Final Thoughts

Hello all 883 Bills fans…

Well, that just sucked didn’t it? Sitting above the players’ bench, I saw no fire in the faces of our Buffalo Bills. I think their minds were already on the playoffs, which is why we’ll be watching the Jets on TV next weekend.

Thanks to all of you for making this an exciting season at McFadden’s, it wouldn’t have been so much fun without all of you! I heard that on Sunday, the NYPD had to raise barriers on 2nd Avenue to contain the hundreds of Bills fans crowding the corner on 42nd Street, and McFadden’s had to rush to open Calico’s to accommodate everybody! That is simply incredible! To top that, we raised $1,500 this season for Roswell Park and our fellow Bills fans serving in the Middle East. We at NYCBBB have a lot to be proud of!

As of today we have 883 members, and are sure to top 1,000 Bills fans in NYC by next season. It’s ok to be down in the dumps this week, but while down there, keep these positive points in mind for next season:

Mike Mularkey — The rookie Head Coach turned a 6-10 team into a 9-7 playoff caliber franchise. With his rookie season behind him and a full off-season to work with installing HIS players, look for this team to continue to improve!

Willis McGahee — Fans were disgusted by Tom Donahoe’s risky #1 draft pick two years ago. Now we have a proven franchise running back that isn’t even 100% healthy yet and is nowhere near his full potential. With a season under his belt look for Willis to become a prime time player next season!

Lee Evans — Our #1 draft choice may have been the best overall wide receiver to come out of the 2004 draft. With his speed and play-making ability, expect huge things from this kid for years to come!

Mike Williams — Finally having a REAL O-Line coach has turned this bust into a solid player who will only continue to get better!

Brian Moorman and Terrence McGee — We have the best punter in the league that continues to improve, and a 4th round draft choice that made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner. Bring in a reliable kicker and we’ll have the best special teams unit in the NFL for years!

Our Defense — The #2 defense in the league. They had amazing and depressing moments this season, but look for them to continue to improve as 10 starters (maybe 11 w/ Pat!) will return. Question is, will Jerry Gray’s success land him a job elsewhere?

Face it; despite the last few weeks this team showed us on Sunday that they were not ready for the playoffs. However, unlike last year at this time, we can look forward to the upcoming season as it seams only a few changes need to be made. We will need to tinker with the offensive line as Jonas Jennings will likely be gone, but Jim McNally has lived up to his expectations as a O-Line guru and I have full faith in him. With continued improvement from the youngsters, this offense will continue to improve, and our defense/special teams will continue to dominate. We have HUGE things to look forward to next season!

That is, if they take care of the QB situation. After 3 years, I think it’s time to hand the reigns over to JP Losman and see what this kid is made of. I loved ya Drew, but you’ve let us down too many times in big games the last 3 years. We needed you to be a consistently above average quarterback this season with the help of Sam Wyche, Tom Clements, and Mike Mularkey…but even they couldn’t get that out of you. It’s time for a change at QB since Drew will never get us over that hump.

With a few changes, this team is going to be awesome next year. And guess what, the 2006 Super Bowl will be held in Detroit, original home of Bills owner Ralph Wilson. If that’s not karma telling us we’ll be there, nothing is! I’m fired up for next season, how about you?

GO BILLS!!!!

Thanks to New Staff
As the group doubled in size last year, Matt and I realized we needed help managing the monster we created. We’d like to acknowledge Kevin, Ryan, Michelle, Anna, and Phil for joining our crew and helping us better serve all of you. They have done a tremendous job behind the scenes, and we are looking forward to working together this off-season to prepare for the draft party and next season! Thanks guys!

Thanks to McFadden’s
It was a roller coaster of a ride this season, but McFadden’s did a great job hosting us and making needed changes to accommodate us. I want to personally thank Elvis, Doug, Mike, Dan, Franklin and all of McFadden’s staff for busting their butts to make this a fun season for our fans!

— Matt “talkin’ proud and already fired up for next season!” Kabel