Let's talk offensive touchdowns.

[OpIv37]

Before the season started, I said that I didn't expect the team to average more than 1 offensive touchdown a game. Not surprisingly, that comment was not received positively on this board.

Well, through 5 games, I was off, but not by much. We have 7 offensive touchdowns, and have not scored more than 2 in any single game (3 games with 1 offensive TD, 2 games with 2). That comes out to an average of 1.4 offensive TD's per game.

To be fair, we have scored at least 1 offensive TD in every game.

Orton only managed to get the offense to 1 today, but he was also playing a tough D on the road and was rusty, and seemed to improve as the game went on.

So, with Orton at the helm in more favorable circumstances, can we improve on that? Or are we relegated to 1-2 offensive TD's a game?

I'm not really sure how I feel about it at this point- just trying to see what the rest of you are thinking.

[Night Train]

OL is so freakin' bad for our running game and that will hurt us later when the weather turns south.

Improvement needed.

[Forward_Lateral]

I think the O-line is better than what showed today. Detroit has possibly the best D-line in the league, if not top 5 for sure. Their front 7 is unbelievable at stopping the run. They force teams to be one dimensional.

As for scoring TDs. I think that will improve as Orton and his receivers get more comfortable with each other. As long as they score enough to win, I'll be happy.

[Fletch]

Orton only managed to get the offense to 1 today, but he was also playing a tough D on the road and was rusty, and seemed to improve as the game went on.

So, with Orton at the helm in more favorable circumstances, can we improve on that? Or are we relegated to 1-2 offensive TD's a game?

I'm not really sure how I feel about it at this point- just trying to see what the rest of you are thinking.

This game was a tough D with Orton shaking off 9 months worth of rust.

Having said that we came in on a high, something we do relatively well. I expect Orton to play, as I've said before, so-so football but to not make it so that we go in expecting a loss like we did with EJ in there, whom hopefully they'll cut after the season.

Hell, hopefully Mrs. Pegula is brighter than the current admin and fo and ****cans Brandon, Whaley, and a bunch of others too and we get some actual good football people in there without mandating that they have regional ties.

I think we're still a .500 or so team tops here. It's funny, last week everyone's talking about how great Spiller is while this week he sucks. Fact is that he's an OK role-playing RB but not one that is capable of being the 3-down RB that we need.

Defensively, yeah, great game, but honestly, Megatron and Bell were out, Detroit's top two skill position players at WR and RB. Bush left too. So what was left was hardly a top NFL offensive unit. Here's what was left: Tate and Fuller at WR and Winn at RB. That's low-end.

Offensively we did what we had to do, the WRs had 201 yards. Is that more than EJ has thrown for all season, to anyone? Either way, we're connecting with the WRs now.

Are we good enough that we can beat Minnesota? Probably, but they'll have more talent than Detroit had on the field on O yesterday with their injuries.

Unfortunately NE just peaked yesterday. I think I jinxed us by posting that dumb thread about them. I was almost equally maddened by their win as I was happy about ours. I'm thinking that they kill us next week again now rather than thinking we have a chance.

I still say 7-9 or 8-8 by the end of the season which is what I said if Orton starts prior to him actually starting.

Marrone & Hackett still suck. Play calling was an issue at times yesterday.

Miami's better now, the Jets are worse although Vick may be starting soon which isn't good. I see two losses again to NE and one to Denver. KC and GB will be tough and even Cleveland's going to be tougher than we think. @ Oakland we should win but we seem to have struggled there over the years.

With NE winning yesterday the way that they did, Typo and Historian were right, they once again appear to have started slow and have now found their groove. Expect them to win the division at 11-5 or so. They have five home games left and only one of those teams is better than they are, Denver. Their road games aren't all that tough.

I'll say 7-9 after looking at our schedule.

[chernobylwraiths]

The offensive line is still learning to play together. And we have two freaking rookies on the line. Give them some time. Both guards are new, one because of being a rookie and one because he was an OT.

[OpIv37]

The offensive line is still learning to play together. And we have two freaking rookies on the line. Give them some time. Both guards are new, one because of being a rookie and one because he was an OT.

It's mid season, we are one game above .500 and our next game is against a div rival that suddenly got it's offensive prowess back.

There is no more time.

[chernobylwraiths]

It's mid season, we are one game above .500 and our next game is against a div rival that suddenly got it's offensive prowess back.

There is no more time.

I don't think defense is where the Pats are strong. They have had several non offensive touchdowns, the Bills need to limit mistakes. And hope Kyle Williams and Bradham will be able to play up to par. Defense was bordering on great yesterday.

[Fletch]

Defense isn't where the Pats are strong, but if you watched the game yesterday, with Gronk in there healthy they're a much much much better team than they are otherwise and capable of taking apart any good D.

After their injuries, Calvin Johnson and Bell being out and Bush going out, Detroit was really pretty much a nothing offense. Good D? Maybe, but it wasn't against a good offensive team having been fielded yesterday.

All of a sudden I see Belicheat exposing our defense next week.

[Buffalogic]

If our interior line is so bad, and it is, then why is every running play up the gut? Explain yourself Hackett.

[jimmifli]

If our interior line is so bad, and it is, then why is every running play up the gut? Explain yourself Hackett.
Did you see the guards try to pull in week 1 and 2?

Hackett's working with what he's got.

[trapezeus]

if you believe marrone felt like his change to orton was a manner to address the shortage in points, you have to give him credit there for seeing the same thing as we are seeing and trying to do something about it.

1.4TD's isn't very inspiring. but what was less inspiring was being in the redzone a lot with only FG's. Thinking Miami game specifically.

Orton has to be better than he was yesterday. but not by a lot. eliminate the pick 6 and the bills win that game in a slow grind it out fashion. I think this team can squeeze into the playoffs. i just don't like the long term outlook because i don't faith that an average QB can really turn it around and be lights out. and building around him next year seems odd choice given his age and historic production.

So i guess to prevent going crazy about how poorly this has been botched by mangement, i'm all in for this year. i want to see them be the sweetheart team that people have dismissed and go on to stun some people. to be that team though, they will have to step up beyond the pats, beyond the refs, and beyond the average offense.

Here's to hoping!

[Generalissimus Gibby]

Lets not, this is getting perilously close to we didn't win by enough points. The Patriots beat the Raiders, what 16-7? I am sure there are pats fans bemoaning that they only scored 16 points. In the NFL, the talent level is fairly equal so a Win by 1 is as good as a win by 20+. Yes, we need to get the running backs into the endzone but I have a sneaky suspicion that we are going to see lots of 7s by them in the next three weeks.

[Fletch]

Lets not, this is getting perilously close to we didn't win by enough points.

Exactly

The guy's been sitting idle for months and now this. It was better than anything Manuel's done this season and he just got signed, picked up a ball, and started for the first time in over 9 months. He wasn't in camp, hasn't practiced much with the team, etc.

Now, having said that I think that anyone thinking that he's the difference between us making the playoffs and what I had considered would have been a 5-11 season is being overly optimistic. He should help us win another game or two though, maybe three. He's not the best QB obviously, but he'll have normal good games and normal bad games, not games that rely entirely on throws under 10 yards like the "gem" that Whaley went all-in on.

The most yards that EJ had with the WRs has been 145 and it's always involved on big day from one and not much else. He's never used more than 3 WRs.

Orton yesterday hit 5 different WRs for 201 yards without one going over 100.

That's an improvement!

[BADTHINGSMAN]

It's mid season, we are one game above .500 and our next game is against a div rival that suddenly got it's offensive prowess back.

There is no more time.

I for one am glad the Bills were not playing the Patriots last night. Patriots are still a good team, when they have something to prove they are dangerous.

[Fletch]

By the way, I realize that Henery sucks in general, but this notion that 50-yarders are all but automatic isn't true either. That was a high pressure kick that he just failed to hit. Maybe our special teams had a little something to do with that.

[casdhf]

He didn't get cut for missing that kick ... he got cut for missing all three.