As the Buffalo Bills' 2009 Season Progresses, Here Are 11 Issues to Consider

When the Buffalo Bills defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-20, Bills fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief after notching their first win of the season.

Sitting at 1-1 and even with New England in the AFC East, the Bills face a tough test this weekend as they entertain New Orleans. They need another win to show that the progress they have made under Dick Jauron is for real and that they are a serious contender in 2009.

After watching their first two games, I wanted to share some observations of this year's Bills team and open it up for fans to discuss any of these issues or points.

1) Trent Edwards' maturity

Edwards seems more composed in the pocket this year. He has shown that he is not afraid to take the ball and scramble or run up the field.

For some reason, though, he tends to exhibit a warrior kind of mentality and almost looks like he is wanting to deliver a blow to the tackler instead of sliding down to prevent an injury. I certainly hope that the coaches will be able to convince him to take the smarter approach and avoid an injury, which could be very difficult to overcome.

2) Bills' offensive line

Whatever jitters the Bills' O-line had in Game One seemed to disappear last weekend. Demetrius Bell was flagged numerous times in the first game for not being on the line of scrimmage; he was not flagged once for that infraction on Sunday.

Edwards seemed to have more time to throw, and they are opening up some nice holes for Freddy Jackson. There weren't that many holding penalties either considering the lack of experience.

The injury to Brad Butler will hurt, and it is somewhat curious that the Bills opted to go with another rookie when they plucked tackle Jamon Meredith off Green Bay's practice squad rather than sign free agent Jon Runyan. You would think somebody like Runyan would be a good teacher or mentor to the younger Bills linemen, but they continue to stay young on the line.

3) Turnovers

Yes, the fumble by Leodis McKelvin was costly, as the Bills might very well be 2-0 right now if he took a knee instead of running it out of the end zone.

But if you look at the overall numbers, the Bills are doing a reasonable job of keeping the turnovers down on offense—none vs. New England (McKelvin was on special teams) and two vs. Tampa Bay—while the defense has forced three turnovers, two of which resulted in touchdowns for the defensive unit.

4) Terrell Owens

The Bills made a concerted effort to try to get the ball to him deep on Sunday. One bomb went through his hands, and another resulted in a 43-yard score. The reverse to T.O. on the first play from scrimmage got him involved in the game early last weekend.

I am not enamored with the way that he stops running out his pattern, as it appears that if he is used as a decoy too often, he loses interest and stops giving 100 percent.

That lack of dedication to the play will eventually come back to haunt either T.O. or the Bills, as Trent will eventually look to Terrell when other options aren't available, only to see that T.O. has come to a stop and is standing still while Trent is scrambling for his life.

Terrell, you are being paid more than $6 million, so please run out the play. There is plenty of time to rest when the defense is on the field.

5) Time of possession

The Bills did a better job of keeping the offense on the field longer, as they increased their time of possession from 23 minutes vs. N.E. to 29 minutes vs. T.B.

They will need to win the time of possession battle consistently if they don't want to see their defensive personnel banged up—although Indianapolis proved on Monday night that you don't need to even come close to having the ball most of the time to be able to win the game.

6) Coaching staff

The Bills continue to play hard for Dick Jauron. They came out with a scrappy attitude on Sunday, as there were at least two skirmishes within the first minute of the game vs. Tampa Bay. They don't appear to be taking foolish late hit penalties but are playing hard and clean.

Alex Van Pelt has kept defenses guessing by using reverses, draws, and screens to help keep pressure off of Edwards. Edwards threw the ball deep more often last weekend than he did against the Patriots, so it appears that they are gaining more confidence in their deep game, or that T.B. was giving them the option to throw deep that N.E. did not.

It also should be noted that there is a definite balance in Van Pelt's play calling, as so far it is nearly a 50-50 split in the first two games between the run (54 times)and the pass (56 times). That is a healthy mix and will keep defenses guessing.

In addition, the no-huddle has allowed the Bills offense to move the ball more effectively than they did last year. The Bills are averaging a little over six yards per rush. That is an indication that the Bills' coaching staff has done a great job of meshing the young line and that they are wearing out the defenses they are facing.

7) Special teams

They have not done anything special yet. True, they haven't allowed any long returns for a score, but they haven't done anything yet of note on their own returns. They have had some penalties that pinned the Bills offense way back, and there was the McKelvin fumble that really hurt.

Rian Lindell came through with a 4-of-4 effort on field goals Sunday and has looked solid. This unit can provide a spark but hasn't done that much yet, so they are due.

8) Defensive unit

The thing that has impressed me so far is the way that the defense has stepped it up on fourth down. In the first game, New England attempted to go for it on two separate fourth downs, and their rush attempt got stuffed each time. Against Tampa Bay, the Bucs tried again to rush for it on fourth and short, and again the Bills stuffed them.

These are big plays and momentum changers, so kudos to the Bills' defensive line for being able to penetrate and disrupt the play.

The defense has scored in both games, and this is a big lift to the team. Perry Fewell has hammered home the need to create turnovers and create big plays, and his message has apparently been heard loud and clear.

9) Injuries and quality depth

Coming into the season, it appeared that the Bills had more quality depth on the roster than prior seasons this decade. That depth will be put to the test as the Bills have been losing starters each game so far for some period of time.

As of today, it appears that both Derek Schouman and Brad Butler will be gone for the rest of the season, and Paul Posluszny will also miss some time due to his broken arm.

So far, the Bills have resisted the temptation to go the veteran free agent route, as quality players like Jon Runyan and Derrick Brooks sit at home waiting for their phones to ring.

Whoever the Bills have plugged in so far—Jonathan Scott at tackle, Marcus Buggs at middle linebacker, and Derek Fine and Shawn Nelson at tight end—has done the job filling in for Posluszny, Butler, and Schouman.

10) Freddy Jackson

Where would the Bills be without Freddy Jackson? Freddy has proven to be invaluable. His ability to run hard, catch the ball, and play at a high level for the entire game is probably making the Bills consider allowing him to continue being the featured back even after Marshawn Lynch returns from his three-game suspension. What is it that Lynch does better than Jackson right now?

I think Jackson's value is continuing to soar, and at least a time share is in store for the running backs starting with Week Four. Freddy should continue to get his touches, and that will help keep the defenses honest. As a receiving threat, Freddy gives the Bills one more reliable weapon, and you cannot cover everybody.

11) Overall review

The Bills had a quality draft, and Ralph Wilson showed a lot of faith in Jauron to allow him to run the show for one more year. Signing Terrence McGee to a long-term extension was a positive sign.

Help is on the way down the road when Drayton Florence and James Hardy get over their injuries and rehab. Posluszny will return as well. In the meanwhile, the Bills need to keep Owens involved, work the ball over the field, continue to minimize mistakes, and keep applying defensive pressure.

This team in its current form is easy to root for and get behind. They are young, they play hard, and they have talent. That has not always been the case in the current nine-year streak of missing the playoffs.

The next step is defeating New Orleans on Sunday.