Seen and Herd, Week 12: Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins

Was that the Buffalo Bills yesterday? They undoubtedly look like a different team with Perry Fewell at the helm and Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. That's something I'd thought I'd never say this season.

The Bills' 31-14 win over the rival Miami Dolphins eased the soul of Bills fans after starting the season 3-7.

The game was a total turnaround from the usual nap the Bills have shown they love to take during the fourth quarter this year.

Buffalo outscored Miami 24-0 in the final stanza, and for once, looked like the more conditioned and aggressive team when it mattered most. 

Perry Fewell's home debut

How refreshing was it to see a fiery coach on the Bills sideline? Not only was Fewell casually rocking the throwback beanie and sweatshirt (a polar opposite from Dick Jauron's usual attire), but most importantly, he showed that he has guts.

I'm using the term "guts" because it's a word Fewell noted several times in his post game press conference. He went with his gut and the Bills won the game. Something tells me if Jauron was still head man in Buffalo, the Bills may have lost this football game.

He showed guts by starting Ryan Fitzpatrick. He showed guts by giving Fred Jackson the nod at starting running back. He has no alliance to Trent Edwards or Marshawn Lynch, and both Fitzpatrick and Jackson have outplayed the more high profile draftees, therefore Fewell plugged them in.

Seems easy enough, right?

His defense has become a turnover juggernaut. The Bills are 1st in the NFL with 21 interceptions and have recovered four fumbles. Whether you believe the Bills have feasted on inexperienced quarterbacks or not, 21 picks through 11 games is no fluke. His Tampa 2 scheme may be falling out of favor with fans, but Fewell has the personnel in the secondary to formulate an elite back-line.

Add in what the defense has done with the amount of injuries it's suffered this season, and you realize that Perry Fewell is a darn good coach.

TO's Dagger

There's a stir surrounding the contrariety between the Terrell Owens touchdown and what we've seen from Buffalo the past three seasons.

Yes, Fitzpatrick did audible to the play, but I fully believe Fewell put that hot-route in Fitzpatrick's back pocket for his quarterback to make the call.

We've grown so accustomed to the "try-not-to-lose" mentality that I'm sure the other 70,000 fans in the Ralph with me were anticipating a heavy dosage of Fred Jackson running, while we hung on to the hope that our defense wouldn't allow another late touchdown.

Even as the ball floated through the air, was I pleasantly surprised.

That play is something that normally happens to the Bills. A team feels like they have the chance to finish the game, they make the call, and they execute the play. It was nice to finally have the Bills on the other side of that situation.

Lindell's career long

Fewell's decision to kick the 56-yard field goal could have ultimately back-fired, but if you ask me, when you show a vote of confidence in one of your more consistent, veteran players, the assurance rubs off on that individual's play on the field.

He believed Rian Lindell could make that kick, and he did. Three weeks ago, we'd have definitely seen a punt in that situation.

Even if his calls lead to a defeat, Fewell's aggressive demeanor, passion, and willingness to make the gutsy call revitalizes fan spirit. We needed a reason to have hope in the long run, and although Fewell most likely won't be the head coach in 2010, he made everyone realize that there is promise for the future.

Ryan Fitzpatrick the gunslinger?

You gotta love Ryan Fitzpatrick. He was a 7th round draft pick out of Harvard and his claim to fame is that he got the highest score on the famed "Wunderlic" test given to entrees to the draft. That's about it.

He's got a similar attitude to the game as Perry Fewell, and that's probably why they've clicked well in their first two contests as a player/coach duo. Fitzpatrick wings it, and can obviously run it when need be.

With him, it's just frustrating. He's got the mentality I thought Trent Edwards would develop this season, but as of right now, doesn't have the accuracy or arm strength to be a starter in the NFL. Still, one must admire his grit and courage as a signal-caller.

All those who were against the signing of a back-up with less experience than our guy Trent Edwards during the offseason, can no longer gripe, because Ryan Fitzpatrick is the prototypical back-up quarterback. I'm extremely happy he's a Buffalo Bill.

Changes

I alluded to the tweaks in the lineup made by Fewell earlier, and his best choice by far, was starting Fred Jackson.

Jackson has flourished in all of his starts, and obviously the tandem of he and his bud Marshawn Lynch suffered dearly when the two split carries. 

Freddy runs with the downhill momentum that we've seen from Lynch in his first two seasons. He hardly ever records a run of negative yardage, and though he doesn't have the breakaway speed or outstanding agility, he frequently makes guys miss.

Lynch isn't anywhere near being officially "done" in Buffalo, but Fewell plays the guys that get the job done, and unfortunately for you "Beast Mode" lovers, Jackson has outplayed Lynch this season.

I also liked the fact that Fewell used all of his safeties during Sunday's contest. He knows that Jairus Byrd's ball-tracking scares teams away from throwing the ball down-field, but also is fully aware that Byrd is a liability in terms of stopping the run.

George Wilson and Donte Whitner excel in the box, and he made sure the defensive backfield trio was fresh from start to finish. Smart move.

By the way, who else thought Whitner had his best overall game as a Bill on Sunday? I did. Playing for a job next season?

Drayton Florence

Jairus Byrd is unquestionably the defense's MVP this season; but quietly, Drayton Florence is nipping at the rookie's heels. He recorded only his first INT of the season to Byrd's eight, but he's stepped in for the injured Terrence McGee wonderfully, and has become one of the better cover corners I've seen in quite some time in Buffalo.

No joke.

He's a solid tackler as well, and his experience has been instrumental to a more youthful Bills secondary.

He was signed to a two-year deal this offseason; the new regime would be smart to make sure he's around longer.

TO, again

Oh, how easy it is to talk about Terrell Owens. I discussed the decisions behind his "dagger" touchdown in the fourth quarter earlier, but I have more things to stress.

As I've stated over and over for the duration of this season, Terrell Owens has still got "it", whatever that "it" may be. He's still got that long-striding, deceptive speed, and is one of the more physically intimidating receivers in the league. The Skip Bayless's of the world easily ripped into TO early in the year, but now we see (and it's actually sad) the performances we may have got from Owens had he not been in Jauron's "system" from Week One.

Whether he's auditioning for a final two or three year deal with a contender or not, his enthusiasm in Buffalo is much greater than I expected. He's still having one of the worst statistical seasons of his career and his team is not in playoff contention, yet the "pre-fourth quarter" excitement he showed on the field, and his usual post-TD enthusiasm would have made one believe he just won a playoff game.

Gotta love the guy. Sure he talks, probably too much, but his body of work on the field backs it up.

This may be just as big of a long-shot as Perry Fewell being retained at season's end as head coach, but the Bills' front office would be silly to not launch a major campaign to try and keep Owens in a Bills uniform.

Think; with Owens gone, we're back to the same wide receiver issue we had pre-James Hardy. And what has Hardy done for us? You think Josh Reed is a Bill next season? Probably not. Keeping Owens in Buffalo may be a higher priority for the organization than many think. They should do whatever they can to keep the Hall of Famer in Western New York.

What's ahead

Short week for Buffalo. They'll look to continue their momentum north to the great city of Toronto.

They play host to a Jets team that got off their losing skid against a struggling Jake Delhomme and the Carolina Panthers this weekend.

A few weeks ago, this looked like a probable smack-down game for the Jets, but with spirits riding as high in Buffalo as they have in quite some time, I think we'll be in for another great football game. See what a home win against a rival can do? 

Bills/Jets Thursday 8:20 Rogers Centre, Toronto. Seen and Herd to follow.