Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Trapasso

Seen and Herd : Week 13 | Buffalo Bills Vs. New York Jets

Chris Trapasso — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:17:37 -0500

The Bills' honeymoon with Ryan Fitzpatrick is nearing an end.

We enjoyed some energized play from the Harvard grad, giving a boost to Buffalo's previously struggling offensive performance. But Thursday night, we were reminded of the many deficiencies on offense.

The New York Jets secondary blanketed the Bills receivers all night, and nearly every blitz package Rex Ryan called got home.

It seemed odd. Normally when a team sends as many players as the Jets on blitzes, some wide-outs will be open on occassion. However, that definitely wasn't the case for the Bills on Thursday in Toronto.

Some things never change

I've griped a good portion of the year about the monotonous ways of the Buffalo offense. On Thursday at the Rogers Centre, they reverted to their simplistic style that hasn't fooled anyone all season.

A trio of the same plays were called all evening, and outside of a few sideline deep balls to T.O.—none of which had a chance of being caught, and on some comeback routes for Lee Evans and Owens, we didn't see all that much creativity from Alex Van Pelt.

This isn't to discount the job that Jets cornerbacks Darrell Revis and Lito Sheppard did on Buffalo's top two guys, but to me, it seemed as if the corners knew the routes better than the Bills receivers did.

On defense, there was a lot of Fewell's group showing blitz then backing away, something they've done with great discipline this season—something that hasn't helped the Bills' linebackers in pass coverage, so why do it?

You'd think playing against an inexperienced quarterback in Mark Sanchez—one of the most mistake prone quarterbacks in the NFL right now, a guy who threw five interceptions in the teams first meeting—that Buffalo would attack with more exotic blitz packages all evening. That wasn't the case.

The Bills did try to blitz at different junctures of the game, but the same inside blitzes never reached Sanchez. It really wasn't close.

Certainly give props to the Gang Green's defensive backfield for the job they did, but the Bills struggled mightily on offense with Fitzpatrick flustered in the pocket all night due to the bevy of aggressive blitzes defensive coordinator Mike Pettine conjured up.

Thoughts on Fewell

Perry Fewell is no longer the most popular guy in Buffalo—not like he was following his inaugural victory over the Dolphins.

But even in this week's defeat, the Bills were at least in the game until the end. The team's lack of skill was blatantly obvious and a big reason why they fell short, not due to bad coaching.

Fewell likely won't be retained at season's end, but I'd like to see the Bills finish with a winning record under his leadership. Buffalo can be competitive with a lot of teams in the NFL, as long as they have a coach that uses his football knowledge as a guide to calling the game, and ultimately lets his gut make the final decisions.

If Buffalo can't lure in the big fish this offseason, keeping Fewell as the head coach wouldn't be a problem. It might sound crazy, but with a new front office, and a GM that actually has a football background, Fewell could build a solid club.

Offensive Line Woes

The Bills offensive line this season has been, well, atrocious. At times they've allowed Fitzpatrick or Trent Edwards to stand upright, but against the Jets, they looked like the line they actually are—a make-shift group of backups and reserves with no continuity between them.

Anytime there was more than the customary blitz on, they were completely thrown off base, and left gaping paths directly to Fitzpatrick for the delayed blitzers.

They've had 11 different offensive lines this season, and as we know, the more combinations the worse its performance.

At the beginning of 2009, analysts criticized Bills coaches for sticking with a line that had less than 60 career starts combined. We'll never know how well the group of Demetrius Bell, Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner, Eric Wood, and Brad Butler would have played, but you can't really blame the Bills.

It's impossible for any team to overcome the amount of injuries Buffalo's endured throughout the year, especially on the ever critical offensive line.

Without question, the Bills new front office should be targeting the best O-line prospect in the first round.

Quick Recap

Marshawn Lynch averaged 10 yards per carry against the Jets, but he only carried it six times. He got the bulk of his yardage on two carries, one which included a touchdown, but the rest of the game he wasn't much of a factor.

The Bills still believe they're a passing team when everyone knows they have two quality backs to eat clock and wear down defenses. For whatever reason, though, their quarterbacks are taught to drop back like they've got the Patriots' offensive line, and Peyton Manning behind center.

It doesn't really make any sense.

While Drayton Florence again played a solid game, Terrence McGee and Donte Whitner were exposed defensively.

No offense to Whitner fans, but his value is terrible, especially as an eighth overall pick. While he's not a bust, the Bills made a mistake with their first-round pick from 2006. He's a decent run-stuffer, yet is bad in coverage and isn't a playmaker. If he's traded this offseason, and the team's offered the right deal, it would be welcomed in Buffalo.

Paul Posluszny had his second consecutive great contest and displayed a never-before-seen burst on his strip sack of Kellen Clemens in the fourth quarter. Good sign of what could be to come from the former Butkis award winner.

What's Next

The more games the Bills win the rest of the season the better. Investing a ridiculous amount of money in any of these college guys is maybe not the right move. First of all, I'm not high on any of this year's top prospects. Plus, if there are a few future All-Pros in the draft, and there probably are, you can't trust any member of the Bills front office to find them.

It just hasn't happened in the past decade, so until it does, you can't put too much stock in the Bills' decision-makers choosing that impact guy.

The Bills face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium—possibly the stinker of the week. Hopefully we'll see some young guys like Steve Johnson, Chris Ellis, and Aaron Maybin in the game.

Bills-Chiefs on Sunday at 1:00. Be sure to check out Seen and Herd following the game.

Playoffs Or Not: Why We Want the Buffalo Bills To Run the Table

Chris Trapasso — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:09:49 -0500

For a 4-7 football team, I'd say the attitude in Western New York surrounding the Buffalo Bills resembles a team in heavy contention for a playoff spot.

In reality, saying the Bills are a long-shot for the playoffs would propel you to optimist levels even higher than I myself, have ever reached.

However, when you beat your most hated rival in front of your home crowd, and get big plays from your highest profile player, sure, fans will start to believe their team can win any game.

You can't blame them for getting excited about finally witnessing some good football and some animation on the sideline from their head coach.

Whether the Bills run the table or stumble down the stretch, it pleases me that Buffalo will no longer be the laughing-stock city in the NFL.

Perry Fewell has rejuvenated everyone's morale, boosted player confidence and given us a glimpse of what a passionate, outspoken and gutsy coach is capable of doing with this team.

A few weeks ago, after another humiliating fourth-quarter catastrophe against the Tennessee Titans and the following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a frustrating outcry from some Bills "fans" began to resonate in Buffalo. Many believed finishing with as many losses as possible would be the best thing for the organization, dumping the Bills into the draft's top five.

I understand this wasn't everyone's desire, but at 3-7, it seemed a plausible theory that many disgruntled fans conjure up once their team is seemingly a lost cause—lose more games in exchange for the higher draft pick.

People have thought that way for years.

I'm not one of those people. Here's why.

1. High draft picks are rarely worth the huge dollars they demand

Of the top ten picks drafted between 2001—2007, only 40% (28 of 70) have made the Pro-Bowl. It seems like a respectable number initially, but with the ever-increasing top dollar that higher picks demand, I'd rather not take a chance with the Bills front office (new or old) finding the stud. They've done a better job finding the dud.

Some think a top-ten pick doesn't necessarily need to be a Pro-Bowler to be considered a success. Or does he? I surely don't want to invest some crazy 6-year, 70 million dollar deal in a future contributor. Would you? The Bills have definitely made that mistake many times in the past.

PS ( In picks 11-20 in those same years, 34%, 24 of 70 picks made the Pro-Bowl, and obviously were kept at a much lower cost. )

2. I'm not high on this year's draft class, especially for what the Bills are looking for

Based on reason one, you'd think I'm totally against top-ten draftees. I'm not. There's been a colossal number of Pro-Bowlers, All-Pros, and even Hall of Famers drafted in the top-ten throughout the years. Sometimes the money can pay off. (Even though each year the dollars will get bigger and bigger, thus making the draft pick that more vital.)

With all that being said, I just don't envision this draft class nearing the famous 2004 group. (14 of first 24 picks have made the Pro-Bowl) For the positions the Bills will almost certainly target in the 2010 Draft, I'm not blown away by any of the top prospects.

If you're one who's begging and pleading for a quarterback, do you really think a future franchise guy is there? I know it's been frustrating since Jim Kelly's retirement in Buffalo, but try not to let that turn to false hope that one the top guys will truly become a franchise foundation, especially with an offensive line, and a team gearing up for what looks to be a complete overhaul this offseason.

Real quick: Jimmy Clausen has the arm, the accuracy, and the delivery. Sure, his defense was terrible, but he never delivered that big game when ND needed it most, even with two sure-fire NFL wide-receivers on his team, Golden Tate and Michael Floyd.

Sam Bradford—shoulder injury. Oh yea, I need to see him play against an actual defense (not one from the Big 12) and perform on a high level. He's yet to do it in college. All his skill players were light years ahead of their opponents athletically as well. That won't necessarily happen in the NFL.

Tim Tebow—love his leadership. Wills his teams to victory. But similiar to Bradford, the skill around him is far greater than anyone else, and he can lean on best defense in the NCAA. Interesting to see how his arm looks during the Combine in February. Still, I can't picture him in anyone's top-ten.

Colt McCoy—Closest to being a top-ten pick in my mind. He's a proven winner, but again, he plays in the Big 12, which tells me nothing about how can play facing a ferocious defense.

Whether or not you agree with my quick assessments of the top QB's in the collegiate ranks, I find it hard to believe you'd think these guys are top-ten worthy. We're talking guys to build a franchise around? I don't think so.

I left out Washington's Jake Locker for a reason. It looks like, if he comes out, he'll be drafted ahead of where the Bills will sit come April.

You could start this year's Pro-Bowl quarterbacks, whoever they turn out to be, on the Buffalo Bills, and I highly doubt we'd see dramatic improvement.

Sure, some defensive tackles, linebackers, and offensive linemen may fit the bill as top tier draft picks, but 2010 is definitely one of the "moving-down-is-a-better-idea" draft years. And right now, the Bills can move down very simply by winning.

3. Winning attracts the top free agents/coaches

I may be going out a limb here, but I'm fairly certain Ralph Wilson Jr. stated he's ready to spend money this offseason. A key to the Bills becoming a contender sooner rather than later hinges on acquisition of the top free agents and coaches. Money in Buffalo always has it's ceiling. Ralph isn't as dumb as the Daniel Synders of the world, but much goes into the enticing of free agents and the guys that'll coach them.

The rumor surrounding the big name guys like Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, and Tony Dungy is that they don't want to coach a team with tons of issues.

Their inflated heads can barely fit into their cars right now, and they want to go down as legends of the sidelines. If the bring multiple teams to the playoffs and Super Bowls they'll be just that, legends.

They aren't dumb, though. They know their presence can't will a team like the Bills, Browns, Lions, or Buccaneers to consistent victories. They need to see promise before even considering a new job.

As far as players are considered, we aren't winning over any guys with the climate, let's just admit that out of the gate. Though players have shown in the past they'll come here.

The night life, and big city atmosphere doesn't stack up to some of the bigger markets, either, although my fellow Chippewa street go-ers will most likely beg to differ.

Even if the Bills front office can squeeze by all that with a player and his greedy agent, pitching a team with a good outlook for the future is essential. Guys don't want to play for a perennial cellar dweller that has no promise for the future. I most certainly wouldn't.

The Bills need to show the rest of the league that there are players on this team, and the ground-work is being laid for a squad that can compete next year.

Buffalo has been "re-building" for a decade now. Finishing the season 4-12, or 5-11, while factoring in the cold weather, and the small market, won't lure anyone with substantial ability to Buffalo.

(Think there's a better chance for T.O. to stick around if the team finishes strong? Certainly.)

The team appearing to be on the rebound can only help this offseason.

This situation exquisitely fits with my usual Bills optimism. Those who waved their hands in disgust after the Bills seventh loss while uttering something like:

"Lose all the rest, so we'll have a top draft pick" or,

"Losing out will do us good for next year", may want to re-think their snap judgment.

For a preview of tomorrow's game against the New York Jets refer to Dan Van Wie's column.

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

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:22:14 -0500

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.

Seen and Herd | Week 11: Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Chris Trapasso — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:07:56 -0500

It comes as no surprise: The Bills found yet another agonizing way to lose a football game.

We've seemingly seen it all of late.

This week, it wasn't a last-second missed field goal, or an opponent scoring as time expired.

Against the Jaguars, two untimely penalties sealed the Bills' fate in Jacksonville.

A Fred Jackson touchdown scamper in the first half was negated by a holding penalty. The Bills later settled for a field goal.

In the fourth quarter, Ryan Fitzpatrick launched a pass that resembled a Hail Mary attempt and Lee Evans came down with the touchdown, but an illegal hands to the face penalty called that one back, as well.

Neither would have been that "dagger" that we often hear about in sports, but imagine, the Bills could have put almost 30 points on the board had the penalties not taken place.

Bright Spots

In a time when the Bills aren't making any fans happy, let's start with the good news from Sunday's loss in Jacksonville, the little that there is.

Terrell Owens had his best day in a Bills uniform, hauling in nine receptions for 197 yards and a score. His 98-yard TD was a thingy of beauty, but the fact that he was targeted 14 times is what had me most impressed, as the Bills coaching staff realized he could victimize Jacksonville's young secondary.

Ryan Fitzpatrick nearly eclipsed the 300-yard mark, throwing for 297 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

He doesn't have the raw talent to be a great NFL quarterback, or even a consistently decent signal-caller, but he makes the right reads, and is the polar opposite of the check-down happy Trent Edwards. He lets it fly.

On defense, the Bills held the sneaky Maurice Jones-Drew to 66 yards on the ground, and although the Jags attempted numerous screen plays to the fantasy football god, he only mustered four grabs for 18 yards. Not bad, worst rush defense in the NFL.

Without Marcus Stroud in the lineup, I thought the Bills would have trouble stopping Jones-Drew, and certainly didn't envision any pressure being put on David Garrard. Boy, was I wrong.

Kyle Williams' engine resembles that of a monster truck; he was in Garrard's grill all afternoon, and believe it or not, there were a few John McCargo sightings in the Jaguars backfield. Williams has become my favorite player on the Bills defense not named Jairus Byrd.

As far as interim head coach Perry Fewell, I'd give him a "B" for his first day on the job. His defense was more stout than anyone believed, and he kept his team in the game. I knew things would get better, but it'd be nearly impossible to see drastic improvement, because the players haven't changed. The situation he's in is still pretty bad.

He automatically received a good grade from me based on the fact he showed passion and a fiery demeanor on the sidelines. Something I, as a Bills fan, haven't seen in some time.

The Bad

Buffalo again couldn't revitalize their running attack against the Jaguars. The offensive line was the obvious culprit, but 17 total carries between Lynch and Jackson? Not enough.

This game wasn't a blowout either. The Bills didn't need to throw the ball all over the field to come back. They held the lead with a minute to go in the fourth. Even though it hasn't come with much success this season, Buffalo needs to pound the rock.

Even in a game where I would have guessed the Bills held the ball a respectable amount of time, they still lost the time of possession battle by a whopping 14 minutes. They were their usual 3-11 on third downs, while Jacksonville converted on nine of 15 attempts.

That usually leads to a loss in the NFL.

The Ugly

Eric Wood. His injury was gruesome, and it's thought to be very severe. The rookie guard with loads of promise going down with injury was by far the worst part of the game on Sunday.

Marshawn Lynch injured his shoulder, and he's slowly but surely falling out of favor in Buffalo, especially because Fred Jackson has become a more downhill runner (That's something I thought I'd never say).

Seth McKinney was injured as well, and is also thought to be done for the season.

Here's the updated, ever-growing list of Bills players on IR this season: Kawika Mitchell, Leodis McKelvin, Marcus Buggs, Brad Butler, Derek Schouman, Eric Wood, Seth McKinney (not official yet), and Keith Ellison.

Other role players have been lost to injuries this season - the steamroll of injuries hasn't stopped.

News Flash

Today the Bills signed former Steelers Guard Kendall Simmons. He's an eight year veteran and has accumulated more than 80 starts in his career. Simmons is exactly what the young, injury-ridden offensive line needs.

What's Ahead

A recently injury-battered Dolphins team comes into rival Ralph Wilson Stadium this Sunday. We've reached a point as Bills fans where we'd just like to see our Bills beat up on our most hated opponents.

Ronnie Brown is out for the year, along with beefy nose tackle Jason Ferguson. They've won five of seven and are hungry to remain in the wild-card hunt, after an 0-3 start to the season.

It'll be interesting to see how Perry Fewell leads his team during his home debut. Sure, we're angry the season is all but over, but who wouldn't love to see a win over the Miami Dolphins? Squish the fish.

Bills/Dolphins Sunday 1:00 Ralph Wilson Stadium. Seen and Herd to follow.

Jauron-Imo! The Bills Finally Make the Big Leap, Fire Coach Dick Jauron

Chris Trapasso — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:52:37 -0500

Usually...my weekly "Seen and Herd" column is posted early in the week, but there's some news from Bills camp that's got everyone talking—at least in the Western New York region.

The Bills have officially fired head coach Dick Jauron as of today, Nov. 17, 2009, sometime around three o'clock.

New national holiday in the Queen City?

Maybe.

I originally wasn't as mad about Jauron as it seemed the rest of Bills faithful was, but after continual embarrassing defeats and fourth quarter meltdowns, I was really beginning to dislike what that man was doing to the Buffalo Bills.

He had two weeks to prepare for the worst passing defense in the NFL, and once again, the Bills quarterbacks looked like Junior Varsity starters.

The run game has actually worsened sine Marshawn Lynch's return, and outside of Jairus Byrd's monster season, the defense as a whole has been a massive disappointment.

Jauron was 24-33 in Buffalo, making triumphant runs at 7-9 in his three seasons. His passionless attitude never meshed well with the extremely gritty, blue-collar Bills fans.

I love the move, as I'm sure thousands of Bills fans are elated today, but the only gripe I have is, why not fire him during the bye week?

He was bound to make more coaching blunders and mismanage the clock, and he did both Sunday.

The fact that he's gone, however, gives me reason not to complain.

Instantly, all is a little better in Buffalo.

What's Next?

Now that the massive load is off our backs, we must look forward as a fanbase.

Perry Fewell or Bobby April will most likely be named as the interim coach, and without Jauron there to hinder any creativity or aggressiveness, don't be shocked to see some adjustments to the game plans.

All these weeks I was hoping and praying for changes, but now I think there's a realistic chance we'll see somewhat of a different team.

I'm not saying the Bills will win seven straight, but Jauron being gone will finally allow some player development. He was that bad.

I want to see young guys like James Hardy, Steve Johnson, Chris Ellis, and Aaron Maybin in the lineup. Also, I'd like to see what Roscoe Parrish can do. He was in Jauron's doghouse and should now be freed.

As far as the 2010 season, it's too far away to predict who will lead the Bills. One thing's for sure: It won't be a weak, defensive coach. It'll be someone with plenty of fire and animation.

After the loss in Tennessee, the feeling of the season being over so soon had me beyond disappointed. Frustrated. Annoyed.

Now with Jauron gone, I feel a new beginning for the Bills. At least there's one less thing we as Bills fans can complain about.

I like the fortitude in Ralph Wilson. He must have been more fed up than the rest of us, and he made a change.

Tracking the Bills will be very interesting these next two months. At least there will be no more of Jauron's deathly stares from the sideline.

State of The Herd: What to Look Forward to As Buffalo Bills Fans

Chris Trapasso — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:57:19 -0500

At 3-5, the post-season doesn't look promising for the Buffalo Bills. We've heard that before; way to often.

Let's evaluate what's in store for Buffalo this season first, then look ahead to 2010.

On the slate

The Bills have road contests against AFC South teams in consecutive weeks following their bye, as they'll travel to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. Neither the Titans or Jaguars currently have a better record than Buffalo.

But headed into this week's game, you'd think the Titans would be favorites and they are; six point favorites to be exact.

Since Vince Young replaced Kerry Collins behind center, Tennessee has looked like the team we expected all year. They haven't won convincingly, but at 0-6, they'll take wins anyway they can get them.

Buffalo is getting healthier, as most teams do during their bye week. Trent Edwards has been named (for better or worse) the starter this week and guys like Donte Whitner, Bryan Scott, and Johnathon Scott look like they'll be plugged in for their first action in some time.

The news of Terrell Owens possibly sitting out this game with a hip strain has some worried; what for?

The Bills need drastic changes offensively. Yes, I'm trying to beat that into your brain. Though the star-factor that Owens has brought to Buffalo has kept the Bills' from drowning in the sea of irrelevancy, he hasn't worked in the simplistic system.

The emphasis being, he hasn't fit in the offensive game-plan. He's still got the speed and skill-set to be a top-flight receiver in this league regardless of what you've heard from the "experts"; guys that have personnel problems with the polarized athlete.

I'm all for Owens playing every game as a Bill, but maybe without him in the lineup, adjustments will be forced on the Bills coaching staff. They need a swift kick in the rear for sure.

They'll no longer be able to use the conventional three receiver look on third down with Evans and Owens split out wide and Josh Reed in the slot. There's a better chance they'll use trip formations, four and five wide-out sets, and utilize that simple looking yet extremely effective thing called motion. Remember, James Hardy has been activated for Sunday, and the Bills have a contingent of seven wide-outs on their roster.

It seems too easy of a fix to work, but if the offense throws some complex formations and play-calls at a struggling Tennessee defense it could turn to another odd Bills road win.

People see Chris Johnson against the Bills defense and give the immediate edge to the Titans.

I'm not totally buying it. When the Bills defense has been on the field a ridiculous amount of time, they've given up yards as any defense would. But overall, Perry Fewell's unit is solid, plays hard, and we know what they can do in the turnover department.

Looking past Tennessee, they have winnable games against Jacksonville and the Miami Dolphins.

When I say winnable, I mean on paper. All "winnable" means is the Bills should compete in the game. We're well aware of what they've done in some "winnable" games recently.

If Buffalo wins all three games, then we'll talk.

By reading you this, you can probably tell, I'm not ready to call the season over quite yet though Buffalo is on the cliff ready to be pushed off. Call me insane, that's fine, because there's a good possibility the Bills have driven me crazy and I haven't even realized it.

The offensive changes most likely won't happen. But the need for change is so clear, I can't envision only minimal adjustments being made. Who knows though, the Bills coaching staff never ceases to amaze me in their stupidity.

Ahead in 2010

Talk these days surrounding Buffalo has been more focused on next season, something I was hoping would happen after the Bills were knocked out of the playoffs in January, not in Week 10.

The hottest topic is the Mike Vick saga. Ok, it's not exactly a saga yet and Vick's lack of playing time and mediocre production has faded his story into the background this NFL season.

I'm just calling it a saga beforehand because regardless if Vick has enough skill to play the quarterback position anymore or not, the media will jump on him the moment he's released by the Eagles.

That should coincide with the Eagles being eliminated from the playoffs or from playoff contention this year.

Vick could work in Buffalo, give him a full off-season to train, study playbooks, and maybe he'll have something; that's one school of thought.

However, the sentiment behind Vick to Buffalo has been a mixed bag thus far.

In reality it comes down to the offense system in place. Most likely, there's going to be a total wipe of the Bills' coaching staff this off season which leads to a brand spankin' new system.

A system that utilizes all wide-receivers, works the middle of the field with the tight end, and calls for frequent throws deep to keep the defense on it's toes, while pouding the rock with the run.

That system sits atop my Christmas list.

It's a system I'm calling for now, but for it to be implemented next season, at it's earliest, is more realistic.

Could Vick, or many other quarterbacks flourish in a new system that resembles Green Bay, New England, or Philadelphia? Certainly.

The only thing that's been keeping me from launching a full-fledged campaign that's behind Vick in a Bills helmet next season, is the simple fact that I don't think it'll happen.

Russ Brandon's background is in marketing and he knows his football too. The thousands of fans that rushed to Bills stores to buy Terrell Owens jerseys are now feeling dooped because the Owens acquisition has lead to a 3-5 record.

The fans won't fall for the "bring-an-old-star-to-town" again, especially in consectutive seasons. Although I've said Vick could work in Buffalo, his stock isn't near where it was, say, four years ago.

The Bills know they'll need a franchise guy, unless Trent Edwards makes a complete 180 in the season's last half. Vick, at this point, just isn't a sure thing and the Bills front office knows they can't take another huge risk with a overly-frustrated fan-base.

Heck, I don't want to be embarrassed as a fan again either.

Coaching changes

Unless the Bills go 8-0, 7-1, or 6-2 down the home stretch, they aren't making the playoffs, which will lead to the firing of Dick Jauron.

Where to next?

There's plenty of accomplished coaches on the market, but it's tough to say right now which, if any, of the high profile guys will want to make Buffalo their home.

Whoever it is, must bring a positive, aggressive, and most importantly, a winning attitude to the Buffalo Bills organization.

The state of irrelevence has to cease with this new guy. He's got to demand the addition of good players in free agency, must have a big say in the draft, and it's imperative that he works the players hard in practice and during games.

Players now love Jauron because he's weak and doesn't push the players throughout the week. When you're the Indianapolis Colts that's fine, not when you're struggling to reach the .500 mark.

An ingenious offensive mind is the final must in the hire.

Personnel changes

The 2010 off-season will be a tough one when evaluating player's spots on the roster. Trent Edwards should be, in worst case scenario, kept as a back-up. He's established rapport with many players and he's an intelligent guy, whether you like him or not.

I'm not giddy about drafting a future franchise QB in the draft, however. It has nothing to do with my liking of Edwards either. There's no one that gives me that "wow" factor this year. After Jake Locker, who I think could be a stud on the right team, there's no player that sticks out to me. Tebow's name has been heard on the local sports radio airwaves, but intangibles can only get you so far.

Is he really going to run continual quarterback draws up the middle in the NFL? I don't think so.

We'll need to use the Bill Parcells approach and build the team from the offensive line up. Any elite tackle prospect should be on top of the Bills "big board". Tackles are the only draft picks I believe deserve those mega-contracts top draft picks get anyway.

Look for a linebacker in the second/third round area and a quarterback in the later rounds.

Guys like Lee Evans, Fred Jackson, and Terrence McGee have been signed to long term deals within the past calendar year, which is a great sign for the future. The Bills have a core of talent and they must find contributors and role players throughout the draft and free-agency.

Guys who I'm not sure about

Though it's not entirely his fault, the future for Marshawn Lynch is interesting. Yes, I said it; his line, for the most part, has failed him in his two-plus years in Buffalo. With Fred Jackson behind him, a more than capable runner, it'll be intriguing to see what One Bills Drive does with their hard-nosed feature back.

He should be kept as the cornerstone for the future for many reasons. He's got youth on his side, has accumulated limited carries for a starting tailback, and he's got extreme willingness to stay on his feet. But if there's another off the field slip up, don't be shocked to see Lynch on another team in the near future.

Terrell Owens is the most tricky one to figure out. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus recently blamed the Bills coaching staff, offensive line, and quarterback play for Owens sub-par season. It's funny because many believe he went off solely to protect his client, but he couldn't be anymore correct.

Sure Owens has dropped his fair share of passes, but six more meaningless catches, (outside of his drop against the Saints) wouldn't have catapulted him into his usual Pro-Bowl status anyway.

At this point, I'm not sure what team will want him at season's end. He's only under contract with Buffalo for one year, but the Bills may just want to keep him around. One things for sure, he's a veteran you want hanging around your young receivers.

Still, with him, you never know.

There's a lot on your mind if your a member of Bills faithful these days and yes, you should still remain faithful, as tough as that'll be.

Bills/Titans 1:00 Sunday. Seen and Herd to follow

Seen and Herd Week Eight: Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:48:18 -0500

Well, the excitement sure was fun while it lasted.

In the back of my mind I wasn't completely feeling a Bills playoff push on the horizon, but after the first half on Sunday, the thought that Buffalo was possibly a legitimate football team certainly creeped into my mind.

Then in one of the worst halves of live football I've ever witnessed, that notion was totally erased from my head.

A record of 3-5 sounds a whole lot worse than an even 4-4.

Offense? What Offense?

Buffalo, for the second straight game only managed nine first downs. If you're not sure how low of a number that is, Houston easily complied 24 first downs. This is including a first half when Matt Schaub was pressured into bad throws and the run game couldn't get going whatsoever.

The Texans nearly doubled the Bills in time of possession (39 minutes to 20 minutes) and this wasn't because of a defensive inability to get off the field.

Ryan Fitzpatrick displayed why there's no quarterback controversy, even with how brutal Trent Edwards has been this season.

He again made Lee Evans and Terrell Owens look like second tier wide receivers, and although many are pointing to terrible offensive line play once again, he was only sacked twice.

In a game where Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson combined for 18 carries and 71 yards, you'd think they let Fitzpatrick air it out.

Not the case on Sunday.

Throwing 15-23 with 117 yards and two interceptions is the type of game Bengals fans have been warning us about this past month.

Trent Edwards will remain the starter when he's cleared to play.

Play-calling

I'm always a nit-picker about play-calling and use the Bills horrible choice of offensive plays to sometimes deflect bad performances by players.

This is one of the times where the Alex Van Pelt and Dick Jauron were as critical to the loss as Terrell Owens and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

There is absolutely no creativity on the offensive side of the ball. Even in the victories against the Jets and Panthers, I wasn't overly pleased with the vanilla sets the Bills were putting on the field.

They did use motion, for what I think was the first time all season, but it lead to nothing special.

On an early third and long, they did use a five wide set, that ended in a Steve Johnson reception one yard short of a first down. It really put the Bills day in a nutshell.

Outside of that, it was bunched formations on first down, and on third down three wide -- Terrell Owens and Lee Evans outside, and Josh Reed in the slot.

Too easy to defend.

The reverse call was obviously a great decision, but those were negated by an odd pitch call on third and short for Fred Jackson and an even more strange fake punt reverse for Justin Jenkins.

Brian Moorman said after the game that if the play worked, everyone would have applauded Jauron, but when it gets blown up, it looks bad.

True, true. But, in recent years the play that's been most successful has been Moorman, who was an accomplished track star in college, running the ball upon receiving in from center. Not wasting time reversing another player back to the middle of the field.

Don't get it.

The Bills attempts at creativity, are so poorly drawn up, I sometimes wonder where the coaches get their ideas from.

I don't think it could get much worse for Evans and Owens, who are on pace for their worst statistical seasons. Evans was only targeted once in the first half. That cannot ever happen.

Remember when people were beginning to say Trent Edwards must say "screw it" and throw the ball deep. It's time for the Bills coaching staff to say the same and move far, far away from this predictable, "Pop Warner" offense.

I thought the predictability left with Steve Fairchild. Guess not.

Byrd living up to hype once again

Jairus Byrd is really the lone bright spot on the team, as the best defensive, and best offensive player.

Without his interceptions giving the Bills short fields, they had no chance to score, because they can't move the ball more than 40 yards to sustain a drive.

He's had two interceptions in three straight games. If he's not on track for a Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy and a Pro-Bowl appearance, I'm not sure what you have to do to win these honors.

How awesome was his wing-flapping after his second interception. Hard not to get pumped over the future for this kid.

Where the Bills lose

I heard it all on Sunday.

"This team is terrible."

"I can't take watching this horrible team anymore."

"Let's leave, it's too hard to watch."

The quotations from these disgruntled Bills fans are all valid. The product on the field right now is, in many phases of the game, very bad.

When something is this wrong the first question that arises is, why?

Here's why.

Tell me what these names have in common.

Brad Butler, Derek Schouman, Kawika Mitchell, Marcus Buggs, Leodis McKelvin, Trent Edwards, Johnanthon Scott, Jamon Meredith, Donte Whitner, Bryan Scott, Shawn Nelson, Kyle Williams, Aaron Schobel, Keith Ellison.

I could be missing a few.

This appears to be a list of Bills starters, players that would be instrumental to the Bills making a run at the postseason. In reality, it's a list of players that either were out for some or all of the game on Sunday.

Our linebackers at one point were, Paul Posluszny, Ashlee Palmer, and Chris Draft. Nothing against these guys, but that starting unit isn't going to get the job done.

Too many injuries. It sounds like a cop-out excuse but it's been the real reason behind the Bills lackluster performances becoming more common that we'd like.

Take this many starters and role players off any team, and they'd struggle.

As you know, I'm an overly optimistic person, especially when it comes to the Bills, and I think that if Aaron Schobel stays in that game, the Bills are in it late, and maybe even pull out another surprising win.

Without him the entire second half, Schaub could have eaten a sandwhich before he had to throw.

Even Keith Ellison's absence was felt, and I never thought I'd say that. The run defense was gashed in the second half because Kyle Williams, Schobel, and Ellison were out of the game.

I don't know if it's sheer unluckiness or JT Allaire not having the correct strength and conditioning program in place, but with the injuries piling up each week, it's impossible to progress on either side of the ball.

Is the season now a lost cause? Close. Many believe Chris Johnson and the Titans will stampede all over the Bills defense and the offense will remain stagnant. Who knows, but at 3-5, another slip up casts the Bills into the decade of futility.

Man, if they miss the playoffs for a 10th consecutive year, I'm not sure what I'll do.

They need changes, and they need to make them fast. Hopefully the bye week will give the players time to heal and more importantly allow the coaches to clear their heads and institute some football plays that actually work.

There's a long way to go.

Bills vs. Titans Nov. 15th...Seen and Herd to follow

Aerial Showdown: Matt Schaub Vs. Buffalo Bills Pass Defense

Chris Trapasso — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:01:07 -0400

Sorry I can't do the generic Game Preview.

There's too many out there. How many can one possibly read leading up to a game?

My advice...read my Featured Columnist colleague Dan Van Wie's previews, they're good. He does a much better job hyping a game that I ever could.

I'm more of a numbers/match-up guy.

Anyhow, this week's most intriguing story comes from the rocket arm of Matt Schaub and the turnover-creating Bills defense.

Let's break down these two critical aspects of Sunday's game.

Matt Schaub is currently:

First in passing yards (2,074)

First in touchdown passes (16)

Third in total completions (163)

He's got weapons too.

Andre Johnson is about as scary as they come in terms of wide receivers, and Owen Daniels, yes, Owen Daniels should be a household name if he's not already. He deserves the notoriety.

Andre Johnson is:

First in receiving yards (634)

First in targets (70)

T-3rd with nine receptions over 20 yards.

The guy looks like a linebacker but runs like an Olympic track star.

Don't sleep on Owen Daniels either.

Through six games Daniels is:

Sixth in first down receptions (27)

Second among TE's with 39 receptions

First in TE receiving yards 497.

He can certainly play the tight end position.

The Buffalo Bills counter with a defense that prides itself on giving an anemic offense great opportunities to score points—by creating those ever-important things called turnovers. They're giving opposing quarterbacks fits this year.

The Bills defense is:

T-1st with 13 interceptions

Third in yards per attempt allowed 5.8

Second in opposing quarterback rating allowed at 58.

I touched on these very stats in my article comparing the run defense and the pass defense , but they continued their outstanding play, therefore I feel the need to reiterate how shockingly good the pass defense has been.

Sure they've faced some shaky quarterbacks in the past three weeks (Derek Anderson, Mark Sanchez, and Jake Delhomme) but the Bills didn't allow these struggling quarterbacks to have a rebound game against their unit.

They did hold Drew Brees and Tom Brady to somewhat pedestrian numbers remember.

What's going to give?

It's very tough to predict this one—even the "experts" would have a hard time, though I think the majority is leaning toward Houston's pass offense getting the best of the Bills.

Andre Johnson has been hurt, but don't expect him to slow down his locomotive-like engine, and I don't envision Perry Fewell changing much with his super-successful game plan.

The determining factor, to me, is the pass rush. Schaub has been sacked 12 times this season, which carries a mediocre standing in the NFL.

The Bills D-line is revitalized. They've already accumulated 16 quarterback take downs.

The point is, Matt Schaub isn't known for his mobility. If he gets into a groove, stays relaxed in the pocket, things may turn in Houston's favor. But if an early pressure leads to a bad interception, the Bills will have extreme momentum. There's nothing better for a crowd to feed off than tremendous defensive play.

Schaub can be rattled, but also can look as comfortable as Brady back there.

Whichever team sets the tone early, has the advantage.

What do I think will happen?

I think Schaub will have a good day, but nothing spectacular. At home, the crowd really gets behind the defense that, for the most part, has played out of their minds as of late—especially at the Ralph.

This makes me believe Schaub could be forced into a bad throw in the early going, as the Texans haven't been able to rely on Steve Slaton producing great yardage on first down.

On obvious passing downs, the Texans won't have as big of an edge on the Bills secondary as it may seem on paper.

I don't dare to make a game prediction, but I envision a near draw between these two heavy-weights, with the unit that makes one or two more plays deciding the winner.

That close.

Seen and Herd Week Seven: Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:21:56 -0400

Say it with me...The Buffalo Bills are officially on a winning streak.

It's been awhile.

When the final whistle blew in Charlotte after another oddly exciting football game, the Bills found themselves again victorious.

Win in Perspective

Buffalo sits at the respectable, yet far from ideal spot, of 3-4. Two weeks ago, many had buried the season following embarrassing losses to Miami and Cleveland. Now the Bills are rebuilding the semblance of a bandwagon. Will fans jump back on?

It keeps Buffalo in the "playoff hunt" if there's such a thing in October, but they're currently a game out of a wild-card position. At least the season isn't finished.

A Jets or Carolina loss, or a combination of the two, would have all but mathematically eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention before the half way point of the season.

There's still life. A good amount of it.

The Bills, even in their consecutive wins, haven't resembled a playoff-caliber team.

The defense looks up to snuff, but the offense hasn't improved in the statistical sense, and surely isn't the explosive unit many believed would materialize with Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, Lee Evans, and Terrell Owens on the 2009 roster.

Still, somehow, Buffalo triumphed, when many were ready to turn off the lights on the season.

A Star is Born?

Jairus Byrd continued his hot streak of interceptions this week with another two-INT performance. Both were on over-throws by Jake Delhomme, but Byrd was situated exactly where a safety needs to be, and he made Carolina pay.

He's got five interceptions this year—he'll be a big part of the team's success in the future. His torrid streak puts him in serious contention for a spot on the All-Rookie team, if not Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Yea, I'm serious.

The Bills have already eclipsed last year's interception total and it's proven to be the deciding factor in all three Bills' wins.

Even George Wilson, who rounded out the back-up duo in the Bills last line of defense grabbed another pick late, securing victory.

When Bryan Scott and Donte Whitner, went down with injury, I realized George Wilson, a converted wide receiver, and Jarius Byrd who at the time had less than three starts, would be our two safeties. I was worried.

In reality, they've out-played Whitner and Scott, which leads me to my next point.

What's Next?

With Byrd and Wilson playing stellar football, what will come of the now four legitimate safeties on the team?

Many believe Bryan Scott may lose his job, but he's still unbelievably vital defending the run. He's about the same size as Keith Ellison and obviously has better coverage skills.

Whitner hasn't become the playmaker Buffalo believed he'd be when they drafted him eighth overall in 2006. But he's a vocal leader on defense and frequently stuffs the box on obvious running downs. He's an above average cover man, especially on tight ends.

So here's what happens. When Byrd was drafted, rumors floated that if Byrd panned out early, the Bills would institute a three safety look, and now it seems like that's what will happen.

Clearly Byrd will stay in center field while Whitner and Scott can focus on strengthening the run defense. That's something that's critical for this team, which faces many good running backs down the stretch. (Steve Slaton, Ronnie Brown, Michael Turner, Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson)

Offense Improvement?

New starter, Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't wow anyone, but had the game I was expecting/hoping for.

He was 11-for-22 for 123 yards and one touchdown. Remember Terrell Owens had two drops, which didn't help his numbers.

Fitzpatrick epitomizes "managing the game," scrambling when nothing's there, occasionally going deep, while responsibly throwing the short and intermediate passes when need be.

He had Owens in the first half for a touchdown, but his arm strength failed him. Later he connected with Lee Evans on a 50-yard strike in the fourth quarter.

(Side note: Evans didn't utilize any double moves, or up and outs. He straight up burned the corner on a go route, something he can do to just about any member of any secondary in the NFL. It's old-school football.)

Fitzpatrick, for the first time all season, used the middle of the field. He hit Owens on a deep dig with the Bills backed up in their own zone and a 3rd-and-long situation. He utilized the slant route for his frozen rope touchdown to Lee Evans.

He definitely doesn't like checking down as much as Trent Edwards, which has it's pros and cons.

He isn't the future for Buffalo, but his "I'll-gladly-be-the-backup" attitude suits the Bills perfectly. And to be honest, he isn't that bad of a player.

T.O.s

No I'm not talking about Terrell Owens, or even his cereal. His troubles are well-documented. Catch the ball.

I'm talking turnovers. Buffalo's 13 interceptions catapults them to first in the NFL this season. They've allowed an average quarterback rating of 58. That puts them in sole possession of second.

Who would have thought?

The defensive line deserves some credit. Though they weren't in Delhomme's face all day, they did register two sacks and often pressured Jake into incompletions. With an occasional blitz, Buffalo becomes a formidable pass rushing team.

Never thought I'd say that following last year's 24-sack catastrophe.

Where the Offense Goes From Here

Marshawn Lynch accumulated only 40 yards on the ground while Fred Jackson carried seven times for a mere 10 yards.

Carolina played down hill with all their linebackers and sometimes even their safeties on run plays. The offensive line, which we always analyze following the game, wasn't great, especially for the backs. They did keep Fitzpatrick upright all but one time in Sunday's contest however.

We know Fitzpatrick isn't afraid to test teams deep. (Let's all breathe a sigh of relief together.)

With that dynamic, (and I don't mean necessarily completing the passes, just throwing the deep ball) the Bills offense gets much tougher to defend.

Carolina was going to let Ryan Fitzpatrick beat them, putting the onus on stopping the run, and they did.

They were caught off guard on the Owens miss down field in the first half and certainly couldn't stay with Lee Evans in the fourth quarter. He missed on four other bomb attempts. You can take a positive from those negative incompletions.

The defense keeps those distance throws in the back of their minds, so complete commitment to the run is suddenly gone.

This can only benefit the run game, the offense line, and then the play-action pass, my favorite.

It's been a long time coming, but expect more deep throws to connect, and don't be shocked to see some running game improvement.

Looking Ahead

The Buffalo Bills host the Houston Texans on Sunday in an early November game with wild-card implications. Houston sits a game ahead of Buffalo at 4-3, and they're also winners of two straight.

Their defense is anchored by Mario Williams and an above-average secondary, but with new wrinkles the Bills can certainly exploit this under-appreciated unit.

Matt Schaub has eight touchdown passes to only two interceptions in his last three games, making him one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL. He's the league leader in passing yards.

The game's best storyline is Schaub against the Bills' stingy pass defense.

Buffalo held Drew Brees to under 200 yards with no scores in Week Three, so hopefully their stellar pass-defense comes through again.

The teams are closely matched with the Texans boasting a much better offense. Andre Johnson's availability following a chest injury against the 49ers is huge.

This game means a lot. Reaching 4-4 going into the bye would be huge for Buffalo.

Bills-Texans, 1:00 Sunday. Seen and Herd to follow.

Bills Breakdown: The Two Sides Of Buffalo's Defense

Chris Trapasso — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:35:53 -0400

It feels different writing following a Bills win.

I could get used to this.

Instead of adding yet another "Game Preview" of this weeks showdown in Charlotte, I'm taking a look at the Bills oddly dissimilar defense, that's made Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde seem somewhat normal.

The Bills defense will be the difference in Sunday's game against the Panthers. Mark my words.

A solid performance, and they'll win. Missed tackles, and gaping running holes will lead directly to the fifth defeat of the season.

Bad News First

I like ending with the good stuff. Finishing with a positive is better, so you'll walk away feeling hopeful for the Bills. I'll start with the permeable run defense.

First, the numbers.

Buffalo is:

- Last in Total Rushing Yards allowed (1091) and obviously average (181.9) in the NFL.

- T-Last in the league in recovered fumbles. (1) They've only forced four. (31st)

- 31st in the NFL in rushing first downs allowed. Trailing only the Browns. Burn.

- On pace to surrender 2,909 yards rushing

Have you thrown up yet? Even a little in your mouth? If you did, it's OK.

It's been that hard to watch the past four weeks if you like hard-nose run defense.

The defensive line really hasn't been the problem. The inexperience at linebacker and safety (mainly due to injuries) has lead to bad angles on runs, with has provided Moses-and-the-Red-Sea-like passageways for opposing runners.

Also, the counter has killed Buffalo.

The Jets employed this misdirection run constantly, to the tune of 318 yards this past Sunday. The Bills now are fully aware it's coming, but don't be surprised if the Panthers institute this deadly run play in Charlotte.

Paul Posluszny needs to get his defense playing with more passion, and aggression. They allowed 130 yards combined in the first two weeks of the season, but have gone all swiss cheese on us since.

The tackling hasn't been any worse than any other NFL defense, but horrible angles have eliminated some players from simple running plays.

I'm hoping this week Perry Fewell preached to his unit the importance of gap responsibility. I expect them to come out playing downhill against the Panthers, but I still have no confidence in them stopping the run.

Now, the Good News!!!

If you've been surprised about the run defense, how about the Bills defending against the pass?

No, it hasn't been horrible. Quite the opposite actually.

The Bills are:

- Seventh in total passing yards allowed (1,024) and fourth in average per game (171)

- T-First in Yards Per Attempt allowed in the NFL (5.5)

- Third in the NFL with 10 interceptions

- Second in QB Rating allowed (58.5)

Are you sure I wasn't looking at the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers?

I'm sure. That's Buffalo's pass D's stat-line. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Many point to the fact that the Bills have faced Derek Anderson, Mark Sanchez, Chad Henne, and Byron Leftwich, but don't forget they hosted Drew Brees, and were in Foxboro for Tom Brady's return.

The numbers seem to be legitimate.

Donte Whitner may not play this weekend, and his buddy, Bryan Scott looks to be out again with a nagging ankle, but George Wilson and Jairus Byrd have spelled the veterans rather nicely.

Byrd is living up to his ball-hawk pre-draft hype, and George Wilson is a straight gamer.

Drayton Florence has filled in for Leodis McKelvin better than many expected, and Terrence McGee, well, he's been Terrence McGee. Don't forget about Reggie Corner.

The Bills/Pathers matchup is a very interesting one. The Bills poor run defense against the Panthers dangerous backs. Jake Delhomme against the Bills secondary. When all is said and done, whatever team imposes its will on the other's weakness will win this football game.

How about some more balance, Bills defense? I love the interceptions, but tackling some running backs would be nice for a change.

Thoughts welcomed below....

Seen and Herd: Week Six, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets

Chris Trapasso — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:22:21 -0400

How about this past weekend. It was surely a wacky one.

My apologies on the late post of my weekly column, but I'm a day behind because of the "travel day." I was in NYC for the game, and folks, if you can make the trip, get to McFadden's Bills Backers Bar. It's nuts.

Yes, even writers sometimes need an extra day after travel, not just the players.

Anyhow, the Buffalo Bills pulled off an astonishing road win in overtime against the rival New York Jets, riding an astonishing six interception performance to victory.

Yes, six. It hasn't happened since 1967.

One of the interceptions was thrown by the punter, who was the holder for a botched field goal in overtime, but I'll take the five legitimate picks any Sunday.

Ugly?

That's been the buzz word following the game that featured a whopping eight turnovers. Ugly? It was beautiful if you ask me.

I understand the idea many have that "the Jets did everything they could to lose," or "the Bills were handed a gift." But let's really focus the scenario here.

The Bills intercepted starter Mark Sanchez five times.

They did give up 318 yards rushing, but 150 of those yards came on two Thomas Jones home runs.

They shut out the Jets in the second half.

The Bills lost their starter (whether you like him or not, Edwards is more talented than Ryan Fitzpatrick) early in the second quarter, and their back-up led the team to 13 points and the victory, although he didn't have a great statistical game (10 of 25, 116 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT).

These are facts.

Close your eyes for a second and imagine if everything stated above happened to the Bills.

They get intercepted five times. They rush for 318, but get shut out in the second half, and allow the Jets to win in comeback fashion with their second-string quarterback.

No one would call that ugly. The national media would praise Rex Ryan and destroy the Bills, furthering our embarrassment as fans. In fact, the local media here in Buffalo would tear apart the team, especially Dick Jauron and Trent Edwards.

The Jets did commit 14 penalties, some in timely situations, which is what some of the "gift-wrapped game" is based on, but if the Bills committed that many, you wouldn't hear that the Bills handed the Jets anything.

It's just that fans have been so distraught for so many years, even a solid road win isn't good enough.

No, this win doesn't catapult the Bills into the playoff hunt, but give the team some credit for their most recent victory.

People hate to use cliches, but why not throw one in here. A win, is a win, is a win.

The Bills have lost much uglier in the past three seasons, let alone in their history.

No T.O. No problem

Terrell Owens was again a non-factor in the Meadowlands. He caught a mere three passes for 13 yards, but did draw a few pass interference/illegal hands down field penalties against the Jets lock-down corner, Darelle Revis.

Lee Evans had his best day of the year. He complied 68 yards on four catches, including the game tying touchdown late in the third quarter.

When you think about it, and this may be a stretch, but for as bad as the offense has been, they've given the team the chance to win four ball games thus far. A Roscoe Parrish fumble, and a Leodis McKelvin kick return are what separate the Bills from a flip-flopped 4-2 record.

What I'm saying is the only place the Bills offense can go is up.

We haven't seen anything nearing a 100 yard performance from either Lee Evans or Terrell Owens, and yet, the Bills have been in four contests, none of which their offense has lost for them late.

With all that said, I'm still ticked about the Browns game. Probably more than anyone.

Continuity on the Line

Entering the Week Six game against the Jets, many believed the poor offensive line play would reach it's lowest point.

Wrong. The fifth different combination of lineman produced one of the best showings this season.

Jamon Meredith, who was labeled along with Shawn Nelson , as a draft steal this April was impressively smooth adjusting to the never-before-seen speed of the NFL. The false starts were limited, and for the most part, the offensive line stood tall against the over-hyped "vaunting" Jets defensive front, and aggressive blitz packages.

One word for the Bills coaching staff: Continuity. They should know it well. It was the main reason Dick Jauron was extended this past offseason, and same thing goes for the offensive line.

The young guys aren't going to get better playing alongside someone different every week.

No, offense to Johnathon Scott, but I'm calling for Jamon Meredith to remain at right tackle.

It'll only get better from here.

Byrd Man

Jairus Byrd is not only living up to his pre-draft hype, but to me, he's exceeding expectations.

Not only is he tied for third in the NFL in interceptions, but all of his picks have been of the acrobatic/extremely athletic variety.

He's got more interceptions in four professional starts than Donte Whitner does in his entire career.

Sorry for the burn, Donte. We're glad you're back.

Returnees

Along with Whitner, his fellow defensive leader Paul Posluszny returned. Despite allowing the second most running yards in team history, the presence of the two defensive stand-outs was certainly felt. The command they have as far as communication on defense is imperative if this group improves down the stretch.

Looking Ahead...

After many believed the season was in as much trouble as the Balloon Boy family, a glimmer of hope was uncovered Sunday.

Sunday's tilt against a mediocre Carolina Panthers team is officially the make-or-break game of the year.

You never, ever, know in the National Football League.

Bills/Panthers 4:05 Sunday. Seen and Herd to follow.

Cold Bills, Hot Topics

Chris Trapasso — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:06:50 -0400

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in a very bad situation. Their coach is on the hot seat. They're coming off three humiliating losses. They haven't found ways to incorporate future Hall of Famer Terrell Owens into the offense; that as a whole, is very out of sync.

At this point many Bills fans are kissing the season goodbye. A road test lies ahead against the defensively stout New York Jets, who behind head Rex Ryan's ultra aggressive scheme, have blitzed over 100 times this season.

Look out.

Though it's hard to find fresh topics on the Bills, here's my reaction to all of the most recent story lines heading into this weekend.

Jauron's Billboard

Some of you love it. You're entitled to your own opinion but here's what I got.

The billboard is another showing of poor fandom in Buffalo. We had McKelvins' lawn, Whitner's jewelry, and now this. And we claim we have the best fans in the NFL. I still think we're up there, but a few are spoiling that honorable title for the rest of us.

Unless the Bills ride a hot streak into the winter months, Dick Jauron (and possibly others) will be gone, at the latest, by season's end.

Regardless of when he's let go, the team's performance won't change a great deal. There's been too many injuries.

Funny, yes. Good idea, no.

Scrapping the No-Huddle.

In my recent column outlining the 10 things the Bills must do to save this season, I mentioned making the choice on the no-huddle is critical.

Finally.

That finally represents a gigantic sigh of relief that a decision seems to have been made. Bigger than when Brett Favre returned to the league and I didn't have to watch Rachel Nichols report from outside his house anymore.

That big.

The no-huddle hasn't officially been axed. Dick Jauron didn't comment on Thursday after practice, but it looks like we'll witness the first Bills huddle of the year this Sunday.

It makes perfect sense. Imagine that, the Bills coaching staff is making a good choice.

The Bills are the most penalized team in the league. Some has been a direct result of the teams youth, but a lot of offensive lineman have been flagged on frustrating false starts. Huddling allows everyone to be certain on the snap count.

The word describing Trent Edwards recently has been "regressing." He's had trouble recognizing coverages and can't get the ball to his receivers.

So why not huddle up? Give Lee Evans and Terrell Owens time to tell Edwards what they're seeing down field. Help the line figure out defensive schemes—strengthen communication. The Bills need this change. It can't hurt.

Whiter and Posluszny Return

It's official. Both starters have practiced all week and will play in the Meadowlands. Another sigh of relief. Too bad Leodis McKelvin and Kawika Mitchell were lost in the process of Whiter and Posluszny recovering, because the defense, outside of the Dolphins game, has played outstanding.

These two instantly upgrade two paper-thin positions, safety and linebacker. Expect both Posluszny and Whitner to play their hearts out—bring back their leadership. It's a huge boost for the entire team.

There you have it. Believe it or not, there are some positives coming from the Bills camp. I'm curious to see Van Pelt's attempt to mask the obvious issues across the offensive line against the Jets.

I'll be in NYC this weekend, which normally would lead to extreme street ridicule when I wear Bills gear on Sunday, but thank god for Bills Backers Bars.

Bills/Jets 4:15. Keep your fingers crossed. Your toes too. Seen and Herd to follow.

Seen and Herd: Week Five | Buffalo Bills Vs Cleveland Browns

Chris Trapasso — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:34:22 -0400

Man, I never thought it would get this bad. After a laughable performance against the Miami Dolphins in Week Four, I was almost positive the Bills would come out flying against their Lake Erie neighbors. At games end, I was completely shell-shocked, as I'm sure many of you were.

1-4. Ugh.

Junior Varsity?

No offense to guys like Johnathon Scott, Jon Corto, Ashlee Palmer, George Wilson, and Kirk Chambers. Actually, Wilson played his second solid game in as many weeks against the Browns. But these guys are the main reason why the Bills are becoming a feeble franchise.

They're all average role-players at best. When they log significant playing time, things can easily go from bad to worse.

The offensive line looked to be coming along beautifully during the Tampa Bay game in Week Two, after a stellar job against the Patriots, but then Brad Butler goes down.

Enter former practice squad player Johnathon Scott.

Then move him from right tackle to left tackle after the Demetrius Bell sidelining. Throw in "swing tackle" Kirk Chambers (What does swing tackle even mean? That he can play either tackle? If that's the case, Chambers is surely not a "swing tackle"). The shuffling of positions and personnel has slowed the line's gelling process to a near halt.

The Bills need the same five guys playing the same positions for more than a game. There's promise here, but not when injuries and different players are plugged in on a weekly basis.

Oh yea, Buffalo lost another starter on Sunday, linebacker Kawika Mitchell, for the season. Even his back-up, Marcus Buggs was placed on I-R. How wonderful.

Get well soon starters.

Edwards Regression

Quarterback Trent Edwards has certainly regressed from his first two starts of the season. It's a mixture of uncertainty and misfortune that's created the formula to his inconsistency.

First, he's not an over-confident guy to begin with, for some reason. He's never been the player to force the ball into a tight spot, and would rather leave it to his backs to make plays. That's fine on an occasion, but when you're doing it on every 3rd and long, the defense knows it's coming.

So after an interception or a fumble, the confidence goes down the drain.

Secondly, the offensive scheme is stunting his growth. Maybe urge Trent to throw it deep, or make that seam toss for a change. Last night, Chad Henne and Mark Sanchez both were given wide open playbooks, featuring a number of various passing plays.

Not in Buffalo. Same plays, that don't seem to work.

Lastly, and most importantly, his line hasn't put him on the road to success. They weren't horrible against the Browns, but Edwards has in his mind (I think) before every snap, that pressure's coming. He did a great job to allude pressure against Cleveland (4 scrambles, 40 yards) but whenever you think you're going to be running for your life before every play, you're not focused on the right thing as a quarterback.

Young QB's grow behind concrete offensive lines.

Dick Jauron, What else?

Had to add a segment about Buffalo's coach, who's behind is sitting squarely on the hottest seat in football.

After two devastating losses in a row, to bring the total to three on the season, a lot of finger pointing will be directed at the head coach.

Makes sense. If his team can't beat a win-less Browns team at home, when the opposing quarterback completes two passes, somethings got to be very, very wrong. Right?

I'm not sure. Listen, I don't love Jauron's coaching style by any stretch of the imagination, but what would a different coach do at this point? Even in the miraculous scenario of the Bills hiring a top-tier coach like a Holmgren, Gruden, or Shanahan, the team won't instantly become contenders.

They're all good coaches, don't get me wrong, but they did coach teams with extreme depth, that showcased many highly skilled players. Hall of Famers in some cases.

It's not that the Bills don't have those players, they do. It's just that most of them are hurt. Ha.

Outside of a comeback that rivals the Bills/Oilers playoff game in 1993, Jauron won't be here at season's end. Heck, if more losses accumulate that drop the Bills firmly into the NFL's laughing stock position, he may be gone before December.

But as of right now, his departure won't do much of anything.

The players need to perform.

I'm scared for the Jets game this Sunday. Are you?

P.S. Don't be shocked if the Bills use creative screen plays and actually move the ball.

P.P.S Whatever you do, don't give up on the team, keep watching.

Bills Breakdown: Ten Things Jauron, Bills Must Change to Succeed in 2009

Chris Trapasso — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:25:32 -0400

How far the Buffalo Bills have fallen. Exactly a year ago, the Bills were sitting on top of the AFC East with a 4-0 record. They were ranked in the top five in nearly every major power ranking. But, they failed to make the playoffs.

A mere month ago, the Bills were playing in the most-watched television program of 2009, Monday Night Football, against the New England Patriots.

After a crushing loss to the rival Patriots, the Bills defeated the re-building Buccaneers. The following week, a dominating defensive performance was overshadowed by an anemic offense in a 20-point loss to the Saints. People began to wonder.

Last week, the Bills suffered their most embarrassing loss since a 52-10 lambasting at the hands of those very same Patriots at home in 2007. The Dolphins rode three interceptions of Trent Edwards and 250 yards rushing to a 38-10 defeat. Now, wonder for some has turned into certainty.

Many believe the Bills are again doomed for another winter watching the playoffs on television, something they've done for the past nine seasons.

We've been disappointed in the minimal boost Terrell Owens has brought to Buffalo's offense, but he reminded us during his weekly press conference that the season is only into its fifth week. There's a lot of football yet to play.

I'm not being idiotically optimistic. It's hard to be real optimistic at all. But it's as foolish to call this season quits in Week Five, as it was last season to book a spot in the playoffs at this same juncture.

I'm not sold on the Bills rebounding, becoming the league's hottest team and stampeding into the playoffs, but here are the ten things they must do, or a decade of futility will be complete.

10. Get healthy—I'm putting this at the ten spot, because it's basically out of the Bills' control. Starters Bryan Scott, Donte Whitner, and Paul Posluszny are still nursing injuries, but are expected to return this year. Their starter savvy and superior athleticism is dearly needed.

The Bills' backups aren't horrible football players, it's just obvious they have little to no game experience.

9. Win against the teams that aren't overly talented—I'm peering further down the road here, but games against the Chiefs, Panthers, Titans, Texans, Jaguars, and this Sunday against the Browns are must-wins. The Jaguars and Texans may be better squads than the Bills at this point, but they all are games that certainly aren't out of reach. Give yourself a shot.

If the Bills continue to believe that they're the nerdy freshmen and the rest of the NFL symbolizes the hot, blonde senior, they're done. Those are games they must win, to have any chance in the dog days of November and December. Believe in yourself.

8. Either speed up, or slow down the no-huddle—The Bills' offensive leaders (Dick Jauron, Alex Van Pelt, Trent Edwards) have been the targets of harsh criticism regarding the effectiveness of the No-Huddle and whether it should be scrapped or not.

For a guy like me, this story has been littered all across local media outlets. It's been everywhere. The bashing is comparable to the news about David Letterman for the rest of you, whose lives revolve around more than just sports.

It's a valid point. The Bills rank dead last in time of possession (just over 25 minutes per game) and last week they held the ball for only 22 minutes against the Dolphins. One first thinks lack of ball control is the main ingredient in the recipe for losing a football game.

But entering the season, the Bills knew they weren't going to win many possession battles, and wanted to use the up-tempo attack to confuse defenses while masking the limits of their offensive line. So, if you want to be quick with the offense, catch defenses off-guard, then do it. What's the point in waiting around?

The other school of thought here is what Dick Jauron has been alluding to all week. The no-huddle doesn't necessarily relate to time of possession. A team running the no-huddle can hike the ball quick into the play clock or wait until its final ticks.

So what's the point, then? Why not huddle, strengthen communication, call a play, then allow Trent Edwards to audible at the line if he feels the need?

Either way works; it's the Bills' indecision with the attack that they themselves founded in the early '90s, that's had the offense actually stymieing itself.

7. Use the middle of the field—This is nit-picking, but comments below would be appreciated on the amount of throws you've seen this year across the middle. Many teams live between the two safeties. Outside of a few Terrell Owens slant attempts (that have been intercepted ) I don't recall an attempt to use the seam of the field.

The thought here is, with safety coverage mainly on the outside to help in cover-two defenses, the middle of the field should be open.

Trent's perfect for this call—he can make that touch throw over the linebackers, in front of the deep safeties. Owens and Lee Evans can go deep somewhere other than down the sideline, remember that. How about running two wide receivers at a safety—make him commit one way or the other.

Not difficult. Spread 'em out. Use the entire field.

6. More aggressive on defense—I've got nothing but praise for the defensive front, that's sixth in the NFL in sacks at this point. Not a misprint. The Bills 11 sacks have them nearing the top five in quarterback take-downs. Never thought I'd live to see the day. However, the defensive coordinator(s) must use this extreme luxury to his/their advantage.

Usually, when a team can force pressure with four rushers at the line, the coverage has a field day. With seven players dropping into coverage, the secondary has to play with a new sense of aggression. Jump a comeback route, peel off a receiver to step in-front of a throw. They've got six to seven players covering three to four players on opposing offenses.

You don't need to be a mathematician to realize those numbers are heavily stacked in the Bills favor. Again, not a tough fix. Just a game plan tweak.

5. Move players around—Sorry for the generality, but I mean it in a very broad sense. Terrell Owens has historically worked well in the slot, to the quarterback's left, and just off the line. Lee Evans makes a deadly slot guy, as well. No nickel-back is covering him down the middle. How about Roscoe Parrish on the outside, for an easy slip screen? Or Marshawn Lynch spilt wide?

Not only will personnel changes confuse defenses, but the matchups they create make Trent Edwards' job that much easier. The NFL is all about finding favorable matchups for your team, and exploiting the other teams' weaknesses. Do it.

4. Use play-action—Please, please use more play-action. The mis-direction and play-action bootlegs were critical to the Bills' offense ripping the Patriots defense in Week One. In Week Two, the fake-run was pivotal in deep connections with Lee Evans and Terrell Owens for scores.

Why the abandonment? There's really no point. The play-action creates that split-second bite from the defense that's often the difference between an interception and completion. Buffalo's two running backs have got to be on opposing defenders' minds, so the Bills must use the play-action to their benefit. Watch games on Sunday, the majority of big plays you see will come from that pesky fake hand-off.

3. Play with some pride—It's funny that most of my points are referring to the X's and O's of football, but the most important aspects of revitalizing your season comes from within.

The Bills have a great fan base standing behind them (though it's tough) and although some are calling it a season, many (including yours truly, the eternal optimist) still believe this team can win football games. Look around and see the bevy of talent and promise on the Bills' roster. It's definitely there.

Buffalo needs to go into every Sunday in full belief they will win. They can't be worried about protecting their dignity while doing what they can do to lose by only 14, not 21.

2. Run the football—Back to the field. It sounds easy enough, right? A fundamental of the game.

The Bills have come out firing, in probably the wrong situation this season. Though Owens and Evans—on paper, at least—are a dynamic duo, the Bills O-line is young, and their quarterback isn't exactly a seasoned veteran.

Think about this...the Bills have only reached the 10th rush of the game before reaching the 10th pass attempt of the game once, in a victory against the Buccaneers. What that means is, the Bills have been trying to pass to set up the run. Isn't that bass ackwards?

Bills football has always ran first to set up the pass.

1. Play with some fire—No offense to Dick Jauron, but if you need fire, look elsewhere. He may be a good coach behind the scenes, but I've seen more emotion from Ben Stein. I'm a firm believer in the fact that Jauron doesn't need to grab players by the face mask after a missed assignment, but the golf claps after a punt don't cut it in the NFL.

Someone, say a veteran like Aaron Schobel, Lee Evans, or in this case, quarterback Trent Edwards must step up, and light a fire under the behinds of the entire team. They need more inspired team efforts like the defense's play against New Orleans or the offense's showing against New England. If Buffalo can use passion to form complete team outings each week, the Buffalo Bills will rebound from their slow start.

I'm not expecting every or all of these ideas to be implemented. Heck, they might not change a thing. But if the Bills really believe they can make a playoff run, as crazy as it may sound right now, they need to make some adjustments.

The only thing that's for certain is, if we're watching a 10th straight NFL postseason without the Bills, the coach and some of the players will no longer be with us.

Seen and Herd: Week Four | Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:40:27 -0400

The big storyline from a Bills standpoint entering Sunday's game in Miami was how Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch would split carries.

Presto! Wonderful idea for a piece that would be been filled with stats, analysis, and insightful opinion.

After the game, that column would have missed the point.

For those of you who would like to know, Marshawn Lynch had eight carries for four yards, but did have five catches for 43 yards. Fred Jackson fared much better, gaining 42 yards on nine carries, while catching three passes for 26 yards.

What would I do with these two? I don't know, but being outrushed by 200 yards is embarrassing—the last thing we need to worry about is which runner will receive more touches.

I'm so sick of our backs combining for more catches than our receivers.

Anyways, on to that pitiful performance the Bills called a game.

Lackluster Line

I knew the offensive line would have problems at some point during the year. Boy, did they ever against the Dolphins. Cameron Wake, a former CFL star, had three sacks. Trent Edwards was sacked a total of six times, and was pressured seemingly on every pass play. I never thought I'd say this, but Demetrius Bell's showings thus far, which haven't been outstanding, outweigh Kirk Chambers' "attempt" at blocking by a wide margin.

The running attack was at a standstill, as again, the Bills had extreme issues playing against the 3-4 defense. Adjustments anyone?

From that, we witnessed that Trent Edwards has little to no pocket awareness. The way he buckles when the heat is on, is eerily similar to how Drew Bledsoe collapsed on any blown offensive line assignment.

Ok, that's taking it too far, he can scramble on a few occasions, but come on, anyone's more athletic than Drew Bledsoe.

Mushy Defense

Buffalo's defense is tough to analyze following the 38 points they gave up to Miami. They were without four defensive starters, and were on the field for nearly 40 minutes.

Still, the excuses are getting old. Teams in the NFL suffer injuries, it happens to everyone. The Colts had the ball for less time and won in Miami.

The Bills back-ups however, stunk up the joint. They missed countless tackles, were often out of position, and lacked any aggression whatsoever.

Perry Fewell stood firmly behind his fluffy "Tampa 2" zone coverage throughout, and the Dolphin trio of Davone Bess, Ted Ginn Jr., and Greg Camarillo looked like O.J. McDuffie, Chris Chambers, and Mark Clayton.

Meanwhile, Tony Sparano put faith in his two rookie corners Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. They both were alone "on an island" during the tight man coverage they played against two Pro-Bowl caliber wide-outs, Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. For the most part, the youngsters shut Owens and Evans down. Ridiculous.

Chad Henne used the easily completed comeback pass routinely, and the Bills never modified their coverage. Terrence McGee was worried about getting beat deep against slower, less athletic wide-outs and gave up the simple 10-yard completion all day.

The defensive front four again had a wonderful showing, accumulating six sacks. George Wilson oddly led the team with two. Although there was pressure applied to Henne, the Bills never did what was such a glaring necessity heading into the game...blitz.

Ok, they may have blitzed on a few occasions, but Henne was calm, cool, and collected throughout. They let the first time NFL starter ease his way to his first victory. No confusing zone blitzes, corner blitzes. Just Kawika Mitchell up the gut, not disguised at all.

When will this team realize that doesn't win ball games. Well it could, if your team made plays in the secondary. Too courteous.

That's really all I got for this week. I'm too disgusted. Not I, or any Bills fan for that matter, wants to reflect on this one anymore

I guess I could have thrown in Trent Edwards' three interception performance, or Dick Jauron's continual blank stare that lacks assertiveness or tenacity. Should he go? You should know what I think, but that's for another time.

Someone's got to take control, lift the entire team—become a leader. The only problem is, I don't see anyone stepping up, and this team's at rock bottom.

Bills/Browns next Sunday at 1 p.m. Seen and Herd to follow.

Look for D-Jauron column mid-week.

P.P.S check out Daryl Talley's Twitter posts following the Dolphins game if you get the chance.

Posluszny, Whitner and the Banged-Up Bills: Your Injury Questions Answered...

Chris Trapasso — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:41:41 -0400

In what has been a crazy two weeks as a Bills fan, a lot of questions have likely popped into your head.

We've heard about Terrell Owens and his ongoing verbal battle with the media and now Rodney Harrison. That's all fine and dandy for ESPN. They love the soap-opera stories on "NFL Live."

In reality, however, there are many more questions that need to be answered, mainly regarding the stockpiling injuries in Buffalo.

Here's what has got to be on the mind of every real Buffalo Bills fan out there, and hopefully some semi-intelligent answers...

How are we going to play well with all these injuries? (Brad Butler, Derek Schouman, Leodis McKelvin, Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner, Bryan Scott, Demetrius Bell)

To answer your collective question, Bills faithful, I'd start by saying that injuries never help a team. They're considered setbacks for a reason. Full-time starters are replaced by guys who usually see limited playing time. Let's start down the line of wounded soldiers, discuss who's replacing them and touch on how that new starter will fair in his tenure as a first-stringer.

Injured: Brad Butler (Season)

Replacement: Kirk Chambers

I know what many of you are thinking. Jonathan Scott played right tackle against the Saints, but it has been Chambers who's taken the majority of right tackle reps this week in practice while Scott has scooted over to Trent Edwards' blindside.

Chambers is a five-year veteran known for being a "swing tackle" during his career in the NFL. He won't devastate you with crushing blocks, but he's not going to show up on tape whiffing repeatedly, either.

I'd much rather have Brad Butler manning the right edge, but Chambers can get the job done. But expect to see some hiccups.

Drop off: Somewhat severe

Injured: Derek Schouman (Season)

Replacements: Shawn Nelson, Derek Fine

Derek Fine is a chip off the old Derek Schouman block, although Schouman had developed a great rapport with Edwards prior to his untimely knee injury. Fine dropped two balls against the Saints and is probably a year away from becoming more than just a blocking tight end.

Shawn Nelson, who is reportedly going to suit up in Miami Sunday, is a gifted athlete drafted solely on his pass-catching ability. He's opened eyes with his run blocking, however, and the more polished he becomes cracking helmets with the big boys, the more he'll see the field.

If Nelson gets significantly more time, I wouldn't be shocked if he becomes a favorite target of Edwards. It's about time Buffalo had some talent at tight end.

Drop off: Minimal

Injured: Leodis McKelvin (Season)

Replacement: Drayton Florence

Florence was coveted by Buffalo two offseasons ago before he signed with the Broncos. To me, he was a product of a great system in San Diego, but is no slouch when it comes to being a cover corner. He's a better tackler than McKelvin and has been through two weeks of practice, full-go.

Although many believed McKelvin had turned the corner in coverage, I wasn't buying it just yet. He still wasn't able to adjust to the array of receivers' routes, but his athleticism helped him dearly when he got out of position. He'll be missed returning kicks more than anything.

Drop off: None to minimal

Injured: Paul Posluszny (Most likely, another month)

Replacement: Marcus Buggs

The Bills have dealt with the loss of Posluszny for two games now and although Buggs hasn't been spotlighted on any huge mistakes, he's light years behind Poz, as expected.

Though he wasn't on the field much against New Orleans mainly due to their four and five wide receiver sets, Buggs was a liability. He's decently athletic, but Posluszny has such great command of the defense and flies all over the field, as sure a tackler as they come. Posluszny's injury can't heal soon enough.

Drop off: Severe

Injured: Donte Whitner (Week to Week)

Replacement: Jairus Byrd

Whitner has been labeled a bust by some. Considering he was drafted No. 8 overall and has only three interceptions with one sack, those doubters may be correct number-wise. But he's the team's vocal leader and has become hungrier attacking ball carriers this season.

Byrd was drafted to do what Whitner has shown he has trouble with: intercepting passes. Byrd's ball-hawking prowess at Oregon is well documented, but his missing training camp has shown in the first three contests.

He has the ability to be a good safety in the league, but it'll take time. He needs more aggression.

Drop off: Considerable to Severe

Injured: Bryan Scott (Unknown. Most likely not available vs. Miami)

Replacements: George Wilson, Nic Harris

This is one of the more interesting replacements, seeing that Harris was a college safety at Oklahoma. The Bills had moved him down to linebacker, so now he's back home. Whether he can move with the increased speed of the NFL receivers remains to be seen. He certainly has the instincts.

George Wilson is probably 1A to Donte Whiter from a vocal leader standpoint.

He's remembered for his interception for a touchdown against Dallas on Monday Night Football just a few years ago, but isn't a "centerfielder" by any means.

He's a converted wide-out, so that helps him dramatically when his lack of athleticism slows him down. Wilson is highly capable of having a solid game and isn't afraid to bump heads with anyone. I'm just not sure if he's got the body to do it for an extended period.

Drop Off: Minimal

Injured: Demetrius Bell (Day to Day)

Replacement: Jonathan Scott

Bell has had his issues with penalties and speed rushers early in the season, but he's displayed improvement in the Bills' first three games.

Scott, who's bigger than Bell, jumps over to left tackle where he'll have his hands full with the Dolphins aggressive, blitzing defense. He's somewhat limited athletically, but has shown great technique coming out of Texas. (He's not the next Mike Williams disaster)

Alex Van Pelt will do his best to allow Trent Edwards to get rid of the ball quickly, because Scott can't be trusted for an entire game.

Overall, the amount of injuries will probably cause more issues than who's replacing the starters. Posluszny to Buggs is a considerable drop off, as is the case with Brad Butler being replaced by Kirk Chambers. Get well soon, starters.

There you have it...the banged up Buffalo Bills. Watching the new guys step in will be worrisome, but it'll be very interesting to see how they play during their time in the NFL spotlight.

Seen and Herd: Week 3 | Buffalo Bills Vs. New Orleans Saints

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:04:17 -0400

The Buffalo Bills had a great opportunity to beat a contender on Sunday.

They had an NFC power at home, in front of a rambunctious crowd, and squandered their chance to legitimize themselves.

Drew Brees entered Sunday as the hottest quarterback through the first two games in NFL history. Believe me, I thought he'd have a field day against the Bills' defense just as much as all the supposed experts did.

I'll gladly admit I was wrong. Very wrong.

Brees didn't play poorly, but he was held under 200 yards passing and didn't throw a touchdown. What? And the Bills still lost?

The offense was given plenty of chances against a defense that isn't exactly stingy.

Where to start?

The first thing on my mind following Sunday's game was how much the offense reminded me of last year's lackluster attack.

Trent Edwards never looked down field (outside of the T.O. shot he overthrew) and was relying on guys like Derek Fine and Josh Reed to make plays on offense. No offense to those two, but we are all well aware that when the ball is in the hands of Lee Evans, Fred Jackson, or Terrell Owens the Bills chances of victory are greatly increased.

Now the big question comes: who's to blame, Edwards or Alex Van Pelt?

I'm going to take the easy way out and say both.

Van Pelt figured that once his defense gave his offense a shot, he could use conservative play-calling to matriculate the ball down the field. Edwards must have felt similar. Beforehand, it sounds like a decent idea.

But whenever you're up against a defense that's susceptible to the big play, you've got to exploit it. And the Bills didn't even try.

Evans and Owens were doubled for most of the game but if AVP can't find ways to get one of those two open on passing downs, we've got problems.

Think about this: Moss and Welker each caught 12 passes against Buffalo in Week One, and you don't think Perry Fewell was scheming for them?

Time to get more creative, Alex.

On to Trent. He's been great at working through progressions, but he must look at read one and read two for more than a split second. Owens and Evans occasionally found soft spots in coverage that may have required good throws, but those throws need to be made (His hurried decision making may have been due to the offensive line's worst game of the season; they must improve).

Hopefully, and my fingers are crossed, AVP and Edwards will come together to set more lofty goals for this offense. Checking down is fine, but not as much. We've got a long season in front of us.

I could elaborate more on my frustration but you should get my drift. Get the ball to the team's game changers.

Bob the Builder

Defensive line coach Bob Sanders has his front four playing like men possessed. Chris Kelsay had his second outstanding game of the season, Kyle Williams remained pesky, and Aaron Schobel looks to be back to his old Pro-Bowl form.

Their play has inspired the linebackers and secondary to play to their potential, finally.

Keith Ellison took a few bad angles on run plays, but the rest of his corp did an admirable job matching up.

Done Whitner, Bryan Scott, and Leodis McKelvin's injuries are causes for concern, but the defensive backfield as a whole surprised me in coverage. There's talent and promise on defense (forget the 17 points given up in garbage time, they held down the league's most prolific offense all day).

T.O. No Show

We know what happened with Owens on Sunday, and for once in his career he didn't sound off after a embarrassing defeat. Anything negative you hear about his sarcastic/frustrated press conference is totally incorrect—Owens has all the right to be a little angry. I would be, wouldn't you?

Beast Mode returns as Buffalo heads down to Miami to face an 0-3 Dolphins team on Sunday at 4:05. Both squads are in desperation mode, and the Bills need to break their seven-game losing streak against their AFC East rivals to avoid a disappointing 1-3 start.

Seen and Herd to follow.

Voice your opinions below.

Seen and Herd: Week 2 | Buffalo Bills Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:43:00 -0400

Ahh...the sweet taste of victory!

The Buffalo Bills got into the win column Sunday on a glorious afternoon in Orchard Park, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with big plays on offense and defense.

Yes, you've read correctly, the Bills made the big play in the first half to gain a lead, and again late in the game to secure victory, something we haven't seen that often in the past.

Star in the Making?

Fred Jackson rushed for a career best 163 yards and tacked on six catches for 25 yards, showing that his outstanding performance against New England was no fluke.

Jackson has been the team's MVP through the first two contests. He's racked up 220 yards rushing on only 43 attempts. For you stat guys out there, that's a daunting 5.1 yards per carry. Jackson is on pace for a 344-carry, 1,750-yard rushing season as well as 88 catches for 894 yards, which would eclipse the great 1991 and 1992 seasons of Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson's 1975 campaign in terms of yards from scrimmage. Wow.

Marshawn Lynch's arrival in Week Four will return Jackson's role to a back-up one, ruling out any chance of a season with those flashy numbers. (they seemed a bit out of reach anyway.)

Or will it?

Many believe Jackson will split carries evenly with Lynch when he comes back after his three-game suspension. Many even are calling for Jackson to be the No. 1 guy.

Not so fast.

I love Jackson's work ethic, tough running style, and surprising agility through the holes, but envision both of these hard-knock runners in the backfield every week for Buffalo. Talk about a nightmare for defensive coordinators.

If the Bills' offensive line continues to progress, (and it may be tougher after losing veteran Brad Butler for the season) the two big backs will wreak havoc against opposing defenses.

The T.O. Effect

All eyes were on Terrell Owens. We all expected a big game production-wise, and were dying to witness his first touchdown as a Bill.

Owens didn't exactly have a huge game, but his 42-yard touchdown late in the second half electrified the crowd, and more importantly put the game out of reach.

That's one of many things Owens brings to this lineup. A closer late. Sure, last week against the Patriots, T.O. didn't put the final stamp on a upset victory, but last season the Bills didn't have that player who could finish off a game like Owens did against Tampa Bay.

Lee Evans is undoubtedly a terrific downfield option, but without Owens, last year the double coverage he endured hindered him from catching the dagger in the fourth quarter.

Owens' and Edwards' rapport looks as though it's growing week by week.

Owens and Evans create mismatches with any defensive backfield, but the biggest benefit T.O. creates may be in the running game.

T.O. has always been a great blocker. He's one of the league's bigger, more physically-gifted wide receivers and he's not afraid to hit down field on a toss sweep. It showed on Sunday with the high number of pitches the Bills called, although Owens did run into Jackson on more than one occasion. They'll work that out.

Also, Owens helps the run game before the ball is even snapped. I couldn't check on every play this week or last, but it seems as though the Bills are facing less stacked boxes that I can ever remember. It's allowing the young offensive line to gel and build much-needed confidence, because they're not having to block eight and nine defenders.

AVP rolling

Alex Van Pelt coordinated another fabulously balanced game against the Bucs. He leans on the team's strength, its run game, and has given Trent Edwards complete control of the offense.

He's called the right plays on third and long situations, and hasn't forced anything down-field when it's not there—T.O. hasn't intimidated him.

Owens and Evans combined for only four catches on the day, but their two scores made the difference. With teams game planning for the two dynamos on the outside, Edwards has exposed the soft, underneath openings the Bucs and Pats gave him.

No one's calling him Trentative Checkwards anymore. He's got the arm to toss a lovely long-ball, and the brains to know when to do it.

Edwards is fourth in the NFL with a 104.9 passer rating. You've got to love his potential now with some real weapons around him.

It'll be interesting to see how AVP handles another setback along the offensive line.

Play-makers?

Buffalo's defense picked off Byron Leftwich twice, once for a score. Donte Whitner's first-half TD was the first of his career, and hopefully is foretelling what's to come from the former top-ten pick, who now looks more comfortable at free safety.

Whitner is in a spot to make plays, he just needs his athleticism to take over.

Outside of more soft, "prevent-ish" coverage than I'd like to see, the Bills' third line played a very efficient game. They created turnovers, their tackling was good, and for the most part, they got off the field in big situations. Still much room for improvement.

As I've stated since training camp, the Bills have a deep secondary. The verdict's still out on the severity of Leodis McKelvin's ankle injury, but without him in the second half, the defense didn't miss a beat.

Reggie Corner is a player. He may be a bit undersized, but his speed, tackling ability and knack to glue to his man downfield makes him of great value to Perry Fewell's defense.

Remember last year, prior to injury, Ashton Youboty was the defense's best player. He along with Bryan Scott, round out an under-appreciated, not-well-known secondary that gets the job done.

Drayton Florence hopefully returns to a talented lineup this week, for a game when they'll need all the depth on defense they can get.

Linebackers Legit?

For those of you who weren't putting much stock in the linebackers after Paul Posluszny went down last week, you may want to rethink your decision.

I'm not anointing this new group as the next Conlan, Talley, and Bennett trio, but they too, like the secondary, are very underrated.

Keith Ellison, who plays larger than his smaller stature, already has 17 solo tackles, one for a loss. I don't want to hear that it's because teams are running at him, because he's a sure tackler, and his knowledge of the defense has put him the right spots.

I didn't really notice Marcus Buggs on Sunday, and that's a good thing. He had a tackle in the backfield and seemed to captain the defense rather well. Poz certainly will be missed, but Buggs wasn't as big of a liability as I thought he would be.

Marcus Stroud, Chris Kelsay, and Kawika Mitchell remain the team's best pass-rushing threats, as they haven't had much difficulty getting to the quarterback or plugging the run.

I was pleased with the team's overall performance. A solid win, a must win—they need to make Ralph Wilson Stadium a challenging place to play again. The fans definitely will do their part.

What's Ahead?

The high powered New Orleans Saints come to "the Ralph", averaging 46 points per game behind the rocket arm of Drew Brees. He's got talented receivers, running backs who catch out of the backfield, and a coach with a gunslinger's mentality. Huge game for the Bills to prove their legitimacy to the rest of the NFL. Seen and Herd to follow.

Terrell Owens vs. Media: Cutting Through the Buffalo Bull to Get the Real Story

Chris Trapasso — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:46:31 -0400

It's such a hot topic, my inner Bills fan is demanding I write about it. What am I referring to? You've got to know by now.

T.O.

Who else?

His recent comments have been discussed more than the Kanye West/Taylor Swift incident.

Well maybe not that much, but it sure seems like it.

It's been sizzling on all the sports networks and media outlets. For those of you living under a rock, here's what T.O. said: (paraphrased of course)

"We missed some chances against New England. There's always room for improvement. Trent needs to assess what he has in front of him a little better. I like how we played until those last five minutes, and Trent did a great job of managing the game, although we could take more shots down field, utilizing Lee's and my own abilities."

Let's take a closer look.

Terrell Owens is a competitor. It's been said that he's the hardest working wideout in the history of the game not named Jerry Rice. Owens' former teammates and competitors have the utmost respect for his tireless work ethic. The steadiness he's shown as one of the league's elite wide receivers over the past decade proves he demands a lot of himself and his teammates.

So, when his team loses, and he feels he could have been more instrumental in victory, he has the right to be a little upset. I'm not at all saying his statements display that he's angry, but a guy like Owens expects the best, and expects to win.

Everything is magnified in a loss. The Bills' offense put them in great spot to pull off the upset, but a few unfortunate bounces went against Buffalo, and they lost.

What isn't being taken away from the game is that Owens' mere presence directly resulted in a monster statistical night by Fred Jackson and the beginning of a possible resurgence of Trent Edwards.

Yes, we know that because Brandon Meriweather was playing deep in centerfield the screen play was viable, but the Bills faced no stacked boxes.

For once.

Imagine that.

The Patriots were deathly afraid of Evans—or in this case Owens—hitting the home-run.

What am I getting at?

Well if the Bills win the game, there's absolutely no way you hear Owens mutter a word about the lack of looks his way.

Ever think he feels partially responsible—being a seasoned veteran, and most likely a future Hall of Famer—when his team goes down? His competitive spirit isn't allowed to take over and get upset at a loss? It happened with Jordan. It happened with Rice.

The man speaks his mind. How sick of hearing the same old "Football 101" postgame soundbytes are you? Because I'm beyond sick to my stomach.

"We played hard, but hats off to their defense."

"We take this season game at a time, and have to get ready for next week."

Give me a break. Give me something with substance. That's supposed to be the point of interviews.

The point is supposed to be to get inside the head of what the athlete is thinking. Not what his publicist rehearsed with him after practice.

It sounds to many that T.O. is a self-centered, egotistical player, which he may very well be. But, he's good. Actually he's great.

People laugh when Chad Ochocinco says, "throw me the ball, I'm the best option we've got."

But it's true, isn't it?

When we signed T.O. didn't we envision him and Lee Evans tearing through opposing secondaries? Owens has yet to leave out Evans in any of this thoughts about going down field. He knows Evans is good.

I'm agreeing with Owens here, but that doesn't mean I'm bashing offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt or Edwards. They missed a few chances against the Patriots and still had a chance to win, didn't they?

Developing T.O. and Lee Evans can only help the team right? That's all there is to it.

Van Pelt will scheme to get the ball to Evans and Owens more often. And believe me, it won't just be to make Owens happy. He's still a supreme talent, with years of experience. Van Pelt wants the ball in T.O.'s hands just as much as Owens does.

Lastly, I heard today on the radio that we, as Bills fans, are taking the side of Owens because he's wearing a Bills uniform.

Don't believe it.

Yet.

What he said was harmless—heck, Trent Edwards and Alex Van Pelt echoed his opinion on Media Day, Wednesday.

I just want you to be fully aware of the reality of what's going on here. T.O. hates ESPN and they aren't to fond of him either.

Don't let them hypnotize you into thinking something is materializing, when it's not.

T.O. unquestionably has shown in the past he's willing to throw some pretty wicked jabs at his quarterback and offense, but he hasn't done it yet in Buffalo.

Not even close.

Seen and Herd: Week 1 | Buffalo Bills Vs. New England Patriots

Chris Trapasso — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:11:48 -0400

I'm finally getting feeling back in my body after a game that was like a Novocaine shot to my heart last night.

You know what I'm talking about, that empty, numb feeling. That was me, and I'm sure it was the same for thousands of other Western New Yorkers.

I've got a lot today so bear with me.

After being up 11 points with under six minutes to go, the Buffalo Bills pulled a typical Bills-like epic collapse late in Foxboro.

Now before you think I'm one of those totally angered fans that can't even think about the game, and is truly disgusted with the entire team—much good did come out of the loss.

Trent Edwards said it best— it's not good to be one of those moral victory guys, but I have to be, because it's a long season and I'll always remain optimistic. I'll try to spread my optimism to a fan base that's in dire need of some TLC right now.

But first, the gruesome.

Untimely mishaps lead to loss

Bills fans today are pointing their collective finger at kick returner Leodis McKelvin. His fumble late gave the Patriots an extremely short field, which ultimately lead to defeat for Buffalo.

He's a young, dynamic player, has made big plays before in this league, and was simply trying to make another one. If you watched his post-game interview, he did his best to man up to the fumble, but every so often a grimace of sheer self-disgust emerged.

Many say he probably should have taken a knee, but he was on the edge of the goal line, and certainly didn't want to take a safety in that situation.

Gotta' feel for the McKelvin.

Outside of his fumble, and a few illegal procedures by Demetrius Bell, the Bills played a nearly flawless game.

Lots of good, doubters wrong

Offensive Line

I try not to dive into the pool of national media like the ESPNs and Sports Illustrateds of the world when they're discussing the Bills because it's rarely anything positive. Quite frankly it seems as if it's across-the-board negativity of the team and the organization as a whole.

But I did read, watch, and analyze a lot of what was being beaten into our brains this week. The media brainwashed into the minds of Bills fans that absolutely, their team would be a laughing stock this season.

First, everyone, and I mean everyone, wrote off the offensive line. The late cut of starting left tackle Langston Walker, the scrambling of positions, and inexperience of Bell, Eric Wood, and Andy Levitre made us believe the line would struggle. Some suggested Trent Edwards might not make it to Week Two.

Wrong. The Bills' line was stellar on Monday night. Wood controlled any defensive player assigned to him. Bell was flagged the most often, but showed he was more than capable to handle the speed or bull rush from the right ends.

Brad Butler stood strong on the right side, while Levitre and Geoff Hangartner slowed down Ron Brace and Pro-Bowler Vince Wilfork enough to give Trent Edwards time.

The box score gave the Patriots three sacks, but one came on the last drive of the game.

Not bad for a line with under 60 career starts combined.

I wasn't extremely worried about the pass blocking. It was paving roads for the run that had me concerned. The Bills finished the game averaging 4.7 yards per rush, and a few long runs were nullified by penalty.

In Week 17 of last season, it was Fred Jackson's great vision and drive that led the way to his caree-high 136 yards, but last night, the line created some gaping holes.

The screen game killed the Patriots all evening. In the past, any success with screens was due to the talent at running back, not strong offensive line play.

Not anymore. This is exactly what Sean Kugler wanted. A more fleet-footed, intelligent offensive line. They baited the Patriots' defensive line into the backfield with ease, moved ahead of the screen and finished on some devastating blocks.

Trent Edwards' night

After an abysmal preseason, where Edwards allegedly "regressed", he proved a lot of doubters wrong.

His workman-like 212-yard, two-touchdown performance, while completing 60 percent of his passes, shows us who Trent Edwards really is.

He's not going to sling the ball down the field, yet he's more than a game manager. His intellect is his best asset, and occasionally his athleticism leads to some outstanding throws.

He didn't make a bad decision all night.

He easily could have completed nearly 80 percent of his balls, but drops by Evans, Jackson, Owens, and Nelson hurt early.

He hasn't regressed, isn't finished, and is a good enough quarterback to lead this team to victories. He may have a bad game once in a while, just like every quarterback experiences, but anyone trying to ride him out of Buffalo is sorely mistaken.

He's a gamer.

Which leads me to my next point of analysis.

Van Pelt's Potential

The last big storyline heading into Week One was, "how in the heck is first-time play-caller Alex Van Pelt going to develop a good enough scheme to give the Bills offense a shot at winning not only the first game, but any games this season?'

They finished a sub-par preseason, and Van Pelt was given only 10 days to prepare.

Improbable, right?

Well he answered the critics with a wonderful creatively-called game. He understood that Fred Jackson's elusiveness coupled with the new O-line's increased aptitude and quickness meant the screen play would work wonders. And it did. Jackson caught a team high five passes for 83 yards with a score.

I'm sure he was looking for the home run, because trust me, it's going to be nearly impossible for teams to cover both Lee Evans and Terrell Owens down the field, but the Patriots rolled coverages deep all night.

He didn't call for any forced throws, his drives ate clock, and kept the chains moving.

The long balls will come with time.

Most importantly, he again allowed his offensive players' strength to take over.

Turk Schonert gave Edwards little room for changing the play at the line. Not anymore.

Van Pelt knows Edwards, in his third season, can read defenses pre-snap. He's allowing Edwards' football IQ to lead to quality decisions. Very similar to the control of the offense Ted Marchibroda gave to Jim Kelly.

As for Terrell Owens, he's more upset over the loss than he is about his two catches.

If Van Pelt can continue to progress and continually produce great game plans that find opposing defense's weaknesses, he'll become a mainstay in Buffalo.

I'm not crowning him king yet, but if he completes that outstanding of a game prep for a team like New England, I have faith in him.

He passed his first test, a tricky one, with flying colors.

Questions about Brady

Here's where I'm going to get into the Patriots. Tom Brady is a star in the NFL. A marketer's dream. I'm not discounting anything he's done, or what he did last night, but let's be honest, his 39 completions and 378 yards don't tell the real story of his evening.

Sure he threw two touchdown passes in the last minute of the game, but he didn't exactly do it with his back against the wall. He got the ball at the Buffalo 30 after his first score while the crowd was still on it's feet.

Sure the two throws were great, but all this "Brady's back" talk is a bit premature. The real Patriots fans know he's has yet to fully return.

I'm sure Brady will revert back to his old ways eventually, but last night's comeback hides the fact that he looked uncomfortable in the pocket, missed on some easy throws, and is susceptible of getting hit. His line isn't as rock solid as it used to be.

Brady's passer rating 97.8, Edwards' 114.1.

Gotta' give it to him though, the man is clutch.

Defense inspired, short field too much

The Bills went in with a defensive game plan determined not to give up the big play. I've been critical of Perry Fewell's "bend not break" defense, (there it is again) but I stand corrected.

Brady's longest completion was on a 31-yard crossing route run by Randy Moss. Brady threw it about 15 yards, Moss did the rest. A lot of dinking and dunking for the gunslinger.

Outside of a Leodis McKelvin missed tackle in the first half on Kevin Faulk on third down conversion, the Bills tackled well, and tackled with authority. Something I haven't seen in a while.

Sure Wes Welker and Moss combined for 24 catches, but it shows that if they're restricted to underneath stuff, the Bills can stay in a game with the likes of the Patriots.

In the first half, they got to Brady often, and made him a bit weary while in the pocket. Something he's yet to experience in his entire career.

Injuries may be big

Part of the reason why the Bills were successful in reaching Brady throughout the first half was because of the rejuvenated play of Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, and Paul Posluszny.

Poz and Kelsay went down with injuries before halftime.

Posluszny apparently broke his arm, although it's not seen to be as drastic of a break as the season ender in 2007. He'll be missed for however long he's out.

We'll never know if he would have made a play covering Benjamin Watson on this two scores, but he looked bigger, stronger, quicker, and played more of a leadership role in the first half on Monday night.

Kelsay, a man who I had written off, was determined coming off the edge frequently in the first two quarters. His injury isn't thought to be as serious as Posluszny's, but the Bills need his presence. Probably not as much as Posluszny, due to the depth at defensive end and lack thereof at linebacker.

We'll there you have it ... the Bills fought hard, executed well, but are 0-1.

The 50th anniversary celebration begins next Sunday when the Bills face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home at 4:05. Should be an thrilling atmosphere. Week Two edition of Seen and Herd to follow.

Buffalo Bills Breakdown, Week One: The New England Patriots

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:06:06 -0400

If you've been searching for an in-depth, detailed preview of tonight's game, look no further—Buffalo Bills Breakdown is exactly what you've been looking for...

It's here. Finally, tonight we can sit back and watch the Buffalo Bills in meaningful action. Monday Night Football is the biggest and brightest stage, and opening a season on national television has generated an electric buzz in Western New York today, even if everyone's Bills play in Foxboro on the night Tom Brady returns to the NFL.

The Bills last beat the Patriots on the road in 2000, and the players are hungry to come out of Gillette Stadium victorious after being shut out at home by New England in Week 17 of last season.

The Bills are, as you may well imagine, underdogs and have received much criticism for their recent offensive modifications heading into their divisional showdown.

Here's the breakdown of tonight's game, which has a chance to be a great one.

Bills Advantages

Lee Evans vs. Leigh Bodden

The Patriots brought in Bodden from the Detroit Lions as their once veteran secondary of Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, and Ellis Hobbs became increasingly thin over the past two offseasons. Bodden began his career in Cleveland and racked up six INTs in 2007, but he is hardly a shutdown corner and was used sparingly this preseason.

Much has been made of the Terrell Owens-Shawn Springs matchup. Owens has owned the "rivalry," averaging nearly 90 yards and over one score a game, but as far as an advantage for either team, I just don't see it.

Evans is a polished route runner, and his speed makes him a coverage nightmare. He should see his first single coverage since the days of Eric Moulds—Evans will relish in the fact that Owens is now his teammate.

He's never performed great against the Patriots, but this is a new defense, and there'll be few times when double coverage is rolled his way. Look for Evans to have his biggest night in New England.

Roscoe Parrish/Leodis McKelvin vs. Patriots coverage team

The Patriots were near the cellar of the league in terms of covering punts and kickoff last season, and as we all know, the Bills have excelled in that facet of the game for years.

In a game where the Bills could run into some issues on the offensive side of the ball, field position could keep Buffalo in the game.

Parrish and McKelvin are amongst the league's most dangerous duos on special teams, and if there's one area of the game the Bills are ready to feast on, it's with these two returning kicks.

Bills offense vs. Patriots' base 4-3 defense

I know you're thinking I'm crazy for favoring the Bills offense against a New England defense that's owned Buffalo of late, but the Bills have had their problems when facing the 3-4 alignment.

The trade of Richard Seymour to Oakland is big (eliminates a truly underrated yet ferocious edge rusher). The Patriots have stated their base defense will revert back to the 4-3.

Last season Trent Edwards and the offense went 1-8 against teams using the 3-4 and 6-1 against teams whose defensive foundation is the 4-3. Just a thought.

How the Bills win

First and foremost, forget the offensive line—they need to get to Tom Brady. We've seen that even the game's better quarterbacks (Jay Cutler, Jake Delhomme) can look bad when pressure's applied.

Remember Brady's last full ball game was against the Giants in the Super Bowl, and then-defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo brought the house as creatively as possible, throwing off the All-Pro's timing consistently.

Perry Fewell is known for his "sit back and wait" defense (seems like I bring that up in every article), but that will be completely ineffective in tonight's game. If Brady has time to throw, it'll be a near impossibility for the Bills secondary, as deep as it may be, to slow down the likes of Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Please blitz.

When I say blitz, I mean bring a variety of blitzes—zone blitzes, delayed blitzes, corner blitzes, stunt blitzes, anything to throw their wily line off balance. Look at what the Jets did to Matt Schaub and the Texans.

Equally, the Bills' line needs to hold its own after a week of being bashed by the media. I'm sure AVP has devised plays to hide the apparent weakness of the line. I'm not fully against the moves made, although the inexperience is hard to miss.

I'm in favor of the new toughness and agility the line boasts, and hopefully screens, quick slants, and bubble screens will be used to put the line's new attributes on display.

This could have easily been listed first: The Bills need to take shots down the field. Apparently the Bills call for deep balls frequently, but the protection is never good enough for the plays to develop. I don't believe it, and even if the plays are called, Trent Edwards needs to man up and get the balls deep to his playmakers, even when they aren't wide open.

Think about it—what are the outcomes of a deep pass down the field?

- Outcome No. 1 | The ball is caught, which is an obvious positive. It keeps the secondary on their heels throughout the contest.

- Outcome No. 2 | Pass interference. With Terrell Owens' ability to get the ball thrown long, you should see a lot of jockeying for position that could result in the big penalty.

- Outcome No. 3 | Pass incomplete. No big deal, it's not like the offense has been clicking already. At least it tells the defense they need to be ready on every play to backpedal deep, thus setting up comeback routes.

- Outcome No. 4 | Interception. Probably the least likely of the four. Also on a third down, it's essentially a punt, minus any return. Still reminds the defensive backfield of the Bills' downfield threats.

See what I mean? If the Bills want to stay in a game that most likely will be a high-scoring affair, they need to keep pace with Brady's well-oiled machine, not by checking down, but by going deep, a lot.

Lastly, and most critically, don't turn the ball over. Or at least win the turnover battle. If the Bills can keep the ball off the turf, they've got a shot.

Patriots Stat of the Week

I'm not big on looking at the past when talking about the future, especially with all the player turnover, but the Patriots have won 42 straight games when leading at halftime. If that's the case tonight, the Bills will really have the odds stacked against them.

Bills Stat of the Week

Fred Jackson ran for 136 yards in the Bills' last meeting with the Patriots. This was in a game where New England knew plenty of runs were coming. As Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com has stated, the blocking wasn't great in that contest either.

Prediction: Bills 27, Patriots 24.

For a few reasons. I haven't yet seen a prediction, anywhere, that's given the Bills the slightest chance. I can't name a legitimate wide receiver on New England besides Moss and Welker, and Welker's banged up—though Joey Galloway may have a few more big plays in him (Julian Edelman and Sam Aiken do not count).

Lastly, chances are, after a few games, I'll be frustrated, so my optimism is at its height right now, so why not pick a Bills win.

What do you think? Either way, you've gotta be pumped.

They Did What? Explaining The Buffalo Bills Recent Roster Moves

Chris Trapasso — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:53:36 -0400

The Buffalo Bills have been headlining ESPN personalities' twitter pages, ESPNEWS bottom-lines, and sports blog updates this preseason. All in the past week.

After one of the poorest preseasons to date, the Bills have made some, for a lack of a better term, "surprising" roster moves. Let's outline them.

Schonert Out, Van Pelt In

Days after the Bills' preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, Buffalo's front office, led by head coach Dick Jauron relieved offensive coordinator Turk Schonert of his play calling duties, in turn firing him. Alex Van Pelt, the former Bill, and at the time, the quarterback's coach was promoted to offensive coordinator.

On cut-down day, normally a sad, but meaningless afternoon, the Bills parted ways with veteran running back Dominic Rhodes—a signee during a busy 2009 offseason. This left Fred Jackson, Xavier Omon, and fullback Corey McIntyre on the roster for opening night.

Today, Langston Walker was released after the Bills allegedly couldn't find a team willing to trade for the 6'8'', 368 pound tackle. Walker's preseason wasn't glaringly awful, but the coaching staff wasn't impressed at his transition from right to left tackle.

Because of this drop, Kirk Chambers was re-signed after being a victim of cut-down day on Saturday. He and second-year player Demetrius Bell are slated to fill the left tackle position.

What does all this mean?

Well to start, it's definitely tough to figure out exactly what's going through the Bills' management's minds right now.

The Good, The Bad

Going chronologically, the Turk Schonert firing wasn't a monster surprise. His "War and Peace"-thick playbook wasn't clicking with a talented, but young offense. He instituted the no-huddle, but the plays simply weren't being relayed quickly enough.

The mark he left remains on the offense, but Van Pelt shouldn't have much trouble tweaking the playbook to simplify everything for Trent Edwards, while taking more shots down the field.

The Good

Van Pelt is allegedly asking for player suggestions on which plays run well, when they do, and against which defenses. Also giving Edwards the option to call his own plays speeds up the no-huddle attack. It allows for the Bills' play makers—and trust me, they have them—to make plays.

The Bad

Van Pelt's promotion probably couldn't have come at a worse time. Outside of play calling in NFL Europe, he's new to this. Tougher yet, he's game planning for a team that's had the Bills' number for the last six years.

With only a week to prepare for the Patriots, Van Pelt doesn't have time to scrap off any rust, and any mishaps during the Monday Night affair could lead to another embarrassing defeat on national TV.

Cutting Dominic Rhodes opened my eyes a bit more than the Schonert firing did. I was actually calling for a new offensive coordinator, but was completely content with the running back situation.

Rhodes didn't standout in the preseason contests, but no one really did. The fact of the matter is that he's still a viable change-of-pace runner in this league.

The Good

Hard to find a whole lot here. If Rhodes was indeed unwilling to pass block, the move is a bit more understandable. Xavier Omon will be on display at least for the team's first three games, and showed a quick burst through the hole this summer. His scoring prowess in college is well documented, as he scored nearly 100 touchdowns while at Northwest Missouri State.

He was very aggressive picking up blitzes, after an offseason where he shed fat and added muscle. Omon may be another success story in Buffalo's backfield. Maybe. Possibly.

The Bad

For as much as I'm trying to talk up the former Division II star Omon, he's carried the ball six times for five yards as a professional. Fred Jackson hasn't had problems rushing against the Patriots, but his finger injury creates worry about ball security.

After New England, the Buccaneers and Saints don't pose a major threat against the run, but Jackson and Omon will need to fight for every yard. Marshawn Lynch will be welcomed back, BIG TIME in Week Four.

Langston Walker's departure from Buffalo had the biggest shock value out of the three latest roster/coaching moves. His size alone makes him an average blocker, but it's his uncharacteristically nimble feet that make him a solid NFL tackle.

The Good

The news of Walker's release was initially disheartening, but I've received information that Demetrius Bell, who hasn't practiced in over a week, will return to the practice field tomorrow. Sigh of relief.

He, along with re-signed vet Kirk Chambers are formidable enough to block Trent Edwards' blind side. I think. Bell has loads of potential, and has already been dubbed by some analysts "the next Jason Peters."

If he has a strong performance against the Pats, who are now without Richard Seymour, it'll build confidence for a budding star on Buffalo's offensive line.

The Bad

It sounds like Bell will start on MNF, which means the Bills will begin the game with basically three rookies on their line. Eric Wood and Andy Levitre saw much more preseason action than Bell due to his injury, but Bell has a year of practice and some game experience on this years' draftees.

This line was shuffled completely heading into the 2009 campaign and Walker's release leads to even more confusion on an offensive line that needs to gel, or else.

Bell needs to begin work with Levitre on assignments and double teams because offensive lines function well as one, not just individual players blocking.

Tough spot to put the rook's in.

Maybe the Bills have a great plan in store, maybe they don't, but they surely are cutting guys that aren't playing up to their heightened expectations.

Seen and Herd: Preseason Week 5 | Buffalo Bills Vs Detroit Lions / News

Chris Trapasso — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:07:15 -0400

I decided to hold off on the final preseason edition of Seen and Herd, and wrap the game's analysis and the news from "cut" day altogether. There's been a lot of interesting stories coming out of Buffalo in the past week. A lot.

First, the game.

The Buffalo Bills ended their dismal preseason without much improvement on either side of the ball, and the absence of starters from each team made Friday night's outing a rather boring one.

Matthew Stafford's last start prior to the regular season was the main headline entering the game, and although his play wasn't horrible, he certainly didn't win the starting job away from Daunte Culpepper.

This year's No. 1 overall pick finished the night 5-of-9 for 81 yards, but he threw an untimely interception to surging ball hawk Reggie Corner in the first half. He flashed signs of comfort in the pocket, but was sacked twice, and fumbled after a speed rush by rookie Aaron Maybin.

Overall, Stafford, who will be a good pro someday, displayed that the Bills still struggle with the more physical threat at wide receiver, like Calvin Johnson. Many will struggle with guys of Johnson's caliber this season.

Though Johnson had a big evening, the depth in the Bills' secondary allows them to match up against teams with spread attacks that feature multiple talented receivers. (Patriots).

Second stringers to make contributions

Ellis Lankster was beat down field on more than one occasion, but his sure tackling, surprising athleticism, and decent coverage skills made him a lock for the final roster.

John McCargo, my favorite player to watch this preseason, again exhibited the supreme motor and footwork that made him a first round pick a few seasons ago. He forced a sack early on Stafford, bull rushing his way to the quarterback.

Whether it's been the aid of new defensive line coach Bob Sanders, or his re-found drive after the nullified trade to Indianapolis, McCargo will be a key cog on the interior defensive line, spelling Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams without much production drop off.

Aaron Maybin was at it again, this time forcing a fumble while working against the Lions starting left tackle, Jeff Backus. Maybin's acceleration off the edge is as quick as advertised, and he hasn't been bottled up in the run game thus far.

He's the catalyst for a pass rush in dire need of a boost.

Offense sputters, but shows signs of life

Ryan Fitzpatrick started the preseason finale, and he did much to make Bills' fans realize that if Trent Edwards goes down with injury, their team may be in some serious trouble.

I'm not fully discounting Fitzpatrick, but his 40.8 quarterback rating doesn't help his cause in winning over the Bills' faithful.

Roscoe Parrish was shifty as usual in the short to intermediate passing game.

Reports have surfaced that Parrish is on the trading block, and his extended play throughout the preseason may have been solely to put him on display, but he's showed that if used in the correct fashion, he can be lethal.

Steve Johnson provided the big plays for a Bills offense that has yet to show they can be dynamic down the field.

His catches of 27 and 33 yards demonstrated his growing knack to get to the football at his highest point, and use his clean route running to get open.

He'll be critical as the fourth receiver—I'll take his youth and enthusiasm to make the big catch over many other fourth string wide outs at this point. The Bills have a good pass-catcher with seemingly limitless potential.

The last point of emphasis heading into the game against Detroit was scoring in the red zone. The play-calling wasn't crisp or creative enough to end any drives with touchdowns. Rian Lindell field goals will not win games against the schedule the Bills have in front of them this season.

Which brings me away from the game, and on to my next point.

Due to the fact that the offense hasn't progressed much from the glory days of Steve Fairchild, Dick Jauron and Bills' upper management decided to fire offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, and promote Alex Van Pelt to take over play calling duties.

At first one thinks, why so late? They made the decision with only 10 days separating them from a showdown with the powerhouse Patriots.

The Bills could've given Van Pelt at least one game to test his abilities calling plays, but it comes down one simple fact: the Bills are desperate.

Desperation in many cases is tied in with negativity, but here, it may not be.

Now I don't have the utmost faith in Van Pelt as an offensive coordinator, but the changes needed are so blatantly obvious, it shouldn't be difficult to simplify the offense while making it more explosive.

Van Pelt will reportedly give Edwards more play-calling leeway, something I was hoping would come from Schonert a week ago.

This instantly gives the no-huddle a faster pace, something imperative for the newly-implemented attack.

The biggest issue with Edwards to date has been his lack of confidence throwing the deep ball. Van Pelt needs to urge Edwards to make more shots down the field.

Terrell Owens helps this facet of the passing game immensely.

Van Pelt must begin to thin the playbook, and plan the, as Dick Jauron put it, "more attacking offense".

Cut-down day

Making the final cut on an NFL roster isn't an easy thing to do. More than 700 players lost their job yesterday, 18 of whom were Buffalo Bills.

The day was headlined by the surprising release of free-agent signee Dominic Rhodes.

I don't fully understand the move, but it's rumored his lack of desire in pass blocking and slowed step led to the cut of the former Indianapolis Colts star.

Rhodes certainly would have helped in relief of Fred Jackson for the first four games of the season, but the coaching staff must have realized he wouldn't have played a big part in the offense after Lynch's return.

Still, I don't really get the thought process behind the axing a capable back-up runner, when the running back position is thin for Buffalo.

I guess we'll see how it plays out.

The Bills have a week to prepare for one of the more hyped games in recent memory, on the road against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. Now, many are worried, but come on, it's finally the regular season. I'm pumped.

Next Edition: Following the Bills/Patriots tilt on September 14th.

What If...What Could Be: The Real Key to the Buffalo Bills' 2009 Season

Chris Trapasso — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:08:41 -0400

As the Buffalo Bills' season looms ever so close, with 10 days sandwiched between the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions and the MNF encounter with the mighty New England Patriots, much analysis and prognostication has cluttered the minds of Bills fans far and wide.

Whether you've come to believe that the consecutive poor preseason showings foreshadow another gloomy season in the Queen City or you've remained hopelessly optimistic, history may be the determining factor for the Buffalo Bills' 2009 season.

If history can be left behind, the Bills may find themselves battling for a playoff spot at years' end.

If you ask the casual football fan what he thinks of when he hears "Buffalo Bills," words like "choke," "disappoint," and "inconsistent" pop into his head.

He'd be right.

Outside of the greatest comeback in league history in 1993 (who can forget) and a few time-expiring FG winners sprinkled over the past decade, Buffalo's late game catastrophes have far outweighed its triumphs. These fourth quarter disasters have gone on to ruin several seasons for the Bills.

To refresh your memory (diehards, you might want to scroll past):

1991|Super Bowl XXV

Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas orchestrate a beautiful two minute drill and Scott Norwood misses a 47-yard field goal. Yes, we know—wide right.

He makes the kick, and we're not talking about Dan Marino and Jim Kelly as the best quarterbacks not to win a Super Bowl.

1999|WildCard Playoffs

The Bills ride the shoulder of a young Rob Johnson, who starts in the year of the Flutie Flakes.

Johnson delivers and has the game won in Tennessee, where the Titans didn't lose all season. Then, the Music City Miracle happens (most recent playoff game, may I remind you).

2004|Home Opener

Buffalo opens against the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars and in a defensive battle, Byron Leftwich leads his team down the field in the game's waning moments and hits Ernest Wilford for the game-winning touchdown as time expires.

The Drew Bledsoe-led Bills would go on to finish 9-7 and miss out on a berth in the playoffs by a game.

2004|Season Finale

As alluded to above, the Bills would miss out on the playoffs by a single game, but the opening loss to the Jaguars would have been erased from fans' memories had the Bills defeated the Steelers second-teamers at home in January.

2006|Season Opener (2006 is a bit of a stretch because the Bills did finish 7-9 that season, but hear me out)

The Bills charged into Foxboro and took a 17-7 lead into halftime. After an early third quarter 4th-and-1 attempt that was stopped short, the Patriots rallied to win, 19-17, not on a Tom Brady touchdown, but a Ty Warren safety of J.P. Losman. Odd way to lose.

2006|Week 10

The Indianapolis Colts played host to the Buffalo Bills and had a very un-Colts like game. Peyton Manning was limited to dump offs as the Bills held the eventual Super Bowl champions locked down for the most of the game.

Although not a last second miss, Rian Lindell failed on what may have been a game winner inside the RCA dome with 6:27 to go. The Bills lose, 17-16, in another unusual heart breaker.

2006|Week 17

Following the close call loss against the Colts, the Bills did win back-to-back games late over Houston and Jacksonville, respectively. Those games didn't matter after a playoff-hungry Titans team came into the Ralph in one of the wackiest games I've ever attended.

Vince Young scampered 36 yards for a score to leave one second remaining before halftime, and after a defensive penalty on a Hail Mary attempt, the Bills were able to kick a field goal with no time on the clock.

The only catch—instead of being up three, they were down one going into the locker room. The Bills were unable to hold a nine point lead they had entering the fourth quarter and a Rob Bironas field goal with under nine minutes to play sealed the deal for the Titans.

That 7-9 record turns into 9-7 quickly.

2007|Season Opener

Roscoe Parrish and Marshawn Lynch ignite a raucous crowd in Orchard Park as the Bills looked to have the game won against the young Jay Cutler and the Broncos.

A deep fire miss on third and short from J.P. Losman to Lee Evans gave the Broncos a chance late. Without any timeouts, following a completion to Javon Walker, Mike Shanahan hurries his field goal unit onto the field and Jason Elam kicks the ball through the uprights as time expires. Broncos win, 15-14.

2007|Week 5

On a night many Bills fans still remember as one of the best in recent memory (that ended in defeat), Buffalo was host to the Dallas Cowboys in its first home Monday Night Football contest in over a decade.

The team rode the ecstatic crowd to five interceptions of Tony Romo and a dynamic kick return touchdown by Terrence McGee. A Terrance Newman "pick six" put the Cowboys back in the game, but after a Jabari Greer breakup of a two-point fade attempt to Terrell Owens, the game was seemingly over.

Not so fast. Dallas' onside kick attempt ricochets off a Bills uniform and the 'Boys recover.

Rookie placekicker Nick Folk then launches a 52-yard bomb to give Wade Phillips and the Cowboys the victory, 25-24.

Still hurts.

2008|Week 11

The NFL was kind enough to award Buffalo another home MNF game, this time against its Lake Erie rival, the Cleveland Browns. In another weird but classic game, Rian Lindell sprays a 47-yard field goal with 43 seconds left. Wide right. This came minutes after Phil Dawson booted a 56-yarder which turned out to be the game winner.

Seven and nine easily went to 9-7, but Buffalo still would have fallen short of the postseason.

Wow. That's a lot. Sorry if the summaries were a little excessive, but I needed to get my point across that these games are so very critical.

I know what you're thinking. You can remember games when the Bills pulled off some late game heroics of their own—games against Washington, Jacksonville, and Oakland to name a few. You also may be thinking that every team loses a few close ones.

These contests are different—games the Bills should have certainly won. No questions asked—the majority of the good teams in the NFL win these games.

Why am I pointing this out?

Because to be honest, I don't see a Bills team that dissimilar from the squads of a few seasons ago or even last year.

The offense most likely won't be lightyears ahead of where it's been. Terrell Owens definitely helps, but don't expect anything in the top 10 of the league.

The line won't be as bad as advertised, as we've seen strides even through three preseason contests. The five games before New England helps immensely.

The defense lingers in tentative mode, willing to give up yards between the 20s while putting the onus on keeping teams off the board, something they aren't necessarily great at.

Because of this, I see the Buffalo Bills' 2009 season coming down to the close games, and there will be some close ones—the ones that they've found the most odd, heartbreaking ways to lose. They've made all the difference recently.

I'm looking at games against the Texans, Dolphins, Jets, Colts, Titans, and Jags as pivotal matchups. Throw in a game where the Bills either play up or down to their competition; they do that from time to time.

If Buffalo can come out victorious in the nail biters and win the close games they should, they could be looking at a winning record and a trip to the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

What do you think?

Seen and Herd: Preseason Week 4 | Buffalo Bills Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:42:40 -0400

The Buffalo Bills entered the City of Pittsburgh aspiring to rebound from a dreadful performance a week earlier in Green Bay. They were given a tough, yet golden, opportunity against the World Champion Steelers, a team notorious for their defensive intensity.

A first half that yielded scoring, preferably touchdowns would prove doubters wrong, and spark confidence in the Bills locker room.

The Buffalo Bills left the City of Pittsburgh empty handed. No points, no offensive production, and confidence was certainly not increased.

Offensive Woes Persist

Trent Edwards had his second straight poor performance on Saturday. The adjectives describing the second year starter are morphing from poised, calm, and collected to hurried, timid, and scared.

Edwards couldn't feel the pressure on the passing downs, and missed on a few throws (still up in the air whether the interception was Josh Reed's fault or not) when the protection was good. His sub-50 passer rating won't take the Bills anywhere near a playoff berth.

On a brighter note, the Bills did average 4.2 yards per rush, and stemming from that, the offensive line looks to be gelling as a singular unit. With that being said, anything resembling a consistent rushing attack was not apparent on Saturday night.

The pessimists have already written off the offense, even labeled it possibly worse than last season, due to Edwards apparent regression.

The optimists hope Terrell Owens brings a much needed shot of excitement, and more importantly, steadiness to an offense that's been as boring as the first day of classes.

Both parties' opinions are based on valid points. If indeed Edwards has regressed, and isn't the game manager/occasional play maker that we've seen in his first two years in a Bills uniform, then 7-9 may even be a tough mark to reach in 2009.

And yes, whether you like him or not, T.O. adds a new dimension to the receiving corp, one that without him, hasn't been able to shake defenders other than on a five-yard comeback route.

Playcalling?

With Owens in the lineup, (he hit the field Monday for practice) the Bills' coaching staff needs to open her up.

Thus far in the preseason, the Bills staff has dialed up some very cautious plays. I'm talking, really tentative. Outside of a 36-yard completion to Lee Evans against the Chicago Bears at home, Edwards hasn't gone deep once. Not even close. It's the preseason, give it a shot.

Edwards's new nicknames like Trentative Checkwards, to me, have been a direct result of worried, and unsure playcalling.

Now, I could be totally wrong, and to give Edwards the benefit of the doubt, his frequent checkdowns may have been the result of a receiving corp not getting open. Owens has played one series, and the offense was clicking, but without him, we're looking at the same lackluster bunch from 2008, a unit that isn't physically intimidating to say the least.

Either way, two things need to occur or the Bills can kiss the 2009 season goodbye.

First, I'm going to say it again because it's that vital - the Bills coaching staff, most namely offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, needs to let Edwards take the reigns of the offense.

What I mean by this is more leeway to call his own plays - let the guy play his position. Give him shots down the field, and I'm not just talking 30-yard sideline routes to Evans.

I'm thinking seam routes to Steve Johnson, posts to Josh Reed, corners to T.O. Yeah, throw in a few deep balls to Evans, too. Turk, you've got one of the NFL's fastest players, and a first ballot Hall-of-Famer on your offense, use them.

Secondly, Trent, my man, you're allowed to force a ball downfield from time to time. (Yes, I did just say it's fine to force a throw.) Usually a quarterback forcing a throw carries a negative connotation, but we've gotten to the point that Edwards has to be a touch more aggressive.

Brett Favre didn't become one of the game's best signal callers checking down because there was a slight chance a ball may get picked off. Even so, you've got guys that'll fight for the ball, so even a bad toss into double coverage may get caught, let your receivers make a play.

To wrap up the analysis of the offense, these are preseason games. As I've stated before, I believe Turk Schonert and Dick Jauron realize the importance of Bill Belichick not having tape of any of the Bills more dynamic plays, even more so because they haven't played with T.O.

Right now, the Patriots have got nothing. Zilch. Nothing to spend the next two weeks scheming for, which is a good thing for Buffalo. This could be wishful thinking, but I really believe Schonert is hiding a lot.

Defense Bends, Doesn't Break

I always use that term when describing the defense Perry Fewell has instituted in Buffalo. It's perfect.

While the offense took another step backwards, the defense moved forward.

Though the Steelers were 10 for 17 on third downs, which has been a problem in Buffalo seemingly forever (time to call some blitzes), the D had a respectable game.

As a team, Pittsburgh averaged a mere 2.1 yards per rush, which cements the Bills rush defense as the team's best asset.

Paul Posluszny looked scary good, around every play, and Keith Ellison continues to hold his own, even after many analysts claim he wouldn't play for any other NFL team.

To my surprise, Leodis McKelvin had an outstanding game. I'm not talking returning kicks or in coverage. He tackled like a seasoned veteran, sniffing out wide receiver screens and sweep plays. If McKelvin's tackling nears his athleticism, the Bills secondary will be solid.

Maybin Materializes

The highly anticipated debut of 11th overall pick Aaron Maybin came against the Steelers, on their opening drive. He saw action in nine plays, and wasn't over matched in any of them. He recorded his first career sack (do they really count in the preseason? No) of Ben Roethlisberger, a guy not easily taken to the ground, and his first step made the rest of the Bills' rushers look like they play in slow-motion.

If Maybin builds on his successful entrance to the NFL, the Bills may have the start to ending a decade-old, anemic pass rush.

What's Next?

Tough to say. The starters aren't slated to play much, if at all, in the Bills last preseason outing against the Detroit Lions this Thursday. If I'm the coach, I give the offense more chances to build confidence heading into Foxboro. They'll need all the the confidence they can get along with some great execution from the coaches and players to win on Monday Night Football, September 14th.

Next edition: Following the Bills/Lions contest at the Ralph on Thursday, Sept. 3.

Seen and Herd: Preseason Week 3 | Buffalo BIlls Vs. Green Pay Packers

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:16:27 -0400

My apologies for taking an extra day on completing my usual wrap-up. I had to rinse the disgusting taste from my mouth that the Green Bay Packers left following Saturday's game.

Not only did the Packers play about as marvelous of a preseason game as you can, but the Bills did everything in their power to make Green Bay look like the favorites to win the Super Bowl. In reality, they're not even favored to win their division.

Now, I'm sure you've found many articles pounding the Bills' Division III type performance, and it was, but it'd still be premature to chalk up the 2009 season to epic failure.

Remember, it's never smart to get too high or too low after any preseason game, for many different reasons.

Regardless of whether the Bills' third preseason showing paves the way to a lottery spot next April, or it means absolutely nothing, let's examine it a little closer.

The Bills' first team offense couldn't have been much worse. Trent Edwards looked like a rookie, very distressed in the pocket and late on many of his throws. His first interception would have been completed for a first down had Edwards not waiting for Lee Evans to make his break. This was a little surprising to me, because thus far those two seem to have created a great rapport.

When the pocket collapsed, as it did many times after the Bills' receivers failed to get open, Edwards appeared unsure whether he needed to scramble or throw the ball away. His J.P. Losman-esque fumble was a result of this uncertainty.

The offensive line wasn't atrocious, but a few untimely penalties deep in their own territory overshadowed an otherwise respectable game against a good defensive line.

Langston Walker remains light years ahead pass-blocking than he is paving the way for a run. He has been surprisingly active against the speed edge rushers, and the holding call was a phantom one. He and Dick Jauron had reason to be angry.

The interior of the line improved slightly, pulling and reaching the second level, but Andy Levitre stood out. Again, in a bad way. He frequently was pushed into the backfield against Green Bay's nose tackles, but did work better against the pass.

It's hard to fully grasp how the first string defense did, because the Green Bay drives began at Buffalo's 37, 5, and their own 21, respectively. That's some lovely field position.

Keith Ellison showed he still is a viable option as the SAM linebacker with his 4th and 1 stop of Ryan Grant on the Packers' first drive, but the secondary had no answer for Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, who together are one of the most productive receiving pairs in the NFL.

Fred Jackson's rare fumble on a screen play that actually looked like a semi-intelligent call from Turk Schonert, along with Edwards' mis-communication with Josh Reed on a deep corner route summed up the first unit's evening. Unprepared. Not focused. Crappy.

Edwards used the excuse after the game that the Packers threw more at the Bills than teams normally do in the preseason, and that the 3-4 defense isn't something the team practices against.

First off, we all know the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't going to play nice next weekend in the Steel City, so Buffalo needs to come out with more hunger and aggression, or they'll be embarrassed for a second straight week. Mark my words.

Also, if you know you're facing three separate 3-4 defenses in your own division, and were 1-8 against it last season, then you better practice against it. How hard can it be Dick? Maybe with Maybin in the fold now, who is a prototypical hybrid outside backer, the Bills will implement more 3-4 work into practice this week, and until the showdown against the Patriots.

The second and third unit's play was more inspired, aggressive, and just all around better than the guys who are plugged into the starting roles in Buffalo. They made it evident by outscoring the Packers' backups 21 to 7 in the second half. And again, Ryan Fitzpatrick put together a solid evening, after his second straight game with a touchdown toss.

One thing that puzzled me as the second unit took the field was that the offensive playbook seemed to be let loose during times when it's normally simplified. Many fake hand-offs turned wide receiver screens and deep seam routes were called, when they weren't drawn up for the first-teamers.

I'm always calling—or more like yelling—at the TV for more inventiveness from Turk Schonert when calling the plays, and he's yet to be creative with his starters. Lots of first down dives being called and short comeback routes on third and longs. Hopefully he's playing possum until the regular season. Hopefully.

John McCargo stood out as the first-round draft pick that he was against late rounders and free agents. He was constantly in the backfield, demanded constant double teams, and his stellar play included a nifty spin move to reach Brian Brohm in the second half.

His extensive time on the field this preseason will work wonders for the player the Bills' tried to trade away less than a year ago.

Though you can't take too much away from a preseason, the Bills' run defense in their first three contests suggests the run support will be the strong point of the team.

Johnathon Stupar's five catch, 63-yard showing included a touchdown, and he, coupled with Shawn Nelson's impressive blocking, made me believe that the tight end position won't be such a liability for the Bills as it has been in years past.

Tough place to be if you're a Bills' fan. Is your team destined for another under .500 season? Or was the game against the Packers the wake up call the Bills needed?

Next edition after the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers which kicks off at 7:30 on Saturday, August 29th.

Comments requested below....

Buffalo Bills: Regular Season Breakdown, Weeks 1-4

Chris Trapasso — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:19:27 -0400

Many times we try to predict how our favorite team will fare in the upcoming season. We seek out experts' and analysts' opinions and thoughts.

They often provide great inside information, but sometimes we would like to know how our team stacks up against their opponents. Whose receivers are better? Who wins the battle of the lines? Which running attack is more explosive?

Let's dissect the first four opponents for the Buffalo Bills in 2009, and figure out how the teams compare.

Weeks 1-4

New England Patriots

We're all well aware of the Bills/Patriots tilt to kickoff the AFL's 50th anniversary. Terrell Owens' mega-hyped debut is being "outbuzzed" by Tom Brady's return to the pocket, the comfy place he calls home in Foxboro.

Pats' Offense

The Patriots head into the Week One contest with more firepower than Buffalo. It can be put that simply. Tom Brady seems to be back to his old tricks, and he'll have the same props with which to perform those tricks this year.

Randy Moss has stayed relatively quiet this offseason, as has his nimble counterpart Wes Welker, but they aren't fooling any defensive coordinators with their silence.

These two are probably the most deadly one-two punch in the AFC at the wideout spot, and late-round pick Julian Edelman looks like another diamond in the rough uncovered by the Patriots' front office.

The running attack features Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Fred Taylor, so if there were to be a year when New England gains respect on the ground, this should be the one.

Add everything together and you've got a dream offensive cast.

How Buffalo Matches Up

The Bills didn't make any major moves on the defensive side of the ball. They're relying on added experience to bolster a youthful defense.

Paul Posluszny has the weight of this defense on his shoulders, along with the plays in his radio helmet, and his improvement from year one to year two as the starting MLB will be critical in the Bills' success stopping the Pats.

The secondary looks to be the deepest facet of the team, still with a lot of youth. Many guys will look to veteran Terrence McGee for guidance throughout the grueling season.

Because of the quantity of quality corners the Bills boast, they line up considerably better with the Patriots' pass-happy offense than many other teams.

I don't think someone like Drayton Florence covers Wes Welker well all game, but keeping the secondary fresh will be the key to stopping, I mean slowing down, the Patriots, and the Bills have the personnel to do it.

EDGE: Patriots.Their offensive line will allow Brady to call Gisele before he throws each pass. Not sold on Bills' pass rush yet.

The offenses however, on paper, are a lot closer than they've been in a while.

Bills' Offense

Above I stated that the Welker/Moss duo is the best of it's kind in the AFC. At season's end that will most likely still be true.

But you can't blame the Bills for trying to squeeze into that conversation with their signing of Terrell Owens.

He and Lee Evans form a dynamic, big play, deep-threat tandem unseen in the rest of the conference, and the Bills' run game isn't lacking electricity either.

Though Marshawn Lynch will be suspended for the Bills' first matchup against the Pats, he, Fred Jackson, and Dominic Rhodes make for a talented three-headed monster in Buffalo's backfield.

How New England Matches Up

It's not hard to find household names on the Patriots' defense.

Adalius Thomas is a two-time Pro-Bowler, and is the pioneer as the "hybrid" outside-linebacker/defensive end.

Richard Seymour had a career-high eight sacks last season, and believe it or not, he's only 29 years old. Expect more from one of the most underrated ends in the NFL.

Vince Wilfork will benefit from monster Ron Brace on the defensive line's interior this fall, something every running back should fear.

The Bills' young, and unproven offensive line will have some problems running the ball up the middle against this beefy D-line.

The only reason for worry in New England is the fact that their putting a lot of faith in rookies and second-year players on defense. Darius Butler, Patrick Chung, Brandon Meriweather, Terrence Weatley, Shawn Crable, Jerod Mayo, and Brace all are slated as starters entering the first week. This is something we haven't seen from the normal veteran-laden Patriots' defense.

I don't see the likes of Evans, Reed, Parrish, and Owens having any semblance of trouble beating the Patriots' youthful secondary consistently. But remember, the Bills are starting rookies on the offensive line as well.

EDGE: Bills. Almost push, but homerism slid my decision Buffalo's way. For the first time in a while, I guess since 2003, the Bills are more experienced offensively than the Patriots are defensively.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bills will either head home like they usually do after they play the Patriots, with a disappointing, embarrassing loss at the front of their minds, or they'll be on top of the football world.

Regardless, they can't look past their opponent in the home opener. The Buccaneers have been a staple of consistency in the NFC for the past decade.

They went on a Clueless-like shopping spree during the offseason, but this did include the firing of longtime tenured coach Jon Gruden.

Bucs' Offense

The Bucs, are again in flux at the quarterback position. They drafted Kansas State underclassman Josh Freeman in the first round, and he's familiar with new head coach Raheem Morris, but he hasn't been announced as the starter yet.

Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown look to be the early favorites for that job.

The Tampa Bay front office added former Earth, Wind, and Fire member Derrick Ward to their backfield, and brought in the controversial, yet extremely talented, Kellen Winslow to solidify their tight end position.

Antonio Bryant had a breakout season in 2008 but remains very underrated. His supreme size and athletic ability can not go unnoticed. The quarterback play will be the rise or demise of the Bucs this year.

How Buffalo Matches Up

Outside of Bryant and Winslow, the Bucs' passing attack isn't anything to write home about.

Michael Clayton is deceptively fast, but deals with injuries often, and as mentioned, the quarterback controversy will have negative effects on any and all receivers.

The Bills shouldn't have too much trouble bottling up the Bucs' passing attack, although Antonio Bryant and Kellen Winslow are matchup nightmares.

In terms of the run game, Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward formulate an interesting, yet somewhat underachieving, backfield. Tampa Bay's line will need to be more consistent in run blocking because this will need to be a bigger aspect of the Buccaneers offense in 2009.

The run pluggers for Buffalo, Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams, aren't completely overmatched by the Bucs' line. John McCargo's resurgence will play a prominent role in the Bills stopping not only the Buccaneers on the ground, but every other team they face this season.

EDGE: Bills. Barely. It's hard to predict how Bucs' running game will be. I like Buffalo's corners against any quarterback on Tampa's roster.

How Bucs' Defense Matches Up

No point to reiterate Buffalo's offensive plans and personnel, but the Bucs' defense has been the most proud aspect of their team for what seems like ages. Until this year.

They released many veterans including Derrick Brooks, in a youth movement that had many people scratching their heads. Brooks can still play.

They did, however, keep cagey vet Ronde Barber, who's ball hawking skills are second only to Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens. I don't envision Buffalo having a tough time running the ball and still like the corp of receivers to have a good enough day to lead Buffalo to victory. (Promise, no more game predictions)

EDGE: Bills. This is not the same Tampa Bay defense we've grown accustomed to.

New Orleans Saints

Is Drew Brees great to watch or what? He's not a big, menacing quarterback, but he sure looks like he's having fun doing his job. And boy does he do it well. Reggie Bush is back, Deuce McAllister is gone. Hmmm.

Saints' Offense

Fireworks. It's like Mardi Gras every time the Saints offense takes the field.

Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey; if I'm an offensive coordinator, I'm licking my chops at how I can feast on defenses with those guys.

Reggie Bush needs to have a big year to brush away any whispers of bust surrounding his name.

They're the NFC's most dangerous offense; every snap can turn to a TD in the blink of an eye. Watch for some untimely INT's from Brees, and some odd play calls from Sean Payton.

How Buffalo Matches Up

Not good. No one does. Perry Fewells' "bend not break" defense doesn't work against a team that tries to break you on every play. Stopping the run won't be out of the question, but New Orleans won't be handing off much.

Their offensive line gives Brees enough time, and even with a deep Bills secondary, they can't win this track meet. Only hope is for some freak play turnovers.

EDGE: Saints. They're not the 'Aints anymore.

How Saints' Defense Matches Up

The Bills will play their second straight week against a former player (Angelo Crowell with Bucs) when Lee Evans is pressed by Jabari Greer.

Sedrick Ellis and Jonathon Vilma are solid anchors on a team that hasn't ever been known for its defense.

With rookie Malcolm Jenkins matching up either on Owens, Reed, or Evans, I like the Bills chances throwing the ball, and the Saints gave up a whopping 25 points per game last season.

Again, the Bills' offensive line will be huge in this contest.

EDGE: Bills. Still not enough big names on a usually less than stellar defense.

Miami Dolphins

Oh, the fish. How we love them so. After an eye-popping turnaround last season, the Dolphins have targets squarely on their backs.

Dolphins' Offense

You've got to give offensive coordinator Dan Henning some credit, along with head coach Tony Sparano. They call up some nifty plays on offense. They know what they've got and run with it.

Chad Pennington gets the job done with quick slants and other underneath routes.

Ted Ginn Jr. occasionally can stretch the field and Ronnie Brown is the Pro-Bowl back to rely on. Sounds perfect.

The uncorking of the Wildcat offense last season caught many by surprise. Not this year. They'll need more contribution from Ginn Jr. and other wide receivers or the passing game will struggle.

How Buffalo Matches Up

Ginn Jr. ate a hobbling Terrence McGee for lunch last season in Miami, but as mentioned numerous times, the Bills secondary is unquestionably better with more bodies.

The Bills aren't great at recovering after misdirection plays and the Dolphins will surely throw many of those Buffalo's way.

The couplet of Brown and Ricky Williams will be dangerous when facing Buffalo. The Dolphins call many sweeps, and their tackles and guards are agile enough to contain defensive ends and outside linebackers from reaching the outside.

How Kawika Mitchell and Paul Posluszny play will determine the outcome of this rivalry game in Week Four.

How Dolphins Defense Matches Up

The Allens, Will and Jason, were surprisingly thorns in the Bills' side last season.

Yeremiah Bell contributed more to a more aggressive second line that still lacks a big name.

Their secondary is physical enough now with Vonte Davis to give the Bills' wideouts trouble.

Jason Ferguson, Jason Taylor, and Joey Porter should have Trent Edwards' a little worried.

EDGE: Dolphins. Like their defensive balance. Though not overly dominant.

It's all yours. The Bills and how they matchup against their first four opponents. Next installment of Weeks 5-8 coming next week....

Seen and Herd: Preseason Week Two | Buffalo Bills Vs Chicago Bears

Chris Trapasso — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:08:26 -0400

Oh, how great it felt to be back in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Well kind of. On a really hot night, the Bills faced off against the Chicago Bears, and believe it or not, played well.

Let's jump right into the analysis, my favorite part.

The Bears took the field with their new gunslinger at the helm, Jay Cutler.

This was a big debut. Cutler is the man who is supposed to put an end to the quarterback curse in the Windy City.

Ignoring the hype surrounding his first start in a Bears' uniform, the Bills didn't fold under the pressure that the former Vanderbilt standout often brings to opposing defenses.

I'm not going to say the pass rush wreaked havoc, but the pocket certainly collapsed on more than one occasion, leading to Leodis McKelvin's interception in the first quarter.

Beside the semi-disruptive pass rush, the secondary stood out to me ( I attended the game, so take my word for it ). The depth was apparent, although Bryan Scott and Drayton Florence suffered knee sprains. Yet even without them, they proved the secondary is by far the deepest facet of the team.

Cutler looked more nervous in the pocket than I've ever seen him, and the interior defensive line held up much better against the run, in comparison to last week's tilt against the Titans.

The run game for Buffalo, for the second straight week, was unimpressive, but Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson displayed their ultra-aggressive running style to fight for each yard. The line needs to improve a great deal on those vital first and second down running plays.

We all heard about Trent Edwards' 10-for-10 evening, but he did check down to Lynch three times. Included in his perfect night, Edwards hit Lee Evans five times, and found Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish, while looking cozy in the No-Huddle against a minimal pass rush. He never came close to passing for a touchdown during his only end zone trip. On 3rd and long, a dive play was called. A little odd.

Andy Levitre didn't seem to get owned like he did against Tennessee, and as a whole, the offensive line looked much more like a cohesive unit, although it's obvious there's more gelling to be had.

As mentioned, the defensed performed well. Really want to hammer that home. Anytime you force five turnovers, things are looking up. Ellis Lankster stole the show with his two picks, and nearly grabbed a third in the second half. He's a lock for the final roster. Wouldn't be shocked to see him rotating at the nickel spot, but then again if he doesn't see the field this season during any meaningful play, I wouldn't be surprised either—you've gotta love the kids' effort.

Chris Ellis and Copeland Bryan were active on the outside, and contributed sacks on consecutive plays. Yes, believe it or not, the Bills' finished off two straight sacks. The starting linebackers didn't see much field-time, but Nic Harris and Alvin Bowen demonstrated their athleticism, and made the coaches fully aware that in the case of the untimely injury, the drop-off in production won't be substantial.

Harris tipped a third down and goal attempt, and was a fixture on almost every run play, wrapping up the Bears' running backs with ease.

Bowen got smacked on a side-block during the 2nd half on a sweep play, was shaken up, but stayed on the field. Tough guy.

As far as the back-ups go, basically the real reason why one should attend a preseason game, they faired well. Justin Jenkins, Felton Huggins, and C.J. Hawtorne cemented themselves as practice squad players, and that's in a worst case scenario.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo's biggest worry thus far to Bills' fans, showed the smarts he displayed at Harvard extended further than the classroom.

He completed 13 passes for 146 yards and lofted a beautiful fade to rookie Shawn Nelson for a score. His ball had more zip and he too, like Edwards, was comfortable operating out of the No-Huddle offense.

The pass rush showed signs of hope, the secondary flexed their muscles with four interceptions, while the offense clicked working out of the No-Huddle.

If the progression from the first game to the second game continues throughout the preseason, the Bills' faithful have an exciting season to look forward to.

Next Edition, next Sunday following the Bills match-up against the Green Bay Packers.

What did you guys/girls think? Much better? Worse? Loved being back at home? Fire away below....

Seen and Herd: Preseason Week 1 | Bills Vs Titans

Chris Trapasso — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:14:03 -0400

The 2009 NFL season has officially started. Well, just for the nuts that take preseason games seriously like myself.

Realistically, everyone's record is still 0-0 and Kickoff Weekend isn't for another month, but having the chance to watch live football brought joy to my life once again.

Now down to business. From here on out I'm going to piece together a few observations, reviews, and thoughts from each Buffalo Bills game.

Here's what I took from the Hall of Fame game yesterday:

The Bills looked rusty.

Period.

But they were the first NFL team in camp. What's up with that?

Rust at this point is still perfectly fine. Now if the third preseason game finishes and the Bills first-teamers are still drastically slower, weaker, and unprepared compared to their opponent (Green Bay Packers), then there'll be some reason to worry.

But even still, the main worry that comes from the preseason is injury. Not the first team failing on third down during their only series, or a kicker missing a chip shot. Ask any coach.

The Bills finished the game with no major injuries—check.

Back to the game. Back to the sloppiness. Most of this came from the offensive line, a component of the Bills team the experts have been pointing out as weak since Jason Peters left for Philadelphia.

Eric Wood, looking ferocious, drove a few defensive tackles back with ease and consistently reached the second level—but it was clear he was playing in his first NFL game. He whiffed on a few counter-moves, something he'll need to get accustomed to playing in the AFC East that's loaded with beefy, agile interior defensive lineman.

Langston Walker moved his feet well, but did get beat on the outside via the speed rush occasionally. This seems like a scary predicament because Walker's protecting Trent Edward's blind side, but if there's one go-to move Edwards has in terms of moving in the pocket, it's the slide forward prior to his rapid release.

Walker needs the extra game to get the feel for how fast those ultra-athletic defensive ends will be turning the corner.

Demetrius Bell didn't look like a guy playing in only his fifth year of organized football. I'm not at all stating that he stood out and dominated the right side, but he never got beat badly, and he blocked well in the run game.

The Brad Butler injury may be a blessing for the Bills because Bell will see a great deal of playing time during the preseason, and his potential is through the roof. Time to turn that promise into production.

Hangartner was solid as expected manning Melvin Folwer's old position. He's unquestionably an upgrade from Folwer, but he'll be tested against Kris Jenkins, Vince Wilfork, and Jason Ferguson.

Boy did Andy Levitre have a tough night. Although Trent Edwards put the interception solely on his own shoulders during a post-game interview, Levitre being man-handled into Edwards' step forward caused the ball to sail over Lee Evans' well run seam route.

It did look like Levitre was a victim of illegal hands to the face on the play, but he consistently stood out in a negative way, whether it was being beat on a bull rush or missing after a swim/spin move. Yesterday's game is the wake up call he needs. He was a force in college. This isn't the Pac-10 anymore.

I criticize, but the first-team offensive line didn't allow the Titans to register a sack, and the offense was clicking until the aforementioned interception.

The run game didn't astound anyone, but it wasn't expected to. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are hard runners, but fully understand that "Beast Mode" and "Action Jackson" aren't needed until Monday Night Football on September 14. Or in Lynch's case, Week Four.

You can look at the back-up quarterbacks last night from two different angles. Either Ryan Fitzpatrick paved the way for Gibran Hamdan or Hamdan is knocking on the second-string door.

Probably a little of both.

Fitzpatrick seemed scared, made hurried throws even in times when he didn't need to, and had a hard time scrambling.

Meanwhile, albeit against third and fourth-teamers, Hamdan managed his game well without any mistakes.

Forget that Matt Baker pick, he won't touch the ball this season.

The first-team defense displayed its eerily similar "bend not break" style, and if it wasn't for a fake punt (which I'm still not sure why it was called) they did force the Titans to punt in their first possession.

I still don't think Leodis McKelvin is ready. There I said it. He seems so fluid and freakishly athletic, but he must become aware of the common routes receivers run so jumping passes will be easier. Also, he has to sure up his tackling before I feel comfortable with him starting alongside Terrance McGee.

The secondary is still the strong point of the defense because of the depth.

The linebackers stood strong as a second level, but it would have been nice if Paul Posluszny could have corralled that surefire interception—just for confidence reasons.

There wasn't a downhill pass rush that many Bills fans were hoping for, but I'm pretty sure Perry Fewell doesn't want any tape of his new outside and zone blitzes.

Lastly, the play-calling wasn't witty and creative, but again, chalk that up to the fact that the Bills know their biggest advantage heading into Foxboro is that there won't be any tape on their new players and system.

Which brings me to the famed no-huddle offense. Edwards looked cozy directing the fast-paced attack, and Buffalo successful caught a good Titans defense off-guard at various points during the game.

Terrell Owens caught two well timed passes. Thank god.

The Bills didn't thrive in terms of big plays or outstanding production in their first preseason game, but it was played how it should be. Get the veterans back into the swing of things and indulge the rookies into the hyper speed of the NFL, while working against actual opponents.

Remember, first...pre...season...game.

Next edition: Sunday, August 16th following the Bills second preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

A Decade Removed: How The '09 Bills Compare to the '99 Playoff Team

Chris Trapasso — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:33:50 -0400

Anyone watch the Music City Miracle replay on NFL Network's "Classic Games" yesterday? I did. Classic alright. Classic if your a Tennessee Titans fan or if you hate the Buffalo Bills. I wanted to turn it off, but for some reason couldn't, even though I knew the epic catastrophe that was about to ensue.

Anyways, enough of me whining. Sitting on my couch afterwards, disgusted with the shots of ecstatic Titans' fans, and the realization that I just finished watching the Bills' last trip to the playoffs, I tried to rejuvenate my spirits.

Most remember the Tennessee Tragedy as another wonderfully creative way the Bills found how to lose a game...myself included.

In my meager attempt to find any light in a game surrounded by so much darkness from a Bills' standpoint, I couldn't.

But thinking about it, today's Bills aren't much different in comparison to the group from a decade ago: a solid 11-5 team that essentially should have advanced to the Divisional Round. Which may bring more hope on this season.

Breaking down the team in sections made the most sense to me so here it goes.

Quarterback

Doug Flutie started 15 games that year, and impressed at age 37. His 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions showed he wasn't capable of lighting up a statbook anymore, but he certainly had Flutie Flakes flying off the shelves at the local Tops' Friendly Markets.

His nearly 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio is where his comparison to Trent Edwards ends. He was a wily veteran, who could make something out of nothing. A lot.

Now to Rob Johnson, (wonder what he's doing right now). We only saw him in action twice, but he managed both games surprisingly well.

He nearly reached the 300 yard mark through the air against a permeable Colts' secondary in Week 17, and basically led the Bills to victory in Tennessee, a place where the Titans hadn't lost all year.

His arm never wowed anyone and at times he looked a bit shaken in the pocket. More of the "cerebral quarterback." Sound similar to Trent Edwards? Does to me.

The only difference between the two is positive for today's Bills: Trent Edwards is much more gifted athletically and is complete with many more quarterback intangibles than Rob Johnson was.

Just watching Johnson throw the short underneath passes, progressing through his reads while connecting on the occasional deep pass, made me think of the Bills' current quarterback right away.

Who knows, if Bobby April was the Special Teams Coach then, things may have gone in a different direction for Johnson. Probably not.

Running Backs

The 1999 Buffalo Bills featured a two-back look...before they were trendy in the NFL. Antowain Smith was considered the starter, but Johnathon Linton (remember him?) had more rushes and rushing yards on the year.

The two combined for over 1,200 yards rushing which isn't terrible, but remember Marshawn Lynch has run for over 1,000 by himself in his first two seasons, and we all know what Fred Jackson contributes to the run game.

Both Linton and Smith were bigger backs; the Bills didn't use the "Thunder and Lightning" tactic of one bruising back coupled with a shifty speedy runner as a changeup, like many clubs do today.

This year's Bills won't, either.

Lynch and Jackson are known as downhill yet nimble runners, and Dominic Rhodes' addition creates a frightening trio. Give the edge to the 2009 Buffalo Bills.

Wide Receivers

Andre Reed was at the end of his illustrious career, although he grabbed 52 balls for a respectable 536 yards. Close to a season I envision Josh Reed having while working behind Terrell Owens and Lee Evans.

Eric Moulds represented the dominating, physical, possession wideout and put together a great year. He nearly reached the 1,000 yard mark and gathered in 60-plus balls.

He jammed cornerbacks at the line before they jammed him. Moulds brought an intimidation factor to Buffalo that they've dearly missed since he departed.

Until now.

Owens is bigger and even more daunting to opposing defenses. A more experienced version of the Bills go to target in the late 90's through the mid 2000's, Eric Moulds.

Kevin Williams and Peerless Price combined for 60 catches, clearly an attainable goal for backups Roscoe Parrish and Steve Johnson. Williams returned kicks just like Roscoe, but I think we know who's got the better special teams.

Lee Evans is the man who puts this year's group above the receivers from '99. They missed a true deep threat and we're well aware that's Evans' forte. Expect a lot of double moves and go-routes to be called Evans' way.

There's not a corner in the league who can keep up.

Very similar corp of wideouts. Not a First Team All-Pro lineup, but not a group you'd wanna fall asleep on.

Offensive Line

The '99 trenchmen are what the '09 men are dying to be. John Fina was the lone starter from the tail end of the glory years, but Ruben Brown and Robert Hicks were big boys, coming into their own as great blockers.

Jerry Ostrowski and Dusty Zeigler rounded out a good but not overwhelmingly great offensive line.

Not a ton of glaring similarities, but shooting to be like the '99 unit is a good start.

Secondary

Henry Jones and Kurt Schulz played strong safety and free safety respectively, and although their names are held in high regard in Buffalo, they only combined for three interceptions, all coming from Schulz.

Jones was more of the veteran leader at the closing stages of his career, but he was durable enough to start every game.

Ken Irvin and Thomas Smith, who to me, played like Antoine Winfield before Antoine Winfield, matched up on the outside against team's best receivers. Neither were household names, but did enough to help the Bills to the league's best pass defense.

McGee probably has a leg up on Smith, as a pure cover corner and tackler, and Leodis McKelvin has a reminds me a lot of what I remember of Irvin.

The secondary this season has more depth, but saying the 2009 group is better than it was a decade ago would be incorrect, because there was no one better in the NFL defending the pass that year.

Hard to believe the Bills were that solid.

Linebackers

Sam Cowart led the team in tackles with 79, but Sam Rogers and John Holeck didn't even combine for 100 tackles together. The Bills ran a 3-4 scheme at times, (something I won't be against now) and Gabe Northern played the outside spot, without much contribution.

It's tough to link the two linebacking corps together because of the system differences, but terms of age, both were rather young, with Sam Rogers being 99's eldest at 29, Kawika Mitchell's age today.

In 1999 they were four hard-working, hard-hitting, average players that got the job done.

With Paul Posluszny entering his second year as the middle linebacker, he's told reporters he's coming into 2009 with more aggressiveness because he feels more comfortable manning the middle, with a full year under his belt.

Keith Ellison may be the weak link out of all seven players, but last year he was able to stay away from looking terrible for long stretches during any game.

Fairly similar.

Defensive Line

Bruce Smith was on the line, and although there's minimal comparison between him and the Bills' "supposed" best pass rusher of today, Aaron Schobel, Bruuuuce was on the verge of retiring.

He played in Washington a few years after, but he took down quarterbacks seven times in '99, and was 36, so Buffalo realized he was nearly finished with his Hall of Fame career.

Not out of the question for Schobel to return to Pro Bowl form with 7.0 sacks.

Phil Hansen had a reputable season with 6.0 sacks, and if this season's Bills can get 6 from Aaron Maybin and Chris Kelsay, Perry Fewell would be all smiles.

In 1999 the D-line was great at stopping the run. Wonder why? The twin mountains of Pat Williams and Ted Washington ate opposing running backs for lunch and commanded double teams on nearly ever play. When the Bills needed to, they converted to a 4-3 with ease.

Marcus Stroud compares close enough to Williams, and if Kyle Williams continues to overachieve due to his fiendish work ethic, this year's run pluggers remind me a lot of '99s.

Just a lot smaller in stature and width.

Don't forget about John McCargo, either.

The type of season the 1999 Bills' defense put together was stellar. First in passing defense, second in points allowed, and fourth in rushing yards allowed. Not bad. Can this year's defensive unit attain such Raven-esque statistics?

Probably not, but they aren't far away.

In summation, I think these teams are spitting images of each other. Both had quarterbacks with more brains than arm strength, both highlighted a multiple running back system, and the sets of receivers are nearly identical.

The 1999's defense was fabulous but the secondaries and linebackers are mirror images of one another.

We always spend time referencing similarities between the late 80's Bills to today's team. Take it easy. Those teams went on to four consecutive AFC championships. Dominated.

Reminder: the 1999 team beat New England in both meetings. That'd be nice for a change.

The Bills have set a goal to reach the post-season, and the 1999 team was the last Buffalo squad to get there. So shouldn't we look there for questions on how to play into January?

Thoughts?