For weeks now the new coaching staff of the Buffalo Bills has urged fans and players alike to be patient with Rob Johnson. He is learning a new and difficult offensive system, and it takes a while to understand it all. They have talked about the learning curve involved in such a complex offense, and that it takes time to turn that corner.
Mind you, I don't think anyone knows what that means, but after Sunday's loss to San Diego, it looks as though Johnson is making progress in both senses.
Look at quarterbacks of the past who have thrived under the West Coast offense. It took 49ers quarterback Joe Montana a year to master the offense created by football guru Bill Walsh. Anyone remember the 49ers 6-10 season before they exploded into the Super Bowl and then promptly dominated the 1980s? I thought not.
Steve Young, Montana's successor, spent two years behind Montana learning the system before he was named the starter, and then proceeded to run a 49er offense that was almost more explosive than those from the 80s. Remember Young in Tampa Bay, sitting on the bench, or struggling on the field? Didn't think so. Young, now a sports analyst for ESPN, has said more than once how long it takes to master this offense.
So what did Bills fans expect? That Johnson was somehow smarter than these Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks? That he would pick up the new offense like he picks up the morning newspaper? The fact that Johnson even READS the playbook makes him light-years ahead of some former Bills quarterbacks (i.e. Billy Joe Hobert and Todd Collins).
Sunday in San Diego, Johnson showed the football world, and just as importantly, the fans of Buffalo, that he could run the newly installed West Coast Offense effectively. Amid all the press-created hoopla surrounding the quarterbacks on either side of the ball, Johnson showed a glimmer of what Buffalo has been waiting for all season: CONSISTENCY.
Johnson completed 24 passes on 37 attempts, for 310 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and rushed for another. His mistake of the day was an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Chargers up 20-10.
Following the interception, Johnson detractors were waiting for him to crack, go three-and-out on the next series, and effectively end the game right there. But he refused to back down, and on the series following the interception, he hit Peerless Price for a 61-yard touchdown reception.
After the game, Johnson was devastated. He said that next to the loss to Tennessee two years earlier, it was the most difficult setback of his career. Members of the local media who attended the game told me Tuesday that he was near tears in the locker room afterwards.
I admire Johnson's guts and his endurance. He played tough, and for most of the second half he played hurt. He limped around making plays. When he got knocked on the ground, he got up, got the next play, and ran it without missing a beat. He missed two plays after getting knocked out-of-bounds by linebacker Junior Seau. But he kept coming.
This is the kind of gritty performance you need out of your quarterback. Johnson instilled confidence in his teammates, in the coaching staff and in himself. One can only hope and imagine what lies down the road for the Bills quarterback.
For the first game in a long time, Johnson seemed to play with passion. When you play with passion, your teammates just feed off it. The ball seems to bounce your way, and the referees are on your side. Your teammates leave everything they've got on the field.
That's what Bills fans saw Sunday. They saw their team rally around their quarterback, and they saw their quarterback lead their team into battle. Johnson showed the leadership that a successful quarterback desperately needs to succeed.
He's learning the curve, and seems poised to turn the corner.
