Jaguars @ Bills Preview

The third preseason game is generally seen as a dress rehearsal for the starters and we should see most of the first string playing at least a series into the 3rd quarter. My preview is after the jump.

With Chris Kelsay out and Marcel Dareus also looking like he will be sidelined tonight, I'm looking to see how a few backups will perform in extended action.

Expect to see Alex Carrington playing a few different positions, probably starting for Kelsay at LOLB in base packages and DE in nickel packages. Carrington has impressed so far this preseason, showing off his versatility rushing the passer as a stand-up outside linebacker and rushing from a three point stance as DE.

I'm also excited to see what Spencer Johnson looks like on the defensive line. I expect to see him getting a lot of reps with Kyle Williams and Dwan Edwards when the defense is in it's base package. He's shown that he is going to be a valuable reserve and possibly more along the defensive line.

I don't know how often we'll see Torrel Troup line up next to Williams - either as a DE on Williams' left or NT with Williams playing DE/DT but I think this combination could be very stout against the run. Troup showed off some very good pass rushing moves last week in the second half against the Broncos as well.

Buffalo's secondary did not have a good showing last week against the Broncos. Kyle Orton threw for threw for 135 yards playing half-way through the 2nd quarter and I'd be lying if I said those yards were tough to come by. Leodis McKelvin in particular looked lost in coverage, routinely leaving his man open by two yards or more to make receptions. I'm looking for improved pass-coverage tonight from the Bills as their run defense looks vastly improved and with a bit of a pass rush, this defense could really surprise some teams in 2011.

Offensively, the Bills starters are still looking for their first touchdown of the preseason. Their offensive line is still a work in progress and will be presented with a good test tonight against the Jags defensive line. The interior of that line is anchored by TnT - Tyson Alualu and Terrance Knighton. Aaron Kampman and newcomer Matt Roth will be bookending the Jags defensive line which should be both stout against the run and able to effectively rush the passer without much blitzing. The Bills will use their arsenal of misdirection runs and screen passes to slow down the pass rush but I expect to see a lot of four and five receiver sets again without much help provided to the offensive line to see how they perform. Hopefully we will see an improvement over last week when Buffalo's offensive line got "manhandled" by the Broncos.

Buffalo's wide receiver position was once considered full of depth but injuries have made this a position of concern. Stevie Johnson will once again be Fitzpatrick's main target but it is still unknown who is going to line up on the other side of the field. Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish and Naaman Roosevelt are all doubtful for tonight's game. Buster Davis, Marcus Easley and David Nelson will all get reps to show what they can do. I'm excited to see what forgotten man David Nelson will do with extended reps. It is also possible that we will see more running backs catching passes out of the backfield as Jacksonville has a newly acquired middle linebacker who is not particularly gifted when it comes to pass coverage.

Overall, I think the Jags present the Bills with a good challenge. Buffalo needs to prove that injuries won't derail any progress as far as run defense is concerned and they will also need to have someone step up to cover an excellent pass catching tightend in Mercedes Lewis. Offensively, the Bills need to have a good showing and the starters need to score at least one touchdown or there are going to be a lot of fans ready to jump way off the cliff. For that to happen, the offensive line needs to show improvement and Fred Jackson needs to get 10-15 carries.

Go Bills!