Van Pelt finding impeccable balance for Bills offense
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 4:24 PM EDT
in Buffalo Bills News
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PrintWhen he was fired on September 4, former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert fired a parting shot at head coach Dick Jauron, claiming that the Bills' much-maligned leader wanted a "Pop Warner offense." Jauron handed the reigns of his offense to quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, himself very inexperienced as an assistant coach, let alone as a play-caller of any sort.
The Bills have two games in the bag - and if this is the "Pop Warner offense" that Schonert described and apparently was loathe to employ, there's little wonder as to why Schonert was ousted in the first place.
The offense has not been perfect. The unit, led by quarterback Trent Edwards, has produced 43 points on its own through two games - four touchdowns (all through the air) and five field goals. It's solid production from a unit that most were down on after a rough pre-season; let's not forget that the unit is still green in key areas as well (quarterback, offensive line). The offense has hardly been remarkable, but it has been ridiculously efficient. He's got just 120 minutes of NFL play-calling experience under his belt, but Van Pelt has orchestrated one of the NFL's most balanced offenses through two weeks.
Run vs. Pass balance
These are the easy numbers to figure out, but as we'll explain shortly, they only tell part of the story. Edwards has thrown 56 passes in two games, while he and other Bills runners have carried the ball 54 times. That 56-54 pass-run ratio is only the tip of this well-balanced iceberg.
Most importantly, obviously, the Bills are getting production whether they're throwing or running. Edwards is completing 64 percent of his throws at 7.9 yards gained per attempt. He's already upped his career passing touchdown total from 18 to 22 in career starts No. 24 and 25. Meanwhile, the Bills are averaging a whopping 5.7 yards per carry on their 54 rushes. When an offense is gaining 8 yards every time it drops back to pass and 6 yards on every rush, things are going quite well, to say the least - even when factoring in two turnovers (one interception, one lost fumble).
Passing game balance
Put the 54 rushes out of your mind for just a moment. We're going to concentrate on the 56 throws for this little chunk of the post.
On those 56 attempts, the Bills' two elite receiving options - Terrell Owens and Lee Evans - have been targeted 19 times. Literally once every three times Edwards drops back, his throw is going in the direction of one of these two electric players. Results to this point have been mixed: on throws to either Owens or Evans, Edwards has completed 9 of 19 passes for 155 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT for a quarterback rating of 88.7.
It's pretty easy to wish that the ratio of passes to Owens and Evans would be a touch higher than 1-3, but considering how much attention that New England and Tampa Bay have paid to these guys - and why wouldn't they? - that ratio can hardly be considered low. That's even more apparent considering how efficient Edwards and the Bills' passing attack has been when targeting the rest of the team's receiving options. On throws to all other players (with Fred Jackson, Derek Schouman, Josh Reed and Shawn Nelson being the most productive players), Edwards has completed 27 of 37 passes for 283 yards with 2 TD, 0 INT and a quarterback rating of 112.7. That's still 7.6 yards per attempt, folks.
Eventually, it would be nice to see the Bills find more efficient ways of getting Evans and Owens involved. For now, the passing game is clicking - and they're doing so despite double coverages and some drops. That didn't come close to happening in 2008.
Running game balance
I mentioned earlier this morning that Fred Jackson has been this team's MVP, and while he's been the clear focal point of Buffalo's rushing attack, the Bills have been getting solid production in scrambles from Edwards, spot duty from Xavier Omon, and on end arounds (Owens, Roscoe Parrish). The results speak for themselves - 5.7 yards per carry is excellent.
The balance in the running game is apparent as well. Of the Bills' 54 rushes to date, 24 of them - yes, 44 percent of all runs - have been to the ends or off of the tackles. That stat is unheard of in Buffalo; coordinators such as Fairchild and Schonert had little to no imagination in the running game. On those 24 carries, the Bills have gained 115 yards (4.8 yards per attempt).
Their real dominance, however, has been running up the middle. Helped out by ridiculously gaudy stats against Tampa Bay, the Bills have carried the ball 30 times between the guards for 193 yards - yes, that's 6.4 yards per rush. The Bills have yet to score on the ground, but they're efficient rushing at the edges of the defense, and they're dominant doing so between the tackles thus far. That doesn't happen if the Bills aren't remarkably balanced not only as an offensive whole, but in where they're running the ball, as well.
Oh - and more balance is coming, folks. Remember Marshawn Lynch? You may have forgotten because of Mr. Jackson, but Mr. Lynch is a pretty good player himself.
Results speak for themselves
As mentioned, Buffalo's offense - not the team, but solely the offense - is averaging 22 points per game to this point. That's a solid figure, and as always, there's room for improvement - the Bills have left big plays on the field in the form of penalties, drops and plain misses in each of their first two games.
The balance is working wonders not only in terms of production, but in terms of confidence. This is a confident unit. Edwards is confident, the line is confident, and that confidence is seeping through the team as a whole. Want evidence? Take a look at one of Owens' recent tweets:
Man ws the Ralph rockin 2day!! Cn't wait til next!! Gonna b a good 1! Lovin trent more & more!! Watchin nfl primetime!
When Terrell Owens is becoming less skeptical by the day, things are going well. Chalk it up to impeccable balance. If the Bills can maintain any semblance of this balance, they're going to be difficult for anyone to beat this season.
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Alot of good things could happen
we need tp stay healthy
"Hold ya chin up...nuh nuh nuh...gone" -Marshawn Lynch-
How bad is the Buttler injury?
in terms of the team not actual injury
"Hold ya chin up...nuh nuh nuh...gone" -Marshawn Lynch-
Butler to Scott is a pretty serious downgrade. Scott is very average.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Why not Chambers?
IMO he is superior to Scott?
Your ability to control the LOS is directly linked to your ability to win football games!
FEED the BEAST!
I don’t really have an answer for you, but I think it’s pretty apparent that it’ll be Scott, considering a) it was him yesterday, and b) Chambers hasn’t even been active for a game this season.
Even if it is Chambers, Butler to Chambers is still a significant downgrade.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
You should be nervous. Butler is a severely underrated player. We’re going to miss him.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Walker?
1) Is he still available?
2) Would he come back to the Bills?
3) How would he fit in back at his former position?
by oompaloompa on Sep 21, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, irrelevant, poorly. :)
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Haha, why thank you.
I wouldn’t mind seeing it, but it’s just very unlikely to happen. I wrote earlier this month that he was released outright because of a perceived complete regression. Quite frankly, the team thinks Walker stinks. I doubt they would be interested in bringing him back, though Butler being gone for the year might change their opinion on him.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
he's done for the season
that’s really too bad, but he’s had one injury after another. It was to be expected he would miss games at some point, but it sucks
by freeride707 on Sep 22, 2009 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Nice write up
I definitely agree about everything, and I think the more time AVP gets the better this offense will be.
A few things though –
PLEASE do not put Parrish on the field if it there is any chance it is going to be a run play. The kid is 160 lbs and is terrible at blocking and instead put Reed with his 200 lb frame (yes, that is a 40lb difference) and as he says LOVES to hit people.
Second – please do not call that play with Evans where Edwards gets INT – that was the exact play Edwards got INT in the preseason opener…
Third – I don’t have any quirks really with Freddy, but somebody has to let him know, when in the redzone – two hands on the ball at all times
I was born in Buffalo, and NO, it's not a suburb of New York City
Dick Jauron will address the media at approximately 1:00 pm can catch it on Bills offical web site.should find out how bad things are with injuries then.
keith_b
I agree with everything
Ok everything posted here is all right, Lynch we he comes back is Jackson still going to be as good as he is now Yes and Better because he will be more fresh and Lynch and Pound the Defence so Jackson can get more Yards and TDS. Owens and Evans looks like they are Just useing them to get other people open in the middle. The Defence has done a great job both games so what if they are letting a lot of passing yards on them because the Pats had over 50 Passes thrown and so did Tampa so you can’t say they been doing bad on pass Defence. Now For the Saints If w can hold Brees to a limited Deep Throws we can win because the bills get to the ball fast on check downs.
GO BUFFALO
This is what I knew COULD happen during the preseason. Confidence is important but it comes and goes quickly. We had none during the preseason but we’ve got plenty now – and if we keep playing like we are, with confidence, Bills fans could be in for a treat this year.
"We want to win immediately. To say you're building is an incomplete sentence. ... You're building for a future coach and general manager."
-Marv Levy
i'm not seeing balance YET
I think that AVP has the right ideas and continues to try new things with the offense. But to call it balanced is not even close to a true statement. Our 2 number 1 receivers had 4 catches between the two of them. If you look at the total offensive touches, they received 5 out of 56 (TO had the end around carry as well). That is just 7% of the total offense. These are two of the best receivers in the league touching the ball only 7% of the time within this offense. Not good.
Fred Jackson carried the load for this team, and we had a ton of underneath routes to Schouman and Reed.
I liked the attempts at the deep ball, but you could tell they were forcing it at times. They blew a series in the game by just continuously throwing the ball deep play after play. Yes TO had a drop, but these things happen. You keep going back to your top guys.
They still need to find the routes for Evans and Owens that work. Still not seeing enough quick slants, deep ins and outs, seems, etc. I can see where AVP is making some changes, and I like that he has the ability to adjust. But this offense is still a work in progress. We fortunately have the weapons to beat teams regardless of what plays we put together. But we’ll need some better balance to beat the best teams out there.
I wasn’t saying anything to try to dispel any of the facts you’ve just stated. We need to get Owens/Evans more touches (and they need to catch the dang ball). But the offense is balanced.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I get what you’re saying. But like I said, the numbers are skewed. 6 catches went to Fred Jackson, and quite a few passes went underneath to Schouman and Reed. So while the numbers indicate a balance between running and passing, there weren’t enough routes to Evans and Owens downfield.
I think you get it. You probably agree as well.
I love the progress none the less.
by bruuuuce_02 on Sep 21, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I get it, because I wrote about it. :)
On those 56 attempts, the Bills’ two elite receiving options – Terrell Owens and Lee Evans – have been targeted 19 times. Literally once every three times Edwards drops back, his throw is going in the direction of one of these two electric players.
That’s the key stat. There have been 10 balls thrown their way that have either been picked, dropped or uncatchable.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I would try to contradict you but you’ve done that nicely already. First you say our 2 best receivers only had 4 catches, then you complain about how we “blew a series by continuously throwing the ball deep” and then you say “you keep going back to your top guys”. Umm… ??
You do know that those deep balls were to our top guys – the ones you want to see get the ball more, right?
"We want to win immediately. To say you're building is an incomplete sentence. ... You're building for a future coach and general manager."
-Marv Levy
My point to both of you is, we need to find routes that we can hit Evans and Owens on. Not just deep routes. And definitely not the same routes over and over again in the same series. Like I said, we blew a series by trying to do the same deep plays over and over again.
Yes “you keep going back to your top guys” THROUGHOUT THE GAME. Not telegraphing plays in the same series.
Going back to the same play that you just nearly missed is a common practice in the NFL because often you can catch the defense off guard. It’s been shown to work in the past and I don’t blame AVP at all for trying it.
People complain about the lack of shots down the field one week and then turn around the next week and say we’re taking too many shots down the field.
"We want to win immediately. To say you're building is an incomplete sentence. ... You're building for a future coach and general manager."
-Marv Levy
I don’t think I complained.
I can see where AVP is making some changes, and I like that he has the ability to adjust. But this offense is still a work in progress. We fortunately have the weapons to beat teams regardless of what plays we put together. But we’ll need some better balance to beat the best teams out there.
Balance is the name of the game. We brought some new things this week, but we need to mix it up more and get it to our best players. That doesn’t mean using a new play in bunches. Yes, it’s common practice to use the same play more than once to attack a weak spot int he defense. But it looked almost comical when they tried it in this game. If we spread out some of the different plays throughout the game (reverses, fade routes, seams, double moves, screens, etc), I think we’ll find more success. Just my opinion.
sure – but they went deep because they saw a weakness and then exploited it. also, you have to remember, them doing it in succession makes the D respect it and call plays for it. As a result that keeps the run game and other shorter plays going.
I get your balance and it’s true – but it’s not black and white like that. They were trying to get something accomplished and it worked – nothing wrong with that.
How many times have we seen the patriots run screens or draws 5 out of 7 plays in a row? I know i’ve seen it – if it works then who cares how often it’s run. I’d run a FB dive if it picked up 8 yards a carry every time
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
by J2 on Sep 22, 2009 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Your forgetting..
that Evans and TO are doing exactly what we expect of them… Drawing double coverage, which is what opens up the middle of the field for others… Soon, maybe against the Saints, teams will start to lean more inside to take that away from us, and BINGO!!! Lee, and Terrel will get their due….
This makes me nervous for only one reason. Last season the same thing was being said about the Bills offensive balance when they jumped out to the 4-0 start. I know the situation is different this year with the no-huddle, TO, etc. But until we start getting some quality wins, I’m skeptical.
The real thing that has made this year different.
The O-Line, do you think we could have got that 4th and 1 with Dockery and Fowler? Of course not, it would have been suicide to try. I think Jauron and AVP is understanding the fixes on the interior line were direct hits.
I am so encouraged by this o-line. This is the first one I have had faith in a very long time. The most awesome part is they are going to get better with experience.
by The Buffalo Kid on Sep 24, 2009 2:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Great read
Really enjoyed this one. Love the stats and breakdown. I think the best is yet to come with this offense. One thing that was missing was the intermidiate routes. That seemed to change a little in the fourth quarter. I expect to see Parrish and/or Reed to starting clearing the safteys with deep routes and Evans and TO on intermediate crossing routes, slants and hooks to get the ball in their hands.
Why not Bobby April?
Let's go B U F F A L O !!!!!
After seeing the way that Trent came from behind to win those three games last year scoring 10-17 pts in 4th quarter comebacks, I am not surprised that he handles the no huddle so well. Having TO is really HUGE, makes a ton of difference when teams have two real deep threats to worry about. Don’t get me wrong, AVP is doing a stellar job but the big difference is having two REAL receivers out there stretching the field and opening things up for the running game. Also, let’s not forget that we finally have a REAL center as well, Hangman has been excellent so far and his veteran leadership is a huge bonus. Let me be the first to admit that I was wrong, Although I still think Alex Mack is going to be a very special player in the NFL, I am glad that OBD decided to go with a veteran player, real smart move on their part.
I really hope to see Scuba Steve get some reps at SB because he’s got way more potential than Reed & Parrish and his size differential would be a huge factor. Roscoe should not be on the field other than returns and gimic plays. I know that it’s freddy that fumbled the ball but Roscoe got pushed aside like the rag doll that he is. with a real receiver in there, we could have prevented that fumble, pure & simple. I know that Roscoe caught up to him and made the tackle but that was the least he could do considering that he was mainly responsible for the piss-poor block in the first place.
And yesterday, Fewel showed that he can bring some great pressure and as a result Byron was never comfortable, which paid off big time. I am really looking forward to the ultimate test next week against Brees. With both Mike Bell & Pierre Thomas injured, I look forward to seeing what Fewel brings to stop the passing game and making them beat us on the ground.
I definitely am pumped up for this season.
Your ability to control the LOS is directly linked to your ability to win football games!
FEED the BEAST!
Great post and I tend to agree with the most points made. However, in this great love fest for the Bills offense (and rightfully so, if you compare this offense to the one we saw struggling mightily during the preseason), we need to realize that we still have ways to go, if we truly want to be a consistent, dominant offense. First and foremost, we need to continue to go down the seem and not be afraid of the picks that may follow, because we should have enough confidence in Trent, T.O. and Lee to make that play more often than not. In that regard, I think we need to give a lot of credit to Van Pelt and Trent, who have both done a masterful job of utilizing the attention that the defenses give to those two guys and thereby take what the defense is giving them. It’s a cliché in this league, but it’s still one of the most efficient ways to be, you know, efficient.
by BillsfanfromDenmark on Sep 21, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions
Ha – is it a love fest? :)
You’re absolutely right – they still have work to do, particularly in the “making plays that you’re leaving unmade” department. Lots of little mistakes have held us back from being downright dominant against an average defense and a poor one.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
The balance is there because we’re actually gaining yards and picking up first downs. We’ve been able to mix in the passes with the runs, play action, screens, etc, effectively and that is something that AVP deserves a ton of credit for. No doubt about it, TO and Evans need more looks. There has to be ways to get them the ball underneath more, especially Evans. Those two also need to stop dropping passes, especially TD’s….
I’m loving how this interior OL is playing. The two rookies and Hang are playing very well in the run game. Imagine how great they’ll be once they get totally comfortable and continue improving?!? They have been pushed back in the pass game a few times, but again, that should improve. Picking up big chunks of yards on the ground is opening up the play action, and if that continues, we should be able to hit on more and more big passes as the season progresses!
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
As impressive as Jackson has been, the idea of getting a more powerful Lynch to the second level on a consistent basis is something to look forward to.
How many times last year did we see Lynch met in the backfield on 3rd and 1? The rebuilt interior o-line is a riot to watch.
by LeClaireBill on Sep 21, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions
The rebuilt interior o-line is a riot to watch.
don’t forget the TO factor – teams are not stacking the box as much. definately a help there.
with that being said – they did do well against Wilfork – that’s reason for optimism
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
by J2 on Sep 21, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
the idea of getting a more powerful Lynch to the second level on a consistent basis is something to look forward to.
Who would have thought that the game we most needed Lynch back for would be NO, not NE? I think that will be the case. Having Lynch and Jackson as options against NO would be super helpful in what will quite possibly be a shootout.
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
by thefourwinds on Sep 21, 2009 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions
just something i noticed
the bills have scored more points offensively than either the patriots or the jets. (I couldnt say miami cause theyve only played 1 game) Just something interesting I noticed today.
err correction. the bills have scored more than either the patriots and jets. I forgot that 2 of the TDs came from the defense…
TO has to at the least take less plays off. Maybe it doesn’t matter, but its easy to read when he’s not going to be involved in a play
Jauron’s nuts must have dropped this year….Go Bills!
Agreed…. on his touchdown reception he seemed to have a much faster jump and pushed it into another gear… almost like you can see that we were calling his number!
he is not a willing participant in all phases of the offense, and his body language is often very negative
Jauron’s nuts must have dropped this year….Go Bills!
by killascript on Sep 22, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Well Schnoert had the offense off to a fast start last year too......
so Im cautiously optimistic right now…………AVP looks like the real deal, but I’m gonna take a bit of breather on this subject for now…….
But so far he’s proved himself to be very very capable.
Keep up the good work AVP.
"In every adversity there lies the seed of an equivalent advantage. In every defeat is a lesson showing you how to win the victory next time." (Robert Collier)
by norcaliangelsfan on Sep 21, 2009 5:14 PM EDT reply actions
I agree with you norcali...
one thing about your post though, Schonert wasn’t the one that was “figured” out (everybody already knew what he was doing), it was Edwards. Teams realized that if they disguise the defense well, and then drop 8, Edwards was unsure and would dump off to the backs. One thing about Edwards ability ro read the D prior to the snap…he does this well, mind you…but DCs realized this and “showed” him their play, but once the ball was snapped, TE then realized that the actual coverage was disguised by the pre-snap alignments. I think this year is different because TE now either knows what he is seeing pre-snap or has an idea about the coverage; but unlike last year, he also goes through the other possibilities and whittles them down, one by one until he is more sure about what is he seeing. The game is a little slower to him now, at least thats what it seems like to me.
by NorCal BillsFan on Sep 21, 2009 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Love the increase in time of possession..
AVP and Trent both show that they’re not afraid to go downfield but yet they run and pass so diversely that the opposing D is off balance..As the games go on the other teams will creep up and try to stuff the run,it’s just a waiting game till TO and Lee get sprung..I’m perfectly content with eating up the clock with shorter more sure stuff and come out with a win at the end..3 Long Balls for scores looks good on paper,but I’d take 3 drives that eat up 6 minutes each,any day..
by FanFromThe80s on Sep 21, 2009 5:33 PM EDT reply actions
We can have both...
“3 Long Balls for scores looks good on paper,but I’d take 3 drives that eat up 6 minutes each,any day..”
We ate up the clock and should have had 3 long TDs if TO didnt drop that one…
by NorCal BillsFan on Sep 21, 2009 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions
And if Jackson didn’t fumble the other one…
There are mistakes being made, but I definitely like what I see more than I did last year. Even early in 2008 we were talking about how bad the offense looked most of the game until the 4th Q. Remember the slow starts against Jax, Oak, and StL?
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
by thefourwinds on Sep 21, 2009 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Curbing the enthusiasm
I’m knid of a killjoy so I thought I’d drop a nugged that many of us have likely been thinking but not yet wanted to express:
Since defenses are being eaten alive underneath when they commit 4 guys to stopping Evans and Owens, how long is it going to be before teams start loading the box (to stop the run and blitz like maniacs) to see if Edwards can get the ball to Evans and Owens? Think about it for a moment. The Patriots didn’t stop the Bills so much as the Bills stopped themselves. The same was true through much of the Bucs game. Defenses are seeing a plan that doesn’t work so they will adapt.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Saints—with an offense that can score with anyone and a defense that really isn’t all that good—be the first to go ultra aggressive on defense.
Of course we could make things more challenging, Lisa, but then the stupider students would be in here complaining, furrowing their brows in a vain attempt to understand the situation--Seymour Skinner
The Bucs tried to go aggressive in the fourth quarter yesterday, and Edwards tore it apart. I hope that they do exactly that.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 21, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Um...no
I’m not all the way through the game yet but I believe I’ve seen only 1 play where the Bucs had 8 in the box on a run. Buffalo has yet to see a defense commit to stopping the run. In each of the past two games the Bills have faced as few as 5 guys in the box, sometimes 6 and generally 7.
Of course we could make things more challenging, Lisa, but then the stupider students would be in here complaining, furrowing their brows in a vain attempt to understand the situation--Seymour Skinner
What does commit to stopping the run have to do with being aggressive?
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Sep 22, 2009 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, Edwards threw five (right?) deep passes down the sideline on sunday, two were TDs, one was through TO’s hands, one was incomplete and one got picked. Acquited is too strong of a word, but Edwards definitely showed he is capable of going downfield.
And while defenses loading up in the box might not be the best thing for the Bills short term, the more Edwards gets tested, the more we learn about him and for better or for worse, that’s a good thing.
but Edwards definitely showed he is capable of going downfield.
He showed last year he was more than capable of going down field. Whether or not he was willing is the biggest question we all had.
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
Absoultely. Sunday was a nice step forward, but other teams loading the box, like Ron thinks they might start to do, would be a good indicator of whether or not Trent can do it with any consistency.
I think it will also be a good test of whether the WRs will regularly come up with the catch.
I remain convinced that somehow Drew Rosenhaus negotiated a playing time deal for Roscoe into the contract for TO.
by thefourwinds on Sep 22, 2009 12:27 AM EDT up reply actions
So far, so good
“We feel like we should be able to stop them with the seven guys in the front, the big boys in the front,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “We weren’t able to do it. Then we tried to take a chance and use one of our eight-man fronts and they exploited that as well.”
If our OL can hold up against more pressure and more in the box, which includes opening up run lanes, Trent will be able to exploit single coverage on the outside more and more. What we need to do is find ways to get TO and Evans the ball in other spots….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
Greg Williams?
Next week the old bull horn will be coming to buffalo ( I hated g. Williams coaching style) we know that he will be ultra aggressive so we will need alot of three steps drops and some solid misdirection runs to slow there aggresion. Offensively we will be fine but we have to find a way to keep them under 30 points to win. The saints have a weak linebacker corp so we have to get freddie lined up one on one with there linebacker corp so we can get some expolsive plays and defensively we need a miracle idk
Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith and Andre Reed aren't walking through that door with there helmets and jerseys anymore, so lets get over are past and build a new tradition.
CAPTAIN...... CHECKDOWN!!!!
That’s what several fans were screaming yesterday in the stands. When, time and again (you can’t see it on your TV folks), Bills receivers had their guy beat by two steps and Trent went low. Agreed that TO and Lee open up the short game, but there was a LOT of missed big throws…………. but he didn’t throw it.
"A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." Marv Levy.
by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Sep 21, 2009 10:20 PM EDT reply actions
We won ?
He was efficient with the ball and took a decent amount of pokes downfield, what more do you want? He plays the odds and was efficient in moving the sticks – that’s good enough for me.
Your ability to control the LOS is directly linked to your ability to win football games!
FEED the BEAST!
You can say that about every QB though. Anyone watch the Giants v Dallas game on sunday night? Manning missed a handful of wide open WRs downfield with bad throws. Every QB misses some chances to go downfield. Trent threw downfield a number of times including two longs TDs and potentially had a 3rd one go through TO’s hands. Honestly, how many more throws downfield did Bills fans want? How perfect does this team need to be?
success breads confidence
The more our receivers make those catches, the more Edwards’ confidence will grow ….the more long balls he will attempt.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
Where's Stevie?
Is it an injury thing, is it them shopping Parrish, or is he just not as good as we all think he is?
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
Congratulations on the win
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 22, 2009 9:54 AM EDT reply actions
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