Die Hard Sports Fan

The Buffalo Bills game is of course Sunday at 1:00 (eastern) against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The next match up that I am going to take a look at is the two teams special teams which will have a huge impact on the game.  The match up is broken down into 3 categories, Punting (punters and punt coverage), Kicking (Place kickers and Kickoff Coverage) and Return Game.

PUNTING

BILLS:

The Bills have one of the best punters in the game with Brain Moorman.  He got a ton of work in the first game of the year.  Punted the ball 9 times for a 46.6 average per punt.  Moorman also had a 19 yard TD pass for a perfect QB rating and he also put the ball inside the 20 3 times.  He really helped the Bills pin the opponent deep in their own territory.  The Bills did struggle a little bit on their punt coverage though.  They let up an average of 13.5 yards on 4 returns.  They didn’t let anyone get a huge return, although there was one punt return that went for 21 yards.  A better job on coverage would really help out the field position battle.    

JAGUARS

Seahawks punter Adam Podlesh was able to put 4 punts inside the 20, despite only averaging a 37.0 average on 6 punts.  He also had one touchback.  The Jaguars coverage team was very well and they will have to continue that this week against one of the most dangerous return men in the league, Roscoe Parrish.  They did do a good job against the Titans.  They averaged letting up 7.5 yards a return (with a long being of 8).  Those kinds of numbers will have to continue if they want to keep the Bills out of end zone on special teams.

KICKING

BILLS

Rian Lindell went 2/3 in field goals so far this season.  One of them was blocked though, something that cannot happen in close games.  The Bills last opponent, Seattle, had a pretty respectable average of 26.5 yards on 4 returns with a long of 39.  The Bills are set in the field goal department but again need to improve their coverage team.

 JAGUARS

Josh Scobee went 1 for 2 on his field goals in their game vs. the Titans.  The Jags kick coverage team was very good in the two times they got on the field, holding Chris Carr (of the Titans of course) to a 16.5 average with a long of 21.  Very nice job there and that will need to continue this week. 

RETURN GAME

BILLS

The Bills are loaded with return men.  The starter on kickoffs is cornerback Terrence McGee while the punts are handled by speeding Roscoe Parrish.  The Bills also have an X-Factor in rookie Leodis McKelvin, their first round draft pick.  McKelvin has yet to return a kick or punt in a game.  He is very dangerous though.  He had 8 return touchdowns in college and 1 in a preseason game this year.  McGee didn’t really stand out in the last game seeing as he had 1 return that went for 27 yards.  He has big play capability though.  You have to watch out for him on every play.  Parrish of course returned a punt for a highlight reel TD last week.  The play went for 63 yards.  Parrish also had 6 returns in total that average 20.0 yards a return.  Another big play threat.  All three of these guys are very hard to contain.  

JAGUARS

The Jags return men didn’t do too bad of a job themselves.  Brain Witherspoon had 2 punt returns for that averaged 22.5 yards (long of 29).  He also had a monster game on kickoff returns.  Had 3 returns for 124 yards!  That is good for a 41.3 yards a return average.  He will need to be contained by the Bills to keep him from breaking a long one. 

WHO WILL WIN THIS MATCH UP:

I love the Bills special teams and most weeks I will pick them by a landslide but they might have met their match in Jacksonville.  The Bills overall kicking game is better and I like their return men more but how can you argue with the stats.  It will definitely be a battle for field position all game between these two teams.  It is more of a tossup but there is no way I’m going to call something a tie.  The Jaguars are my pick to have a better game in today’s match up.

Remember if you disagree with anything I said in this article, be sure to put your opintions in a comment below.  Have a good night everyone.

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Hello Bills fans.  What a way to start the season.  At first glance at the schedule, I said to myself that playing against Seattle would be a tough first game.  Seattle has been a playoff team since Holmgren became coach and has a real good offense.  The way the first quarter started, I thought this might be one of those 13-10 games or something close to that.  I had left for Buffalo on Saturday morning right before the storm hit here on Long Island.  My flight was canceled and we had to call the airline to get on an earlier flight.  Once I arrived, I was at peace right away.  I love going up to Buffalo.  Its such a great place to visit and everyone is nice to talk to.  I reached the parking lot across from the stadium around 10:30.  There were very few spots available.  The place was packed.  You could feel the energy from the fans tailgating that this would be our day.  The Bills really played well on all three phases of the game.  The offense started flat but I feel that was due to the rain.  Once Marshawn ran it in, the place was loud.  The defense is so quick with guys like Aaron Schobel, Kawika Mitchell, Paul Posluszny, and Terrence McGee.  Marcus Stroud could not be blocked by anyone on Seattle’s o-line.  Roscoe Parrish is one of the most exciting players to watch in the league.  I saw the whole punt return unfold and got to see him run into the endzone I was sitting near.  Trent Edwards settled in nicely and had some impressive throws that were hauled in by Lee Evans.  Robert Royal’s td was awesome as well.  Brian Moorman’s td pass to Ryan Denney got everyone up on their feet.  Great call by coach Bobby April.  He is the best special teams coach in the league.  As always it was a great trip but its even better when the Bills win.  Can’t wait till November 17 for the Monday night game against Cleveland.  I will be in attendance and hopefully leave as happy as I did this time.  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.  With Jason Peters still holding out, the team signed offensive lineman Dustin Dickinson and released receiver Jason Jones.  Dickinson was a rookie free agent that was released by Seattle on June 25.  He will most likely play tackle due to an injury to Matt Murphy.  The team was back in Orchard Park today.  Trent Edwards was not participating due to injury suffered Tuesday night.  James Hardy, Roscoe Parrish, Derek Schouman and John DiGiorgio were also sidelined.  Coach Dick Jauron also stated that the starters will play at least the first half maybe more this coming Sunday against the Colts.  I hope Trent can play but it doesnt seem likely because the season is two weeks away.  I would rather him heal up and be ready to go on September 7.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  The Buffalo Bills fell to the Redskins 17-14 at Fedex field this past Saturday.  I was in attendance for the game and even though it didnt count, it was great to watch the Bills.  The starting offense didnt look so great and couldnt get into a flow.  Trent Edwards did have a nice 18 yard pass to Roscoe Parrish.  The offensive line had two false starts on the opening drive so we had to settle for three.  The defense didnt fare to well but was missing starters Donte Whitner, Angelo Crowell and Terrence McGee.  I take preseason for what its worth.  Its basically for the players that are on the bubble to show what they can do in game situations.  Cornerback Ashton Youboty had a nice interception and then flipped it to Reggie Corner who returned it to the 20 yard line. That setup J.P. Losman’s td pass to rookie receiver James Hardy.  Hardy made up for a drop with a nice 16 yard reception in the endzone.  Rookie Leodis McKelvin shined in the return game taking a punt back 45 yards.  If he would have cut to the right side, he would have scored.  McKelvin also had a 37 yard kickoff return.  He looked impressive.  As always the special teams played fantastic.  The unit forced a fumble on the opening kickoff which was recovered by kicker Rian Lindell.  Although we didnt pull out the victory, I saw some positive things from our team.  I cant wait to see us play at full strength.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  Coach Dick Jauron said today that Donte Whitner and Josh Reed are doubtful for Saturdays game against the Redskins.  Whitner’s ankle is still a little sore from this past weekend and Reed’s back is sore as well.  I rather both players sit out the first preseason game and get healthy but part of me wanted to see them out there.  Whitner and Reed are two of my favorite players on this team because of their leadership and dedication to the Bills.  Wide receiver James Hardy practiced today and should be ready to go on Saturday.  I can’t wait to see how Hardy looks opposite Lee Evans.  Although I think the coaches will put Roscoe Parrish out there with the starting unit.  Can’t wait for Saturday.  Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans.  I just came across this article written by Mike Lombardi from sports illustrated listing three non-playoff teams that will make a big leap this season.  Lombardi’s first team is the Bills.  He states that he loves the team and feels that Bills will be a very tough team this year.  He goes on to say that last year with a few bounces here and there the Bills were almost a playoff team.  He lists our playmakers such as Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish.  He also mentions our great special teams and our  bright young quarterback Trent Edwards.  Lombardi is also the guy that said the Bills had a fantastic draft when he was on NFL Network.  Check out the article on SI.com.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  I can’t believe training camp starts in 10 days.  I am very excited to get this season underway because of the improvements the team has made this past off-season.  I have a few concerns right now going into camp.  The Bills top three draft picks are still unsigned.  Leodis McKelvin, James Hardy and Chris Ellis need to be in camp on day one.  McKelvin and Hardy especially because both players are going to be relied upon from week one.  Hardy needs to get comfortable in this offense because he will eventually become our #2 receiver.  I feel comfortable with our starting corners and would like to see McKelvin learn from Jabari Greer and Terrence McGee.  McKelvin should also be used on special teams as a returner.  He has great speed and showed in college that he is a threat to take one to the house on every return.  Its tough to say if he will beat out McGee or Roscoe Parrish but it will be great to see him get some shots in the preseason.  The only other main concern I have, which probably is the biggest, is the Jason Peters situation.  Peters missed all the voluntary and one mandatory camp this offseason.  It has been speculated that he is looking to cash in after his Pro Bowl season last year.  Peters also must be there from day one to continue the chemistry the o-line developed last season.  Lets hope all the rookies and Jason Peters are at St. John Fisher come July 25th.  Cant wait to get this thing started.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  We are only five weeks away from training camp at St. Johns Fisher College.  There is a ton of optimism by most Bills fans about the team this season.  Trent Edwards showed flashes last season that he could finally be our long term starter at quarterback.  He had some good games and helped the team win.  He also had some rough games which is totally normal for a rookie signal caller.  Trent showed his smarts and quick reaction when going to his second or third target.  He hardly ever locked on to one receiver and sensed when the heat was coming.  I am very excited about this upcoming season.  With offensive weapons such as Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, Josh Reed and rookie James Hardy along with Trent Edwards, I expect this team to make some noise.  Our defense is going to be much improved due to the additions of Kawika Mitchell, Marcus Stroud, and rookie Leodis McKelvin.  Mitchell is going to make an immediate impact on the weakside.  He is a big linebacker with a knack for the ball and can also help out in coverage.  Stroud will be a dominant force in the middle.  Stroud and John McCargo will help out our run defense tremendously.  This team has a bright future and will continue to improve under Coach Jauron.  Can you say playoffs?  I can.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  Tomorrow starts the first mandatory minicamp at One Bills Drive.  The last couple of weeks were voluntary and almost the entire roster was in attendance.  The only player to not make an appearance was starting left tackle Jason Peters.  It will be interesting to see if he shows up tomorrow.  If he doesnt, the rumors are true that he is unhappy with his contract situation.  Peters has three years left on his deal but his the teams third highest paid lineman.  He was elected to the Pro Bowl last year and is viewed by many as one of the best tackles in the game.  We need Peters here from the start of camp.  He is a tremendous blocker and is counted on to protect Trent Edwards blindside.  I hope the Bills can make Peters happy so we dont have to go into training camp with a distraction. 

Today was the last day of OTA’s and the offense shined.  Trent Edwards is starting to show why he was named the starting quarterback.  He has great chemistry with Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish and Derek Schouman.  Look for Schouman to get a ton of playing time this season.  Go Bills. 

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