Seen and Herd Buffalo Bills Vs. Indianapolis Colts: Bills Edition
The Buffalo Bills stayed with the Indianapolis Colts.
I can't believe that's actually a true statement.
Behind CJ Spiller's Barry Sanders-like touchdown run, Trent Edwards connecting with Lee Evans on a 70-yard bomb, and the stingy secondary scoring a touchdown of their own, the Bills defeated the Colts 34-21 in Toronto on Thursday night.
And we thought Peyton Manning would be the only player shining in the spotlight.
(A few of the B/R editors asked me to make Seen and Herd a slide show piece, so I'll try it out and see how it goes—your feedback is certainly welcomed.)
How The Bills Improved
1 of 7Heading into the Bills match-up with the Colts, all I wanted was improvement from the Washington game—and for once, Buffalo delivered.
The offensive line was the five-some we'll most likely see in Week One, and outside of allowing Trent Edwards to get popped on one instance, they gave the likely starter plenty of time to throw the ball. More importantly, they opened holes for CJ Spiller to showcase that world-class athleticism. Man, I could watch CJ Spiller's bolt to the end-zone all day.
The O-line wasn't going up against a second tier pass rush, either. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are on the same level as Jared Allen and Ray Edwards in terms of striking fear in opposing quarterbacks.
'Gotta hand it to the heavily-criticized offensive line.
The Defensive Front
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With more starters in the lineup for the defense on Thursday came the implementation of more aggressive 3-4 looks, something I was eager to see against Indianapolis.
Paul Posluszny has had better games, and Donte Whitner whiffed on the Joseph Addai touchdown trot, but the defensive lineman really jumped off the TV.
Kyle Williams, Marcus Stroud, Dwan Edwards, Chris Kelsay, and even Antonio Coleman caused continual havoc in the backfield, blowing up screen plays, draws and inside hand-offs. Most importantly, the stayed home on the few bubble screens that were sent their way and, to be honest, controlled the Colts offensive line during their time on the field.
The veteran set of defensive front guys the Bills have, along with newcomers like Coleman and Chris Ellis have all the makings of becoming a cohesive unit.
Trent Edwards: Calm, Cool, and Collected?
3 of 7OK, maybe the title of this slide is going a bit over the edge, but look at what a 70-yard touchdown will do for you, Trent.
He only completed four more passes, but evaded the rush on two occasions, once completing a first-down pass to Roscoe Parrish (I'll get to him shortly) and gaining a few yards on the other.
Edwards showed that he's completely content with handing the ball off to the talent behind him, and looks to be primed to fall into the "game manager" role—which is totally fine with me.
He also demonstrated that if he gets time to throw, he can make some plays.
Definitely put the right foot forward.
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Has Chan Gailey Finally Realized Roscoe Parrish Is a Player?
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Roscoe Parrish is one of the more polarizing players in Western New York —you either think he's got Wes Welker-esque talent, or believe he's too small and takes big risks.
Hear me out, Parrish, in the right system can be a successful slot receiver in the NFL.
Dick Jauron just happens to be the one coach who can completely smother the abilities of someone like Parrish.
He was "featured" the Bills first drive that ended with the Spiller touchdown, and if Chan Gailey wants to get the ball into the hands of his YAC guys, he will draw up more plays for the former Miami Hurricane star.
Quick screens, reverses, slants—anything to get that guy the ball.
It looks like he's got the edge on Chad Jackson, who had a good game of his own, for the third WR spot.
The Secondary and More
5 of 7The one known strength of the Buffalo Bills has to be their secondary.
Last night, they looked good, again.
Leodis McKelvin had his best showing of the summer, in camp or in a game, and displayed his great catch-up speed on a pass breakup that probably should have been an interception.
Terrence McGee is the most consistent cover-man on the team, but stays relatively quiet, so he doesn't get the publicity he deserves.
Last night, he exhibited that he is very athletic as well, when he snatched a tipped pass just before it reached the turf, got up, and took it back for six.
Besides Drayton Florence's two surprising holding penalties, I was happy with what I saw from the defensive backfield.
Anyone else catch Bryan Scott playing a little linebacker?
- If anyone else has noticed, Kawika Mitchell has been de-throned by Andra Davis and Reggie Torbor as one of the first team linebackers. Mitchell did see some time on the Colts' first team's second and third possession, but it looks like Davis' and Torbor's experience in the 3-4 could be be the reason why they've been starting,.
- John McCargo and Aaron Maybin did everything they could to not build on solid efforts against the Redskins. Maybin was outmatched against second team tackles and McCargo was invisible inside. Those two and Ellis Lankster who was beat for a second half touchdown really hurt their stock.
-Joique Bell outplayed his competition, Chad Simpson, and is making a case to be a part of the 53-man roster—another fun guy to watch.
The Summation
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Not all was great in the game, if you can believe I'd ever say anything negative.
- I outlined the play of the offensive line, but Andy Levitre was the one guy who was beat a few times that resulted in negative run plays. He looked timid during last preseason and hopefully he'll be ready for Miami on September 12th.
- Bruce DeHaven's special team's unit had another sub-par evening. They allowed lengthy returns and were flagged for an illegal wedge when Leodis McKelvin mustered a return back to the 35. The Bills can't afford to shoot themselves in the foot.
- We, as Bills fans, have to take a game like this and smile. It's tough to tell if what we saw last night will reappear when the games count, but I'll be delighted until next week.
What's Next
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The Bills face TO and the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, August 28th at home.
Let's see if the Bills can continue to improve.
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.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
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.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")