. If you’re naturally loud and talkative, don’t become a librarian.
Know who you are, what you do well, and what you don’t.
While it hasn’t been sexy, even boring at times, and many would say unimpressive, that’s exactly how the Buffalo Bills have found their way to a 6-2 start for the first time in 26 years.
Head coach Sean McDermott isn’t trying to have his team be something they’re not.
While that may keep games closer than fans want, not put offensive players at the top of leaderboards, and still create a lot of questions and debate on whether or not Josh Allen is a franchise quarterback, it’s also so far proven to be the best and right formula for the Bills to finish on the right end of the scoreboard in six of their first eight games of 2019.
The Bills don’t care about the winning percentage of their opponents, even if you do. They don’t care if they’ve had the easiest schedule in the league, according to strength of schedule, even if the rest of the NFL world does. What they care about is game-planning and preparing each week for that specific opponent in order to come out on top.
While fans are looking for statement wins and burying a team like the Miami Dolphins or curb stomping the Washington Redskins, all McDermott and his staff are thinking about is, "how do we win this game?" By one point, a touchdown, or a blowout, it doesn’t matter. Each opponent is different, and each game script is separate. What’s been the constant so far is, knowing who they are and not getting out of character. The answer to the "how do we win" question has mostly been to lean on a very good defense, don’t allow big plays, especially in the passing game, and don’t turn the ball over on offense.
A lot of fans don’t want to hear that. They want to see Allen throw the ball 35 times and for over 300 yards. They want points and comfortable wins, especially against these bottom-feeders in the league. Believe me, the Bills would love that, too.
Of course McDermott wants more points. He actually says that a lot. Of course he’d love blowout wins. What coach doesn’t want a stress-free fourth quarter leading to a win?
Let me be clear. He’s not trying to keep games close, but he’s also not going to risk losing a contest at the expense of trying to win a different way when it isn’t called for.
