Bleacher Report - Articles by J Smith

Six Steps the Buffalo Bills Must Take to Reach the Playoffs

J Smith — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:39:14 -0400

The pressure has been on since the signing of Terrell Owens. Ralph Wilson and company want the Bills to win and they want those wins NOW. Dick Jauron is on the hot seat and must perform or he will most certainly be looking for a defensive coordinator spot come 2010.

With all the steps the Bills have taken towards putting their best foot forward this year there are still more that need to be taken before the playoff drought will over.

1. The Bills must have a winning record in the division. The Bills must break their losing streak against the Patriots.

What better a time to break their embarrassing losing streak to the Patriots then the first game of the year. This would set the tone to what could be a huge year. While this is not a must, having a winning record in the division is. The Bills were embarrassed last year, going 0-6 in the division.

While the Bills played close games against the Jets and Dolphins last year they both ended the same, a loss. The Bills must win at least one game against each divisional opponent and hopefully more. This would put the Bills in good position for tiebreakers within the division and would help out with their tough out of division schedule this year.

2. Use passing threats to establish the run game.

With such an electric group of receivers this year all the talk is on the Bills passing game. However as all Bills fans know it becomes hard to pass late in the season when the winds start whipping and the temperature starts dropping.

The Bills will need to have established a powerful running game at this point in the season, much of this will depend on the all-new offensive line. A solid running game would also take a lot pressure off of Trent. The running game will open up the passing game and the passing game will open up the running game.

3. Turk Schonert must change up the playbook.

Last year we saw a very conservative approach throughout almost the entire year. The only situations where Turk would differ from the game-plan seemed to be at the worst times (passing late in the Jets game, running to set up a late field goal against the Browns). This will have to change with the addition of T.O.

The Bills are going to have to stretch the field and take the extra defender out of the box for the running game. Turk has said the playbook will not change much but I feel it needs to change a lot. The Bills threw deep early in the season and it worked but as the Bills collapsed it was all short passes.

With the addition of the No-Huddle offense, Turk needs to tire the defenses early and burn them later on. This has potential to be one of the Bills best offenses ever, however they are limited to wherever Turk takes them.

4. Sign Pisa Tinoisamoa or Levi Jones.

While signing both may be unreasonable or hard because of cap purposes the Bills must get at least one of these top notch players. Levi Jones has battled injuries but has been a solid tackle when healthy for the Bengals.

Adding Jones to the Bills line would take a rookie out of the starting lineup and add some veteran leadership. Butler could remain at guard and Walker could play opposite-side tackle. This would cure much of the uncertainty that is the Buffalo Bills offensive line. Tinoisamoa would fit perfectly into the Tampa two defense Perry Fewell runs.

A very light and quick linebacker who can cover and make tackles. He would make the tackles Crowell would but cover the tight ends that Crowell couldn't.

Lastly, Pisa would add to the depth of the injury prone Bills defense. Last year we saw Bryon Scott playing linebacker because of the Bills many injuries. With Tinoisamoa the Bills would have a solid backup in Keith Ellison.

5. Keep Donte Whitner at Strong Safety and put Jairous Byrd at Free Safety.

The Bills hardly ever get interceptions. Byrd has shown in college that he has a knack for finding the ball on defense. Ko Simpson has provided little production and has often been criticised for giving up on plays.

Although it would be risk throwing rookie in at free safety it is a risk worth taking if it supplies the Bills with much needed defensive takeaways. Not to mention he would be playing across from one of the Bills best leaders in Donte Whitner.

6. Coaching must keep the Bills in the game and not take them out of it.

Last year the Bills were sadly taken out of games not by poor player decisions but rather poor coaching decisions. This has been a cancer for the Bills the past couple of years.

These games are usually followed with Dick Jauron coming out after the games and explaining why the coaching staff made the poor decision and that it is ultimately his fault.

This is the NFL and these coaches need to be the best of the best. When looking at the great coaches around the league you see people that will always put their teams in the best position to win and never take their team out of a game. Last year, two losses can be attributed to poor coaching decisions (Jets/Browns). This year that cannot happen.

Following these steps I feel will put the Bills in the playoffs. Something us Bills fans haven't experienced in a decade. I'd say we're overdue.

Donte Whitner Is a Role Model

J Smith — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:43:06 -0400

Donte Whitner is a human being. Sometimes that is forgotten when a figure is so prominently displayed in the media. He made a mistake and is facing the repercussions.

This article does not condone Donte Whitner's actions on the night he was arrested for resisting arrest and aggravated disorderly conduct, but rather details why this was a mistake in judgment by an otherwise venerable professional athlete.

Donte Whitner was not arrested for a hit and run, gun possession, drug possession, vehicular manslaughter, or even drunk driving. Yet he is still grouped with the players in the NFL who are arrested for these more serious violations.

The favorite new statistic by news media outlets is an arrest count for the NFL. Some prominent NFL websites, such as www.profootballtalk.com, even have a count that measures how many days the NFL has gone without an arrest.

As a result of this hyped arrest count, players in the NFL who are arrested for minor, albeit meaningful, reasons are unfairly placed on the same pedestal as the more serious offenders.

Any player who ends up with an arrest is just lumped into the "bad egg" group of players and is quickly bastardized by the media.

Such views are taken as, "they shouldn't be out partying" and "they know the trouble they are putting themselves in."

This is true for the few players who carry fully loaded and unregistered handguns (Plaxico Burress) or players who bring a posse of thugs around (Adam "Pacman" Jones), to name a few, but is an unfair assessment for all players who are arrested.

Players should be afforded the same right as any one of us to attend a bar or go to a club. There is not a high probability of an incident occurring when going to a bar or club. This just seems to be the case because it's common to hear of these few instances.

The fact is that many players go out on the town frequently and never get into any trouble.

The Buffalo Bills have been on media display ever since the acquisition of Terrell Owens. They have had three recent arrests heavily covered by the sports media and are even being labeled by some as "the new Cincinnati Bengals" (the top offender in recent years for arrests).

The media will never show the upside of a player, only the downside, because that is what gets them ratings.

A player's character should not be judged by what mistake he has made but rather by what he has done in his role as an athlete to improve the lives of others.

Donte Whitner is the perfect example of an athlete with strong moral fiber of which can be role-modeled.

Donte has not had an easy life by any means. He was born and raised on the east side of Cleveland in a much less fortunate area than what many of us were raised in.

At the age of four, Donte was nearly killed after being hit by a car while crossing the road. As a result, he spent four months in a body cast and was even told by doctors that he may never walk again because of the extensive injuries to his legs.

As if that were not enough to overcome, at the age of 12, Donte's father was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. This left Donte to be raised by a single mother, and he needed to grow up much faster than those his age.

As hard as life was, Whitner just used his hardship as motivation. Donte went on to graduate early from high school and was accepted into Ohio State University.

At Ohio State, Donte excelled both on and off the field and decided to enter the NFL draft as a junior. He would be drafted eighth overall by the Buffalo Bills in a move that was labeled by many as a stretch; once again, this was just more motivation to Donte.

Whitner has gone on to become a defensive leader on the field and in the locker room. He has been a starter for the Bills since being drafted and has lived up to the role given to him by his first round selection.

But this is not what truly shows Donte's character.

Donte has used his role as a professional athlete to start his own charitable foundation, Team 20.

The mission statement of Team 20 states, "Our mission at Team 20 is to enrich and encourage families in impoverished communities by using education as a tool to raise awareness."

It is through this foundation that Donte Whitner has made a name for himself in the Buffalo and Cleveland areas.

Here are some of the notable events held or participated in by the Team 20 foundation.

Annual Cancer Strike Charity Bowling Tournament

Started by Whitner after his grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer. More recently he added Osteosarcoma research as a benefactor after meeting a young boy named Malcolm Hills Jr. who has the cancer that affects mainly children. This meeting can be seen here.

Annual Youth Football Mini-Camp

Donating School Supplies to schools in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Ghana, West Africa

Retreats for single Mothers/Fathers

Stop the Violence Tour

Camp Team 20

Read to Achieve

Impact Plays

Impact Families

Thanksgiving Turkey Give-A-Way seen here

Partnership with the United Way seen here

A role model to me is any person in a position where they can affect others by their actions. I would definitely consider Donte's actions worthy of repetition by children or fans in general.

The number of lives that have been changed in Donte's short tenure (three years) in the NFL is evidence of this in itself. I put up the videos because they can show people's lives being changed much better than I could ever describe it.

Donte made a mistake and immediately admitted his remorse: "I regret the incident that occurred last evening.... It's not how I wish to conduct myself. And I apologize to all those involved."

Donte's character and goodwill supersedes this mistake. While this error in judgment should not just be forgotten about, one should look at the person as a whole and not just the mistake.

The important thing for Donte is that he learns from his error and continues his amazing work through the Team 20 Foundation.

I look forward to watching Donte both on the field and in the community for years to come, because I feel Donte Whitner is an exceptional athlete and above all else, a role model.

Buffalo Bills Update: Fred Jackson Unhappy

J Smith — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:55:38 -0400

Fred Jackson is not attending this year's optional conditioning program and reports say that he is unhappy with his current contract offers.

Jackson is said to be looking for a multi-year deal and pay increase after last season's performance. He is considered an exclusive rights free agent and cannot sign with any other team this season.

With the current situation involving Marshawn Lynch it seems the Bills will have to give in to Fred's demands or risk going into the season without a legitimate running back for the length of Lynch's suspension.

The Buffalo Bills Have Holes To Fill and Depth To Add

J Smith — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:53:23 -0400

It has been an eventful offseason for the Buffalo Bills. An offseason that began with the Bills disappointing many fans by keeping a mediocre coaching staff was followed by the signings of backup after backup.

Then came the signing of Terrell Owens. A media circus ensued, and fans and players are abuzz. Will he succeed? Will he fail? Will he destroy the Bills' chemistry? What about Trent Edwards? ESPN has devoted more hours in the past week to these few questions than they have to the Bills in the last 10 years.

All this buzz has distracted many fans. The Bills still have holes to fill and no depth on the roster. The Bills have two giant holes at left guard and outside linebacker.

While the Bills have players on their roster who have been plugged into the guard position, they do not have a solid starter, and without Angelo Crowell, they do not have a starting outside linebacker, either.

Angelo Crowell is currently in talks with the Bills and Bucs, but many people—and apparently NFL teams—are wondering about his health. Can he perform to his prior level?

Crowell may have to sign a short-term deal just to prove his worth. Does this sound like another player the Bills just signed?

The Bills also lack depth, a problem that has plagued the Bills for many years. Playing in such a harsh climate in an already grueling physical game, the Bills deal with many injuries to key players. With no depth, the Bills struggle to fill the vacancies left by injuries.

Key injuries to starters Trent Edwards, Donte Whitner, and Terrence McGee left the Bills reeling in 2008.

J.P. Losman blew a game and did not perform well in Trent's absence (coaching also played a role), Donte Whitner was out several games with no real replacement, as players like Bryan Scott played linebacker due to injuries.

Even when Donte was healthy, he often had to play the nickelback due to cornerback injuries.

The Bills have taken some steps with their offseason signings. They have picked up Drayton Florence, who will probably play a nickel-or-dime back for the Bills.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in to backup Trent (not sure why the Bills didn't pursue a veteran), and John Digiorgio was resigned to continue his role of backup MLB.

This still leaves the Bills with a lack of quality depth at the safety, linebacker, and offensive line positions, which are some of the most oft-injured positions in football.

The Bills had a middle-of-pack defense last year, but could've been much better had there been some depth. It doesn't seem to be a concern of Buffalo's, although it happens year after year.

Unfortunately, I think Bills fans this year will once again have to depend on the draft to fill holes, something that the Bills weren't successful at last year—and probably will not be successful at this year.

Here's to hoping for the best though.

"Go, Bills"

-Tim Russert

Terrell Owens' One-Year Contract = One-Year Test for Trent Edwards' Future

J Smith — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:33:12 -0400

Soon after the release of wide reciever Terrell Owens from the Cowboys, Bills quarterback Trent Edwards texted COO Russ Brandon. The text message read "What about T.O.?"

In only a few short days, the Buffalo Bills made one of the biggest free-agent acquisitions in their history and brought in Owens.

Did Edwards know this would be his ultimate test as a quarterback in the NFL? I have to call a spade a spade here and say that the one-year contract of Owens is really a one-year test for Edwards.

The first question on everyone's mind is will Edwards be able to handle Owens?

I cannot say in good faith that I believe Owens came to Buffalo for the purpose of winning but rather to show the league he has changed and to eventually pursue a big contract elsewhere.

So will we see the real T.O. or the Drew Rosenhaus version of T.O.?

I am a believer that the Bills signing Owens improved the Bills offense all around. The passing game benefited the most with the addition of a second go-to wide receiver.

This should not only open up Evans more but it will also help the third and fourth wide receivers in the Buffalo Bills' much used shotgun-passing scheme.

The running game has also benefited substantially from the acquisition as defenses will have to focus more on the passing threat and as a result open up the middle more for running backs Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson.

Another aspect of the running game that has yet to be analyzed will be the run blocking of Owens. Owens' blocking skills are far and above wide receivers like Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, and even Lee Evans.

This should open up the outside run more for the Bills and once again adding another concern to the defensive coordinators.

With all the new threats given to Edwards, and the possible addition or a pass receiving tight end in the draft, Edwards should put up some impressive numbers in the 2009 season.

Owens has consistently achieved 10-plus touchdowns per season which is interesting considering Edwards only threw 11 touchdowns last year.

This will be a pivotal year for Edwards and one that I believe will determine his future.

With Bills fans demanding a winning season and a tough schedule ahead for the Bills, it will be the greatest challenge Edwards will face. Edwards will be responsible for not only his future but likely the future of head coach Dick Jauron.

Owner Ralph Wilson is making it clear to the Buffalo Bills that their current performance is unacceptable and that he wants to see the Bills in the playoffs again before his passing.

A lot is riding on Edwards and the Buffalo Bills this season. It should be one that every Bills fan watches with intrigue.

Will Edwards succeed, or will he fail?

Feel free to give me your insight.

Buffalo Bills Carousel: Players Come And Then They Go

J Smith — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:04:56 -0500

It is that time of year again for the Buffalo Bills. The time of year when free agency begins and top notch athletes begin the search for a big contract, playing time, and a chance at a Super Bowl victory before the end of their careers.

The Bills unfortunately only offer one of the aforementioned reasons for a free agent signing. Playing time is about the only thing Buffalo can guarantee at this point. With large amounts of money tied up in under-performing players, the Bills just don't have enough room by their standards to give out a big contract.

A chance at a Super Bowl run is a longshot in Buffalo since the Bills have not made the playoffs in 10 years and failed to win a game in their own division last year. A truly troubling sign for any team.

All of the above contributes to what is becoming known as the Buffalo Carousel. The Bills attract top free agent visitors every year and it almost always ends the same way, with the player leaving the next day and signing with another team within a week of their Buffalo visit.

This year, the Buffalo Bills have brought in impact players such as Laveranues Coles, Cato June, Kevin Jones, Kendall Simmons, and Fred Taylor. All leaving just as fast as they came in with the exception being Cato June—it is still too early to tell as he visited very recently.

The Bills have yet to sign a free agent that started every game last year (except players previously on the Bills), taking only second tier talent such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Drayton Florence, and Geoff Hangartner.

Most teams are looking to improve this time of year but it seems Buffalo is content with their mediocrity. Constantly searching for those diamonds in rough—someone that will have a breakout season like, say, Jim Leohnard (oops).

While Buffalo has made an effort already to try and cut down on overpaid players such as Robert Royal and Derrick Dockery, they need to cut more to make room for those one or two big contracts that could change the direction of this team.

It is time for Buffalo to start making some moves or they will just continue circling the wagons for another decade.

UPDATE: The Bills have read my article and decided to take action. They have signed Terrell Owens.

Touche Bills

Who Was the Best Quarterback of 2008? The Answer May Surprise You

J Smith — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:22:03 -0500

Did you know there was a quarterback in the NFL who achieved a perfect rating in each game he threw a pass in this year, has a lifetime QB rating of 99.3, and to top it off, has never thrown an interception?

Well let me reveal that man to you.

Brian Moorman.

Yes, the best quarterback in the NFL and best player on the Buffalo Bills doesn’t even play the position.

So why does Brian Moorman not play quarterback?

The answer is known to many in Buffalo and his aptly name Moormanators fan base but kept relatively secret among the rest of the United States. One must look deep into the policies of the NFL to reveal the answer.

Moorman violates the NFL substance abuse policy. On Feb. 5, 1976, he was born with a condition that causes his body to produce double the normal amount of growth hormone.

Since his growth hormone levels are twice the normal level, this causes Moorman to test positive for Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in all of his drug tests.

So how is Moorman allowed to play in the NFL? The answer is simple, just look at him. At a monstrous 6'0" and 170+ pounds, Brian Moorman strikes fear into the eyes of any man. Moorman is a virtual Superman who has never missed a game in his career (128 games).

One needs to look no further than Moorman’s teammates to see the fear he instills when crossed. Marshawn Lynch once joked that Moorman played the most feminine position on the field. Although he has since retracted that statement and attributed it to rookie tomfoolery, Lynch still fears that Moorman will get revenge.

Lynch has been in two well-publicized incidents that he attributes to his fear of Moorman’s revenge. One incident occurred when Lynch thought he saw Moorman standing behind his car so he took off, accidentally hitting one woman in the process.

The other incident that happened a few days ago when cops discovered a loaded gun that Lynch described as his only protection against Moorman and marijuana that Lynch has began smoking daily to ease the stress caused by his fear of Moorman.

It is said that the “beast mode” persona linked to Lynch is a public relations stunt just to try and scare Moorman. It has failed miserably, since Moorman cannot be scared.

Bill Belichick is well aware of Moorman’s superior abilities and fears him so much so that he sends an extra cameraman to the Bills game to tape him on the sidelines, knowing it is Moorman who runs the Bills. Since Belichick has used this tactic, the Bills have not won a game against New England.

It is this fear that caused NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to add a provision allowing Moorman to only play the punter, kicker, and place holder positions. Any other use of Moorman is cheating and the Bills will be disciplined accordingly.

As a punter, Moorman has dominated for eight straight years. His career numbers are staggering at punter (610 punts, 43 yard average, 30 percent IN20) and as a quarterback/running back on fake punts (2 completions, 1 touchdown, 99.3 QB rating) (11 rush attempts, 54 yards, 4.9 yd/carry).

So much has remained a mystery to the mainstream media and NFL fans about Moorman. Allow me to share some insight about the legend of Brian Moorman.

Moorman dedicates much of his success to his father Charles Xavier (of X-men fame) and has an uncanny resemblance to him. He did not take his father’s name however to remain anonymous so he was originally named More-man for his excess growth hormone but later switched to Moorman because he dislikes hyphens.

He chose to come Buffalo after hearing of a “harsh climate” and saw it as a challenge and was intrigued at the thought of practicing by kicking across the lake and hitting Canadians, of which to this day he remains one of Canada’s most wanted for the deaths of four adults, six children, and a disputed case of an American infant allegedly handed to him as he was practicing his punting.

He has been given the nickname “Brian Moorman Tabernacle Choir” by Chris Berman for no other reasoning than Chris Berman and giving badass nicknames.

Berman is also responsible for the “circling the wagons” saying that most Bills fans agree stands for the circling the wagon with the wagon being the playoffs (and/or Super Bowl) and the Bills never getting in or winning.

Moorman is a three-time high school hurdles champion and has a 90 speed rating in the 2009 edition of Madden, reflecting his past accomplishments and actual ability. His fake field goal pass for a touchdown was recently featured on a FOX network ad for their TV show "Lie to Me."

The ad was shortened for TV time but the main character goes on to say how Rian Lindell gave away the fake but that Moorman was so damn good that it worked.

Moorman has so much fanfare that he was asked by President George W. Bush to bail out the M&T banks in Buffalo by allowing them to endorse him. Moorman accepted Bush's request and the marketing campaign has been a wild success.

As a fellow Moormanator, I cannot disclose all that we know of the legend of Brian Moorman although several Facebook groups have taken a shot (see: Brian Moorman is a f***ing god and Brian Moorman is the best player in the NFL).

I also fear for my life that this beast of a man will come for me if I give away any more of his secrets.

Will the Buffalo Bills Move to Toronto Rumor Die With Ted Rogers?

J Smith — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:53:06 -0500

By Tuesday afternoon the information had already spread across Canada and into western New York.

Ted Rogers, owner of the Toronto Blue Jays and their home field, the Rogers Centre, had died. While this information may not mean much to an average NFL fan, it may end up meaning the world to Buffalo Bills fans wanting their team to stay in Buffalo.

Although Ted Rogers is held in very-high esteem in Canada, most Buffalo Bills fans viewed him as the owner of an evil empire of sorts. It is an empire that wishes to take the Buffalo Bills from its loyal fans and bring the team to Toronto.

With Toronto being the fifth largest city in North America the possibilities for an NFL team playing there would be endless. Not only did Ted Rogers know this, but also so did Ralph Wilson, current owner of the Buffalo Bills.

It was from these very thoughts that Rogers and Wilson contrived the whole idea of the Buffalo Bills playing games in Toronto.

Rogers and Wilson made a $78-million lease agreement with the Bills to play eight games in Toronto (five regular season, three preseason) over five years with the first game being played this Sunday, against the Miami Dolphins.

The rumor of the Bills being moved to Toronto has sparked debates in both the United States and Canada.

In Canada, many people feel as though it would be the end of the Canadian Football League. That league is already struggling financially.

In the United States many are questioning the legality of a move, stating that the anti-trust laws passed in favor of the NFL will apply only within the United States and would cause major legal issues within the league.

Lastly, let’s not forget the die-hard fans in Buffalo who have supported their team loyally for many years not wanting to go through the hassle of crossing the U.S.–Canadian border. This might force fans to go through the hassle of bringing several forms of identification or bring a passport to be allowed passage to Canada.

If that was not enough trouble for fans to go through then comes the next pitfall, Toronto does not allow tailgating. One of, if not the most, cherished tradition of NFL fans in the United States.

Richard Griffin from www.thestar .com, a website for the Toronto Star newspaper wrote, “…they[Bills fans] are incredulous that there are no T.O. parking lots that will allow any form of regular tailgating, with open containers, grilled vittles, lawn chairs, etc."

This brings me to my last point. With most of the interest in buying Buffalo coming from Ted Rogers himself, will the desire to purchase the Buffalo Bills remain in his company?

I do not believe so, and as further testament would point out the inability of the Rogers Centre to sell out the Buffalo Bills game on Sunday. Thousands of tickets are still available to the high-priced game. Not really the excitement expected by the late Ted Rogers I would assume.

As a Buffalo Bills fan I will say however that I hope there is some kind of commemoration or ceremony for Ted Rogers before the Buffalo Bills game. While he is not the most liked person by the majority of Buffalo Bills fans he was still a man and a great entrepreneur who did very much for his country.

His memory should be honored and what better time than at a game that he believed was worth every penny to bring to Toronto.

For Richard Griffin's article mentioned above please see :

http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/478190