Die Hard Sports Fan

The Buffalo Bills played terrible in front of their home fans when the team needed a win most, dropping to the San Francisco 49ers, 10-3.

1st Quarter

On the first drive on the day, the 49ers gamed the ball down the Bills throat. Whether it was running or passing, they moved the ball down the field in ease. A 14 play, 72 yard drive would end with a touchdown as QB Shaun Hill hooked up with veteran Issac Bruce on a 12 yard pass to put the road team up 7-0.

Later in the quarter the Bills tried to counter but they were kept out of the end zone. With a 20 yard field goal attempt, kicker Rian Lindell entered the game to make a kick less than a extra point. He clinked it off the right left upright though, so 49ers still in the lead, 7-0.

2nd Quarter

49ers kicker Joe Nedney made Lindell look like a high school kicker as he blasted a 50 yard field goal up and good to give the 49ers a 10 point lead.

Going into the tunnel at halftime, San Fran leads 10-0.

3rd Quarter

Lindell was able to make a 22 yard field goal in the 3^rd to get the Bills back into a one score game, 10-3.

4th Quarter

No scoring occurred in this quarter despite the numerous chances the Bills had. The defense came to play, stopping the Niners when it mattered most. However, with backup JP Losman in the game, the Bills couldn’t put the ball into the end zone.

Wrap Up

· Trent Edwards left the game at halftime after playing a terrible game. He went 10 of 21 passing for 112 yards. Backup Losman went 11 for 17 for 93 yards. Neither QB threw a touchdown or interception.

· Marshawn Lynch only carries the ball 16 times but made the most of it, gaining 134 yards on the ground.

· Lee Evans caught 7 passes for 80 yards to lead the Bills in receiving. Josh Reed had a solid game, hauling in 5 passes for 58 yards.

· Rian Lindell has looked very shaky since his Monday night wide right miss. He went 1 for 3 on FG attempts this game. Thank goodness he didn’t have to try a PAT.

· Defense ends have been bashed the entire season for the Bills but they stepped it up today. Chris Kelsay had 5 tackles (2 assists) and 1 sack while Ryan Denney had 2 sacks, a forced fumble and 4 tackles.

· It was the first win for a west coast team coming to the east. Previous team were 0-14 (Bills themselves were 3-0).

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

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The Buffalo Bills had pretty high expectation coming into this season this year as their fans were excited about the young team the Bills assembled.  Then the Bills started off the year 4-0 and gave Bills fans even higher one.  It was being talked on local shows how the Bills might even be reach the Superbowl as they were the top AFC East team and one of the tops in the entire AFC.  After a 1-3 stretch, and two straight losses in the division, I am starting to wonder if the Bills are indeed the weakest link in the AFC East.

Now I know it is only two games, and the Bills are still sitting at a very nice record of 5-3 (which is 7^th in the AFC which is one spot out of a wildcard berth and tied for 1st in the AFC East) but losses to the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have raised some eyebrows. 

The Bills have played terrible football in the last two weeks.  For starters the running game is no where to be seen.  Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 9 times yesterday for 16 yards.  16 yards!  Are you kidding me?  This guy is a 1^st round draft pick and in his 2^nd year in the pros, he has yet to go past 100 yards this season on the ground.  The running back suffered from some kind of illness for most of the game yesterday.  Hopefully he doesn’t take a look at his performance, because that will make him sick all over again.  It certainly has made me.

The offensive line is horrible and it has been for the entire season.  Pro bowl LT Jason Peters is not going to get that big money extension that he held out for and missed the 1^st game of the regular season with, like he wants.  He is letting guys go right by him.  The rest of the line is very mediocre also.  They block for running backs that get an average of 93.8 yards a game which is good for 26^th best in the league.  Not only can they not run block but they can’t pass block either.  They allowed 5 sacks yesterday with some very nice “look out” blocks.

I didn’t know that J.P. Losman was playing in the game against the Jets?  Hmm, let’s take a look how he did… O wait…  Trent Edwards has played very poorly the last two weeks and the offense has sputtered.  In his defense he doesn’t have a real threat at the WR position other than Lee Evans, the running game is awful and he is getting pressured like crazy, but 3 turnovers in this one?  An absolute ugly interception that went for a pick 6 was thrown that ended a promising Bills drive.  Sure you can play the pressure and Roscoe Parrish for slipping but as a QB you don’t throw that ball into double coverage.  It didn’t even look like Edwards looked at Roscoe, just threw it where he thought he would be.  Edwards needs to step up his game too if he wants to led the Bills to the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade. 

With many of these problems being with the offense, the defense has also lacked in one big part of the game, stopping the opponent’s offense when it is needed.  Now don’t get me wrong the pick six by Jabri Greer was a great play that brought the Bills back into the game but the Bills had to come out and get the ball back.  Instead the Jets went right down the field, taking 8 minutes off of the clock and adding another field goal to put the game away.  A playoff caliber defense needs to step up and make that stop. 

The Bills started off the year so great, 4-0 and then 5-1.  They had the entire city of Buffalo behind them, cheering them on every week.  Even if it meant going to a friends house, crowded bar or dusting off the rabbit ears to catch the Bills game with grainy reception.  The game next week against the New England Patriots on the road is a must win for this Bills team.  They cannot go 0-3 in this division because teams will pass them by.  How can they accomplish a win?  For starters the team needs to get healthy and play like they did early in the season.  When the Bills had the good record to start off the season, they were playing great on all three aspects of the game.  Their offense was clicking, defense was solid and their special teams unit was game changing.  Now nothing is working on all sides of the ball.  They have to get back to basics and go with what worked early in the season.  Holding onto the football and establishing a rushing game is a must.  They have already lost to the Jets and Dolphins.  A loss to the Pats this week, by default, would make the Bills the worst team in the AFC East.      

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Hello Bills fans.  The bye week couldnt have come at a better time for the Bills.  With the horrible loss of the game and quarterback Trent Edwards to a concussion, the team can afford a few weeks to get healthy.  Hopefully when the Chargers come to town on October 19th, Edwards will be fully healed and ready to go.  Its amazing how as soon as Trent went down, the team just didn’t respond with J.P. Losman at the helm.  Although Losman did have an amazing 87 yard bomb to Lee Evans, the offense never seemed fluid and they couldnt overcome the four turnovers.  Im not going to blame JP for the loss because its extremely hard for a backup to come in and take over.  Edwards is the leader of the team and makes everyone around him believe that they can win any game.  Im hoping Trent is ok and helps this team get to the playoffs.  Go Bills.

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The Buffalo Bills came out flat in this one and got blown out 41-17 by the Arizona Cardinals.  Not only did the Bills lose the game to drop to 4-1 on the season but they also lost QB Trent Edwards to a concussion early in the 1st quarter. 

1^st Quarter

After Edwards was lost for the game (and possibily even longer), the Bills offense could get nothing going.  The only score of the 1st, came when Cards QB Kurt Warner threw a TD pass to a wide open Larry Fitzgerald.  After 1, Cards lead 7-0.

2^nd Quarter

The Bills attempted to make this one a ball game but their defense could not stop the Cardinals offensive attack.  Rookie RB Tim Hightower added a 17 yard run for a TD and vetran Edgerrin James also had a short TD run in the quarter. 

The Bills would get two touchdowns this quarter as they tried to get back into it.  The first one came on an absolute strike by backup QB JP Losman to Lee Evans.  The play went for 86 yards and the Bills finally got on the board.  The 2nd TD came on a Losman QB draw from the 2 yard line.

The teams would head into the tunnel at halftime with the Cardinals leading by 10, 24-14 over the Bills after K Neil Rackers hit a 47 yard FG as time expired.

3^rd Quarter

The Bills were able to get the game back to a 1 score game when K Rian Lindell hit a 48 yard FG of his own.  The Cards would not be shut out though in this quarter.  Towards the end of it, Larry Fitz caught his 2nd TD pass of the game and Arizona still lead 31-17 going into the 4th.

4^th Quarter

The Bills would end the game putting up a goose egg in the 4th where they are usually very good.  Neil Rackers hit another FG and Hightower scored his 2nd TD of the game on a short run inside the redzone.  The Cards high power offense was able to overmatch the Bills, winning the game 41-17.

Game Notes

• JP Losman sucks (Sorry not really a stat just had to throw it out there.  I’ll get more into that with the post tomorrow)
• The Bills turned the ball over 4 times in this one, while Arizona didn’t have any. 
• Marshawn Lynch had anothe subpar game with 55 yards on 13 carries.  In his defense though, the Bills started passing more and more as the game went on.
• The Bills also got killed in the time of possesion battle with the Cards holding onto the football for 36:16.
• This is the Bills last game before the bye week.  They take on the San Diego Chargers at home in their next game.

More to come on this game tomorrow.  As you can tell I am not very happy with the outcome or the way the game was played by the Bills in general.

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We are now just a mere 3 days away and counting until the Bills home opener on Sunday afternoon at the Ralph!  As a Bills fan I am PUMPED!!  Finally we get to see the team back in action and see what they can do against some pretty good competition in the Seattle Seahawks.

I broke down the Bills defense a couple days ago so today is time to show a little love to the O!

QB

1.  Trent Edwards

2. J.P. Losman

3. Gibran Hamdan

…The biggest question mark with this group is can they perform?  They all combined for 12 touchdown passes last season which was good for 29^th in the league.  Their combined passing yards of 2,634 was 30^th in the league.  In comparison to how bad this group was take a look at former Bills QB Todd Collins.  Last season the 35 year old (now 36) threw for 888 yards and 5 touchdowns in 4 games!…  Edwards worked hard in the off-season and added much needed muscle to his frame.  It will help him be more durably and keep him in the lineup.  It won’t hurt for his deep balls either.  When drafted he was suppose to be a leader.  The 2^nd year signal caller was voted team captain this season…  Losman is entering his last season as a Buffalo Bill.  His contract is up and he will take his services elsewhere.  A very gifted QB but was never very consistent…  Hamdan is back for another season.  He was on the practice squad last season before being signed to the club due to Edwards last season injury…

GRADE: C

RB

1. Marshawn Lynch

2. Fred Jackson

3. Xavier Omon

…Beast MODE is back!  After leading AFC rookies last season in most of the rushing categories, Lynch is looking to build on the numbers he had last season.  He is already one of the top 10 backs in the league…  Action Jackson is now in his second season of backing up Lynch.  Look for an article on him to come later in the year.  Not many people realize what he has gone through to make it to the league…  Omon, the rookie draft pick beat out Dwayne Wright during the preseason for the final RB spot.  Won’t see much time with the two guys he has in front of him…

GRADE: A-

FB

1. Darian Barnes

…Barnes is a 7 year vet and his big body should pave the way for a great season for Lynch.  The 6′ 2″, 240lb FB loves hitting people.  Look for him to clear the way for a great season running the ball.  Will do much better than those stupid H-backs in the past…

GRADE: C+

WR

1. Lee Evans

2. James Hardy

3. Josh Reed

4. Roscoe Parrish

5. Steve Johnson

6. Justin Jenkins

…Evans continues to be a huge deep threat and is by far the best WR for the Bills.  He worked with Edwards during the off-season so we will have to wait and see if that will pay off.  Evans put up some of the worst numbers of his career last year…  Hardy is the 2^nd round pick from Indiana.  The big target should get some opportunities in the red zone…  Reed is a great possession receiver on the Bills team.  He has reallu improved his catching ability since joining the Bills…  Parrish is the speed man who the Bills want to get the ball to.  His speed can change games.  A 5 yard slant could turn into a touchdown…  Johnson is the rookie wideout from Kentucky.  He was selected in the 7^th round.  He stood out during training camp and the preseason to win a roster spot…  Jenkins was kept for his special teams ability…

GRADE: B+

TE

1. Robert Royal

2. Derek Schouman

3. Derek Fine

…Royal caught 3 touchdown passes last season, and 2 came in one game.  He has had a good preseason though so let’s see if they try to get him more involved in the gameplan…  Schouman has 3 receptions in his career and is currently coming back from injury…  Fine the rookie from Kansas looks to get more reps at special teams this year than tight end.  When he gets healthy look for him to be an impact player on special teams which he was very good in at college…

GRADE: C

LT

1.  Jason Peters (HOLD OUT)

2. Langston Walker

3. Kirk Chambers

4. Matt Murphy

5. Demetrius Bell

…Peters is a bum.  Report to your team.  You’re not only hurting yourself but your teammates also…  Walker switched over from the right side of the line with the absence of Peters.  At 6′8″, 366 lb. he defiantly has the size to do it.  He will need to step up big time though.  Let’s be honest he is no Jason Peters… Chambers is starting at RT after Walker switched over… Murphy is a 7 year vet who is undersized for the LT position.  He should be on special teams duty all year…  Three years ago, Bell wasn’t even playing football.  He was playing basketball.  In college he started 22 games in a row at LT.  He has the size but needs to work on fundaments.  Has raw talent just needs to be groomed.  He was selected in the 7^th round, Pick 219^th overall…

GRADE: C

LG

1. Derrick Dockery

2. Jason Whittle

…Dockery stands at 6′6″ and 330 lbs.  He has to step up his play with Peters gone for the foreseeable future.  This is his 2^nd year with the Bills…  Whittle is a 10 year vet with a lot of experience.  Will help provide depth on the OL…

GRADE: C+

C

1. Melvin Fowler

2. Duke Preston

…Fowler has started all 16 games at center for the past two seasons for the Bills…  Most of Preston’s playing time last year came from special teams…

GRADE: C+

RG

1. Brad Butler

2. Duke Preston

…Butler is a 3 year player that has a huge body.  The 6′ 7″, 315 lb. guard started all 16 games last season…  In case you needed another fact on “Duke”, his real name is Raymond Newton Preston III…

GRADE: C

RT

1. Langston Walker (moved to LT while Peters holds out)

2. Kirk Chambers

…The former 6^th round pick is given the starting role by default.  He has only one start in his NFL career.  It was at left tackle against the Eagles in last year’s season finale.  The outcome?  No sacks allowed and helped Lynch gain 105 yards on the ground…

GRADE: D

Overall the Bills need to be able to run the ball and whatever QB is in needs to play consistent.  Edwards gets the ball out quick and not saying that Peters being gone will hurt the running game but Peters is a much better pass blocker than run blocker.  A true FB will also help out Lynch on the ground game.  The offense also needs to get the ball to the playmakers.  Lynch, Evans and Parrish should all be in the game plan every week to get a lot of touches.  Royal at TE also needs to be more of a receving threat.  He is a good blocker though so that will help out the line too.  The Bills O won’t do much this year numbers wise but if they can hang on to the football and control the clock it should be enough to get by on.    

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Hello Bills fans.  Quarterback Trent Edwards was back at practice after missing a week with a thigh contusion.  Its great to see Trent back at on the field with the season less than two weeks away.  Edwards will get some playing time Thursday night against the Lions but I dont see it being more than one or two series.  J.P. Losman will play but most of the time will probably go to third stringer Gibran Hamdan.  The team also released four players and placed quarterback Matt Baker on the waived injured list.  The suprise cut was defensive back Kennard Cox.  He was drafted in the seventh round but the team is deep in the secondary.  Look for the Bills to add Cox to the practice squad if no one else picks him up.  Check out the article on buffalobills.com.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  The Buffalo Bills defeated the Colts last night at the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  J.P. Losman led the first team offense to two scoring drives.  The most impressive was the 18 play 94 yard which took over 10 minutes off of the clock.  The drive was capped off by a one-yard by rookie Xavier Omon.  Losman looked great in this game.  He made quick decisions and released the ball on time to his wideouts.  Its comforting to know that we have a more than capable backup quarterback.  Losman should good command and only had one bad throw.  Lee Evans and Josh Reed were his go to guys and Justin Jenkins made a nice grab for a first down.  The offensive line played well and gave Losman plenty of time to throw the ball.  Left tackle Langston Walker held Dwight Freeney in check and is getting better at his new position.  It was scary when he left the field but x-rays were negative on his forearm.  I still would love to see Jason Peters report one of these days so Walker could move back to the right side.  The Defense had a fantastic game last night getting four interceptions.  Ashton Youboty, Keith Ellison, John Wendling, and Reggie Corner all had picks on the night.  The defensive line played well and on the first play of the game Chris Kelsay sacked Jared Lorenzen.  I cant wait to see this team hit the field on September 7th.  Check out the highlights of the game on nfl.com.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  Tonight the Buffalo Bills travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts.  This will be the first game at Lucas Oil stadium.  Trent Edwards has been ruled out for the game as he is still recovering from the thigh contusion suffered on Tuesday night.  Also out for the game are wide receivers James Hardy and Roscoe Parrish.  J.P. Losman will get the start tonight and it will be interesting to see how he plays with the first team offense.  Losman was the Bills starter for the 2006 season and had a successful year.  He started the 2007 season but lost his job to Edwards after an injury.  Losman has shown flashes but needs to get rid of the ball quicker.  The Bills need to establish the run tonight just like they did against the Steelers last week.  The starters will play at least the first half tonight.  This game will also give players on the bubble a chance to shine for the coaches before the first roster cutdown to 75 on August 26.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  It feels like yesterday that the Bills started their 2008 training camp at St. John Fisher.  I cant believe a month has gone by already.  Trent Edwards was held out of practice today with a thigh contusion.  He is said to be day to day which is great news.  Marshawn Lynch was practicing today after last nights leg to leg collison with Edwards.  Im thankful that Trent’s injury is minor and hopefully he will be full strength by Sunday.  If Coach Jauron decides to hold him out, J.P. Losman will get the start.  I really want to see how Trent performs after last weeks great game.  The starters usually play the entire first half in the third preseason game and it would be nice to see what Trent can accomplish.  Left tackle Jason Peters is still a no-show.  It has been rumored that he would report soon.  Rams holdout running back Stephen Jackson will report to Rams camp tomorrow.  This is a good sign because he has the same agent as Jason Peters.  Hopefully Peters will be back with the team because we need him for the start of the season.  Lets Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  I just received a text message from buffalobills.com that Trent Edwards appeared to have injured his right knee during practice tonight.  As per Chris Brown’s blog, Edwards was hit knee to knee but was able to walk to the locker room under his own power.  There will be further updates later on.  Once I received this text message my heart stopped.  The last thing we need is to lose Trent for an extended period of time.  Its encouraging to see that he was able to walk on his own power but nobody wants to see their starting qb injured in practice.  Quarterbacks dont get hit in practice so this must have been a freak accident.  Hopefully this is something minor and Trent wont miss any time.  The season is less than three weeks away and we need him to be 100%.  I do have confidence in backup J.P. Losman but feel this team has become Trent’s team and he is the leader.  Tomorrow is the last day of training camp at St. John Fisher and the team will begin to prepare for its last two preseason games in Buffalo.  Get well soon Trent.  We need you out there.  Go Bills. 

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