R. Rich

This is late due to a nice long weekend I had that extended through yesterday (my wife's birthday). Gotta love the attitude this team seems to have now! Things may be looking up, we'll see. Things certainly look different, though, and that is probably a very good thing for the Bills. Ryan Fitzpatrick had to have his best day as a pro, all things considered. W/ out the benefit of a ton of time to throw, he still found guys down the field and even did the unthinkable: kept plays alive and/or made plays by running the ball! Imagine that. There were still the typical misfires and another poorly thrown ball that was picked, but overall, he did a solid job. Marshawn Lynch didn't do much w/ the limited opportunities he had. He still isn't as decisive a runner as he should be, and I think that's the only thing preventing him from being an elite back in this league. Meanwhile, Fred Jackson shows Lynch how it's done, making guys miss on the fly and finding open areas to work from. He also has been a better option in terms of receiving, though both guys still could use work in terms of blitz recognition. To make a long story (and a broken record of sorts) short, Jackson should remain the Bills' top option while Lynch should be the complimentary back. Well, it appears that Fitzpatrick has established the connection w/ Terrell Owens that Trent Edwards just simply could not (or would not). Owens continues to blossom w/ Fitzpatrick under center and demonstrates that he still can get open and can still be a factor not only in terms of moving the chains, but in putting points on the board. His 51 yard TD reception was a thing of beauty for so many reasons, many of 'em badly needed for a Bills team starving for offensive productivity. Lee Evans had a couple nice grabs for big gains also. I still would like to see him work to get open underneath, 'cause I think he could be lethal as a catch and run type guy. Throw the guy a few quick slants and let's see if he can do some damage. Josh Reed did little (missed one on third down that may have been a big gainer) and Roscoe Parrish has all but evaporated. It was nice to see both Johnathan Stupar and Shawn Nelson make some catches down the field. Nelson, in particular, is developing nicely as a guy who can make things happen down the seam. The offensive line was MUCH better in terms of run blocking in this one! It was nice to see a Bills RB not get clobbered just after receiving the handoff, wasn't it? The musical chairs @ the tackle spots continued as Kirk Chambers manned the right side while Jonathan Scott had the left side. They actually did okay in terms of allowing the backs to get to the edge. Now, in terms of pass protection........well, that still needs work. Recent signee Kendall Simmons looked horrible, giving up a sack on a play where he was clearly beaten off the snap and also having a false start (the ONLY false start on a line that leads the league in the stat) and a holding call early on. In addition to the improved run blocking, I must give some props to a guy who really could use 'em this year: rookie Andy Levitre. I thought he was pretty good @ the left guard spot, being a major factor in the Bills' solid running day (averged just a hair under 5 yards rushing per attempt!!) and not being the turnstile of a pass protector that he has been for most of this year. Keep it up, rook! We're all rooting for you. This wasn't a banner game for the Bills' D line. When your top pass rusher is DT Spencer Johnson, I think that sums it up. Where was Aaron Schobel? Aside from hitting Chad Henne and forcing a fourth down, he really wasn't effective. Chris Kelsay was.....well........Chris Kelsay, an adequate pass rusher (did help force the INT late in the game by pressuring Henne) who is lacking as a run defender. The big guys in the middle could've really used more support from the edge, as Marcus Stroud looked like a guy battling a nagging injury. He did have his moments (nice pass knockdown), but was taken out of the action far too often, allowing Ricky Williams to run wild. Kyle Williams, who has been playing well lately, had 8 tackles, but didn't really make an impact as there weren't many plays on the Miami side of the line from him or from the line as a whole. Johnson had the sack, but also continues to show that he struggles holding up @ the point of attack and probably should only be used as a third down rush specialist. And there was an Aaron Maybin sighting! He had a nice shoestring tackle for loss. Maybe the Bills could use his speed more instead of having him sit and do nothing? Try the kid @ LB and see if he can help stop teams from getting to the edge and making big plays in the running game. On a few occasions, I saw Miami run to the outside and saw nothing but Dolphins jerseys in front of Williams. I found it quite puzzling as to why Sparano decided not to just pound the ball down Buffalo's throats in the second half. Ricky Williams was killing the Bills both inside and outside as the LBs again struggled to scrape off blocks. We're glad you lost your mind like that, coach, but seriously....what gives?? Anyhoo, props to Chris Draft for getting the INT early and stopping a ton of Miami momentum. Again, what's w/ the call, coach? Pound the ball to the 3, and then lose your mind w/ that call? It reminded me of Marv Levy's dumb reverse pass call for Andre Reed in the Bills' 1997 overtime loss to Denver, a game I vividly remember for many reasons (Todd Collins' INT ran back by Keith Traylor for a score, Antowain Smith getting the ball only 16 times despite averaging over 6 yards per rush, Steve Christie's 55 yard FG that just went over the crossbar as time expired to force OT), but I digress. Draft showed good instincts on the pick, something he lacked on other throws that went past him. Paul Posluszny had a bunch of tackles again, but didn't really stand out. I thought Bryan Scott played well though. He does a good job of chasing plays down from the back side. Like the others, he struggles coming off blocks, but I believe that's due to his (lack of) size. Props also to the secondary. This had to be one of their best games as a unit, if not their best. Donte Whitner was a difference maker in this one, knocking down a couple passes and picking another off while also helping out in run support. Drayton Florence did a very good job in coverage against Ted Ginn and came up w/ the pick that set up Fitzpatrick's bomb to Owens. Reggie Corner couldn't outjump Brian Hartline (nice catch, by the way) on Miami's first score, but held his own for the most part. Jairus Byrd had an "almost INT" (ah, the days of Thomas Smith) and also failed to tag Hartline down on a catch and (get up and) run that nearly went for a score. George Wilson made some plays for a loss and continues to be a guy who comes in and makes plays. Not perfect, but still a very good effort by this unit. As for the coaching job, thank you Perry Fewell and staff for calling a gutsy game. Giving Lindell the shot @ a 56 yarder? Going for the TD bomb instead of just running the clock down? Going for fourth and short and not thinking twice 'bout it? These are all things we Bills fans have been hoping for and are glad to see. Thank you for giving the team a fighting chance, as opposed to ho-humming your way to another loss. It's nice to think your team actually has a chance to do something in critical situations other than punt the ball away. Okay, so we're 4-7 now. Any chance of getting to 7-9 or better? Sure there is, but it will take more of the same type of gutsy play calling and certainly more of the same in terms of smart (way to keep the penalties down), physical (keep opening those holes for Jackson and Lynch) play. I don't know 'bout you all, but I'm interested to see how this coaching staff will approach games like the New England and Indianapolis games. Will they coach 'em all out, or will they go into a shell? I think it will be the former, which means I'll actually be hyped to watch 'em. Now that is more like it.

I know you had a wonderful day today, since you weren't @ work.

I think you both have a point here. Not only did Shanahan's team not get it done down the stretch like that, but Shanahan was stripped of his personnel title due to some poor decisions made in later years. He also ran out of buffers to fire (like former defensive coordinator Larry Coyer) to the point where there was nobody else left to blame their collapse on but him. That said, he did make Denver a league power and did bring the franchise a pair of Lombardi trophies. He also was key to bringing in a zone blocking scheme on the offensive line that while not popular among defensive players due to the low (and sometimes illegal) blocks made on D linemen, was extremely successful in paving the way for a bunch of running backs to be productive. Fisher will break records in terms of shortest term of unemployment if the Titans are stupid enough to fire him. After a horrible 6 game skid to begin the year, he has them on a 4 game winning streak and has Chris Johnson poised to not only lead the league in rushing, but to maybe surpass the 2,000 yard mark.

You're probably thinking of placekicker Jake Arians, Bruce's son, who was in and out of Buffalo in the days 'tween Steve Christie and Rian Lindell (so was Cincinnati's Shayne Graham, a former Pro Bowl kicker). Arians has given Roethlisberger a lot of the playcalling responsibilities in recent years, and the team has had a fundamental shift from a power run-based offense to one that's much more pass happy. That is the reason a lot of Stiller fans are up in arms, especially the old school ones who long for the days of Franco and Rocky Blier. As a head coaching candidate, I'm not so sure I'd want Arians here. Maybe, if the Bills hire a very good up and coming GM who firmly believes Arians can lead this team. But since I'm not so sure that will happen and the Bills seem to be favoring a move to hire a name coach and giving 'em total control, then I don't know if Arians is the answer.

Who's Michael Crabtree?

Maybe so. Uh huh. Don't know him personally, but that's the image he seems to project. Uh....um....err....well....

You call what's going on 'round here a leak? Boy, last time there was a leak like this, Noah built himself a boat.

Whoever they decide to hire, the most important thing is that the owner is in sync w/ management who is in sync w/ the coach. Hiring an experienced personnel guy who isn't on the same page as the owner and coach won't work (will it, Vinny Cerrato?) nor will hiring a coach who isn't on the same page w/ management and ownership (right, Marty Schottenheimer?). Having everyone on the same page, and having a semblance of a plan, is the only way things will improve in Buffalo.

I can't see the Bucs letting Trueblood hit the market, as he's one of the best RTs in the game. Alex Barron? Didn't he lead the league in penalties? TWICE??

They shouldn't draft in the top 5 'cause it means they weren't that good the year before. Unless they're smart enough to acquire picks from other teams that weren't good the year before, that is.

Link yet?

Oh no you di'nt!

Another tough loss, eh? Hey, the Bills showed some heart this week, only to lose down the stretch. Why does this sound familiar? Hmm... Ryan Fitzpatrick had a solid outing. He did have nearly 300 passing yards and showed the willingness to go down the field, which I presume is the reason he was named the starter over Trent Edwards. He still is not accurate (his first INT was a horribly overthrown ball), and was lucky to have just one pick in the game, but it's still nice to see someone taking shots down the field, especially when you have receivers who can pose some sort of threat in the vertical passing game. If you were grading the running backs from this game, you'd probably give 'em an incomplete. Marshawn Lynch had a costly fumble and left the game w/ a shoulder injury, but didn't do much before then. Might he have done better? I dunno. Fred Jackson did okay in limited usage (9 rushes, 35 yards, 4 catches, 20 yards), but neither guy was a factor. Considering how the team had the football for only 'bout 7 minutes of the second half, that may have been a slight error on the Bills' part. Terrell Owens had a huge game this week; props to him. That said, I don't want to see images of Owens whining and complaining when he doesn't get the ball. They made an incredible effort to get the ball in your hands, sometimes to a fault as Fitzpatrick had a few near misses in terms of INTs due to forcing the ball Owens' way. Be glad and just work to get more of those opportunities. Lee Evans didn't do much in terms of yardage (1 grab for 15 yards), but was robbed of a TD due to a penalty. He made a couple good blocks down the field too. Maybe Lee is finally putting in the work to become a more complete receiver instead of the guy who can only run straight down the field. Hope so. Shawn Nelson made a nice grab in the 2nd quarter, but his chop block penalty was not only unneccsary (Jackson was already past him and on his way to a TD), but very costly, as the point differential (7 points instead of the 3 they ended up w/) would've won the game in theory. The offensieve line continues to struggle in terms of run blocking, but also had some key gaffes in pass protection. Jonathan Scott's hands to the face penalty wiped out Lee Evans' TD bomb and he added another false start penalty to the Bills' stockpile for the season. Andy Levitre continues to look bad. He has trouble moving down the line to get blocks and also getting to the second level (one play in particular went for a big loss on a toss to the right side). In pass protection, he still lets guys get into his chest and gain leverage to get by him. Overall though, even w/ the injuries (get better soon, Eric Wood), the line wasn't horrible in pass protection. Jermon Meredith, Seth McKinney (before he went out w/ an injury), and Scott didn't dominate, but didn't get embarrASSed either. The defensive line did an okay job. Aaron Schobel was pretty good on the right side, but Chris Kelsay left a lot to be desired on the left. As for the interior guys, welcome back Kyle Williams. You may be a favorite whipping boy of TBD, but your absence was certainly felt. The guy who occupied your spot, Spencer Johnson, is too easily blocked out of plays and cannot stand up @ the point of attack. Williams had a beautiful hit on David Garrard, and did his best to clog up the rush lanes all day. Considering they were w/out Marcus Stroud, I thought they did a fine job against the run and limited Maurice Jones-Drew's effectiveness (66 rushing yards and only 2.6 yards per), though Jones-Drew (tough running and big 3rd down conversion) and Garrard (gutsy effort on 2 point conversion) did show their stuff on their game-winning drive. I thought the linebackers played well as a unit in this one. Paul Posluszny actually made some nice plays in this one, including forcing a fumble and creating pressure w/ his blitz up the middle. He finished w/ 11 tackles but also had a costly face mask penalty where he tried to make Jones-Drew look like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. Bryan Scott made a very timely play on the INT by knocking the pass up in the air and giving George Wilson the opportunity to bring it in. He had 9 tackles and did a nice job in coverage too (knocking down the 3rd quarter pass to force a punt). I was thrilled to see Perry Fewell give Ashlee Palmer a shot @ some playing time, and what a nice play Palmer had in stopping Jones-Drew behind the line of scrimmage. Young guys who display the kind of athleticism that can only help this defense, like Palmer and Nic Harris, need to get the reps and develop instead of sitting down and watching, as Dick Jauron seemed to like to do (much like Marv Levy's "last year's rookies" theory). Hopefully, we'll start to see the Bills' LBs do even more damage in the coming weeks. The secondary had their share of hits (Whitner nearly making the pick, Wilson actually making the pick) and misses (Reggie Corner being abused by Mike Sims-Walker on the TD, Jairus Byrd missing a tackle on Jones-Drew and looking every bit like a guy suffering a nagging injury). I thought Drayton Florence did a pretty decent job in coverage. Ellis Lankster got some good playing time (again going w/ the 'give the young guys more reps' theme) and wasn't too shabby. Considering the way the front seven was able to pressure Garrard, you'd have liked to see more in the way of turnovers from these guys. The coaching? Well, it was different. More emotion from the sidelines, which is something many a Bills fan (myself included) wanted to see. But, there were the same old issues: poor use of timeouts, head scratching decisions (what was w/ that waste of the final 26 seconds of the first half???), and lack of discipline in terms of penalties (only 6 this time, but two of 'em wiped out TDs in a 3 point loss). While I appreciate the effort the team put in this week in order to get a win for their new coach, I still believe this franchise is best served by an experienced, established coach coming in and doing what is necessary to get the team back on track. So, the Bills fall to 3-7 and now must face a couple division foes in Miami and the NY Jets. Then, they must go to Arrowhead to face a Kansas City team that has to be riding high after upsetting Pittsburgh before coming back home to deal w/ New England, hitting the road to square off w/ Atlanta, and ending up w/ a home game vs the still unbeaten Colts. It is going to take a lot of work to come out of this w/ some wins, but if they continue to build on the effort they displayed this week, maybe the Bills can shock a few of these teams. We'll see.

Gotta love the bipolar way that validation is sought: [During a typical Bills downward spiral] "The Bills are ranked 27th in ESPN's Man Crush Power Poll. ESPN sucks." [During those times when the Bills give their fans a glimmer of hope, like last season's 4-0 start] "Bills are now 7th in the ESPN poll!! Woo hoo!!"

Nah.

I am known for posting those kind of suggestions, huh?

Draft a QB in the first? W/ the offensieve line that the Bills have? W/ the massive 219 lb LBs the Bills have? Now there's a recipe for success. Just ask Matthew Stafford.

....nuthin'.

Has that numbness set in yet? You know, the, "Oh well, another loss; another season flushed down the toilet" type numbness that better prepares you for another season that starts out w/ hope yet ends in futility? To a degree, it has w/ me. Man, does that suck. Trent Edwards was back from his concussion. That's good from the standpoint that I wish good health on all the Bills' players. Now, as to his performance, well that's another story. He did look down the field a bit more (thank goodness), but his throw to Owens in the beginning of the 3rd quarter could've been a lot better and might have gone for a score if thrown properly. I will give him credit for being a bit quicker in his decisions and for also taking shots down the field, even in the face of a rush. Those are improvements, badly needed ones @ that. And then there was his play late in the game....yuck. The INT for a TD was disgusting, and was followed up by an equally disgusting INT-TD by his backup. So again, there it was late in the game and you're in a position to possibly win. And what does the offense do? Nothing. It's become an unfortunate trend. Marshawn Lynch runs hard. That's 'bout it though. He doesn't always run smart in terms of letting things develop or in terms of hitting a gap and making guys miss on the fly. Fred Jackson is more adept @ those things and should be the lead back for that reason. I'm not saying don't use Lynch, but he should be complimenting Jackson, not the other way 'round. It was nice to see both guys making nice catches, though. Speaking of catches, way to involve your wideouts this week. Evans made some nice plays (good adjustment on the fade route) and, once again, RAN SOME NICE ROUTES. Going back to the RBs catching, there was a screen pass to Jackson 'bout 5 minutes into the 2nd half that may have gone for a bigger gain had he gotten more in the way of blocking by Josh Reed. And by more, I mean...a block. He just ran down the field cheerleading on that one. Surprising, as Reed isn't shy 'bout laying a nice block on someone. Owens made some nice catches but needs to stay focused. Don't go after Cortland Finnegan just 'cause he jammed you. That's part of the game. Go after 'em by beating 'em off the line for a TD. That looks so much better; I only wish I could see it more. I have to say that Shawn Nelson showed some flashes as a receiver and a blocker. That's encouraging. Maybe this guy will become a solid every down TE for the Bills. Let's hope. Another week, another exhibit of atrocious play from the Bills' offensieve line. Andy Levitre was just plain awful. No balance, no strength @ the point of attack, and his hand usage certainly doesn't remind me of Tunch Ilkin (the man who made the "hand punch" technique famous). It would also be beneficial if he, Demetrius Bell, and Eric Wood would remember the snap count. I know this is a young unit, but I've seen little to no improvement from the start of the season. The Titans platoon in a bunch of smaller, quicker guys, but you'd have thought the Bills were facing 4 or 5 Kris Jenkins or Casey Hamptons the way the guys were getting handled. Geoff Hangartner doesn't look any stronger @ the point of attack then Melvin Fowler did. I guess I can just hope that more reps together will rectify this, but it's getting tougher and tougher to think this line as it stands (or doesn't) will "gel". The defensive line wasn't any better. Aaron Schobel's inside move wasn't much of a move. Of course, both he and Chris Kelsay continued to go to their tried and true "run 'round the outside shoulder of the OT" move when the inside track didn't work. Either way, Vince Young didn't see much in terms of pressure from the edge. Marcus Stroud had a pretty nice stuff in the 3rd quarter where he just shed the blocker and made the tackle right @ the line of scrimmage. That's 'bout it for his highlight reel. Spencer Johnson was a marked man. The Titans ran in his direction mostly, and on Johnson's long run in the 3rd, it was Johnson I saw getting run right out of the play. John McCargo actually made some plays in this one. Wow. He did a decent job against the run (5 tackles). But, on the last play of the first half, it was McCargo that decided to watch the play while running down the field instead of trying to throw a block on the missed FG/return. He also got dropped right @ the line of scrimmage on the play after Vince Young's big scramble in the 3rd, though he did recover to make the tackle along w/ Paul Posluszny, who we'll get to in a second. Oh yeah, the LBs. Much like w/ Stroud, I'll say this for the LBs as a unit: it isnt' a great performance when a team runs all over you. W/ that in mind, I will not give praise to the Bryan Scott experiment. Yeah yeah, he had 9 tackles, but how many impact plays? How many tackles for a loss, or tackles right @ the point of attack that neutralize a play (Well, there was the big hit on Johnson on his short TD run, I guess. Yikes!) ? Same w/ Posluszny. A dozen tackles is nice, but when most of 'em are down the field to the point where you need binoculars to take in the action, it doesn't mean that much. To their defense, I'll say there are some fundamental flaws in their scheme. On Young's big scramble in the 3rd, the strong side was quickly turned into the weak side by the scheme. What do I mean? Well, your strongside DE (Kelsay) rushed the passer to the outside, your strongside LB (Scott) went to cover TE Bo Scaife on a shallow crossing route. Posluszny blitzed from the inside. And that left Chris Draft, who got engulfed by the blocker, as the closest guy in the front 7 to stop the play. Way to go, Perry Fewell! Who needs to contain Young anyway? It's not like the guy's a threat to run or anything. I'm sure glad we have those quick little guys on the outside to hold things down. So, how did the secondary do? I thought they were better than the front seven, but not good enough to win the game. Jairus Byrd continues to show he's a ballhawk in the deep middle, having (yawn) another pick. Just kidding; I'm sure glad the Bills have a playmaker back in the secondary!! George Wilson did a good job of roaming and helping out in run support. Good, not great. Oh, and there was an Ashton Youboty sighting. Not that it was much of a sighting, but still. Reggie Corner is gutsy; great knockdown in the 3rd quarter to shut down a Tennessee drive. Drayton Florence had an okay game. He got beat deep early on, but really held his own for most of the game. He did have a couple contact penalties though. Ellis Lankster came in just in time.....to let Nate Washington get his 6th TD on the year. Donte Whitner dressed but didn't play. Hmm... The coaching staff worked hard to have some surprises ready for Tennessee, such as the Jackson TD pass. I give them credit for that. But, there were all those penalties (10) and the typical head scratching moments: wasting a timeout 2 minutes into the 4th quarter due to not having enough guys on the field? And letting Rob Bironas nail a 51 yarder instead of putting the Titans back to a 3rd and 16? I know they were having trouble w/ Johnson and Young getting to the edge, but I think I'd give my D the chance to keep them from putting more points up on the board. Or, maybe Jauron didn't realize Bironas has made a 60 yarder in his career and is noted for having a big leg, thus making a 51 yarder not so tough. Either way, I believe that was the wrong move. Of course, what the heck do I know? And so the downward spiral continues. As much as we Bills fans bash Jauron for his string of 7-9 seasons, it's becoming less and less likely that the Bills will even reach that record this year. Considering they have games coming up against New England and Indy @ home, plus Atlanta on the road, there's a strong chance they'll lose all of those games. That would mean they would have to win every other game on the schedule just to stay on par w/ the last few disappointing seasons. After what we've seen in recent weeks, how confident can we feel that the Bills will win @ Jacksonville, then beat Miami @ home? Buffalo did beat the Jets in New York and NY is in a spiral of their own, so that helps kinda. That leaves Kansas City. Sure, they're struggling too, but they're also the home team in that one and the Bills have had their share of trouble playing @ Arrowhead. No gimmes left. The Bills are going to have to take some games that they probably should lose. To do that, they can't continue to kill their own chances w/ fundamental breakdowns (penalties mainly). It's a tall order, but the Bills seem to love to back themselves in a corner. Let's see what happens next.

Results of Week 2 are posted in the league forum. Owners, go check out how your teams did. There's been some interesting developments so far in Season 3. This should be a fantastic year. Also, make sure you vote for the top offensive, defensive, and special teams players of the week. The Week 1 polls will remain open @ least through the weekend. The polls for Week 2 will be up later today.

How could you mess that up? Obviously, you don't know...

Polls for the players of the week (offensive, defensive, special teams) have been posted in the forum. Vote on who you think were the top performers for Week 1.

My wife is; maybe that means she's gay. Coo. Three way!!

Right now, we have a black lab mix named Shadow. We got her in September of 2007 when she was 'bout 2. Before her, we had a shepherd mix named Jake.

Agried.