Cr8ZyA$$BillsFaNnTexas Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 http://warroom.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/...s/20050523.html Will J.P. Losman be good enough to make the Bills playoff contenders? Eventually, but probably not this year. Losman has the talent to make special plays, but he'll be learning on the job in '05. The team has surrounded him with playmakers so he doesn't have to carry the offense, but he'll make his share of mistakes. But there is no reason Losman can't emerge as a quality starter -- as long as he isn't expected to do too much too soon. WHAT'S NEW After navigating the choppy waters of an 0-4 start, coach Mike Mularkey had the Bills riding the wave of a six-game winning streak that nearly got them into the playoffs last season. It marked the fifth consecutive year the Bills failed to reach the postseason. But with 20 starters and most of the team's key backups returning, expectations are high that the drought will end this year. The defense, ranked second in the NFL last year, should be strong again, but the offense has to improve from its No. 25 ranking of 2004. The Bills have a dynamic running back in Willis McGahee and explosive wide receivers in Eric Moulds, Lee Evans and rookie Roscoe Parrish. But the key to the offense will be the development of Losman, the second-year quarterback who takes over for the released Drew Bledsoe. Everything seemed to be coming together for the Bills at the end of last season. Will the momentum carry into the 2005 season? Mularkey is counting on it. GAME PLAN After feeling inhibited by the immobile Bledsoe at quarterback, Mularkey and coordinator Tom Clements can be more creative because of Losman's exceptional athleticism. Look for them to call plenty of rollouts, bootlegs and designed runs for Losman. Play-action passes, misdirection plays and direct snaps to receivers and running backs are staples of Mularkey's scheme. McGahee's ball-control running will be the focus of the offense, but Losman will take shots downfield. The defense is all about pressure. Coordinator Jerry Gray uses myriad alignments designed to disrupt run- and pass-blocking schemes while also forcing turnovers. Gray's conventional and zone-blitz packages create problems for opponents because they don't know who the extra pass rushers are or where they are coming from. The Bills led the NFL in takeaways (39) and were third in sacks (45) last season. Mularkey has a laid-back personality, but an intense competitiveness burns inside him. He always is well-prepared and attends to every detail. He is a solid motivator, and his background as a former NFL player gives him credibility with his players. Mularkey fosters an open atmosphere in which his coaching staff and players can communicate freely. He encourages the players to be accountable to each other and allows leaders to have a strong voice in the locker room. The team's late-season rally was a tribute to the coaching staff's ability to teach fundamentals and technique. Mularkey is surrounded by experienced assistants who understand how to get the most out of every player. Clements' knowledge brings a calming influence to the offense. The defensive players feed off Gray's intensity and know-how as a former Pro Bowl cornerback. SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS RB Willis McGahee: McGahee has the perfect blend of size (6-0, 228) and athleticism. He is a fluid runner who is hard to bring down because of his exceptional balance, strength and power. Not only does he have the vision to find holes, he has the explosive burst to run through them. He can pick up tough yards after contact and has enough speed to turn the corner. He is surprisingly elusive in the open field and excels at shedding defenders by delivering a powerful stiff-arm. He also is a good receiver with soft hands and is improving as a blocker. QB J.P. Losman: Athletically, Losman has all the tools. He is a supremely confident player with a strong arm, which is vital in Buffalo winters. His mobility should allow him to escape the pocket, and he will put pressure on defenses with his ability to deliver throws on the move and scramble for yardage. How much he succeeds in his first year running the offense will depend on how well he reads defenses, follows his progressions and makes sound decisions with the ball. He must avoid locking on to receivers and forcing throws into coverage. He should be excellent on deep throws, but he needs to show more touch on short and intermediate passes. Losman spent the offseason studying film and working with quarterbacks coach Sam Wyche on his throwing mechanics and footwork. If Losman is a quick study, he could be a special player. OLB Takeo Spikes: The key to Gray's defense is having every-down linebackers who make plays from sideline to sideline, and Spikes is a perfect fit at weakside 'backer. The two-time Pro Bowler has the total package of size, speed and athleticism. Spikes is instinctive, plays with solid fundamentals and always is around the ball. He is an explosive tackler and a devastating blitzer who also has outstanding range and ball skills in coverage. DAN POMPEI'S TAKE Going with an inexperienced quarterback probably will cost the Bills from being all they can be. But it's time to take their lumps and let Losman learn. Prediction: 4-12 (fourth/AFC East). FANTASY SOURCE SPIN Stud: McGahee. Seven 100-yard rushing performances in the Bills' last 12 games should be sufficient evidence. He will be relied upon heavily because the team lacks experience at quarterback. Sleeper: WR Lee Evans. He is a burner and a big-time playmaker who scored seven times in the Bills' final six games. His numbers will depend a lot on the performance of Losman. Stumbler: Losman. He is not a rookie, but he threw only five passes in 2004. Look how long it took the Bengals' Carson Palmer to hit his stride. Fantasy owners can't wait that long for success. FALL FORECAST The defense should continue to be stout despite defensive tackle Pat Williams' departure. As long as McGahee, Moulds and Evans stay healthy and the line keeps improving, the offense should move the ball and score points. But this season largely will depend on Losman. If he matures quickly, the team will be a postseason threat. If he doesn't, the team might take a step backward
RuntheDamnBall Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Personally I think having McGahee guarantees us at least 6 wins. No way we don't beat some of our lesser opponents on the strength of this kid alone. 4-12; bull sh--. We'll see come January.
Dan Gross Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Yeah, really, I would like to know where that ignorant jerk thinks we're going to get those two other wins...
Frez Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 It's all about the offensive line. We have an unproven at LT and Teague at center. The offensive line will tell the whole story for this team this year. 4-12 could be real.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 I LOVE it when the national media counts us out in the offseason...that is usually when we put together our best effort and make the playoffs.
Kelly the Dog Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 So in other words, we were 9-7 and on the rise last year but had poor quarterbacking. He really likes our coach and staff, he thinks we have a stud RB and stud receivers, he really likes our defense and believes our QB has all the tools and is in a great situation, but we'll be 4-12? That makes zero sense. Especially considering he compared the situation to Carson Palmer, who, with an inferior supporting staff, led his team to be 8-8.
Cr8ZyA$$BillsFaNnTexas Posted May 27, 2005 Author Posted May 27, 2005 We had the # 2 defense last year ....# 1 in special teams ..... breakout players at the wideout and running back positions ....Let go of the player that lost us the most games and had the most negative plays of any player on our team. Replaced him with a mobile #1 draft pick in JP LOSMAN ....
taterhill Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Personally I think having McGahee guarantees us at least 6 wins. 346334[/snapback] I am not going to lie...reading that statement sent shivers down my spine and made me smile reeeeeal wide...man that kid is good
OGTEleven Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 So in other words, we were 9-7 and on the rise last year but had poor quarterbacking. He really likes our coach and staff, he thinks we have a stud RB and stud receivers, he really likes our defense and believes our QB has all the tools and is in a great situation, but we'll be 4-12? That makes zero sense. Especially considering he compared the situation to Carson Palmer, who, with an inferior supporting staff, led his team to be 8-8. 346345[/snapback] He probably didn't take too many math classes at school. He goes on and on about our playmakers and how they'll take pressure of of Losman. Net result: 4-12 I don't want to turn this into a bash Bledsoe thread, but how bad would he have to play to take the team from 9-7 to 4-12 given the qb play that got us to 9-7. If he used the line as rationale, I could see a negative spin, but 4-12 seems silly. Maybe he is predicting mass injuries but doesn't want to print it.
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 The analysis is an excellentread on the situation from what I see and is worth the read and careful attention. The conclusions are what I disagree with as this adding up to 4-12 and i think I see the reason why. Like many posters in TSW who give far too much weight to the importance of the QB for winning football games, Pompei falls victim as well to this disease. Just as folks placed too much blame on Bledsoe for the Bills not reaching the playoffs last year (he sucked and was at fault for some bad play but the more relevant read on him was not that he was so bad he made the bad plays that killed u, but that he was not good enough to overcome a series of other errors like the D giving up over 100 yards to a Pitts scrub RB, like Lindell missing a chipshot FG and Clements giving and taking away as he make a return for a TD against Pitts but only after he laid a PR on the carpet). Pitts drew the roadmap for a successful Bills season with RoboQB last year as they relied far more on an aggressive D and the Bus to roll to their huge record. When they had to turn to RoboQB to win rather than simply manage the game they fell short. So it will almost certainly be with JP this year where if he leads this team to an SB win he wil be the first QB drafted by a team in the 1st round who leads the team which invested in him to an SB witn since Dallas chose Troy Aikman in the late 89s. Pompeii does get it in that he points out in more detail than usual sports (alleged) reporter that this team will be built around a D which was statitically successful last year (despite their weird performance outage in the last game) and will return 10 of 11 starters, and an O which will have a planned full season of WM and will run the ball on the first play and then run it again. MM/Clements are just the men who have shown the ability to not rely on JP to win the game for them and while Pompeii is correct that he almost certainly will not do so, MM seems to be the guy who will not run a game that requires him to do so. I agree almost completely with the Pompeii analysis and disagree completely with his conclusion. The only way I see this team actually ending up 4-12 is if we have miscalculated badly in JMac's ability to get good or at least adequate play out of an OL which to date does not have the LT situation (starter and back-up) nailed down and if we have bad luck with injuries (WM in particular). However, if JMacproduces he same results he produced in multiple years for the Bengals, for NYG's SB run and for the Bills last year and IF WM keeps it together injury wise, this is a team which should make the playoffs.
Realist Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 So in other words, we were 9-7 and on the rise last year but had poor quarterbacking. He really likes our coach and staff, he thinks we have a stud RB and stud receivers, he really likes our defense and believes our QB has all the tools and is in a great situation, but we'll be 4-12? That makes zero sense. Especially considering he compared the situation to Carson Palmer, who, with an inferior supporting staff, led his team to be 8-8. 346345[/snapback] Thats exactly what I thought...
kegtapr Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Somebody said something bad about the Bills. They must be an idiot! This board is filled with more crybabies then a daycare.
BuffOrange Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 I'm not sure what to say about anybody who considers Lee Evans a "sleeper" at this point.
Bear Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Somebody said something bad about the Bills. They must be an idiot! This board is filled with more crybabies then a daycare. 346400[/snapback] Normaly I would agree, but this time the comments make sense. That entire article was written as if it were talking about a team that should be making a push for the Super Bowl, and then ends in a prediction of 4-12. I'd be more willing to accept it if it trashed the team from top to bottom and claimed the same record. With the way that article was written, anything less than a 8-8 prediction just makes the whole thing seem stupid.
MarkyMannn Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 I LOVE it when the national media counts us out in the offseason...that is usually when we put together our best effort and make the playoffs. 346343[/snapback] We haven't made the playoffs in 5 years. What are you talking about?
Frez Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Believe it or not but, JP Losman could be worse than Bledsoe was last year. It's reality man!
sfladave Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Believe it or not but, JP Losman could be worse than Bledsoe was last year. It's reality man! 346433[/snapback] Definately true, hard to believe but it is possible. That being said I think 4-12 would be a real stretch. Our defense and special teams would have to completely fall apart, and we would have to be devestated with injuries. The loss of Bledsoe, Williams and Jennings did not set us back that much. If we had WM in the 1st 4 games last year we could have easily won 2 more games, a 5-7 game dropoff from last year just doesn't seem likely.
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