Bills fans weren’t wrong to view the Mario Williams signing as a turning point for this beleaguered franchise. Similarly, they’re not wrong to express frustration about his play so far.
A sober assessment is in order and you have to begin by acknowledging anything less than a sack on every drive wasn’t going to impress some people.
He is not the second-coming of Bruce Smith.
Here’s the reality: The Bills gave out the biggest contract in the history of the league for a defensive player because that’s what it would take to convince anyone of Williams’ status to come here. The money was always going to be disproportionate to the player. The reality is Williams is a good pass rusher coming off a season-ending injury and adjusting to a new defense.
To be sure, he’d better get accustomed to playing in Buffalo pretty soon. The howls about his performance after four weeks are a bit premature for a player who has a history of being streaky, but there’s no getting around the fact that he hasn’t given Bills fans much of anything to be optimistic about. One coverage sack against the lowly Cleveland Browns isn’t much to write home about.
I don’t know exactly when it’s time to call Williams a bust, but given the size of his contract and the immense expectations, I can say for sure it’ll be longer than the rope most fans are willing to give him while he struggles.
Contact Eric DuVall at eric.duvall@tonawanda-news.com.
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