Month: September 2008

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Uncategorized

Bills-Jaguars – 10 Things I Think

It’s only two games. It’s only two games. I keep telling myself, it’s only two games. It’s a long season. There are a lot of good teams. It’s only two games.

Two wins in two weeks against two playoff teams. What else can you ask for? Yes, it was the banged-up Seahawks from a weak division and it was the banged-up Jaguars. Still, it’s two wins in two weeks against two playoff teams.

Friends, we have a football team. We’ve waited for years for the right pieces and for the pieces to come together. It’s happening.

1. The Bills look like winners. This was an easy game to quit on, to throw in the towel and fly back home one-and-one, but winners don’t do that. After controlling the first half, the Bills gave up the TD on a long drive to open the second half, and then had the two plays the likes of which broke the Bills backs in year’s past. The recovered onside kick and the Edwards fumble. What happened? Two field goals. A touchdown might have put the game away, but the Bills defense said “NO.” Then the offense had the resiliency, the heart and the players to get the TD to go ahead.

It was simply a quality win on the road, the kind of games winners win.

2. And then, after the go-ahead TD and after the defense completely shut the door on the Jags, it was Roscoe’s turn to do his thing. Sooner or later teams will simply stop kicking to him, and that will be too bad, because it sure is fun when they do! This one clearly goes to the special teams, because Roscoe had a lot of open space to operate in. What I liked best was seeing Whitner in the middle of the field, about to make a block when he realized Roscoe had already passed him!

3. You believe in Youboty? You better. Seems like he’s always in position on the pass. He’s become an effective pass rusher (I think he missed Garrard once). The play I like the best was on third down, and his man in the slot went into the flat behind the wide-out. Ashton swung around Jabari and got there to make the tackle short of the first down. It was great recognition, great closing speed, and a solid tackle. He looks like he was worth waiting for.

4. Was it Wendling who committed a split second too early on the onside kick? He turned downfield to block and couldn’t get back in time to make a clean play on the ball before the Jags arrived. It was a great call at that time, but you know that April will make a point of making sure guys stay home next time.

5. Kevin Faulk has made a living catching balls out of the backfield for the Pats. Hello, Freddy Jackson. Talk about adding a new dimension to the offense. Seven catches, 83 yards. He’s a serious threat out there.

6. The offensive line stood out. The Jags were one of the best against the run last year, and they showed it today. There wasn’t much room for Marshawn and Freddy (except on Marshawn’s touchdown. Inside the 10, Marshawn is money.) But the pass protection was really solid. Trent took nice drops, set up, and had time to look and lanes to throw through. Jason the Prodigal Son Peters looked a little helpless on Trent’s fumble, but those plays will happen. And Butler and Fowler got completely outplayed on one sack. Still, the offensive line ought to get a game ball, because the passing game won it for the Bills, and the line made the passing game go.

7. Did someone say passing? Tough to complain about a 120 passer rating. Trent threw a couple of balls behind guys, where tipped balls could have resulted in interceptions. He threw into double coverage once or twice. But 20 times he found the right receiver and gave him a catchable ball. The long ball to Evans – who also starred today – was simply a great play. Lee ran a great route, Trent recognized the opportunity, and the line gave him the time to wait for Lee to get open. The pass was perfect.

The TD to Hardy wasn’t perfect, but the reason you want a 6’5″ receiver is to erase mistakes. What Trent did do correctly on that play was read the coverage and throw the ball where the defender had no play. Hardy’s catch was sure-handed, and his footwork superb.

8. Is this team that took no chances last year? Twice on the Bills final drive they passed when last year they would have run. The first was a critical first down to Schouman; the second was Trent’s last sack of the day. Even the sack was evidence of how much better this team has become. The coaches trusted Trent back there, Trent recognized his problem and nearly escaped, and Trent didn’t fumble or throw an interception. The Bills stay in field goal range, and they added on the important three points. (Nice hold, Brian.)

9. Two more takeaways. Bad, bad throw by Garrard to end the first half, and Terence was ready. The game-clinching fumble recovery was sweet – all about the pursuit that Perry Fewell preaches. There were a lot of Bills around that ball.

10. Hats off, again, to the coaches. Got this team ready to play a good team in a tough environment, called a good game, and came out with a win.

Back home for the Raiders. Another big quarterback, another good running back.

Back home for BRRRUUUUUUUUCE!!!!!! On the Wall of Fame, where he belongs.

The Ball Burglar – Bills fans helping kids – is paying over $265 for every takeaway the Bills get. That’s a good start, but not nearly where we want to end up. Fans around the country soon will be talking about the Ball Burglar, about how thousands of Bills fans came together, each paying only a dollar or two per takeaway, to do something really special for their team, for kids with serious illnesses and for western New York. Add your buck today.

http://www.ballburglar.com/.

Thanks.

Categories
AFC East Games Players

2-0: Bills Gaining Confidence

Buffalo Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-16 with help from Ashton Youboty
The Buffalo Bills are 2-0. Two wins, zero losses. Two wins against playoff teams from 2007. One was a blowout, one was a come-from-behind win on the road. Both were very solid wins.

Aren’t you a little bit surprised?

I am forever a fan of my team, and just generally an optimist in life. So, I always think my team can win. Indeed, I did pick them to win today (by a score of 21-17, no less) but as game time approached, my confidence was wavering.

It was going to be very hot… that was not in the Bills favor. Jacksonville was going to be ready – injuries or no injuries – to defend their home turf, and avoid starting the season 0-2. The crowd and home-field energy would be with them. Jason Peters would be starting… would that throw off any rhythm the offense had from the pre-season? And, did I mention it was extremely, ridiculously hot?

More Obstacles

The Bills got the ball first, and really controlled the game on their opening drive. They passed and ran at will. Marshawn Lynch scored on an 11-yard TD run to cap the drive that covered 82 yards. When the defense also managed to dictate the play on Jacksonville’s first possession, it almost seemed it would be a rout.

But Jacksonville is good. And they proved it. They stayed with the Bills. They moved the ball very efficiently, getting Garrard outside the pocket (weakened by injuries to the offensive line). They played in an up-tempo, “hurry up” offense that did not allow the Bills much in the way of substitutions. They connected on many quick-hitting, ten to twelve-yard passes that kept drives alive. It was a great game plan.

The momentum really started to shift in their favor on their final possession of the first half. They put together a good drive (6 plays, 46 yards) that ended with an interception by Terrence McGee near the goal line, but the damage had already been done. That drive wore out our defense. No time to substitute, covering lots of ground quickly… you could see the heat starting to get to them.

Then, thanks to the “defer” choice from the beginning of the game, the Jags got the ball to start the third. So, the defense was out on the field again, and for much of the same. Quick hitting passes, and a bit of success on the ground for Jacksonville. Not only were they moving the ball, and threatening to score, they were also really wearing down our defense. The “hurry up” pace in the super heat was really starting to show. The tackling was sloppy, and the Bills were now the ones having the pace and play dictated to them.

Brilliant Move of the Day

The long first drive of the second half by Jacksonville was punctuated by a Maurice Jones-Drew TD run to tie the game at 10. It was a great drive, and already I was saying, “Our offense might be a tad rusty. They’ve been sitting for a very long time now, going back to the first half.”

Well, perhaps Jack Del Rio heard me. In a bold (and brilliant) move, the Jaguars surprised the Bills with an on-side kick following the previous extra point … and they got it! What a great call! The tired Bills defense now had to take the field again, and the Jags took it to them. They ran right at them, daring the Bills to stop them. And, mostly, they could not. Taylor, then Jones-Drew, then Taylor. The Bills were being dominated by the team who had definitely seized the momentum.

The defense stiffened, and held Jacksonville to a 50 yard field goal attempt. Kicker Josh Scobee blasted the ball through the uprights, hitting relatively high on the net behind the posts. Easily could have made the kick from another ten yards away.

On the following drive by the Bills despite a few good plays, Jason Peters on his first game back made a very big mistake and got beaten very badly by a rookie defensive end, who came around Edwards’ blind side and knocked the ball out of his hands. Fumble. Turnover. Jags ball.

The momentum – thanks to good play and good coaching – had definitely completely swung in Jacksonville’s favor.

Good Teams Weather the Storms

The Buffalo Bills of previous years would have been out as soon as the “tide turned.” Once this shift in momentum happened, the Bills usually would begin to accept the inevitable. And when they did, it would usually play out that way. They would lose.

But not today. Not these Bills.

Donte Whitner declared to the world that these Bills would be in the playoffs. It’s their time to win. He believes it, and he plays that way. The great thing is, his confidence is apparently infectious.

The Bills never felt they were out of it, and you could see every time the offense took the field again, they played with confidence. They converted third downs. In fact, six out of eleven. The defense did their part as well. Though the Jags had a good game plan, the defense only allowed them to convert on two of eleven third down attempts.

Players like Ashton Youboty made several key plays. Youboty had a sack, and some big open-field tackles to thwart Jacksonville drives. Kyle Williams had a big sack of Garrard to do the same. LB Paul Posluszny was all over the field and making big tackles. And offensively, RB Fred Jackson did not have much production on the ground, but had 7 catches for 83 yards. Big yards. Lee Evans included 4 grabs for 77 yards. Including a super huge catch late in the fourth quarter.

And what can you say about Edwards? 20-25 for 239 yards. Finished with only one TD pass, but for the second straight week… threw no picks. His passes were accurate, and had lots of zip on them today. And beyond the physical play, he really does have the poise, presence… whatever you want to call it. He is confident, and efficient, and productive.

Defining Moment

The entire game was played very well by the Bills, minus some over-pursuit by the defense, which sometimes led to shoddy tackling. The Bills played will in all phases of the game, just as in week one. But there was one moment that proved to me that this team is going to be different than previous versions of the Buffalo Bills.

Down 16-10 with under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter of a game on the road, played in near 100-degree heat… the Bills have the ball and are driving. They get one first down. Then convert a third down to get another. Finally they are faced with a becoming-critical 3rd-and-6 from the Jacksonville 44 yard line. It’s too far for a FG, and the Bills need points. They need to convert this to keep the drive going.

Edwards drops back, surveys the field. The pocket is beginning to collapse around him, but he stands in, finds his target, and launches a perfect pass to the left sideline where his speedy receiver Lee Evans has beaten his man. Evans hauls in the catch for 37 yards and a first down at the Jags’ seven yard line. On the next play, Edwards throws a perfect pass to the back corner of the end zone to rookie James Hardy, who was drafted to do precisely that.

Bills lead 17-16, and with one drive – really one play – took back all the momentum the Jags had built from the end of the second quarter up until then.

Confidence For a Reason

This Bills team is not just cocky, or delusional. They know they have a good team, and they are confident they can take the field and beat anyone they play, and they are doing it. Two for two so far. And as I stated above, these are two pretty good teams. Sunday’s victory was on the road against not only a playoff team from the previous year, but one who is expected to go pretty far into the playoffs this year. The other win was a blowout of another perennial playoff team, the Seahawks.

There is still much youth on this team. Youth means inexperience, and likely, fluctuation of results. Usually a young team will lose games they are supposed to and win games they might not be “supposed” to win. Perhaps these two wins are the latter? From what I have seen, I would say they are actually the evidence that what Marv Levy began building three years ago might actually be starting to blossom.

Could this be the year we see the fruit of Marv’s labor? Could this be the year Jauron gets a legitimate winning team and season? Many questions still after just two games, but as this short season has so far gone, the Bills continue to build confidence in their team. The next three games are against Oakland, St. Louis and Arizona. The Cardinals look a bit tougher than in recent years, but all of those games are “winnable” and if they keep believing they can do it, we may have ourselves an undefeated team going into the bye week October 12th!

There is much to do to get there, but this young Bills team seems both excited to, and capable of doing just that.

Bring on the Raiders!

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Uncategorized

Joakland

John’s Quick Hits (working title until I can come up with something more creative for this type of article):

-Take away all our special teams (field goals and extra points included) and we still beat Seattle 12-10. That’s all offense.

-Our defense matches up really nicely with Jacksonville’s offense. With the middle of their O-Line banged up they will most likely throw quick slant passes and run to the outside. We should see what our DB’s are made of.

-Maybe it was just me, but it was nice to see the Colts get punished for taking the early months of the season for granted. Sure Manning didn’t play in the pre-season, but your defense made Kyle Orton look like John Elway.

-It pains me to say this, but I have to upgrade Tony Romo from mediocre to good. Congratulations buddy. Your promotion is contingent however, on Cleveland’s performance against Pittsburgh, if Big Ben has as easy of a time with “Believeland’s” defense then you might get demoted again.

-Tony Kornheiser is a terrible announcer. He simply parrots back uninformed NFL talking points from pre-training camp. His comments about the Packers, Farve and Rodgers Monday night simply highlight the fact he has never actually played the sport. Finding it hard to beleive that he is qualified for such a job I looked up his Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kornheiser) where it said (I swear I copy and pasted this incase it has been changed by the time you verify it): “Kornheiser has hosted The Tony Kornheiser Show on radio in various forms since 1992; … and served as an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football since 2006, where he has disgraced himself, ESPN, the NFL, and the human race in general.” Thank God for Jaws.

-Can somebody please tell me why the Oakland Raiders get so many nationally televised games every year? The Broncos are a decent team, but I’d be surprised to see them in the superbowl this year. Joakland should do the world a favor and drop their football team completely after that embarrassment.

UPDATE: The Kornheiser Wikipedia page has been changed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kornheiser I swear on my mother’s grave I didn’t make that up though

Categories
AFC East Current Bills Players

Instant Favorites

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in a very interesting position. After only one week of the 2008 NFL season, they are now being tagged by many as the favorite to win the AFC East division crown, by virtue of Tom Brady’s quick and unexpected exit.

Just a week ago, most fans would give the Bills a bit of credit, putting them at second place in a division that clearly belonged to the Patriots. That was a decent acknowledgment of the Bills’ potential, but other than me, I can’t remember anyone saying (publicly) that the Bills even had a chance at the division title. Some have even said that just by adding Favre, the Jets are in the race, and could finish the season in that far away, distant – almost consolation – second place spot.

While, as a Bills fan, I appreciate the collective nod that the media pundits are giving us (as an aside… can we all PLEASE agree that the word is pundit, not PUNDANT or PUNDINT?!!) I would also like to throw out this bit of rational caution.

One man does not a football team make.

Yes, Brady is something like 100-27 in his ridiculously (perhaps illegitimate… video gate?) career as a starter for the Pats. And yes, he has led them to many Super Bowls and division and conference titles. Definitely a key piece of the puzzle. But I think we might want to slow down here a bit before just handing the Bills the title. There is still a lot to prove on their end.

The other piece of this is that the Bills just shellacked the Seahawks, 34-10, in their opener. It was close for a while, but then the wheels fell off in the third quarter for the Seahawks. (Thanks in large part to good play-calling, and execution, from the Bills.) They really looked great on all sides of the ball. Defense and special teams were stellar, and after a slow start offensively, Edwards and gang picked it up and scored 20 points themselves.

So the Bills looked great against one of the top NFC teams (presumably so) and their nemesis, Tom Brady, is now out for the year. (My bold prediction that the Bills would beat the Pats twice this year is looking a little less bold…) And now the Bills are the “favorites”.

All I gotta say is, back to back 7-9 seasons… Dick Jauron has only had one winning season ever… lots of young players… unproven should be the banner over the tunnel entrance to the stadium for the Bills. There are just too many questions to slap them up there at the top.

But I must admit it’s kind of fun, as a long-time Bills fan. Nice to see our team getting some respect again.

They started to earn it this week against Seattle, and it continues next week in Jacksonville. That’s going to be a stiffer test for our run defense, as well as our offense. Jags will be hungry, and we are “UNPROVEN.”

Time to start proving.

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Uncategorized

Could Brian Moorman Become A Patriot?

ORCHARD PARK, NY – Week one of the NFL was filled with the unexpected, but perhaps the top story of the week was former league MVP Tom Brady suffering a season ending blow from Chief’s safety Bernard Pollard to his left knee.

The Patriots were led to a 17-10 victory by garbage-time all star Matt Cassel who has not started a game since high school. This has led many in Pats nation to question their previously unquestionable dominance in the AFC (the “F” is for Farve) East.

Some of Brady’s teammates suspect foul play. “That hit looked dirty.” Said a laughably uninformed Randy Moss who was rethinking his large pay cut to play with a high-school quarterback.

“So Pollard gets tripped while trying to make a play is awkwardly pushed into Brady and people say that’s a clean hit?” Said village idiot and Dirty Players Association president Vince Wilfork, “I dive between two linemen at knee level and deliberately stick my elbow out at an opposing QB, or deliberately poke someone in the eye or … and I get labeled dirty? What’s up with that?”

Players all around the league have shown support for the mediocre-supermodel dating signal caller.

“You hate to see an injury like that to a player of that caliber.” Said Brett “better to be lucky than good” Farve of the New York Jets when asked about Brady, “It unfortunately forces people to talk a little less about me.”

“I cut my chin, wanna see?” Said a jubilant Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys. “I hope it scars.”

A list of quarterbacks invited to work out with the Pats has been released to the media Monday morning, among them, free agent Chris Simms.

“You thought my dad was a Patriots homer before?” Said Simms on a conference call Monday morning, “He’s going to be shameless.”

Perhaps the most interesting person on that list is Buffalo Bills punter Brian Moorman. Moorman was the only player in the NFL this week to have a perfect passer rating.

Pats coach and advocate for “Losing coaches right to blow off the post game congratulations” Bill Belichick said he was always impressed with Moorman saying, “I was always impressed with Moorman.

“His excellent punting skills always helped our offensive numbers by adding even more to our already impressive total yards for the day.”

Moorman has, however, declined the invitation saying that there are too many stars on that team and he would be underappreciated.

While Moorman is unquestionably the best football player ever, he has found a home in Western New York. He believes in his team and the coaches.

“Any team that can run a wishbone formation in the NFL and still win a game has got to be good” Commented Mooman about the offensive scheme Sunday. “Seriously.”

Stay tuned to the Buffalo Bills Review for more on this developing story.

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Uncategorized

Bills-Seahawks – 10 Things I Think

My friends ask me why I spend the entire weekend driving to sit in ugly weather and watch a football game. Bills 34, Seahawks 10, that’s why.

1. Complete victory. It was total domination. The defense imposed it’s will on the Seahawks, the offense moved the ball efficiently and made big plays at big times, and the special teams were, well, they were special. I know Bills fans everywhere kept watching the clock and imagining how the Bills could blow this lead, but the reality was that they could have played that game for three more hours and Seattle wasn’t going to get back in it. They were beaten.

2. Start with Lee Evans, the man who wants a new contract and reported for training camp every day anyway. Start with the block on Marshawn’s touchdown. That’s the play that tells what kind of player Lee Evans is. He engaged his man early and stayed with him, pushing and shifting his feet to keep his balance, blocking his man for nearly the last 20 yards of Marshawn’s run. When Marshawn hit the 10-yard line, it was clear it was a touchdown, because even if the defender slipped his block, Marshawn would find a way. It wasn’t necessary. Lee never gave the guy daylight to even TRY to make a play.

Nobody catches the deep ball better than Lee.

100-yard day to start to the season.

3. Marcus Stroud. Oh, my goodness! He’s a factor in every play. That man can MOVE. Pretty impressive how he chased Hasselbeck out of bounds. He beat his man several times and showed nice closing speed going for the sack. He was the disruptive force we all hoped he would be, and then some. Plus, he’s into the experience. He often was asking the crowd for more noise. He was talking to his teammates, one time walking into the defensive backfield to talk with Donte briefly before returning to his spot in the line.

4. If you’ve seen the replay of Roscoe Parrish’s punt return, I don’t have to say more. If you haven’t, go find it. In the postgame interviews, Roscoe agreed with a reporter that it was dangerous cutting back into the middle deep into a return, because the entire coverage team is coming down field to help, and that’s exactly what he did. Still, he cut to the middle and still managed to avoid the last wave of tacklers.

The fake field goal was a wonderful comic moment in a thoroughly enjoyable game. I didn’t see Denney standing out there until the ball was in the air. Delightful.

That play was followed immediately by the fumble and recovery on the kickoff, Lindel’s second big play on special teams, after his saving tackle earlier in the game.

Wendling nearly got the block when we jumped the line of scrimmage on the first Seahawks field goal.

Special teams bottom line: Opponents will spend more time preparing for special teams play against the Bills. The Bills sent a message – if you can imagine it, Bobby April is going to try it.

5. The rookies really weren’t a factor. Hardy got on the field for a few plays here and there but wasn’t a factor. McKelvin was in for a few dime packages.

6. The Bills defense was stifling. Schobel, Kelsay, Williams and Johnson all made plays, and all pressured the quarterback. Mitchell’s sack was simply amazing, and his tackling is gorgeous. Poz was solid. Greer and McGee had good coverage all day, and Youboty – remember that guy we all were excited about when the Bills drafted him three years ago and so many people wanted to cut after last season? – was making a lot of plays.

7. The offense, and Trent Edwards particularly, was putrid to open the game. Totally ineffective. It looked like 2007, or was it 2006? 2005? Anyway, it was bad. It might have been the rain. If I had to guess, it was simply a young quarterback and his offense needing to develop some feel for the game, and over the first 30 minutes, that’s what happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if Van Pelt was in his ear on the sidelines, calming him down and letting him know that our chances would come.

After the slow start, he showed great presence in the pocket and began delivering the ball all over the field with great accuracy. You could see it in the deep out pattern to Reed and the touchdown to Royal In both cases, he had the protection, read the play, waited and gave the receiver a ball he could catch.

8. Kirk Chambers needs a nod. I didn’t watch him a lot, but Kerney did not spend the afternoon in the Bills’ backfield, as many of us had feared.

9. The news of Brady’s injury swept the stadium like news of Achilles at Troy. Everyone knew minutes after it had happened.

Injuries are the only thing that’s wrong with this great game. Injuries are cruel. They can rip the heart out of a team and its fans. But they also can rally a team to something great. Don’t count the Pats out. I wish Brady a complete recovery.

10. Was the Bills game perfect? Far from it. Trent was ugly early, as ugly as I’ve seen him. The running game was barely adequate. The offense wasn’t a scoring machine. The coverage teams coughed up several big returns. Kawika could have been better in pass coverage. Whitner stays with his man but has trouble breaking up the completions.

Still, for a season opener, it’s hard to find much to complain about. This was a complete win against a veteran team, a win where most of the things the Bills hoped they could do they did do. The Seahawks had some injuries; it’s hard to know how much impact that had on the game. But the Bills lost their starting weakside linebacker in mid-week, and they were playing with a makeshift offensive line. They had their own adversities to overcome, and they did.

In the coming weeks, big number 71 will work his way back into the lineup, and the rookies will begin to contribute.

There’s a lot to look forward to.

Final note: The Ball Burglar had himself a fine day, too. In the days before the game, a lot of fans joined the gang. The Burglar’s bounty right now stands someplace around $250 per takeaway, and he’s only just begun. The Burglar rewarded the fans for their support with two big takeaways, the game-changing fumble recovery, and McGee’s acrobatic catch that simply was icing on the cake.

Word is that the Ball Burglar made onto the Fox pregame show, too.

If you haven’t joined, what are you waiting for? A buck a ball is all the Burglar wants from you. Join today. www.Ballburglar.com. Thanks.

I’ll see everyone at McFadden’s in Manhattan on Sunday. Can’t wait.

Categories
Offseason Players

Peters Is Back: Is That a Good Thing?

Jason Peters is back, and I still can’t figure out how I feel about that.

It’s not that anyone is asking me. I’m pretty sure that Russ Brandon isn’t wondering what my opinion is on the subject. I haven’t gotten any phone calls or emails from Dick Jauron asking for my advice on what to do with Jason Peters now that he’s back. Ralph Wilson has not set up any meetings with me to discuss how they should proceed.

And boy am I glad!

Honestly, what do you do with this? Is the NFL so much a “business” that you just don’t worry about the disrespect that Peters showed the Bills organization and his teammates by not reporting for work when he was supposed to… for many months? Would you be able to do that where you work? Would your boss just work you right back into the rotation? How about if you were being paid a salary $3.25 million dollars to do that job?

Exactly.

I know the NFL is not “real life” but how is this a good thing? Peters may have all the talent in the world, but how can his little negotiating tactic – the “silent treatment” – go unpunished. Sure he’s paying lots of fines, but that would happen to anyone, even a player who is actively trying to negotiate with the organization. Peters was not, and there should at least be some added consequence for that.

First things first. Peters must pass a physical. He was given one today when he reported, but the results are as of yet unknown. Assuming he has kept in shape (expecting that he would play this season) will he be added to the active roster? The Bills could surely use help at the tackle position, but is it a good idea to just throw Peters right back into the mix.

If the ultimate goal is winning (and if he passed the physical) the answer is, “Yes.” Plain and simple, he’s a great lineman, and will help this team win. But if the team morale is involved in the equation – or even just “the right thing to do” – then perhaps the Bills coaches have a tougher decision than we think. I may be thinking way too much about this, but if I was in the situation the Bills front office was in, I would trade this player, or just cut him. (Assuming of course that we have all the same details they do. Perhaps he wasn’t as silent as we have all been told. Or perhaps he was.)

We know that he will not play Sunday. The Bills will rely on their current back-up tackles, Langston Walker and Kirk Chambers. Walker has been injured, but should be ready to go for Sunday. And he has a good test in Patrick Kearney, a solid DE.

It will be interesting to see what the front office and coaching staff decide to do with this situation. I really don’t have a good answer. But whatever they do, they need to do it quickly, and keep moving forward. This team has a great nucleus of talent and a decent shot at advancing to the playoffs this season. Would be a shame to see Jason Peters’ offseason antics ruin that.

Categories
News Offseason Players

Peters to End Holdout?

According to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network Jason Peters is set to end his hold out. Chris Brown passed along this news on his BuffaloBills.com blog, and I’m sure updates will be posted there.

What do you think? How do the Bills move forward with Peters? What gives? Can you really not talk to anyone on your team for most of a year (and not show up for any scheduled work during that time) and just move ahead like nothing happened?

The report is he may play as early as next Sunday (Sep 14, Jags) but he can’t be in great football shape, and there have to be some rifts that his holdout created. It shows lack of commitment to the team, and his teammates. Unacceptable. I believe he is only returning so he doesn’t pay $200K per missed game or whatever it was going to be. Obviously he is talented… we’ll see if that talent can smooth over this very poorly handled situation.

UPDATE: Peters will report to Bills Saturday morning.

Categories
Current Bills Games Players

The Fine Line Between Winning and Losing

Last season the Buffalo Bills finished with a losing record. Seven wins, nine losses. For the second year in a row. Everyone wants to win, and no one wants to lose, but obviously the 2007 version of the Buffalo Bills were cut some slack due to a ridiculously inordinate amount of injuries. Many of those injuries were season-ending.

There is hope in Buffalo this season. Hope for a winning season. Hope for a return to the playoffs after nearly a decade-long absence. Hope for continued success over the next several years. There is a strong, young nucleus of high-character, high-talent (at least, potential) guys. It would seem the sky is the limit.

But there is one thing that could turn a potential winning season into another 7-9 season. The injury bug.

In a strange, seemingly rash turn of events, LB Angelo Crowell will undergo knee surgery to correct a problem that has bothered him the past couple years. He was supposed to be out at least two to four weeks, but the Bills subsequently placed him on the injured reserve list. Now he is gone for the season.

No one is quite sure why he would wait until three days before the first game of the year, but some speculate it could have something to do with his contract expiring after the 2008 season. It is possible that his knee was just bothering him and he wanted to fix it. The apparent haste of the moves by both Crowell and the Bills would suggest there is more here than just a sore knee.

In addition to Crowell’s absence, LB Paul Posluszny will possibly not be 100% for this game as he sustained an injury in Wednesday’s practice. He’s planning on playing, and coach Jauron also confirmed that.

So for week one, so far that’s two starters down. And don’t forget starting QB Trent Edwards is returning to action for the first time since injuring his leg in training camp. Edwards already has a reputation for being injury-prone, and he may not quite be 100% either.

Oh yeah, and there’s the thing with Jason Peters…

There is always so much potential as you go into a new season. It’s a blank slate, and you have the team assembled that you think will get the job done. But there are so many factors that can change that, and as Bills fans saw last season, the injury bug can bite hard.

I am admittedly a bit scared at the developments of today. Crowell was going to be a big part of our defense. We have good depth, but how many injuries can this up-and-coming team sustain before they cross that fine line between winning and losing? When does this team with so much potential go back to mediocre, and another season of around 500 football?

No one can say, but today definitely reminded me that there are no guarantees. Let’s hope the Bills have gotten all of the injuries out of their system for 2008.

Categories
Family Sports

Are You Ready For Some Football??

NFLNFL football is back! The regular season starts this week with a game featuring the World Champ NY Giants and the Washington Redskins on NBC Thursday night, a full slate of games on Sunday (including the BILLS GAME!), and then a double-header on ESPN on Monday Night. I can’t wait!!

The Bills are looking really good this year. From the coaches and the offensive and defensive schemes, to the players, established and new… it really could be a fun season to be a Bills fan. (I know I say that pretty often, but… seriously. Just watch…) 🙂

The start of the season also means that it’s time for Dad & the Boys to make their weekly NFL picks! 🙂 I almost feel like I am looking forward to that more than the football 🙂 It was lots of fun last year, and should be even more fun this year! We’re doing the whole season this time!

There’s a cool Facebook application where you can make picks and compare your results against your friends… it’s called Pro Football Picks, if you’re interested.

So, just a few days away… let the games begin!!