Medic!

The season hasn't started and I'm already wondering if there's room on the roster for the red cross. We've already lost 2 draft picks to IR (what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right Easley and Batten? Like a benign tumor or something?), LT Wang is not faring so well himself as he's still recovering from an injury suffered in OTAs, and as for tight ends? Well, we just signed J.P Foschi (former Raider, Chief, and Bengal) who is familiar with Gailey's system and will hopefully have one hell of a quick learning curve and yet we are still lacking in that position. Matthews, who looked solid out of the gate, has now been waived due to what appears to have been a season-ending injury, Nelson has apparently been snorting Oxycontin or something off his helmet after practice, and Shoo is out for ANOTHER few weeks due to an injury suffered vs. Indy. Also of note is Byrd who remains sidelined 'til further notice (not a good sign; I'd much prefer someone give a number of weeks, if they can't do that it says to me it has the potential to be a serious injury and he's a valuable contributor to what should be a great secondary again this year)

Last week we signed a WR and RB due to injuries at those positions, now we're in the market for a second replacement TE. I sincerely hope this is not an omen of the season to come but just the effect of players adjusting to either the pace and rigorousness of being in the NFL or of veteran players adjusting to a more strict offseason regiment implemented by the staff. In any even I think we Bills fans are crossing our fingers that we've seen the end of this attrition. If the injury bug bites some of our key players, we're in for a longer season than we've thought.

If Only the Preseason Counted!

Hey, I'd take a regular season win against the Peyton Manning-lead Colts of Indianapolis. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that in the preseason. Regardless, last Thursday's game was a welcome change from the norm for the Bills. The first unit scored 2 touchdowns, one aerial, one terrestrial, and the first unit defense had a pick-6 off of a Manning pass. Couldn't ask for better from a team in transition. How about some superlatives!

Most Improved performance by a player: Trent Edwards. He posted a QB rating in the mid 140's while playing for several series and I saw very few over or underthrown balls this week.

Most Improved performance by a unit: Defensive Secondary. Shoulda Coulda Woulda had 3 or 4 interceptions but we'll take McGee's one and done INT off of Manning. Many a pass-defended by not only the secondary but a more imspired linebacking corps as well. Instead of showing me they needed to be taken out to pasture I'm left thinking there's only a few things to iron out and the league's #2-ranked secondary is back in form.

Most Dissapointing preformance by a player: Ellis Lankster. Forget to cover your man much? Manning's TD pass was a gimme and should not have been, Lankster is a veteran and has at least average ability for his position. Gotta correct that in the next couple weeks if you want to see the field buddy.

Most Dissapointing performance by a unit: ILB. Not horrible but when the rusher got past the defensive line (which luckily seemed to be a problem for the Colts) I didn't see the inside linebackers making plays and they missed a few too many tackles for my liking. They are banged up but there is some definite room for improvement.

Playmaker: CJ "Lightning" Thriller. No contest, he was great in the minutes he saw, he froze defenders and shook tackles and looked like he will do some great things for the Bills if he continues to produce like he did. The 31 yard run was nothing short of spectacular and was the spark Buffalo needed to end it's first-unit offense scoreless streak. His presence on the field opened up the passing game for the 70 bomb to Evans when his defender bit on play action. Having CJ on the field helped make this team look like a grown up team.

Biggest Surprise: Joique Bell. He looks like he could be the next Fred Jackson. This guy came from seemingly nowhere but was a star running back at Wayne State and the best player in division II football. He made it look like he can continue performing vs. better opposition and usurp at least Chad Simpson for a roster spot.

Mr Bubble (will he be on the roster or not): Brian Brohm. Though he had a very solid outing, we still don't know where he and Fitz fit into this team. Might Gailey drop one of the 2 aforementioned QBs and keep Levi Brown as the 3rd QB on the depth chart?

Mr Dependable: Rian Lindell. Has yet to miss anything he kicks in the preseason and showed some nice distance on his kickoffs. Also Eric Wood. Stud Offensive Guard with probowl potential, not seeing him miss much of anything.

A is for Effort: Aaron Maybin. Man he tries hard but he really didn't make too much happen this past game. He was out there a lot with the 2's and 3's. I don't know if that had to do with Torbor's injury or where Gailey sees him fitting in to this team. He needs to prove himself some more.

Gettin' There: Special teams. Better kick and punt return coverage than last week but far from good. Letting up returns of 30+ and 40+ yards is not something the Bills can afford this year.

Overall performance vs. the Colts: B+

Many improved aspects of the game. The offensive line seemed much more cohesive than it has in the past and was able to block with relative efficiency and the secondary and passing game both made leaps and bounds in terms of improvements over last week, but all of these areas still need tuning up. The run game, and the D line seemed to play like units that only need some fine tuning. The Bills showed potential for game-changing explosiveness mixed with adequate production. They played pretty well vs. Indy but will need to be great to beat the teams in their division. All in all, it was a step in the right direction and I'll admit, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Evans in the endzone after Trent had been slammed to the turf the series before. This team showed the resiliency it needs to rebound from the speed bumps it will undoubtedely encounter this coming season. Kudos lads, keep it going.

Bills - Indy preview

On the eve of what's sure to be a(n) __________ (adj) preseason football game, there are a few intriguing storylines to pay attention to. TO WHICH to pay attention, sorry everyone, sorry.

1) Offensive line: This week the Bills will, barring any injuries that could occur in the walkthrough today, start 4 of their 5 starting offensive linemen. The fifth, Cornell Green, is a gameday decision. We'll get a much better look this week at how the offensive line can hold up in pass coverage.

2) No 2-back sets: With Lynch and Jackson out for a few weeks, it's doubtful we'll see any 2-back sets as Gailey stated he had intended on trying before these injuries had occurred. Keep your eyes on Spiller, who in only a week is now our starting running back. Do we have the friggin Oracle of Delphi in Buddy Nix or was it just fortuitous coincidence that brought us a running back capable of filling the shoes of a starter?

3) Wide Receiver: Once again, we find ourselves short-handed as Mr. Diamond-in-the-rough Nelson is out for a few weeks with an ankle injury. Newly-signed Aaron Rhea will probably see some time with the 3rd unit and this puts Roosevelt in a position to make some plays assuming the ball is thrown within arm's reach this week.

4) QBs 1, 2(b), and 3: Edwards needs to redeem himself after foundering last week and having only one good offensive drive. Bearing that in mind, Brohm has a huge opportunity to make an impression on Gailey with the 2 quarters of action he'll most likely see. After this game we might see a change in the QB depth chart if Brohm delivers like a starter and Edwards picks up where he left off last week.

5) Poz is back!: Like the resurrection of Christ for the Christian faithful, this might breathe new life into us Bills faithful. He, Kelsay, and Ellison, who performed well beyond expectations last year, will probably see some time with the first (Ellison likely with the second) unit defense. Also Spencer Johnson will return to add some defensive line depth behind Stroud and Edwards.

All in all, this should give us a better look at the passing game and pass protection. With only one healthy starting running back, it's likely they'll rely a little bit more on our pitiable passing offense, but we may also see some departures from the few plays we were limited to last week. I'm sure Gailey had not prepared the offense to lose two starting running backs and whether or not that had a drastic effect on how the offense operated from that point on is intriguing but no longer relevant; it's a new week. I'm sure Gailey has dusted off the "One-back" section of the playbook this week.

Also we should hopefully see a more functional defense with some starters coming back and some depth being added with some 2nd-stringers back in the lineup. I wouldn't expect miracles but maybe it won't look like Disney On Ice this week.

What will tomorrow's game be like? You got me. I'm just hoping Gailey can jumpstart the offense and we can see some exciting plays. I'm sure of this, it's going to be an exhibition game for Indy and a trial-by-fire for the Bills' staff and for many on the Bills' roster.

After the Dust Settles

Alright, so that was one heck of a forgettable preseason game we saw last week. Still, I have to say as bad as the Bills looked, the Redskins looked good and probably would have looked good against many teams (wild card contender?). We are a couple days from round 2, a "home" game vs. Indy; one that I'm sure will be equally as forgettable unless the Bills can correct at least a few of their myriad mistakes. We're seeing the growing pains of a team in transition and it feels like we're watching a kid in the deep end of the pool who can't swim thrash around in an attempt to survive. I hope the season is about more than trying to keep your head above water, but on the coattails of last week's game, it's hard to believe anything to the contrary.

I'm no analyst and I don't watch games from an analytical standpoint. I'm a fan and that's my point of view and the filter through which I watch a game. That's why I yelled like an angry step-father while watching last week's game. I've never screamed at preseason football like I did at that game and I think I know why: we, Bills fans, are looking for it all to end! We're looking for the second-coming of Jim Kelly, the next Marv Levy, Aaron Maybin to channel the abilities of Bruce Smith, something to lift this dismal football team out of the decade-long rut it's been in but this past game gave us little hope.

While tearing my vocal chords to shreds I did notice a few things to note and I'll try to be nice to our poor little Bills. I'll mention three things we did well, three we did not do well, three things we expected and saw, and three things that surprised us.

What the Bills did well:

1) Considering the defensive scheme change, the Bills pressured the quarterback pretty well. No, it wasn't anything to write home about but it was nice to see Maybin make a few plays and to see the QB flushed out of the pocket a few times.

2) We ran the ball well, and though we were pretty sure that would happen, even our 3rd stringers were getting in on the action.

3) We kicked the ball well. Moorman punted as he does and Lindell kicked as he does too. This is all I could really come up with for a third positive aspect of the Bills' game.

What the Bills did not do well (abridged):

1) Passing! Come on! Even on the few occasions when the QB had time, regardless of who was in at QB, he could not hit a receiver to save his life. This is especially bad for Edwards who is usually known to be an accurate passer but who threw a few balls at receivers' feet and one very costly ball to the other team.

2) Pass coverage. The defense was great on the first series. After that the 'skins were playing pass and catch out there. I've never seen our secondary get beat like that and I don't know what excuse they have but it was a deplorable effort by the safeties and DBs.

3) All other aspects of special teams. A turnover on a punt return, allowing a punt return for touchdown: Welcome back to Buffalo Mr. DeHaven. Hey, I've got an idea, do your job so that I don't have to watch the one aspect of the Bills game that has been consistent over the past 5 years, special teams, crumble like the Bills offense has over that span of time.

What I expected to see and got to see:

1) A decent run game and a complete incapability to stop the opponent's. If that last game is any more of an indication, the Bills will be best off keeping the ball in the hands of the RBs as much as possible and praying that our defensive starters who were not played will better our run defense upon their return.

2) Ineffective pass blocking. This is a combination of us not having the best personnel on the O-line and only having 2 of 5 O-line starters available for the game. The QB was pressured often.

3) Spiller. He didn't do as much as I anticipated but that comes as no surprise considering they quickly became short-handed at RB. He was back to be a return man, and he did have one or two good runs. Happy to see our number 1 pick in the preseason this year *cough Maybin cough*.

Surprises:

1) No sacks allowed. Am I reading that right?? None? Yeah, wow. Considering all the pressure the QBs faced it was great to see them staying upright.

2) Lack of stamina. The Bills D, as young and conditioned (they hired 2 separate conditioning coaches) as they are, they just looked flat in the 4th quarter. Keep in mind many of those players only played about half the game or less; that's not good.

3) Injuries at RB. This was the biggest surprise for me. Both Jackson and "Beast Mode" Lynch will be out for several weeks after each only playing a few plays. I hope that is not foreshadowing another injury-fraught year, but just look how good the front office looks now for taking a RB in the first round! Hope it's not a long year in the bad sense (would love it to be a long year as in plenty of Bills winter football to watch).

Runner-up) David Nelson, the undrafted rookie receiver, looked good and if he keeps up what he started in DC, he'll turn out to be one heck of a find for the Bills.

All in all, not surprisingly the team looked worse than last year. Yes, this is after only one preseason game, but it looks like there are some major issues to be addressed and at this point you'd rather be looking at what personnel you want to keep and not how to play the game. I'm looking forward to seeing how things change as we get a few more players back for this Thursday's game and Brohm takes the reigns in Fitz's stead. Holding my breath that we'll see some improvements. I'll end with a plea: Can we please just see our first-team offense score a touchdown??? That is all.

24 Birthday Wishes for Bills Fans Everywhere

So it was my birthday earlier this month and I hit that all important 24 mark. I'd have a quarter-life crisis but I'm too busy worrying about the Bills this year. In that vein I've devoted 24 wishes to the Bills this season, one for each year of my life I've gone without seeing the Lombardi trophy in the hands of a Bill. These are in no particular order and apply specifically to the 2010 season.

I wish...




1) That the Bills are an exciting team to watch. Few people would predict the Bills will have an improved record but I'm hoping that the games are at least improved contests. I'm done watching the Bills try to bail out the boat every game.

2) That Trent Edwards finally emerges as a starting quarterback who deserves to be a starting quarterback. Let's throw some numbers out there, 3,500 yards passing, 20 TDs +2 on the ground and less than 12 turnovers (fumbles and INTs) would be nice Trent. Make it happen.

3) That Roscoe Parrish once again leads the league in punt return average. He's already done it twice and last year he muffed one punt and was basically benched until Fewell took over as coach; One of the many horrible moves of the Jauron regime. If Spiller emerges as the return man then I replace this wish with the wish that Parrish emerges as an effective and dangerous slot receiver.


4) That Marshawn Lynch gets his chance at redemption. I'd hate to see him relinquished to the role of short yardage/goal line back. The man's got more moves than an electric trout and can cause some serious damage when he gets going. I'd love to see him earn some playing time and make damn good use of it. Beast Mode, not Bench Mode in 2010.

5) That Lee Evans gets a 1,000 yard season. The man is paid to do such and has more than enough talent to be an elite receiver in the league, but this wish depends on wish #2 more than anything. In my opinion he's the most talented receiver we've had since Andre Reed (sorry Moulds, but you were great too) and I want him to have a great year and prove those fantasy prognosticators wrong.

6) That the Offensive Line is an offensive line. Remember last year? Me neither, throw it out. This crew of brutish beasts better stay healthy and become a solid unit or we're going to see even more of the defense than last year and that's flat out unacceptable. I may as well wish to crap gold for the rest of my life; this one's far-fetched.

7) That Aaron Maybin earns his contract. Right now he's #2 at weak side OLB so this one is tough too, but I wish that he gains a starting role and lives up to the expectations we all have for him. I'd rather not label him as a bust after this season, especially considering he was a 1st rounder. 7 sacks? Is that too much to ask?


8) That Jairus Byrd can be the player he was last year. I don't expect him to lead the league in INTs, but man I would love to see him be the same ballhawk he was last year and be feared by opposing quarterbacks.

9) That the defense can make the switch to a 3-4 scheme without too much trouble. By that I mean I'd like to see them improve and be at least a top 15 defense. They have the personnel to make the switch, it's a matter of adjusting to new roles and staying healthy, which leads me to my next wish.

10) That the team can stay healthy. This doesn't mean injury free, this simply means that we don't go through the season and say, "Well if injuries didn't happen this would have been a good football team and a good season." If they're going to fail, I want the failure to be due to growing pains and not bone-mending pains.

11) That Moorman makes the pro bowl. He deserves it every year and I feel like because he kicks in Buffalo, a city known for it's year-round beautiful weather, he gets snubbed. How tough is it to net over 40 yards per punt in Buffalo? Impossible, but #8 did it.

12) That Stevie Johnson remains the starting #2 receiver and performs as a starter should. People say Buffalo does not have good receivers and that's not true. Buffalo has one great receiver (Evans) and some unproven receivers who are very good on tape but have not had the opportunity to play due to the Owens experiment and playing behind sure-hands Reed, both of whom are now gone. I hope SJ can step up and be the next reliable target.


13) That CJ Spiller is lightning. That's his nickname, I want to see it. I wanna see him score from behind the line of scrimmage, from lining up outside, fielding kicks and punts; you name it, they say the man can do it. This year he might not start the season as our #1 RB but he may well end up as our go-to guy if he lives up to the hype. Let's see some excitement.

14) That Fred Jackson picks up where he left off. Need I say more? He did it all last year. He was the one of the few bright spots on the team and the brightest on the offensive side of the ball. He's earned the right to play and I hope he gets his fair share of carries (splitting them with my man Lynch and CJ "Lightning" Thriller), and that he can be a threat as a receiver and kick returner. It's an open competition at the RB role after that opening kickoff tonight and I'm eager to see who can pull into the lead, one of the first round picks (Lynch, Spiller) or journeyman Action Jackson.

15) That Poz has a pro bowl season. It's about time for him, and I'm not saying that as if he better put up or shut up, I simply mean that this is his year. He's healthy, he's hungry, and he can flat out play. Game on Poz.

16) That our secondary can again be a top 5 secondary. Who's back from last year's squad? What? Everyone? Awesome.

17) That we can learn to stop the run. Last year we could not. This year, with the defensive scheme switch and the musical positions game we've played, I'm hoping we can perform and at least hold opponents to under 130 yards/game on the ground, which unfortunately would mean an improvement.

18) That Lindell makes 90% of his field goals. This would be a ridiculous figure considering he's only hit the mark once in his career, but he was about 85% last year, one or two more FGs made would make the difference and might win us one more game if we know we can count on him in the clutch.


19) That we don't blow a 4th quarter lead. I don't know how many of these we might have this season (2, 3 maybe?), but come on! What has typified the Bills of the past 5 years more than missed opportunities and not closing out opponents? I think with Chan at the helm we'll be less inclined to sit back and ride the wave through the 4th quarter, or at the very least with his more stringent practice schedule and specialized conditioning coaches we'll have players who won't tire in the 4th. I want to see the Bills take care of business when they've got the opportunity to do so.

20) That we can finally beat the Patriots. I don't want to say anything more, but it's about time.

21) That we win in the Toronto series. Hasn't happened so far and this year it's against the Bears who aren't a great team so it's possible. If the Bills want to draw in the Canadian crowd a little more then they better win one of these, and I wish that this be the year. (A little more revenue in Canadian dollars might help avert seeing the LA Bills)

22) That Williams and Troup can be successful at NT. Been about a decade since the Bills have had an NT and unfortunately we don't have a Wilfork on the squad. With sharing the responsibilities of NT, I wish that Williams and Troup can be at least average so that they have to be accounted for by the opposing offense on every play. An effective NT would no doubt help our pass rush too.

23) That the Bills have at least 3 players elected to the pro bowl. I've already wished Moorman and Poz into the pro bowl. I'm wishing at least one more. The most likely candidates as I see them: Byrd, Jackson, Spiller, and Evans.


24) That the Bills make the playoffs. Playoffs! Don't talk about playoffs! Yeah, I know it won't happen and you could probably change the "I wish" up above to "I pray" because this probably won't happen without some kind of divine intervention. However, all Bills fans are wishing this and have been since the '99-'00 season ended. Me, I'm praying for a little deus ex machina in the Bills favor this season.

Those are my birthday wishes. Whoever grants those, make 'em so and thanks in advance on behalf of Bills nation.

Buffalo Bills Uniforms...

Is it time to give the Bills uniforms a different look (again)? A simpler look without as many color schemes. I mean the current helmet has 7 stripes down the middle consisting of 4 different colors (white, blue, silver, and navy blue). The Bills went to that look shortly after the millenium and for a brief time it was a welcomed get away from the uniform of the 90's and the constant look/reminder of the consecutive Super Bowl losses. (Of course, there were some amazing moments in those unis.) We have had the charging buffalo that the Bills went to in the 70's at some point. In the 80's the white helmet switched to red. Back then many of the Bills' AFC foes had white helmets and then quaterback Joe Ferguson complained it was tough to spot receivers amongst all those white helmets blending together. Hence, the Bills went to the red helmets. At times the Bills will break out the retro unis of the 60's-early 70's with the white helmet and red standing buffalo.

This is a classy, more traditional look that a lot of fans favor. I favor this look too... especially with the home jersey. At the very least, at least they haven't incorporated black as a major color in the their wardrobe like some other sports teams (ie. Duke BLUE Devils). My advice... go with some modifications... get rid of the silver and royal blue stripes on the helmets and change the royal blue buffalo to a meaner and sharper looking navy blue. Same for the uniforms.... substitute navy blue for any royal blue. Any traces of silver on the uniform, gone. You'll have yourself a stronger and meaner (less ridiculous) looking total uniform all without going to the black.

No Scho?

Just as quickly as Aaron Schobel seemed to have a change of heart and want to return to Buffalo (going as far as seeking a house to rent in the area), the Bills themselves changed their mind. On Monday, GM Buddy Nix announced that the team was moving on without the Bills' 2nd all-time sack leader and defensive anchor. It's pretty sad news from the perspective that Schobel's been so good for this team for nearly a decade but I think with the new front office taking the reigns they wanted to a) Do what's best for the team and develop the players who naturally play OLB who were already at camp, b) set the tone that you come to Bills camp to work, and c) end the speculation.

I, for one, like the disciplinarian move Nix did in going ahead without Schobel. However, as a big fan of Schobel's it'll be a change to see the Bills D without one of their most tenured and productive players on the field. I have to say, with the back and forth Favresque escapades that have surrounded this little story in WNY, I'm glad to see a conclusion to it and I hope Schobel will still remain a strong supporter of the Bills organization as he goes on to either play for another team for a year (as he's stated he would only want to play one more season) or do whatever it is he chooses. If he does play, recent reports say he would prefer to be traded to the Texans if he does play but due to his expensive contract and the defensive line depth of the Texans that may be a far-fetched scenario. If the Bills can trade him that would be ideal right now as presumably they could get a draft pick or perhaps a reserve linebacker from someone for him but regardless, his release would free a large sum of money that could be used to lure other much needed talent to Buffalo. Whatever Schobel chooses to do, I wish him the best. Maybe we'll see you on the Bills' wall of fame down the line.

As for the rest of the Bills, it did not take long for the injury bug to bite and bite it does. Off the top of my head I'll rattle off some names of injured players: Paul Posluszny, Chris Kelsay, Danny Batten, Kawika Mitchell, Keith Ellison, Ed Wang, Demetrius Bell...who am I missing? Notice, the majority of those injuries come at LB which on the interior is one position the Bills seem to have some depth at; At the very least the ILBs don't seem to be too banged up. Pos is rehabbing from minor surgery and both Ellison and Mitchell are still not 100% since last season's injuries.


I've read reports saying that at OLB Kelsay and Batten's injuries are not too severe, however in Batten's case for one, Gailey has stated that the injury to his shoulder is "fairly significant" and that he'll miss some time. Gailey seems to keep a lot left to speculation unlike Dick who would give you all the information about injuries first thing whenever he'd speak to the media so it's hard to assess how severe these injuries actually are. We'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully, with Kelsay learning a new position and Batten trying to learn football at NFL speed, we'll see them both back on the field soon as they both need the practice to be effective come September.

Wang's injury is the one that really worries me for a few reasons. First, it's his second injury and he has yet to play even a preseason game. That does not bode well for his future as a starting lineman in the NFL. Second, this injury, unlike that to his ankle in June, is reportedly fairly serious and could likely require surgery and for him to be out of practice for some time (weeks at least). Third, if team doctors do assess the injury to be as serious as presumed then the Bills, already weak at OT, have lost another tackle and will likely have to pick up a free agent to fill his shoes if he can't return before the start of the season. Does this mean another season of Buffalo's frankenline? Not necessarily. Bell and Wood are both still rehabbing but practicing and Wang was not expected to start in the first place so things could be worse. The only issue is if Bell goes down then the already lacking talent on the offensive line is spread as even thinner.

Last note: Spiller seems poised to sign a deal any moment now and I'm in a contest where I guessed it would be reported that he signs at 3:15pm on August 5th. Cross your fingers for me that I'm closest to the exact time of his reported signing 'cause then I'll get a dope T-shirt.

Best picture of Marshawn Lynch so far this offseason: