Buffalo Bills' Steve Johnson continues to emerge

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson is continuing to make a name for himself.

The former seventh round draft pick now finds himself near the top of every statistical category.

• 52 receptions (14th overall)
• 728 receiving yards (10th overall)
• Nine touchdowns (3rd overall)

On Sunday, Johnson had eight catches for 137 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnson is only two touchdowns shy of tying the Buffalo Bills single-season record of 11 touchdowns by Bill Brooks in 1995.

Johnson's emergence as a legitimate target opposite Bills' number one wideout Lee Evans has experts outside of Buffalo now taking notice. His presence provides Bills' quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with two lethal weapons on both sides of the field.

The Bills haven't had two threats like this since Evans' rookie season when he played opposite Eric Moulds.

Buffalo Bills one win closer to losing first overall pick

Buffalo Bills' running back Fred Jackson celebrates with
fans after scoring second touchdown against Detroit Lions,
11/07/10, Buffalobills.com

The Buffalo Bills claimed their first victory of the season against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, 14-12.

Below is a list of teams all seemingly competing for the first overall pick in next year's NFL draft:

1. Carolina Panthers - 1-8
2. Detroit Lions - 2-7
3. Dallas Cowboys - 2-7
4. Cincinnati Bengals - 2-7
5. Denver Broncos - 3-6
6. Minnesota Vikings - 3-6
7. Arizona Cardinals - 3-6
8. San Francisco 49ers - 3-6
9. Cleveland Browns - 3-6

The Bills' remaining opponents are a combined 33-30.

According to ESPN's AFC East blogger Tim Graham, Stanford's Andrew Luck has yet to declare for the draft. The highly touted red-shirt sophomore has been compared to the likes of Peyton Manning.

As long as the Bills don't over achieve they should play their way into that first slot in the 2011 draft.

As much as I enjoy watching the Bills compete, Luck's potential far outweighs the joy a few more wins would provide.

Eight centimeters dilated

My beautiful wife's water broke at 3:30 am.

It is almost two in the afternoon and we are eight centimeters dilated!

Tristan Alexander, the newest addition to Bills nation should be joining us shortly.

San Francisco Giants win World Series

San Francisco Giants 2010 World Series parade 

The San Francisco Giants franchise hadn't won a World Series title since 1954. In 1954 the Giants played their home games in New York.

Buffalo Bills fans should remain optimistic that a Super Bowl victory is in reach.

Buffalo Bills claim linebacker Shawne Merriman off waivers

The 0-7 Buffalo Bills were awarded three-time Pro Bowler  Shawne Merriman off waivers.

The former San Diego Chargers linebacker will report to Ralph Wilson stadium on Friday.

Buffalo Bills one loss closer to landing first overall pick

The Buffalo Bills are clearly looking toward the future.

Through the first eight weeks, the Bills still remain winless. In fact, the Bills are now the only team in the league without claiming a single victory this season.

Head coach Chan Gailey is truly disgusted.

"You can't explain it. It makes you sick in your gut. If it doesn't hurt something is wrong. I feel bad for our guys because they're trying, they're playing hard. We're just not getting it done. I've got to teach us to get over the hump."

-- Chan Gailey, Buffalobills.com

The Bills have options if they land the coveted first overall pick in next year's draft.

At the quarterback position, there is top tier talent coming out of college this year. Many experts claim this may be the most talented crop of quarterbacks to come out since the 1983 NFL draft.

But the Bills truly need to fill so many holes that they may opt to trade away the first pick in order to land two first round talents instead of a lone signal caller.

The Bills need to address the trenches. A young talented quarterback will not survive in this league without a strong offensive line. And with the Bills allowing 188.7 yards per game on the ground, their defensive line is in dire need of some playmaking ability.

The Buffalo Bills defensive line struggles to stop the
Kansas City Chiefs and their rushing attack -- 10/31/2010

What should the Buffalo Bills do with the first pick in the 2011 NFL draft?

Buffalo Bills' Steve Johnson emerging at wide receiver

Aside from Lee Evans' rookie season, the Bills' number one wideout has been without a serviceable counterpart on the other side of the field.

The complement the Buffalo Bills have needed opposite Evans may have finally arrived.

Buffalo Bills third year wide receiver Steve Johnson has officially emerged as a legitimate passing threat.

Through the first seven games of the season, Johnson has 30 receptions for 409 yards with six touchdowns.

Last week against the Baltimore Ravens' stingy defense, Johnson managed eight catches for 158 yards with two touchdowns.

Even though our Bills are still winless, there is a sense of optimism considering the young talent is finally materializing.

Buffalo Bills to remain in Buffalo...

Ralph Wilson, Jr. is the oldest owner in the NFL. At age 92, it has already been reported that the franchise will be sold once he passes away.

According to Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, he's gotten the people in place to purchase the franchise from the Wilson family.

If Kelly fails to come through with investors, the team could find itself relocating to Los Angeles. 

Buffalo Bills bye week meaningless

The bye week is supposed to serve as a breather, an extra week that allows for extra preparation for the next opponent. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills are slated to face off against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are one of the most physically gifted teams in the league. They impose their physical prowess with ease.

Ultimately, with or without the bye week, the Bills stand no chance of competing against a team with so much more talent.

Bills may have to deal with Ravens' free safety Ed Reed after all.
http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2010/10/18/1759100/bills-vs-ravens-baltimore-could-get-s-ed-reed-back

Buffalo Bills' Jairus Byrd has been invisible

Buffalo Bills Free Safety Jarius Byrd

Under last year's regime, Jairus Byrd didn't see the field until week five. The rookie phenom proceeded to lead the league in interceptions while being limited to only nine games.

Now that we have reached week seven, we can legitimately ask when the Bills will get their ball-hawk back. Bryd has been non-existent through the first seven weeks of the season.

There are two plausible explanations as to why Byrd simply isn't making plays.

1. Byrd is not playing at 100 percent due to a groin injury he sustained late in training camp.
2. Bills' new defensive coordinator George Edwards has not created a defensive scheme that allows Byrd to utilize his play-making ability.

Ultimately, the Bills lack playmakers, and the organization must now make a conscious effort to draw up schemes that better utilize the talents that they do have.

Jairus Byrd: The talented free safety may be experiencing a sophomore slump.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/490391-buffalo-bills-2010-bye-week-observations#page

Bills first 0-5 start since '85

The Buffalo Bills haven't lost their first five games to start a season since 1985. According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Bills finished that season 2-14. What followed that brutal 1985 season was a steady climb toward dominance.

The improvement was marginal the following season with the Bills finishing the season at 4-12. That was primarily due to the fact it was only Jim Kelly's first season in the league.

Jim Kelly - 1991 Super Bowl XXV 

1987 marked the last year the Bills finished with a losing record, improving to 7-8. Under coach Marv Levy the Bills would thrive for an entire decade.

• Year - W  -  L
• 1988   12     4
• 1989    9      7
• 1990   13     3 (Super Bowl XXV- lost to New York Giants)
• 1991   13     3 (Super Bowl XXVI - lost to Washington Redskins)
• 1992   11     5 (Super Bowl XXVII - lost to Dallas Cowboys)
• 1993   12     4 (Super Bowl XXVIII - lost to Dallas Cowboys)
• 1994    7      9
• 1995   10     6
• 1996   10     6

So looking back at the success that followed that 0-5 1985 season, there is reason for optimism with our new regime. Buffalo's general manager Buddy Nix maintains that building through the draft is the way to sustain long-term success, and we as fans need to exercise some patience.

Bills' first round blunders

Dating back to the 2000 NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills have consistently struck out with their first round selections.

According to PA Sports, here are the Bills' first round picks the last 10 years -

• 2000—Erik Flowers, DE, Arizona St
• 2001—Nate Clements, CB, Ohio St
• 2002—Mike Williams, OT, Texas
• 2003—Willis McGahee, RB, Miami 
• 2004—Lee Evans, WR, Wisconsin; J.P. Losman, QB, Tulane
• 2005—NO PICK
• 2006—Donte Whitner, S, Ohio St; John McCargo, DT, North Carolina St (from Chicago)
• 2007—Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
• 2008—Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
• 2009—Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn St
• 2010—CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson

The disastrous first round picks that have set back the Bills franchise began in 2000. Under former GM Tom Donahue, the Bills managed to strike out on guaranteed talents when opting to select those players listed above.

Bills trade Lynch for draft pick(s)?

According to ESPN senior analyst Chris Mortensen, the Bills traded the former first round draft pick Marshawn Lynch for a 2011 fourth round draft pick and a conditional 2012 draft pick.

When asked if showcasing Lynch the last couple of weeks had been a priority for the Bills, coach Gailey responded by saying the objective is simply to win football games.

Trent Edwards: Best of luck ruining another franchise

Trent Edwards is really gone...

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.

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.

Andy Levitre at One Bills Drive

As for the rest of the roster, according to the Bills official website, Chan Gailey expects every starter to be at 100 percent.

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:

1. Fred Taylor
2. Sammy Morris
3. BenJarvus Green-Ellis

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.

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

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.

Fast forward to the Brady era (last 13 years) ... where the New England Patriots have truly been nothing short of dominant.

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

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.

With the removal of Trent Edwards at QB, we will now learn whether the failures can be directly attributed to Edwards or Gailey his offensive scheme.

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

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

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 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

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.

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.