Seen and Herd: Preseason Week 4 | Buffalo Bills Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

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.