A majority of the editors at The Spectrum are huge Bills fans. I'm a Giants fan, and this coming Sunday I will have no problem rooting against Buffalo despite having to watch this game with my colleagues.
However, my feelings against the Bills go far beyond week six. I've had the displeasure of listening to Bills fans complain about their team's mediocrity ever since I moved to Buffalo in 2009.
Then, at the beginning of each season, I see how jovial those same fans are about the slightest possibility that, just maybe, they might make the playoffs.
Rinse, cycle, repeat.
The Bills have started their season 4-1, which is Buffalo's best start since 2008. But I'm still not convinced they're the real deal.
After all, the Bills didn't even make the playoffs that season. So who's to say that Big Blue won't destroy the Bills to start a potential six-game losing steak?
We've seen these types of collapses before. The 2009 Broncos won their first six games before going 2-8 to miss the postseason. My own Giants started 5-0 in 2009 and ended up finishing 8-8.
Sure, the Bills have beaten the Patriots, but it's not like New England ceases to be a threat. New England's convincing wins the past two weeks show they are still the leaders of the division like they have been for the past decade.
Buffalo isn't exactly at its healthiest either. Roscoe Parrish and Donald Jones are both out due to injury. They weren't breakout performers to begin with, but the fact that they now have resort to using reserve wide receivers (with the exception of Naaman Roosevelt of course) should draw concern.
Steve Johnson will feel the effects the most. Johnson's had great performances to start the season, but his output has dwindled just like the receiving core. The so-called premier receiver averaged 43.5 yards the past two games after averaging 85 yards and one touchdown the first three games.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is sixth in the league in touchdowns, which is great considering that the quarterbacks ahead of him include the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers.
But at the same time, four of the Bills' opponents currently rank among the bottom half of the league in total points allowed. The most notable of these opponents is the Patriots, who rank dead last in yards allowed.
Buffalo's one loss comes from none other than the Cincinnati Bengals, who rank among the top 10 in the league in defense. Three of Buffalo's next five opponents are in the league's defensive top 10, and if the game against the Bengals is any indicator, they're in for some trouble.
Finally, there are the things that go beyond statistics. It seems that the Bills never cease to disappoint fans. They've been a team of irrelevance for the past decade, and I refuse to believe that they are suddenly a completely different squad.
One thing I find odd about my opponent is that he knows full well about how unreliable Buffalo teams are. He has lived in Buffalo and followed the teams' struggles his whole life.
So what gives him reason to think this year is going to be different?
Why do Bills fans always build themselves up for a letdown?
Email: brian.josephs@ubspectrum.com
