ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- First, the Buffalo Bills couldn't win in regulation. Now, they're losing in overtime.
As "horrible" as linebacker Paul Posluszny acknowledged he felt about the team's 0-7 record on Monday, he regards back-to-back overtime losses as progress in a season in which very little has gone right for Buffalo.
"It's horrible to think we're the only winless team in the NFL. No one wants to be able to say that you're part of that. But that's the reality," Posluszny said. "But each week, man, we're getting a step closer. You can't get any closer than where we're at."
Any sign of hope will do for the Bills, who are attempting to remain upbeat despite getting off to their worst start in 26 years.
Their latest oh-so-close chance at victory came in a 13-10 overtime loss at Kansas City on Sunday in a game decided by Ryan Succop's a 35-yard field goal as time expired. And it came a week after a 37-34 overtime loss at Baltimore, making Buffalo only the 12th NFL team to lose in OT on consecutive weekends.
Dreadful as that might sound, there's renewed hope among the Bills that a turnaround might just be around the corner -- and who knows, potentially on Sunday, when they play "host" to Chicago (4-3) in a game at Toronto.
"That's kind of what we keep telling each other," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "We need to get over the hump, get one win, and then we think things will start rolling and bouncing in our direction."
So far, everything's been bouncing against Buffalo, which was particularly evident in how the team squandered three opportunities to win the game in the final 16 minutes.
Kicker Rian Lindell had a 53-yard field-goal attempt in overtime clank off the right upright -- this after he made one from the same distance only to have it nullified when the Chiefs called a timeout just before the snap.
Then, there was Fitzpatrick, who had a bedeviling outing. Despite capping a 15-play, 83-yard scoring drive by hitting Stevie Johnson for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 2:18 left to tie the game at 10, Fitzpatrick inexplicably unraveled in the clutch.
Facing first-and-10 at the Chiefs 41 with 32 seconds left in regulation, Fitzpatrick threw an interception when his intended pass to Lee Evans over the middle squirted out of his hands. Then, in overtime, he overthrew a wide-open C.J. Spiller in the end zone.
Fitzpatrick took the blame.
"It's inexcusable," he said. "For me, it hurts more because I had the opportunities, I had the chances, and I feel I let the guys down."
In a sign of unity, Fitzpatrick's teammates rallied to his defense, saying there was plenty of blame to go around.
They included safety George Wilson, who was still kicking himself for having a sure interception fall through his hands in the opening quarter.
"When I closed my eyes last night, I saw the ball coming at me. When I woke up this morning, I saw Cassel dropping back and throwing at me again," Wilson said, referring to Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel. "No way is yesterday's game Ryan Fitzpatrick's fault."
The Bills defense showed improvement in allowing a season-low 13 points -- this after giving up 34 or more points in each of its previous five games. Buffalo still couldn't stop the run, allowing a season-worst 274 yards rushing to mark the fourth time Buffalo's given up 200 or more yards this year.
Coach Chan Gailey credited his players for owning up to their mistakes, but emphasized that everyone should feel responsible for the loss - himself included.
Gailey's big concern is how the string of losses have the potential of affecting his team.
"You have a hard time dealing with his. If you say it's easy, you're lying," Gailey said. "There's no speech to give. There's nothing I can do to go in there and smooth-talk them. You can't fool them."
And yet, Gailey maintains faith in his players, who continue to battle on the field.
"It reveals character," Gailey said. "I think we have a lot of guys with character, and I think they will continue to work and fight."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
