The Bucs will be more difficult than people think

[Coach Tuesday]

I'm a bit concerned about the optimism around here and I hope it hasn't carried over to the locker room and coaching staff. I know the Bucs got pooped on by the Cowboys last week and they're without Antonio Bryant. However, they're very dangerous on offense. Their running game was superb last week against a credible front seven. They also have a ton of skill at tight end, where both Jeremy Stevens and Kellen Winslow have the speed and athleticism to exploit our young linebackers and our slow strong safety. In fact, I'd prefer Whitner get the start at SS and either Wilson or Byrd (preferrably Wilson) at FS, to account for their tight ends. If I were the Bucs, I'd use a lot of play-action and misdirection, and slowly and methodically dink and dunk down the field to eat up clock time, tire out the Bills' D, neutralize the passrush, and take the crowd out of the game. That's exactly the type of offense that the Bills D has been susceptible to the last few years - they just love to bite on play fakes. Leftwich isn't accurate but he's played well in Buffalo (I was at that horrible game) and he's a savvy veteran. This game potentially could be much more difficult, and frustrating, than people think.

[loyal2dagame]

bills win 31-17

 

d gets at least 2 picks and 4 sacks

 

owens scores td, jackson td, edwards runs for td, d gets 1

[SouthGeorgiaBillsFan]

I'm a bit concerned about the optimism around here and I hope it hasn't carried over to the locker room and coaching staff. I know the Bucs got pooped on by the Cowboys last week and they're without Antonio Bryant. However, they're very dangerous on offense. Their running game was superb last week against a credible front seven. They also have a ton of skill at tight end, where both Jeremy Stevens and Kellen Winslow have the speed and athleticism to exploit our young linebackers and our slow strong safety. In fact, I'd prefer Whitner get the start at SS and either Wilson or Byrd (preferrably Wilson) at FS, to account for their tight ends. If I were the Bucs, I'd use a lot of play-action and misdirection, and slowly and methodically dink and dunk down the field to eat up clock time, tire out the Bills' D, neutralize the passrush, and take the crowd out of the game. That's exactly the type of offense that the Bills D has been susceptible to the last few years - they just love to bite on play fakes. Leftwich isn't accurate but he's played well in Buffalo (I was at that horrible game) and he's a savvy veteran. This game potentially could be much more difficult, and frustrating, than people think.

 

First of all, any DB matched up on a TE is a mismatch, especially over the middle. Second of all, the Bucs are laughably *less* dangerous on offense than the Pats, and thus I am not at all worried. They don't stand a chance. They will not be able to "dink and dunk" because they don't have Randy Moss and Tom Brady to force us into soft coverage. They also don't have the Pats O-line to protect the QB. The Bills coaching staff is going to come out playing an aggressive cover 2 this weak taking away the short gains and forcing them to prove they can beat our solid secondary down the field (which actually is the strength of the cover 2 - teams started utilizing the scheme because it was the BEST way to stop the west coast offense). You don't take this approach with the Pats because everyone in the league knows that they can burn everyone in the league down the field, and the Bucs do not have that luxury. If they prove they can burn us deep, we make the adjustment to take away their ability to throw down field, and then perhaps it opens up for dinking and dunking, but I'm willing to bet that will not be the case, and I would bet my life on the fact that the short passing game will not be consistently effective until they do prove they can throw it long.