Week 16 Preview: Buffalo Bills Mash Unit Limps In To Face Falcons

The shell of a football team that used to be known as the Buffalo Bills, mixed in with a few new warm replacement bodies, will travel down to Atlanta to meet the Falcons this Sunday. Both teams are eliminated from the playoffs, so this should be a contest that will serve as open auditions for the 2010 rosters for both the Bills and Falcons.

The Bills fans have watched in horror all season long as it has been one new name after another going on to the season ending injured reserve list. So this week should be no different.

The Bills officially lost half of their defensive secondary when the team placed Jairus Byrd and Terrence McGee on I.R.

Trent Edwards is done for the year due to a high ankle sprain and may soon follow them on to the I.R. list. The Bills are already at 19 guys out for the rest of the year, and that is a new team record. One of the many things to remember to forget about this year, the special Bills 50th anniversary season.

So What Warm Bodies Did the Bills Employ?

The Bills re-signed old third string QB Gibran Hamdan. They also signed old LB Josh Stamer. They also added another LB to the practice squad, Ryan Manalac.

Ryan Fitzpatrick hurt his ankle last Sunday, as did Edwards. So Hamdan was brought back to the team to serve as a backup QB to the Bills new QB, Brian Brohm. The ex-Packers number two draft pick in 2008, Brohm will more than likely see his first NFL start this Sunday.

However, since there are already five Bills lineman on I.R., (Brad Butler, Eric Wood, Demetrius Bell, Seth McKinney and Kendall Simmons), you should not be very surprised if he is being picked up off of the carpet frequently on Sunday.

What To Look Forward To If You Are A Bills Fan

Okay, I know you were expecting me to tell you that it is okay to miss this game, and better to erect all the toys for the kids, and to haul the Christmas tree outside, right? Sorry to disappoint you, but I have three things that I think make this game worth watching.

1) Brian Brohm: Depending on what he is able to demonstrate, he might be the QB we have been looking for. Then again, he might not be. He has been under wraps since signing with the Bills over a month ago.

He has talented WR's to throw to in Evans, Owens, and Reed. He also has Fred Jackson and Shawn Nelson as additional options. Sure, he won't have any time to throw to them, and that is a given.

But, will he be able to make plays, avoid sacks, use his legs, and be creative? Can he take a hit? Does he have a strong arm? Those are all things that I want to be watching for.

I would like to see the Bills call some passing plays on first down, and give the kid a fighting chance.

2) Terrell Owens: Coming into the game, T.O. only needs two catches to hit the 1,000 mark for his career. That is rarefied air we are talking about, so Bills fans can share in T.O.'s accomplishment, which is indeed special. If he did not get to 1,000 on Sunday, I would be dismayed.

3) Fred Jackson: Only needs to come up another 189 rushing yards over the final two weeks to hit 1,000 yards on the year. Another good goal to shoot for, and one that the remaining healthy members of the team will be motivated to get for Freddy.

I have sung the praises of Fred all year long, and will continue to do so. He is unselfish, is very unassuming, and produces in every phase of the game. He doesn't fumble, doesn't complain, and is the consummate team player. Reliable and dependable too.

It would be a toss up for most as to who the Bills team MVP is, between Fred and Jairus Byrd. I would personally vote for Fred, because Byrd still has some holes in his game that need to be shored up.

What to Expect From The Bills vs Falcons Game

Atlanta has plenty of weapons in their arsenal. Quarterback Matt Ryan is now back after missing several games with a case of turf toe. He was only able to throw for 152 yards against the Jets last week, but that is nothing to be ashamed of. The Jets secondary is solid.

With the news of McGee and Byrd being gone, that means people like Ashton Yobouty, Reggie Corner, and Donte Whitner are going to be responsible for stepping up to slow down the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, and Michael Jenkins.

So, if you read through that sentence again, you know that Atlanta should be in for a big day on offense.

They also have Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling to pound the ball on the ground, since Michael Turner is highly unlikely to play due to a high ankle sprain.

The Bills still lead the NFL in interceptions, but without the threat of leading interceptor Jairus Byrd to patrol center field, there is no reason for Matt Ryan to feel tepid about throwing often and long.

Interestingly enough, Paul Posluszny does have a two-game interception streak going, so it will be amazing to see him extend that, although right now nothing surprises me anymore. I am sure that anything is possible.

Believe it or not, the Bills have more sacks than Atlanta, 28 to 25. Buffalo has 26 interceptions, the Falcons only 11. But the Falcons convert 41 percent of their third downs, which is pretty good, while the Bills are sitting at an anemic 25 percent conversion rate.

Atlanta averages 22 points a game, while the Bills average 16 points a game.

Bills Leading the League In?

The Bills are first in the league in tackles, interceptions, three-and-out drives, and in our hearts and mind. They are last in the league at converting third downs, rushing defense, and in keeping players healthy.

The tackles blurb is no joke. The Bills have amassed 1174, which is roughly 120 more than Indy at second place. No wonder so many defenders are on the I.R. list.

The Bills no longer lead the NFL in penalties, they have fallen to eighth place in that category, while Atlanta is the third least penalized team, which means they are 29th place as the most penalized team, get it? These Falcons aren't Dirty Birds.

If Richie Incognito comes up with another three major penalties again this week, the Bills should be notified that the Lions just waived Melvin Fowler. Since we are in to bringing back old players this week, just thought it made sense, you know?

So, What Will Happen on Sunday?

I suspect that Brohm will try to get T.O. his two catches in the first quarter or first half to allow him to get the milestone. With that out of the way, T.O. can be a non-factor in the Week 17 game against Indy, allowing the Bills to take a look at either James Hardy or Steve Johnson.

Some of you are muttering under your breath that he is already a non-factor, but that to me is more of a reflection on the level of personnel throwing to him.

Also, expect Brohm to focus on handing the ball off to Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch for the majority of the game. Depending on how much Atlanta wants to blitz him, then he would be wise, or rather Alex Van Pelt would be wise, to call for screens and draws, and keep the Falcons pass rush dialed down a notch, or two or three.

I just hope that Brohm, who suffered from confidence issues while with the Packers, doesn't run screaming for the hills after this game. Hopefully he will come out of the contest unscathed. Don't be shocked if Hamdan finally sees some snaps, something he never did in his first two years in Buffalo.

As depressing as it is, I thought I would close with a tip of the hat to the fallen Bills players this season so we can reflect on what could have been for each of them this year.

Here is the list of the current 19 Bills on I.R.

Offense : Brad Butler, Derek Schouman, Eric Wood, Marvin Philip, C.J. Hawthorne, Kendall Simmons, Demetrius Bell, Seth McKinney, Justice Harrison, and Derek Fine.

Defense : Kawika Mitchell, Jairus Byrd, Terrence McGee, Keith Ellison, Leodis McKelvin, Marcus Buggs, Lydell Sergeant, Marcus Smith and Jermaine McGhee.

Happy Holidays to all Bills fans. Hope you are able to share the joy of Christmas with your friends, family, and neighbors. Let's Go Buffalo!