Countdown to Kickoff: Bills D vs. Radiers Running Game
Archive for the ‘Keith Ellison’
Thoughts on Bills Big Win
Wow. That’s how I can sum up such a great game by the Buffalo Bills in this one. It was an all-around team effort. The special teams play was amazing. The defense played very well too and the offense stepped up when needed. In this article I will break down all of it, give out the game ball, top plays, and even cover some of the other top stories in the NFL and of course will give my opinions on all of those too. First though I will start with the Bills vs. Seahawks game, with my thoughts on everything.
THINGS THAT WERE GREAT
- Special Teams: How could I write an article on the Bills and not talk about their special teams. Terrence McGee, on his only return of the game, went 27 yards to set up the Bills in good field position. Roscoe Parrish had the highlight reel return, 63 yards for a touchdown. He was great all day setting a Bills record for return yards. Parrish had 120 yards on 6 returns. That’s good for a 20.0 average! Rian Lindell went 2 for 3 on field goal attempts. On his only missed attempt, it was blocked which was the only downside to an incredible game from the special teams. Also, not only did punter/holder Brain Moorman throw for a 19 yard TD, he also averaged over 40 yards a punt, with 9 of them in this one. His great kicks pinned the Seahawks deep in their territory, which made it difficult for them to sustain drives. 46.6 yards a punt is amazing! That stat in this game will be overlooked due to the other great plays.
- Defense: So they couldn’t get a shutout but man did this group look great. The linebackers stepped up and Keith Ellison played a very good game (couldn’t even tell Angelo Crowell was gone which is incredible). The D-line was great and the coverage by the secondary was also very good. Just got beat on one TD play (should have been another one if the Seahawks could catch) and even that one was played decent by Jabari Greer. Newcomers played GREAT!
- NEWCOMERS: Welcome to the squad Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell. Stroud was a force all day and made his home in the Seahawks backfield. The big tackle also let the linebackers run free. Mitchell was great, and looked like he was everywhere on the field. He recorded a great sack on a two player A gap blitz. Even though he was on the team last year, I still consider Paul Poz a newcomer also. He also looked good. Even with Crowell out for the year, the Bills LB core looked solid.
- Kirk Chambers: Jason who? For a guy who never started a game at RT (and only one at LT) in his entire career he looked great. Kept one of the best DEs in the game off of Edwards. Really placed very well, especially because the Bills left him 1-on-1 most of the game. Will provide great depth with Peters back in the mix.
- Running game: In total the Bills rushed 29 times for 106 yards and a TD. Pretty good numbers for a good squad with Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson.
- 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Quarter Edwards: Trent Edwards struggled coming in to the game but shook off the rust to finish with a good performance. 19 for 30, 215 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTS. That will get the job done on most weeks.
- Kyle Williams: 1.5 sacks and stopped the run all game. Enough said.
THINGS THAT NEED WORK
- Kick Coverage: Bills coverage teams did not look well at all. Averaged 26.5 yards on kickoffs and 18 yards on punts. Needs to improve. Really the only bad note for a great game.
GAMEBALL
- Coaching Staff: Sorry Mitchell, Stroud and Parrish but the Bills coaching staff was on fire this game. Of course Bobby Aprils special teams played well and he was behind the fake FG for a TD call. New Bills coordinator Turk Schonert opened up the offense. Didn’t get into trick plays but got the ball to his playmakers. The O wasn’t predictable and went to step on the ‘Hawks throat with the Trent play action TD pass, something that wouldn’t have happened a year ago. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell also did his job excellent. He sent blitz all day that bottled up Seattle’s running game and also his secondary was great. Hats off to all of the coaches involved in this one.
GRADING THE BILLS
- Running Game: B
Lynch stepped up when needed including TD run in 1st quarter.
- Passing Game: B+
Not off the chart numbers but good enough to win the game. Edwards managed the game well and did not turn the ball over. Also made some good check offs.
- Run D: A
Stroud, Kyle Williams and the rest of the line stood out while holding the Seahawks to 85 yards on the ground.
- Pass D: A
Pass rush was very good and secondary played well. Got beat on just one play and also McGee was able to finally get his hand on the football in the 4th quarter with an INT to seal the game.
- Special Teams: A+
Two special team TDs, and good punting. Hey even the bad kick coverage can’t bring this grade down.
- Coaching: A+
Not only do they get the game ball but an A+ too. Wow if only the Bills coaching staff cared about this blog…
TOP PLAYS
- Like the top plays for the Bills were even hard to pick. Very easy to decide these two. The Fake Field Goal for the TD (Moorman to Denney for 19 yards) and the Parrish return.
NO HUDDLE OFFENSE
This is the first time I am writing this so my no huddle offense is a quick rundown of the top stories of the week, and my thoughts on them.
- Tom Brady placed on IR. He torn his ACL and as a Bills fan I am happy (does that make me wrong in the head or something). Now the Pats are without their leader and best player. I think anyone that they bring in will not come anywhere close. Knock on wood but I think the Bills will have a good chance to take a run at the AFC East crown.
- Vince Young also is hurt. Out for 2-4 weeks. Titans still win their game and lets be honest, Young wasn’t very good anyways.
- Brett Favre wins his first game as a Jet. Also makes a Brett Favre throw. Just threw the ball up in the air and the Jets came down with the TD.
- Aaron Rodgers also wins his first game with the Packers as a starting QB. Take that Brett! Like the comparisons between the two continue.
- AFC GIANTS STRUGGLE: Chargers lost to Carolina, Colts lost to Bears. The AFC Giants struggled this week with only the Steelers picking up a win.
- NFC GIANTS DO FINE: The defending Superbowl champs win their first game and the Cowboys take care of business against the Browns.
Can’t wait for Week 2 to begin already! Let’s go BUFFALO! Enjoy some Monday Night Football.
Crowell Placed on IR
Hello Bills fans. The Buffalo Bills just announced that they have placed linebacker Angelo Crowell on injured reserve. Buffbillsfan posted earlier that Crowell would be out for Sunday’s game because he decided to have his knee scoped just three days before the season. Being placed on injured reserve is not going to sit well with Angelo because this is a contract year for him. The Bills decided to place him on IR because they are short handed at linebacker and were upset that Crowell waited this long for surgery. This is terrible news because Crowell is a great player and the leading tackler on this team. Keith Ellison is once again a starter and will be counted on to fill the shoes of Crowell. Lets hope this is the last of the injuries we will face. I can’t stomach another year like last when 1/3 of the team went down. Go Bills.
Countdown to Kickoff: Breaking Down the Bills Defense
The season is starting in just under 5 games with the Buffalo Bills home opener just around the corner. The game is of course on Sunday, September 7th when the Bills take on the Seattle Seahawks at the Ralph at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time).
So what am I going to do for you guys out there reading this? Get you pumped for the regular season opener! From now until Sunday I will be covering the Bills as a team and their chances of making the playoffs. First, I will cover the Buffalo Bills defense. I will list the depth chart of the position in my breakdown of the D position by position and give them an overall grade along with some commentary of the team.
DE
1. Aaron Schobel
2. Chris Kelsey
3. Ryan Denney
4. Chris Ellis
5. Copeland Bryan
The Bills have a very solid group of defensive ends on the roster this year. That means they will have a good duo out there on any play seeing as the Bills like to rotate in the freshest players on the D-line… Schobel has made the pro bowl two years in a row but he is trying to improve his sack total for this year after only 6.5 sacks last year, the lowest in his career since his rookie season back in 2001… Kelsey is trying to return to top form after he battled nagging injuries all last season. He underwent off-season surgery on his torn tendon in his ankle… Denney is also trying to return to top form after he had to undergo foot surgery. He was only able to play in 7 games last year due to the injury… Chris Ellis is the rookie DE from Virginia Tech. He was selected by the Bills in the 3rd round. Ellis could be used as a situational pass rusher and is also good against the run. Fast fact, the last DE selected by the Bills from VT, Bruce Smith… Bryan appeared in only 2 games last season and was later put on the IR in December. Before joining the Bills last season, Bryan was on the Bear practice squad…
GRADE: B
DT
1. Marcus Stroud
2. Kyle Williams
3. John McCargo
4. Spencer Johnson
The Bills are hoping that a healthy Stroud can return to his former pro bowl form. The 6’ 6’’, 306 lb. tackle was brought in to help improve the Bills D against the run which finished near the bottom of the league last season. Stroud will also get some double team attention at the line giving the DEs and LBs some room to run and make plays… The 25 yard old Williams just signed a contract extension this off-season for 3 more years in Buffalo… McCargo, the former 1st round pick (26th overall) in the 2006 draft was fined this spring for being overweight. He reported to camp in shape and looks to build into a starting DT… Johnson came over in the off-season as a free agent from he Vikings. He didn’t put up huge numbers because he played behind the monstrous Williamses in Minnesota…
GRADE: B- (Grade will improve after we see how Stroud plays)
MIDDLE LB
1. Paul Posluszny
2. John DiGiorgio
Poz is BACK! After fracturing his forearm in the Bills Week 3 game last year he is back at 100%. The guy just has a nose for the ball and is a great tackler. Through the first 3 games last year, he led the Bills with 26 tackles (remember he didn’t even finish the 3rd game)… DiGiorgio had a very good year last year filling in for the injuried Posluzny. He had 113 tackles last season to go along with 2 sacks and 1 INT. Provides great depth at the MLB position…
GRADE: B+
WEAK-SIDE LB
1. Kawika Mitchell
2. Jon Corto
Mitchell was an early free agent signing for the Bills. The Superbowl Champion is highly underrated. He had 86 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 INT to go along with 2 forced fumbles. Something to remember, his last game in Buffalo on December 23rd of last season, he had 2 sacks, forced a fumble, and returned an INT for a touchdown… Corto is the Orchard Park native now on his hometown Bills squad. He was on the Bills practice squad last season…
GRADE: B
STRONG-SIDE LB
1. Angelo Crowell
2. Keith Ellison
The 27 year old Crowell is entering his contract year with the Bills. This is the last season of the 3 year deal he signed in 2005. He too is another Bills LB that is highly underrated. He had 126 tackles last season that led the team… Ellison also played significant time last season. He had 39 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 INT in 12 games last season…
GRADE: B+
CB
1. Terrence McGee
2. Jabari Greer
3. Ashton Youboty
4. Leodis McKelvin
5. Reggie Corner
McGee was the clear choice for the #1 corner spot. McGee has 78 tackles and 4 INTs last season in 15 games… Greer looked to be the odd man out with the Bills after they selected a bundle of corners in the draft. He has played hard though and the Bills coaching staff is impressed. He earned the #2 spot for at least the first half of the season… Youboty was another guy that was as good as gone before the preseason but he played hard and had two very good games. He won the nickel corner spot because of his great progress… McKelvin was the #11 pick in this years draft. He has looked so-so in the preseason. He has either made a good play or has completely messed it up. It will be interesting to see whether he plays a lot at all this year. A candidate to play in the dime and quarter packages for the Bills (which they don’t run very much at all)… Corner was a ball hawk in college and had a sharp preseason. The rookie has even be rumored to be ahead of McKelvin on the depth chart…
GRADE: C+
FS
1. Ko Simpson
2. George Wilson
Simpson is looking to rebound after he was injured in the Bills 1st game last season against the Denver Broncos and then placed on the IR for the year. The 4th round draft pick from the 2006 draft is looking to have a breakout year and also continue the chemistry with SS Donte Whitner after the two started their entire rookie seasons together… Wilson played in 12 games last season after Simpson and former Bills safety Brain Leonard went down, before of course he went down to injury also. It occurred before the last week of the season. He ended the year with 37 tackles and 2 picks…
GRADE: C
SS
1. Donte Whitner
2. Bryan Scott
3. John Welding
Whitner guaranteed that the Bills will make the playoffs this season. He has been an unofficial team captain since he was drafted. He shows great leadership and also builts team chemistry by having the team over for film watching and he even took McKelvin under his wing during the off-season Hard qualities to find from a 23 year old entering his third season of NFL play… Scott returns for another stint in Buffalo after he played in 15 games last season, most in a special teams role… Same goes for Welding. Will play in the special teams role…
GRADE: B
Overall the Bills defense has a good mix of playmakers and role players. Due to all of the injuries last season, the Bills now have good depth at almost all of their positions. They are a young D that flys to the football. Look for team to improve as an entire unit this year.
Here is the rundown on what I will be covering the rest of the week:
Weds: Bills Offense
Thurs: Bills Special Teams
Fri: Breakdown of the Bills Schedule and Chances of Making the Playoffs
Sat: Game Preview with my Picks of all of the Winners in Week 1
Sun: Game recap with Commentary
Preseason Game 3: Bills 20 Colts 7
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.
Preseason Game 2: Steelers vs. Bills in Toronto
Hello Bills fans. The Buffalo Bills will face the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. This is the first game out of eight scheduled in the next five years in Toronto. I wish I was able to watch the game live but will be following it online. The game also re-airs at midnight on NFL Network. I hope Coach Dick Jauron lets Trent Edwards and the rest of the starting offense play the entire first quarter. I want to see Trent attempt more than five passes like he did last week. Josh Reed and Angelo Crowell will not play tonight. James Hardy will start at wide receiver and Keith Ellison will start at linebacker for Crowell. It looks like Donte Whitner will play this week after missing Saturdays game against Washington. I hope our shortage at tackle doesnt effect some of our key guys playing time. I dont want to see some of our starting o-line go deep into this one. Its only the second preseason game so I would rather see our starting units ease into game condition. Go Bills.
Salary Cap
Hello Bills fans. As free agency approaches, the Bills are an estimated 30+ million under the salary cap. The team also has 49 players under contract going into the 2008 season. This should mean that the Bills will go after a few free agents starting February 29th. The front office spent a lot last offseason to beef up the offensive line. I’m expecting that to be done this year on the defensive line. The two main positions that should be focused on are defensive line and linebacker. Many complained after the team shelled out big contracts to both Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel. Kelsay had a disappointing season but was bothered by an ankle injury. Schobel didn’t have as many sacks as he did in 06 but was voted to the Pro Bowl. He improved on every area of his game and if the team can pick up a defensive tackle, both players will have a great season in 08. I would love to see them pursue Albert Haynesworth but I believe he will stay with the Titans. As of right now, Paul Posluszny and Angelo Crowell are penciled in as starting linebackers. The team will look to improve on the weakside position, which is currently being held by Keith Ellison. I like Ellison and think he is solid but he is undersized. My dream would be for the team to sign Lance Briggs. I don’t think that will happen because Briggs is going to get big money and the Bills will state that he is out of their price range. Look for the team to draft a linebacker or pickup an up and coming star. I also have a feeling that the team will sign a wide receiver. I mentioned that they are interested in Ernest Wilford and I believe he wont command that big of a contract. I’m looking forward to free agency and feel the team will address some major needs before the draft. Go Bills.
Bills Looking To Draft Linebacker?
Hello Bills fans. As the Super Bowl approaches, I cant stop thinking about who the Bills will take in the 2008 NFL Draft. I read an article today on realfootball365 about the Bills coaches interviewing and observing linebackers at this past Saturdays Senior Bowl. The team is looking for a weakside linebacker to replace Keith Ellison. I for one liked the way Ellison played but was a little undersized and didn’t make much noise when on the field. The best linebackers available are Keith Rivers from USC and Xavier Adibi from Virginia Tech. Putting Rivers or Adibi next to Posluszny and Crowell will do wonders for the Bills defense. I don’t know if the Bills will take a linebacker with the 11th pick because I don’t feel that is our most pressing need. The defense can really use a defensive tackle and a tall wide receiver. I would love to address both of those needs in free agency and then we will be able to draft Rivers with the 11th pick. We will have to wait and see what the Bills front office does once free agency starts. April cannot come soon enough. Go Bills.
