Buffalo Bills Cliche Countdown: Hand The Ball to the Official

by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 9:04 AM EDT in Buffalo Bills Opinion

Last week on Twitter, former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards was asked what his favorite touchdown celebration was. He gave a pair of cliches in response, saying: "Just hand the ball to the official. Act like you've been there before."

Unfortunately, many Buffalo Bills players haven't been there before. At least not often enough where it becomes so common place that they feel compelled to not celebrate. The Bills could use more opportunities to "just hand the ball to the official."

Buffalo hasn't scored 400 points in a season since 1998. In 2009, they scored just 259 points, an average of about 16 points per game. That's just over half the number of points the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints scored in the regular season (510) en route to their 13-3 mark. If the Bills want to be more successful, they have to score more points. Or, as Joe P keeps putting it, "they need to score more points than their opponents."

The last decade has been especially pitiful in the touchdown department. The Bills have been outscored in every season except one since 2000 (I continue to ask - how on earth did the 2004 team not make the playoffs when they scored 111 more points than their opponents?). Buffalo hasn't finished out of the bottom ten in scoring in five seasons.

You may think it's a team problem, but the Bills haven't had a legitimate scoring threat in a long time. The last season in which a player not named Rian Lindell scored more than 80 points was in 2002, when Mike Hollis kicked 115 points through the uprights and Travis Henry scored 14 touchdowns, totaling 84 points. Since then, only Willis McGahee has come close, scoring 13 touchdowns in 2004.

Lee Evans was behind Lindell's 108 points on the scoring list in 2009 with seven touchdowns. Terrell Owens had six, and Fred Jackson had four. That's not exactly a dynamic scoring team, obviously. Throughout the NFL, 47 non-kickers scored more points than Bills team leader Evans, including offensive juggernauts Jamaal Charles, Brent Celek, and Jacoby Jones. Four New Orleans Saints scored more points than Evans, too.

To hopefully improve on this dismal statistic, the Bills took C.J. Spiller ninth overall in April's draft. He scored 17 touchdowns for Clemson in 2009, and Bills GM Buddy Nix hopes the shifty back can put similar numbers on the board for Buffalo - if not in 2010, then soon.

Looking at the quarterbacks, the last Bills QB to throw for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season was Drew Bledsoe in 2004. The most any current quarterback on the roster has ever thrown for in a season is Trent Edwards' 11 in 2008. Ryan Fitzpatrick's career high is nine in 2009. Brian Brohm and rookie Levi Brown share a big goose egg in that category.

Long story short, the Bills need to find more of a scoring punch than they have had in the last five years. Maybe if they get into the end zone more, they can celebrate casually by handing the ball to the official and walking back to the sideline.

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Yikes

I don’t even remember having a guy named Mike Hollis on the team. Man I hope we start scoring some points… obviously I’d like to win games but I’d rather watch a high scoring losing effort than a low one that bores me to tears.

by In8DON on Jul 7, 2010 8:52 AM EDT reply actions

Hollis was the kicker before Lindell and he was here for one year.

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I like the classy "hand the ball to the official gesture"

Though I do like a spike….. or a dunk over the goalpost…… or a Billy “White Shoes” Johnson celebration.

Love those Bills but we're tired of losing......

by coolness1 on Jul 7, 2010 9:19 AM EDT reply actions

Travis Henry sure knew how to score.

Heh.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 9:26 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

haha

…which is y he also has 8 or 9 kids!

by Teaters33 on Jul 7, 2010 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions

…And explains his predilection for white powder.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions

I Like The Throw the Ball In The Stands

Ith the addition of CJ Spiller and my boy Naaman Roosevelt who by the way is going to make this team, the Bills have done what I feel is necessary to score more points have added some big receivers and some bulky tight ends that can catch the ball out of the BIG package on goaline with a little play action, and now have three different styles of RB, my question is the Bills have brought in Bell,Jackson and Spiller they are definatley going to have to cut someone if they wanna keep 4 RB’s Is Mac gunna get released because theres no way Bell makes the team and Spiller is an excellent return guy so wheres the point in keeping Jackson. I love the New Regime but there are some guys that are gunna definatley get the Axe.

by PaullyPforPrez on Jul 7, 2010 9:34 AM EDT reply actions

I'm not sure Jamaal Charles belongs in that "mocking" group

He turned into a really solid #1 back for KC last year, and I think he’ll be successful with his speed for the long haul (in RB terms, long haul is only a few years).

I’m not even sure why I’m defending him, I think it’s just because he was on my fantasy team last year, but the point still stands. His name just didn’t feel right to me on that sarcastic list of “juggernauts”, haha.

by nickfeely8 on Jul 7, 2010 9:39 AM EDT reply actions

I agree with you. I also had Charles on both my teams, and he proved ready to become a star by mid-season.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Prior to last year what had he done? That was the only point. Some guys from nowhere scored more points than the Bills top scorer.

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Excellent point.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Charles

Yeah I have him as a keeper in my league :)

He was awesome in 8 starts – why he’s on the mocking list is beyond me – you dropped the ball there Matt – he is really good – better than any RB we have currently !! (and that is supposedly our strongest position) It’s no fluke either – he was a college stud too – just came out in a strong class !

How the heck you listed Charles with Jacoby Jones and Phillys TE Celek is beyond my comprehension.

Loved your article otherwise !

3 AM Monday morning games all 2010 - that's just dandy !

by Will G on Jul 7, 2010 9:48 AM EDT reply actions

And what's wrong with Celek?

He’s going to prove to everyone that he is one of the best TE’s in the league this year. The guy had 32 more receptions and 359 more yards than Evans did last year. It’s kind of an insult to him to lump Evans in with him, some might say.

I don’t understand why those two were mocked here. Both had much, much better seasons than Lee Evans had.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Jul 7, 2010 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Mocking is too strong of a word. They had done not a whole lot prior to 2009. Then they had good years and outscored our top scorer. If you ask people who the top scorers around the league are, how many do you name before naming a Buffalo Bill? That’s more the point.

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s certainly a sad state of affairs.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Then mock Evans and the Bills!

They’re the ones with the crappy numbers!

Charles and Celek were in their 2nd and 3rd years in the league, of course they hadn’t done a whole lot to that point.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Jul 7, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Someone needs to get under Evans’ skin. Make him mad enough to play lights out.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions

It was intended to make light of the Bills rather than those guys. Sorry I came across so negatively. I know that’s your job. ZING!

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

td song

they should think about changing their td song…. god i hate that song.

by JJBUD on Jul 7, 2010 10:02 AM EDT reply actions

WWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA??????

The Bills make me wanna shout is sung at NFL stadiums throughout the league on the rare occurrence of a Bills TD.

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Giving a SHOUT OUT to Matt....REC"D

"I’m not sure if I disagree with this being the logic behind Nix’s decisions or if I disagree with this logic if it is what lead Nix to address the positions he did, but I definitely disagree with something." - kaisertown

by Joe P. on Jul 7, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d like to unlike this comment. =)

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Jul 7, 2010 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

are you

norcalianglesfan

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on Jul 7, 2010 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

This comment alone should be grounds for SBnation to add an “unRec” button!

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by UZ on Jul 7, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed.......when the comment gets enough unRecs, it should turn red and a animation of "wide right" should appear below it

by Joe P. on Jul 7, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Unrec.

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions

done

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on Jul 7, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Banned

Or flagged at the very least…

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Jul 7, 2010 2:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I wish I was able to get sick of that song, but as MRW showed in the article, it hasn’t been played nearly enough.

by Dr. Brackish Okun on Jul 7, 2010 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

touchdown celebration ideas

I’m still waiting for a Buffalo Bill to “Shot Put” the football or do the famous Michael Jordan layup against the Lakers in the NBA finals (switching from right hand to left hand in the air) then throwing the ball through the field goal posts as a touchdown celebration. No one pays all that money to see a player hand the ball to a ref….boring.

by Buffalo Blakeslee on Jul 7, 2010 10:59 AM EDT reply actions

One of the things I was looking forward to last year were some memorable TD celebrations from TO. Of course, that implies one of the other things I was looking forward to last year from TO, which were TDs. Apparently he gave us 6, but the only TD I remember TO scoring was his first one, where he did a lap around the end zone with his arms outstretched like, “Look, Ma, I did it! I’m back!” Could have done without that lame bit of narcissism, not to say that all those over the top Ochocinco-TO celebrations aren’t displays of narcissism. At least make the celebration about the team, and if you want to go make it about yourself, at least entertain us, bring us in on it. I’m not here to be a prop in your bit of self-enjoyment – at least give me a reach around in the form of a sharpie in your sock or a cell phone in the upright padding.

by oompaloompa on Jul 7, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

His TD celebrations, few and far between, were pretty lame. He toned them down from what he used to due in the past, but it was still all about himself. I can only remember him putting his arms straight to the side, then flexing, essentially saying T-O…boring

STOP THE INSANITY!!!

by BuffJD on Jul 7, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

"Offensive Blues"

I got the lack of "Offensive Blues"
Make me want to Shout until I cry
At the Ralph come Sunday
Is where the Bills offense comes to die

I pay my hard earn money to come and see you play
But the offense since the 90’s seems to be in constant disarray
It’s a tough pill to swallow
After watching Kelly, Reed, Thurman run the K-Gun
Kicking is our offense because of the difficulty to pass an run

The Offensive Blues just won’t say goodbye
They don’t want to fade away
Just score over 20 points a game
To keep the Blues away

I got the lack of "Offensive Blues"
Make me want to Shout until I cry
At the Ralph come Sunday
Is where the Bills offense comes to die

"The most successful coaches on any level teach the fundamentals."
Coach John McKay

by Goose22 on Jul 7, 2010 11:51 AM EDT reply actions

Or, as Joe P keeps putting it, “they need to score more points than their opponents.”

Rough! I really don’t know which of us had said it first, and I am not going to be SO egotistical as to go back and look… but I am pretty sure that was my arguement! I know absolutely for a fact that I was picking on MRW during Cliche Countdown Run and Stop the Run…. but its cool… I don’t need recognition for my original and playful observation… I am happy to go forward receiving no notice, no credit, and certainly no RECS!!!!!

I must be one annoying or unoriginal B*ST*RD. haha

FS Jairus Byrd aka the Buffalo Bills' Silver Lining

by Ren Diggity on Jul 7, 2010 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

LOL. If it was you then I apologize.

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 7, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

i really think it was… I can’t say for sure about Joe P. I didn’t go back and look. But i certainly know that I went so far as to be redundant in that article and refer to MY OWN previous post on the article. haha.

I just love this site, I am all over it everyday, and when I read that, I was like “THAT WAS MY QUOTE!” Mrshhda ferggen jsdkjflwilheioouj (Ralphy style cussing) HAHA. Just kidding. It’s no biggy.

I think it is a very valid point though, and that it really could be the difference this year if we can find a way to be more productive (how could we be less). So, just fix the article, and apology totally accepted. Just kidding. I really am not an egomaniac. I just thought it was funny, and I like the back and forth. : )

FS Jairus Byrd aka the Buffalo Bills' Silver Lining

by Ren Diggity on Jul 7, 2010 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I have no idea.....am willing to let Ren Diggity have all the credit :-)

by Joe P. on Jul 7, 2010 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

actually it was me – so screw you guys :)

We got the tools, We got the talent

by J2 on Jul 7, 2010 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

ummmmm.......What Jauron said when asked whose idea it was to fire Turk and cut Walker?

by Joe P. on Jul 7, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

yup – that sounds about right

We got the tools, We got the talent

by J2 on Jul 8, 2010 8:46 AM EDT up reply actions

lol

FS Jairus Byrd aka the Buffalo Bills' Silver Lining

by Ren Diggity on Jul 7, 2010 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

doesn't matter at all

Not like i was the first person to ever consider or state it. I just assumed he meant in recent past, and wanted to rib him a little bit. ; )

FS Jairus Byrd aka the Buffalo Bills' Silver Lining

by Ren Diggity on Jul 7, 2010 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions

My ideal TD celebration would be the faux karate moves Jim Carrey does during the dream sequence in Dumb and Dumber.

If i were in charge of TD dances, they’d get more and more obscure.

by Dr. Brackish Okun on Jul 7, 2010 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

My favorite touchdown celebration

Is the Gus Frerotte

"Ability without character will lose. The Bills are going to be a team of high character. That stamp I will push very hard. I hope we can convey that to our fans and project something very special to the rest of the nation." - Marv Levy

by BuffaloBlueBlood on Jul 8, 2010 12:47 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Not really.

It’s the Billy “White shoes” Johnson. I performed it several times in high school.

by BuffaloBlueBlood on Jul 8, 2010 12:49 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Didn’t like 70 different Saints score last year? The Colts had a ton of players on both offense and defense go in, too – including our own Chad Simpson, who had rush and KR TDs.

I’d “like” to see a list of the Bills players who made it into the end zone last year, and compare it to other teams’.

by lord gloom on Jul 8, 2010 7:04 AM EDT reply actions

Bills had 11 scorers

Lindell led the way with 108 points
Evans had 42
Owens had 36
Fred Jackson 24
Lynch, Schobel, and Whitner had 12
Denney, Fitzpatrick, Nelson, and Reed had 6

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by MattRichWarren on Jul 8, 2010 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions