Sometimes, you get to the point in writing where you are doomed to repeat yourself if you want to continue to write about a certain subject. That’s where I stand with the Buffalo Bills. As posted previously, here, and here, the problems with the Bills rests primarily with their offensive coaching and their continuing insistence on passing the ball, no matter the defense they face or the strengths of their team.

Sundays frustrating loss to Dallas only served to exacerbate my points. Some statistics of relevance:

- The Bills dropped back to pass 37 times Sunday and gained 104 yards, or 2.8 yards per attempt.
- Travis Henry rushed 21 times for 80 yards, or 3.8 yards per carry.

Based on these statistics, what would you do as the offensive coordinator of the Bills? The answer, of course, is pass! The second half of the Bills / Cowboys game was a game of field position, which Dallas won consistently. The Bills continually started their drives inside their own twenty, and faced, on most downs, an all-out Dallas blitz. The Bills countered with the following brilliant play-calling.

- On eleven first down plays in the second half, only four were running plays.

- On five straight possessions the Bills did the following: 1st down – incomplete pass, 2nd down – run for short gain, 3rd down – short or incomplete pass, 4th down – punt.

- The Bills ran one screen pass in the second half against Dallas’ all-out blitzes, and it went to Sammy Morris for 18 yards, the longest completion of the day.

Granted, Bledsoe looked skittish in the pocket. In fact, he looked like a rookie. Yet he is shouldering far too much of the blame for this loss. The Bills were well aware that Dallas was going to bring the house, at least they were if they watched any of the film from the Washington game. They should have been aware that Dallas possesses the number one pass defense in the league. And they should have designed a game plan of quick passes, screens, and draws to slow the rush and give Bledsoe time. Instead, they ran their usual offense, but occasionally rolled Bledsoe out. Genius! Roll out the least mobile quarterback in football! Surely the Football Gods stood in awe of the brilliant play calling.

So where does that leave the Bills now? With a 4-5 record, they are only one game out of a playoff spot. Oddly, I don’t think many Buffalonians are rushing to Vegas to lay their money down on the Bills grabbing a wild card. If the brain-trust of the Bills, and believe me, I use that term very loosely, doesn’t commit to the run the Bills will be lucky to win two more games this year. Even if the light bulb suddenly goes on in perennial loser and Bills offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbrides head, what hope do the Bills have? Their remaining schedule consists of Houston, Indy, Giants, Jets, Titans, Dolphins, and Patriots. 4-3 would be close to a miracle, the 6-1 probably needed to make the playoffs are an impossibility. So, Bills fans, prepare yourselves for another winter of discontent as we watch the far less talented but supremely coached New England Patriots wrap up the AFC North and at least one home playoff game. Bills fans, meanwhile, can look forward to the draft.

Some other Bills notes:

Willis McGahee, who was elevated to the active roster last week, was inactive for the Dallas game. Expect that to continue through November, with him perhaps seeing the field in limited capacity in the last three weeks of the season, assuming the Bills are out of it by then.

Defensive Tackle Ron Edwards is out for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury. Ken Simonton has been added back to the practice squad, and the Bills released Jarell Meyers. That leaves one open spot on the Bills active roster. Of course, this has generated plenty of talk about former Cleveland receiver Kevin Johnson ending up with the Bills. Not likely. My guess is that they will move a practice squad player like Mario Haggan to the active roster to see if he can develop on special teams.

The Bills have now gone four straight road games without a touchdown.

With the current mood around Buffalo, I would be stunned if the Bills sell out by the blackout hour of 1:00 today. Oh, goodie! Now the already unintelligible callers to talk radio in Buffalo will be commenting on a game they did not even see!

Terrence McGee has been a terror on special teams as a gunner on kick coverage (oddly enough, all our kick coverage has come lately on punts). Reminds me of Steve Tasker.

MIA on the Bills defense thus far this year: Any safety, DE Ryan Denney, and LB Jeff Posey. Once again I ask, wither goes Coy Wire?

The Bills have two people on the list of twenty-five Hall of Fame semi-finalists; Steve Tasker and owner Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. I see them both in the Hall someday, but not this year. I was saddened to see my favorite Bill of all-time, Kent Hull, left off the list.