Die Hard Sports Fan

With even more Bills injuried, I though today would be a day to bring up the rest of the players not practicing.

DT John McCargo is excused and of course QB Trent Edwards is still out. Watching the pratice today are WR Roscoe Parrish (thumb), CB Terrence McGee (knee), CB Ashton Youboty, SS Ko Simpson, OL Melvin Fowler, DE Chris Kelsay, DE Aaron Schobel and DT Marcus Stroud (who rode the stationary bike). 

It seems like half of the team is out.  Good thing this week is a bye week which will give the players some more time to rest before their matchup against the San Diego Chargers.

Share This

The Buffalo Bills will face the Arizona Cardinals tomorrow afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Broadcast Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ St. Louis Rams (0-3)
TV: CBS (Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein)
Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). All done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

FOR BILLS FANS WATCHING THE GAME IN THE BUFFALO AREA:

Remember you will need to bust out the rabbit ears for this one if you have Time Warner Cable.  With the local CBS channel being pulled off the air for the time being you will have to unplug your cable from the back of your TV and then plug in the antenna.  The quality for this game won’t be too great though seeing as it is coming over the air.  Try to find a friends house with satellite, as they will not be affected by this.

Game Notes:

• The Bills have won four consecutive games against the Cardinals and lead the all-time series, 5-3.
• Quarterback Trent Edwards is only the second Bills quarterback to win three consecutive games after trailing in the fourth quarter
• Bills defensive tackle Marcus Stroud leads all NFL defensive linemen with four passes defensed.  He is questionable in this game.
• Following a loss at Washington in Week 3, the Cardinals spent the week leading up to their game at Buffalo on the East Coast in order to avoid traveling across three time zones in consecutive weeks. Arizona was 2-0 before losing both games on the road trip.
•  Steve Breaston will have to step up his game because Boldin can’t go. Breaston was one of three receivers for the Cardinals with 100-plus receiving yards against the Jets.
• The Bills have scored 45 fourth-quarter points this season
• Buffalo hasn’t had a 5-0 start since 1991.
•  Larry Fitzgerald reached 350 receptions in his career in only his 64th game, the third fastest in NFL history. Only Boldin (58) and Lionel Taylor (63) were faster.
• The Line: The Cardinals are favored by 1. Over/Under 44.5.

Injury Report:

Bills - Out of Game: TE Derek Fine (Hand) and WR Roscoe Parrish (Thumb).  Doubtful: CB Terrence McGee (Knee).  Questionable: DT Marcus Stroud (Shoulder) and DE Aaron Scobel (Foot).

Cardinals - Out of Game: WR Anquan Boldin (Head).  Doubtful: DE Bertrand (Groin).  Questionable: TE Leonard Pope (Ankle), SS Adrian Wilson (Hamstring), and TE Jerame Tuman (Hamstring).  Probable: G Elton Brown (Shoulder), DT Darnell Dockett (Hamstring) and DT Gabe Watson (Knee).

Quote of the Week:

“It’s exciting.  I feel like we’ve come a long way. Working together this offseason and through these four games, I feel like we’ve developed something that I think this organization respects and seeing that, I think they’re rewarding a very valuable commodity to this team.”

-Bills QB Trent Edwards on the Lee Evans contract extension

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

Share This

Hello and welcome back to the site Bills fans!  Our Countdown to Kickoff posts have begun.  To start it off, Paul Kasprzak joins us for an interview.  Paul currently blogs about the entire NFL at his site, kasperskorner.speakupwny.com, but he is also a Bills fan.  He was kind enough to take some time away from writing to join us (as always my questions are in bold while the answers given are in normal font).  Here we go!

 

First I would like to start it off with some NFL news.  Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin was fired on Tuesday.  What are your thoughts on this?

Nobodys fault but his own.  For him to think he could get his dad to run the defense is crazy.  It never would have happened if the Raiders pursued it.  The Buccaneers are notorious for not letting coaches go under contract.

 

I’ll stick with the entire NFL for this question.  Who is the best and worst team so far this season?

Worst team is by far the Saint Louis Rams.  They have a boat load of money tied up into aging stars like Orlando Pace, and Torry Holt.  It is going to be at least five years before they turn it around.

 

The best is the Bills.  They have won four straight.  They have won with two units that are in the process of some overhauls, and have not gotten the execution down yet.  The offense should be scary by the end of the year, and Trent Edwards stats should blow peoples’ minds away.  The west coast offense is one of the premier offenses in the National Football League.  It gives the quarterback a better chance to succeed by allowing him to get into a rhythm easier with the short passes, which in the second half benefits the running game.  It benefits from the pass, because defenses in the second half are just flat worn out from being on the field so long.

 

Now we will get to the Bills who are now 4-0, one of only two teams in the NFL who have that record.  What are your thoughts on how the Bills have looked through the 1^st quarter of the season?

They have looked pretty good.  Defensively, they have it together.  The addition of Stroud, thus forcing defensive tackle Kyle Williams to move over, has been huge.  Both of them together are probably one of the best defensive tackle tandems in the league.  The other units I addressed in the previous question.

 

What have you thought of 2^nd year QB Trent Edwards?

He is without a shadow of a doubt the franchise quarterback of the Bills, and by the end of the year, statistically, will be one of the top five in the league.

 

How about the coaches?  What are your thoughts on the job Head Coach Dick Jauron, and new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert have done so far this season?

They have done a good job.  The only thing you can complain about is the play calling by the coordinators in the first half of the Saint Louis Rams game.  Not enough blitzes on defense, and too many deep passes on offense.  The deep jump fade was a bad call.  It is an extremely difficult thing to do.  The wide receiver has to find the ball get to the right spot, and then time his jump perfectly, so that he catches it at the peak of his jump.  Personally, I would have waited to call this till Edwards and Hardy perfected the goal line fade.

 

Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but looking at the Bills schedule where do you see them finishing this season?

Somewhere between 11-5 to 13-3.  Every game for the Bills this year is winnable if the defense keeps performing the way it has.

 

Now let’s get into the game on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.  How big of a factor do you thing CB Terrence McGee being out of the lineup will have on the Bills defense?

Not much at all.  Most likely the Cardinals will be with out wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and in the offseason they lost their third wide receiver Bryant Johnson to free agency.  Even without McGee they should be fine, and the Kurt Warner of old finally reared its head again.

 

What are your “keys to the game” in order for the Bills to pull off a victory?

Simple, minimize their mistakes.  They are talented enough that if they execute the plays they were designed they can beat any team. 

 

Now I have to ask you for a prediction.  Who do you have winning this one?
The Bills.  Kurt Warner is unreliable, and is a turnover machine.  Without Boldin the defense will load up against the run, and force Warner to try and beat the Bills with a double teamed Larry Fitzgerald.

Share This

Today was suppose to be a breakdown of the matchup between the Buffalo Bills DB’s and the Arizona Cardinals passing game, but breaking news came out about two players that will force this breakdown to be pushed back a day or two.

For starters, Cardinal’s WR Anquan Boldin has not been ruled out for the Week 5 matchup between the two teams.  Boldin suffered a devasting hit in the final minute of the Cardinals, Jets game.  He was taken off the field by a stretcher.  Rotoworld.com is reports that Boldin has about a 50-50 chance to play though.  Here is what they had to say:

Anquan Boldin (head) didn’t practice Wednesday, but the Cardinals aren’t ruling him out for Week 5 against the Bills.  Coach Ken Whisenhunt says Boldin needs to be cleared medically before any determination on his playing status is made. Boldin says his only injury is a “fracture near his sinus.” His chances of facing Buffalo seem 50-50 at best. 

So with seemingly good news coming out of Cards Camp, what did the Bills get?  Well it wasn’t great news coming out of Bills camp, but hey at least their starting CB Terrence McGee was not ruled out.  McGee was hurt in the win against the St. Louis Rams.  Here is what the Canadian Press is reporting (it is the most recent story published on McGee):

Cornerback Terrence McGee, who wore a brace on his left knee and walked with a noticeable limp, was one of three Buffalo Bills defensive starters to miss practice Wednesday as the team prepared to play at Arizona this weekend.

Coach Dick Jauron wouldn’t rule McGee out, saying he will continue to have his sprained knee tested through the end of the week. McGee said the knee was still sore, but had improved since Monday, when he had difficulty walking.

“I haven’t given up hope yet,” McGee said. “I’m really not too sure. I’m just trying to see from day to day.”

Don’t be alarmed too much Bills fans.  The other two defensive starters missing pratice today were DT Marcus Stroud (left shoulder) and DE Aaron Schobel (foot). They were both hurt in the last game, but both finished the game.  Both are also expected back at pratice tomorrow. 

If McGee can not go, Nickel corner Ashton Youboty and 1st round pick Leodis McKelvin would be the two guys getting the playing time.  Both have played pretty well so far this season.

Needless to say the breakdown between these two teams will take place later in the week when the injury report comes out.  My question to those of you out there is, “Who is more important to their team if they are unable to play and why?”.  Please leave the answer is a comment or send the response to buffbillsfan517@yahoo.com.  I will address the best/most interesting answers in the breakdown that comes later in the week. 

Share This

Hello and welcome back to the site Bills fans. Only a little more than 3 days left before the Oakland Raiders take on the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson stadium. I know you guys out there are just as excited about the game that I am so let’s get into one of the big match ups that will decide the winner of the game, the Bills rush defense against the Radiers Running game. BUFFALO BILLS The Bills rush defense has looked much improved so far this season, especially compared with last season where they were in the bottom half of the league. This is not the same team that it was last year though. Newcomers Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell have made sure to that. Second year linebacker, Paul Poz, who missed all but the first 3 games due to injury has also stepped right back in where he left off. Stroud has been a force in the first 2 weeks so far. He is deffienty the player that the Bills thought they were trading for in the offseason and even more. He is so big and powerful. He just pushes the offensive line the other way. He also draws double teams that open up the field for everyone on the defense to make plays. It let’s the linebackers roam free and it also takes some of the focus off of the Bills defensive ends. Stroud has had 7 tackles this year to go along with 2 sacks. Pro Bowl DE Aaron Schobel has 6 tackles with 1 sack, while linebackers Paul Poz has 12 tackles, Mitchell has 7 and 1 sack, and former backup now starter Keith Ellison has 4 tackles. Just one person can make the world of difference. The Bills rush defense has been rock solid so far. They have only let up 91.5 yards a game on the ground while holding one of the top runningback duos in the league last game to under 70 yards. If the Bills want to win this game, that will have to continue. OAKLAND RAIDERS The Bills caught a little bit of a break with top Raiders runningback Justin Fargas not being able to play this week due to a servere groin injury. That is going to put the workload on top rookie Darren McFadden and 2nd year man Michael Bush. The Raiders rushed for 300 yards last week against the Kansas City Cheifs and 164 of those yards came from McFadden. They don’t need 300 yards, but they need to keep control of the ball and take time off the clock. If the running game doesn’t get going the Raiders will lose this game. I guarnteed it. WINNER of this Match Up I got to go with the Bills on this one. Their front 7 has looked so good and they have a very capable saftey in Donte Whitner to come up and make the stop if needed. All the Bills really need to do is focus on the run. If they can stop the Raiders backs, they will win this game. Oakland certainly can’t pass the ball to try to stay in it.

Share This

The Buffalo Bills will face the Jacksonville Jaguars tomorrow afternoon one the road at Alltel Stadium.

TV & Radio Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (1-0) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
TV: CBS (Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker)
Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). All done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• Marcus Stroud returns to his old team after they traded him in the off-season. He will come back with a chip on his shoulder. Look for a big game coming from #99.
• Last season the Bills scored a franchise-record low 20 offensive touchdowns. Of those 20 TDs, only 5 came on the road.
• Pro bowl left tackle Jason Peters has been activated for tomorrow’s game. It will be his first start of the 2008 regular season after he missed the first game, all of the preseason and all of training camp due to a contract holdout.
• Head Coach Dick Jauron was named the NFL’s coach of the week for week 1 for the Bills 34-10 performance against the Seattle Seahawks.
• Bills have beaten the Jaguars 4 of the last 6 times and lead the overall series 4-3. However the Jags got the best of the Bills last season, forcing former starter J.P. Losman into 3 turnovers as the Jags destroyed the Bills 36-14.
• The last time the Bills played on September 14^th (like they are tomorrow), it was 2003. They beat, you guessed it, the Jacksonville Jaguars 38-17.

Injury Report:

Bills - Out of Game: TE Derek Fine (Hand). Probable: WR Roscoe Parrish (Ribs), LB John DiGiorgio (Back), DT John McCargo (Back)

Jaguars- Out of Game: C Brad Meester (Biceps); WR Troy Williamson (Thigh). Questionable: OL Todd Wade (Ankle); WR Jerry Porter (Hamstring); CB Scott Starks (Pectoral). Probable: WR Dennis Northcutt (Back); G Uche Nwaneri (Knee); DT Derek Landri (Quadricep); OT Charles Spencer (Knee); TE Greg Estandia (Knee); FS Reggie Nelson (Hip); WR Matt Jones (Hamstring).

Quotes of the Week:

“Every time I get the ball in my hands, I don’t just think first down. I think touchdown.”

-Buffalo Bills WR and PR Roscoe Parrish

“If you talk to anybody in the league, everybody wants to beat the Patriots, but everybody wants to beat the Patriots with (Brady) playing quarterback, when they are obviously at their best. That’s not a shot at Cassel or anybody else they have. But (Brady’s) probably the best quarterback in the league and you definitely want to beat them when he’s the quarterback.”

-Buffalo Bills DT Kyle Williams

“It’s going to be a homecoming, with a butt whipping. Did I say that right? A homecoming, with a butt whipping. Yeah, yeah, I like that.”

-Jacksonville Jaguars DT John Henderson on Stroud returning to face his old team

Feel free to chat with other Bills fans in the Tag Board in the right column.

Share This

Hello and welcome back to the site Bills fans!  The game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars is just under 3 days away.  Instead of breaking down another match up today, I was able to get an interview with Tim Hiller, a columnist for billsgab.com.  They put on a great site there so be sure to check them out.  You can find them on our ” Bills Fan Buddies” links on the left hand site of the site.  Let’s get down to business as I grill Tim about the Bills and the NFL (NOTE: I am in bold while Tim’s answers are just in regular font).

What are your thoughts on the Bills 34-10 win over the Seahawks?

I was obviously excited to see the Bills perform so well.  If you had told me going in that they would win 34-10 I would have taken it without hesitation.  However, let’s not forget that in this game, the bills scored two special teams touchdowns.  Were it not for Roscoe Parrish, as awful as the Seahawks played, they would have been tied going into half time.  I also felt like the fake field goal put the game out of reach, so assuming the Bills aren’t going to score two special teams touchdowns every week, I’m not ready to crown them AFC champs.

How did you like the play calling on both sides of the ball?  I loved the defense and the play action pass call that went for the TD after the kick return fumble recovery for the offense.  This is certainly not last year’s offense.

Playcalling was great on both sides. 

On offense: The Bills let Edwards take his shots.  I mentioned on billsgab.com that I thought it’s really important moving forward that the Bills continue to take shots on offense so that underneath stuff was there, and that so Lynch wouldn’t face 8 or 9 guys in the box.  Moving forward I’d like to see the Bills try some more aggressive short passing (too many screens, not enough working intermediate routes over the middle) and let Edwards show what he’s got.

On defense:  No complaints.  Great job of bringing pressure, and balancing that with dropping back.

How do you think the Bills will fair this season?

I said before the season that I thought the Bills would be 7-9.  I’m sticking to that until I see how they do on the road, and against the league’s best teams.  The win over Seattle, while great, was against a Seattle team that by the end of the game was missing it’s entire receiving core, and no longer has Sean Alexander.  Not to mention Matt Hasselback didn’t practice all preseason.

Tom Brady was lost for the season due to a devastating knee injury.  How do you think Matt Cassell (who hasn’t started a game since high school) will do his next game against the New York Jets and do you think the Pats will be able to make another playoff run without their best player and reigning MVP?

I think the Patriots are still the team to beat in the AFC.  We’ve seen them lose players before and not miss a step.  Of course they’ve never lost Tom Brady.  But they have enough talent on that team, and more importantly, enough experience to rally around Matt Cassell.  My gut tells me that the Patriots probably will fall short, but I think they’ve earned the right for everyone to expect them to be the cream of the crop until proven otherwise.

Who is your AFC East winner and why?
I really can’t pick a winner, it’s so wide open.  I’m going with the Patriots for now, until they prove otherwise.  That being said, I don’t see it as out of the realm of possibility that the Patriots will finish 3-13.  We just don’t know how they will react.  But given their history, I’m not betting against them just yet.  Ask me again next week.

Who are your playoff teams in the AFC and NFC?  And of course I have to ask, who’s your Superbowl picks and who is winning it all (I got the Packers and the Steelers, and that pick was made BEFORE the Brady injury and yes I have proof)?

Gee we are getting ahead of ourselves here.  But since you asked:

AFC:
Patriots
Steelers
Colts
Chargers
Broncos
Tennessee 

I have the Steelers going to the Superbowl

NFC:
Cowboys
Packers
Panthers
Saints
Bears
Giants

I have the Cowboys going to the superbowl and winning it.  That’s my meaningless projection anyways.  We’ll see.

 

Now let’s get back to the Bills.  What are your keys to the game on Sunday if the Bills expect to win?
They must be able to stop the run.  The Seahawks found a groove towards the end of the game on the ground.  If Jacksonville is able to run, the Bills have no shot.  On offense, Trent Edwards needs to make plays.  It’s one thing to make plays at home, it’s quite another to make them on the road against a tough, tough defense. 

 

How do you think the Jaguars offensive line will handle the Bills strong D-line without their two starting guards (they let up 7 sacks last week and were only able to run for 31 yards on the ground).  Also how do you think Marcus Stroud will do returning to his old team, that traded him during the off season?

This is I think, the burning question.  I think the Jaguars will struggle to run the ball early, but look for the Bills to tire out late in the game due to the heat.  The key for the Bills will be to make enough plays on offense so that they aren’t relying on their defense to win this one late.  Stroud will certainly be motivated and I believe he will perform well.  But there are three other guys on the defensive line.  We’ll see.

How do you think the Bills will fair defensively against the Jags overall?  They looked good in all areas last week and the Jags struggled greatly.

Again, I think early on, it will be low scoring.  Someone will probably have a second half explosion.  Hopefully it’s not the Jags.

 

Now let’s switch it over to the other side of the ball. Will Lynch be effective on the ground?

Probably.  Lindell White and a rookie ran all over the Jags.  Look for Lynch to do the same.

 

Edwards showed some maturity after starting the last game awful but still bounced back to have a good game.  How do you think Edwards will handle himself in this one?

 I’m worried about Trent Edwards in this one.  I don’t think he’s going to do well.  The Bills have not been good on the road in the last few years, and usually that has to do with QB play.

Final question.  What is your prediction for the Bills game this weekend?  I got the Bills in a close one, 24-21.

 I like the Jags 24-14.  I think it will be close early on and heading into half time.  I expect the desperate Jags to really limit the Bills’ passing game though, and look for their offense to make some plays in the second half.

That being said….Go Bills!

 
 

Share This

Hello Bills fans.  Marcus Stroud showed us last week what kind of dominant player he can be on our defense.  The Bills have missed a defensive tackle with this ability since Pat Williams left after the 2004 season.  The team tried plugging in guys like Larry Tripplett and Tim Anderson.  This totally backfired as either player was able to get any push up front.  Stroud can dominate a game.  He has the strength to push back offensive lineman and the ability to get to the quarterback.  Stroud had two sacks on Sunday and was a handful for Seattle everytime he was on the field.  If Stroud plays the rest of the season as he did on Sunday, the Bills defense will carry this team to the playoffs.  Guys like Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Kyle Williams and Spencer Johnson will continue to benefit from the double teams that Stroud draws.  This week Stroud and the Bills face the Jaguars.  The Jaguars are Stroud’s former team and they gave up on him after the 2007 season.  Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio thought that Stroud would never return to his Pro Bowl form.  The team traded him to the Bills for a third and fifth round pick.  Can you say Stroud will have a monster game this weekend?  I can.  Go Bills.  Beat the Jaguars. 

 

Share This

Who can wait any longer for another Bills game?  I sure can’t so I will start the breakdown of the game, that takes place on Sunday at 1:00 pm (eastern) when the Buffalo Bills visit the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Today’s “Key’s to the Game” will focus on the Jaguars offensive line against the Buffalo Bills defensive line.

Jaguar’s O-Line

The Jaguars offensive line suffered two big losses in their first game of the season.  They lost both of their starting guards, Maurice Williams (out 2+ months with ruptured biceps) and Vince Manuwai (out the season with torn ACL).

They also don’t have a lot of depth in the position either.  Remember, backup Richard Collier is still in a hospital after being shot before the season opener.  Second year man Uche Nwaneri will have a big spot to fill which will be hard for him.  He has only 1 start in his NFL career after getting into 9 games last season, most as a special teams player.  The other backup now starter at guard is nine year vet Tutan Reyes.  A 9-year vet might sound good but Reyes did not play in a single game last year.  The last time he was in a game was in 2006, when he started the first 6 games for the Bills before he was inactive for the last 10.  These two backups will need to perform in this game. 

Left tackle Khalif Barnes will need to step up his game.  He has started 41 games for the Jags over his first 3 seasons with the team.  He is a player up to the task.   

Dennis Norman, the 8 year vet is at the center position for this one.  He is athletic and can play multiple spots on the line. 

Tony Pashos is the teams starting right tackle.  The hardworking, former undrafted free agent started 14 of 15 games with the Jags last season.  He was picked up by Jacksonville before last season in free agency. 

Overall the team really needs to step up its O-line play if they want to contain the Bills rush.  This is a squad that let QB David Garrard get sacked 7 times last week against the Titans.  Jacksonville was only able to gain 33 yards on the ground last week with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor as the running backs.  I would have to say they are one of the top tandems in the league.  If the run game doesn’t get going look for the Bills to send blitzes from all over the place and make it another long day for Garrard.

Bills D-Line

The defensive ends for the Bills are defiantly one of the best threesomes in the league.  Pro Bowler Aaron Schobel will get his usual good pass rush.  Even when facing one of the best LTs in the game, and even getting double teamed from time to time in last weeks game, Schobel was able to break though and get a sack.  The other two DEs worth mentioning are Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay.  The Bills go with a rotation so they always have the freshest D-lineman on the field.  Denney also recorded 1 sack last week, and Kelsay had 1 tackle.

The Bills FINALLY have a great DT in Marcus Stroud.  The Bills went out in the off season in a trade with the Jags to get him, and the big man looks to be at full health.  He showed it in last weeks game and will look to stick it to his old team.  Stroud had 7 tackles and 2 sacks and was a force all game.  He made his home in the Seahawks backfield.  Similar to the rotations for DEs, the Bills also sub in fresh DTs.  Kyle Williams had a huge game, Spencer Johnson also looked reliable and former first rounder John McCargo did not have an impact at all as he spent most of the game of the bench.  Stroud and Williams are the top pair for this group.

A solid line all around.  Stroud and Schobel will have to be accounted for the entire game, leaving room for the others to make plays.  If they can repeat what they did to the ‘Hawks, well watch out Garrard.  This team had 5 sacks in total and only let up 85 yards on the ground, not to mention a mere 10 points!

Winner of this Match up

With the Jags banged up and the Bills coming off such a huge game, I gotta give this one to the Buffalo Bills.

Share This

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.
• 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th 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 1^st 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 4^th 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.

Share This