For Buffalo Bills Fans: Where to Go From Here?

There’s one positive remaining about the Buffalo Bills’ season. It’s Jairus Byrd, the rookie free safety that’s recorded two interceptions in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1960.

That’s it. The offense is at it’s lowest point in years, having a measly 18 first downs in two games. Yeah, they beat worse teams in Carolina and the New York Jets in consecutive games, but it was all for not.

Dick Jauron is still an inept offensive coach; he plays not to lose, yet in the process makes poor decisions that change the direction of games, like a fake punt that lost yards.

That decision didn’t have that big effect on the game, because the Houston Texans were that much better than the Bills. All the Texans’ offense had to do was weather three early turnovers and wear down an already tired Bills defense that plays well at times.

The secondary plays great; Byrd would’ve started in Week One if he didn’t miss a lot of the offseason due to conflict with his school, the University of Oregon. He has a nose for the ball. His genetics hint that he’s only going to get better, being the son of Gil Byrd, a former NFL defensive back and current coach.

The offense can’t do anything right. I don’t know how anyone can really watch this team and expect anything other than a valiant performance from the defense that keeps the team in the game for almost three quarters and an anemic offense that can’t do anything and its biggest threat is a back up to Marshawn Lynch.

Fred Jackson started out looking like a Pro Bowl player, both as a rusher and receiver; he performed well in Lynch’s absence. He’s been absent since Lynch’s return, relegated mostly to returning punts and kickoffs.

Trent Edwards waits until Wednesday to decide to throw to a receiver; he goes through his entire read and refuses to throw the ball to his second or third option, which means that a running back is going to catch the ball and run into the opposing linebackers or linemen.

This is usually because the Bills’ offensive tackles are horrible and haven’t developed like the team expected. Injuries don’t help, but it’s on the coaching staff to get the reserve players ready, too. It’s hard to believe that the injuries occurring on the Bills are coincidence; maybe there’s something in the argument to the training staff.

This team has been futile for a decade, too long for Bills fans that suffered through the four Super Bowl losses and the 1999 Wild Card game.

Season ticket sales have gone up in consecutive seasons. I have to think it has more to do with the tailgating experience than the actual performance on the field, because it hasn’t been good all year and it’s time for an overhaul at One Bills Drive.

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Buffalo Bills, Dick Jauron Need Changes Now

The Buffalo Bills have lost to the Cleveland Browns the last three times the two teams have met.

After Sunday’s 6-3 loss, many Bills fans are calling for the firing of Dick Jauron. The players stuck to their coach in their post game comments.

Yes, the Bills’ offensive line committed nine false start penalties on the at home against a previously winless team. The cutting of Langston Walker is starting to look like a cost cutting move, and not one based on improving the team. The offensive line is young and it’s not improving.

Bills fans are sick of seeing cost cutting measures, they want to see a winning team with quality players.

And no, that’s not the worse stat line from the loss to the Browns.

Browns starting QB Derek Anderson completed two passes for 23 yards.

The Bills ran the ball well against the Browns and the running backs provided a good option out of the backfield for Edwards, but the play calling needed to be better and that’s on the offensive coordinator.

Many Bills fans are calling it quits on this season; they want to lose the rest of the games in order to get a high draft pick. The Bills consistent 7-9 finishes are frustrating these fans. 

There’s too much involved with a high draft pick. They’re often great players, but there is the risk of drafting a bust. The team can salvage the season by beating teams that they should beat and maybe surprising some teams by playing spoiler.

The team will get healthier, adding Paul Posluszny in two weeks and awaiting the diagnosis on Kawika Mitchell. Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott returning to the secondary helps out in the run defense too.

It looks like the Jairus Byrd experiment is working well for the Bills. He’s a hard worker and a good tackler, along with that he made a spectacular interception against the Browns.

The Bills need a change in order to salvage the rest of the season, only after five games. Whether Dick Jauron gets fired, or the Bills bring in Jeff Garcia to start at quarterback or some other reason to watch the Bills again, it’s going to be a long season for Bills fans.

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Buffalo Bills Living Down to Preseason Hype

Were you like any other Buffalo Bills fan after the first two weeks of the regular season?

The performance against the New England Patriots was a valiant effort that came up a fumbled kickoff short of an upset.

The second week provided more hope for the team as they dispatched of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers like they were supposed to.

The offense seemed to be in sync, even after firing their offensive coordinator 10 days before the start of the season. Trent Edwards was making good strides in the no-huddle offense with Alex Van Pelt calling the plays.

The Bills even hosted the New Orleans Saints, holding the Saints offense to 27 points. The performance of Fred Jackson also helps. Jackson provided about 70 percent of the Bills offense. He provides a good target in pass patterns and will grind in between the tackles.

The defense continued to fly to the ball and create turnovers. It used speed and quickness in zone coverage to make up for its lack of size. They played well against two quality offenses in New England and New Orleans.

Then this past Sunday, against the most hated rival for Bills fans and the team’s owner, the Bills got completely and thoroughly dismantled at Land Shark Stadium by the Miami Dolphins.

The offense looked anemic against a Dolphins defense that was missing its best pass rusher. That didn’t stop Cameron Wake from getting three sacks. It also doesn’t help when Edwards throws three interceptions.

Ronnie Brown gouged the Bills rush defense for 115 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. It makes Bills fans miss Paul Posluszny so much, I’ve started a countdown until Poz returns calendar.

The Bills need to be better prepared for their next opponent, the Cleveland Browns, if there’s any chance of salvaging the beginning part of the season in order to make a run at the wild card.

Head coach Dick Jauron has stated that he didn’t prepare his team and staff enough entering the contest against Miami; many are calling for his firing. Don’t fire a head coach in the middle of the season unless you want to pay a lot to an already established coach to come out of retirement quickly or you’re handing over the duties to a trusted staff member.

The Bills have played well at times, and not having three of four starters in the secondary doesn’t help. I put it to the coaching staff to prepare each player for Sunday’s game as if he’s starting the game.

If the Bills don’t make the playoffs, then don’t expect Jauron back, and it’s another setback for a once proud franchise.

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Buffalo Bills Divisional Preview

The Buffalo Bills will have a lot of trouble against fellow AFC East opponents this season after playing a few 3-4 defenses during the preseason.  That, along with the timid play of quarterback Trent Edwards in the no-huddle offense, gives the Bills a lot of concern heading into the regular season.

All other teams in the Bill’s division play the 3-4 and it seems that Edwards hasn’t exactly figured out how to dissect the formation as the team was 0-6 against the division last year.

The blitz packages are more exotic in the 3-4 because the quarterback isn’t sure which linebackers blitz, which ones drop back and the advantage of having a linebacker set up in a three point stance along the defensive line.

It doesn’t get easy for the Bills. They’re opening the season against the New England Patriots in Foxboro on Monday Night Football. 

The Patriots will be better this season, not just because of the return of Tom Brady at quarterback. That helps a lot, but Bill Belicheck always coaches his team well and prepares them for every game. Adding Shawn Springs at back-up cornerback was good because he has a great history of shutting down Terrell Owens during their playing days in the NFC East.

The running backs should be better this season for the Patriots, too. Laurence Maroney is healthy, Sammy Morris provides a good back up and the addition of Fred Taylor helps because his production hasn’t slackened, just look at his per rush average of 3.8 yards.

Taylor chose the Patriots with the idea of winning a championship and with the veteran additions to go along with the players that New England usually develops, it’s looking good that the Patriots will make a run toward the Super Bowl.

The defending division champion, the Miami Dolphins, is one team that I think will not produce like they did last season. Chad Pennington did a fantastic job of resuscitating the franchise last year with his play, but opposing teams know what to expect now and the wildcat formation is something every one in the league has formatted into their own offenses.

The addition of Pat White should put some fear into opposing defenses, but a team isn’t going to run the formation too much, so expect White in on about 10-15 wildcat formation plays. A Dolphin’s player that gives the Bills fits is Ted Ginn, the dynamic return man and wide receiver. Greg Camarillo and Devone Bess give the Dolphins a solid receiving corps, along with tight end Anthony Fasano.

The New York Jets are a team that has a new, intense mentality that reflects new head coach Rex Ryan. Ryan has a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez, but Sanchez has shown he’s ready to start right away. It’s the defense that Bills fans should be worried about.

Ryan brought over linebacker Bart Scott and defensive back Jim Leonard from Baltimore. They’re two that share that blitzing mentality. Ryan should also help with second-year man Vernon Gholston. Gholston didn’t produce much last year, but Ryan sees him as an unpolished version of Terrell Suggs.

A lot of Bills should give division opponents many fits during the season. Aaron Maybin is learning quickly and early in the season, he should spend the first few weeks of the season rushing the quarterback. He’s has a steep learning curve against the Patriots offensive line in week one. The Jets and Dolphins also have strong offensive lines.

The Bills have a tough division. Some analysts are calling it the toughest division in the NFL. The Bills’ opponents create strong matchup problems, but the Bills’ coaching staff is prepared and should have a better showing this season after going 0-6 against the division last year.

Offensive Assessment Of Buffalo Bills Personnel

NFL teams need a two back system now because of the punishment that players take and the long haul of a 16 game schedule. The Buffalo Bills have three quality running backs and should be in good shape if one of them misses a prolonged period of time. 

One quiet but good signing by the Bills was the addition of Dominic Rhodes to add depth to the backfield. Rhodes brings a wealth of experience and a Super Bowl ring to a somewhat inexperienced group of running backs.

Rhodes will fill in nicely as a complementary back when Marshawn Lynch misses the first three games of the regular season serving his suspension. It will showcase Rhode’s ability to spell starter Fred Jackson during the three games. The games will also serve as a showcase for Jackson as a featured running back.

Dynamic Bills return man and wide receiver Roscoe Parrish will be showcasing his talents in these remaining preseason games in the hopes of being traded or catching on if he gets caught in a numbers game. He’s a fun player to watch on kickoffs and Turk Shoenert has been looking for ways to get him the ball, but it’s usually been feast or famine with Parrish. He’ll do something electric like return a punt for a touchdown or lose 10 yards on a bubble screen.

Parrish is good, but the team has spent a lot of money on former first rounder Leodis McKelvin to return punts. James Hardy should get a lot of reps at wideout once he returns from knee surgery, and second year man Steve Johnson is more technically sound than Parrish. Parrish wanted a trade this past offseason, but it looks more likely he’ll be dealt as other teams have injuries at wide receiver.

Bills fans should be concerned about the inexperience at tight end. Derek Shouman is entering the season as the number one on the depth chart, but every one knows that it’s rookie Shawn Nelson that’s going to get a lot of the reps on throwing downs. Bills fans know that the tight end is a key part of the no-huddle offense. The Bills’ version was named after tight end Keith McKellar.

Nelson is big, quick and creates a lot of match-up problems for opposing defenses. Once the season goes on, I expect him to have a major impact on the outcome of games. Second year man Derek Fine should show Nelson better blocking techniques so that Nelson will become a complete package at the position.

It will be interesting to see if the Bills incorporate the wildcat formation into the no-huddle offense. The no-huddle lends itself to quick scores, but if run right it could add a lot of gadget plays too. To see Lynch or Jackson take a direct snap and run up the gut after a long completion to Evans would ignite Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Buffalo Bills Second Half Preseason Primer

The Buffalo Bills have shown two sides to its offense, one that can put up a lot of points quickly, and one that can turn the ball over, giving the opposing team short field and playing from behind for the rest of the game.

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards has shown a grasp of the no huddle offense, but with a hesitancy to throw the deep ball and indecisiveness that has led to turnovers. Edwards must think less and just throw into tight coverage, even if it’s incomplete it would show Bills fans he’s not scared to take a chance

Edwards has completed 20 of 25 pass attempts during the preseason with two interceptions and has yet to lead the first unit to a touchdown. He also had a costly fumble early against Green Bay that led to a Packer touchdown. Opposing defenses have sacked Edwards four times.

Many detractors are stating that Edwards is too timid to throw the ball deep and that he’s doing what he’s told, going through reads and checking down. This is fine for the first few preseason games, but eventually he’s going to have to attempt a few deep balls.

Some things that are also a concern for Bills fans is the absence of Terrell Owens from the last two preseason games, and that he’s going to miss the upcoming game in Pittsburgh. Owens will be ready for the opener against New England and his lack of reps shouldn’t concern Bills fans too much.

The Bills have also had some trouble inside the 20 yard line in trying to get touchdowns by using a bruising running back. Xavier Omon and Bruce Hall have shown that they are both capable of getting the short yards, but there’s still only one roster spot for the two players. That’s an intriguing battle for Bills fans to watch for the rest of the preseason.

An important concern going forward in the preseason is the development of the offensive line. It has looked good in flashes, but against a 3-4 front, it looked shaky at times but it’s developing. The rookies are coming along well and it should continue to look better as the preseason continues.

Aaron Maybin, Jairus Byrd, and Nic Harris are rookies that Bills fans should focus on with two preseason games remaining. Maybin will probably just be used on passing downs, going after the quarterbacks. Byrd continues learning and making the transition to safety while Harris is tied with 16 tackles for the league lead during the preseason.

One player that’s benefited from Maybin’s absence during training camp is Chris Ellis. Ellis wasn’t used too much last year and he’s hungry to get on the field. Ellis should continue to develop into an every down defensive end, plus he can always to turn to fellow Virginia Tech alum and pro football HOFer Bruce Smith for advice on how to get to the quarterback.

Ellis Lankster, the rookie seventh round choice, has shown some great ball hawking skills with two interceptions against the Bears. He’s fighting for that last cornerback spot with Cary Harris. Second year man Reggie Corner’s development at the nickel position provides some good depth. Corner is pushing Ashton Youboty for that fourth corner back spot.

On offense, it will be interesting to see how much they use rookie tight end Shawn Nelson. Nelson could be a huge weapon in the Bills offense, but the coaching staff might choose to hide some of his skills before the regular season starts. Nelson has shown great speed and is a mismatch against both a cornerback and linebacker.

This Saturday’s contest against Pittsburgh should be a good gauge as to see how well the team has developed. The third preseason game is usually the one where the first units play well into the second half. If the Bills do damage against the Pittsburgh 3-4 scheme, it should give Bills fans a lot of hope going into week one against New England

Buffalo Bills: Success Depends on Defensive Personnel

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A lot has to go right for the Buffalo Bills in order to make the playoffs this season.

New additions on offense in the forms of Terrell Owens and Shawn Nelson should help quarterback Trent Edwards succeed on the field.

But a lot of his success relies on offensive coordinator Turk Schonert’s designs and play-calling with the new additions.

The offensive line is the most important new element of the offense. Rookies Eric Wood and Andy Levitre should play with the first unit right away. Geoff Hantgartner is a solid addition at center and reserve free agent Seth McKinney is a good backup. Watching the transition of Darwin Walker to left tackle and Brad Butler moving from guard to right tackle should be interesting for a lot of reasons.

Walker made the transition seem easy during the four games he played at left tackle; the Bills won three games and loss one. Butler is smart enough to make the transition easy, but it’s still tough because the footwork changes and he’s somewhat undersized to play tackle.

Edwards has more weapons, along with stalwarts Lee Evans and Josh Reed. Reed should continue to make catches over the middle as it becomes freer with Evans and Owens on the outside. Roscoe Parrish will still be an important part of the offense on third down because of his speed and quickness when running after the catch

The defense side of the ball is more interesting:

Some players were added through the draft.  Aaron Maybin should contribute on third downs rushing the quarterback. He’s already 30 pounds heavier than when he played at Penn State. The linebacker corps wasn’t addressed. The coaching staff must have faith in Keith Ellison. Paul Posluszny should make strides in his third season.

The defensive line is overlooked. Chris Kelsay is a good locker room guy, but doesn’t produce in the sack column. Aaron Schobel should bounce back after his foot heals. The run defense should continue to be solid with Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams inside. Williams needs to generate a better push up the middle in order to push the quarterback to the outside for Maybin and Schobel.  

The secondary should have the most intriguing battles heading into training camp. Drayton Florence should be the nickel cornerback. The starting jobs are secure with Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin manning the position on every down. It’ll be interesting to see how well Ashton Youboty responds after having such a solid training camp and start to the season last year before going down with an injury.

The safety positions are another competition to watch in training camp. Donte Whitner will be moved back to strong safety. Ko Simpson should start training camp as the number one strong safety, but he’ll be pushed by second-round pick Jairus Byrd. The coaching staff really likes Byrd’s ball-hawking skills and Simpson hasn’t really produced many interceptions.

A lot rides on this season, the future of head coach Dick Jauron hinges on the team making the playoffs. Tom Modrak is also in deep because of the recent failures in spending on the offensive line and the failure of J.P. Losman and John McCargo. There will be significant changes within the Bills organization if the Bills don’t make the playoffs.  

 

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