Believe me, I'm as tired of discussing what NFL analysts are saying about the Buffalo Bills in the weeks leading up to training camp as you are. But I respect the heck out of Michael Lombardi at NFL.com, so I feel compelled to toss at least one more of these your way. Lombardi broke down the entire AFC in a column yesterday, labeling the Bills as one of the two worst teams - along with the Cleveland Browns - in the conference.
At least Lombardi threw a little respect toward the fans (which he did for the Browns, too; clearly, he wasn't trying to make enemies).
I love Bills fans because they're passionate and knowledgeable. In fact, I get more emails from Bills fans than from nearly any other team. They love their team and aren't bitter about the four Super Bowl losses. Still, fans are also realistic and know the Bills are a long way from competing for a return trip to the Super Bowl.
Yeah... we're smart.
Lombardi cites quarterback play (surprise!), red zone offense, and lack of big passing plays as reason for pessimism. He also strangely posits that a switch to the 3-4 won't cure Buffalo's issues defending the run; it's hard to argue that the switch itself would do the trick, but new personnel might help, and those players aren't mentioned. But now I'm just nit-picking.
Bills training camp starts two weeks from tomorrow. We'll make it, folks. After all, we're passionate, knowledgeable and realistic.