Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks Share Common Foe

Cooperation is appreciated in football.

Sun Tzu bet against the Seahawks.  I watch sports because I like the games and a handful of teams, not because I think I can outfox betting outfits which I understand run as for-profit enterprises.  But the original self-help author’s timeless advice to not interfere with an enemy while he makes a mistake shows why life reflects football and vice versa.  The general made a little scratch by noticing both teams combined for a common goal.  Seattle helped Buffalo beat Seattle.

The Seahawks showed a lot of fight.  Sure, it was against each other.  But you can’t expect competitors to remember every detail.  Getting aggressive with coworkers might help in practice.  The tricky part is to refocus rage when another team arrives.  Coaches could help with that, but they must address getting the quarterback the ball first.

Seattle’s center is Buffalo’s MVP.  Getting saved by a bad snap was not planned by Sean McDermott no matter how much he’d like to take credit.  Tripping the quarterback offered a nice change of pace.

Fear of success was a common theme for Seattle.  Helping foes is a novel way of coping.  There must be some excuse for the host’s unnerving lack of focus.  Perhaps they were unfamiliar with rainy conditions, which are as inherent to their city as Archie McPhee.  Tyrel Dodson finally helped the Bills.

It’s tough for Tom Brady to observe a quarterback who doesn’t cheat and still possesses his soul.  The erstwhile divisional tormenter is lousy at his current job, which is a relief except for those who must endure him talking about football.  Downplaying a cheap shot to Josh Allen’s jaw is his way of expressing solidarity.  You just know the poor color commentator wanted to recommend deflation to help with wet footballs.

Advice wouldn’t have helped Geno Smith.  I support him remaining in the league as an alleged comeback success.  But that’s because my team played his.

Nobody can go 21 for 29 while looking terrible like Smith.  It’s a skill of sorts.  He got off to a good start if he was aiming for Greg Rousseau.  Precision while throwing to Bills was a theme for the Pinstripe Bowl loser, who was accurate when throwing at a defender’s helmet.  A resentful outburst allowed Smith to be at what could be called his best.

I hope a frustrating result doesn’t make Smith surly.  I fear it’s too late.  The perpetually unhappy quarterback has found a comfortable rut in a mutually deficient relationship.

Which came first: the Seahawk or the egg?  The endless question of how much of his crankiness is based on lousy circumstances is the English major’s inadvertent contribution to philosophy.  Yet unpleasant conditions sure seem to follow him.  The player’s abilities certainly couldn’t cause the uncanny coincidence.  He's been Bad Luck Geno for a decade and not about to change who he is now, which shouldn’t shock any professional football managers.  But don’t tell the Seahawks, who are banking on a new quarterback emerging in his 12th season.

By contrast, Buffalo’s personnel squad looks like they found the talented players they need.  Khalil Shakir is quiet while answering every question the offense asks of him.

And no offense, bro, but when did you become a receiver?  Keon Coleman is a Super Trooper who’s trying to reverse the notion that he could become Kelvin Benjamin with a lighter appetite.

Buffalo could still manage some improvements in case they face a foe who has not engaged the self-destruct sequence.  Dorian Williams is all over the field, which is not a compliment if the ball is elsewhere.  Terrel Bernard healing is the best defensive strategy.

Consistency remains a concern even if timing shifted.  The Bills waited until the second quarter to underachieve.  Seattle’s implosion pre-empted a potentially infuriatingly close game from ever happening.  Be thankful for the timeline you missed.

Enthusiasts regarding negativity keep saying lulls will eventually catch up.  It’s a delight for fans of misery to note they’re correct.  No NFL club gets to keep playing teams that self-sabotage out of fearing success.  The upside of kvetching is prompting an avoidance behavior that could lead to justified negativity.

Reducing interceptions is easier in the singular.  The Bills braced this long for one from their savior.  Everyone makes mistakes, even if it took Allen into the eighth game to make one.  The ostensible turnover machine stubbornly doesn’t care about the narrative from his enemies who don’t watch him play.

While it’s not a relief to end the streak, even Allen is bound to let a rain-slicked ball slip from his fingers into the hands of a Seahawk.  The sole turnover could’ve swung momentum if Seattle weren’t so into masochism.  The anti-Geno still managed an impressive 102.9 rating despite a thrown turnover.

More importantly, Allen responds to situations instead of just accumulating impressive statistics.  Decent numbers are a byproduct of rising to meet needs.  Rain can’t prevent a first down or touchdown from a determined participant.  True competitors rise to game conditions no matter the weather ones.