Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Spiller truly thrills ...
As Bills fans we have grown accustomed to supporting a losing product. A decade full of disappointment and lack of excitement.
Most of that may have changed on Sunday afternoon. I gave it a couple of days to allow it to sink in, and Chan Gailey's offense actually moved the ball ... with a certain degree of consistency.
CJ Spiller, the Bills' 9th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft provided a much needed spark on the offensive side of the ball as well as on special teams.
It was only a matter of time until Spiller reached the end-zone. Spiller's entire college career was one highlight reel after another, so the expectations were relatively high coming into this season.
So allow me to formally thank Spiller on behalf of Bills' nation for both his 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and 5-yard touchdown reception. Bring on the Jets.
Most of that may have changed on Sunday afternoon. I gave it a couple of days to allow it to sink in, and Chan Gailey's offense actually moved the ball ... with a certain degree of consistency.
CJ Spiller, the Bills' 9th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft provided a much needed spark on the offensive side of the ball as well as on special teams.
It was only a matter of time until Spiller reached the end-zone. Spiller's entire college career was one highlight reel after another, so the expectations were relatively high coming into this season.
So allow me to formally thank Spiller on behalf of Bills' nation for both his 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and 5-yard touchdown reception. Bring on the Jets.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Bills vs. Patriots Injury update ...
The Bills were concerned starting LG Andy Levitre wouldn't be ready for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. Luckily, Levitre was able to fully participate during Thursday's practice.
As for the rest of the roster, according to the Bills official website, Chan Gailey expects every starter to be at 100 percent.
 |
| Andy Levitre at One Bills Drive |
The Patriots lost starting RB Kevin Faulk for the season after suffering a torn ACL last Sunday against the New York Jets. Earlier last week the Patriots traded RB Laurence Maroney to the Denver Broncos.
The only running backs left on their roster are:
Hopefully the loss of Faulk and recent departure of Maroney will prove to be too costly for the Patriots' offense.
*Espn.com
*Buffalobills.com
Here's to hoping the switch at QB will allow Evans to flourish...
According to Bills' #1 WR Lee Evans, Ryan Fitzpatrick is not afraid to take risks.
"He'll freelance a little bit more. He's not afraid to get in the huddle and trust what he's seeing and tell somebody to do something else," said Evans.*
Since 2004 Evans has been subjected to such inept coaching that he simply hasn't been able to realize his full potential. One could argue that if Evans were placed on the New England Patriots, or the Indianapolis Colts, he would be a permanent fixture in Hawaii as a perennial pro-bowler.
With the switch from Trent Edwards to Fitzpatrick, Evans' production should see a significant increase.
Evans caught four of his seven touchdowns via Fitzpatrick last season. With Evan's speed and Fitzpatrick's willingness to let it fly, it should be safe to assume that the Bills' offense will at least provide for some much needed excitement--win or lose.
*Buffalo Bills.com
"He'll freelance a little bit more. He's not afraid to get in the huddle and trust what he's seeing and tell somebody to do something else," said Evans.*
Since 2004 Evans has been subjected to such inept coaching that he simply hasn't been able to realize his full potential. One could argue that if Evans were placed on the New England Patriots, or the Indianapolis Colts, he would be a permanent fixture in Hawaii as a perennial pro-bowler.
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| Lee Evans - allphotos.com |
With the switch from Trent Edwards to Fitzpatrick, Evans' production should see a significant increase.
Evans caught four of his seven touchdowns via Fitzpatrick last season. With Evan's speed and Fitzpatrick's willingness to let it fly, it should be safe to assume that the Bills' offense will at least provide for some much needed excitement--win or lose.
*Buffalo Bills.com
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Will the Bills ever beat the Patriots?
It's hard to believe that once upon a time the New England Patriots were consistently one of the worst franchises in football.
Unfortunately, this dominance has translated in a ton of losses for the Buffalo Bills. In fact, the Bills have now lost 13 straight games to their AFC East nemesis.
The last time the Bills beat the Patriots was on Sept. 7, 2003. Buffalo destroyed New England on opening day 31-0. The Bills opened that 2003 season winning their first two contests only to revert back to mediocrity.
Our Bills haven't beaten the Patriots since. We've actually lost 18 out of the last 19 to the Patriots.
Heading into week 3's matchup, the Bills are once again huge underdogs. The Patriots are a 14.5 point favorite.
In all likelihood, this division matchup will prove to be much of the same old story.
Fitzpatrick in, Edwards out ...
“
We haven't really had a spark the last few weeks, and sometimes the best thing to do is move the pieces around a little bit.”-- Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
In Edwards' first two games, he went a combined 29-42 for 241 yards passing, managing only one touchdown to his two interceptions.
Fitzpatrick, a Harvard grad, will now be asked to inject some life into this anemic Buffalo Bills offense.
At this point, some semblance of an offense will excite the fan-base. Consistency on the offensive side of the ball has been lacking for almost a decade, and the fans deserve better.
Is Fitzpatrick the answer, probably not. His numbers last year indicate he too is not fit to start in the NFL. But it's either Fitzpatrick (mediocrity) or Brian Brohm (the unknown).
Unfortunately, the Bills have a stable of three NFL backups all vying for the starting job. And Edwards is truly making a case for not even being that, a serviceable backup.
*Buffalorumblings.com
We haven't really had a spark the last few weeks, and sometimes the best thing to do is move the pieces around a little bit.After two weeks of uninspiring football, Chan Gailey and the Buffalo Bills have made a change at QB.
- The Bills managed 166 yards of total offense against their AFC East rival Miami Dolphins in week 1.
- The Bills followed that impressive performance with a whopping 186 yards of total offense against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
In Edwards' first two games, he went a combined 29-42 for 241 yards passing, managing only one touchdown to his two interceptions.
Fitzpatrick, a Harvard grad, will now be asked to inject some life into this anemic Buffalo Bills offense.
At this point, some semblance of an offense will excite the fan-base. Consistency on the offensive side of the ball has been lacking for almost a decade, and the fans deserve better.
Is Fitzpatrick the answer, probably not. His numbers last year indicate he too is not fit to start in the NFL. But it's either Fitzpatrick (mediocrity) or Brian Brohm (the unknown).
Unfortunately, the Bills have a stable of three NFL backups all vying for the starting job. And Edwards is truly making a case for not even being that, a serviceable backup.
*Buffalorumblings.com
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Left Tackle still an issue ...
Experts claim that the LT (left tackle) position is arguably the most important on the football field. Others maintain that the QB (quarterback) position is truly what makes or breaks a franchises' success.
This brings us to the current state of the Buffalo Bills. The front office has neglected both positions for almost a decade.
According to Tim Graham, ESPN's AFC East blogger, the Buffalo Bills 2nd biggest draft bust in the history of the franchise was none other than Mike Williams, the highly touted left tackle out of the University of Texas.
- 2. Mike Williams, tackle (fourth overall, 2002): A good case can be made for Williams to be at the top of this list. He spent four mediocre seasons at right tackle, not even making it over to the blindside.
Since that brutal 2002 draft, the Bills have failed to find a serviceable left tackle to protect the quarterback's blindside.
In 2004 the Bills signed Jason Peters out of the University of Arkansas as an undrafted free agent. Peters played TE (tight end) throughout college, yet the Bills coaching staff decided to convert him to left tackle due to his raw athletic ability. Two years later Peters had become a legitimate NFL talent.
So what happened to the pro-bowl left tackle? The Bills decided they could do without a perennial pro-bowler at one of the most important positions on an NFL roster, and in turn traded him away to Philadelphia without a formidable replacement due to failed contract negotiations.
Now we fast forward to Sept. 19, 2010, where the Bills are once again experimenting at the left tackle position, and only time will tell if Demetrius Bell is that untapped talent the Bills brass truly thinks he is or eventually will be.
*Espn.com
This brings us to the current state of the Buffalo Bills. The front office has neglected both positions for almost a decade.
According to Tim Graham, ESPN's AFC East blogger, the Buffalo Bills 2nd biggest draft bust in the history of the franchise was none other than Mike Williams, the highly touted left tackle out of the University of Texas.
- 2. Mike Williams, tackle (fourth overall, 2002): A good case can be made for Williams to be at the top of this list. He spent four mediocre seasons at right tackle, not even making it over to the blindside.
Since that brutal 2002 draft, the Bills have failed to find a serviceable left tackle to protect the quarterback's blindside.
In 2004 the Bills signed Jason Peters out of the University of Arkansas as an undrafted free agent. Peters played TE (tight end) throughout college, yet the Bills coaching staff decided to convert him to left tackle due to his raw athletic ability. Two years later Peters had become a legitimate NFL talent.
So what happened to the pro-bowl left tackle? The Bills decided they could do without a perennial pro-bowler at one of the most important positions on an NFL roster, and in turn traded him away to Philadelphia without a formidable replacement due to failed contract negotiations.
Now we fast forward to Sept. 19, 2010, where the Bills are once again experimenting at the left tackle position, and only time will tell if Demetrius Bell is that untapped talent the Bills brass truly thinks he is or eventually will be.
*Espn.com
Monday, September 13, 2010
New year, new era, same old story...
With a new season usually comes optimism ... and unfortunately for the football fans in Western New York, it was the same old story. The Buffalo Bills managed to amass a whopping 166 yards of total offense in a 15-10 loss to their division rivals (Miami Dolphins). The fans have now been subjected to a decade full of gut-wrenching defeats and a sense of familiarity ... a sense of utter disappointment.
The defense seemingly keeps the team in every game while the offense remains non-existent.
The defense seemingly keeps the team in every game while the offense remains non-existent.
The Bills offense managed nine first downs throughout the entire game ... nine first downs!!! Some could argue that the University of Buffalo first-string offense could have provided more excitement than Gailey's anemic offense.
*Buffalobills.com
*Espn.com
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Countdown to Sunday...
The Miami Dolphins travel to Buffalo for the first game of the season this Sunday. Most experts have pegged the Dolphins as contenders and the Bills as pretenders.
A lot has changed for the Dolphins and the future of their franchise since news broke yesterday that Bill Parcels had relinquished all power and responsibility.
Personnel wise everything is the same it was prior to Parcels' departure. Fortunately for the Bills, along with the Jets and Patriots, is that the vision and direction of the Dolphins franchise can seriously be questioned.
A lot has changed for the Dolphins and the future of their franchise since news broke yesterday that Bill Parcels had relinquished all power and responsibility.
Personnel wise everything is the same it was prior to Parcels' departure. Fortunately for the Bills, along with the Jets and Patriots, is that the vision and direction of the Dolphins franchise can seriously be questioned.
Spiller ready to thrill: Named Starter
It's official Bills nation, CJ Spiller has cemented himself as the #1 option at running back. The ninth overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft will now carry the load come this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins after providing highlight reel after highlight reel during the preseason.
When questioned by the media about the decision by Chan Gailey to have him start over the proven veterans, Spiller responded, "You never know what's going to happen. That's why you have to go out and prepare yourself."
Ultimately, it looks like the Buffalo Bills have the luxury of starting any one of the three in their stable of talented tailbacks.
With Gailey comes optimism...
It truly has been a decade of utter disgust and heartbreak for those who have remained loyal to the Buffalo Bills franchise. Last year was simply the icing on the cake with the acquisition of standout wideout Terrell Owens. The addition of Owens provided nothing for a franchise who has struggled to find its identity both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
The city of Buffalo fully embraced this PR ploy with open arms only to be disappointed yet again by the Buffalo Bills brass.
But one could argue that the firing of last year's head coach Dick Jauron may not have been directly attributed to Owens' lack of production, but it certainly was a contributing factor. Owens' numbers:
2009 - Buffalo Bills
Season Receiving Rushing
G GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD
16 16 55 829 15.1 98T 5 6 54 9.0 29T 1
Last year's numbers were all career lows for Owens since entering the league in 1996 with San Francisco.
The 2010 NFL season is now upon us, and the Bills are once again considered bottom feeders.
But this year is unlike the previous four. A new era has begun in Buffalo where an actual GM is in place in Buddy Nix, and Chan Gailey, a proven winner is now the head coach. In years past there was no accountability for mistakes and mental lapses on and off the field. All of that has now changed.
Throughout Gailey's career, maximizing the talent on his roster has been one of his stronger suits. It appears that this may be the case with starting quarterback Trent Edwards, who has struggled with confidence and consistency since arriving in Buffalo in 2007 as a promising 2nd round talent.
Trent Edwards Preseason #'s -
Player Att Comp Yds Comp % Yds/Att TD TD % INT INT % Long
Trent 41 28 370 68.3 9.0 2 4.9 1 2.4 70
Edwards
With Gailey's reputation of offensive prowess, it is now reasonable to expect Edwards to turn that elusive corner as a fourth year signal caller. And fortunately, the Jauron era is truly behind us. So if Edwards isn't who Bill Walsh projected him to be, we can finally close this chapter and move on.
Trent Edwards Press Conference
So keep those fingers crossed Bills fans, because we may have that leader, that personality in the locker room already ... a void that hasn't been filled since the retirement of our beloved #12, Jim Kelly.
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