We've noticed a running theme on Mondays this year. "Player X" says "Player Y" quit or didn't give full effort during a game on Sunday.
Usually the players are on different teams. It's almost unheard of to hear a player call out a teammate for his effort in a close game, but that's what longtime defensive end Chris Kelsay did Monday, one day after the Buffalo Bills' 35-34 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
"Some way, somehow, we've got to understand what accountability means across the board, playing hard every play,"Â Kelsay said, according to the team's official website. "You watch the film, and not everybody was playing hard every snap, and that's unacceptable. ...
"If you aren't going to give us everything you've got, you shouldn't be on the field. I don't care who you are. Obviously, I'm not the one to make those decisions because I'm in that mix. I'm not pointing the finger. I'm looking in the mirror myself first and foremost. If you're not going to, you shouldn't play."
Those are strong words from the longest-tenured Bill. Speculation immediately will start in Buffalo about who he's talking about, and two big-name players on the defensive line -- Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams -- haven't played well this season. Not many Bills defenders have played well; they are 31st in yards allowed and points allowed. It's not easy to give up 35 points to the Titans.
"You're only as good as the effort you put forth. I don't care who it is," Kelsay said. "I'd take Mario Williams at full health and full speed probably over anybody else in the league. At the same time, I'd take Sean Ferguson, who we cut, over a guy that's playing 50 percent, and I think our coaches would, too. The playmakers have to make plays, and the way you do that is giving all-out effort every play."
"Kelsay's entitled to his opinion," Bills coach Chan Gailey said, via The Associated Press. "It's not that I don't think we're playing hard. I do. I think we play hard. Can we play better? That's the key. Being consistent. That's the term I used with the players this morning."
Kelsay says it's about the players, not the coaches. Gailey says he's reevaluating everything. There has been a lot of that going around in Buffalo.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
