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So, instead of just hopping on the “it’s all Mario’s fault” bandwagon that has picked up breakneck speed, I instead wanted to get this out and be done with the issue. Because next year Mario won’t be in Buffalo, so if 2016, even in hindsight is Buffalo referencing him as how they’re going to be better, I’ll recognize the organization is a step further behind than I thought.
We’ve talked about the basic stats – like the entire defense being down across the board in sacks (54 in 2014 to 20 this year) and individually, Mario dropping from 14.5 to 4 is alarming. Is it more alarming than Hughes dropping from 10 to 5? Or Dareus from 10 to 2? I could attack you with stats on stats on stats and all-22, but at this point, you get it or you don’t. I titled this one Mario 1, Insurgents 0 because despite all this noise the Bills are throwing his way, he’s still getting paid for a meaningless game. And he’ll still be in the league next year – perhaps following as Leo put in a great conversation with Tyler Dunne that so many players that leave Buffalo find success elsewhere.
I’ve been joking on twitter recently w/@StephenCulley that the perfect strategy to painting the “new Bills” in 2016 would be:
- Putting as many players on IR as possible to ensure the injury story-line could be fully focused on;
- Get a scapegoat and cite him / them as the reason the team unity was lax;
- Say those things loud and often and ensure questions of coach and staff disappear.
Not only is that happening, but it’s like three months ahead of schedule. At this rate, by the time we get to the combine the whole “Injuries and Mario doomed the season” train’ll be replaced by “this new wrinkle will make everything okay” that I assumed would be the post-draft/FA bell cow. What a time to be alive.
Tyler Dunne, who has become the go-to guy in introspective, revealing pieces recently at the Buffalo News, had a really good article into how things are in that locker room. As scary a picture that the Talley man painted a few weeks ago, I think this cements this crew as one of the most dysfunctional in a while. Think on this – Rex Ryan has been praised as a coach that doesn’t muzzle his players and wants them to speak their minds. Mario does this and it’s painted as whining. Did he (as mentioned last week) unsolicited, throw these opinions out? Nope – he was asked questions and given answers.
Remember this, the next time a big time player is rumored to come to Buffalo. As the anonymous player stated in Tyler D’s piece,
“We could easily have five solid players contributing than one guy who doesn’t give a (expletive).”
That alone is a red flag. When folks are starting to count other player’s money in the locker room, we’re in some bad juju. For Mario, do you really think he cares about that? He has money in the bank and for 3 of 4 years brought superlative service for his pay. If that player wants to make that sort of contract, I’d challenge them to go earn it – and allow himself the opportunity to have teammates say the same as he’s cashing those checks. When the cap was discussed earlier this year and the low number the Bills would have was bandied about, the idea of fixing Mario’s contract through re-structure was an option; after the spat with staff we as fans and I am sure Mario himself saw his cut as an option. To add these snipes on the way out is an exercise in patting the remaining players/staff on the back and saying, “there, there, the big man won’t hurt us anymore.”
And this is all without me readily admitting from week 8 or 9 on Mario has been coasting and playing to not get hurt. That isn’t my issue. My issue is and has been why this dude has been the canary in the coal mine to defensive issues and no one tried to fix it sooner. And with the quotes in the Dunne article, why no one said it to his face sooner. Wood commenting on the defense was curious; but at least he put his name on it. The teammates that aren’t willing to admit to their criticism or on the flip side are so afraid to go on record supporting Mario because of the rift with staff are the biggest issue, because they’re still going to be in Buffalo. Who’s next on this anonymous player’s list of overpaid teammates? As Bomani Jones has cited many times, “meat peeping” via contract is a sad, sad thing to start doing.
I had a great time doing a podcast with The Defenseman on Star Wars – and we talked about the weight of history and tradition when you’re dealing with a franchise be it film or sport. Well, right now the Bills are doing a bang up job of going the Episode I route more than the Episode VII.
My New Year’s wish for us all is a better team to root for. But for all of us as fans to be thoughtful consumers of the product we support. If you want to @ me with blind faith and asking what my beef is, after this season – I save my faith on Sundays for church, not a team that’s selling hope and throwing folk under the bus.
Enjoy 2016. Maybe in the new year we can talk about a team focused on playoffs and not finding scapegoats and throwing daggers from the shadows.
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