C.J.Spiller's Big Plays Sparks Buffalo Bills vs Indianapolis Colts

C.J.Spiller and the Buffalo Bills beat the Indianapolis Colts in Toronto Thursday night, by the score of 34-21. Spiller ran in for a score from 31 yards out, in which he juked and fakes several Colts defenders out of their jocks. You know how in the NBA players hate to have their pictures taken when they are being dunked on - being "posterized" as it were. Well, this year expect to see many NFL defenders feeling the effects of being "Spillerized" where they are left grasping at the air, as C.J. has left them in the dust.

The Bills created four turnovers and gave up none, which helped them to the win. They held on to the ball for 69 plays versus the Colts 52 plays, and for Bills fans that is a rare sight to see. It was a preseason game, so we can't get too excited, but this was a game that demonstrated the Bills are headed in the right direction.

Lee Evans Scores On a Long Pass From Trent Edwards

Lee Evans celebrates TD catch of 69 yards from Trent Edwards

The Bills game featured a number of big plays, something that is a welcome sight to Bills fans everywhere. Here is a picture of Lee Evans celebrating with teammates after catching a 69 yard touchdown pass from Trent Edwards. Edwards laid the ball out there perfectly and Evans caught the pass in stride, which allowed him to easily outrun the Colts defenders in to the end zone.

This play is noteworthy for several reasons. It followed a series where Trent Edwards had been hit in the mouth by a Colts defender and had even chipped his tooth on the play. Edwards and Gailey had the confidence to call for the long pass play, and their faith was rewarded. Secondly, Edwards had the time to throw the ball deep, as a result of the Colts defense being off-balance, due to the earlier success of the running game. This formula is what Gailey wants to build off of, all season long.

More Regular Starters Are Seeing Live Action

Jamon Meredith tries to keep Trent Edwards from being sacked.

The game in Toronto marked the first live action for Eric Wood, Paul Posluszny, Demetrius Bell, Chris Kelsay, Cornell Green and Brian Brohm. It also was the debut of the newest Bill -- wide receiver Aaron Rhea. It marked the first time that all of the Bills starting offensive linemen were able to be on the field together, as they hope to start gelling as a unit.

The returning starters on the offensive line were eased in, as they saw anywhere from 10 - 20 snaps for the game. But it was a start, and the Bills will continue to build off of that as they approach the start of the regular season.

The Bills escaped the game with only one known injury so far, that being a knee injury to tight end Derek Schouman. This seems to be getting old with Schouman. In 2009, he was hurt in week two with a knee injury that put him out for the year. In 2010, he gets another knee injury in preseason week two, and we are awaiting word how severe the injury is.

Maybe Schouman should just be declared as inactive on week two from now on, so he can play the rest of the year. His lack of health is hurting his chances to making a significant contribution to the team.

Bills Special Teams Play Not That Special Yet

Donald Jones fumbles ball after getting upended.

While there were many points that were positives to take away from this contest, one area of growing concern is the regularity of big returns against the Bills special teams units. We all realize that it is still early and that Bruce DeHaven will continue to work his unit and fine tune the gunners filling the lanes and working on their angles.

But, one has to wonder why the Bills were so quick to jettison some of their special teams standouts like Ashlee Palmer and John Wendling from the 2009 team, when they obviously could use someone with those same talents now.

From the Bills return game, there has been some flashes but overall no real big returns to get excited about yet. C.J. Spiller has focused more on running the ball on offense than on being a returner, so the myriad of options are all getting chances to show what they can do, with mixed results. This is one area I want to continue to watch closely to see if the Bills are showing weekly improvement.

If not, this will come back to haunt them throughout the regular season.

Brian Brohm Makes His 2010 Debut

Brian Brohm gets off this pass against the Colts in Toronto.

Brian Brohm finally saw some live game action, as he made his anticipated 2010 debut last night against the Colts. For his efforts, Brohm went 14 for 21, good for 125 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Brohm led the offense to move the ball against the Colts, but they failed to score a touchdown during his time on the field. He needs to do some more work on finding ways to get the ball down the field without seeing his passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Kept seeing that happening to him last night, which makes me wonder if it is too easy for defensive linemen to time his throwing motion and jump at the opportune moment.

Perhaps Brohm needs to utilize more fakes before he throws, ala Peyton Manning, so that the defense will not be as confident in when he plans to actually throw the ball. With the limited amount of true playing time that Brohm has received in his NFL career to date, every opportunity is crucial for his growth and development. It will be curious to see with only two more exhibition games left, how Chan Gailey decides to split up the remaining eight quarters of football left between Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Brohm and Brown.

No Clear Cut Winner Yet In Battle For Number Two Receiver

Chad Jackson can't come up with this reception versus the Colts

For the second straight week, the guy that has supposed to be the favorite to win the number two wide receiver role, Steve Johnson, has been missing in action. Johnson caught one pass for two yards, which suggests that they aren't calling his number very often, he isn't getting open, or Edwards has no time to find him before he has to throw. Take your pick.

This is still seemingly a wide open contest for someone to pick up their game and claim the job. James Hardy has been sidelined, yet again with another leg injury, so there is a need for someone to come through. As it was, Chad Jackson had five catches for 52 yards. Nobody else had more than 22 yards in receptions, except for the Lee Evans bomb, which was his only catch for the game.

David Nelson could have been on his way towards making the team, but his injury last week in training camp has set him back. It will be interesting to see when we start seeing stronger performances from the rest of the receiving corps.

Bills Tight End Situation Is Getting Worse By The Minute

Shawn Nelson was suspended by the NFL for first 4 games in 2010

If it wasn't bad enough that the Bills lost Derek Schouman to a knee injury in the Colts game, the team learned of Friday morning that Shawn Nelson was suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season by the NFL. The following came from the BuffaloBills.com web site:

Shawn Nelson of the Buffalo Bills has been suspended without pay for the team’s first four games of the 2010 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

Nelson’s suspension begins on Saturday, Sept. 4. He will be eligible to return to the Bills’ active roster on Monday, October 4 following the team’s Oct. 3 game against the New York Jets. Nelson is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

So, where does that leave the Bills regarding the tight end position? Jonathan Stupar continues to be guilty of generating penalties and Michael Matthews is a good blocker, but has yet to be a force in the passing game. There were a strong number of tight ends in the draft, something the Patriots understood, but the Bills decided to ignore them. Where is Derek Fine when you need him? Can Paul Costa still play?

Joique Bell Continues to Impress: Led The Bills In Rushing

Joique Bell scores on this fourth quarter dive in to the end zone

Bills undrafted rookie running back Joique Bell once again put on a strong performance. Bell led the Bills in rushing with 80 yards gained over his 11 carries for the game. The other rookie running back, C.J. Spiller, picked up 54 yards in his 10 carries. This duo continues to impress and gives the Bills comfort in knowing that they can perform like this while normal starters Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch nurse their injuries.

This also marks the second straight game that Bell has registered a touchdown. His effective running allowed the Bills to basically run out the clock in the fourth quarter. It would be surprising if Bell does not make the roster, given his performance to date, and all the injuries to the other running backs.

Bills Starting Defense Still Has Some Work To Do

Donte Whitner and George Wilson give up this 1st quarter TD

It was reassuring that the Bills were able to get Paul Posluszny and Chris Kelsay some actual game action and come out of it in one piece. The results of the defensive unit however, shows that they have some more work to do, as they continue to learn the ins and outs of the new defensive schemes.

The Redskins moved the ball at will against the Bills. The Colts came out with a 21 point performance in the first quarter alone. Too many big plays were given up by the defense, and in the upcoming weeks, I expect to see the defense getting tighter and tighter. Either that, or the scoreboard will be lighting up like a pinball machine.

Rookie linebacker Arthur Moats led the Bills with six tackles, while Ellis Lankster and Chris Ellis were tied next with five tackles. The Bills defense did generate four turnovers however, so that is not lost on me either. It is one thing to give up a bunch of big plays, provided that you in turn come up with enough big plays on your own as well.The defense generated three fumbles which has to please both Chan Gailey and defensive coordinator George Edwards.

Terrence McGee was able to react to a ball that went through the hands of Antonio Gonzalez and dove to the ground to come up with the interception. Nobody was close enough to touch him, so McGee got up and following an escort of the other Bills defenders in the vicinity, raced the rest of the way for a touchdown. McGee was thinking in the back of his mind that Peyton Manning was going to tackle him, but he was worried for nothing.

What Is The Current State Of The Bills With Two Weeks Left To Go?

Bills players get introduced in Toronto complete with fire bursting in air

With only two weeks left before the start of the regular season, it is becoming clearer that the Bills rushing attack is looking good. Whether it is done with Jackson, Lynch, Spiller, or Bell, the Bills have a talented backfield that they will exploit by handing the ball off frequently, and looking for an occasional long gainer from the ground.

The ability to run the ball effectively will be setting up the passing game all year. On third and long, there won't be anywhere for Edwards, Fitzpatrick or Brohm to hide, as opponents will be looking to bring the kitchen sink. So, passing the ball on downs when you would normally be expecting a running play, using play fakes, and keeping defenses off balance is the key to the Bills offensive success this year.

It would help tremendously if the starting five linemen are able to come out of the preseason healthy. Having a healthy Fred Jackson back would be a huge boost as well. We have yet to see much of the C.J. Spiller in the slot scenario, and probably won't in the near term due to the injuries to Lynch and Jackson.

From a defensive standpoint, they are still taking steps to learning how to play the role, how to play with each other, and gaining individual comfort and confidence in how they are supposed to react and play in their new defensive roles. This learning process will basically continue all season long, as they will be constantly tested by facing new schemes, formations and plays that they haven't been tested in as of yet.

As the Bills start making their inevitable roster cuts, the final makeup of the special teams unit will be announced and then they better be stepping up their game, because what we have seen so far is not good.

The Bills had enough distractions earlier with the Spiller contract, the Schobel decision to retire, and a bunch of injuries to deal with. They did not need the Shawn Nelson suspension issue. Nelson hopefully learns from this and matures, but so far he has not done much either, so a major contribution from him or Hardy would be a big boost.

What To Make Of The Buffalo: Toronto Experiment?

Plenty of empty seats in Toronto that witnessed an exciting first quarter.

The Toronto experiment is still ongoing, but one has to think that there is a clear level of frustration that continues to come out of Toronto fans. They talk about the horrendous ticket prices that they have to pay, and then learn that many people received free tickets for the game. That is an injustice to the people that paid a premium ticket price to attend.

I realize it was a preseason game, and didn't count. But we are also talking about entertainment here, and anyone that did make it to their seats, was in for a wild first quarter of football, as six touchdowns were scored in the first quarter alone.

It will be curious to see where the Bills record is when they play the Chicago Bears in Toronto in the regular season. If the Bills are winning and playing well, and the Toronto crowd does not turn out to support them, then you know this experiment is going to continue to come up on the short end. People were surprised at how little effort was made locally in Toronto to advertise the game and drum up local interest.

Maybe there is a silver lining in that Bills fans can continue to rest easier at night, realizing that Toronto is probably not the most viable place for the Bills to call home. That distinction belongs to Western New York.