Everyone thought the Bills and the Browns would go off the rails very quickly, and everything seen so far suggests that all the concern surrounding the online NFL betting odds was warranted, at least with regards to these two teams which are already facing daunting challenges.
The losses they suffered only served to expose those weaknesses analysts thought were lying beneath.
It wasn’t enough for Bills Coach Rex Ryan and General Manager Doug Whaley to talk about how good they could be. They began the season with a lot of pressure to produce on the field, this along with crafting a playoff team that wouldn’t undermine its own success with unnecessary penalties; a squad that could rise to the occasion and protect spindly quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Unfortunately for the Bills fans, nothing seems to have changed. The team suffered one bonehead penalty after another, this along with blowing timeouts and doing little to keep Taylor safe.
The Bills basically slept through the first half, and even when they began building momentum in the second half, the lack of discipline in their ranks began to manifest. At one point, the Ravens started to reel when the Bills cut the lead to 10-7, this after granting the Ravens twice as many downs from penalties as they had rushing the ball.
The two personal fouls (in a three-play sequence) that followed didn’t surprise anyone, with the Bills essentially gifting the Ravens the Midfield and allowing them to connect on a field goal with seven minutes to go.
Coach John Harbaugh took two points off the board when another penalty (a silly one) gave them a first down. To Buffalo’s credit, their defense held from giving up a touchdown.
The fact that Buffalo was down to one timeout late inevitably made it possible for the Ravens to pick up a first down late and burn the game; nothing about Buffalo’s performance was unexpected.
And Buffalo fans have every reason to be nervous, what with Ryan facing the desperate jets in just a week’s time. This is the sort of disastrous start that can initiate an avalanche of losses.
Taylor cannot be feeling all that confident after the Sunday beating they took, especially in light of all the injuries Starting Left Tackle Cordy Glenn probably sustained in the process.
But the Bills probably look far superior when compared to the Browns who are the farthest thing from a playoff team. The Browns were unceremoniously embarrassed by rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.
Injuries kept Wentz on the sidelines during most of the preseason. The manner in which he contributed to their destruction must have come as a surprise, especially considering just how bad the Eagles team was.
Faced with Cleveland’s none existent defense, maybe the hype that was generated about RG3 and Corey Coleman in the summer was a little premature. RG3’s health problems plagued the Browns throughout the game, this while their woeful offensive line made them easy pickings for the Eagles.
While Griffin failed to hit receives and struggled to read the field, Wentz grew very comfortable and delivered some marvelous drives.
The Brown’s gimmicky offense (devoid of the ability to run the football) has made them the butt of everyone’s joke in the league.
