Here's a fun fact: The Bills have lost five games this year in which they were tied or in

the lead at some point in the fourth quarter.

Make of it what you will. The Bills are a bad team that usually descends to its proper

level when the game is on the line. But that doesn't stop a fan from pounding his head against

the wall and anguishing over what might have been.

What if Leodis McKelvin doesn't run the kickoff out of the end zone in the opener? What if

Roscoe Parrish doesn't fumble the punt against Cleveland? What if the defense had made one

more stop at the end Sunday in Jacksonville?

They could be like the Jaguars today, an unremarkable 6-4 team in the middle of the AFC

playoff hunt. The Bills would be alive for their first playoff berth in a decade (Dick Jauron

would still be the coach, but let's move past that.)

But they lost all those games for a reason. They're a team desperate for answers, starting

with a real general manager and a competent head coach. Still, you can find hope in the fact

that the Bills have been competitive in every game but one this year.

Things are never quite as bad as they appear in the stew of mediocrity that is the NFL. As

I've said before, the league's mediocrity is a Bills fan's best friend, his greatest reason

for hope. Embrace it. Take it to dinner. Send it a Christmas card. Contention is never that

far away.

There are 21 teams within a game of .500 or better. Look at Sunday's action. The Raiders

beat the Bengals. The Chiefs beat the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers. The Cowboys

needed a late TD to beat the Redskins. Tampa Bay rose up to beat the Packers a few weeks ago.

The Browns, uh, never mind.

So really, how difficult is it to finish sixth out of 16 teams in a conference these days?

Look at the Jaguars. That team is 6-4? They have no pass rush, an average quarterback, a weak

secondary. The Broncos are 6-4. I mean, really.

The goal shouldn't be to hang around the fringes of the playoff hunt before fading in

December. We've seen enough of that. There's a big difference between hanging around the

playoff race and being a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

But if a dysfunctional franchise can be competitive in the fourth quarter in 80 percent of

the games, imagine what a little competence could bring.

That should be the abiding hope for Bills fans as the team proceeds on its quest for a new

coach and, presumably, a real GM. Ralph Wilson says he's willing to pay big money to get the

operation turned around. We'll see if he's sincere, or if the owner is pretending to have his

line in the water for the big fish.

It would be nice to see Wilson throw big bucks at the problem. But you don't necessarily need to break the bank to have a competent NFL team.

Bring in some qualified people to run the football department. Find eager, accountable

people with a sharp eye for talent. Get a bright, assertive coach with a football vision and a

clear, functioning mind on game day. And get a decent quarterback, for heaven's sake.

Once those things are in place, watch how the games start to go the other way in the

fourth. Look around the league. It's not all that hard to be competitive. What's really hard

is missing the playoffs nine years in a row, to be mediocre year after year after year. It's

almost as if the Bills have worked off a blueprint.

All you can do is hope they get it right this time. I've learned not to put too much faith

in Wilson's judgment. At the same time, a quick scan of the NFL these days reminds you that it

doesn't take an Einstein to build a good team.

At least they've admitted they have a problem. That's a start. Bills fans are eternal

optimists. The will to believe is strong. All they need is the slightest flicker of hope.

Things are never as bad as they seem. Not even the NFL.