Despite struggles, Bills bosses are sticking with plan

Inept offffffffffffense has squad at 3-7, but ‘the build’ is themission.

ORCHARDPARK, N.Y.— With littlemoneyto spendandfew impact players interested in signing with the Bills given the uncertainty at quarterback this past off ff ff ff ff ff season, general manager Brandon Be a ne understood Buff ff ff ff ff ff al o’ s off ff ff ff ff ff en se was going to struggle.

Little did he realize how much.

“There’snobody that goes into a season and looks for either side of the ball to have a down year and to be statistically where our off ff ff ff ff ff en se is ,” Beane told The Associated Press during awi de-ranging interview before Buff ff ff ff ff ff a lo entered its bye.

He then recalled something former coach John Fox once saidwhen the two worked together inCarolina.

“There’s nobody going to rescue you in-season,” said Beane, in his second year in Buff ff ff ff ff ff a lo .“You’ve got to dig out of it yourself. And all you can do is put your head down and keep working.”

Much of the heavy lifting will have to wait for the offffffffffffseason when Buff ff ff ff ff ff a lois projected to be more than $90 million under the NFL’s salary cap, plus a current stockpile of 10 draft picks.

Otherwise, a year after ending a 17- year playoff drought, the Bills (3-7) are realistically out of this year’s postseason conversation because of a young, patchwork lineup dragged down by an anemic off ff ff ff ff ff en set hat’ s had four starters at quarterback.

Whatever life that journeyman Matt Barkley breathed into the Bills during a 41-10 win at the New York Jets on Sunday, the 451-yard, fifive- touchdown outing that the Bills generated barely moved the needle on an offense that ranks 31st in total yards and points, and last in yards passing.

The struggles reflf le ct a combination of issues including:

■Breaking in rookie quarter back Josh Allen.

■Unexpected off ff ff ff ff ff season personnel losses, such as centerEricWood being diagnosed with a career-ending neck injury, and left guard Richie Incognito forcing his way offff the team after being unhappy with taking a pay cut cut.

■ Beane’s intent to shed high-priced contracts in trading quarter back Ty rod Taylor to Cleveland and left tackle Cordy Glenn to Cincinnati, andnot re-signing linebacker Preston Brown and cornerback E. J. Gain es.

And there was one mistake the general manager owns up to making.

Beane misjudged the team’s lack of experienced depth at quarterback after trading AJ McCarron to Oakland a week before the start of the season, leaving Buffalo with second-year player Nathan Peterman as the starter, and Allen as the backup.

Once Allen was forced to take over after Peterman reverted to his turnover- prone ways midway through a 47-3 season-opening loss at Baltimore, Beane waited until Week 5 to lure Derek Anderson out of semi-retirement.

“Yes. One hundred percent. That’s on me, and nobody else,” Beane said. “I should’ve known better. I tried to push it offff a couple of weeks. It was a mistake that I regret.”

At least Anderson was on the roster in time to step in two weeks later after Allen sprained his right throwing elbow in a 20-13 loss at Houston. Even then, Anderson struggled in throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles in his next two starts before being sidelined by a concussion.

Peterman was cut this week, while Allen has resumed practicing and is in line to reclaimthe jobonce Buff ff ff ff ff ff a lo returns to host Jacksonville on Nov .25.

Though the Bills will likely endure mored owns than ups with Allen over the fifinal six weeks, Bea ne and coach Sean McDermott stress the rookie’s development is critical to the team’s needs beyond this season.

McDermott raised eyebrows when explaining his long-term vision following a 22- 0 loss at Green Bay, in which Buff ff ff ff ff ff al oman aged 145 yards and Allen threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.

“There’s going to be some of thesemoments. Ashardas it is, you’ve got tounderstand where we are in the build,” McDermott said.“We’re trying to developa culturehere. The culture, tome, trumps strategy.”