Buffalo Bills not blaming injuries for losses
By Josh Sanchez
The Buffalo Bills had a good chance at handing the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season, but injuries had forced the team to play their third-string quarterback Jeff Tuel and two key turnovers gave the Chiefs the points they needed to earn their ninth win of the season and continue their unbeaten streak.
Many people have pointed to the injuries as a reason for the team’s recent losses, but starting wide receiver Steve Johnson is not having any of that.
“We felt like we had the game. We controlled the game, and we ended up coming out with another loss,” Johnson said, via The Buffalo News. “If you’re not frustrated about that, then you shouldn’t even be in this locker room right now. You should be filled up with fire, ready to go at it next Sunday, so that’s how I feel right now.
“No moral victory at all. At all. That’s all it is is a lost opportunity.
“Man, it’s the same old story. Injuries are injuries. Enough. Enough of that. We’re out there suited up, so nobody should be talking about injuries. If you out there, you out there, man. Enough of that injury talk. I’m tired of that.
“We in the NFL, we’re professionals. We’re not high school football players. We’ve been through a lot, through college, through junior college, high school, all that stuff. … Right now you play for the Buffalo Bills. It’s no excuse for games like that. We gotta take advantage of teams like that. I felt like we didn’t.”
While it is good to see Bills players trying to take responsibility and put the loss on their shoulders, you can’t deny the fact that things could be different with first-round pick E.J. Manuel leading the show.
Sure, injuries happen in the NFL, but it isn’t often that teams are asked to rely on their third-stringer to bring home a win against the top team in the league.
The good news for the Bills is that Manuel has been cleared to play, so he should return to the field this weekend for their Week 10 match up against the Pittsburgh Steelers.