Beard of the Week - Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

At some point, things have to start going Buffalo's way, right?  While the fact that there are other tortured fanbases out there is dully noted, the Bills have to be in the conversation.
OK, try this: close your eyes and think about the history of the Bills.  I'm more than willing to wager that one of the first things that comes to mind is on the following list (the rich AFL tradition of the franchise notwithstanding):

1. Scott Norwood.
2. Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride.
3. O.J. Simpson.

All of those past demons lurking about have to make the current season that much more of a jagged little pill for Bills fans to swallow.  At 2-9 at the time of this writing, the Bills have easily been the pluckiest team sporting a .181 winning percentage in the history of organized football.  Consider that after their Week 6 bye...

• Week 7:  37-34 overtime loss to (current division leader) Baltimore
• Week 8:  13-10 overtime loss to (current division leader) Kansas City
• Week 9:  22-19 loss in regulation to (current division leader) Chicago (maybe they win this one if they're not exported to Toronto as a "home game")
• Week 10: 14-12 win over Detroit
• Week 11: 49-31 win over Cincinnati
• Week 12: 19-16 overtime loss to (current division leader - tied with Baltimore) Pittsburgh.

This is not a team that has made a stop at the post office and mailed it in.  Their record doesn't indicate it at all; but Bills are actually a watchable team, if only because you know they'll take a punch and and keep on coming. Against the Steelers, in a game that nobody gave them a chance to win (except, perhaps, the mothers of some of the Bills players - but I'd bet even they had their doubts...), Ryan Fitzpatrick did everything asked of him in order to win that game.  He marched his team down the field for a game tying field goal with :02 remaining in regulation.  In overtime, he threw a perfect pass to Steve Johnson, who as of late looked like he was becoming the first relevant wide receiver in Buffalo since Andre Reed.

But apparently Johnson had enjoyed a hot butter sandwich just before the overtime began.

Then he issued the tweet heard 'round the world.

Then he backtracked a bit (good piece by ESPN's AFC East blogger Tim Graham).

But despite the fact that the Bills went on to lose the game,  Fitzpatrick and his lumberjackian beard look like they are laying the groundwork for becoming a respectable team again in the near future.

Either that, or the 2010 Bills are just going to become another notch on the Bedpost of Failure in Buffalo.


In honor of Derek Anderson's meltdown, enjoy: