Get Your Popcorn Ready

As anticipated, the signing of Terrell Owens this off-season has increased the national appeal of our small-town gridiron heroes. The formerly uninteresting, middle-of-the-pack nobodies are now one of the teams slated to be showcased on the NFL's opening weekend. Partly because they are one of the original AFL teams, and the NFL is celebrating the AFL's 50th anniversary this season, but mostly because of T.O.

Get your popcorn ready, North America.

Think what you will about T.O. - selfishness, "Me Only" attitude, bashing teammates (especially QBs) - he definitely commands attention. Dick Jauron can't stop parroting his stats in press conferences. His new coach is obviously impressed. And so are season ticket holders. Increased sales and renewals are a direct result of signing just this one player. The Bills Store has also seen an amazing demand for Owens jerseys. The guy commands attention.

The Bills have at least one more showcase game already. They will be on the national stage once again when they play their second game across the border in Toronto, Ontario. (Also known by the locals as, "T.O." That won't be exploited at all...) The early talk is that the Bills could play Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in that game. Other possibilities include Tampa Bay and New Orleans.

But I really don't think that will be the end of it. Thanks to the T.O. factor, NFL fans across the country (and beyond) should be seeing our Buffalo Bills many times this season.

I really like the first game for Buffalo, too. Think about it. The return of Tom Brady. T.O.'s first game. The losing streak is beginning to rival that dreaded Oh-for-the-70s streak against the hated Miami Dolphins. What better litmus test for this T.O.-powered offense (and the whole team in general) than the one team they just can't beat? (The one possible flaw being the likely absence of star RB Marshawn Lynch, who should be serving the first game of a suspension whose length - and actuality - is yet to be determined.)

The NFL powers that be have decided the Bills are worth watching. Most Bills fans are equally intrigued. If nothing else, you have to admit, Bills' GM (and former marketing guy) Russ Brandon really knows how to market his team.

So we now have a date. September 14th at 7:00pm EDT.

Get your popcorn ready.

Lynch Shines (A Little) In Pro Bowl

Perhaps next year, Marshawn Lynch will be invited for real. In 2008, serving as an injury replacement for Tennessee's Chris Johnson, Lynch ended up leading all rushers in the game. Lynch had 48 yards on 6 carries (some were pure "Beast Mode"!) which tied Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, who had 48 yards on 8 carries. Lynch wasn't on the field very much, but almost every time he was, he made something happen.

His first appearance was a long run off the left side. Later on that drive, the AFC offense stalled on third down and short, with the RB unable to pick up the necessary yardage. Offensive Coordinator, Cam Cameron (of the Ravens) sent in Marshawn to pick up the yard, knowing that is what he is good at. The TV crew had him mic-ed, and we heard him say, "Marshawn better get this..." (Perhaps Lynch did a little begging to get in there?)

He did indeed, being stopped two yards short of the mark, he fought and fought until he had it. Beast Mode!

Lynch also had a run on a third down where he carried the pile of players - offense and defense - about six or seven yards for the first down.

It was great to see our Buffalo Bills represented well - in play, if not in number - in this year's Pro Bowl. Hope to see many more there in the years to come!

A Game of Inches

Football is a game of inches. Inches turn into feet and feet turn into yards. And yards, of course, turn into what feels like miles.

But it all starts with inches.

Looking back on the Buffalo Bills mid-season slump, it’s easy to see how Bills fans can feel like this team is just plain awful. The turnover difference alone was abysmal. Minus 11 over the six game stretch where they were 1-5. But add to that the apparent ineptitude of the run game, as well as the general lack of production from the offense... and you have some sizable “inches”.

The problem is, from a slightly different perspective, you can see how it really is about the inches.

Take for example, the game against the Jets. If all things were equal - meaning Trent gets injured on play number three of the Cards game, and the Bills are stunned by the Fish, and they remain befuddled by Belichick’s gameplans, and they even lose a very winnable game to the hapless Browns - winning just one game in which they were very competitive, they would be in a tie for first place in the AFC East, instead of two games out. Just by winning that one game.

Ugh.

Remember that game? The Bills had the ball for fifteen straight minutes. Game minutes, not clock minutes. They moved into the red zone once and, thanks to good pressure from the Jets and a receiver slipping, the ball went the other way for seven points. The next time, thanks to a couple very questionable spots, the Bills could not get a first down deep in the Jets territory. Two long drives, zero points.

Add to that the crazy play by Leon Washington to step out of bounds and then touch the ball that was still IN BOUNDS in order to get the Jets the ball at the 40 rather than inside their own 10. Or, the Bills inability to stop the Jets on the final drive of the 4th quarter where they took off a big chunk of time and posted three more points. (Credit the Jets on that one.)

But for a few key plays, the Bills could have won that game, and been in a much different position than they find themselves in now.

Now they are 0-3 in their division. If they have any hopes of advancing to the playoffs, they will need to win the rest of the games they play in the AFC East. At the New York Jets, “home” against the Dolphins (in Toronto), and then home against the Patriots in the final week of the season. None of those will be easy, but the Bills certainly can compete in each of those games.

If we’re talking inches, don’t forget that the Bills were stunned by Miami’s Ted Ginn Jr. who had the game of his life when they last met. Even with Ginn’s stunning performance, the Bills had clawed back to take a 16-7 lead in the third quarter. But one player - Josh Reed - went down with a serious injury, and the offense began to sputter. One player was hobbled by an injury - Terrance McGee - and that deficiency was exploited... greatly.

But for a few different plays, a different player, a few different calls, an NFL season can look very, very different altogether. Just ask the San Diego Chargers. Losers of four games in the final 26 seconds of those games... they are a pitiful 4-7 this season, but could very well be 8-3. That’s a very big difference.

Every game in the NFL is critical. Wins and losses matter more in football than in any other sport I can think of. With only 16 games per season, and only 6 games total against the other teams in your division, it’s almost essential you win every game! The Bills have been sloppy at points (Miami, Cleveland) and unlucky in others (Arizona, NY Jets) and now they are stuck with a 6-5 record, and still on the outside edge of the proverbial playoff bubble.

Every year, players and fans can look back at “what might have been” but in the end, that really never helps. The Jets game is over, and the Bills lost. The difference is first to last place, from just one game, but you can’t get it back. Now the Bills can only look forward, and hope to win every game they play. 10-6 may not be good enough to make the playoffs this year.

Actually, 11-5 might miss the playoffs!

If the Bills won all the rest of their games - finishing 11-5 - the Jets would lose one, to the Bills, but could win the rest of theirs, to finish 12-4. The Patriots would only be able to finish 11-5, by virtue of of a loss to the Bills, and the Fins could only finish 9-7, again, after a loss to the Bills, and assuming they lose to the Jets in week 17. What could keep the Bills out of the playoffs is if Indy and Baltimore also win the rest of their games, to both go 12-4 and grab the two wild card spots! What a crazy scenario that is!

A better scenario for Bills fans would be for the Jets to lose to the Dolphins, and finish 11-5 at best, and then the Bills would win the division based on the better conference record (would be 8-4). That would send the Bills to the playoffs for the first time since 1999!

But any way you slice it, thanks to this game of inches... the Bills need help. They can’t make the playoffs on their own. They have to do their share (beating all three division opponents at least, and probably Denver, too, if not all five games) but even if they can accomplish that, they won’t be in the playoffs unless other teams falter.

How does it always end up this way?

Somehow, the Bills need to find a way to get on the other side of the ruler. We’re only talking a matter of inches.

Open Letter to the Buffalo Bills

To Whom It May Concern
Re: The recent Bills slump
From: A concerned Bills Fan

A recent series of events has led me to compose this letter to you, as it seems you may be in need of some outside guidance. I have been a fan and long-time supporter of your organization, dating back a couple decades now, and though I concede that you have more knowledge and experience in the proverbial "Xs" and "Os" of your profession, I do have a few recommendations that might be worth your consideration, and perhaps would improve the results of your weekly efforts.

First, congratulations on the fantastic beginning to this season. 4-0 is nothing to sneeze at, nor is 5-1 following a superb, complete victory over a very fine football team in the San Diego Chargers. In the first six games, and perhaps that game in particular, what I saw as an outside onlooker seemed to be a never-say-die attitude, and a strong desire (and confidence) on every play and on every series and in every quarter. You looked like winners.

The same can not be said of the past two games.

Every team experiences "slumps." That is the nature of sport. One team wins, and another loses. The difference between the two is minor in detail, but feels much more "major" on the scoreboard and in the standings. Lately, besides poor execution on a handful of plays (which may or may not have impacted the final score of those games) there has been - to me - a significant shift in attitude.

Mind you, I am not talking about work-ethic or effort put forth on the field each play. I am only talking about the mindset, the "aura"... that apparent confidence and swagger that this team had early in the 2008 season that they were not only good enough to win, and that they could win, but that they were going to win. After a sloppy start in Miami (coupled with a tremendous start by their team) your team - the Bills - seemed to be hesitant, tentative, pushing, and ... playing not to lose.

Sometimes, in a slump, no matter how hard you try not to lose, you still lose. In hockey, you can generate all the chances you used to have, but they ring off the goal post, or the goalie stands on his head to make a save he wouldn't normally make. In baseball, your best hitters grip the bat a little tighter, and end up with stats worse than the guys who are usually at the bottom of your stat sheet. In basketball, even for your best player, the hoop can seemingly shrink to one size smaller than the ball itself.

But every team breaks out of a slump. It usually takes one thing going your way. I honestly thought it might be that ill-advised pass by Brett Favre yesterday. After so many things not going your way, I thought that might turn it around. But, giving credit to them, they put together a drive that finished off the game.

Slumps are very difficult to work yourself out of. Often, that makes it worse. In playing to break out of the slump (read: to not lose) your game gets tighter, your attitude shifts to a negative rather than a confident, positive swagger... and in tightening up, you lose.

This week, please remember that you are basically the same team that started this season. Every team deals with injuries, bad calls (both by your staff and the officiating crew) and other "breaks" that eventually balance out. But you can only control yourself. And mainly, you can only control your attitude. That attitude needs to be shifted back to the quiet confidence that you can - and will - win the game.

We're back to one game at a time (not three division games, not five crucial conference games, just the game in front of you). There is a big game in six days and you all know you can win it. At least, you used to know that.

This week, work on fundamentals to be sure. Work hard in practice and work to correct mistakes from the past two games. Come up with a great game plan that uses your strengths and exploits their weaknesses. Those things all must be done. But most of all, as a team, remember that you can - and will - win the game when you take the field.

Next chance, 1:00pm on Sunday, November 9th.

Mr. First Down

Last week, as the Bills had (somewhat unimpressively) clawed their way to a 16-7 lead in Miami against a charged-up divisional opponent looking to topple the division leaders, they may have discovered just how much #82 brings to the table.

Over the years, Josh Reed has been much-maligned for his under production. After all, he was the Fred Biletnikoff award winner in 2001. When you are proclaimed the nation's top receiver coming out of college, certainly much is expected.

But not much was seen. Bills fans did not see the numbers you might expect from such an award winner. In fact, the number that might have stood out the most was the number of times he dropped passes. "Don't throw it to Reed," shouted Bills' faithful, "he'll drop it!!!"

And indeed he did.

Still, #82 persisted on the Buffalo Bills roster. Bills coaches would consistently laud his superior blocking skills. He was an assett to the team's run game. (But, shouldn't a receiver be an asset to the passing game?) They would also say he is a great route runner. (OK, that's a plus for a receiver, but then you have to also catch the ball!!!) Year after year, training camp would come and go and somehow, someway, Josh Reed continued to make the final roster.

But what happened over the last couple years has definitely swung the balance of many Bills fans allegiance in Reed's favor.

Reed has become (a name I have dubbed him on the Buffalo Bills Review), Mr. First Down.

When the Bills need a clutch catch, Reed makes it. Reed is the one who gets open, makes the tough grab, fights off the tackles, and gets just enough yards for the first down. First, he often runs routes that get him open beyond the first down markers - something many receivers do not seem to understand. Second, he makes the catch - something he did not seem to previously understand. And third, he often gains tough yards after the catch to ensure he gets the first down.

Perhaps we saw his importance to the Bills offense somewhat amplified last week when, in the second half after the team lost him to an injury, the offense was seemingly incapable of sustaining drives. Thinking back to games earlier this season, many of the 4th quarter come from behind victories involved multiple catches by Mr. First Down to keep the chains moving.

Reed is not a big play (meaning long yardage) receiver. He doesn't score many touchdowns. But he is an essential part of the Bills offense, and when he misses any time it will take a big effort from his replacements to fill his shoes. I'm not certain James Hardy, Justin Jenkins and all three tight ends can really do that.

They'll get a chance to give it a try this week. Reed has not practiced this week (in fact, he was wearing an immobilizer boot on the ankle with the strained achilles) and looks very doubtful for the game Sunday.

The once-maligned, under-achieving receiver has become an essential (and greatly missed) piece of the Buffalo Bills offense. Nice job, Josh. You are forever in the mind of this Bills fan... the original...

Mr. First Down.

Buffalo Sabres are "Double Awesome"

The Buffalo Bills are certainly grabbing many headlines these days as they continue their winning ways with a record of 5-1. They are playing great, and are quite deserving of all the attention they are getting. But the Bills are not the only sports franchise in Buffalo experiencing a very high level of success.

The Sabres are quietly returning to their President Trophy-winning form.

Going into their game last night, the 5-0-1 Sabres faced a tough challenge on the road against a team that was also undefeated in regulation (4-0-0) and is known for being one of the top defensive teams in the league. The Sabres are back to their goal scoring ways, though they have also improved their defense - as well as Ryan Miller leading the league in GAA - but playing in Minnesota was definitely going to be tough.

Because of all that, I told my family before the game began, "If the Sabres can win this one, they are awesome."

Well, it appeared that we just might have been awesome. After one period, the Sabres had the lone goal. A 1-0 lead on the road against a tough team. Nice! I was getting ready to declare my team "awesome".

But then we played the second period.

The Sabres looked pretty sloppy to me. A bit slower to the puck than Minnesota. And just a few giveaways let the Wild not only get back in the game, but end the period with a 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, early in the third it got even worse. With Minnesota on a power play, Ryan Miller was attempting to clear the puck when a Minnesota player tipped a poorly aimed clearing attempt by Miller just enough to direct it into the net. Basically, Miller put it in his own net, giving the Wild a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 third period lead.

But these Sabres are nothing if not persistent.

With the team being in such a hole against such an opponent with such little time remaining, I now modified my pre-game declaration. "If the Sabres win the game now, they would be DOUBLE awesome."

The puck had not been bouncing their way, but with under four minutes to go, Nathan Paetsch threw a puck to the net that Adam Mair tipped just inside the post. I was really glad they scored that goal, just to make it at least somewhat respectable. As I was still celebrating that goal, however, the NHL's leading goal scorer fired a shot past the Wild goal tender and just like that - the game was tied!

The crowd was stunned. I was stunned. Maybe even the Sabres were stunned.

The game went to overtime, and only 44 seconds into the extra period, the Sabres shoved the puck past Minnesota goalie, Niklas Backstrom. It was Derek Roy's first goal of the year, and it completed an improbable comeback win, even for the Buffalo Sabres, who have made a habit of that this season.

And it proved that the Sabres were indeed, "Double Awesome".

It's a fun year to be a Buffalo sports fan, folks! Enjoy it! Two teams are having some really great success. Still a little early in both seasons to know where it might lead, but you can't have much better starts than our Bills and Sabres have had.

Go Buffalo!

One Very Meaningful Month

10/19 San Diego
10/26 @ Miami
11/2 New York Jets
11/9 @ New England
11/17 Cleveland

This Sunday the Bills host the San Diego Chargers. It’s a surprisingly difficult game to call. The Chargers would seem to have the upper hand talent-wise, but the Bills have many other advantages. Aside from being quite talented themselves, they also have the home field advantage, the time zone advantage (and no cross-country trip), they are coming off the bye, and a handful of other match-ups in their favor.

Still, the game could really go either way. And that doesn’t necessarily hurt the Bills.

Now, you always want to win. And, if they Bills pull off the win against the Chargers, that puts them in pretty good shape in the conference, having victories over the Jags and Chargers - two AFC playoff candidates. But if you take a look at the next month of games for the Bills, they could really put the team in a great position for their first playoff run in nine years.

From October 19th through November 17th, the Bills face five AFC opponents, three of those being their first AFC East contests of the 2008 season. If they can win each of those games, they would be almost a lock for a playoff spot. And of course, the opposite is true. If they should lose all or most of those games, it would be much more difficult, despite their 4-0 start.

Following the first game vs San Diego, the Bills head down to Miami to face the Dolphins in their first of three straight AFC East games. Miami has already beaten the Patriots and the Chargers, and gave Houston a tough game on the road recently. They are certainly improved over the 1-15 team they were last year. It will be a test for the Bills, especially being down in the heat of Miami in November. However, if the Bills are the team we think they are, they go into Miami, and leave with the win.

After that, the Bills host the New York Bretts ... uh... Jets. The Jets certainly have a bit more... something? They have a decent receiving corp, a couple decent running backs, and a decent defense. But overall, they are still the Jets. Brett Farve is definitely the “X” factor, and can win any game he goes out to play. But they are still the Jets. The Bills need to win this game at home, and I believe they will.

That leaves the matchup I have been waiting for since the schedule game out. With half a season under their belts, our young, confident Bills will head to Foxboro, Massachusetts to take on the despised division rival, the Patriots. The Pats have won some ridiculous amount of games to the Bills ONE in the past many years. It’s time for that to change, and with Matt Cassell at QB, the Bills are in a much better position to go in and control the game, and leave with a big win over the Pats. The Patriots still have a decent team, but the Bills are better, and I will stick with my prediction that the Bills will win both games against New England this season. (Note: I made that prediction before Tom Brady went down with an injury for the entire season.)

That leaves the big Monday Night Football showdown at The Ralph against the Cleveland Browns. Last season, the Bills needed a win in Cleveland to have any shot at making the playoffs. They were met head on by a crazy blizzard and other such forces of nature, leading to a 8-0 loss to the Brownies. Was not at all what anyone was expecting, but perhaps this Nov 17th contest in Buffalo will turn out differently.

The Browns showed last week that they are still a talented team offensively. The Bills can score points as well. I’d expect a good battle between two up-and-coming AFC playoff hopefuls, and I would also expect the Bills to put on a show for the national audience. Much like they did vs Dallas last year, except this year, they will finish with a ‘W’.

If the Bills can have success as I describe above over the next month of Sundays (and a Monday) then at 9-1, or at least 8-2, they will be in great shape for their first trip tot he playoffs in nearly a decade. Following this 5-game stretch, the next two opponents are Kansas City, and then home against San Francisco.

Things are looking good for Bills fans.

A lot depends on this very meaningful month. How the Bills perform over that month should say a lot about them, and may nearly ensure that they will play in the second season.

That would be welcome news indeed.

Greg's NFL Week 4 Picks

I make weekly picks with the guys from Sports Talk Underground (site is currently down for some reason) and am currently in the middle of the pack, four games out of the lead. It's fun to compete against other NFL fans, and actually does make the other (non-Bills) games a tad more interesting. At least, I am a bit more interested in the outcome of those.

Since I am doing that already, and making picks using the Pro Football Picks app at Facebook, I thought it would be fun to give a rundown of my weekly picks here, as well as a brief thought or two on each game, and why I picked who I picked.

Since it's already 12:30 EST, I am just going to give my picks here below. Expect a more in-depth analysis next week. For now, here's how I think Week 4 will go...

(my pick is bold)
Denver at Kansas City
Houston at Jacksonville
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Green Bay at Tampa Bay
Minnesota at Tennessee
San Francisco at New Orleans
Arizona at NY Jets
Atlanta at Carolina
Buffalo at St. Louis
San Diego at Oakland
Washington at Dallas
Philadelphia at Chicago
Baltimore at Pittsburgh

A few interesting games on the list there this week. I'll be curious to see what happens in two very defensive games. Baltimore's defense is doing great, but their offense is horrid. Pittsburgh got killed by Philly's defense last week, but they should be able to beat a one-sided Baltimore team at home. Tennessee and Minnesota have to very, very solid defenses. The final score of this game could be 10-7! Should be a tough game for both.

Someone will have a victory (unless they tie!) in the state of Ohio after two 0-3 teams meet in Cincy. Washington at Dallas may be a tougher game than most think, being a division game, could be a hard-fought game.

And finally, will the Bills be able to blow out a team on the road?? Let's hope so!

Go Bills!

Just For Fun...

The boys and I had fun doing a little "simulation" on our old Tecmo Superbowl game (updated with "current" players) just to see what might happen in today's game. I think that looks pretty accurate... :-)

Terrence McGee had 3 INTs in the game, Marcus Stroud had 3 sacks, and you can see the offensive production above. Lynch also caught quite a few passes (including a TD).

The Rams only TD was a 94 yard catch and run by Holt on the last play of the game!

I'm really hoping for a blow out today... I know the Rams will be playing hard, but... let's hope it goes something like this "simulation" above. :-)

Bills "For Real" or Just One Point Better Than the Raiders?

The question that seems to come up following yesterday's exciting one-point, come-from-behind victory over the visiting Oakland Raiders seems to be, "Are the Bills for real, or did they just barely beat a really bad team?"

I can see both sides of this.

On the one hand, the Bills were heavily favored against the 1-1 Raiders. The Raiders were blown out by the Broncos in week one, but followed up with an impressive win over their even more hapless division foe, the Chiefs. Rolling up more than 300 yards rushing against any NFL team is nothing to sneeze at. However, the Bills were a fairly impressive 2-0, and figured to win big against a team in turmoil who had to travel all the way across the country to play this early game for them.

Much seemed to be against the 9-point underdog Raiders.

But, often being a clear underdog is more than sufficient motivation for an NFL team. The Raiders were confident following their win in KC, and they felt they could come into Buffalo and dictate the flow of the game with their strong defense and running game. They were pumped up by the notion that Buffalo - who has not been in the playoffs this millennium - were such heavy favorites.

They knew they could win, and they were going to.

From the start, the game couldn't have been scripted better by the Raiders. The first kick was returned 69 yards to the Buffalo 30. Next play, Bills are called for a neutral zone infraction, giving the Raiders 1st and 5 at the 25. You can't have a better start to a road game, especially against a heavy favorite.

The Raiders kept the field position advantage thanks to sloppy play by the Bills on offense and special teams. It started (but did not end) with that 69-yard return. Buffalo continued to have trouble covering punts and kicks. On offense, receivers were dropping passes (even Marshawn Lynch), players were fumbling (even Lee Evans), the offensive line was not blocking (Edwards was sacked 3 times in the first half), and committing drive-killing penalties.

In the second half the Bills improved their pass blocking, but the follies continued. Lee Evans was called for offensive pass interference (which he did not need to do to make the catch) and perhaps the most bone-headed play of the game, Roscoe Parrish fielded a punt inside his own endzone! He was tackled at the one yard line, and that led to a third-down interception of a Trent Edwards pass intended for Evans. There was some dispute (and an official review) of the call, but in the end, Oakland got the ball at the Buffalo 13, and scored their first TD of the day.

Only the defense performed admirably (even with the bad field position) only allowing Oakland ten total first downs, and holding them to 2 of 12 third down conversion attempts. The Raiders were in the red zone four times on Sunday, only scoring a TD once (when they got the ball at the 13). The Bills defense held the Raiders rushing attack to just 98 total yards, and one TD scored by QB JaMarcus Russell from the 1 yard line. Through the air, Oakland got 84 of its 149 yards on one play, which was about one-inch from being knocked down by LB Paul Posluszny.

This Team Knows How To Win

Facing a fourth quarter deficit for the second straight week, Trent Edwards (and the #5 defense in the NFL) rallied the team and looked determined to win. Despite sloppy play for the previous three quarters, Edwards and his receivers began carving up the Raiders defense. Josh Reed finished the day with 6 catches for 72 yards. Reed is now the third different leading receiver through three weeks for the Bills. And none of them are Lee Evans! Marshawn Lynch looked equally determined, running over opponents, lowering his head at the end of runs to add the exclamation point.

After the offense moved the ball down the field fairly easily to get within two points of the Raiders at 16-14, the defense figured they would continue the success they had been having against the Raiders offense. And for two plays, they did. The crowd was roaring, and the defense looked as determined as Lynch and Edwards to close out this game and post the "W".

But on third down, Russell threaded the microscopic needle, and the speedy WR Johnnie Lee Higgins split the safeties and cruised for the TD, putting the Raiders very much back in control, leading by 9 points with 6:23 to go.

Interestingly, on that play, Donte Whitner showed his own determination by taking a penalty for his team. Whitner was trailing Higgins on the play, and when Higgins slowed down to "coast" into the end zone for the last 30 yards, he took exception and tackled Higgins 5 yards deep in the end zone. Higgins was flagged for taunting, and Whitner for unsportsmanlike conduct. However, the end result of the play may have been continued (furthered?) determination by the Bills to pull out the win.

Edwards and Co. took the field once more, and again moved the ball (seemingly) with ease. Edwards was on fire, and the Bills took only 2:20 to score on a great pass to Roscoe Parrish. The quarterback was hit hard and knocked down on the play by several Raiders, but delivered the ball perfectly for the TD.

The inspired defense this time forced a three-and-out, and the Bills offense showing poise, talent, determination and confidence marched down the field - even running out the last 30 seconds of the game - to kick the winning field goal on the last play of the game.

Many question why Raiders' coach, Lane Kiffin, did not call either of his two remaining time outs in the final minute. Perhaps he was counting on Lindell missing his second FG attempt of the day? Perhaps he forgot how much time was left?

Perhaps he is trying to get fired?

For whatever reason, the end result was the Bills took complete control (except for the one play resulting in the long TD to Higgins) in the fourth quarter, and won the game.

Good Teams Win...

So far, through three weeks, the Bills have won three different ways. They beat the Seahawks by "going for the jugular" with a fake FG that started a quick 14-point surge in the third quarter of that game. They blew out a decent opponent. In week two, playing a hungry, talented Jacksonville team in their home-opener (in ridiculous heat) the Bills pulled off an impressive come-from-behind win. They won a tight game, on the road, against a good team. On Sunday, the Bills played a sloppy game against a team that was playing well, and lost in almost every category except on the score board. They won a game where they didn't play their best.

Those are the marks of a good team.

Sunday proved to me that this Bills team is indeed for real. They have the talent. They have a good scheme/game plan. They have good coaches. And most of all, they are learning how to be winners, and they have the determination and the confidence to go out and get it done.

This week against an 0-3 team which has been outscored 38-3, 41-13, and 37-13 through three weeks, the Bills will need to stay focused as they could easily think that they could cruise to a big victory. This week may have helped refine that focus. Winners don't often lose focus, and don't often lose games.

And from what I have seen so far, this team is full of winners.

2-0: Bills Gaining Confidence

The Buffalo Bills are 2-0. Two wins, zero losses. Two wins against playoff teams from 2007. One was a blowout, one was a come-from-behind win on the road. Both were very solid wins.

Aren't you a little bit surprised?

I am forever a fan of my team, and just generally an optimist in life. So, I always think my team can win. Indeed, I did pick them to win today (by a score of 21-17, no less) but as game time approached, my confidence was wavering.

It was going to be very hot... that was not in the Bills favor. Jacksonville was going to be ready - injuries or no injuries - to defend their home turf, and avoid starting the season 0-2. The crowd and home-field energy would be with them. Jason Peters would be starting... would that throw off any rhythm the offense had from the pre-season? And, did I mention it was extremely, ridiculously hot?

More Obstacles

The Bills got the ball first, and really controlled the game on their opening drive. They passed and ran at will. Marshawn Lynch scored on an 11-yard TD run to cap the drive that covered 82 yards. When the defense also managed to dictate the play on Jacksonville's first possession, it almost seemed it would be a rout.

But Jacksonville is good. And they proved it. They stayed with the Bills. They moved the ball very efficiently, getting Garrard outside the pocket (weakened by injuries to the offensive line). They played in an up-tempo, "hurry up" offense that did not allow the Bills much in the way of substitutions. They connected on many quick-hitting, ten to twelve-yard passes that kept drives alive. It was a great game plan.

The momentum really started to shift in their favor on their final possession of the first half. They put together a good drive (6 plays, 46 yards) that ended with an interception by Terrence McGee near the goal line, but the damage had already been done. That drive wore out our defense. No time to substitute, covering lots of ground quickly... you could see the heat starting to get to them.

Then, thanks to the "defer" choice from the beginning of the game, the Jags got the ball to start the third. So, the defense was out on the field again, and for much of the same. Quick hitting passes, and a bit of success on the ground for Jacksonville. Not only were they moving the ball, and threatening to score, they were also really wearing down our defense. The "hurry up" pace in the super heat was really starting to show. The tackling was sloppy, and the Bills were now the ones having the pace and play dictated to them.

Brilliant Move of the Day

The long first drive of the second half by Jacksonville was punctuated by a Maurice Jones-Drew TD run to tie the game at 10. It was a great drive, and already I was saying, "Our offense might be a tad rusty. They've been sitting for a very long time now, going back to the first half."

Well, perhaps Jack Del Rio heard me. In a bold (and brilliant) move, the Jaguars surprised the Bills with an on-side kick following the previous extra point ... and they got it! What a great call! The tired Bills defense now had to take the field again, and the Jags took it to them. They ran right at them, daring the Bills to stop them. And, mostly, they could not. Taylor, then Jones-Drew, then Taylor. The Bills were being dominated by the team who had definitely seized the momentum.

The defense stiffened, and held Jacksonville to a 50 yard field goal attempt. Kicker Josh Scobee blasted the ball through the uprights, hitting relatively high on the net behind the posts. Easily could have made the kick from another ten yards away.

On the following drive by the Bills despite a few good plays, Jason Peters on his first game back made a very big mistake and got beaten very badly by a rookie defensive end, who came around Edwards' blind side and knocked the ball out of his hands. Fumble. Turnover. Jags ball.

The momentum - thanks to good play and good coaching - had definitely completely swung in Jacksonville's favor.

Good Teams Weather the Storms

The Buffalo Bills of previous years would have been out as soon as the "tide turned." Once this shift in momentum happened, the Bills usually would begin to accept the inevitable. And when they did, it would usually play out that way. They would lose.

But not today. Not these Bills.

Donte Whitner declared to the world that these Bills would be in the playoffs. It's their time to win. He believes it, and he plays that way. The great thing is, his confidence is apparently infectious.

The Bills never felt they were out of it, and you could see every time the offense took the field again, they played with confidence. They converted third downs. In fact, six out of eleven. The defense did their part as well. Though the Jags had a good game plan, the defense only allowed them to convert on two of eleven third down attempts.

Players like Ashton Youboty made several key plays. Youboty had a sack, and some big open-field tackles to thwart Jacksonville drives. Kyle Williams had a big sack of Garrard to do the same. LB Paul Posluszny was all over the field and making big tackles. And offensively, RB Fred Jackson did not have much production on the ground, but had 7 catches for 83 yards. Big yards. Lee Evans included 4 grabs for 77 yards. Including a super huge catch late in the fourth quarter.

And what can you say about Edwards? 20-25 for 239 yards. Finished with only one TD pass, but for the second straight week... threw no picks. His passes were accurate, and had lots of zip on them today. And beyond the physical play, he really does have the poise, presence... whatever you want to call it. He is confident, and efficient, and productive.

Defining Moment

The entire game was played very well by the Bills, minus some over-pursuit by the defense, which sometimes led to shoddy tackling. The Bills played will in all phases of the game, just as in week one. But there was one moment that proved to me that this team is going to be different than previous versions of the Buffalo Bills.

Down 16-10 with under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter of a game on the road, played in near 100-degree heat... the Bills have the ball and are driving. They get one first down. Then convert a third down to get another. Finally they are faced with a becoming-critical 3rd-and-6 from the Jacksonville 44 yard line. It's too far for a FG, and the Bills need points. They need to convert this to keep the drive going.

Edwards drops back, surveys the field. The pocket is beginning to collapse around him, but he stands in, finds his target, and launches a perfect pass to the left sideline where his speedy receiver Lee Evans has beaten his man. Evans hauls in the catch for 37 yards and a first down at the Jags' seven yard line. On the next play, Edwards throws a perfect pass to the back corner of the end zone to rookie James Hardy, who was drafted to do precisely that.

Bills lead 17-16, and with one drive - really one play - took back all the momentum the Jags had built from the end of the second quarter up until then.

Confidence For a Reason

This Bills team is not just cocky, or delusional. They know they have a good team, and they are confident they can take the field and beat anyone they play, and they are doing it. Two for two so far. And as I stated above, these are two pretty good teams. Sunday's victory was on the road against not only a playoff team from the previous year, but one who is expected to go pretty far into the playoffs this year. The other win was a blowout of another perennial playoff team, the Seahawks.

There is still much youth on this team. Youth means inexperience, and likely, fluctuation of results. Usually a young team will lose games they are supposed to and win games they might not be "supposed" to win. Perhaps these two wins are the latter? From what I have seen, I would say they are actually the evidence that what Marv Levy began building three years ago might actually be starting to blossom.

Could this be the year we see the fruit of Marv's labor? Could this be the year Jauron gets a legitimate winning team and season? Many questions still after just two games, but as this short season has so far gone, the Bills continue to build confidence in their team. The next three games are against Oakland, St. Louis and Arizona. The Cardinals look a bit tougher than in recent years, but all of those games are "winnable" and if they keep believing they can do it, we may have ourselves an undefeated team going into the bye week October 12th!

There is much to do to get there, but this young Bills team seems both excited to, and capable of doing just that.

Bring on the Raiders!

The Fine Line Between Winning and Losing

Last season the Buffalo Bills finished with a losing record. Seven wins, nine losses. For the second year in a row. Everyone wants to win, and no one wants to lose, but obviously the 2007 version of the Buffalo Bills were cut some slack due to a ridiculously inordinate amount of injuries. Many of those injuries were season-ending.

There is hope in Buffalo this season. Hope for a winning season. Hope for a return to the playoffs after nearly a decade-long absence. Hope for continued success over the next several years. There is a strong, young nucleus of high-character, high-talent (at least, potential) guys. It would seem the sky is the limit.

But there is one thing that could turn a potential winning season into another 7-9 season. The injury bug.

In a strange, seemingly rash turn of events, LB Angelo Crowell will undergo knee surgery to correct a problem that has bothered him the past couple years. He was supposed to be out at least two to four weeks, but the Bills subsequently placed him on the injured reserve list. Now he is gone for the season.

No one is quite sure why he would wait until three days before the first game of the year, but some speculate it could have something to do with his contract expiring after the 2008 season. It is possible that his knee was just bothering him and he wanted to fix it. The apparent haste of the moves by both Crowell and the Bills would suggest there is more here than just a sore knee.

In addition to Crowell's absence, LB Paul Posluszny will possibly not be 100% for this game as he sustained an injury in Wednesday's practice. He's planning on playing, and coach Jauron also confirmed that.

So for week one, so far that's two starters down. And don't forget starting QB Trent Edwards is returning to action for the first time since injuring his leg in training camp. Edwards already has a reputation for being injury-prone, and he may not quite be 100% either.

Oh yeah, and there's the thing with Jason Peters...

There is always so much potential as you go into a new season. It's a blank slate, and you have the team assembled that you think will get the job done. But there are so many factors that can change that, and as Bills fans saw last season, the injury bug can bite hard.

I am admittedly a bit scared at the developments of today. Crowell was going to be a big part of our defense. We have good depth, but how many injuries can this up-and-coming team sustain before they cross that fine line between winning and losing? When does this team with so much potential go back to mediocre, and another season of around 500 football?

No one can say, but today definitely reminded me that there are no guarantees. Let's hope the Bills have gotten all of the injuries out of their system for 2008.

Could This Be Jauron's Second Winning Season?

Dave sent around an email to his BBR cohorts this past weekend upon returning from his vacation, and catching the Bills game on "tape" delay. To my genuine surprise, it was super positive! He even said if Peters comes back that the Bills are a playoff team!

Could it have simply been due to a great vacation, making the world look a bit rosier? Or could the Bills really be such a good team that even The Drake can see the upside?

I'm going with the latter!

I was (along with every Bills fan I've heard or read) quite impressed with the first team offense and defense. We mixed up the play calls, even opening with several passes that stretched the defense and opened up the running game. We had long sustained drives (even a 90 yarder!) that included converting third downs, and scoring red-zone TDs. We even had TEs catching TDs!

And the defense certainly held their own against a talented Pittsburgh offense. Their first score was really against our second-string guys. The first teamers got an INT, and held them to a punt, and were pitching a shut out!

Do I need to mention Leodis McKelvin? This guy looked fantastic before he returned that kickoff 95 yards for his first (unofficial) NFL TD!

Right now, exclamation points abound for hopeful, excited Bills fans. Our team could really be good this year!

One major positive aside from the great play of the starters is the quality depth that the Bills have assembled. Think about guys like Keith Ellison and John DiGiorgio, George Wilson, Ashton Youboty, Will James and even Leodis McKelvin. Our D-line includes rotation guys like (right now) John McCargo, Spencer Johson and Ryan Denney. And on offense, Dwayne Wright and Xavier Omon are pretty decent third and fourth string RBs!

The biggest question for this team is perhaps its head coach. I personally think Dick Jauron has done a fantastic job turning around this team in turmoil. Now it is a team with great potential. Moving Schonert to Offensive Coordinator looks like it may be a huge help, as well. The issue is not his personnel moves, it's his record. He has only had ONE winning season. Ever.

Let's hope (based on the team on paper, and what we saw from the starting units last week) that this is the year he gets his second winning season!

Buffalo Bills Offense... Boring?

Well the first pre-season game has come and gone, and does it perhaps tell you something when this BIG Bills Fan actually fell asleep at the end of a 3-point contest? Well, no, it probably doesn't. It's just been a long week. But honestly last night I did think of and use the word "boring" a couple times, as did a reluctant Steve Tasker who was calling the game.

Bills fans may have had expectations set a bit too high for this young offense, in the first game of the pre-season, against a team who had already gotten a pre-season game under their belt, but I did not expect boring.

We all know the outcome of the game is meaningless, and that coaches certainly do not come out with their best players nor their best playbooks, but might we have gone a bit too far when the first word that came to mind for this avid Bills supporter is "BORING"?

I believe I have made my point. But, let's look at some of the good things that happened before we rehash all that was "boring" (and worse) last night.

The Good

Leodis McKelvin
Hooooey! This guy is going to be exciting to watch! He looked a little silly on a couple defensive plays (overcommitting, out of position, etc) but on the return game, he looked right in his element. He brought one punt return back nearly all the way, except for a hustling big guy tripping him up. We already have McGee and Parrish... McKelvin is going to make our return game just that much more dangerous. (And potentially productive on the score board!) Now Roscoe is just going to change his name to McParrish...

Roscoe Parrish
Speaking of Roscoe... did anybody notice that he was way more noticeable as a receiver than a return guy last night? He was making many catches, and big catches, and looking like much more than a "4th" wide receiver! That is definitely one position where the Bills are not lacking. Good on ya, McParrish!

James Hardy
And, speaking of the receiver corps... for the rookie, it was the best of times... it was the worst of times. Hardy went from miscommunications with Edwards (on a 3rd down play near the goal line), to a bad drop on a pass from Losman, to catching a TD on the fade route - which everyone anticipates he will continue to do in the regular season - to bring the Bills within two points of tying the game. He looked great on that play, and coach Jauron had very good things to say about Hardy and his ability and his work ethic in a half-time interview... I can't wait to see what he can do for this team in the regular season, rookie mistakes and all.

POZ!
Paul Posluszny was back, and overall (though he didn't play much) looked like the tackling machine that he was through week three last season. He was in on most plays, and often made the tackle (ended with 3 solo tackles, including one for a loss). Poz was bowled over by Redskins RB Clinton Portis on a 4th and Goal play, but he got his hat in there on the guy... just couldn't stop the momentum that time. Nice to see Poz back at it!

Ashton Youboty
Really, I can't believe I am writing that. Youboty has been mostly inconspicuous over his first two seasons here with the Bills, though much more was expected of him. Last night (although only pre-season) he showed that "much more". He was in on many plays, including an interception, which he lateraled to his DB buddy, Reggie Corner, who took it a bit farther up the field. Youboty got plenty of playing time, and was making (noticeable) plays all over the field. That gets another "Good on ya!" from BBR-Greg!

JP Losman!
In pre-season, almost inevitably the back-up and often the third string guys can look much better than the starters. Most people credit that to the level of their competition (they are facing third stringers from the other team) but there is something to it. Edwards definitely looked better than Losman overall in the pre-season last year, and it carried over to the regular season. Well, the opposite was true last night as JP played the second quarter and a bit into the third (I believe...) and he had brought the Bills back to tie the game on the nice TD pass to James Hardy, as well as the two-point conversion pass to Justin Jenkins. Don't read too much into it, though. Perhaps the most telling play was when JP stood in the pocket and took a sack... showing a bit of the indecision we have come to know from Losman.

In Losman's defense, that two-point conversion was beautifully designed for him with a bit of a roll out to it. JP is wishing he had Schonert and Hardy a year or two ago...

And Now, The Bad

The Offense
Really, the starting offense looked the worst, but it was everyone. They were very sloppy, making many mental errors (false starts, bad formations, etc.) They did not look like they knew what they were doing at times, with all of the pre-snap motion seeming to confuse the offense as much as the defense. Obviously Trent Edwards going 1-5 for 18 yards is pretty ... abysmal. It was a very nice completion, but you gotta get more than that from your starting QB, and your starting offense. This will HAVE to be improved by Thursday, when the Bills play Pittsburgh in Toronto. I would expect to see the starters out there for much longer than you did in this first game.

The Defensive Play Calling
The Redskins rookie coach and his staff seemed to have our number. They ran a draw play (or some version of it) that helped rack up 155 yards on the ground. The Bills really could not stop it. Their over-aggressive play calls wound up having several Bills trapped back up field while that left plenty of blockers to pick off our LBs and DBs, leaving a clear path for the RB to gain 10 yards or so. Not a good plan, and moreover, not good adjusting to the plan. Must improve this.

Jason Peters
Can someone tell me where Jason Peters is? Has anyone talked to him? Does he know he is not only hurting his own stock with the Bills, but he is hurting his chances of playing with a decent team... so long as he joins them. The O-line was hurting without Peters in there. Guys playing positions they don't usually play, and not playing them that well. Peters needs to report to camp or I think the Bills should just sit on his contract. Keep him out of the league for three years. This is not the best way to negotiate, Mr. Peters.

No Foot
OK, so this is minor.. but, with time running down, No Foot had a chance to tie the game and he missed... badly. What's up with that? All kickers have to do in the pre-season is kick. And sit there. I guess he has done too much of the latter. Get out there and loosen up that leg, Lindell! You rock... but... that's your one miss for the year. ;-)

Overall

A very unimpressive debut for the Bills. Thankfully they can put that one to bed very quickly as they play in a few short days up in Toronto, Canada. The first of the eight games to be played there over the next five years. Will be watching to see if the offense has tightened things up, and if the defense can adjust to whatever game plan the Steelers bring to town.

Loving that Bills football is back!
Go Bills!

Three Days Away

We are merely a few days away from the opening of the 2008 (pre)season for the Buffalo Bills. It's fair to say, I think, that the first pre-season game marks the first real test of the newly formed team. We've seen them in practice, in mini camps, in the OTAs, now in training camp.

But Saturday, we see them in live, game action.

Saturday night the Bills will face the Washington Redskins who were one of the two combatants in the official pre-season kickoff, the annual Hall of Fame game. Honestly, this was a very good game. The Bills will face not only the Redskins this pre-season, but the other team from last Sunday's matchup, the Indianapolis Colts. Both teams look like they will be a good test for the Bills, a sort of gauge for how the team has progressed, personnel-wise and coaching/system-wise.

I'm excited! I know it's only pre-season, and really doesn't matter much at all (usually) but I am hoping that with so many questions going into 2008, that the Bills really use these four games to see what they've got and get ready for what could be such a great year for the team.

The big story surrounding the Bills of course is still Jason Peters lingering hold out. How long will it last? Will he really hold out until they pay him more than the other linemen on the team? That would mean some pretty serious fines, and doesn't really work that much in his favor. Is he so sure they will break? Do the Bills think Peters will? I've said before, I really feel he should report to training camp and then the Bills will take care of him. Perhaps he knows something I do not.

Other news from St. John Fisher... seems the injury bug continues to bite. Thankfully, aside from rookie Alvin Bowen (a promising special teamer) the injuries - and subsequent absence from practice - have been mostly minor. The coaches are erring on the side of caution, especially with veteran players. James Hardy has been bothered by a hamstring injury and they have sat him for much of the first week and a half of training camp, only giving him light duty. He will likely see action on Saturday though.

Hardy is one player I will be watching Saturday, as well as the offensive line playing minus Jason Peters. Langston Walker has been seeing most of the action at left tackle in Peters' absence. Kirk Chambers moved to Walkers' spot at right tackle. Rookie Demetrius Bell has also been seeing some second team action at left tackle. Will be interesting to see what the Bills will try to do, especially since they face Washington on Saturday, with newly-acquired DE Jason Taylor, a premier pass rusher.

It will also be interesting to see if the offense will incorporate more throws to the RBs out of the backfield, or even lined up wide (saw that formation at training camp). Both Lynch and Fred Jackson can certainly be excellent offensive weapons in the aerial attack. I'm sure Schonert won't reveal his full arsenal in the pre-season (especially the first game) but it will be interesting to see how much different the Fairchild-less offense looks.

Other players to watch? Ko Simpson has been a tad hobbled... will he be back to form at free safety? Leodis McKelvin... how much action will he get? Bills running backs Dwayne Wright and Xavier Omon will likely see a lot of action in the second half, will be interesting to see how they do against a good Washington defense. Marcus Stroud and the rest of the D-line should see at least first-quarter action. Washington will be a good test for them as their RB position looked very talented, and deep.

Can't wait to see some live, game action! 7pm on Saturday night! Football is almost here!

Go Bills!

Highlights From the 2007 Buffalo Bills Season

The 2007 Buffalo Bills season might very well be remembered for the many shortcomings and failures that seem to be plaguing the organization in the first decade of the two thousands. Whether it's the laundry list of injuries - seventeen players on injured reserve by the end of the season? - including the life-threatening, paralyzing injury to TE Kevin Everett, or the many gaffes by the Bills coaching staff - there is plenty to forget from the Bills eighth straight season without a trip to the playoffs.

However, this season had it's share of memorable moments as well.

Being the eternal optimist, and preferring to look at the sunny side of life, I thought it fitting to wrap up the third season of the Buffalo Bills Review with some favorite moments from the season that was. I can't cover them all, but this is a pretty comprehensive list of the significant, the amazing, and the just plain fun plays and events from the season past for us Bills fans.

Trent Edwards
When the Bills selected Trent Edwards in the 2007 draft, I admit, I was perplexed. It was a good pick, and I did applaud the Bills for, if nothing else, landing a good backup that could benefit us (later) in a trade.

Boy was I wrong!

From the get go this guy was obviously better than we fans thought. He impressed in pre-season, but that's just pre-season. He then got an early chance to show his stuff in maybe the worst situation imaginable - in New England, with very limited preparation going into the game.

This is where my list begins. Here are my Trent Edwards highlights from the 2007 season.

1. On his first drive as an NFL QB - thrust into the game by an injury to the starter - Edwards moves a struggling offense efficiently and impressively against the vaunted New England Patriots. The Bills scored a TD on the drive and held what would become one of the only leads on the Patriots all year in their perfect 16-0 season.
   
   
2. In Edwards first start in Week 4 at home against the NY Jets, he again moves the ball efficiently, and observers notice that there is something special about this kid. He just has "it", people were saying. Apparently the coaches believed this as well as a normally conservative coaching staff elected to not only go for a TD on 4th down on the goal line, but to call a play-action, roll out pass to TE Michael Gaines. That play showed extreme confidence in the rookie, showed what Edwards is capable of, and showed that Losman was on his way out.
   
   
3. In an emotionally charged game following the death of Washington Redskins' safety Sean Taylor, the Bills were able to stay in the game against an obviously fired-up Redskins team. Very late in the game, with the Bills down only two points, Edwards needed to drive a good chunk of the field to even get his team in field goal range. Showing poise beyond his youth, Edwards moved the team, completing a perfect, laser pass to Josh Reed across the middle of the field, setting up a makeable 51-yard field goal attempt for his kicker, Rian Lindell. Clutch pass, perfect pass, Bills win.
   
   
4. The hated Miami Dolphins were coming to Buffalo, in December... winless. It was a Bills fan's dream. And Edwards did not disappoint. The rookie tossed up FOUR TD passes in the game, throwing three in the first half, and the fourth was a 70-yard bomb (in the snow!) to the speedy Lee Evans.

Marshawn Lynch
Aside from the surprise of our third round pick, Trent Edwards, there was the expected great play of our first round pick, Marshawn Lynch. He was the second running back taken in the draft - behind Adrian Peterson, in whom the Bills were also interested, and he did not at all disappoint!

Some Lynch highlights from the 2007 season include:

1. In his very first game, on his very first NFL touchdown, fans in attendance at Ralph Wilson Stadium could tell that Lynch was something special. On a run off to the right side, Lynch showed his speed, his agility, his shiftiness, and most of all his POWER. He went into what he calls "Beast Mode" and literally carried three Denver Broncos several yards into the end zone. As Bills play-by-play voice, John Murphy exclaimed, "Marshawn Lynch would not be denied!" Great sign of things to come.
   
   
2. In a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at The Ralph, Lynch not only dominated on the ground, posting the first 100 yard game of his career, he also passed for a touchdown! On a drive where he carried six straight plays to move the Bills into scoring range, the half-back option pass was the perfect call, and worked just like they drew it up! (Soon after throwing the TD pass, Lynch also ripped off a 50-plus yard TD run!
   
   
3. Another GREAT example of "Beast Mode" was on the two-point conversion play following a hard-earned TD run against Miami which would tie the game up late in the fourth quarter, Lynch was hit hard by the Dolphins defender, and even knocked backwards. Always up for the challenge, Lynch twisted and turned and pushed and lunged forward into the end zone for the tying points. Lynch also drove the Bills into field goal range on the subsequent Bills possession - earning the final needed yards with a sprained ankle that would keep him out for the next three weeks. Pure Beast Mode!
   
   
4. In his first game back after the injury, Lynch again faced the Dolphins and showed no sign of weakness in his ankle. Lynch rushed for 107 yards on his "bum" ankle. This was amazing enough by itself, but making the day even more fun was backup running back Fred Jackson rushing for 115 yards on the day! Two 100-yard rushers against the Dolphins. Nothing could be better!

Monday Night Football, October 8th - vs the 4-0 Dallas Cowboys
One of the more memorable games of the years was the Bills first Monday Night home game in something like thirteen years! The place was rockin' like never before, and the Bills showed up to play against a team they seemed to be far outclassed by. And, in the end, Bills fans will remember the insanity of the final minutes that stole the victory from them, but the game did have its moments...

1. On cocky young Dallas QB Tony Romo's first pass, undrafted free agent WR-turned-FS, George Wilson, intercepts and returns the pass for a touchdown! That set the tone for one very wild evening at The Ralph, and was a career highlight for Mr. Wilson (that would be George...) as well I'm sure!
   
   
2. Seeing Tony Romo so flustered as to throw FIVE picks and even fumble once - very Eli Manning... - was just simply a highlight of the year. I don't care if the Bills lost the game, that was definitely a highlight. The Bills defense was opportunistic that night to say the least!

Random Memories
There were many more great memories from the 2007 season. They are a bit more random, so I'll list them individually below in no particular order.

• Willis McGahee's much-anticipated return to Buffalo was probably not what he hoped it would be. The Bills did allow him one drive on which he scored a 46-yard TD, as well as racked up over 70 yards (finished with 130-something, I believe). I'm still convinced he had enough friends left on the team that they let him have that one drive, just to be nice. :-) The rest of the day the Bills defense pretty much shut him down, and the Bills won 19-14.
  
  
• On his first punt return of the season, Roscoe Parrish took the ball 74 yards for the touchdown. The tiny return man would end up leading the league in punt-return average for the 2007 season!
  
  
• Late in the year, the Bills had a chance to still make the playoffs, but needed to beat the Giants and the Eagles to do that. They had the Giants at home, and took an early 14-0 lead! The Giants came back to tie the score, and appeared to be going for more until the defense stiffened and forced the Giants to decide whether to go from the one yard line, or kick the easy field goal. They chose to go for it, and on 4th down, John McCargo knifed his way through the Giants offensive line and made a HUGE tackle for a loss. Great play, great stand.

Kevin Everett Returns
My final - maybe favorite? - memory from the 2007 Buffalo Bills season is probably the best because it is fairy tale ending of one of the worst moments of the year. Yes, there were some ugly football moments, but the ugliest life moment happened on the opening kickoff of the second half of the first game. Kevin Everett made a crushing tackle on the Denver Broncos return man, and he never got up. The stadium was silent, and there was a giant knot in my stomach as I had seen the whole thing, and knew exactly what was going on.

Days went by and the reports were not good. Fractured vertebrae and definitely won't play football again. Might not walk again. Might not live. Hit this young team hard. Very hard. I'm pretty sure it affected their performance in at least the next game.

But then the weeks went by and the reports improved. A lot! Incredibly, what was once life-threatening was turning into a miraculously speedy recovery! Reports began to circulate late in the season that Everett would actually return to Buffalo and walk out on the field for the Bills' final home game against the Giants!

Well, there was no public appearance by the quiet Bills tight end. But, he did return to Buffalo. Perhaps his walking into the Bills locker room inspired the fast start the Bills saw that day, but whether it affected the play on the field, it certainly affected the players personally. It was the storybook ending to a rough, unprecedented injury-riddled season for the Buffalo Bills.

Whether you will remember the losing record, or the injuries, or any or all of the fun moments listed above, the 2007 Buffalo Bills season was certainly memorable. And with some impressive play by rookies and other unknown players, as well as many players who didn't even really get a chance to play in the 2007 season, 2008 is looking promising for the Bills. With a few off-season moves, and a new offensive play caller, this back-to-back 7-9 team could surprise some folks next year. Could be impressive.

Could even make the playoffs?

But we get ahead of ourselves. Another season is in the books, time for a short break, and then the Bills start building for next season. For now, let's just take a moment and enjoy the memories!

Thoughts From Week Seven: QBs, Willis, Toronto

I have been meaning to write many articles this week. A thorough recap of the game this past Sunday against Baltimore, highlighting some of the pretty amazing things I see in our rookie quarterback, Trent Edwards. Another article breaking down the stats on how the Bills truly did shut down Willis McGahee on his first visit to his old stomping grounds—on his birthday no less. And, I have wanted to weigh in on the whole Bills-games-in-Toronto issue.

But I haven't. And, I won't.

(Quite) Unfortunately, I do not get paid to write about the Bills, and my work load at the moment seems insurmountable. Tack on the fact that we leave for California in less than 24 hours, and yeah... I'm feeling the pressure!

For that reason, here are a few quick thoughts on all of the above topics.

QB Trent Edwards
It is now official. Trent Edwards is the starting QB for the Buffalo Bills. Not just for this week. For good. Dick Jauron said, "Hopefully we won't have to make a change there," in his press conference yesterday. The Bills like what they see in Edwards, and for good reason.

Not only does Trent have a good arm, is very accurate, and can put some zip on the ball, he's also a very quick learner and very confident in the pocket. His abilities to handle the offensive schemes were showcased when the Bills ran the no-huddle offense for most of the game against Baltimore. The QB has to read the defense, and make the call from some pre-set plays in that situation. And he did a great job with it! His confidence and poise in the pocket are demonstrated by the number of sacks he has taken. Some of the credit goes to the offensive line, but much of it goes to Trent for knowing when to release the ball, and where to put it.

One of the more amazing things from Sunday's game was the FIVE offsides penalties Edwards was able to pull the Ravens into! It could have been six, but the call went against the Bills when Michael Gaines jumped at the same time as the Ravens defender. His cadence was excellent, keeping the Baltimore defense either moving backward by penalty, or at least a little hesitant to jump at the snap.

Add to his very good play for a rookie the fact that the team is now 2-1 when he starts (and could, almost should be 3-0, barring the miracle finish by Dallas) and you have a no-brainer decision. Edwards gives the team the best chance to win now, and most likely in the future.

Good decision by the Bills.

Willis Held In Check
When Willis came out on the Ravens' first drive of the second half and just started getting huge chunks of yards, I was definitely worried. I thought maybe he or the Ravens had figured out something, and it was going to be a long day. That was every Bills fan's worst nightmare... Willis running wild on us, leaving with the win.

But he didn't.

Really, the Bills did a great job stopping McGahee all day. An amazing job, actually. I knew what I saw, and what I saw was a great performance by the Bills defense, and a completely shut down performance by Willis. Well, almost completely.

So late that night I broke down the stats. I wanted to see if I had just imagined that we did shut him down. I did not.

On that one drive to open the third quarter, Willis had 4 carries for 72 yards, including the one TD run of 46 yards where the Bills only had ten guys on the field (but I don't think the eleventh would have mattered). Willis finished the day with 19 carries for 114 yards. Take away 46 and he has 18 for 68 yards. That's 3.7 yards/carry. Take away that drive (were the Bills still in the lockeroom or something?) and he has 14 carries for 42 yards! OUCH! That's 3 YPC.

More stats? The Bills held Willis to 1 yard on 2 receptions (and he also dropped one, that was thrown behind him). The Bills also held him to zero or negative yards on 4 carries. 9 of his remaining 15 carries were for 4 yards or less. Mostly less.

The Bills came into the game having done very well against the Jets runningbacks and the Cowboys runningbacks. They wanted to do the same against Baltimore, who are a run-oriented team. And, they wanted to shut down Willis.

They did.

The Move To Toronto
First of all, the Bills are not moving to Toronto. They are merely playing a game or two in Toronto—where many Bills fans reside. All of this speculation is definitely premature, and completely unnecessary. In my opinion, of course.

Here's what we know. The NFL decided that up to two regular season games per year would be played outside of the US through the 2011 season. Their hope is that each team would be able to participate in that. The Bills stated that they would like to be proactive in that experiment by suggesting that they play a game in very nearby Toronto, which is currently a major region that they draw from.

The Bills have played there before. In 1995 and 1997, the Bills played two preseason games in the Skydome. (They won both!) So they are no strangers to Toronto, and those games did not precipitate a move to Canada. They broaden the region that the Bills cover.

Seven years ago, the Bills made a similar move when they shifted their annual training camp to St. John Fisher College in Rochester. There are many Bills fans in the stadium on Sundays who make the drive from Rochester, and moving training camp to their city only made sense. It gave the Bills more of a presence in Rochester, and likely has won them some more fans.

That is precisely what the Bills are hoping would happen with a regular season game in Toronto each year.

This is not without NFL precedent, either. The Green Bay packers played several games a year in Madison, WI several years ago now. They are also a small-market, regional team, and wanted to have a more regional appeal. It worked just fine, as far as I know.

The Bills are not moving to Toronto. The NFL will not allow that. Ralph Wilson certainly won't. And I would say, as much as they are able, NY State will not allow it either. But one game in Toronto, even annually, makes a lot of sense for expanding the reach of this small-market team. Bring in more fans, more corporate luxury box buyers... and the Bills remain in Western New York.

The Bills will likely play a pre-season game in 2008 in Toronto. It remains to be seen what the NFL will decide as far as regular season games there. The Bills have crossed a few hurdles, getting approval on the first stages of this plan. Next is the NFL.

Seems like a great plan to me, and I hope they can make it happen. I'd love for them to play a game over here in Rochester, closer to where I live, but we don't have a facility like the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

So north of the border we go!

(But just for one game.) :-)

Bills Game in Toronto?

If my memory serves me correctly, the Bills played a pre-season game in Toronto during the Super Bowl years. But that was pre-season.

The Bills posted a press release this week, stating that they would like to play a regular season game in Toronto, maybe even next year (2008)! Is this a good thing? Is this a precursor to moving the team to Toronto?

Actually, I think this wouldn't be a bad thing. The team is trying to be a "regional" team, focusing on Buffalo, Rochester, and Toronto, Canada. It's a good marketing strategy in a small market. There are already many Canadian fans who travel to Orchard Park to attend Bills games. And from Rochester and Syracuse send their share of attendees as well.

Not sure where the NFL is on this request, but it will be interesting to see if the Bills get their wish.

LINKS:
Bills Want a Home Game in Toronto to Expand Ontario Fan Base (Buffalo News)

Another Heartbreaking Loss

Losing by one point on a long field goal in (literally) the last second of a football game after leading for the entire game (or most of it) is just plain wrong. It's too much for a football team and their fans to take. But how about two times in five weeks?

There are no words to describe it. It's just unbelieveable.

Some will say that they knew they Bills would lose this game. (If you listen to our show, you know that I am one of those "some"s.) But what you will not hear is that this Bills team, who is now 1-4 are without a doubt a much better team than their record indicates. I know, I know, everyone makes excuses, but you can not tell me that the Bills looked bad out there on the field under the Monday Night lights.

Despite putting together some nice long drives, and Trent Edwards again looking very efficient, the Bills offense receives most of the blame for losing this game. There was only one 3-and-out series the entire game. Unfortuantely it came when we needed first downs the most. The Bills had just intercepted another Tony Romo pass, and thwarted a sure scoring drive for the Cowboys, and just needed to churn out some first downs. They did not.

Third downs were also a major problem. Both for the offense, and the defense. On the offensive side, the Bills converted only 3 of 13. That's just unacceptable. Defensively, the Bills allowed 9 of 15 conversions. Not bad, but not good. Also, although Edwards was efficient (23/31 passing) and made very good decisions as he has so far this season, he did take three sacks (one was definitely his fault) and of course threw the interception that may have cost the Bills the game. (That can certainly be blamed on the coaches there as well, but Edwards did make the throw.)

With only 66 yards for Marshawn Lynch, and a total of 81 yards rushing (which includes Brian Moorman's 10 yards scamper on the fake punt) the Bills just had absolutely nothing on the ground all night. Lynch had a couple nice runs, and one great play through the air, but was not nearly enough to sustain more drives. And the most telling stat in the passing game is the 2.0 yard average per pass play. Ouch.

The performance by the offense—and the not spectacular one by Trent Edwards—does make for an interesting dilemma for the Bills coaching staff over the bye week. Assuming JP Losman is healthy, and ready to go, do they put him back in the starting lineup? Losman has not led as many productive drives for the Bills offense this year. (Edwards has had lots of long, sustained drives in his three games.) But points are what matter, and there are not many points being scored by the offense this season. Only three in the game last night. As I said, it's an interesting decision.

This game will be remembered by some Bills fans as a colossal collapse. Never trailing until the last second of the game. Allowing the TD drive, allowing them to recover the on-side kick. Colossal collapse. However, the team who was favored to win by so many points was shell-shocked by the performance of this anonymous defense. George Wilson incercepts the first pass for a TD??? John DiGiorgio saves the game with the FIFTH interception of the game??? And who in the world are Jeremetrius Butler and Bryan Scott???

Defense and special teams came to play. Special teams always does for Buffalo, so that was no surprise. It was nice to see Terrence McGee get his first TD return of the season. He's been close on a few. Maybe Brian Moorman should be in on more plays for this team. Even on the on-side kick by Dallas, it was just a great play by the other team, not really a mistake by the Bills. But I am still so impressed by the defense who was supposed to be shredded by the Cowboys, and instead played with such passion and incredible heart... only to lose because of no support from the offense. How sad.

But the Bills press on. They enter the bye week beaten and battered at a lowly 1-4 overall record. Certainly some positive things to be taken from the first five games, but also most certainly a very large hole to dig out of. Even with a three game winning streak, they only get themselves back to .500. That's not where you want to be. They do however continue the home streak with a game at the Ralph against Baltimore coming up on October 21st, and then another two weeks later against the Cincinnati Bengals. Four out of five games at The Ralph. So far, they are 1-1.

The bye week will allow the Bills to heal up, and return with a much deeper roster. Week eight will see the likely return of JP Losman, Ryan Denney, maybe even Coy Wire and Ashton Youboty. Assuming the Bills can muster the same level of emotional energy they had for Monday Night's game (Willis McGahee is making his return to Buffalo...) the Bills stand a very good chance of finally dominating a game—and winning it.

Bills fans are depressed today. But this team showed that they have heart, and character, and talent, and determination. Much more than anyone gave them credit for.

Now if we could only do something about the coaching...

The Trent Edwards Era

I think we may have witnessed history on Sunday, folks. It could be that from the ashes of this "lost" season full of broken players, we may have discovered what we have all been longing for since the retirement of our beloved Jim Kelly. It's possible that not only did Trent Edwards win the first game of the 2007 season for the Buffalo Bills, he may have won himself a job, as well as the hearts of the entire city of Buffalo, and Bills fans around the world.

You think I'm kidding?

When was the last time you felt confident when a Bills QB took the field? When was the last time you knew we could convert a third down play? How about a 4th and goal from inside the one... on a play-action, rollout pass to the TE??

Yeah, that's what I thought.

There are three things that I really noticed yesterday. (1) Better play calling, including - and especially - (2) the call to go for the TD on 4th and goal, and (3) the play of Trent Edwards. I do believe they are all interconnected, but let's look at each area individually.

Steve Fairchild Opens Up The Offense
Just last week I finally came around to my fellow BBR co-host, Dave's way of thinking. He has been on Jauron, and more specifically Fairchild's case since they got here. Bad play calling has been a frequent subject of the popular "See Dick Coach" segment. And last week, my biggest beef was just that - offensive play calling. I attributed that to Steve Fairchild, and stated that the Bills could not get rid of him soon enough! Horrible use of our talent, I thought.

What a difference a week makes.

I can't say I'm sold on the offensive genius of Steve Fairchild, but did you notice that they finally opened up the playbook this week? There were rollouts and play-action passes, there were misdirections, end-arounds, and yes... we threw passes to our tight ends! They had seven receptions between them! There were even a few Lee Evans sightings!! Six, to be precise!

The offense did a great job of mixing up the pass and the run, and sticking with the run even when the Jets were bottling up Lynch pretty effectively. The run game only averaged 3.1 yards per carry. (But did score a TD when Lynch ran one into the end zone in the third quarter.)

What brought about that sudden change of philosophy? Why did the playbook open up so much that our offense looked like a completely different group of players?

4th Down and Goal
We'll finish that thought in a moment. First, in continuing with the play calling theme, there was one play in particular that once the call was made, showed me that we were serious about winning.

With a precarious 10-7 lead, the Bills got the turnover they needed. Jabari Greer stepped in front of a Pennington pass and gave the Bills the ball at the NY Jets 25. Fantastic field position that they really needed to take advantage of. The Bills were on the good side of a penalty, which put them in a first and goal at the NY 9. From there, Lynch got back to back four yard carries, which set the Bills up with a third and goal at the one. Unfortunately, the Jets stopped Lynch for no gain on the third down play, and - much to my quite vociferous chagrin - the Bills sent out the kicking team.

Thankfully, the coaches had instructed Moorman to call a time out as the play clock ran down, which he did. This not only smartly used the clock... it gave them a chance to reconsider the decision.

The offense came back out, and my jaw hit the floor. It was the right call - it's what they should have done in the first place - but I still couldn't believe they were really doing it! Lynch had been able to get at least a yard on almost every carry that day, so with a 3-point lead, it made sense to go for it from inside the one. Barring a turnover, you either go up by two scores, or you give them the ball inside their own one, which still puts you in a very good spot. It was the right call, too, for a team that really needs confidence.

What I was not prepared for was the actual play that was called.

They sent Edwards onto the field with this call: a play-action, rollout pass to the TE Gaines. Every player I have heard, and the head coach as well, have all said that took guts. Calling a play action pass with a rookie QB starting his first game? Guts.

And that leads me to the final of three intertwined highlights from yesterday's game.

Trent Edwards
When Edwards came into the game against the Patriots, I told my family (with whom I was watching the game) that the game was lost. Not Trent's fault... you just can't expect a rookie who has not practiced as the starter all week, to come in and beat the best team in the league. And, aside from a quite welcome shock on the first drive, I was right. He was not able to do anything out there after that drive. They did a good job confusing him.

Not so this week. With a whole week to prepare, Edwards looked confident, made quick decisions, and threw accurate passes. He was sacked a time or two, and did throw an interception, but overall, there was definitely something different about our passing game.

To be fair, for much of the game I kept saying, "If they would open up the offense for JP, he might look like this too!" And, I understand that it was the Jets. They are not much better than the Bills. (Maybe they aren't better?) So, was I just seeing a mirage? Was this all inflated results due to a poor opponent, home field advantage, and (for some strange reason) better play calling?

By the end of the game, and especially when they called the play-action pass on 4th and goal, I knew that it was not.

See, I think I finally realized that maybe the reason the play calling looked so bad - so conservative, so vanilla - was more on the quarterback than on the coach? It could just be really, really bad timing for JP. All of it. They seemed to have thrown in some more wrinkles in the game he started in New England, but he didn't get to carry them out. And Trent's first start was at home against the Jets. But I gotta think it's more than that.

We've seen JP for four season. We've seen Trent for two games. Nearly every Bills fan I have read or heard or talked with sees that Edwards is the future, and should probably even be the present. That's so crazy, because Losman seemed to be "coming around" at the end of last season. But there's just something different about Edwards. And I think the play calls from his coaches proved that they know that too.

So, I'm off Fairchild's back, and big time on the Trent Edwards band wagon. I can't wait to see what the offense can do at home, on a Monday night, against the undefeated Dallas Cowboys! I don't imagine the Bills end the game on top on the scoreboard, but I do think we will give them a good challenge, if Edwards wasn't just smoke and mirrors.

Something tells me that he is not, and that is the best news Bills fans have had in a very long time!

[related articles]
Trust Me: The Kid Stays In The Picture (Buffalo News)

Buffalo @ New England Highlights Video

LINK: I know, I know... they are hardly highlights, but.. check out the part where Losman's knee is hit. CLEAR video evidence that Wilfork was AIMING for Losman's knee. He dives straight at it with his ELBOW. Yikes. I hope some serious fines are levied. What is it with this team??? They are already by far the most talented... why must they cheat??

Bills vs Broncos Photos

640 x 480

These are some photos we took yesterday at the Bills/Broncos game. Music by Mel Jesse George (some friends of ours). Game images, Steve Tasker's Wall of Fame induction, and the injury to Kevin Everett. So sad.

Enjoy the photos.

Week One Overview: Some Highs, Too Many Lows

It's just a sad day. That happens after a Buffalo Bills loss. Any Monday after a loss is no fun. You replay the game in your head, and especially when it was close, you wonder, "What if they had just..." and myriad alternate realities dance through your head.

Today is no exception. But as I mentioned earlier, the day is sad on so many more levels than just the final outcome of the game.

Leaving the game minus four players with major injuries - TE Kevin Everett the most severe with a possibly career-ending injury - certainly added to a very down, depressed Bills lockeroom. Losing a game - in which you never trailed - by one point on a field goal that was kicked in an NFL record 11 seconds from the end of the previous play. Losing the home opener in front of 74,000 loud, excited fans. All of these add up to a pretty depressing day for players, coaches and fans alike.

But there were some highlights to yesterday's game. Perhaps, as usual, focusing on the good accomplishments from the day before can lift some of the sadness of the defeats.

HIGHS

• Marshawn Lynch
  One of the best performances yesterday - and most promising for the future of the Bills - was given by rookie RB Marshawn Lynch. Oft criticized in the pre-season, Lynch put a lot of that criticism to rest with 90 yards rushing on 19 carries, with 1 great TD run. Two plays stood out. The TD run where he carried several people with him into the end zone, and a 4th and 1 play where he drove forward and got the first down on a second and third and fourth effort. Those plays stood in stark contrast to the efforts we saw from Willis McGahee over the past couple years.
  
  Only downside of Lynch's play yesterday was a critical missed block on the opening drive. Bills were moving the ball well, but Lynch missed his man and gave up a big 14-yard sack that resulted in no points for the Bills offense. Bad way to start the game... rookie mistake. Lynch did make a few more rookie mistakes, and was noticeably - and unexpectedly - absent from the passing game, but overall was a bright spot in the loss.

• Special Teams on a Special Day
  It was fitting that on Steve Tasker's day, the Special Teams for the current Bills team were a big part of the game. Roscoe Parrish had a fantastic return for a TD. McGee almost broke a kickoff return for another TD. The kicking units covered kicks and punts very well, setting Denver up inside the 1 yard line for their first drive. There were some mistakes. Moorman had a bad kick or two, Lindell missed his only FG attempt. But as always, special teams played brilliantly and certainly gave us a great chance to win the game.
  
  Watch the half-time presentation (as well as some other bonus Steve Tasker highlight video) at BuffaloBills.com:
  
  
• Poz
  When the Broncos offense took the field for the first time, Paul Posluszny made his presence known. On nearly every play, the stadium announcer would name the Denver ball carrier, and then say, "Tackle made by Paul Posluszny!" The crowd would follow that with a supportive cheer. After about the fifth repetition of that sequence, you could hear the almost sarcastic tone with which the announcer said, "Tackle by... Paul Posluzny!", which the crowd responded to with an even louder cheer!! Poz ended the game second in tackles with 10, and was in position on most every play. He had some great penetration on a few running plays, and was just all over the field. I knew he was good, but yesterday Bills fans got to see that Poz may be something really special for years to come.

• Donte Whitner
  Actually, the defense overall played great. They made big plays when they needed to, and even given some rough circumstances, did very well overall. The stats don't say that, but my football sense does. I was there, and saw a unit that gave a LOT yesterday. Everything they had. Three starters went down in the game, including one who was replacing another starter! That's a lot to overcome. The flow of the game put them in some tough situations, which mostly they overcame. Overall, definitely a B+ (at least) for the Bills defense.
  
  One of the standouts was S Donte Whitner. Whitner was in on many plays, several for a loss. He was quite noticeable, and was living up to his #8 overall selection. Some Bills fans still question his being selected that high in the 2006 NFL draft, but Whitner has backed that up with some great play-making on the field, including yesterday's game against the Broncos.

LOWS

• JP Losman
  I have to cut JP a little slack in that the offense was put in some strange situations due to good drives by Denver, the punt return for a TD (which kept the offense off of the field), and some of the injuries. But really, he had a very bad game. He never got into any kind of rhythm. A lot of that can be attributed to play-calling. But some of it has to fall on JP. One of the critical plays he missed was on third down on the Bills' third possession. Parrish had beaten Bailey, and would have had the much-needed first down, but JP underthrew him. Pretty badly. Add to that the final possession where he overthrew a wide-open Lee Evans on a potential game-sealing bomb... and JP definitely did not contribute much to the game. He was 14-21 for 97 yards, 0 TDs and 1 strange INT. Not a good day for our signal caller.
  
  
• Bills Coaches
  As I said, JP does take a lot of the blame, but perhaps most of it goes to the Bills coaches? The offense was very predictable instead of the high-octane, spread formation that many Bills fans were expecting. Yes, Denver's defense did a good job shutting that down, but it did not appear the Bills were even trying to go that route. When they did spread out the defense, they went with short passes to the wideouts, hoping they could make something happen with the YAC. (Yards after catch.) That play was definitely not working for us.
  
  Then, there was the most questioned play of all. 3rd and 5 with just over 2 minutes to go. The Bills have the lead, and the ball, and just need a couple more first downs. Instead of going with Marshawn, who had been hot and had converted on some very big plays, they elected to throw deep for only the second or third time all day. Lee Evans definitely was open, but it's a low percentage play at best, and the percentages won. JP overthrew by a few yards (and threw to the wrong shoulder) and the Bills punt the ball. Had they made the play, the fans may be a bit more lenient, but that was NOT the call you make in that situation. In my opinion.
  
  
• Terrence McGee
  Yes, Terrence McGee. I know, he had a fabulous return, and he's always good for at least one of those per game. And, he actually made a couple good plays on defense, both on run and pass defense. He was defending that 2-point play that did not work for Denver. But I had a big beef with him yesterday. I counted two times that he outright DROPPED the ball and one more time where he was in position to make a play on the ball and did not. I know his main role is not to get the INT, but to defend against the pass. However, we need McGee to make those big plays. Especially on the ones that hit him in the hands!
  
  The first of the two glaring drops was the play before the Broncos only TD of the game. They Broncs had been driving, making our tired defense look silly, but McGee stepped in front of a Cutler pass, and had he caught it, would have probably gone the distance on the return. Great play on the ball, got both hands on it... but dropped it! ARGH! Next play, Denver scores. The other really bad one was a bootleg on which Cutler threw an ill-advised pass deep to Walker, but McGee had plenty of time to read the play, make his break, and got both hands on the ball. Our section was cheering on the obvious INT, until we noticed the ball rolling on the ground. That would have out a stop to a critical fourth quarter drive. (I think we got the ball back from them on that one anyway, but still... you have to make that catch when you get both hands on the ball!)
  
  
• Chris Kelsay
  This is pretty minor, but on one play, Bills DE Chris Kelsay had Cutler lined up for a big sack but did not wrap him up - and looked silly in the process. Cutler managed to get away, and even completed a pass for a first down on that drive. I believe it resulted in 3 points as well. That was really, really bad tackling.

THE UNFORTUNATE

• The Refs
  I do get tired of saying this - and really tire of sounding like I am whining, or making excuses - but the refs did have an adverse affect on the game yesterday, that they should not have had. There was a late facemask call that went against the Broncos that should not have been called, but I am pretty sure that was one of those "make up" calls, which doesn't ever really make up for the previously bad calls!
  
  The refs missed lots of holding calls, several facemask calls, and worst of all, they missed a timeout call from Angelo Crowell on the final Denver drive, which led to a Denver first down. It was fourth and two, and Crowell was signaling for a TO, and all the Bills were expecting the refs to call it. They somehow missed it, and the Bills defense was (at least slightly) caught off guard, and Cutler rushes around the right side for a critical first down.
  
  I'm quite tired of the refs having such a big (negative) impact on the Bills.
  
  
• The First Quarter
  I have already alluded to it, but as the Bills offense seemed to the casual observer to be sputtering in the first quarter, I noticed that there were circumstances that led to that. Oddly enough, they were initially a good thing for the Bills. The Bills began the game with a very good drive. It stalled when Lynch missed a block, and Losman was sacked. No points, but a great special teams play for the Bills put the Broncos inside their 1 yard line. Broncos called a great play to get out of that trouble, and got a couple first downs... but the defense held, and forced a punt. Roscoe Parrish runs that punt back for a TD, putting the Bills up 7-0! Fantastic, except that the defense who had just worked hard to shut down the Denver offense, has to go right back out and do it again.
  
  At this point they are tired, so they give up a few more first downs, but hold again, and only allow a field goal. Bills offense finally takes the field again after being off the field for about nine minutes. They run three plays, and have to punt, resulting in the defense taking the field again. The Bills stopped that drive, but already the Denver offense had 11:03 minutes of possession to the Bills 2:25, since their first drive. That tired out our defense, and never allowed our offense to develop any sort of rhythm.

• The Injuries
  Add to the circumstances above some very serious injuries to our defensive starters, and the emotionally draining injury to Kevin Everett to begin the third quarter, and the Bills were definitely in a really tough position to pull out a win, even being at home. Besides Everett, the Bills lost saftery Ko Simpson (broken ankle, lost for the year), Jason Webster (broken arm, out indefinitely) and replacement starting LB Coy Wire (knee sprain, out indefinitely). This is on top of some major injuries in the preseason to Ryan Denney and Keith Ellison. It's been a very rough start to the season for the Bills, health-wise.

My overall opinion of the game has not changed. In the stadium yesterday, it felt like the Bills fought hard, played a very solid game, and most certainly could have won that game. Questionable play calling, and the above unfortunate circumstances allowed Denver to pull out a win in a fantastic way (for them, at least), but overall, the Bills deserve a B+ for their effort yesterday. Most of the negative grade (for me) goes to the coaches and the refs. I was shocked when I saw the final stats and the Broncos had a 100 yard rusher (ok, that wasn't a shock), a 100 yard receiver, and a 300 yard passer. The defense - at least according to my perception at the game - seemed to have a fantastic game against a very good team.

The road ahead for the Bills is very, very tough. Both of their next two opponents won their opening games in very convincing fashion. The Bills have to go on the road, with a severely depleted roster - and very heavy hearts - and take on two of the better teams in the AFC, including their arch rivals, the New England Patriots. It is very possible, even likely, that the Bills begin 2007 at 0-3.

This team has some great talent. We saw a bit of it yesterday. Buffalo Bills Review is hoping that the coaches can learn to take better advantage of it. It'll be tough, but here's hoping! Go Bills!

Shocked, Soaked... and Sad

Week one did not end as the Bills had hoped it would. Not at all.

It began as a rainy day in Orchard Park, NY, with rain expected throughout the day. That was the case, but the rain did not dampen the spirit of the 74,000 Bills fans in attendance. Not a bit. The parking lots were full of excited Bills football fans, and that carried over to the stands as the opening kickoff approached.

Though fans expected we might see a wide open, maybe even no-huddle offense, we were instead treated to a major change at running back. Instead of dancing up to the line of scrimmage and falling down at first contact, our running back yesterday slammed into the line, hit the holes, and pushed people forward. So, even though the lack of air attack was surprising, we were more than pleased by the rookie's performance.

As the game wore on, fans and players became worn down by the amount of times the stretchers - and sadly, an ambulance - came out on the field. First we lost Ko Simpson, who is part of a great safety tandem. It looked pretty bad. And it is bad. Then Coy Wire, who was filling in for the injured Keith Ellison. And Jason Webster left the game as well, with a broken forearm. Even one Denver Broncos player brought the stretcher team out on the field, but he left under his own power.

After all of the soaking and the sad injuries - and the sad play by our offensive unit - we Bills fans in attendance were greatly encouraged by our team's lead, which lasted up until 59:59 of the game. At 59:59, the Broncos offense finished their final drive, and their very well executed final play, with a 42-yard kick that split the uprights. As the entire Broncos sideline poured onto the field, 74,000 sad, soaked, and shocked Bills fans simply stood up, and filed out of the stadium in silence. I have never seen anything like it. It was not anger, not even really disappointment. It was just shock.

Perhaps the funniest moment of the day - at least in my eyes - was as we were all crowded together, filing out of the exits of the stadium (still mostly in silence) and like in the movies, when something bad has happened, the skies finally opened up and it started pouring down rain on us. Nice. Not only does our team lose, and we have tons of injuries, including a career-ending one... now we get soaked on the way to our cars. Perfect.

There were certainly highlights, which I would love to write about here, but I must get to some other things today. We'll be recording a show later tonight. Get your calls into the hotline. Send in your e-mails. We'll talk about all the ups and downs from Game One of the 2007 season.

Bills Week 1/Season Preview

And so it begins! After months of work the Buffalo Bills are finally ready to start their first official game of the 2007 season. At least they better be ready. The Bills schedule does not start soft. The Denver Broncos were a solid team last season and have some of the best corners in the league. Buffalo did not instill confidence in their fans during the preseason games, but the players are confident that when they unveil their full offensive package, fans will be surprised. Lets hope some of the tackling problems on defense were due to the preseason tendency to hold back and play safe. Drew Brees proved the other night that preseason has little to do with the regular season when his high powered preseason offense fell flat against a mediocre colts defense. Still the Bills left fans a bit concerned.

The 2007 season looks to be daunting for the Bills. Based on last season's records the Bills have the toughest schedule in the league.



Fortunately for the Bills, this is 2007 and last season's record is of little consequence. One need only look back to 2005 to see how quickly things can change in the NFL. Many of the Bills opponents had a worse record in 2006 than they did in 2005. While the Bills face many playoff teams from 2006, several of these matchups are against wildcard teams that were hardly daunting. (see the 8-8 Giants, 10-6 Eagles, 9-7 Cowboys and 10-6 Jets twice) In reality, the Bills only face 3 opponents that had daunting teams in 2006 and two of them are New England. The other would be Baltimore. On the other hand the Bills face 4 opponents that had 6 wins or fewer in 2006. The rest are in the 7-9 to 10-6 range. But thats all last year. Teams change.

The Bills certainly did their fair share of changing during the offseason. Buffalo cut lose 3 veterans on defense and totally revamped the offensive line. Fans were concerned that the Bills 75 million dollar o-line didn't look better in the preseason. It will probably take a couple games to work out the kinks, but the talent is there where it hasn't been in the past. Can they pull it together for the first game? Probably. The Denver defensive line is battered and not particularly menacing to begin with, so the pressure on the line will not be huge. Bills fans also barely got to see the true starting o-line during the pre-season. Jason Peters, Derrick Dockery, Melvin Fowler, Brad Butler and Langston Walker were rarely on the field at the same time during the preseason games. This was due to injuries to Butler and Fowler. No one should have been surprised when Butler was named the starter over Whittle (making veteran minimum and a career backup) and Duke Preston (was great in relief but not the answer as a starter). If the starting five can pull it together in time for the season opener, it will go a long way towards the Bills finding victory.

Losman has mostly looked like Losman through the preseason, but he has been running what the team calls "vanilla" offense. It would be nice to see better execution of the vanilla plays, but these kind of play calling really gives the defense the advantage. This is reflected in the preseason scores throughout the league. Despite the lack of game plan, Losman has been able to connect with all of his receivers for big gains. The Bills certainly look like the long ball champions. The question remains as to whether Losman can keep his head cool enough during games to make the short touch passes connect with their targets. If he can find a way to deliver the ball to more receivers the Bills offense could be explosive.

Lee Evans looks like he is ready to have a Pro Bowl season. He makes unbelievable plays for the ball, burns his defenders and seems to be in the zone with Losman. This is so obvious that teams are going to double team him without question. That means Roscoe Parrish, Josh Reed and Peerless Price need to make more plays to help loosen up the coverage. Of the three, Roscoe Parrish seems to be the one poised for a breakout season. Josh Reed is always showing flashes, but never seems to be able to consistently contribute. If he can find a way to be a bigger part of the receiving game or if Peerless Price can find his old form, the Bills passing game will be deadly.

Added to the receiving mix will be a little larger dose of Tight End. Last season the tight ends had to stay back to help Terrence Pennington pass protect on the right side. Now Pennington is gone and so is Cieslak who was clearly a blocking tight end. This shows that the Bills are confident enough in their new linemen to stock the roster with receiving tight ends. Robert Royal is capable of having a big impact in the passing game if he doesn't have to block. Kevin Everett is supposedly a great receiving tight end who the Bills have hardly used because they mostly were using blockers at the position. We will see this season if he can really catch and run like they say he can.

Marshawn Lynch replaces Willis McGahee at running back and all of Buffalo is feeling good about the switch. McGahee had worn out his stay both by making obnoxious comments to the press and by underperforming on the field. The guy doesn't have game and Marshawn Lynch does. Lynch is quick and hard to take down. During the preseason, he struggled at times, but when he was able to get positive yardage, it was usually for 6 yards plus. He is also a significant threat receiving out of the backfield. It will be exciting to watch this kid run this year. He also loves the city of Buffalo which always helps.

The Bills didn't show much in the preseason games, but you could see signs of where it might be. It all hinges upon the line. If they can give Lynch a few holes and give Losman just a little time to pass, the Bills O will be tough to stop. I think the talent on this offensive line is strong enough that its a matter of when rather than if. This should be a pretty exciting offense.

The defense on the other hand is full of question marks. The defensive field general will be rookie linebacker Paul Posluszny. Already we see cause for concern. The Bills are depending on a rookie at the critical middle linebacker spot. Luckily for the Bills, Poz looks like the real deal and could end up a candidate for defensive rookie of the year. But the Bills are taking a big gamble here that will likely cost them at times even under best circumstances. With Angelo Crowell on the strong side and Coy Wire filling in for Keith Ellison on the weak side, the Bills have a fairly inexperienced linebacking corps. Will their youth and speed be a benefit or a hindrance? Like the offensive line, I think this group will be good by season's end, but, how many games will it take for them to find a groove?

The linebackers' inexperience would be less of a concern if the defensive line wasn't also such a concern. Going into the preseason it seemed as though the Bills were pretty well set at defensive end, but and injury to Ryan Denney and a 4 game suspension for Anthony Hargrove have left the Bills with only their starters and some very green backups. It could be worse, at least Schobel and Kelsay are the healthy ones. But it will prove interesting during the first four weeks until Hargrove comes back. Aside from depth concerns the Bills look good at End. However the defensive tackles are questionable. The closest thing to proven talent that the Bills have at tackle is Larry Tripplett. Tripplett had a disappointing first season with the Bills but the hope is that he will be more effective with one season under his belt. He was also playing with a lot of rookies last year who also now have a year in the system. John McCargo has looked good when he plays but has had injury troubles. If he can stay healthy it will make a big difference for the Bills. McCargo seemed to be disrupting the offensive line on every snap in the preseason. The Bills need that to continue. Kyle Williams, Tim Anderson and Jason Jefferson will be sharing time at the other tackle spot. Williams had a solid rookie season and the Bills are hoping he will pick up where he left off. Anderson struggled last season and Jefferson is a virtual unknown although the coaches are high on him.

In the secondary, the Bills have two solid players with lots of depth at Safety. Ko Simpson and Donte Whitner both had successful rookie campaigns and seem to be rocking at the start of the season. Hopefully the rest of the defense can play well enough for these young stars to shine. They are going to need to play their best ball because, after the departure of Nate Clements, the Bills are a bit thin at Cornerback. If Aston Youboty can take the next step and become a starter during the season, the Bills will be in better shape. But for now, they are starting Terrence McGee who is a lot better at returning kicks than playing corner and Jason Webster. This is an area that shoudl be heavily exploited by every team the Bills play. They will be counting on a solid pass rush to keep too many balls from making it to the wide receivers. Things could get ugly if Youboty, Kiwaukee Thomas or Jabari Greer don't breakout.

If you were going to use one word to describe the 2007 Buffalo Bills it would be "young". "Young" isn't necessarily bad but it leaves a lot of question marks and opens the door for stupid mistakes and sloppy play. Dick Jauron and his staff will have their work cut out for them. Regardless, I think the Bills will improve this season. The reason why is the fact that Jauron already showed last season that he can get production out of young players. The Bills had 6 rookies start last season at one point or another. In some cases they actually looked better than the veterans they replaced. This is why the team looks the way it does now. Out with the old, in with the new. Its going to be a thrilling ride because this is not the type of team that can be comfortable holding a lead in the fourth quarter. They will make mistakes, but they can win games. The schedule is not as bad as it looks. Here are my predictions prior to game 1.

Week 1. Denver. The Bills will actually win this one by a larger margin than most predict. Jay Cutler has only played in 5 NFL games. He lost 3. He's 2000 miles from his home stadium. It's kickoff sunday. The 12th man will be raging. Cutler will struggle and throw 3 interceptions despite gaining a fair number of yards. This is what the Bills' struggling defense needs. Marshawn Lynch gets 100 yards on a depleted Denver line. Lee Evans gets 2 TDs. Special teams shines. Losman looks "Crisp". Bills 31 Broncos 14

Week 2. Pittsburgh. Despite attempts by ESPN to brainwash all of America into thinking otherwise, the Steelers were 8-8 last year and struggled often, mostly because of Roethlisberger's interceptions, tops in the league. This year they have a new head coach. There is talent there but the Steelers play sloppy. Maybe later in the season this would turn out differently. The Bills have a slow start due to their cocky bravado after the dominant win the week before. Bills 21 Steelers 17

Week 3. New England. Every year the Bills come close to beating the Patriots in the first matchup of the season. This year the Bills catch the Pats on a bad week and get away with an ugly win in difficult weather conditions. Bills 10 Patriots 9

Week 4. NY Jets. The Jets got lucky last season. The Bills outplayed them twice but only came away with one win. This year will be different. Thomas Jones is no Hall of Famer. Mangini is over rated. The Bills will miss the 150 yards on the ground McGahee would bring to a jets game, but find Lynch's 100 yards on the ground and 75 in the air to be a suitable replacement. Bills 27 Jets 14

Week 5. Dallas. The Bills are getting a lot of press at this point for starting the season 4-0. Thats when the Bills let it get to their head and collapse embarassingly on the national stage in their first Monday night game in a long time. Cowboys 31 Bills 7

Week 6. BYE. The Bills lick their wounds after the embarassing defeat.

Week 7. Baltimore. The Bills put up a good fight but get outplayed by a better team in the Ravens. McGahee is a non factor and gets spelled heavily, as he will most of the season. Ravens 28 Bills 10

Week 8. NY Jets. Nothing like the jets to cheer up a team on a losing streak. Bills 21 Jets 3

Week 9. Cincinnati. I hate spelling Cincinnati. The Bills like playing the Bengals. They seem to have their number, even when the Bengals have a much better team. Turnovers and Special teams make this one a fun watch. Bills 28 Bengals 17

Week 10. Miami. The Dolphins are rebuilding and fairly well imploded by this point in the season. The Bills luck out by playing the Dolphins late. Bills 21 Dolphins 17

Week 11. New England. Usually the second time the Patriots play the Bills each year, the Bills get blown out. This year is no different. See Bill outcoach Dick. Patriots 38 Bills 14.

Week 12. Jacksonville. The Jaguars never are sure who their quarterback is, but they manage to beat the Bills anyway. It happens again in an exciting one. Jaguars 21 Bills 17

Week 13. Washington. The Redskins aren't that good. The Bills win this yawner. Bills 14 Redskins 10.

Week 14. Miami. The Dolphins put up a fight but turn the ball over too many times. The Bills steal a game with special teams. Bills 17 Dolphins 10

Week 15. Cleveland. Cleveland will be better than people think, but they will still be bad. Bills 28 Browns 24

Week 16. NY Giants. Eli has a rough season without Tiki Barber. The Giants are talking about getting a new coach and the Bills win pretty handily. Bills 21 Giants 7

Week 17. Philadelphia. With a shot at the division on the line the Bills lose dramatically and fin themselves a wildcard with broken confidence. Eagles 27 Bills 6

The Bills finish a surprising 11-5 but are still second in the division. They lose their first playoff game in the 21st century. Its not impossible for the Bills to sweep the Jets and the Dolphins. They nearly did last year. Going through the games its not out of the question. The Bills have to beat the Patriots once to truly be considered any kind of contender.

I'm pretty sure I have a lot of angry email coming my way. Send it to bplewak@yahoo.com
The season hasn't started yet, its anybody's guess.

This Is Why I Don't Like Pre-Season

OK. I would first like to rescind some of the certainty with which I previously stated that pre-season and training camp are worthless. Having heard some remarks from the very coach I was quoting in support of a shorter (or non-existent?) pre-season, as well as some of his players, I know that there certainly is a place for training camp, and even pre-season games. (I still contend that a tad more contact in camp might be beneficial, but, that's not my point here.)

Nonetheless, might I point to the first three games of the pre-season as reasons why pre-season is COMPLETELY meaningless?

The Bills played rather poorly - sloppy was the word I chose - in their pre-season opener, and yet, pulled out the victory. They held the Saints to only 10 points. One week later, they had improved some, making several big plays, only to lose in the end by the reverse score from the previous week - 13-10. And then tonight they racked up 399 yards of offense, making some fantastic big plays, and lose 28-17.

Obviously, the outcome is not directly related to the level of play in pre-season. :-)

And although we have seen our Bills in three "games" so far this year, I still maintain that we do not know that much about how this team will do until we see them play a game that matters. If they look like this in the regular season, we're in trouble! But I don't think they will. They players do not seem very worried at all. Nor do the coaches. I think it's because they know that pre-season is not where you gauge what a team will do. You can gauge players... but not a team.

And yet... I watch the games. I even go to the games. What can I say? I'm a BIG Bills fan!!! :-)

There were some bright spots tonight, but let me quickly highlight the things that do concern me a tad - even though I am trying hard to remember that pre-season is NOT a good indicator of what the regular season will bring...

• Penalties and Turnovers
  Two things you do NOT want to see a lot of, and we had our share tonight. As the BTN announcers were quick (and frequent) to point out, several of the calls were pretty picky. Really, they were just bad calls. And even some non-calls. Still, 7 penalties for 60 yards... that'll hurt. And it would have been more, but the Titans refused several calls due to a better situation resulting from their good play against our D.
  
  One penalty even brought back a fantastic Roscoe Parrish punt return for TD. That was bad timing.
  
  Turnovers were a bit of a problem, too. Should have been much worse. I counted three passes that Titan DBs dropped. Definitely should have been INTs. As it was there were two turnovers, could have been five. Ouch. The defense didn't get any this week. Minus two is not where you want to be in this column.
  
  
• JP Losman
  The reason JP is here is just that he's scaring me a bit with how crazy erratic he is here this pre-season. He throws 3 horrible passes for every 2 good passes. Just super inconsistent. But man, when he's good... he's good. His pass to Evans was right on - from about 60 yards. He was hitting some great passes to Price tonight, too. But when he hit one long pass to Price, he didn't seem to care that much about getting down the field to set up for the next play.
  
  I'm hoping it's just that his head is not in the game in pre-season. Again, I must say, it's just pre-season. You can't judge a player or a team based on what you see in pre-season. You just can't. And yet... I do not much like his inconsistency...
  
  
• Defense, Where Art Thou?
  Bend but don't break, yes. But tonight we broke. Four times. And there was plenty of bending, too. We were the recipients of two missed FG gifts. But really, that didn't matter. The run defense would make 1 or 2 great plays at the line, and then they would let the back rip off a 15-20 yard carry. The pass rush was pretty ineffective against Young for sure, sort of the same against Collins. The defensive backs had some trouble covering. And, I know Young is hard to bring down, but the tackling looked pretty sloppy.
  
  You've got to wrap up. Got to.
  
  Can someone please remind me that pre-season is not really a good indicator of what we'll see in the regular season? Please?? :-)

Despite an 11-point loss, and an overall sloppy game with poor tackling, turnovers, and penalties... there were some really great things, too! Check these out:

• Evans, Price, and Parrish
  Three of our best WRs had some great numbers tonight. Peerless Price looked great. He hasn't, so that was nice to see. Made some great catches - including one on the sideline, and that long one down the middle that I mentioned earlier. Price ended with 78 yards receiving, Evans with 100 yards and a 64-yard TD. Parrish ended with 26 yards on 2 catches. Combined, the three had 204 yards receiving in the first half! Not bad for half a day's work!
  
  I really think Roscoe is going to be fun to watch this year. It will be fun to see how they work him into the offense a bit more.
  
  
• Fred Jackson
  What can you say about this guy? Is he for real? On the fourth quarter drive that ended with his rushing TD, he amassed well over 50 yards rushing and receiving. He ended with 31 yards rushing and 80 yards receiving. Nice work, Fred! I'm still trying to figure out if he just looks good because he is playing against inexperienced players who will soon be cut from the opposition's rosters. I really don't know yet. To me he looks great. He's big and powerful, always moving forward, yet he has some great moves that help him avoid tackles. He has incredible balance - never gets knocked down the first time. I don't see how the Bills cut this guy, but I'm not really sure what role he plays on the team, either. Will be interesting to see how they use him (or not?) this year.
  
  
• Aaron Schobel in the Endzone
  First of all, it was cool enough that Schobel was in pass coverage. But add to that the smart, athletic play he made to save a TD (at least on that play) was definitely worth mention. On a great play fake, the Titans had a receiver wide open in the endzone. Young floated the ball to him, which he caught in his hands. The TE failed to account for Aaron's speed and cleverness though. Schobel seeing the ball hit the receiver's hands instantly swatted at the ball, knocking it loose... knocking away a TD!! Great play!

As I keep saying... it's just pre-season. If the Bills looked fantastic, I would hope I would still temper my excitement with that phrase. Because I think it's true. We're not seeing the real Bills yet. The players remain confident in any interviews I hear/see.../give. :-) But that is admittedly hard to do, when we look pretty bad.

I will continue to reserve final judgment until we see 60 minutes of football against the visiting Denver Broncos. If we don't see a well-oiled machine scoring lots of points, and a defense that doesn't look completely inept that day, then we may be in trouble.

But we're not yet. Just about two more weeks until we get to find out what we really have. Can't wait!

The Wave @ The Ralph

This video was taken at The Ralph last Friday... the smallish pre-season crowd got the Wave going in the second half, and so I decided to record it. :-)

Pre-Season Week Two Report from the Ralph

Being in attendance at a game is definitely different than watching it on TV. In most ways it is far superior. It’s fun to watch it with so many other people cheering on your team. It’s great to get to see the whole field, watching plays develop live is way better than the limited TV version. The whole experience is just a lot more fun. And so, even for a pre-season contest, a great time was had by all.

Yes, the Bills lost the contest 13-10, giving up a late fourth quarter TD right down in front of us. Penalties helped the end of the drive a bit (more on that later...) but overall it was a good effort by our Bills, and again, it’s just pre-season.

Some thoughts from the game:

The New HD Screens!
This year, one of the more impressive things at The Ralph is going to be the amazing new high-definition display. It sits at the opposite end of the stadium from our seats and it’s incredible. Wow! It just blows away anything I’ve seen in a stadium before this. We found ourselves being drawn to watch the TV more than the real thing!! Too funny!

The only negative thing I could say about the new gigantic display was that the video would sometimes drop out, freeze up or just get choppy. In fact, on a replay of a pass to Peerless Price. It was a well-timed defensive play to break up a good pass from Losman, but it could have also been pass interference. The crowd watched the replay to see if a wave of disapproval needed to fall on the ears of the officials, but right at the very moment that the ball was reaching its target, the screen went blank, reappearing shortly after the play was over again. That drew a large moan from the crowd! :-)

They also installed those ribbon boards around the walls of the stadium. They stretch across the long sides of the stadium, just above the 200-level seats. There’s always something going on those as well, whether an ad, or a graphic to get the crowd cheering, or just the scores from another game. Overall, definitely enhanced the experience at the game.

Marshawn Lynch
I was actually super surprised to see Lynch’s stats at the end of the game. He had 7 carries for only 19 yards. I am not looking at them now, so I don’t know what (if any) his receiving stats were, but 9 of his 19 yards came on one play (his first carry), so that leaves 6 carries for the other 10 yards. From what I saw of Marshawn, it seemed like more. He was aggressively hitting the line of scrimmage, seemed to be pretty good at finding/hitting the hole (though, by his own admission in a post-game interview, he would have liked to have done that better) and he’s shifty and powerful at the same time. I liked what I saw, even if it was brief.

Defense Came Up Big
You can look at the final drive, or you can look at the yards allowed, and say, “Wow, the defense is in for a long season!” Or, you can look at three take-aways, and again, only allowing the first team to score 6 points. It’s still pre-season, so I think our defense was caught out of position a few times again. The TD to win the game (yes, scrubs on scrubs) fooled not only the players but everyone else in the stadium I think! Great play fake.

Despite the few blunders, the Bills managed to have a great goal-line stand in the first quarter, and Terrence McGee and Anthony Hargrove had interceptions, while Coy Wire forced a fumble with a bone-crushing hit on Atlanta RB Jason Snelling. Jabari Greer had some nice pass break-ups, and overall played well again. Poz got in on several tackles (again, not looking at stats here) and looks like he is going to be a force in the defense for years to come!

Our defense against the run wasn’t too bad overall. Had some nice plays for little to no gain. They did give up some big plays, too, though. So still not sure what we’re going to get in that area. Won’t know until they start playing football for real.

Fred Jackson and Dwayne Wright
I don’t know how Shaud Williams will make the team this year. It’s odd, since they just gave him a decent contract extension. Perhaps they weren’t counting on acquiring two excellent running backs in the draft? And they did know what they had in Fred Jackson, but perhaps he is exceeding their expectations in the pre-season? Coach Jauron specifically said that he is not (because they knew what they had), but he certainly is exceeding fan expectations! The guy runs really hard, has great balance, and just seems to move the ball forward. A lot. Dwayne Wright, our fourth round pick this year, seems to be a similar running back. He looks really good out there.

The only thing Shaud has going for him is that he’s different. He’s so small, quick, and has some great hands. He can do that for sure. And, he does have experience. Perhaps, due to lack of experience, Jackson or Wright gets cut, and the other makes the practice squad... but my vote now is that we cut Shaud. I really like what I see from these two guys.

No Turnovers
In two weeks of pre-season play, the Bills have not turned the ball over once. Not even once. They have taken it away 5 times. Plus five ain’t bad! Could be just getting lucky, but you gotta like that stat. You have a much better chance of winning when you don’t turn the ball over - and even more when you do take it away!

Trent Edwards
I have to say, this guy looks very impressive for a rookie. I know he’s playing against backups, but he’s also playing with backups! And he makes them look good! His TD pass to Roscoe Parrish was very, very impressive. It was improvised, as he was forced out of the pocket. He avoided the sack, got free enough to let a pass go as he was running left, and squeezed it in past two defenders! Great catch by Roscoe, too. I’d say from what we’ve seen so far, we will be just fine if JP is ever knocked out of a game or two this year. Great stuff from the rookie!

Negatives...

• Penalties:
  Last week we had one penalty for 10 yards. Last night we had a lot more. And they were drive killers. In the fourth quarter, the defense was called for holding, giving the Falcons a first and goal when I believe it was at least 3rd down, maybe even fourth. Also, I heard on the post-game show (while sitting in traffic) that there were two penalties on our centers for false starts. The CENTER? That’s pretty bad.
  
  
• Sloppiness
  I know, I know. It’s just pre-season. They’re supposed to be sloppy. But to the badly timed penalties, add a few bad snaps (one was jumped on by Lynch, the other was brought under control by Losman) and a few bad throws from JP... just sloppy. In fact, there was one throw to the endzone to Price that most definitely should have gone for a TD, but was either underthrown, or mis-read or something. It is definitely just pre-season, but most of the players said in interviews after the game that they felt sloppy. They were right.
  
  
• The Outcome
  OK, that’s not really a negative, but it is always more fun to win. :-) Overall, it felt like it could have been. The Bills played well, had some good stops on defense, and made a few good plays on offense. But, it’s still more fun to win!

The game will be televised in the WNY area again tonight. If you didn’t see it, you can catch it from Erie, PA to Syracuse, NY on your local channel (check the Buffalo Bills website for details). We may tune in to catch the plays we missed at the very beginning of the game.

We have lots of photos and a fun video from the game. If I have the time here this weekend I'll post them from my remote location. Otherwise look for several photo slideshows and a video or two from Bills training camp, and the pre-season home opener - right here at BuffaloBillsReview.com!

Two more pre-season contests to go. These get a bit more interesting as the starters will play a good deal more in the next game, and then the final game against the Lions will give the new guys the lions share of the snaps, letting the coaches make the tough final cuts just a few days later.

We’re almost to the good stuff! Bring on the Broncos!
Go Bills!

The Bills Are Back!

If I were to condense my thoughts on tonight's first pre-season game into two words, they would probably be "sloppy" and "promise".

It's Pre-season...
Let's get "sloppy" out of the way first. The first series or two especially were glaring examples of why pre-season tickets should not be priced the same as regular season tickets. We all expect it, but you hope it's sort of like riding a bike. You can't ever forget how to do it. But what I saw was first, giving credit where credit is due, an amazing sharp Drew Brees running an amazingly sharp New Orleans offense, against an amazingly out of position Bills defense. Yes, we held eventually, only allowing two FG attempts, and the interception in the end zone, but man did they have their way with our defense.

And offense wasn't much better. For all the beef we gained on the offensive line, you couldn't tell it. It looked like most of the RBs were running hard, but there was just nowhere to go.

But I'd say most of the sloppiness was on defense. The DBs were completely out of position on several plays. Jabari Greer might be competing for the starting CB slot, rather than the main nickel CB. I know Jason Webster has been impressive in camp, but man... he was getting smoked! Meanwhile, Greer had two obviously great plays on the two INTs. Actually, I noticed Ashton Youboty several times as well.

And, let's not forget... several of the times our defense looked silly it was at the hands of Drew Brees and/or Reggie Bush. There was a reason the Saints had the number one offense in 2006.

Bright Spots
There were several bright spots. First of all, how about a round of applause for the Bills second round draft pick, "POZ"??? (The announcers thought that Posluszny might be nick-named "PUZ"... but, that's par for the course with football commentators...) Nine tackles, and a sack. He looked ready to play and definitely attacked the play more than what I remember Fletcher doing. I'm sure he was made to look silly on several occasions, but I don't remember them. Poz was definitely a bright spot.

Then there was the entire Special Teams. Someone posted the following on the Buffalo Bills Message Boards during the game:

Bobby April = God

And, while I do not agree with the theology of that statement, I completely agree with the sentiment. :-) Our special teams is going to keep us in several games this season, and very likely could win a game or two. They are that good. Two punts... TWO PUNTS downed inside the FIVE??!?! Not the twenty. The five. Moorman is insane. The kick coverage is phenomenal. They are right there, and sure tacklers. And dare we forget to pay homage to our favorite Bills' kicker, Rian "Who You Callin' No Foot" Lindell?? A 54 yard FG?? And RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. My goodness. McGee added a nice return as well. This unit is incredible. Even in the first pre-season game!

My wife noticed a cool stat that deserves "bright spot" mention as well. Our Buffalo Bills only committed a single penalty in the entire sixty minute game. One. That's impressive, especially for the first pre-season game.

Of course, you have to give some love to our rookie QB, Trent Edwards. His stats weren't that impressive - and he did look pretty green at times - but 10-11 ain't bad. And he had some nice completions to Fred Jackson, Roscoe Parrish, and Sam Aiken. Not bad for his first day on the job, even if it was against third and fourth stringers. ;-)

But how about our veteran QB? Even though I started getting a little scared, saying out loud to my TV, "Get dowwwwn... Get DOWN!", that was quite a scramble by Losman. He does have some "good wheels", as the saying goes. Perhaps, just save those "wheels" for the games that matter... :-)

Langston Walker did not impress me on the offensive line (when you're 6'8" and 365... blow some guys off the line, mister!) but he did block a field goal on his first attempt. Guess he was pretty good at that in Oakland (several last season) and perhaps that will be a secret weapon for the Bills this season.

Surprises

• I was surprised at how out of position Jason Webster was. He looked decent to me at camp, and I have heard nothing but praise for him. So... that was a surprise.
  
  
• Who was that guy wearing #23? I thought he was speedy, powerful, hits the hole hard, and a very confident, sure-handed running back? He was nowhere in the passing game... and carried just 2 times for 3 yards. That was definitely a surprise as I thought I read at BuffaloBills.com that he would be getting a good number of carries tonight.
  
  
• Fred Jackson was conversely a nice surprise at RB. He ran hard, and smart. Knew where the hole was and hit it. He also showed some great balance and strength, fighting through tackles. And, it doesn't hurt that he scored our only TD.
  
  
• Oh yeah... don't forget the best surprise of all... we're undefeated! The Bills came out with the win. Well deserved. Good work, lads!

Overall... we won... and got some good performances from a few young guys (and our special teams!) but in the end, it's just the first pre-season game. :-) Long way to go (for which I am very thankful!!) and it will hopefully start getting a bit more crisp from here on. I'm concerned (obviously) about our secondary. But if we can get some pressure on the QB (as they were toward the end) then we can take some pressure off the DBs. That would be a wise move, I think.

Bring on the real stuff! Less than four weeks!

Go Bills!

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For Reference:
Game Stats from NFL.com
Game Summary from BuffaloBills.com