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For the second week in a row, the Buffalo Bills lost an overtime heartbreaker, this time to an up-and-coming Kansas City Chiefs team on the last play of OT, 13-10. Despite their 0-7 record, the Bills are competing hard every week and showing some improvement in most areas. The players are obviously buying into coach Chan Gailey’s approach, and their problem isn’t a lack of motivation or effort, it’s a lack of talent on the roster. For the most part, the Bills were outplayed in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Defensively, their play resembled what they did last year – they got gouged in the running game, got beat by throws to the tight end in the most critical moments, but except for one drive managed to keep the Chiefs out of the end zone. The offense was overmatched by KC’s defense most of the day – the running game didn’t produce much, and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was under pressure on most of his dropbacks. The offense put together a great game-tying drive to send the game into overtime, but couldn’t finish the job in the overtime period, despite having chances. There was a negative play in the overtime that actually encouraged me as far as the team’s approach. The play was set up to create a mismatch in the passing game, and it worked, as Fitzpatrick took a shot downfield to C.J. Spiller but overthrew him. The play failed, but you have to love the attempt to go for the jugular by Gailey. What was discouraging was Fitzpatrick’s failure to get the team closer to a winning field goal attempt when he had chances in the OT, but again, he was under intense pressure.

On defense, the front seven was overwhelmed most of the day, and the Chiefs used the same plan as every other team that faces the Bills. They ran the ball at will and hit timely passes to the tight end at crucial moments.  If the continual defensive problems were scheme-oriented, the coaching staff would have to have figured out how to fix them by now. The defense is showing gradual improvement in some areas, but I still feel their lack of NFL caliber players at linebacker is killing them. Paul Posluszny is probably the only LB on the roster who could even make another team in the league. Also, I don’t see how keeping Chris Kelsay on the field, at this point, is more beneficial than putting some of the younger players with potential,like Arthur Moats or Antonio Coleman or even megabust Aaron Maybin, out there to see what they can do.

Despite all their faults, I still have more respect for a team like the Bills, that’s working its’ collective tail off each week to get that elusive first win, than I do for a team of underachieving superstars like the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Gailey at least has established a strong foundation of collective accountability among his players that will pay benefits when the team finally turns it around.