Bills Vs. Patriots Observations: Fitzpatrick's Start and Defensive Struggles
Well, at least the Buffalo Bills provided us with some excitement in their 38-30 loss to the New England Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday.
It marked the first time in quite a while that myself and the rest of my diehard Bills fans were genuinely into a football game because Buffalo looked like an actual NFL team.
The offense did at least.
Ryan Fitzpatrick's Debut
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The Bills faithful has to be generally happy with Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance, even in a loss.
We knew we had to take the bad with the good with the Harvard grad, but I really liked how he came out and threw the ball over the yard, which has become his forte (that is, if a career backup can have one).
The Patriots secondary is suspect, and Fitzpatrick's inaccuracy did gift-wrap the two crucial interceptions, but overall I am pleased with what I saw from him.
What surprised me the most was the fact that he showcased how bad Trent Edwards was, because with Fitzpatrick under center, the Bills looked to have a completely different offense.
Chan Gailey was right—Fitzpatrick delivers a spark to this football team.
Come On, Defense
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The loss to the Patriots was a flip-flop from what we've seen in the past from our frustrating team.
Usually, it's the defense that holds and the offense which ultimately lets us down.
Not this week.
Tom Brady carved up the Bills defense all afternoon.
How 21/27 for 252 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INTs is only a 142.6 QB rating is beyond me. Brady was as close to perfect as possible if you ask me.
What stood out to me as the biggest negative was New England's 200 rushing yards on 38 carries, (5.3 per) while featuring BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Sammy Morris, and an aged Fred Taylor.
I thought the defensive front was one of the strong facets of this team with guys like Marcus Stroud, Dwan Edwards, and Kyle Williams (the only one to show up).
Side Notes: Did Chris Ellis, Reggie Torbor, or Akin Ayodele even play? They were invisible for the second straight week.
Also, Aaron Maybin needs to make an impact, ASAP. He's totally over-matched out there.
Come On Defense...Continued
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I'm of the school of thought that when a defense is exposed through the air, the pass rush is the first to blame.
A lot of postgame analysis heavily criticized secondary members like Drayton Florence, Leodis McKelvin and especially Donte Whitner, and while some of the bad reviews were warranted, the defensive front and the linebackers rarely got even close to Tom Brady.
He had three, four, and sometimes more than five seconds to throw the football.
You give me the best secondary of all time, and Brady would still have a gigantic day.
Where are the blitzes, honestly?
Teams like the Ravens and the Jets have had success against Brady by throwing extreme pressure his way.
The Bills didn't play as much 3-4 as expected, and I know the Patriots offense can be scary, but obviously sitting back and trying to cover their talented wide outs and tight ends isn't the winning formula.
Please, blitz for once.
P.S. Donte Whitner needs to quit talking, because he's the biggest weakness in the secondary.
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Roscoe Parrish's Resurgence
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OK, I'm not sure if you can call it a resurgence after three games, but Roscoe Parrish's increased role in the offense is very encouraging and well overdue.
He hasn't exactly been tearing it up, but nine catches for 152 yards with one TD is leaps and bounds ahead of his three-catch, 34-yard stat line last YEAR.
Gailey understands that Parrish is the type of YAC receiver that more teams are incorporating into their offense in today's game.
How sweet was the timing on his conversion on 3rd-and-18 in the first half?
The Bills were zero for their last 40 attempts to convert on 3rd-and-10 or longer.
I'm excited about his future in Buffalo.
Offensive Line Critique
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For once, the Bills offense actually had a respectable game.
All but Cornell Green—he has got to be one of the worst tackles in the league.
His critical false start led to Rian Lindell's missed field goal, and he was the only starter who really stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
I do like the activation of guard Kraig Urbik instead of Jamon Meredith.
Fitzpatrick proved on Sunday that a semi-mobile, unafraid quarterback, who can get the ball out quick and improvise, can throw a cloak over offensive line deficiencies.
How about the job Geoff Hangartner did on Vince Wilfork—a player who has haunted the Bills for years from the nose tackle position?
The run blocking was impressive as well: Buffalo totaled 134 yards on 24 carries for a 5.6 average.
You've got to believe if the Bills weren't playing catch-up late in the game, numbers would have been higher. They were basically doing whatever they wanted on the ground.
Running Back Battle?
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Sooo, Marshawn Lynch is the Bills featured back?
He toted the rock 13 times for 79 yards and looked to be running with that shiftiness and drive that we haven't seen since 2008.
Fred Jackson. Where was he?
If I'm him I'm a little miffed, seeing that he won the starting job with hard-nosed ruggedness last season.
He only carried four times for eight yards.
C.J. Spiller's Arrival
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Sunday's performance from CJ Spiller showed us all why Buddy Nix made him the ninth overall pick in this year's draft.
He ran on four occasions for 29 yards, which included a long of 19 yards; scored on a five-yard bubble screen, a play which is basically made for him; and his 95-yard kick return TD energized the Bills when it mattered most.
Spiller won't be a 20-25 carry back, but the fact that he can score any time he touches the ball will strike fear into Buffalo's opponents for a long time to come. The Bills haven't had that type of player on their roster in a while.
Look for him to build on his big game throughout the year—the initial butterflies may be finally gone.
What's Next
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The Bills play host to the New York Jets at the Ralph on Sunday at 1:00pm.
This could be another game that may be more interesting than many think.
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