A couple of thoughts:
1. Brady didn't play well. Simple as that. Our QB had a bad game.
Why can't we say that. It's not like its the first one he's had in 20 years. In fact he's had several that have been worse. But the thing is that its a LOT more likely than not that he'll bounce back from it, than not. And it like its not like he was the only one who wasn't at their best.
2. I think the OL issues are more about the lack of continuity than anything else. Cannon's been out, but is coming around Mason's off to a bad start and will likely to improve. Karras is an inexperienced starter and is likely to improve. Newhouse came in as a mediocre OLman, and we hope Dante can get him to be just a bit better than mediocre. Plus he's had just a couple of weeks in the system. Thuney is Thuney thank God
But the thing here is that OL play, especially in the run game, is more of an intricate dance routine, where everyone's movements affect everyone else's. THAT kind of coordination only gets there with time and lots and lots of reps. Eventually this current OL has the potential to be good enough to give Brady the time he needs and to open the holes necessary to support a good running attack. Patience needs to be the watchword.
3. Gordon is clearly banged up, but he too simply had a bad game. Same for Edelman but to a lesser degree.
4. The Bill's defense is one of the best in the league. Sometime we forget that the OTHER team has a say in our success or failure in a play or a game. The Bills had a great scheme and great execution. It was a factor I don't see enough of in these kinds of discussions. Those guys get paid too. Its not just our guy's fault that a play failed. We need to give credit to the other guy.
The Bills played well enough to win this game. But that's a lament heard over the league several times a week. Detrot is saying it. Denver is saying it, etc, etc. Good teams win those kinds of games more often than not and bad teams lose them.
The common wisdom would like you to believe that there is a huge talent gap between the haves and have nots. But that has NEVER been true. The talent is pretty even usually, but talent is only PART of why a team is good or bad. And next week will point that out so well when we go the play the ANTITHESIS of the Pats organization in Washington.
