Monday Morning Cheerleader: Liz of the Buffalo Jills
By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire
Can anything positive come out of a Week 5 snorer where two struggling franchises produce a total of nine points? Perhaps only the undimmed spirit of a Buffalo Jill and her confidence in Terrell Owens and coach Dick Jauron.
Unless you hail from Buffalo or Cleveland — or you’re a big fan of The T.O. Show — odds are you didn’t exactly circle the 1-3 Bills against the 0-4 Browns on your must-see-TV schedule. Be glad you didn’t. In a game so offensively ugly it’d make a Pop Warner coach cringe, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson completed two of seventeen passes and the Bills rang up nine false starts before return man Roscoe Parrish muffed a late punt, and the game, in a 6-3 loss. But out of the chaos emerges the lovely Liz, a second-year Bills cheerleader, to make sense of things. The aspiring child psychologist, ripping snowboarder, and lifetime Bills fan talked T.O., the no-huddle offense, and whether coach Dick Jauron deserves his spot on the hot seat.
ESQUIRE: This is the second game of the season that the Bills have lost thanks to a sloppy return in the final minutes. Does the team need to invest in stickier gloves?
LIZ: I think the gloves are probably okay. It’s just something they have to keep working on. Leodis McKelvin’s fumble in the first game was a real gut-wrencher, but to go into the Patriots’ house and almost take a win away against such a great team also gave so much hope to Bills fans. Today, we were having a hard time generating anything. On the field you could sense the frustration.
ESQ: How much did the swirling winds add to the offensive ineptitude?
L: It was extremely windy. I don’t know how much it affected the players, but for us it was a huge factor. We couldn’t see anything because our hair was in our faces the whole game! Dealing with the elements makes it trickier, but there was no rain or snow, and it’s something you have to rise above.
ESQ: The Bills are 1-4 and have lost consecutive games to previously winless teams. What’s the biggest problem right now?
L: The offense just doesn’t seem to be communicating and meshing. I don’t know if it’s because they’re young. They’ve shown signs of greatness, but the execution just isn’t happening. They’re still getting used to the no-huddle offense, and some people are wondering if they should throw it away. I think they need to improve it a lot or use it less.
ESQ: You’ve also lost six defensive players to injury. How difficult is that?
L: Injuries are definitely a factor. Losing linebacker Kawika Mitchell today was a blow, but the defense has actually handled itself very well. I think the Browns had twenty-three passing yards. I’ve heard Paul Posluszny should be coming back pretty soon. That will be a welcome return.
ESQ: Terrell Owens’s line so far… zero temper tantrums, one reality show, and just eight catches for 158 yards and a TD. What’s the feeling right now about No. 81?
L: I think people are still really excited to have him. He’s still getting acclimated. People like to point fingers at T.O. or Trent, but the offense as a whole isn’t meshing that well. Marshawn Lynch is back now — he had 125 yards today. It was hard for the offense without him. The fans still cheer when T.O. makes a play. He did a little dance today, and they liked that.
ESQ: We hear you’re a Sabres fan. What’s it like cheering in a game that ends with what looks like a hockey score?
L: It’s a little bit tough on the field, because we’re trying to amp up the fans. But Buffalo fans are great — they are in it to the end no matter what happens. It’s more fun when the team is winning, but the game was still close, so there was a lot to fight for. It’s hard to describe just how loud it is when we are on defense. It’s very rare that they’re quiet — if they’re not going to cheer, they are going to boo. Today there was quite a bit booing, the most I’ve heard in a game.
ESQ: Do you think Dick Jauron is worried about his job?
L: With all the penalties today, it’s easy to blame the coach, but I don’t think getting rid of Jauron midseason is a good move. In the history of that happening with NFL teams, it doesn’t improve the situation. The players love Jauron. They have nothing but positive things to say about him. He’s not a very emotional coach. He’s not fired up and screaming, but they have other guys in the locker room to do that. He’s very cool and collected, and that can be an advantage.
ESQ: The Bills face a strong Jets team next week, but the schedule gets a bit easier after that. Do you think the playoffs are still possible?
L: I definitely think they can make the playoffs. It’s still early. We just need to get our injured players back and start to click. I mean, that has to happen soon, but I wouldn’t count us out yet.
ESQ: Do you have to say that because you’re a cheerleader?
L: No! I’m a Bills fan and a cheerleader. It’s only the fifth game. It’s not impossible.
