Lori Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 BUFFALO BILLS (1-2) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-2) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2005 12:00 PM CDT ALAMODOME, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS CBS: Don Criqui / Steve Tasker REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bills lead, 4-3. Buffalo was 3-1 in New Orleans, and 3-0 in the Superdome… PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: September 9, 2001 – Saints 24, Bills 6 Game #1 of the Tom Donahoe / Gregg Williams era, and the scene of the Second Annual TwoBillsDrive Tailgate. Buffalo held Ricky Williams to 5 first-half yards and led 6-0 at the break, but Rob Johnson completed more passes to Saints SS Sammy Knight (3) than to Eric Moulds and Peerless Price combined (2), and Aaron Brooks tossed three second-half touchdown passes to lead the Saints to victory. Far worse than losing the game, though, was the sight of Sam Cowart being helped off the field with a torn Achilles tendon early in the game. I had the same sick feeling last weekend as I did that day; as soon as Takeo slammed his helmet off the turf and I saw the look on his face, I knew… LAST TIME IN NEW ORLEANS (and here’s hoping there’s a next time in New Orleans): December 27, 1998 – Bills 45, Saints 33 Guaranteed a road trip to either Miami or Jacksonville the following weekend, Wade Phillips decided to rest several starters in a mostly meaningless game. The Bills jumped out to a 28-0 first-half lead, then cruised the rest of the way for a win that wasn’t nearly as close as the score. Rob Johnson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Eric Moulds broke Andre Reed’s single-season team record with 1,368 receiving yards. This game also brought Kerry Collins’ short-lived Saints career to an inglorious end; after starting the game 3-12 for 23 yards and two turnovers, he was benched in favor of Billy Joe Tolliver. OVERVIEW OFFENSE: WR Joe Horn and RB Deuce McAllister are among the best in the league at their positions, and Horn’s running mate, Donte’ Stallworth, could be scary good if he ever develops the technique to match his raw talent. With Az-zahir Hakim still slowed by a hamstring injury, Devery Henderson should see most of the snaps at #3 WR. Ernie Conwell is a decent all-around TE but not much of a deep threat; “Boo” Williams is gone for the season, and FA signee Shad Meier (Tennessee) has yet to play this year. Old friend Antowain Smith was signed as McAllister’s top backup; last year’s second-leading rusher, Aaron Stecker, will probably miss this game with a high ankle sprain. The Saints made a serious effort to upgrade their offensive line in the offseason, signing RG Jermane Mayberry away from the Eagles and trading up in the first round to select OT Jammal Brown with the 13th overall pick. LeCharles Bentley is a top-flight center; I seem to recall quite a few Bills fans hoping he’d end up here in Buffalo on draft day 2002. LT Wayne Gandy is solid in the passing game; Gandy vs. Schobel should be an interesting matchup. Mayberry sat out last week’s game with a bad shoulder; Jamar Nesbit started in his place, and might get the nod again this week... But in the end, it all comes back to Aaron Brooks. He’s got the physical skills; watch him play and you can see the resemblance to his cousin, Michael Vick. The knock on Brooks has always been his questionable decision-making, and I haven’t seen anything yet this season to make me think he’s getting any better in that regard. To be fair, though, he’s not getting much help from the running game (currently averaging under 100 ypg). DEFENSE: Better at rushing the passer than stopping the run. New Orleans ranked 30th against the run and dead last in overall yardage in 2004, and they didn’t make any major changes to their front seven. Ends Darren Howard (11), Charles Grant (10.5), and Will Smith (7.5) lead a front four that combined for 34 of the Saints’ 37 sacks last year; veterans Brian Young and Willie Whitehead start at tackle. The linebackers won’t make any Saints fans forget about the legacy of Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Rickey Jackson; Sedrick Hodge (SLB), Courtney Watson (MLB), and Colby Bockwaldt (WLB) start, but backups James Allen, T.J. Slaughter, and Ron McKinnon will also see playing time. Mike McKenzie (acquired in a trade with the Packers last year) and Fakhir Brown are the top CBs. Brown has missed the last two games with a leg injury, though, forcing Jason Craft into the starting lineup. Team captain Jay Bellamy led the Saints in tackles last season and had started 122 consecutive games at strong safety, but a torn rotator cuff landed him on injured reserve this week. Tentative plans have Dwight Smith moving into the SS spot and rookie second-round pick Josh Bullocks taking over at FS, but Smith is also on the injury report; Mel Mitchell and special-teamer Steve Gleason are the other options there. SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker John Carney may not have the distance he used to, but the 17th-year veteran is still fairly accurate from inside 40 yards. Punter Mitch Berger led the league in net yardage last season and earned another trip to the Pro Bowl; he’s one of the best in the business at dropping punts inside the 20. A rash of injuries – including a blown-out knee that put former Pro Bowl KR Michael Lewis on I.R. - has left New Orleans scrambling to find kick returners; Stallworth, Henderson, and Fred McAfee are all possible candidates. Stallworth will probably handle punt-return duties. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTLOOK: Last year, New Orleans never scored on their opening drive and was outscored 117-29 in the first quarter. Having to play catch-up all the time helped limit McAllister’s impact (only 269 carries) and put too much pressure on the passing game. To fix that, new OC Mike Sheppard – yes, the same Mike Sheppard who called the plays in Buffalo, circa 2001 - is trying to shift to more of a ball-control, Steelers-type offense this season. Deuce and Antowain provide a decent one-two punch at RB, and every lineman on the roster weighs in at over 300 pounds. For that gameplan to work, though, they have to cut down on the turnovers - fumbling the opening kickoff away the last two weeks in a row doesn’t help - and penalties (dead last in penalty yardage last season, and right near the bottom of the rankings again this year). If they ever figure out how to stop shooting themselves in the feet, the Saints definitely have the talent to put some points on the board. When the Bills have the ball, I think it’s time for another healthy dose of run-Willis-run while Losman continues his on-the-job training. We knew this was going to be a roller-coaster ride… which may explain why some of you are starting to get nauseous. There should be opportunities to make plays in the passing game, but can J.P. make them? (And just out of curiosity, are there still TEs on the roster?) Too many questions, not enough good answers… I’ve looked up the stats and crunched the numbers, but I still have no idea how this game is going to play out… because which mathematical formula can tell us what the guys in gold-and-black are thinking? True, this is as close as they’ll get to a “home” opener (even though it’s 500 miles away from New Orleans), but how will the San Antonio crowd react? And will serving as a rallying point for the entire Gulf South region inspire the Saints players, or wear them down emotionally? Your guess is as good as mine. See you at the Alamodome. Go Bills. Links: NFL.com injury report NFL.com Saints depth chart NFL.com Saints team stats Ourlads.com Saints depth chart NewOrleansSaints.com SaintsHurricaneFund.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JinVA Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Another great post Lori. Now I have to go look up how long Bellamy has been in the league, man it feels like he's been around forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted September 29, 2005 Author Share Posted September 29, 2005 Another great post Lori. Now I have to go look up how long Bellamy has been in the league, man it feels like he's been around forever. 458881[/snapback] Originally signed with Seattle in 1994; hadn't missed a start since 1997. Not bad for a UDFA. Packing up and heading out as soon as I finish up here; don't know how often I'll be checking in over the weekend. Enjoy the game, everyone.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 You've never had a hot pocket in your life, I'm betting. Outstanding job, Lori. Pin this thread, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 We knew this was going to be a roller-coaster ride… which may explain why some of you are starting to get nauseous if I wasn't already married... You da fan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 LAST MEETING: September 9, 2001 – Saints 24, Bills 6 Game #1 of the Tom Donahoe / Gregg Williams era, and the scene of the Second Annual TwoBillsDrive Tailgate. Buffalo held Ricky Williams to 5 first-half yards and led 6-0 at the break, but Rob Johnson completed more passes to Saints SS Sammy Knight (3) than to Eric Moulds and Peerless Price combined (2), and Aaron Brooks tossed three second-half touchdown passes to lead the Saints to victory. Far worse than losing the game, though, was the sight of Sam Cowart being helped off the field with a torn Achilles tendon early in the game. I had the same sick feeling last weekend as I did that day; as soon as Takeo slammed his helmet off the turf and I saw the look on his face, I knew… That was the hottest game I've ever been to. I remember them running out of water around halftime. What a crappy game it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JinVA Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Originally signed with Seattle in 1994; hadn't missed a start since 1997. Not bad for a UDFA. 458892[/snapback] It seems like he's been playing since the 80's. Kind of like Jimmy Smith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Originally signed with Seattle in 1994; hadn't missed a start since 1997. Not bad for a UDFA. 458892[/snapback] Along with being an awesomely underrated FFL player (until this year) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiew Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Who's this Lori?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Who's this Lori?? 459502[/snapback] 2d most knowledgeable Bills fan on TSW from what I've heard..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 http://www.ats411.com/nfl/matchups/main.aspx?gameid=6915 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Game Preview : If Deuce gets loose, we're stretching the noose. Those Chrysler commercials with Snoop are catchy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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