A Few Thoughts About The Game

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

Anyone watch Ellison? How'd he do?

 

 

i can't comment too much on ellison's overall play, i move around so much watching the game i'm a like a twitch on a shudder. but, ellison stood up m-j-d on one play (second half) when the little fellow was about to kick it into another gear. it was a big time hit in a game when every defensive play was important.

 

what i liked about today's performance was the ability to stay in the mix throughout. they came out clicking offensively, and the won top in the first half. still it was a close game, on the road, against a stout d. when things got dicey in the second half, gave up the field goal, lost the onside kick....in a close game...on the road...against a stout d...in the heat...they just stayed with the plan and worked it,even after the trent fumble. you gotta love the ability to win on the road in a place where literally tens of fans are going crazy.

 

 

question---the royal pass that was high---did anyone else notice the receiver in the background? my thought was it was actually a sideline pass to reed, hence the trajectory of the throw.

 

awesome start---a well coached team off to a 2-0 start.

[Beerball]

Two points from ESPN:

 

Edwards became the first Bills QB to complete 80 percent of his passes in a game (min. 25 attempts) since Doug Flutie completed 20 of 25 passes at Seattle on Dec. 23, 2000.

Really nice game, and he didn't wilt when it mattered most.

 

Jacksonville was 2-11 on third-down conversions.

Seemed like they were 8-11 to me!

[Chilly]

1) It is probably me, but I cannot stomach Steve Tasker. I would have been blasting him for years if he wasn't so nice to Cindy. What a freaking horror show!

 

Absolutely agreed. I cringe every time I find out Tasker is doing a Bills game, which seems to be all too often.

 

6) Sorry, but we need to get better at Center. A rusty Peters hurt us on the sack/fumble, but Fowler was killing us today.

 

Butler wasn't much better. We still need upgrades at both C and RG. I don't care which one they do this off season, but one of them needs to get better.

 

7) Very bad move by Jauron to make that challenge. Everybody else in the free world knew that the play would stand.

 

There were a couple Bills fans at the bar that thought it should have been overturned. Nuts I say, clearly the right call.

 

8) LOL.....watch the replay. On the 1st qtr. Lynch TD run Peters almost killed a guy. He will get it together, and I'm not even a little bit worried.

 

Yeah... I have to wonder about using Peters the way they did though. Should he have come back in after the 1st quarter? Hindsight is 20/20 obviously, but it seemed to cause more problems then it was worth shifting everyone around after qtr 1.

 

9) Hats off to Youboty. The kid made some very nice, and important plays.

 

Finally beginning to look like a 3rd round pick. I can't believe he was the MVP of the D today.

 

10) Trent is really going to be something special. Hey....is he already the best QB in the AFC East?

 

I think that honor belongs to Big Ben at the moment.

 

EDIT: Doh, thought you said AFC, not AFC East.

 

11) This is all just so f ing great!

 

A friggin' men.

[Gordio]

Good points Bill.

 

Regarding Edwards - he is making great progress. We may have to start the 3 second clock on him - didn't anyone else notice that he was looking a little "Drewish"? Also, WAY too many missed tackles today.

 

 

Give me a break. I do not know how you could say he was looking a little like Bledsoe today. I think he was only sacked twice & the one sack Peters totally whiffed on his block. His pocket presence for someone so young is the most impressive part of his game IMO.

 

Not to turn this into a Losman vs Edwards thread, I at least hope now that people that were clammoring all last year & all offseason about how Losman was mistreated & how he should be the guy can at least admit they were wrong. Noway we win this game if Losman is under center today. The coaches saw something special in Edwards & they stuck to their convictions by not opening a qb competition this summer & naming Edwards the guy. They deserve alot of credit for their decision to annoint Edwards the starter from day 1 this offseason & not dick around with some half azzed qb competition.

[Chandler#81]

Give me a break. I do not know how you could say he was looking a little like Bledsoe today. I think he was only sacked twice & the one sack Peters totally whiffed on his block. His pocket presence for someone so young is the most impressive part of his game IMO.

The coaches saw something special in Edwards & they stuck to their convictions by not opening a qb competition this summer & naming Edwards the guy. They deserve alot of credit for their decision to annoint Edwards the starter from day 1 this offseason & not dick around with some half azzed qb competition.

 

I agree about his pocket presence. The second sack -on a naked bootleg- was an excellent decision. Rather than heave the ball to avoid a sack or head for the sideline -which would have stopped the clock with Jax out of time outs- he cooly laid down to avoid a big hit and keep the clock ticking.

 

TE = ICEMAN!

[Bill from NYC]

One point to add, hopefully without sounding like an ass...only 1 offensive holding call against the Jags was a freakin joke. There were times when our guys got tackled and no flag. But, the team persevered on the road. Very nice win!!!

 

I saw, of all people, McCargo getting held. It wasn't hard to notice, whereas I could see his shirt actually being pulled back by 2 players at once.

[Billsjunkie]

Maybe, but these challenges have never been one of Jauron's strong points. He did ask Trent on the sidelines if his hand was going forward...l But Steely Dan is right, another couple minutes rest at that critical part of a long, hot game did not hurt. Really, who can say how important that little respite may have been.

 

They don't show the replay on the big screen when your the opposing team. He asked Trent what he thought and Trent wasn't sure. So he threw the flag. Nothing wrong with that.

[LabattBlue]

This season, he's caught 11 passes for 185 yards. The 37 yard reception to set up the TD to Hardy was an excellent double move in coverage and if he doesn't make that play, I'm not sure Buffalo scores the TD.

Evans has 8 catches through 2 games, not 11.

[Billsjunkie]

I think that honor belongs to Big Ben at the moment.

 

Big Ben isn't in the AFC East lol.

[Chilly]

Big Ben isn't in the AFC East lol.

 

Doh, that's what I get for posting at 12:00 AM. Thought he said AFC.

[The Dean]

One more quic comment on Bill's original post. IMO, Jauron had to challenge the fumble call on Edwards. I agree it was unlikely to be reversed, but that's a call where you really don't know what the officials will call. I guarantee you, that would be reversed if Brady was the QB.

 

Now, perhaps if they are strictly enforcing the "empty hand" rule, I would re-think it, but i have yet to see real consistency in that call.

 

Plus, as has been noted, that was a good time for a breather, anyway.

 

I won't question Edward's overall pocket presence, which has been quite good. But, he played a part there, the same part any QB (good presence or not) plays when that happens. Because Edwards has generally good presence, we aren't bashing him (and shouldn't be). But, many would be bashing a QB with less presence for the same thing. My point is, on this kind of play, the QB is at fault, or he isn't. Or, more likely, there is enough fault to go around.

 

Peters made a bad play (but otherwise was OK, I thought), Edwards didn't feel it coming, no one else stepped in to help...fumble! It sucks, but it happens.

[Bill from NYC]

One more quic comment on Bill's original post. IMO, Jauron had to challenge the fumble call on Edwards. I agree it was unlikely to be reversed, but that's a call where you really don't know what the officials will call. I guarantee you, that would be reversed if Brady was the QB.

 

Now, perhaps if they are strictly enforcing the "empty hand" rule, I would re-think it, but i have yet to see real consistency in that call.

 

Plus, as has been noted, that was a good time for a breather, anyway.

 

I won't question Edward's overall pocket presence, which has been quite good. But, he played a part there, the same part any QB (good presence or not) plays when that happens. Because Edwards has generally good presence, we aren't bashing him (and shouldn't be). But, many would be bashing a QB with less presence for the same thing. My point is, on this kind of play, the QB is at fault, or he isn't. Or, more likely, there is enough fault to go around.

 

Peters made a bad play (but otherwise was OK, I thought), Edwards didn't feel it coming, no one else stepped in to help...fumble! It sucks, but it happens.

 

Brian, there was also pressure up the middle. He wound up on his back, no?

[The Dean]

Brian, there was also pressure up the middle. He wound up on his back, no?

 

Not sure what your point is. If he felt the guy behind him, he wouldn't have (shouldn't have) put the ball out, back there.

 

Bill, I'm not criticizing Trent, really. But he isn't PERFECT. It's clear to me that, he didn't feel that man behind him.

 

Your zeal at defending any question of Trent's play is almost as rabid as you zeal at criticizing certain players you don't like.

[JStranger76]

Let me add that Edwards has been slightly spoiled with pretty darn good pass protection in his short career guys. Most young QB's have gotten the snot kicked out of them by this time with as many starts as TE. With very few complaints of Edwards thus far, learning that the protection won't always be great (especially backside) because of injuries or whatever will be something he will have to and should be able to work on.

[BillsVet]

Evans has 8 catches through 2 games, not 11.

 

I was in error. Evans has those 8 catches for 179 yards, a 22.4 average.

 

After six months plus of negotiations, the Bills need to get an agreement done with Evans.

[JStranger76]

Damn right BillsVet! Damn right! Deep Voice, help me out..........

[Bill from NYC]

I was in error. Evans has those 8 catches for 179 yards, a 22.4 average.

 

After six months plus of negotiations, the Bills need to get an agreement done with Evans.

 

If the Bills cannot sign him, they will once again be reduced to chasing his replacement in the draft. This would be a huge mistake, assuming that he still wants to play here. I want to see the team able to pick and choose from the best OC, DT, etc. in the 09 draft instead of being locked in at 1 position.

 

But, I am so happy about 2-0 that I am going to allow myself a break from worrying about the draft.

[MarkyMannn]

Something I noticed about our WR's, a lot of time they were wide open when they got a ball. Not sure if that's Schonert's schemes or Trent hitting them at the right time and zone gap. But you have to go back to Moulds and Price to see guys that open

[Bill from NYC]

Not sure what your point is. If he felt the guy behind him, he wouldn't have (shouldn't have) put the ball out, back there.

 

Bill, I'm not criticizing Trent, really. But he isn't PERFECT. It's clear to me that, he didn't feel that man behind him.

 

Your zeal at defending any question of Trent's play is almost as rabid as you zeal at criticizing certain players you don't like.

 

You are misunderstanding me. He was trying to make a play, and accustomed to good blindside protection from Peters (and now even Walker). The DE made a fantastic play and stripped the ball. There was no place to go because of the pressure coming up from the inside. That was my only point.

Trent tried to make a play and it didn't work. Big deal. And, I don't care if you insult him (not that you necessarily were) or not. Remember me? We go back to the Flutie/RJ days. Insulting qbs is almost our culture.

 

Yeah, I am a Trent fan, and I never tried to hide it, nor will I apologise for thinking that he will be a superb qb in this league. It is very early; I know this, but he looks pretty f ing good already.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Dean]

Yeah, I am a Trent fan, and I never tried to hide it, nor will I apologise for thinking that he will be a superb qb in this league. It is very early; I know this, but he looks pretty f ing good already.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

If he keeps improving the way he has, so far, I will give you credit for calling it early. In most phases of the game, he looks pretty damn good already.

 

Before I go "all in", I will wait to see how he handles bad weather, this year. I'm not suggesting he has to be great in the cold and snow (few QBs are), just that he handle it better than he did last year, and still play with confidence.

 

But, so far, so good!