john

I actually agree with both sides of the coin, so to speak. I was watching the game with a buddy of mine and after the first two or three throws from Edwards that missed the mark, we both looked at eachother like "what on earth is he trying to do out there??". We talked about it a little bit and we both agreed that it had to do with several different factors, ranging from Edwards being nervous for his first season opener start in the NFL to the rust factor from only throwing the ball approx 30 times in pre season action to the rain making the ball slippery and causing it to come out of his hand a little awkward. And yes, Hasselback also struggled throwing the ball in the 1st half. You can say what you want about the pressure he faced in the 1st half and about the #3 and #4 wr's he had as targets. He missed very badly on several throws when he did have time to throw the ball just like Edward's did and his passes got a little sharper when the rain died down, just like Edward's did. And it's a little funny that a lot of you keep harping on all the passes that the Seahawk receivers dropped in the 1st half but Bills wr's dropped their fair share of passes as well. I know the biggest drop came when Burleson dropped the wide open pass in the endzone but that one doesn't even bare weight in this thread because he caught the ball for a touchdown on the very next play. * All things considered, we've seen Bledsoe, Flutie, Johnson, and even Jimbo look horrid throwing the ball at the Ralph in the rain, snow, and wind. I remember watching the cowboys play a game in the rain back in the mid 90's and they went into a taped interview with Aikman where he stated flat out that he hates throwing the ball in the rain and that not being able to throw his normal spiral made the ball miss the mark by several feet at times. This is probably something that Edwards went through yesterday. I firmly believe that as he plays more games in the elements he will learn how to better throw the ball and he will learn the throws that can and can not be made in said elements. No, he doesn't have a gun like Favre that can cut thur the wind and rain, but number one, Brett has been made to look like a fool at times when throwing the ball in bad weather (see Giants playoff game last year) and Edwards has only played in three such games in his young career. Give him time before you start passing such judgment about the kid. Go Bills!!

FWIW - I've read a lot of posts over the last two or three days declaring that the Bills are going to play their starters on offense for nearly all of the 1st half. I have my doubts about this because of injuries to the O.Line and also due to the fact that it is only the 2nd preseason game. While I do believe the Bills would be better off giving their starters as much playing time as possible, I don't think it will happen against Pittsburgh. Here is a quote from an article pinned on the front page of Twobillsdrive that supports my opinion: "The injuries on the offensive line are likely to make the Bills’ coaches less inclined to expose the starters to injury Thursday. Jauron said he had not made a final decision on playing time but indicated quarterback Trent Edwards and the starters would not see much more playing time against the Steelers. Edwards and the first-team offense saw just nine plays against Washington. Asked how much the starters would play, Jauron said: “Probably not significantly more, a little more. A lot of it, of course, will depend on the health of people.” What do you guys think about the amount of playing time the starters SHOULD see against Pittsburgh? I think a solid half of action would be nice but I have a feeling it will not be more then 1 quarter.

Good morning guys. I just have two quick questions that I'm hoping someone will be able to answer for me. Did Lee Evans not play this weekend (if not, why?) and will the Bills vs Steelers game be televised nationally? I figured that it might be because it will be the first NFL game ever held in Toronto. Thanks for your help! Go Bills!

I"m a little behind the times here. what exactly is a tramp stamp?

Great post! Thanks for giving us outsiders the inside scoop, it is very appreciated. I for one am becoming more convinced with each report I hear that Peters is such a valuable piece of the puzzle. I'll just have to hold my breath until he reports to camp. The sooner, the better! Also, I think people need to temper their goals just a little bit and realize that anytime you are installing a new offense with new plays and a very young quarterback, there are going to be growing pains, especially in the beginning. I fully expect the Bills to struggle early during the season but the offense should get better and more comfortable with each game they play.

If Peters holds out for the entire season, do the Bills HAVE to trade him? Why not continue to play hard ball and let him sit out another season without pay?

Right, 100% correct. But, if they all played under the same exact conditions, would Reed have still been the best of the bunch? Thats all I'm asking.

Thank you for your insite. I do apologize for all of the questions, I'm just really excited for the start of the season I guess.

Quick Question for someone who may have insite: What is the purpose of the 7 vs 7 drill? The game is always played @ 11 vs 11. I've never understood this and I don't see what this can possible do to help a team on either side of the ball. Can someone shed some light for me?

Does Trent ever scramble and make plays on the run, or throw the ball away? Just curious...

Sure. That's certainly the easy answer here. BUT, what kind of numbers would Reed have put up if he played his entire career with the likes of Flutie, Todd Collins, and Rob Johnson throwing him the ball? Playing with a HOF QB his entire career certainly helped him look much better then Moulds and Evans who have never had a steady signal caller.

! Thanks for the updates! Glad that Edwards continues to show quick decision making. Still waiting to hear that he attempts a good bomb in camp though. Also nice to hear that JP was back after injuring his thumb. Not happy that McKelvin is getting burned so much but like someone posted earlier, he is a rookie and his head is spinning right now. He is probably thinking too much instead of reacting. I for one am not worried and I fully believe Greer will start the season and McKelvin will take his spot when the game starts to slow down for him.

I'm trying to dull the pain of a long and boring day at the office and this random thought popped in my head. Which WR is better, pound for pound: Andre Reed, Eric Moulds, or Lee Evans. Let's put them all on an even playing field. Say for instance, they all played in Marvin Harrison's roll with the Colts over the last 5 seasons. Which one would put up the better numbers? If you were the Colts, which player would you draft? Do you go for the big physical receiver with play maker written all over him? Do you side with the speedy receiver with the jets to burn cb's consistently for long bombs? Or maybe you go with the steadiest receiver with the best hands in the bunch.... I know this is probably a lame post but again, it just popped in my head and I thought I would throw it out there for discussion.

I will never forgive him for getting my hopes up last season! I was all ready to have no expectations for the team until he reported from Bills camp that JP was throwing everything on the money and that not one single pass hit the ground. I was super excited to see this new and improved offense hit the field and we all know how that went....

just an observation here but is it just me or does it look like his mouth is 3 times too big for his face? Looks kinda freakish to me, kinda like those faces on the SoundGarden video 'Black Hole Son"

haha. dog gone it, i was rushing through my last post and i got burned! Good call.

gotta get back to work but you hit the head on the nail here my friend. I think Buffalo will have one of the better line backing corps in the nfl this season. Underrated is a word I'll throw out there....

okay. It's all good here man. As long as ieatcrayonz doesn't start posting that Trent Edwards should join the peace 'corps' because of his penchant for wearing white gloves, everything should be just fine.

lol, not at all. I just thought it was funny that you would call someone else out in a post for using a word correctly. It made me laugh because it seems like you were just lurking around waiting to pounce on someone for misusing or misspelling a word.

Usually the word corps is used to describe a defensive or offensive unit in football. However, in this case, 'core' is used correctly and can be used interchangeably with corps. One of the definitions of core, as defined by Webster, is as follows: "the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything." In this case, the linebackers are the central part of the Defense, existing between the linemen and the secondary. So, corps is most commonly used but core also works. Just for those who might be interested. Go Bills!

I really don't think this is an issue at all. I believe Trent's comment came out sounding awkward and he didn't come off the way he intended to. "There were a lot of Bills fans out here and that's great, but we're not used to it." I took this to mean that the offense wasn't used to running the new plays and Trent was embarrassed that they didn't look sharp in front of all those fans. Now, maybe I'm wrong here and if Trent did mean to say that the fans caused the problem with running the plays, then we do have a problem on our hands. But I think he handled himself well last year in front of much larger crowds. Just my two cents.

The guy has the size and the strength. Does he have the heart and the talent? We are going to find out very soon. I have my fingers crossed that he does not turn out to be a bust but I will stay positive for now...

While worrying about a lack of a pass rush is certainly justifiable when you take a look at last years under par display, this does not take into account the offseason acquisitions. If Stroud returns to form and stays healthy, that along with a better interior rotation (Spencer Johnson and an improving McCargo), will help to force the QB out of the pocket and into the waiting arms of Schobel and Denney. Also, Poz being healthy and the addition of Mitchell gives Buffalo a group of fast and athletic linebackers who will be able to blitz as well. I am super excited about the pass rush capabilities of this year's team and I think next year Buffalo goes after a top rated DE to fortify the position.

really great insite here John. i think you've hit the nail on the head with this post. this is certainly the hottest story right now in Buffalo and for good reason. all we can do is sit back and hope the situation resolves itself in such a matter that the integrity of the organization and that of Jason Peters is held intact once this ordeal shakes out. Jason is the real deal and the Bills are a much better team with him on the field. I think the Bills will win 2-3 more games with him playing LT. This needs to be resolved quickly...

This is one instance where I wish both sides would swallow their pride and come together. Either the Bills need to swallow first and call Peters and reassure him that if he shows up to camp, they will start talks about reworking his deal, OR, Peters just needs to show up to camp and start working. Both sides have backed themselves into a corner and I think both are not willing to be the first one to flinch but something has to give. I can see both sides of the coin on this one and I feel like both parties are right and wrong here. It's all about compromise and I hope something happens sooner then later.