Bleacher Report - Articles by Josh Vincent

Bills Reportedly Shopping Roscoe Parrish In Trade Talks

Josh Vincent — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:16:28 -0400

The addition of Terrell Owens to the Buffalo Bills made one of their wide receivers expendable. Thursday, Bills' fans learned that receiver is Roscoe Parrish.

Lee Evans and Owens clearly are the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers in Buffalo for the coming season, and Josh Reed looks to be the best option at No. 3.

In 2008, Reed was a virtual first down machine. Of his 56 catches, 36 went for first downs, and he finished last season with 56 catches for 597 yards and one TD.

Parrish proved to be a liability at receiver last season. Poor route running and a failure to separate from defenders made him almost invisible in the Bills offense last season.

Parrish caught only 24 passes and was routinely covered by opposing linebackers making it easier for teams to double cover Evans.

The coaching staff hoped Parrish could give defenses fits when he got to the open field with the ball in his hands.

Unfortunately, Parrish had trouble hanging on to deep passes which made him one dimensional as a receiver and took away his greatest strength, making defenders miss.

Despite his inconsistency at wide out, it is Parrish's ability as a return man that has endeared him to fans and earned him the reputation as one of the NFL's most exciting playmakers.

Parrish averages almost 14 yards per return and has a return touchdown each of the last three seasons.

His ability to flip the field on opposing teams has helped the Bills top-ranked special teams unit turn any forced punt into a potential scoring opportunity to the offense.

To put his numbers in perspective, Parrish has averaged more yards on punt returns than any player in NFL history, and averages almost two yards more per return than the electric Devin Hester.

So why would the Bills, a team that prides themselves on having the best special teams unit in the league, want to trade their best special teams player?

Mostly the emergence of Fred Jackson and last year's first round pick Leodis McKelvin, who had a kickoff return for a touchdown in his rookie season.

Add to that Terrence McGee, who has returned kicks for the Bills his entire career, and Parrish becomes expendable to the front office.

The Bills have an abundance of wide outs on the team and if Steve Johnson and James Hardy live up to expectations, Parrish could drop to sixth on the depth chart.

Parrish is a freak of an athlete and clearly the best return man on the Bills or any team in the league for that matter. But the Bills also have three more great returners on the team.

Most teams would love to have a player of Parrish's talents on their team. The Bills, however, aren't that much worse off without him.

If the price is right, they will most likely pull the trigger on a trade. But if not, keeping one more playmaker on the team couldn't hurt either.

Terrell Owens: Gives Bills a Boost On and Off The Field

Josh Vincent — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:39:00 -0400

It is no surprise to anyone that the Terrell Owens to Buffalo move was done in part, if not primarily, for financial reasons.

Is it any surprise that today is the first deadline for Bills season ticket holders to renew their seats, and Saturday they made their biggest free agent signing since Takeo Spikes?

Last season, the Buffalo Bills kicked off their five-year regional experiment with Toronto. With little fan interest and overpriced tickets, the Rogers Centre had trouble selling out the game.

I think it is safe to say tickets to that game will go much more quickly with T.O. on the program.

Owens' jersey will no doubt be a top-10 selling jersey this coming season. I can see the "North America's Team" t-shirts hanging on the Bills store walls now.

It does not seem unlikely that there will be some "I love me some me," and "Get your popcorn ready" t-shirts being sold in the Ralph Wilson Stadium parking lots this fall either.

But does Terrell Owens offer more than an economic boost to the Buffalo Bills?

I think it is safe to say he makes the Bills' offense better (could it get much worse?) Owens and Evans, on paper, look like a top-three receiving tandem in the NFL.

No one can question Owens talent on the field throughout his career. But are his best years behind him?

With his first reception in a Bills uniform, Terrell Owens will pass the Bills' all-time leading receiver, Andre Reed, in career receptions. When you start chasing the top five guys in receptions, it says that you have had a great career. But it also says that you are much closer to the end of that career than the beginning.

T.O's best years are no doubt behind him, but that is not to say he doesn't still have great years left. Buffalo is different from any other destination T.O. has arrived at.

And Owens is, for the first time in his career, starting over with a new franchise as an aging superstar.

So why Buffalo? Why the Bills?

Strictly talking X's and O's, why does Owens want the Bills and why does Buffalo want T.O?

Terrell Owens gives the Bills a desperately needed second receiver to compliment Lee Evans. The Bills offense has been more predictable than a Full House rerun over the last few seasons because teams don't have to respect anyone other than Evans catching the ball.

Owens instantly makes Lee Evans a better receiver because no self-respecting defense is going to double-team Evans and allow Owens to beat them deep.

The tough decisions opposing defenses will have to make regarding the Buffalo passing game will no doubt strengthen the running game as well. That could not be more important, with Marshawn Lynch probably facing a four-game suspension due to his off-the-field legal troubles.

Owens has managed to keep his name off the police blotter throughout his career, despite being a lightning rod of controversy on it.

He has had highly publicized rifts with all of his former quarterbacks. But Trent Edwards is in a very different position than other quarterbacks Owens has played with. Edwards is playing for his football life.

After a promising rookie outing, Edwards won the starting job over incumbent starter J.P. Losman at the start of last season.

Six weeks into the season, it was a no-brainer that the Bills coaching staff had made the right decision. Ten weeks after that, fans weren't so sure.

There is no question that the Owens-to-Buffalo move puts more pressure on Bills' quarterback Trent Edwards than anyone else.

If he can't get the offense moving with weapons like Owens, Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, and Roscoe Parrish then he will find himself out of the NFL before you can say "get your popcorn ready."

Mild-mannered head coach Dick Jauron won't call players out for lack of effort or poor execution, and Terrell Owens will hold his teammates accountable.

For all of his griping in the past, Owens has been consistent in wanting to win football games. He hates to lose, maybe as much as anyone who has ever played the game.

Owens' personality will not disrupt the team's personality because the Bills have no personality. The Bills have nestled themselves into football mediocrity recently, with three straight 7-9 seasons. The Bills don't even suck enough for the media to pay attention to them.

In his past stops, Owens has had to "fit in" to a team, and "learn to get along" with teammates. In Buffalo, Owens brings a swagger and arrogance this city has not had since Jim Kelly and company led the team to four straight Super Bowls.

What the Bills need more than anything is superstar talent, media attention, and confidence. Owens gives them all of that.

For the first time in his career, Owens will play for a team that needs to become part Terrell Owens more than it needs Terrell Owens to become part of the team.

How will the Terrell Owens experiment work for North America's Team? You better get your popcorn ready if you want to find out.

Another T.O. To Buffalo Reaction Article

Josh Vincent — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:06:01 -0500

With Terrell Owens first reception as a Buffalo Bill he will pass the Bills all-time leading receiver, Andre Reed, in career receptions. Saturday, the Bills made a surprise move by signing the controversial Owens to a one year $6.5 million contract.

The Bills desperately needed a big veteran target opposite Lee Evans. 2008 first round pick James Hardy is at least another year away, after suffering an ACL tear late in what was already a disappointing rookie campaign.

The signing of T.O. by the Buffalo Bills is perplexing to say the least. The Bills organization has always made it a priority to sign high character players to build a team rather than a collection of talent. Owens character has certainly been called into question over his career.

Owens first stepped into the spotlight in a 1998 wild-card playoff game between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. After dropping five passes and fumbling another, Owens finally made a big play, catching the game winning touchdown with seconds left on the clock. After being awarded the game ball, a teary-eyed T.O. would tell his teammates how much he loved them.

T.O. soon became recognized as one of the premier receivers in the NFL. He became a media darling after his hilarious touchdown celebrations including "sharpie-gate," grabbing pom-poms and becoming a cheerleader aired endlessly on SportsCenter.

He became the Godfather of the modern day wide-receiver diva, letting his ego get the better of him. He began to think he was bigger than the team, publicly criticizing quarterback Jeff Garcia and ultimately demanding the 49ers release him or trade him.

T.O. went from media darling to media whipping boy.

He then went to Philadelphia and in his first season helped the Eagles make their first Superbowl in 23 years. In three seasons before Owens' arrival, the Eagles had been defeated in the NFC championship game. Things seemed to be sunny in Philadelphia before Owens' well publicized falling out with quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Then onto Dallas where the story was almost identical. His first season everything was great, Dallas made the playoffs, but after a Tony Romo fumble on a hold cost the Cowboys the game, things began to sour with Terrell. By last season there was an obvious tension between Terrell Owens and quarterback Tony Romo.

Throughout all of T.O.'s troubles and criticisms, I had always remained a T.O. apologist. I always lamented that T.O. had never been in trouble with the law and had an unparalleled workout regiment. But last year I finally grew tired of his antics and wished he would try to become less of a "me" player and more of a team player.

History dictates that T.O. will no doubt make the Bills a better team on the field. But how long before he grows tired of sharing balls with Lee Evans? Owens is growing older. Who will he blame when he loses a step? How will he deal with his teammates benefiting from the respect he gets from opposing defense while his production begins to decline?

There are many questions about this marriage between Owens and the Bills that won't be answered until the 2009 season gets underway. One thing I do know is I am a Terrell Owens fan.

Why?

Because he plays for the Buffalo Bills.

Ben Roethlisberger - Kurt Warner: Rare Matchup of Previous Super Bowl Winners

Josh Vincent — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:46:21 -0500

Superbowl XLIII marks only the fourth time in NFL history that two teams with Superbowl winning quarterbacks have been matched up in the big game.

Including this year's game, three of the four times such a matchup has occurred, the Pittsburgh Steelers were involved. The previous two being when Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach were playing against each other in Superbowl X and again in Superbowl XIII. Staubach got his first ring by defeating the Miami Dolphins in Superbowl VI and Bradshaw got his in defeat of the Minnesota Vikings in Superbowl IX.

The last time two teams led by Superbowl winning quarterbacks met in the Superbowl was 25 years ago when the Los Angeles Raiders played the Washington Redskins in Superbowl XVIII. The two quarterbacks were Joe Theismann, who had led the Redskins to victory over the Miami Dolphins the season before, and Jim Plunkett whose Raiders had defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Superbowl XV.

Superbowl XVIII was also played in Tampa, Florida. The Raiders were victorious in that game 38-9 led by MVP Marcus Allen who ran for 191 yds and two TDs. Jim Plunkett is the only quarterback (not active) to have won two Superbowls and not be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Isn't it interesting that all the talk leading up to the Superbowl revolved around whether or not Kurt Warner is a Hall of Famer and whether or not a second Superbowl ring cements him in the Hall of Fame.

While it is fun to draw comparisons to past Superbowls, let's hope Sunday's game has a much closer score than the one 25 years ago.

Inside the Tortured Mind of a Buffalo Bills Fan

Josh Vincent — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:05:09 -0500

When the Bills lost to New England I put a golf club through my television. When they lost to Cleveland on Monday Night Football I didn't smile for days. This past Sunday when they lost to San Fransisco I didn't even flinch. I was emotionless.

The Buffalo Bills have dropped five of their last six games and six of their last eight. They began the season 4-0 and in command of the AFC East. Tom Brady was out for the year and New England seemed mortal again. The Jets new franchise quarterback, Brett Favre (you may have heard of him), looked old and was not yet gelling with his new team.

Miami had Chad Pennington as their quarterback and he actually made them better! Yes, the Bills were going to role through the AFC East and win the division for the first time in over a decade.

Fast forward to December and Bills fans are pulling their hair out wondering how we can possibly end up 7-9 for the third season in a row.

The loss to San Fransisco should have effectively ended the Bills' season. The Bills have not been playing well, but the 49ers? I mean, that team is a bleeping train wreck! They fired their coach midseason and promoted Mike Singletary to head coach.

In his first week on the job he was able to alienate half the locker room and use such classic motivational techniques as dropping his pants at half time. My high school basketball coach tried that motivational technique and it motivated me to join the swim team.

I know all hope on the Bills season should be gone, I know I should accept the fact the Bills are going to miss the playoffs yet again. But I can't stop torturing myself. I can't stop Billieving.

From the time the schedule is released in April until the start of the season you start playing the matchups in your mind—predicting the games your team will win and lose on their way to the playoffs. Fans of every team do it. The talking heads on ESPN do it. And then the season starts, and just like the coach has preached since day one, you take it week by week.

That is until your team has pooped the bed halfway through the season and pissed away their division lead.

Now you start looking at those matchups again—your team's matchups, the divisional opponents matchups, and anyone else who might be ahead of you in the wild-card race.

The Bills are 6-6. They are two games out of the division lead and two games out of the wildcard. They are 0-3 in the division. And here is how they are going to make the playoffs.

Let's start with the wildcard teams. If the playoffs started today, the Colts and the Ravens would be the wildcards. The Colts play at home against Cincinnati and Detroit, play at Jacksonville on Thursday night, and finish the season at home against Tennessee on 10 days rest. The Colts are in—they finish 4-0, 3-1 at worst.

Baltimore has a tougher road. They are at home the next two weeks against Washington and Pittsburgh. Two tough rivals looking to make a statement on the road, the early bye week caused by hurricane Ike finally taking its toll, 0-2. Then they go to Dallas on Saturday night.

The Cowboys are the most talented team in the league when Tony Romo is under center, and they are still playing for a wildcard, 0-3. They finish at home against Jacksonville in what will amount to a meaningless game, 1-3.

With the Colts finishing 12-4 and the Ravens finishing 9-7, we assume the Colts are in and the Ravens are out. And just for the sake of argument we will put the Titans, Steelers, and Broncos in as division winners.

Now, let's look at the AFC east games over the next three weeks. The Jets go to San Fransisco this week. Two weeks ago the Jets went on the road and beat the Tennessee Titans and then dropped one at home to the Denver Broncos, a good team, but a team the Jets should have beat.

San Fransisco's win over the Bills should make them the best team in the league right now, right? Fear not, Jets fans. Teams are 2-9 this season the week after they face the Titans, and one of those teams needed an extra day's rest to win. In my wildest dreams I can't see the Jets losing this game.

The Bills play the Dolphins this week in Toronto. The Bills have a little extra motivation this week knowing that since 2007, the team that has beaten the Miami Dolphins on foreign soil has gone on to win the Superbowl. Bills win their first regular season game in Toronto.

The Patriots next two games are on the west coast against two abysmal teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Oakland Raiders. Oddly enough, both of those teams will be coming off of Thursday games facing the New England Patriots on 10 days rest. The Patriots lose one of those games.

Miami rebounds from their loss in Toronto with a win over the 49ers. Meanwhile the Bills and Jets face off in the Meadowlands. Because those teams so often split the season series, because no one circles the wagon like the Buffalo Bills, I pick the Bills to win at New York on Dec. 14.

The following week the Jets rebound and win at Seattle. The Patriots are at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals suck on the road, especially in snowy New England, Pats win. The Dolphins are at Kansas City. Historically, KC has been a tough place to play in December.

Historically, the Dolphins lose games they should win on the road late in the season. Kansas City is historically bad in terms of the franchise. Miami is making history in terms of the amazing turn around of a 1-15 team. KC is due for a win, Miami due for a loss. KC wins.

The Buffalo Bills are in Denver. Still sour from the last second win in the 2007 season opener in Buffalo, the Bills exact their revenge over a year later in Denver on a last second onside kick recovery return for a touchdown. Bills win.

Going into the last week of the season the Bills and Patriots are both 9-6 going into their last week matchup. The Jets are 10-5 and the Dolphins 8-7. Two monumental matchups to determine the final two playoff spots. The Bills have to win at home over the Patriots, right? When was the last time the Bills beat the Patriots? When was the last time the Patriots weren't led by Tom Brady?

If the Bills win against the Patriots they clinch a playoff berth. If the Jets lose to the Dolphins the Bills can win the division.

I know, it's crazy. It defies logic. It defies reasonable observation of the last few weeks of the NFL season. But I can't help it.

I can't stop Billieving. I can't stop thinking that Trent Edwards is going to be the quarterback he was the first six weeks of the season and that these last six weeks have just been natural growing pains that every young quarterback goes through. I can't stop believing that Marshawn Lynch has broken out of his sophomore slump and his last two hundred yard games are what I can expect to see the rest of the season.

I can't help but hear the old adages—"On any given Sunday..." and "Nobody circles the wagon..."

I know how unlikely it would be the scenarios I have laid out come to fruition. And yet I believe it because it gets me through the week. It gets me up early on a Sunday. It gives me a reason to look forward to going to the regular season finale in Orchard Park.

I know, it's crazy. But I can't stop Billieving. I can't stop torturing myself.

Bills-Dolphins Match Up in Toronto Gets More Interesting

Josh Vincent — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:54:25 -0400

I really wanted to sit down and write an article about how much the Bills dominated the Dolphins on Sunday. Unfortunately that didn't happen. Instead, I will preview the next matchup in this rivalry, which also happens to be the first regular season game in the Bills Toronto Series.

On January 1st of this year Buffalo hosted the first professional Hockey game played outdoors in the United States when the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Now the city is taking the show on the road as the Buffalo Bills will play the Miami Dolphins in Toronto in the first regular season NFL game ever to be played in Canada.

When the regular season schedule came out this past Spring, Bills fans were a little disappointed they wouldn't get to see their team "squish the fish" in Buffalo this season. On the other hand, the Dolphins were not all that intriguing an opponent as they had only one win all of last year, and it came in overtime!

The Bills started the season 5-1 and didn't play a division opponent until Week Eight. The Bills went into Miami fully expecting to start their division play the same way they had started their season, with a win. The Dolphins had other plans.

The Bills got off to their usual sluggish start and did not take their first lead until time expired in the first half. The Bills scored a touchdown on their first drive of the second half to open up a nine point lead but failed to lead for long. Going into the fourth quarter the Bills trailed the Dolphins 16-17.

The Bills already have had three fourth quarter comebacks this year led by second year quarterback Trent Edwards. Obviously, the Dolphins watched the game film because they were prepared to play big in the final period. Kudos to the Dolphins coaching staff for having that team ready to play hard to the final whistle.

Conversely the Bills learned a valuable lesson on Sunday. You can't let teams stick around and expect to beat them in the fourth quarter week after week. The experts like to talk about how the Bills are a complete team, playing well in all phases of the game. The Bills now need to be a complete team for a complete game.

This is still a young football team and the game in Miami on Sunday was one of those growing pains. You can Billieve Buffalo will be ready to play four quarters of football when they meet the Dolphins in Toronto on December 7th.

Are the Boston Red Sox Really This Good?

Josh Vincent — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:12:12 -0400

I am not a member of Red Sox Nation. I hate the Red Sox. I am a Yankees fan. But I am also a Buffalo Bills fan, and I have great respect for a resilient team and a team that can come from behind to win.

I remember the way I felt the day of the seventh game of the 2004 ALCS. I had a sick feeling all day. I knew the Yankees should have won the series in Game Four, but they let it slip away. Then the Boston bats caught fire in Games Five and Six, and then it was Game Seven and we were the team on a three-game losing streak.

It felt like we should be the team with the advantage going into that game, but we had no momentum—and Boston took it to us with the greatest comeback in sports history.

And then just to top it off, they swept the World Series in style with an ace and a bloody sock for Boston's first World Championship in 86 years.

The curse is over. Enter the 2007 Red Sox. Not to be outdone by the 2004 club, they come back from down three games to one against the Cleveland Indians to win the A.L. Pennant, only to sweep the World Series again with a cancer survivor starting Game Four and another cancer survivor as the series MVP.

Now, in 2008, they have gotten themselves into another jam, falling behind to the Tampa Bay Rays three games to one. Then, in Game Five, they find themselves behind 7-0, only to have the second greatest, single-game comeback in MLB playoff history. Are you kidding me?

I will say it again, I am not a Red Sox fan, but there is no way I see the Red Sox losing this series. Let me tell you how it is going to play out. The Red Sox were able to come from behind and win Game Five with a little bit of help from the Rays' defense, who made an error in the ninth inning, putting the go ahead run in scoring position for Boston. Boston then took advantage and scored the winning run on the hit by J.D.Drew.

Boston had not had the bats working for three-and-a-half games. Now Boston is in the groove. Baseball is a game of streaks and averages, and it looks like Boston is ready to go on a streak. I predict a blowout in Game Six, forcing a Game Seven. Then, in Game Seven, it comes down to which team is mentally stronger, and you have to think Boston is much more prepared for a Game Seven.

Boston can't be that good, can they? If Boston pulls it off and wins this series, you have to think they will run all over the Phillies in the World Series. Then, I guess, the only question would be, which is their greatest comeback?

A Eulogy for the 2008 New York Yankees

Josh Vincent — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:49:42 -0400

The New York Yankees' season has ended earlier than it has since the players' strike in 1994. They end the 2008 season with the most wins of any team not to make the playoffs. To secure that dubious honor, the Yankees had to win nine of their last 11 games, including a split doubleheader with the Red Sox on the final day of the season Sunday.

The Yankees took the first game, giving Mike Mussina his 20th win of the season for the first time in his career. They lost the meaningless second game in extra innings on Jonathan Van Every's winning hit. The Yankees had been eliminated from playoff contention since early in the week.

In a season of frustration and just-misses, the Yankees finished in prideful fashion, padding their end-of-the-year stats. In a season when the Yankees' starting rotation was in a "rebuilding mode," the Bronx Bombers still managed to pull away with 89 wins.

Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, expected to be the next generation of the Yankees' great pitching, succumbed early to bad weather, bad pitching, the unyielding pressure of playing in the pinstripes, and injuries.

Wang went down with an injury and Pettite pitched admirably. Joba Chamberlain proved he can pitch out of the bullpen or out of the starting lineup, wherever the team feels he will best be utilized. And, of course, Mike Mussina exceeded everyone's expectations by winning 20 decisions for the first time in his career.

The Yankees hitters had a down year overall, but did manage to meet some important milestones, with Derek Jeter surpassing Lou Gehrig for the most hits in Yankee Stadium history. Alex Rodriguez moved up on the all-time home run list, passing the likes of Mickey Mantle in the process. A-Rod also finished up surpassing a .300 average, 35 home runs, 100 RBI, and 100 runs scored—all in a season to be considered by many to be a down year for the three-time MVP.

The Yankees said goodbye to Yankee Stadium this year in an unprecedented ceremony at the House that Ruth Built. The old Stadium was honored by Yankees greats, old and new. The current team completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles to keep their playoff hopes alive and leave a lasting memory in the hearts of their fans.

The 2008 Yankees may not have qualified for the postseason, but they finished with Yankee pride and left their fan base wanting more. The Yankees seemingly played their best when the games meant the least. But, as the franchise with 26 championships understands, you can't win them all, you can only win more than everyone else.

Congratulations, Yankees, on another winning season.