By Tim Graham
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey was disgusted with his team's opening-day performance, but he had some advice for those who want to bury the Bills after opening day.
"Let it go," Gailey said after losing 48-28 to the New York Jets. "It was awful today. I understand that.
"But don't kick the dirt on us yet."
The Bills have worked diligently to change a losing culture that permeated the halls at One Bills Drive for years. They've tried to sanitize the "Same old Bills" mentality.
Then, with all the expectations surrounding the club, they turned in a vintage 2001 effort to start a campaign meant to end the NFL's longest playoff drought.
They got destroyed on offense, defense and special teams. Their vaunted pass rush had zero sacks and one pressure. Their quarterback play was dismal. Key offensive players Fred Jackson and David Nelson went down with knee injuries. The special teams gave up a touchdown.
Gailey insisted he wouldn't put up with any woe-is-me behavior from the Bills.
"We made too many mistakes to win a game like that," Gailey said. "You can't make mistakes and win games like that. Then I told them to not feel sorry for themselves and not to mope around. I was not going to tolerate that, and I'm not going to allow that.
"We're going to be where we need to be. I fully believe that."
