Breaking a 17-year playoff drought was fun, but the Bills appear to have taken a major step backward this season.
Going through the pains of a pile of dead money on their salary cap, a rookie quarterback and an overhauled-and-not-for-the-better offensive line has left the Bills 1-3, but running back LeSean McCoy is not ready to declare their situation a rebuild.
“Well I hope that’s not the case,” McCoy said, via Matt Parrino of NYUpstate.com. “I think the guys here we have can win now.
“I mean, this is not the first time that a team has had a rookie quarterback that [could potentially make] the playoffs and that wins games. It’s not something that’s never been seen or happened in the NFL.”
His optimism is admirable, but even coach Sean McDermott used the word “build” this week when discussing the team’s current spot. But McCoy insisted that they could still be a valid team while Josh Allen learns on the job.
“With Josh being a young superstar in the making he needs to go through these times where we’re in close games. Whether we run the ball a lot or throw the ball a lot, each game is a new experience for him,” McCoy said. “I don’t look at it like we’re just developing our franchise quarterback because our team, we’re kind of older. The guys on defense who are stepping up and playing lights out for the last couple weeks to the main guys on offense, we’re a little older. I think the main focus is winning games. I don’t think that the main focus is trying to develop Josh. I think that will come along with you trying to win games now.”
Of course, doing that would likely require McCoy playing a much more substantial role, but they’re 24th in the league in rushing. McCoy only touching the ball eight times in a game isn’t helping either, as any plan that has them winning now would seem to require him.