LifetimeBillsFan
08-24-2008, 10:41 PM
Just a few quick thoughts after seeing the Bills 3rd preseason game against Indy:
1.) Demetrius Bell is the next Jason Peters. After seeing him play extended action in the last two preseason games, now I know why the Bills drafted him. Here's not there yet--he may need a season on the PS--but he has great feet, good size and has already shown more than expected as a rookie. I wouldn't want to go into the season with him as the starter at either tackle spot, but I think he is already close to overtaking Chambers as the third best OT on the roster and it is obvious from watching him play that he has a much bigger upside. I would be very surprised if he did not develop into a very good OT by next season.
2.) I would not be at all surprised if the Bills keep 6 cornerbacks going into this season.
3.) This was probably Dwayne Wright's final game as a Bill. Both Omon and Hall showed more and more versatility than Wright.
4.) Now that he is fully healthy, don't be surprised if C.Kelsay has a very good season this year. With Stroud and Schobel getting most of the attention on the other side of the line, Kelsay has been able to do a much better job of getting pressure on the QB and I expect that to continue as long as he stays healthy.
5.) The front seven is better against the run, but still has to get better to take the Bills where they want to go. The LBs have to improve on getting into their "fits" and not over-running the play.
6.) The defense and special teams have to do a better job of tackling. They are not bad tacklers, but there are still too many missed and broken tackles. It is a problem that can be solved, but something that they will have to work on.
7.) Leodis McKelvin is going to be very good, but he needs to concentrate on taking care of the fundamentals FIRST. It appears to me that right now he is trying too hard to make plays and be a play-maker first--and that's how you get burned for a 94 yard TD pass. I'm sure that the coaches and Whitner will get into his ear, get him settled down a bit, and onto the right track soon, but he still has a way to go to achieve his potential as a CB. But, once he does, he is going to be a really good one.
8.) The punt coverage unit isn't bad, but the kick coverage unit isn't close to being as good as the standard that the Bills have set for themselves in recent years. I know that the coaches have been trying different players on both of these units, trying to replace some of the ST aces that they lost in free agency this past offseason, but they still have a lot of work to do to tighten up the kick coverage unit.
and, finally,
9.) The Bills are finally beginning to resemble a good NFL team on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense.
You can complain about the starting offense scoring one TD against Indy, but two scores, a TD and FG, in three possessions, with essentially a fourth, kneel-down possession ending the half for the team with a banged up QB, wasn't bad at all. Particularly after the starting offense went for two TDs in two possessions the previous week. What was especially impressive was the fact that the first-team offense was able to sustain 90+ yard TD drives in each of the last two preseason games with a good mix of the pass and run and, more importantly, plays that we haven't seen in recent years mixed in.
It was also nice to see the first-team defense being able to not only generate some pressure from the front four, but mix in a couple of blitzes as well. The turnovers that the first team defense got against Indy and Pittsburgh the last two weeks were, in many regards, gifts (especially Addai's fumble) and it was nice see the second-team defense get all of those turnovers, but this is something that the defense is going to have to be able to continue doing once the games start to count. This is still going to be a bend-but-don't-break defense that will give up a lot of yards, but not a lot of points. However, I think that we will see them getting more 3-and-outs and turnovers this season.
The team still needs to get healthy: it cannot be without L.Walker and/or J.Peters if it wants to make the playoffs this season, etc. And, a lot still will depend on T.Edwards. But, this Bills team is starting to look like it has the potential to be a good, if not pretty good, team this season (I'm not talking about a Super Bowl contender here, but a team that could well be good enough to get a playoff berth in the tough AFC where there are a couple of potentially great teams and a number of potentially good teams).
1.) Demetrius Bell is the next Jason Peters. After seeing him play extended action in the last two preseason games, now I know why the Bills drafted him. Here's not there yet--he may need a season on the PS--but he has great feet, good size and has already shown more than expected as a rookie. I wouldn't want to go into the season with him as the starter at either tackle spot, but I think he is already close to overtaking Chambers as the third best OT on the roster and it is obvious from watching him play that he has a much bigger upside. I would be very surprised if he did not develop into a very good OT by next season.
2.) I would not be at all surprised if the Bills keep 6 cornerbacks going into this season.
3.) This was probably Dwayne Wright's final game as a Bill. Both Omon and Hall showed more and more versatility than Wright.
4.) Now that he is fully healthy, don't be surprised if C.Kelsay has a very good season this year. With Stroud and Schobel getting most of the attention on the other side of the line, Kelsay has been able to do a much better job of getting pressure on the QB and I expect that to continue as long as he stays healthy.
5.) The front seven is better against the run, but still has to get better to take the Bills where they want to go. The LBs have to improve on getting into their "fits" and not over-running the play.
6.) The defense and special teams have to do a better job of tackling. They are not bad tacklers, but there are still too many missed and broken tackles. It is a problem that can be solved, but something that they will have to work on.
7.) Leodis McKelvin is going to be very good, but he needs to concentrate on taking care of the fundamentals FIRST. It appears to me that right now he is trying too hard to make plays and be a play-maker first--and that's how you get burned for a 94 yard TD pass. I'm sure that the coaches and Whitner will get into his ear, get him settled down a bit, and onto the right track soon, but he still has a way to go to achieve his potential as a CB. But, once he does, he is going to be a really good one.
8.) The punt coverage unit isn't bad, but the kick coverage unit isn't close to being as good as the standard that the Bills have set for themselves in recent years. I know that the coaches have been trying different players on both of these units, trying to replace some of the ST aces that they lost in free agency this past offseason, but they still have a lot of work to do to tighten up the kick coverage unit.
and, finally,
9.) The Bills are finally beginning to resemble a good NFL team on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense.
You can complain about the starting offense scoring one TD against Indy, but two scores, a TD and FG, in three possessions, with essentially a fourth, kneel-down possession ending the half for the team with a banged up QB, wasn't bad at all. Particularly after the starting offense went for two TDs in two possessions the previous week. What was especially impressive was the fact that the first-team offense was able to sustain 90+ yard TD drives in each of the last two preseason games with a good mix of the pass and run and, more importantly, plays that we haven't seen in recent years mixed in.
It was also nice to see the first-team defense being able to not only generate some pressure from the front four, but mix in a couple of blitzes as well. The turnovers that the first team defense got against Indy and Pittsburgh the last two weeks were, in many regards, gifts (especially Addai's fumble) and it was nice see the second-team defense get all of those turnovers, but this is something that the defense is going to have to be able to continue doing once the games start to count. This is still going to be a bend-but-don't-break defense that will give up a lot of yards, but not a lot of points. However, I think that we will see them getting more 3-and-outs and turnovers this season.
The team still needs to get healthy: it cannot be without L.Walker and/or J.Peters if it wants to make the playoffs this season, etc. And, a lot still will depend on T.Edwards. But, this Bills team is starting to look like it has the potential to be a good, if not pretty good, team this season (I'm not talking about a Super Bowl contender here, but a team that could well be good enough to get a playoff berth in the tough AFC where there are a couple of potentially great teams and a number of potentially good teams).