Maybin, Brohm Are Bills Points Of Interest Thursday Night

PLEASE play well tonight! I want the so-called “open” competition to be blown up. So far I have not been convinced there really was an “open” competiton. All signs I have seen point to Edwards being handed the starting job.

I don’t think at this point there is an open competition unless something out of the ordinary occurs. If there were I believe we would see Brohm and Fitz get reps with the starters just like Edwards.

I do believe there was an open competition however. That competition began during OTA’s and mini-camps. During that time Edwards showed himself to be the most talented of the bunch. Reports out of training camp back that up. So he wasn’t handed the job. He has shown better than the other guys playing QB. Which makes one wonder just how bad Fitz and Brohm would be as starters this season.

What will you be keeping your eyes on

Well, certainly it’s going to be the QBs first and foremost – but here are other things i’m looking for.

The defensive line – the Colts o-line isn’t a great running line – we should be able to hold that unit to minimal gains. I want to see Troup, Edwards and Stroud get good push up front.

WR’s – I’ll be looking to see if they can get open. Even if the pass doesn’t come thier way I want to see how certain guys are running routes and how they look out there.

Last but not least – the OT’s. I certainly want to see both Bell and Meredith against the Colts Freeney and Mathis. A great test for our young tackles. If Trent can get time with both of those guys rushing in on Bell and Meredith then we should have a much more productive offense than the one we had last week against Washington.

Oh – to piggy back – Spiller at RB. I’m excited to see him as the #1 RB right now. However, TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS – he’s still getting use to the speed of the NFL and how to operate within league. I expect him to have some good runs mixed in with some no gainers or loss of yardage runs. But I want to see a flash or 2 of brillance out of him.

I expect tonights game will be a lot closer then last weeks game, teams have a tendency to bounce back after a dismal performance. The Colts might be playing a 3rd string QB and will be nursing bumps and bruises. The Bills will come into the game with someting to prove and a chip on their shoulders.

Bills bounce back…

Bills 23 Colts 17

I hate how every outlet refers to Bills “hosting” other teams in CA. Nothing about the venue feels like home. It’s a neutral site and i’m sure the locker room gives the team no “our house” sense. Why not just say “meet” or something to that effect?

Please take notice of Demetrius Bell tonight. Nobody knows how long he will play but everyone knows how much we have been waiting to see him return to the lineup and perform. The same can be said for Brian Brohm. Recalling the high expectation of drafting a LT and a QB and the FO passing on each position we now have a chance to view the reasons why. Yes it will only be one game but still should rank as a high priority.

Also, One I never thought about is Maybin. As BG illustrates this is a big game for him as well. I am stopping at those three for tonight.

Watching Brohm is the obvious choice here… so Ill be watching that.

But our ST coverage has to be much better. Also watching how Joique Bell and Chad Simpson play. Im really not worried about Spiller, minus coming out of the game injury free. Hes going to make the team. Hes going to make an impact. I know that much… but Bell and Simpson are battling for a roster spot that might not even exsist. But if they or one plays well enough it will makes the coaches decisions tougher.

Also Id like to see how long they keep some of our injured players in the game. I really dont want to see Poz out there very long. I would say when 18 comes out… so should Poz. Wood and Bell I would like to see a quarter.. and thats it. Let them get and stay healthy.

All three I am looking at tonight. Spiller can show why he was a 1st rounder and hopefully he does. Maybin showed good hustle last game, but that does win ball games. He needs to show he can effectively pass rush. Brohm has a chance to make a statement tonight. Really at this point he has nothign to lose, I hope he realizes that. He is not a number 1 and maybe not the number 2. So Brohm, go throw the ball with no worries. You have everything to gain and you need to play your heart out.

since this game isn’t sold out – do we in Buffalo get to see it? I forget what the deal is with the Toronto games and Buffalo market possibly being blacked out…

Maybin: Why do we suppose he wasn’t used much in DC? Is he too much of a liability? I would think preseason is the perfect time to let him work out his troubles.

Chad Jackson as returner: Do you think this might be a bit of Gailey being “cute” to try and fit a guy on the roster where it might otherwise be a tough decision? I’m seeing this much in the same way I forcast Chad Simpson makes the team based on ST merits. Maybe Jackson is just the best fit, as a specialist.

its shrewd motivational coaching from Chan Gailey. You give a young underachiever who thinks hes all that a taste of running with the big dogs and then saddle him up with the second team. Thats a great way to motivate a talented youngster. Let him know hes nearly there but just aint good enough yet, usually gets good results – Todd Haley is doing it with Jamal Charles in Kansas City and hes a guy who actually did a lot out there on the field. Good on ya, Chan, make Maybin earn it. I bet tonight he gets a couple more reps with the first team but still not a ton, keep giving him a taste of being a starter than reign him in.

Good, bad and everything in between…

…represents hope for a franchise who has been looking for a franchise QB for way too long. Look how we attached our hopes and dreams to JP and Trent. Now it’s Brohm and next it will be Levi Brown.

Listen, we know what Trent can do … and that’s not much. Edwards’ ceiling as a starter represents another 7-9 season for us. Is that what we’re striving for. Edwards is a backup QB in this league. Brohm is probably a 3rd stringer, but we don’t know that for sure. If Brohm is even somewhat serviceable and can direct the offense, he should be given the chance to start. If we stink again, so what. 2-14 is better than 7-9 as far as I’m concerned. We haven’t been bad enough in the bad to select from the draft’s very top talent. Yea, if we get a top 5 pick we might screw it up, but who cares. Edwards represents mediocrity and always will.

I am not really holding out any hope for Brohm at this point. As others have said, its clear that Trent plays the best in practice, and if Brohm had a serious shot at contending for a starter’s role he would have played last week. The competition is now for the backup QB, so I’m watching to see how Trent Edwards plays. If he’s not our starter week 1, then its a total wash. Next season, they better find a QB who will stick.

I’m also watching Steve Johnson — the number 2 WR. They need to get him involved a little bit, and if he gets tossed a deep bomb, he better be running hard and laying out for it, not pulling up like he did against Washington.

They had a poor showing last week and I would like to see them adjust to the more “man” coverage they will employ this year. SO my eyes will be on McGee, Leo, and Florence, as well as Wilson.

And of course I would like to see something positive out of either Brohm or TE (I don’t care who, because I am just dying for SOMEONE to step up at the QB position, and I have no loyalty to anyone but the team as a whole. Therefore the QB I want to play game 1 is the one who will give the Bills the best chance to win.)

Trent has lots of confidence in practice because thats his teammates he’s going against.If he had confidence that the O line was going to give him time then I think he would take chances down the field.You can’t go deep if your on your back.

1.) Arthur Moats to rebound after his abysmal performance agaiunst the Redskins where he just looked lost on ALOT of plays, because he was so out of position it seemed like he was making hustle play be actually had he been in the right spot it would have just been routine.
2.) Reggie Corner rebounding after getting emnbarassed by a not very good Redskins revieving core
3.) Brohm showing he can at least hold down the 2nd string QB spot on Buffalo, I just truy hope he is better then Ryan Fitz.
4.) CHAN GAILEYS PLAYCALLING – I need him to show us why we hired him as head coach, he put together a very good first drive against the Redskins but after the injuries his playbook went right out the window, I hope to see some consistency with the playcalling in this ball game.
5.) Bell vs Freeney in the first series, I know we wont see alot of Dwight in the game but we should see Bell go head to head with one of the games elite pass rushers for the first series this should give us a solid assessment of what we are to expect from Bell this year, especially coming off an injury.
6.) Because of Jeff Saturdays injury we wont get to see Torrell Troup go against a perennial pro bowler, but to see how the kid handles Peytons hard counts, Peytons quick counts should be interesting.
7.) The Colts run an awful lot of powers where Peyton literally sprints to get the ball in the RB’s hands, it will be interesting to see how the new 3-4 eats up blockers and allows the LB’s to get free and make tackles.
8.) It will be nice to see how Joique Bell and Chad Simpson handle second stringers and actual NFL caliber players as opposed to undrafted free agents that wont even be in the NFL.

Curious – where are all the “preseason doesn’t matter” comments that I kept seeing last year? I know it’s a new regime, rebuilding year, etc, etc. But hasn’t this team been rebuilding for like 10 years now?

I’m just hoping something positive comes out of tonight. Hopefully it isn’t the Bills’ pregnancy test after a raping by the Colts.

Any hope for even a mediocre season rests on someone playing QB well…….

Spiller better not get hurt.