Rico Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Home field won't be enough for Bills Why To Watch Buffalo must find a way to quickly put last Sunday night's 29-6 loss to the Patriots behind it when the NFC West-leading Rams pay a visit. Following QB Drew Bledsoe's miserable outing, the Bills decided to give rookie first-round pick J.P. Losman a look. Losman threw one interception and lost one fumble, but proved to be healthy following a preseason leg injury. With very little left to play for in 2004, will the Bills turn the controls over to their future franchise quarterback? If so, can Buffalo's defense bounce back from its worst outing of the season and keep the versatile Rams offensive attack in check in order to overcome the inevitable mistakes made by the rookie quarterback? When the Rams have the ball Rushing: Despite its strong showing last week, the Rams' offensive line continues to be a weakness. The unit lost another starter last week in LOG Chris Dishman, who is expected to miss at least one game with a sprained knee. The Rams inserted formerly retired Tom Nutten into the lineup and will keep him there as the starter for Sunday's game. The intriguing aspect of the game-planning on this side of the ball is that Rams head coach Mike Martz seems to have no rhyme or reason to when he does or doesn't balance out his offense with the running game. Earlier in the season it made sense for the Rams to run the ball as much as they did against a 49ers defense that had previously been a sieve versus the run. However, against a Seattle defense that had been much stronger versus the pass than it had been versus the run, Martz elected to balance things out with 28 combined carries between RBs Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson. The Bills' defense had been solid versus the run prior to last week's embarrassing letdown, when it allowed Patriots RBs Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk to combine for 212 rushing yards on 39 carries. After watching that film, Martz might be more inclined to balance the attack out again this week, especially considering the lack of athleticism that he is dealing with along his offensive line when it comes to protecting QB Marc Bulger. Passing: The Bills have actually been significantly more effective versus the pass than they have been versus the run. Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray is aggressive by nature. He'll see Sunday's game as an opportunity to exploit some athletic mismatches against Nutten and ROT Grant Williams by using a lot of blitzes and stunts targeted at their gaps. The key for the Bills will be their pass rush. If they can get consistent pressure on Bulger, who has been sacked 25 times after just nine games, they can avoid the mismatches that they are presented with in the secondary. The Bills ordinarily can rely on RCB Nate Clements on an island in coverage. While they can certainly take an occasional chance in order to free up a safety on the blitz, Gray knows he can't leave Clements alone on WR Torry Holt the entire game. With Troy Vincent still out and Terrence McGee filling in for him at the starting LCB spot, the Bills also have a potential problem on the other side versus Isaac Bruce. Bruce doesn't have the speed to expose McGee deep, but he is a veteran and savvy enough route runner to gain consistent separation if given the time. Furthermore, with Vincent out and with the Bills likely needing to give their cornerbacks more safety help over the top than usual, it wouldn't be surprising if the Rams utilized more three-and-four receiver sets. This should create mismatches with sub-package WRs Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis versus the Bills' nickel and dime defensive backs, which currently include Kevin Thomas and rookie Rashad Baker. When the Bills have the ball Rushing: Rookie RB Willis McGahee had three 100-yard rushing performances in his first three NFL starts, but was held to just 37 yards on 14 carries against the Patriots. The Bills' first problem was that they got behind early and weren't able to get McGahee the 25-plus carries that he needs in order to wear the opponent down and provide the big play in the second half. Secondly, the Bills' offensive line simply didn't play with the same intensity and consistency that it did in the previous two games against the Jets and Cardinals. Much like the Patriots did on Sunday night, look for the Rams to play a lot of eight men in the box and to be extremely active up front. The Bills have a lot of size and strength along their offensive line and can really wear down the Rams' defensive front if they can turn this into a "phone booth" battle the entire afternoon, but the Rams have much better athleticism. Not only will the Rams use a lot of different blitzes in order to exploit the athleticism of OLBs Pisa Tinoisamoa and Tommy Polley, but they'll also use a lot of crisscross stunts with DEs Leonard Little and Bryce Fisher stunting inside and DTs Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett swinging outside in order to test keep their defensive line on the move. Passing: Perhaps the biggest key to this game will be the Rams' ability to hold up in cover-3 or man-to-man coverage. They know that in order to establish tempo and to keep the Bills out of their offensive rhythm, they must first stop the run. In order to do so, SS Adam Archuleta must maintain a consistent presence as a fourth linebacker in run support. From that cheated up position, Archuleta should be able to keep TE Mark Campbell in check in man-to-man coverage. The Rams also have excellent athleticism at linebacker with Tinoisamoa and Polley in order to keep the Bills' running backs out of the passing equation in man-to-man or zone coverage underneath. Getting pressure on Bledsoe and/or Losman is the key. The Rams don't match up very well on the perimeter, especially with Aeneas Williams likely giving way to Rich Coady at FS for the second consecutive week because of a shoulder injury. Coady simply lacks the range that Williams provides at the position, which means he'll have to be cheated to one side most of the time. With CBs Jerametrius Butler and Travis Fisher as healthy as they've been all season, the Rams do at least have their starting tandem to work with in coverage, but if the Bills' quarterback gets enough time to throw against the Rams' smallish cornerback duo, WRs Eric Moulds and Lee Evans can make them pay. Scouts' Edge Buffalo has been much more competitive at home than it has been on the road. The Bills' defense is more competitive than what we saw last week, and McGahee can provide a lot more production and do a much better job of helping control the clock than what he provided against the Patriots. The Rams have always been much more effective inside than they have been on the road, and they have some issues of their own to deal with along both their offensive and defensive lines. However, if Martz is patient and does a good job of balancing out the offensive attack, the Rams' versatility should eventually be too much for the Bills' worn-down defense to handle. Just like the Seahawks a week ago, the Bills should be able to establish a strong running game against the Rams' undersized defensive front. However, it won't be enough to overcome a lot of their other weaknesses – particularly at quarterback, where it's anyone's guess right now who will start on Sunday. 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BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 The Bills have actually been significantly more effective versus the pass than they have been versus the run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like A Mofo Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Im so down on this team like now because of Bledsoe and the fact this year is over, I almost forgot they are playing the Rams this Sunday. Sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailog80 Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Im so down on this team like now because of Bledsoe and the fact this year is over, I almost forgot they are playing the Rams this Sunday. Sad. 121993[/snapback] Maybe Drew can make Aenius Williams look all world again? Leonard Little is gonna kill Bledsoe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like A Mofo Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Maybe Drew can make Aenius Williams look all world again? Leonard Little is gonna kill Bledsoe. 121997[/snapback] Maybe Torry Holt will consider playing corner this week??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Maybe Drew can make Aenius Williams look all world again? Leonard Little is gonna kill Bledsoe. 121997[/snapback] He just might if Drew drives to the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailog80 Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 He just might if Drew drives to the game. 122007[/snapback] Ohhhhhhh......that's cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 He just might if Drew drives to the game. 122007[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Seriously though, what a scumbag piece of crap... How is he still in the league? And why aren't more people outraged about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like A Mofo Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Seriously though, what a scumbag piece of crap...How is he still in the league? And why aren't more people outraged about it? 122018[/snapback] Because E$PN glorifies guys like that BAD=GOOD is their motto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailog80 Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Seriously though, what a scumbag piece of crap...How is he still in the league? And why aren't more people outraged about it? 122018[/snapback] Because he can rush the passer. Bottom line. No one knows the woman he killed. It has no affect on anyone. As long as he can play all is forgiven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Maybe Torry Holt will consider playing corner this week??? 122000[/snapback] I think that would be Isaac Bruce. I believe he wears #80. And what did Leonard Little do? I have not heard of this situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailog80 Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 I think that would be Isaac Bruce. I believe he wears #80. And what did Leonard Little do? I have not heard of this situation. 122034[/snapback] DUI with a fatality a few years back. He basically walked on the charge and almost as soon as his Probation period expired picked up another DUI (4/04).....still pending I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Because he can rush the passer. Bottom line. No one knows the woman he killed. It has no affect on anyone. As long as he can play all is forgiven. 122029[/snapback] Yeh I know that's why the Rams didn't do anything. Other teams would've done the same. But shame on Paul Tagliabue for being such a coward; and on the media for acting like TO (who I can't stand) is the worst guy in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 And what did Leonard Little do? I have not heard of this situation. 122034[/snapback] Exactly - I didn't hear about it either until several months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailog80 Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Little Article Exactly - I didn't hear about it either until several months ago. 122045[/snapback] A good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Anyways, I feel strongly the Bills will win this game. It has a lot of that last year's Redskins-game: "media & fans are trashing the team, so we'll get fired up and play a perfect game vs. an overrated NFC team at home" vibe to it. Of course this happens every year, and we'll get destroyed in Seattle the following week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gantrules Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 I agree Orange. We'll win this one against the Rams simply b/c we are playing at home against an overrated team. Let's face it they are one game better than the Cardinals right now who we pummelled at home. But, the Seattle game we will lose 45-17. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 I agree Orange. We'll win this one against the Rams simply b/c we are playing at home against an overrated team. Let's face it they are one game better than the Cardinals right now who we pummelled at home. But, the Seattle game we will lose 45-17. 122270[/snapback] 17 points on the road.... McGee might return one kick to the house, but two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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