ORCHARD PARK — A photo of a white dog is scattered above a locker. Its teeth were exposed and foam flew from its mouth, as if it was about to pounce.
There are three types of dogs. The first one is tame enough to fit in your purse. The second one is ensnared and can never escape its bonds. There is also a Dogo that is friendly to familiar people but can become violent when those people are in danger.
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Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson requested and received permission to speak with the team ahead of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As Thompson walked to the front of the room, he implored them to be Dugos.
When a kicker’s foot hits the ball on a kickoff, he urges them to turn on another switch and keep it on until the end of the game.
“Aside from the pads, we do social activities,” Thompson told GNN Sports. “We find that we love each other and we protect our brothers. But when we enter this field and cross that line, we have to become headhunters. It’s time to leave.”
Thompson first heard the analogy from former Carolina Panthers special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. The Dogo Argentino is a mastiff-like breed consisting of the Córdoba Pitbull, Bulldog, Bull Terrier and Mastin del Pyrenees.
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The Dogo can grow to 90-100 pounds and has a good nose, speed and stamina for big game hunters to track wild boars and mountain lions. Some countries have banned this type of breeding.
Thompson knew the Bills had to be hunters over the final five games of the season because of the strange situation they were in. The Bills are currently 8-4, two games behind the New England Patriots (heading into the rematch) for the AFC East lead and the best record in the NFL. But the Bills also currently occupy the final wild-card spot in the AFC Championship Game.
Since starting 4-0, the Bills have won just two straight games, beating the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots could beat the Bills in two weeks to clinch the division title.
“I don’t think we can afford to be inconsistent. Not right now,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “You’re never going to be like that, don’t get me wrong. But we’re at the end of the road. That’s the way it is and that’s our mentality.”
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Inconsistencies across three phases of offense, defense and special teams have plagued the Bills at different times throughout the season. But no unit is more inconsistent than the defense, which has a habit of going from bad to bad, not just from game to game, but from half to half.
Since giving up 399 rushing yards against the Dolphins and Buccaneers, giving up over 30 points in those games. But over the past two games, the Bills have given up 166 yards and a total of 30 points.
“Shaq came into team meetings and helped us realize that … especially the defensive players … showed us who we are,” Bills rookie defensive tackle Dion Walker said. “At least I can say that from a defensive standpoint.”
For the Bills, dealing with Pittsburgh’s physicality might be the easy part. No matter how incompetent the Steelers are, a team can’t do well without knowing going into the game that the win isn’t going to be pretty.
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Pittsburgh’s massive second- and third-tight end tandem forces opponents to meet them at the top of a mountain, and a team will eventually roll back down. But now the Bills get the Cincinnati Bengals, who play a completely different offense.
As the NFL shifts to a more balanced approach, the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow are still making plays on the field. Even with Burrow missing nine games with a toe injury, the Bengals haven’t stopped attacking.
Veteran Joe Flacco is averaging nearly 42 attempts in six starts, a remarkable number considering he only had 35 attempts in his prime with the Baltimore Ravens. Only the Arizona Cardinals have thrown the ball more than Cincinnati’s 495.
Last week against the Ravens, Burrow returned to the lineup and the Bengals threw the ball 49 times.
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“Every game is a scrimmage for us. That’s the mentality, right? Never give up, right?” Thompson said. “I just want to say we have to play better. That’s it. I’m not speaking for the team. I’m just talking about the defense… We challenged the defense (against Pittsburgh) and the defense did a great job. But now I ask the guys, we did it once. Can we do it twice?”
