Tweet
The first game of the season is the most unpredictable game in NFL. All the new personnel, new plays, all the things that teams try to hide in preseason games come into light. That's especially true for a team as young as the Bills. You don't know how a rookie reacts. And you don't know how much an improvement last year's rookies make - they usually have their biggest improvement in that past off-season.
We have seen strange results in the 1st game of a season. The Bills clobbered the Pats 41-0 one year; only to see them to eventually win superbowl. Miami beat the hell out of Denver two years ago, but it was Denver who made the playoff.
Could the Bills do it this year? I fully expect the offense to give them a surprise. How much a surprise is the question. Lynch needs to run and I expect he will. Otherwise with Champ Baily clamping down on Evans, the Bills will be in big trouble.
The defense is a big question mark. The Tampa two is mostly a react/response defense so what we see in preseason is what we should expect in plain strength, BUT I expect some twist, a lot of blitzing in the first game. Fewell knows we can't sit there let Denver pick apart our secondary. Jauron is a defensive coach so I know they'll do something. I fully expect the defense giving Denver fits in the first half. The 2nd half could be a different story. Now if the Bills get a big lead in the 1st half, I could easily see a Miami vs Denver 2005 version 2. And that's what the Bills fans are hoping for.
Over time, the element of surprise is going to worn off and everyone knows what everybody is going to do. That's why I think the Bills may have a very difficult time in Pittsburgh and New England, even at home against the Jets. Over the course of a season, talents usually prevail. The Bills defensive talent pool is low so I expect them to struggle. On the other hand, it is a young talent pool that grows with playing time. So if Marv and Co. is right, the talent grows during the season to a sufficient level that we may actually compete very well. At that time, you will see how important it is to steal that first game in one of toughest part of the schedule.
We have seen strange results in the 1st game of a season. The Bills clobbered the Pats 41-0 one year; only to see them to eventually win superbowl. Miami beat the hell out of Denver two years ago, but it was Denver who made the playoff.
Could the Bills do it this year? I fully expect the offense to give them a surprise. How much a surprise is the question. Lynch needs to run and I expect he will. Otherwise with Champ Baily clamping down on Evans, the Bills will be in big trouble.
The defense is a big question mark. The Tampa two is mostly a react/response defense so what we see in preseason is what we should expect in plain strength, BUT I expect some twist, a lot of blitzing in the first game. Fewell knows we can't sit there let Denver pick apart our secondary. Jauron is a defensive coach so I know they'll do something. I fully expect the defense giving Denver fits in the first half. The 2nd half could be a different story. Now if the Bills get a big lead in the 1st half, I could easily see a Miami vs Denver 2005 version 2. And that's what the Bills fans are hoping for.
Over time, the element of surprise is going to worn off and everyone knows what everybody is going to do. That's why I think the Bills may have a very difficult time in Pittsburgh and New England, even at home against the Jets. Over the course of a season, talents usually prevail. The Bills defensive talent pool is low so I expect them to struggle. On the other hand, it is a young talent pool that grows with playing time. So if Marv and Co. is right, the talent grows during the season to a sufficient level that we may actually compete very well. At that time, you will see how important it is to steal that first game in one of toughest part of the schedule.
Comment