Tweet
For myself, more often than not it takes a good 24 hours to digest and process information after a Buffalo Bills loss. After their season opening debacle against Miami, I wish I had a couple of weeks. The Dolphins did everything in their power to ensure new head Chan Gailey began his Buffalo career with a win, but the Bills offense snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by laying out a stinker; led by their reliably bad anchor in Trent Edwards.
Here are some random notes I put together after forcing myself to go back and re-watch the game in its atrocious entirety.
The More Thing Change: Let’s assess the game in a nutshell. The defense plays well enough to win, yet the offense utterly sputters behind inadequate line play and a quarterback making his all-too-familiar cowardly decisions. Throw in drive-breaking penalties and a mind blowing coaching decision (which in itself deserves, and will get a post on Tuesday) and the 2010 Bills looked just like a carbon copy version of their Dick Jauron-led selves.
Same Ole’ Trent: Let’s give Edwards some credit. He can pull the wool over the sharpest of eyes when throwing footballs in shorts and tee shirts, or against preseason defenses designed to be more vanilla than any ice cream stand. But with the exception of his hideous sideburns, once the games started counting he reverted back to the same old quarterback Bills fans grew to hate. He held the ball too long, didn’t take chances, dumped the ball off at the first sign of pressure, made horrible decisions and folded like a tent when the game was on the line. If there was any hope that he may have finally turned the corner, it’s as good as gone now. Buddy Nix should have his scouting department on overdrive this morning studying college quarterback prospects.
Unsung Play of the Game That Hurt The Bills: Edwards only threw one long pass the entire game. It came about five minutes into the third quarter; a bomb down the left sideline intended for Lee Evans that fell incomplete at about the Miami 10-yard line. On the play the refs blew what should’ve been a pass interference call on Chris Clemons. The Bills trailed 10-3 at the time and shockingly, the offense never attempted another long pass.
Speaking of Lee: It’s remarkable he’s never thrown one of his quarterbacks under the bus. While the personal satisfaction of being one of the league’s best paid receivers is always there, the frustration of him being a complete non-factor in continues. Evans had just four receptions for 34 yards in the opener and wasn’t thrown a pass for long stretches. He’s too talented for that to keep happening. Somehow the Bills have to find ways to get him involved. You want a scary stat? Evans has now been held to four or fewer catches in 18 of the last 21 games, and hasn’t gone over seven grabs in a game in his last 27 tries.
The Final Score Made it Seem Closer Than it Was: Sure, 15-10 doesn’t sound so bad in retrospect, but keep in mind the Dolphins would’ve had an easy two more touchdowns if their defensive backs would’ve held on to a pair of gift-wrapped errant Edwards tosses. Chad Henne also under threw a wide-open Brandon Marshall after he beat both Leodis McKelvin and Donte Whitner downfield. Marshall dropped the ball anyway. The Bills had no such close calls.
No Thriller For Spiller: After the game no one was harder than C.J. Spiller than himself. The first round draft pick making his rookie debut as a starter was bottled up by Miami all day long; running for just six yards on seven carries and catching four passes but for a total of only eight yards. Still, he’s the least of this team’s worries. ESPN announcer and longtime Bills fans Chris Berman said it best regarding Spiller. “He’ll run for 28 yards on 15 carries for a few weeks and then break out for 128 on 15.” Spiller knows he has to make more defenders miss and he had no problem telling the media in his post-game press conference. If nothing else, my respect for his accountability increased after just one game.
If Cornell Green: Is not the worst starting right tackle in the NFL, he’s certainly among a small handful of candidates. All the Edwards, Gailey and Spiller talk throughout the preseason kept Green’s rancid play in preseason cameos on the backburner, but it took little time Sunday for his weaknesses to get exposed. Right now, when I say weaknesses I mean playing offensive tackle in general. He was brutal in pass protection and not much better in run support. It’s one thing to get beat by a player like Julius Peppers or Jared Allen, but when Koa Misi and rookie Jared Odrick routinely have their way with you; it’s going to be a long season. It’s a shame Demetrius Bell’s health and condition is spotty, because Jamon Meredith belongs in Green’s spot right now. I’d also begin to hurry the development of Ed Wang. Green is just terrible.
Hangartner Plays Well: The offensive line as a whole played poorly, with the exception of center Geoff Hangartner. He didn’t commit a penalty or yield a sack. Overall he more than held his own against talented nose guard Randy Starks.
Since They Didn’t Trade Lynch: Gailey better find a way to utilize him more. Three carries when a quarterback is clearly struggling is unacceptable, especially since one of those carries went for a team-best 15 yards. I have long been an opponent of Lynch remaining in Buffalo, especially after drafting Spiller. However, if Nix concluded he was worth more to Buffalo than a mid-to-late draft pick, then give him the ball more. Last season showed Lynch has little value as a “change of pace” back. He needs carries, so either get him more involved or ship him out.
If They Kept a Stat: For defenders who end up throwing a shoulder and/or back into a tackle after the runner was already on the ground, Donte Whitner would lead the league hands-down. I won’t go as far to say that Whitner played poorly Sunday (though I’m verging on it), but this guy simply doesn’t make impact plays, and I fail to see how George Wilson or Bryan Scott are any better or worse than him. Nix should’ve made a concerted effort to move him this past off-season.
Kelsay Looked Out of Place: The stat line may have shown seven tackles, but Chris Kelsay is hardly potent at his new position of outside linebacker. He looked brutal in pass coverage and was no better in regards to open field tackling. It’s hard to pinpoint multiple weaknesses on this defense based on Sunday, but when Reggie Torbor returns (hopefully) soon, George Edwards may want to slide him into Kelsay’s spot rather than Chris Ellis.
Conversely: I was extremely impressed with Ellis. He had a sack, five tackles and looked like he’s been playing outside linebacker for years. I have no problem with him remaining in the starting lineup.
Leodis McKelvin: Looked like a stud at cornerback. He was every bit as physical as Brandon Marshall and has a few excellent pass breakups. It’s refreshing to know the Bills have a trio of corners that can at least contain opposition receivers. Also, as much as I love the home run hitting ability of Spiller as the kick returner, I’d like see McKelvin get a few cracks at the gig as well. The opening night debacle at New England last year aside, McKelvin is every bit as dangerous at returning kicks as Spiller or anyone on the roster.
When It Comes to Injuries: Tim Connolly thinks Paul Posluszny is prone to them. Posluszny had eight tackles and a nice sack against Miami, but left with a knee injury. Gailey didn’t make it sound too serious but gave the media no real details. Posluszny is a talent and a stout run stopper, but it’s irrelevant with his inability to stay on the field.
Maybin Update: Aaron Maybin didn’t get a lot of playing time. He did have an excellent quarterback pressure against Henne, but committed a bonehead encroachment penalty on a Miami punt. For now, defensive coordinator George Edwards seems completely contempt to use Maybin nearly exclusively in sure passing situations. This doesn’t bode well for him against the naysayers already labeling him a bust.
Announcers Off the Mark: No one appreciates an excitable Gus Johnson-called game more than myself, but he and Steve Tasker were off the mark on several occasions Sunday, most notably the Gailey decision t take a safety near the end of the game. Someone should’ve explained that the Bills by rule could not attempt an onside kick after a safety; something Tasker kept insisting the Bills would do. As a special teams legend, Tasker should’ve known much better.
The Run Defense Was Up to Task: It was expected the Dolphins combination of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams would run wild on the Bills defense. That wasn’t the case at all. The defense did a respectable job against the talented tandem; holding Brown to 65 yards on 13 carries and Williams to just 62 in 18 drives.
Fred Jackson Back To Afterthought Territory: Last season Jackson ran for 1,062 yards and another 1,014 in kickoff returns. The clock is officially ticking before a verbal explosion occurs. The often overlooked running back spent what felt like a lifetime establishing himself as a star, so it has to kill him to only get six touches in week one for a total of 19 yards. Sadly, he’s actually the team’s leading rusher after week one. As stated earlier with Lynch, I’d hate to be Gailey in regards to keeping his running backs happy and motivated right now.
A Promise Kept: If Gailey preached one thing this summer, it’s that the team would find ways to get Roscoe Parrish more involved. They’re off to a good start after the opener. Parrish caught a pair of passes for 35 yards, including the lone 31-yard touchdown, and also had a punt return for 19 yards. Let’s hope the touches continue to come as he seems to be one of the few offensive players capable of making things happen.
Special Teams Was Just Fine: One of the primary worries of the Bills coming into the opener was uncharacteristically bad special teams play throughout the preseason. That was corrected against Miami. Buffalo allowed 13.5 yards per kickoff return and a total of four yards on a pair of punt returns. Roscoe Parrish had an exciting 19-yard punt return, but C.J. Spiller was held to only 11 yards on his lone kick return. Overall the Bills will take this effort every game in 2010.
Coming Attractions: If the Bills thought Miami was tough, just wait until they travel to Green Bay on Sunday. The Packers survived in Philadelphia this week and after “only” throwing for 188 yards and a pair of scores, Aaron Rodgers will look to get off on a Buffalo defense that’s likely to spend a lot of time on the field. The way Clay Matthews was hitting on Sunday, Ryan Fitzpatrick may want to get a little extra prepared. The early line has Green Bay favored by 13 points.
Personally, I’m wondering what the odds are that Edwards finishes the game behind this offensive line. Let’s just say there’s many Bills fans today hoping he doesn’t.
Here are some random notes I put together after forcing myself to go back and re-watch the game in its atrocious entirety.
The More Thing Change: Let’s assess the game in a nutshell. The defense plays well enough to win, yet the offense utterly sputters behind inadequate line play and a quarterback making his all-too-familiar cowardly decisions. Throw in drive-breaking penalties and a mind blowing coaching decision (which in itself deserves, and will get a post on Tuesday) and the 2010 Bills looked just like a carbon copy version of their Dick Jauron-led selves.
Same Ole’ Trent: Let’s give Edwards some credit. He can pull the wool over the sharpest of eyes when throwing footballs in shorts and tee shirts, or against preseason defenses designed to be more vanilla than any ice cream stand. But with the exception of his hideous sideburns, once the games started counting he reverted back to the same old quarterback Bills fans grew to hate. He held the ball too long, didn’t take chances, dumped the ball off at the first sign of pressure, made horrible decisions and folded like a tent when the game was on the line. If there was any hope that he may have finally turned the corner, it’s as good as gone now. Buddy Nix should have his scouting department on overdrive this morning studying college quarterback prospects.
Unsung Play of the Game That Hurt The Bills: Edwards only threw one long pass the entire game. It came about five minutes into the third quarter; a bomb down the left sideline intended for Lee Evans that fell incomplete at about the Miami 10-yard line. On the play the refs blew what should’ve been a pass interference call on Chris Clemons. The Bills trailed 10-3 at the time and shockingly, the offense never attempted another long pass.
Speaking of Lee: It’s remarkable he’s never thrown one of his quarterbacks under the bus. While the personal satisfaction of being one of the league’s best paid receivers is always there, the frustration of him being a complete non-factor in continues. Evans had just four receptions for 34 yards in the opener and wasn’t thrown a pass for long stretches. He’s too talented for that to keep happening. Somehow the Bills have to find ways to get him involved. You want a scary stat? Evans has now been held to four or fewer catches in 18 of the last 21 games, and hasn’t gone over seven grabs in a game in his last 27 tries.
The Final Score Made it Seem Closer Than it Was: Sure, 15-10 doesn’t sound so bad in retrospect, but keep in mind the Dolphins would’ve had an easy two more touchdowns if their defensive backs would’ve held on to a pair of gift-wrapped errant Edwards tosses. Chad Henne also under threw a wide-open Brandon Marshall after he beat both Leodis McKelvin and Donte Whitner downfield. Marshall dropped the ball anyway. The Bills had no such close calls.
No Thriller For Spiller: After the game no one was harder than C.J. Spiller than himself. The first round draft pick making his rookie debut as a starter was bottled up by Miami all day long; running for just six yards on seven carries and catching four passes but for a total of only eight yards. Still, he’s the least of this team’s worries. ESPN announcer and longtime Bills fans Chris Berman said it best regarding Spiller. “He’ll run for 28 yards on 15 carries for a few weeks and then break out for 128 on 15.” Spiller knows he has to make more defenders miss and he had no problem telling the media in his post-game press conference. If nothing else, my respect for his accountability increased after just one game.
If Cornell Green: Is not the worst starting right tackle in the NFL, he’s certainly among a small handful of candidates. All the Edwards, Gailey and Spiller talk throughout the preseason kept Green’s rancid play in preseason cameos on the backburner, but it took little time Sunday for his weaknesses to get exposed. Right now, when I say weaknesses I mean playing offensive tackle in general. He was brutal in pass protection and not much better in run support. It’s one thing to get beat by a player like Julius Peppers or Jared Allen, but when Koa Misi and rookie Jared Odrick routinely have their way with you; it’s going to be a long season. It’s a shame Demetrius Bell’s health and condition is spotty, because Jamon Meredith belongs in Green’s spot right now. I’d also begin to hurry the development of Ed Wang. Green is just terrible.
Hangartner Plays Well: The offensive line as a whole played poorly, with the exception of center Geoff Hangartner. He didn’t commit a penalty or yield a sack. Overall he more than held his own against talented nose guard Randy Starks.
Since They Didn’t Trade Lynch: Gailey better find a way to utilize him more. Three carries when a quarterback is clearly struggling is unacceptable, especially since one of those carries went for a team-best 15 yards. I have long been an opponent of Lynch remaining in Buffalo, especially after drafting Spiller. However, if Nix concluded he was worth more to Buffalo than a mid-to-late draft pick, then give him the ball more. Last season showed Lynch has little value as a “change of pace” back. He needs carries, so either get him more involved or ship him out.
If They Kept a Stat: For defenders who end up throwing a shoulder and/or back into a tackle after the runner was already on the ground, Donte Whitner would lead the league hands-down. I won’t go as far to say that Whitner played poorly Sunday (though I’m verging on it), but this guy simply doesn’t make impact plays, and I fail to see how George Wilson or Bryan Scott are any better or worse than him. Nix should’ve made a concerted effort to move him this past off-season.
Kelsay Looked Out of Place: The stat line may have shown seven tackles, but Chris Kelsay is hardly potent at his new position of outside linebacker. He looked brutal in pass coverage and was no better in regards to open field tackling. It’s hard to pinpoint multiple weaknesses on this defense based on Sunday, but when Reggie Torbor returns (hopefully) soon, George Edwards may want to slide him into Kelsay’s spot rather than Chris Ellis.
Conversely: I was extremely impressed with Ellis. He had a sack, five tackles and looked like he’s been playing outside linebacker for years. I have no problem with him remaining in the starting lineup.
Leodis McKelvin: Looked like a stud at cornerback. He was every bit as physical as Brandon Marshall and has a few excellent pass breakups. It’s refreshing to know the Bills have a trio of corners that can at least contain opposition receivers. Also, as much as I love the home run hitting ability of Spiller as the kick returner, I’d like see McKelvin get a few cracks at the gig as well. The opening night debacle at New England last year aside, McKelvin is every bit as dangerous at returning kicks as Spiller or anyone on the roster.
When It Comes to Injuries: Tim Connolly thinks Paul Posluszny is prone to them. Posluszny had eight tackles and a nice sack against Miami, but left with a knee injury. Gailey didn’t make it sound too serious but gave the media no real details. Posluszny is a talent and a stout run stopper, but it’s irrelevant with his inability to stay on the field.
Maybin Update: Aaron Maybin didn’t get a lot of playing time. He did have an excellent quarterback pressure against Henne, but committed a bonehead encroachment penalty on a Miami punt. For now, defensive coordinator George Edwards seems completely contempt to use Maybin nearly exclusively in sure passing situations. This doesn’t bode well for him against the naysayers already labeling him a bust.
Announcers Off the Mark: No one appreciates an excitable Gus Johnson-called game more than myself, but he and Steve Tasker were off the mark on several occasions Sunday, most notably the Gailey decision t take a safety near the end of the game. Someone should’ve explained that the Bills by rule could not attempt an onside kick after a safety; something Tasker kept insisting the Bills would do. As a special teams legend, Tasker should’ve known much better.
The Run Defense Was Up to Task: It was expected the Dolphins combination of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams would run wild on the Bills defense. That wasn’t the case at all. The defense did a respectable job against the talented tandem; holding Brown to 65 yards on 13 carries and Williams to just 62 in 18 drives.
Fred Jackson Back To Afterthought Territory: Last season Jackson ran for 1,062 yards and another 1,014 in kickoff returns. The clock is officially ticking before a verbal explosion occurs. The often overlooked running back spent what felt like a lifetime establishing himself as a star, so it has to kill him to only get six touches in week one for a total of 19 yards. Sadly, he’s actually the team’s leading rusher after week one. As stated earlier with Lynch, I’d hate to be Gailey in regards to keeping his running backs happy and motivated right now.
A Promise Kept: If Gailey preached one thing this summer, it’s that the team would find ways to get Roscoe Parrish more involved. They’re off to a good start after the opener. Parrish caught a pair of passes for 35 yards, including the lone 31-yard touchdown, and also had a punt return for 19 yards. Let’s hope the touches continue to come as he seems to be one of the few offensive players capable of making things happen.
Special Teams Was Just Fine: One of the primary worries of the Bills coming into the opener was uncharacteristically bad special teams play throughout the preseason. That was corrected against Miami. Buffalo allowed 13.5 yards per kickoff return and a total of four yards on a pair of punt returns. Roscoe Parrish had an exciting 19-yard punt return, but C.J. Spiller was held to only 11 yards on his lone kick return. Overall the Bills will take this effort every game in 2010.
Coming Attractions: If the Bills thought Miami was tough, just wait until they travel to Green Bay on Sunday. The Packers survived in Philadelphia this week and after “only” throwing for 188 yards and a pair of scores, Aaron Rodgers will look to get off on a Buffalo defense that’s likely to spend a lot of time on the field. The way Clay Matthews was hitting on Sunday, Ryan Fitzpatrick may want to get a little extra prepared. The early line has Green Bay favored by 13 points.
Personally, I’m wondering what the odds are that Edwards finishes the game behind this offensive line. Let’s just say there’s many Bills fans today hoping he doesn’t.
Comment