Bills dominate Seahawks in opening day victory
by Brian Galliford
on Sep 7, 2008 7:09 PM EDT
in News
Permission to be excited? Granted. The Buffalo Bills are 1-0 after dominating the field in all three phases in a 34-10 opening day victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Buffalo set the tone early and used several big plays, particularly two made by the team's NFL-best special teams unit, to blow the game open in the third quarter. A 64-yard touchdown punt return by Roscoe Parrish gave the Bills a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, and the Bills held a 20-7 lead at the half.
A second special teams score - this time a 19-yard touchdown pass from punter Brian Moorman to defensive end Ryan Denney - put the game completely in Buffalo's control, and a forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff allowed Buffalo's offense - via a touchdown strike from Trent Edwards to Robert Royal - sealed the deal.
Defense beats up on banged up Seahawks O
Without a shred of doubt, however, Buffalo's most impressive unit was its defense. Facing a banged up, yet still dangerous Seahawks offense, Buffalo surrendered just 252 net yards, and their pass rush kept Seattle's offensive attack off balance all day. Matt Hasselbeck - one of the smartest and most productive quarterbacks in the NFL - was horribly ineffective facing said pass rush, completing just 41% of his passes en route to a five-sack performance in which his QB rating was a paltry 53.9.
Marcus Stroud proved to be the difference-maker that the front office envisioned him as in this matchup. Routinely overpowering Seattle's interior lineman, Stroud recorded three tackles, three assists and a half a sack, and anchored a run defense that gave up some longer runs but ultimately left Seattle largely one-dimensional.
Buffalo's pass rush was successful thanks to a nice variety of blitz packages installed by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The team's two best linebackers, Kawika Mitchell and Paul Posluszny, were particularly excellent in this area, and both have proven to be explosive playmakers near the line of scrimmage. This trio, along with a tough, hard-hitting secondary, led the attack for what looked like a potentially excellent Bills defense.
Offense Efficient, but room to grow
Buffalo's offense got off to a slow start with four straight punts, but their attack was largely effective as the weather cleared up. Trent Edwards outdueled Hasselbeck, completing 19 of 30 passes for 215 yards, a score and after taking just one sack. After taking just 16 pre-season snaps, Edwards proved why he's the right quarterback for Buffalo: he's smart and handles situations particularly well. He's got to get better, but play like that is enough to be getting on with for the time being.
Despite generally poor run blocking, Marshawn Lynch was effective, gaining 76 yards on 18 carries and opening the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. As inconsistent as the run blocking was, the pass protection was excellent; Buffalo did a great job keeping Edwards' jersey clean against what is, in reality, a ferocious Seahawks pass rush. That should only get better once the team incorporates Jason Peters back into its lineup.
Game Balls
We only give out game balls around these parts after wins; since the Bills won so thoroughly this afternoon, we'll give out four, as opposed to our usual three. Game balls to...
Roscoe Parrish - I don't want to hear any more about Devin Hester, because he's clearly not the best punt returner in the NFL. Parrish is clearly his equal. His touchdown return was poetry in motion, and though it's sometimes a bit scary to watch him return, he's clearly a sparkplug for this team.
Langston Walker - Buffalo's entire offensive line did a great job pass blocking, but Walker in particular was excellent. Assigned to stop speed rusher Darryl Tapp all day, Walker didn't allow Tapp to make a peep of impact in this game.
Marcus Stroud - Clearly this team's MVP after one game. The man's hand punch is ridiculous, and he's unblockable at times, even when there are two guys into him. If Buffalo is able to sustain its early defensive success, Stroud will obviously be at the center of the action.
Kawika Mitchell - He struggles a bit in space, but he is an outstanding blitzer, and it showed today. Plugging him into the defensive lineup is nearly as important as plugging Stroud in, and to boot, Mitchell is an excellent leader. He played great.
Roll Call
Props to the 25 folks - including some classy Seahawks fans - who stopped by today's open game thread. Y'all kept the place hopping while I was away, and it's appreciated. Congrats to Kurupt, who as usual commented more than anyone. The roll call...
StuckInNJ, Kurupt, silverstreak3k, katal, Christian, Cinga, RabidBuffalo, jdol1568, Zumone, jri111, patamunzo, Memphisbillsfan, fletcherjd, Ron From NM, redwolf75, NJBillsfan, keuka121, Joe P., killascript, Hopefulcynic, BearsNecessity, acarj84, The Buffalonian, MARVelous, John Morgan
Plenty to be excited about after this one, folks. Let's discuss this more and more in the comments section.
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must win
and that they did. And they survived any major injuries. Right now the concerns are
1) What is this deal with McCargo? Is he a malcontent or do they really want to deal him? Or is he just not good?
2) Will jason Peters play this Sunday. I thought Kirk Chambers did a tremendous job, and so if Peters is not ready I think having Chambers in their for another week would be ok for the Bills.
3) What is the deal with James Hardy hardly playing at all? Why even suit him up then?
Other than that the single biggest thing I saw was Marcus Stroud. IF we see that all season, this defense will be in the top 15 for sure.
MARVelous
by MARVelous on Sep 7, 2008 7:29 PM EDT 0 recs
1) Spencer Johnson looked great and Copeland Bryan has more flexibility as a player, so that is probably why McCargo sits. Kyle Williams looked great.
2) Chambers did a very good job for being tossed into the fire aganst one of the best in Kearney
3) He is WR number 4, but I saw Royal lined up wide alot. Guess it was just what we saw. Hardy, Ellis, and McKElvin are real rookies, who don’t have to be starting like in recent years. That is probably a good thing
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on
Sep 7, 2008 9:22 PM EDT
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Still skeptical about the offense.
If you include the TD pass right after the fumble recovery from the Seahawks kick-off return, thats 21 points directly from special teams play. The defense was absolutely dominant through most of the game, but the offense was unable to get anything going. “Efficient” offense with a comfortable lead does not inspire my confidence. So while I’m absolutely excited about the win esp. the defense, I’m still skeptical about our offense.
by Zumone on Sep 7, 2008 7:32 PM EDT 0 recs
Don’t forget, however, that the Bills were playing an excellent defense. Seattle’s defense was the one area where the Seahawks shouldn’t be disgusted – they’re fast and active. Like I said, the O has a lot of room to grow, but “efficient” was all they needed to be today.
by Brian Galliford on
Sep 7, 2008 7:40 PM EDT
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Don't get me wrong
I’m mostly playing devil’s advocate here. But the Bills can’t always expect that kind of production from special teams (of course I might be wrong here but let’s be realistic). In either case its good that the Bills never had to play from behind, but I doubt this is indicative of how the entire season will go.
by Zumone on
Sep 7, 2008 7:54 PM EDT
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Oh man, we’d be crazy to think every game would go like this. It’s a concern, to be certain, but it’s not even a huge concern. They should get better.
by Brian Galliford on
Sep 7, 2008 7:56 PM EDT
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Good Post Brian...
And assuming you were at the game, hope you enjoyed!!!!
My notes… I agree with Marv… Kirk did a great job, and should get kudos alongside Walker… Course, I defer to Ron’s analysis in the next couple days… Suffice to say however, after their play today, the Bills don’t have to rush Peters into a game. I was worried about that, since no preseason work can often get a player hurt early on….(see Tom Brady)…
I hope, finally, all the worry over Stroud’s health is over!!! His play, along with the rest of the defense was a revelation… Hopefully, they can continue in good health, and great play….
As for the O…. Scared me early… But considering TE’s lack of playing time these last couple weeks, I’ll let it go….. For now….
Great way to start our season though!!!!
Go Bills!!!!
by Cinga on Sep 7, 2008 7:39 PM EDT 0 recs
Mine is posted
I had more time than I expected today so I went through the game. Running only 61 plays made things easier. It’s posted now.
by Ron From NM on
Sep 7, 2008 8:12 PM EDT
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One more thing
The Bills only had one penalty the entire game. Really?
by Zumone on Sep 7, 2008 7:41 PM EDT 0 recs
Excellent point....
I forgot to mention that… And I thought it to be questionable, since Greer was looking at the QB the whole play…
But hey, we got a good call on that one Evans reception, and the Barnes “flail” at the ball, I thought was a lateral….
by Cinga on
Sep 7, 2008 7:49 PM EDT
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2 if you count the grevious hold Butler got away with on pass 22
by Ron From NM on
Sep 7, 2008 8:10 PM EDT
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It was a 4 yard dump off to Royal...
…followed by a horrible looking pass by Edwards on a screen that would have easily gained a first down.
by Ron From NM on
Sep 7, 2008 11:35 PM EDT
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A few Questions
I forgot to record the game, so here’s a few things I might have missed…
Was McCargo really inactive? What the heck does this mean?
I don’t think I saw Hardy or Johnson.
Was Leodis’ # changed?
Is Ellison starting next week?
Is Brady really out for the year?
Is Jax really starting 4 back-up OL next week?
Who gets the axe once Peters is on the roster?
Did Youboty really lead the team in tackles today?
by krytime on Sep 7, 2008 7:48 PM EDT 0 recs
Yes, McCargo was inactive, but we don’t know yet what it means. Jauron said it was a numbers thing, but clearly, that might not be the whole story.
Not sure which Johnson you’re talking about, but Steve was inactive. Hardy didn’t get much playing time at all, even near the red zone.
No. McKelvin is still #28.
Yes, Ellison is starting as long as he’s healthy. He played well today.
No word on Brady, but Peter King just said on NBC that a source mentioned that his injury “threatens his entire season”. I’m sure this is all we’ll hear about, along with that Favre guy, for quite a while.
No idea about Jax, but we’ll be talking about them a ton over the next couple of days. We’ll ask our Jags blogger these types of questions.
Once Peters is activated, I think they’ll cut Steve Johnson. But that’s just me.
Youboty was awesome today – he’s the best tackler in the secondary, with McGee a close second. Kid’s a player, and looks great in the slot. More on him later this week.
by Brian Galliford on
Sep 7, 2008 7:55 PM EDT
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Seahawks
I can’t believe that the Board isn’t more jazzed after such a well-rounded good win. Leave all the negatives for just one night. They played, clean, hard and fast. I thought Chambers did a great job vs. Kearney, Trent was effective, and the entire D was terrific. Kiwika and Stroud—-nice pickups, hey? Special Teams speak for themselves. Here’s a little factoid—Denney has GREAT hands. he catches punts every day before practice one handed. That’s why, obviously coupled with his size—why he’s the designated target on the FG fake.
Good, solid win.
Geronimo
by Geronimo on
Sep 7, 2008 8:02 PM EDT
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True
It wasn’t one of those ugly win which causes as much worry as a loss. The defense played really well and had only given up 35 rushing yards until they went into prevent after the Royal TD. While Brian thought the run blocking was ‘poor’ I thought it was decent overall. Fowler, of course, was the weak link….which says something as he’s a starter and Chambers outplayed him.
by Ron From NM on
Sep 7, 2008 8:14 PM EDT
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The run blocking
wasn’t as good as it should be. The first drive showed that. 3rd and 1 and they couldn’t get it. You have to convert those. Marshawn broke some good runs, but at other times he was just buried. I think Jason will help with that.
by RabidBuffalo on
Sep 7, 2008 8:18 PM EDT
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You can't blame run blocking when 1 guy is at fault
On the play you note, Fowler was driven 2 yards into the backfield. The DT not only used Fowler as a blocking sled but also was in on the tackle for loss. If Fowler makes that block the play has a chance to succeed. Fowler is too often the guy screwing the pooch on run plays and that is the reason that Buffalo needs a serious upgrade at center.
by Ron From NM on
Sep 7, 2008 8:29 PM EDT
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I agree
I have tried to back Fowler but I think it’s time to find another guy.
by RabidBuffalo on
Sep 7, 2008 8:31 PM EDT
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Geronimo...
We are Bills fans, and though I could be considered the ultimate optimist, I must admit to a bit of “show me” this season… But you’re right, a well rounded win, with all teams; offense, defense, and ST involved…
by Cinga on
Sep 7, 2008 8:25 PM EDT
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agreed
like I said Stroud was the biggest and most impactful player on the field today IMO. And Mitchell added what I saw him do so well in NY, rush the QB. His time is excellent and his size is so great to have. McGee and Yobouty are great tacklers.
Would have liked to see the run game crank it out more, but again they didn’t really have that many opportunities to establish it with all the punts, ST plays and big plays.
If Stroud, Williams and Schobel play like that today, Whitner and the back end will have chances to make a lot of big plays. And one last thing….McGEE WAS UNSTOPPABLE today. His coverage was great. Fewell pressed some coverages and McGee excelled
MARVelous
by MARVelous on
Sep 7, 2008 8:27 PM EDT
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Steve Johnson? I was thinking that they would cut Bell. Why keep 5 tackles on your roster?
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on
Sep 7, 2008 8:19 PM EDT
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My opinion
is that Matt Murphy goes to IR for that very reason.
Geronimo
by Geronimo on
Sep 7, 2008 8:33 PM EDT
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I was thinking Bell because if I’m not mistaken the Bills still have an open spot on the practice squad.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on
Sep 7, 2008 8:38 PM EDT
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I don’t think Bell will last on the practice squad; somebody else will sign him away. I say Murphy to IR like others have said.
by fletcherjd on
Sep 7, 2008 9:37 PM EDT
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If Murphy’s injury was IR worthy (bad enough) why would they have not just IR’ed him to begin with? So they could keep another linebacker perhaps?
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on
Sep 7, 2008 10:32 PM EDT
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Not sure. Maybe they were waiting on him to see if he could come back and also waiting to see if Peters was gonna show and were comfortable using the roster spot on him for those reasons for the short term. But now that Peters is back and they need the spot, they will IR him now. I am not sure what the right answer is, but I hate to see them cut Johnson or mess around with Bell and lose him. I think in time Johnson will be a really good wideout and that Bell could be another Peters-type guy and develop into a stud.
by fletcherjd on
Sep 7, 2008 11:21 PM EDT
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Let's put it this way
None of the 3 are likely to play this year unless their are injuries, so we should ask, which guy is least important to our future???
That guy would be Murphy, an undersized, seemingly injury prone, converted TE with very little experience. Bell has much more upside and is 4 years younger.
Steve Johnson looks like a keeper at the WR position for the future. He has GREAT hands, good YAC ability and has proven to be solid enough on ST’s in the preseason. That’s the type of guy a team like Seattle or Dallas might sign if he were released before he could get to our PS.
Put Murphy on IR, we can keep him for the year and next, and he can have surgery to have his torn rotator cuff fixed. I don’t see how that’s a bad thing for the guy.
Bell and Johnson have the bigger upside and future with the team. That’s why I think they should stay and Murphy IR’ed this week….
~K
by Kurupt on
Sep 7, 2008 11:34 PM EDT
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Same here
I think the Murph was holding on till Jason gets back and is healthy, If the Bills keep Jason on the Exempt list for the two games approved by the NFL, Murph will continue as the defacto 4th tackle. As soon as Jason is back on the field, same week 3, then Murph goes to IR, and Bell becomes 4th Tackle. The issue with cutting Bell or Johnson is that several teams are desperate for guys who can be 3rd level backups/projects who could contribute either late this season or be starters in seasons 2-3. Bell and Johnson look like those types and the Bills won’t give them up easily.
Fear the mighty helmet wearing gopher, he is coming for your soul....
by WABillsfan on
Sep 8, 2008 1:11 AM EDT
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Doubt it
regarding Steve Johnson. Why not put Murphy on IR? We don’t need a 5th OT, that’s for sure
~K
by Kurupt on
Sep 7, 2008 9:24 PM EDT
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Maybe another player will irritate the front office and get dumped on IR
Problem solved!
by Ron From NM on
Sep 7, 2008 11:36 PM EDT
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Good questions.....
In order without “google”…
Yes, and maybe we’re trying to motivate him????
Johnson was also inactive.. And Hardy, maybe kept him out cause of the wet turf (and hamstring)
No….
Yes, since Crowell is out… Unless we trade McCargo for another LB…. But from what I saw, Ellison did well lined up with Poz and Mitchell
You know the Pats… No one will know till the injury report is required by rules… Then they may still break them….LOL!!!!
Dunno….
Dunno…
Yes… Youboty played great today!!!!
by Cinga on
Sep 7, 2008 7:58 PM EDT
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What a great game
all the things that we have been talking about seemed to come to fruition today.
Ashton really showed up and if he continues to play like that, he will be starting.
Our D-Line is the real deal I think. Stroud could be one of the best pickups from the offseason. He may not put up numbers but he makes people around him better.
Edwards looked shaky to begin with but he didn’t have a lot of time to get ready in preseason. Seattle has a tough defense and he looked good considering that.
Our O-line is good and will only improve with Jason being back. They must put the water under the bridge and extend him.
I was really disappointed that Hardy didn’t get any action. I honestly think he is the future and should have had some snaps.
by RabidBuffalo on Sep 7, 2008 8:04 PM EDT 0 recs
Weather Question
Both offenses looked pretty bad in the rain today. I was at the Bills-Giants last year and this looked like the opposite. Recall that the 1st half against the Giants, the Bills looked pretty commanding, then in the second half the sh*t came down and the rest is history.
Today both offenses seemed pretty appalling in the rain, but only came around in the second half when things cleared up a bit. I’m just wondering how much the weather was a factor those who were actually at the game and whether this concerns you in terms of Edwards playing later in the season….?
by Zumone on Sep 7, 2008 8:06 PM EDT 0 recs
I think the defenses had more to do with the lack of offense early than the weather, to be honest. Yeah, the weather sucked, but both defenses were flying to the football early. Ultimately, the Bills made the better adjustments and got the lead.
by Brian Galliford on
Sep 7, 2008 8:07 PM EDT
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(right now the front page states “Brady Out For the Season”)
by Zumone on
Sep 7, 2008 8:19 PM EDT
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Wow
I just messed myself.
Is it wrong that I am happy about him being hurt?
by RabidBuffalo on
Sep 7, 2008 8:20 PM EDT
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No. I’m sure few tears were shed for Losman by Pats fans last year. What goes around comes around.
by Zumone on
Sep 7, 2008 8:27 PM EDT
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Ok
maybe I am not “happy” that he is hurt. I hate the Pats and really don’t like the guy, but I must respect that he has been awesome as a QB. I wish we could have a guy like that.
I am happy because I really believe that this opens the season up for us big time.
by RabidBuffalo on
Sep 7, 2008 8:27 PM EDT
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Great. I think it sucks that Brady’s hurt, even if it does open up exciting possibilities in the AFC. I hate seeing players get hurt, especially considering what we went through as Bills fans last season.
by Brian Galliford on
Sep 7, 2008 8:24 PM EDT
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I would be happier if he wasn’t my FF QB
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on
Sep 7, 2008 8:27 PM EDT
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Just pick up Cassel. I am sure there will be hardly any drop-off of production…
by fletcherjd on
Sep 7, 2008 9:40 PM EDT
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Awesome.
I can’t believe he’s on that team still.
by twoeightnine on
Sep 8, 2008 10:35 AM EDT
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agreed
after what NE went through in the Super Bowl I will admit i was sad to see him go down knowing how badly he probably wanted to make up for that this year. Just as an individual I feel bad. Even though I despise the Pats
MARVelous
by MARVelous on
Sep 7, 2008 8:29 PM EDT
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And I agree...
I want to beat the Pats bad… But I don’t want them to have excuses for losing to us…
by Cinga on
Sep 7, 2008 8:30 PM EDT
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WOW!!!
Just saw PFT is confirming the Brady out for year story…. As well as Moss calling it a dirty hit…. Hmmmmm Kudos to whoever posted “what goes around, comes around”!!!!! Earlier today….
by Cinga on Sep 7, 2008 8:40 PM EDT 0 recs
Yeah , dirty my arsse
Guess Moss missed the Chiefs guy getting tackled, facemasked and held as he tried getting to Brady
~K
by Kurupt on
Sep 7, 2008 9:30 PM EDT
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Something I noticed about the game...
The Bills were blocking downfield very well – check out Evans on Lynch’s TD run, and the entire team on Parrish’s return. That’s a mark of a good team — continuing until the whistle on every play, and the Bills were definitely doing that this week.
by Krenn on Sep 7, 2008 8:45 PM EDT 0 recs
Evans also blocked well downfield on Lynch’s long run from right outside his own end zone.
by Brian Galliford on
Sep 7, 2008 8:46 PM EDT
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Just Got Back from Game ... My Thoughts
Big Props to Front Office …
> Stroud was unblockable
> Mitchell and Johnson were significant adds.
> I love the fact that we are not relying on this year’s draft class. They will contribute later and they give us depth.
> I thought Youboti played very well. Good tackler.
> I noticed Whitner more today. The studs up front will really help him.
> Offense wasn’t great, but it was pretty good. I liked the variety. Loved the way Trent moved around in pocket.
> Congratulations to O-Line. I used to think of Walker as a little too laid back. I think he’s shown great leadership and more fire.
by MrFurious1 on Sep 7, 2008 8:47 PM EDT 0 recs
Great stuff today....
Good job everyone in the game thread.
Awesome to see an attacking D finally. Loved all the blitzes and couldn’t have been happier to see Fewell lining the CB’s up on the LOS. That made my day. Great job by Mitchell and co. on blitzes and better job by the secondary giving Hasslebeck nowhere to throw. Hope we see a lot of that all season!!
Good job Youboty. Quiet, but efficient game. 7 tackles and good coverage. I don’t think we could have asked for more out of him today.
McGee was great. To be fair, he was playing against practice squad WR’s, but he was all over them today. Greer was good today as well, that pass interference call was bogus.
Offense absolutely stunk early. I credit that to Trent’s jitters and the rain. He really settled down afterwards. I love all the deep fades to Evans. He was burning that Jennings scrub all day. Glad we were able to get it to him, though he dropped a few very catchable balls including a probably TD early on.
Run blocking stunk IMO, though it was still better than I could have expected. Lynch was great making cuts in the backfield after Fowler let his man penetrate. Thank God for Marshawn on those. Chambers was much better than anticipated, especially in pass situations. Guess that Seahawks pass rush isn’t all that great outside of Qwest.
Speaking of Seahawks. Tough break for their cocky fans. They talked all week about how great their pass rush was, how excellent the young WR’s looked, and what I found to be the most hilarious thing, Julius Jones as an upgrade. Seriously, Hawks fans, you thought that guy was going to improve your run game? Come on….
Sorry to see Brady tear his ACL, feel bad for him. I DON’T feel bad for those fans though, what a bunch of pricks. We’ll probably see empty seats in Gillette the rest of the year now.
We’re in a great position with Brady out. Time for our team to take that step forward and be the team to beat in the division. Big game next week and very winnable after watching Jax today for a bit. Gotta continue with the defensive pressure.
I just knew Roscoe was breaking one today, what I didn’t know was how beautiful the return would be. Wow, what a return man!!! That spin and juke was UNREAL.
Didn’t see Mckelvin out there at all today, did he get many snaps? Saw Hardy in and out on O, so that’s ok. He’ll get more reps and opportunities as the season progresses.
Great win today everyone, and thrilled by how it went. I couldn’t have scripted a better game #1 of the season, or day #1 for that matter (Brady). Now if only my money fantasy team didn’t lose Marion the Barbarian to his rib injury, and Manning’s ineffectiveness killing Wayne and Clark…ugh.
I’m very happy with the way Turk and Fewell called the game today. Even Jauron wasn’t as conservative as always. Great signs for the rest of the year….
~K
by Kurupt on Sep 7, 2008 9:40 PM EDT 0 recs
Game ball to the coaches too
You’ve got to hand a game ball to the coaching staff too on this one. The defensive schemes were swarming, the O plays has a lot of variety without too much risk, and they let things establish themselves, and the special teams coaching top shelf as always.
These coaches make football fun. I think we’re fortunate to have these 3 coordinators and Jauron too.
by south123 on Sep 7, 2008 10:14 PM EDT 0 recs
I totally agree
A big reason for the win is that the Bills used all the positive mismatches to their advantages (see Jennings, or the ST, or the way they used Stroud and Schoebel to free some second stringer for the sacks) and minimized the negative mismatches (mainly Chambers on Kerney and Greer on Burleson). The bills outcoached the Seahawks in all the three phases of the game, and that made the difference.
by patamunzo on
Sep 8, 2008 7:56 AM EDT
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Hardy
James Hardy did come in for a couple of plays but had very little playing time
by The Buffalonian on Sep 7, 2008 10:14 PM EDT 0 recs
yeah
but makes me wonder why he was active at all if they weren’t going to use him.
Which makes me speculate even further that the reason they didn’t play McCargo was bc they are actively shopping him and didn’t want him to get hurt
MARVelous
by MARVelous on Sep 7, 2008 10:41 PM EDT 0 recs
Hardy played
saw him in a few packages on O.
We can’t exactly only have 4 active WR’s each week (with Jenkins as 1). The passing game was solid after the first Q today, but we weren’t throwing it downfield, other than to Evans, pretty much at all. I think that’s where Hardy will be more effective. The underneath stuff with Reed, Royal and Parrish was what we needed to capitalize on today. Hardy will have his moments this year, but everyone has to remember he’s still a rookie that isn’t 100% ready yet. That and it was a wet, rainy day and he’s been having hamstring issues. Today’s weather wasn’t exactly conducive for that type of injury.
He’ll be fine and active each week. Don’t worry guys.
~K
by Kurupt on
Sep 7, 2008 10:44 PM EDT
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Thrilled
Couldn’t watch the game, but I saw some highlights on nfl.com. Wow, seems like some great things to look forward to: stingy defense, amazing ST, less conservative play callingon offense.
Here’s a question: was it apparent to anyone who saw: was Edwards able to audible successfully at all? I thought the Lynch TD might have been an audible, the way it looked on the highlight reel.
Also, I know Moorman threw the TD on the fake field goal. But did Moorman throw another pass later on? How and why? Fake punt?
by thefourwinds on Sep 7, 2008 11:41 PM EDT 0 recs
No Rookies
I love our team. A good sign of our depth is that, even though the Bills are such a young team, no rookie played at all (I believe Hardy may have been in for a couple of plays at the end). Did Leodis even play? Oman was not inactive, so I presume he played some ST. Our team is so young and our depth for the future is so young.
by labill on Sep 8, 2008 12:51 AM EDT 0 recs
Game Balls
should go to the entire coaching staff for having the team ready to play yesterday. A great plan in all 3 areas (O, D, and ST).
Get the Bills back to the big game!
by Blitz on Sep 8, 2008 3:48 PM EDT 0 recs