Edwards coming through with clutch plays (buffalobills.com)

For the past two weeks, Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards has begun to make a name for himself as a clutch performer in the fourth quarter.  Even though he has only a dozen NFL starts under his belt, Edwards has now led the Bills to fourth-quarter comeback wins in three of his eight NFL victories - and two of those have come in the past two weeks.

Edwards has enjoyed an outstanding start to the 2008 season.  He's completing 67 percent of his passes, has thrown for 733 yards - at 7.8 yards per attempt, no less - has three scores and, most importantly, the young Bills team he's in charge of leading has stormed out of the gate to a 3-0 record.  Edwards' 96.6 quarterback rating makes him the fifth-highest rated quarterback in the AFC - behind Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger.

What's more, folks close to the organization have been equally impressed with Edwards' growth off the field as they have been with his play on it.  Edwards is becoming more assertive in just his second NFL season.  He's calm, he's confident, and he keeps his teammates confident.  That's just as valuable as the clutch throws he's been making.  Our young quarterback is really coming into his own; to say he's "arrived" would be premature, but "arriving" seems fairly accurate.  If the kid keeps working at it, we might just have something special on our hands.

Just how good has Edwards been in the fourth quarter?  Normally I'd pick apart numbers, analyze them, and expand on what they mean.  This morning, I don't have to - not by a long stretch.  This stat line speaks for itself, and proves exactly how clutch Edwards has been in the team's last two victories:

Edwards in the fourth quarter (in wins over JAX and OAK)
21/29, 268 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 123.9 QB rating
Bills: 27 points scored in 4-point and 1-point victories

The kid gets it done in the clutch, folks.  The Bills may have found themselves a quarterback.  I'm going to do my best to keep my enthusiasm in check - but please be understanding if I fail miserably.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off of their second straight win to open the 2008 NFL season, and since it's Tuesday, it's time for another Buffalo Rumblings Film Session to get into the finer details of Sunday's game.  Their performance wasn't as high-impact as it was in the season opener, but Buffalo's league-leading special teams played well for a second straight week.

Punt returns?  Check, and it's becoming business as usual to excel for Roscoe Parrish.  Coverage units?  Check.  Great performance.  Kick returns, on the other hand...

Underwhelming kick returns
For a second straight week (and for the record, they only got one legitimate chance in Week 1), Buffalo's kick return units weren't the outstanding unit we've come to expect.  Terrence McGee in particular was bad; on the opening kick of the game, he chose to run out of bounds on the short sideline rather than cut toward the middle of the field, where he had a bit more blocking.  That was unexpected, and something I haven't seen from him in a while.  Leodis McKelvin didn't fare much better on his returns; the Bills barely scraped possession at their 20-yard line each time they touched the ball.

Give some credit where credit is due - Jacksonville's special teams units are emerging as some of the league's best, and that was evident in their kick coverage (and you can bet they're working on punt coverage this week).  However, to me, the problem lies in the wedge - thanks to how Dick Jauron chooses his inactives, we've had some changing of personnel in this unit.  Sunday's wedge consisted of Fred Jackson, Darian Barnes and Kyle Williams, and their play wasn't great.  This is just one area (the other is kick coverage) where we'll see some growing pains as Bobby April adjusts to new special teams personnel.

Simpson, Scott, Neill excelling in kick/punt coverage
Three guys showed up on tape as having excellent days covering kicks: Ko Simpson, Bryan Scott and long snapper Ryan Neill.  Simpson in particular has been making some big hits on kick returns early in the year - and against a couple of good kick returners in Brian Witherspoon and Josh Wilson.  Scott's contributions aren't surprising; we've known for a while that he's a good hitter, and he's one of a few defenders who tackle consistently on first contact.  Neill's the most fun to watch - play in and play out, he's gangbusters down the field and is often the first cover man to reach a punt returner.  He just needs to work on keeping his snaps up for his holder.

Overall, there's room to improve in both kick and punt coverage units, but plays are being made.  The Bills have some of the best pure athletes on special teams, and each of them is going 100% every play.  As I said above, they're playing well right now; it's hard to imagine them not getting better as they play together more.

Roscoe outstanding once again
Here's a question that I'll put out there for y'all to ponder: is there a more exciting play in the NFL than a Roscoe Parrish punt return?  I'm going with "no", and I wish more football fans league-wide realized it.  He's sensational.  It helps, of course, that his blockers routinely give him tons of room to operate (and let me tell you, they block hard - it's common to see two or three bone-crunching hits on a Parrish return).

Buffalo's offense will likely experience some inconsistency in coming weeks - they are still, after all, very young at key positions - so it would be beneficial if you could just keep on keepin' on, Roscoe.  Take notice, football fans - the NFL's best punt returner is NOT named Hester.  It's Roscoe Parrish.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off of their second straight win to open the 2008 NFL season, and since it's Tuesday, it's time for another Buffalo Rumblings Film Session to get into the finer details of Sunday's game.  The Bills' defense performed quite well for a second consecutive week; let's break down the performance right now.

In two games, the Buffalo Bills' defense has given up just 26 points, held its opponents to under 100 rush yards in both contests, and been active enough to shut down two offenses that were quite good in 2007.  This, folks, is no longer your read-and-react defense; it's now read, react and lay the bleeping lumber.

Poor tackling not a concern going forward
We noticed it during the game and it was just as ugly to watch again: Buffalo's tackling was sub par in this game.  I counted a dozen badly missed tackles, and seven of those occurred in the Jaguars' offensive backfield.  All twelve of those missed tackles came from guys who played in the front seven, and none of them were from Keith Ellison.  No one guy was to blame; everybody (again, except Ellison) had a bad play or two.  The team made up for it, however, with outstanding play in the secondary; more on that in a moment.

I'm not particularly concerned with this development because of the circumstances.  I don't think we give David Garrard and Fred Taylor enough credit - they were able to wiggle out of some sticky situations because they're just really good players.  It was also hot, so I'm chalking up a few of those misses to fatigue.  It was ugly, but these are good football players that were missing these tackles - they'll turn it around.

Secondary the strength of D in Jacksonville
I can't overstate just how excited I am about Buffalo's secondary.  There weren't any missed tackles by the six guys who saw the most playing time, and all of them were aggressive and hit hard.  Obviously, Ashton Youboty got the most credit - he had three huge plays in this game, including two big tackles in the open field that stalled potential Jaguars touchdown drives.  Jabari Greer also played well, contesting a lot of passes against much bigger receivers and hitting hard for a second straight week.

Donte Whitner, Ko Simpson, Bryan Scott and Terrence McGee all made big hits (and in McGee's case, big plays) in victory as well.  This is not the same defensive backfield we watched last season, folks; schematic changes and a more aggressive nature have led to much more aggressive play through two games.  Hits are made immediately after the catch (in fact, outside of a couple of screen receptions by Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jags probably had less than 10 YAC yards).  The cushion that Perry Fewell prefers his corners to give is smaller.  This unit saved Buffalo's defensive effort on Sunday, and as it's the deepest part of the defense, they should only continue to get better.

Confusion enough to keep Jags at bay
Buffalo went into this game with the idea that they would use stunts and disguised blitzes to confuse the Jaguars' makeshift interior offensive line; to an extent, it did the job.  Buffalo recorded two sacks on the day (bringing their season total to 7, over a quarter of the total they had in 2007), and Garrard was forced to scramble on four occasions.  As expected, Marcus Stroud was able to collapse the pocket several times from the middle of the line, but Buffalo's blitzers were not as effective getting to the quarterback as they were against Seattle.

The real purpose of the confusion, however, is to keep Jacksonville's offense off-balance - and that's exactly what it did.  Fewell's scheme was once again excellent (so good it overcame poor tackling, in fact), and Garrard made only a handful of good throws downfield, most of them coming in the third quarter when Buffalo's defense was running on fumes.  The Jags didn't come close to moving the ball effectively for much of this game, and when they did, the Bills made plays at the right time to snuff out drives.  It wasn't a very pretty effort, but it was effective - and that's all they needed to pull out the win.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off of their second straight win to open the 2008 NFL season, and since it's Tuesday, it's time for another Buffalo Rumblings Film Session to get into the finer details of Sunday's game.  We'll start with the offense - the unit that carried the team to victory on Sunday.

Buffalo's offense made some serious strides in Sunday's win over Jacksonville.  For the first time in a long time (thank you, Steve Fairchild-Mularkey), the Bills were aggressive and highly efficient in victory - a big reason that punter Brian Moorman was only called to duty three times.

Poor run blocking for second straight week
However, the Bills didn't come out of Jacksonville with a perfect resume offensively.  Averaging just 2.9 yards per rush didn't help quarterback Trent Edwards out (though he ultimately didn't need it), and the fact that the Bills are only averaging 3.45 yards per carry on the season is cause for concern moving forward - though, admittedly, the team has played two stingy run defenses in Seattle and Jacksonville.

I have a theory regarding Buffalo's inability to run block, and I haven't heard it discussed much - height.  Buffalo has an unusually tall offensive line, specifically at guard - Derrick Dockery (6'6") and Brad Butler (6'7") are tall compared to average guards in the NFL.  Don't forget, either, that Langston Walker (6'8") and tight end Robert Royal (6'6") - two more valuable run blockers - are tall dudes as well.  These are all excellent athletes, but their height sacrifices some leverage in the run game - and that's why shorter defensive tackles like Seattle's Craig Terrill (6'2") and Jacksonville's Rob Meier (6'4") are so effective stuffing the run - they're playing lower and faster.  It doesn't help, either, that the Jaguars and Seahawks were playing a lot of defenders close to the line of scrimmage.

The quick fix (though it's a band-aid): keep up the misdirection, and whip fullback Darian Barnes into shape.  Barnes, as many of you have noticed, is terribly inconsistent as a run blocker.  He doesn't seem to have much chemistry with the line or his backs yet.  This has potential to improve, but there's a long way to go.

Dynamic running back duo
Despite the rushing woes, you've got to hand it to Buffalo's dynamic running back duo of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson - these guys are the heartbeat of the entire offensive attack.  Lynch ran for 59 yards, and a good 45 of them came of his own accord.  Jackson was Edwards' best possession receiver on Sunday; he's truly excellent after the catch.  I'm not speaking specifically about his long gainers, either - I'm talking about the fact that of his seven catches, five went for first downs.  The guy runs routes like a receiver and runs after the catch like a running back; he's quickly becoming one of Buffalo's most valuable offensive threats.  These guys complement each other perfectly, and they're an absolute joy to watch.  As a duo, they rank among the top five in the league in 1-2 punches.

In particular, I like the balance of these two runners.  No defender has been able to take either Lynch or Jackson down on first contact this year; Jackson in particular is very adept at making the first guy miss.  They're chain-movers, and they're very good at their craft.

The value of spreading the ball around
Yes, over a third of Edwards' completions went to Jackson (7 of 20), but Edwards proved again Sunday that he's a master of spreading the ball around.  Lee Evans and Josh Reed both caught four balls for over 10 yards per reception.  James Hardy had the first two catches of his professional career, including the deciding touchdown (a highlight that I could watch on repeat possibly for the rest of my life).

It's even more impressive over the two-game stretch.  Completing 71% of his passes, Edwards has hit Evans eight times (for a whopping 22.4 yards per catch), Jackson and Reed seven times, Royal six times, and Lynch and Roscoe Parrish four times each.  That's 36 of his 39 completions right there.  It's evident on tape that the balance in the passing game is what is keeping the offense unpredictable and moving the chains.  I'd still like to see the team take some shots downfield earlier in the game, however, particularly to loosen up the box to help out the rushing attack.  It's not perfect, but it's effective.  There's room for growth, but this offense has gotten off to a good start in 2008.

Edwards making quick strides (buffalobills.com)

So this is what it looks like to have good, consistent quarterback play.  How quickly we can forget as fans of the Buffalo Bills.

Second-year quarterback Trent Edwards made just his eleventh career start in yesterday's 20-16 Bills win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the 24-year-old signal caller looked like a seasoned vet - and his play reflected it.  It's hard to overstate just how clutch Edwards' performance was on Sunday.  This was the team's first road game of the season, and it came in a hostile environment with harsh (read: superbly hot) weather conditions against a tough, physical defense.  The odds were stacked against the quarterback; he calmly defied them.  His play has Bills fans everywhere - including yours truly, a fervent defender of J.P. Losman during the 2007 (my, crow is delicious) - excited about not only his potential, but now his production.

Edwards makes critical plays in W over Jags
It was Edwards' right arm that saved the day for Buffalo and vaulted them to their first 2-0 start since the 2003 season.  Edwards completed 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards and a game-winning touchdown to rookie receiver James Hardy with four minutes left to play.  He was efficient, he was smart with the ball, but perhaps most importantly, he was at his best when his team needed him to be - he orchestrated a 12-play opening touchdown drive to give the Bills a 7-0 lead early, and he won the game late in the fourth quarter.  His quarterback rating on the day was an outstanding 119.8.

Edwards has shown in his brief stint as the Bills' starting quarterback that he has what it takes to win games late.  He did it last year in a come-from-behind victory against the Washington Redskins (whose defense at the time was orchestrated b Gregg Williams, whose Jaguars defense Edwards so easily carved up yesterday).  He nearly did it with the season on the line in Cleveland in some of the worst weather conditions a quarterback could play in.  He certainly did it yesterday.

Now Edwards, along with his team, is off to a fast start.  The team is 2-0 (lifting Edwards' career record to 7-4 as a starter), and Edwards himself has amassed a 107.7 quarterback rating in two wins over 2007 playoff teams in Seattle and Jacksonville.  He's completed 71 percent of his passes (39 completions in 55 attempts) for 454 yards and two scores.  He's thrown no interceptions and turned the ball over only once.  His 8.25 yards per pass attempt is an outstanding statistic indicative of how efficient he's become.  He's been sacked just four times while proving that he's highly proficient at reading defenses and getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

Living up to his vote of confidence
Some fans and experts were critical of the Bills' decision to hand the reigns of the franchise over to Edwards after a solid yet highly unspectacular rookie season in which he was 5-4 as a starter, yet threw more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (7).  Those fans who supported the decision - like the Bills - are being rewarded for their confidence in Edwards.  He doesn't look like he's got less than a year of starting experience.  He's smart with the football and can make big plays with his arm.  In short, he's the perfect quarterback for a team led by Dick Jauron - and the team is showing it thus far.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, however, it's important to realize just how much growing up Edwards still has to do.  There are still moments where he hangs onto the football for a touch too long, and that's been the case on nearly every sack he's taken this season.  Perspective is great, so remember that he's only started eleven games.  He's bound to see defensive looks he's never seen before in upcoming games, and he'll need to handle them as well as he's handled himself to date.  His health is still a concern - we need to be knocking on wood every day that Edwards stays healthy, because he's been quite injury-prone at Stanford and missed some time last year with an injured wrist.

But it's OK to be excited.  It's obvious that this quarterback has what it takes - namely, the smarts and moxie to handle difficult situations, and the arm to make plays - to play at a high level consistently.  Buffalo made an unusual move when they gave Edwards the ultimate vote of confidence and named him their starting quarterback immediately following the 2007 season.  But then again, Edwards is an unusual player - for the Bills, at least.  He's a competent NFL quarterback, and he's got the potential to be much more than that.

Lynch, offense make plays late for W (Associated Press)

Playing in their biggest regular season game of recent memory, the Buffalo Bills used a quick start and fast finish to escape Jacksonville with a 20-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rookie wide receiver James Hardy used every bit of his 6'5" frame to nab a touchdown throw from Trent Edwards late in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 17-16 lead.  Buffalo's defense - which played well, but was not as dominant as they were in a win over Seattle - then forced a three and out, and a 28-yard punt return by Roscoe Parrish allowed the Bills to tack on a field goal.

A last-gasp drive by the Jaguars resulted in an illegal forward pass penalty, a clock run-off of 10 seconds, and that was the game.

Offense makes enough plays to win
Unlike their Week 1 victory - in which Buffalo's defense and special teams were largely responsible for the victory - Buffalo's offense made the necessary plays to clinch the victory.  The team got out to an early 10-3 lead (which they carried into halftime) behind some solid play-calling and a touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch.  This game would prove to be Lynch's first as a professional in which he ended the game with under 60 rushing yards; he carried 19 times for 59 yards with the score.

A third-quarter surge, however, allowed the Jaguars - behind a short touchdown plunge by Maurice Jones-Drew - to extend their lead to 13-10.  Then an Edwards fumble - the second-year quarterback's only mistake on the day - was recovered by the Jags, and another field goal extended the lead to 16-10.

That's when Buffalo's young offense responded.  Edwards hit Lee Evans on a long third-down conversion that set up the Hardy touchdown, and he did it right from the teeth of a strong Jaguars pass rush (Edwards was sacked three times).  Buffalo's young quarterback played very well, completing 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards and the game-winning score.  His QB rating was an outstanding 119.8.

The meaning of an early road victory
This is a gigantic win for the Bills on several levels.  This win comes on a day in which Buffalo's stalwart special teams was fooled on a brilliant onside kick call by Jack Del Rio that swung momentum to Jacksonville in a big way in the third quarter.  It came on a day in which Buffalo's defense, while playing well, missed several key tackles and didn't take advantage of a banged up Jaguars offensive line as they should have.

But the plays came at the right time for Buffalo's defense and special teams.  With a one-point lead late in the fourth quarter, a Kyle Williams sack of Jaguars QB David Garrard eliminated the option of going for it on fourth down, forcing Jacksonville to punt.  That's when Parrish, on a poor punt by Adam Podlesh, returned the ball for 28 yards to set up the late field goal to pad the Bills' lead.

In the first two weeks of the 2008 NFL season, the Bills have beaten two playoff teams from last year, including a big conference win on the road.  People will now inevitably start to notice that this team is, at least thus far, a legitimate playoff threat.  Can Buffalo keep their heads on straight, their noses to the grindstone, and start winning games they're supposed to win in the face of much higher expectations?  Time will tell, but for the first time in about a decade, it's just nice to be in this situation.

Rumblings Game Balls
Three game balls for three very key players today:

RB Fred Jackson: In short, Jackson was the lifeblood of the offense today.  He was, in essence, Buffalo's version of Kevin Faulk - that annoying running back that isn't overly talented but annoyingly moves the chains.  Jackson's 7 catches for 83 yards paced the club, and without that production, the Bills don't win this game.

WR James Hardy: Not bad for his second career NFL reception, right?  Offensive coordinator Turk Schonert finally got his rookie wideout in for a goal line package, and Hardy showed why he was worth Buffalo's second-round pick.  His catch was great, and his field presence in that situation was even more impressive.  He'll see more and more time as the season wears on.

CB Ashton Youboty: On a day in which Buffalo's defense struggled mightily to tackle, Youboty got the defense off the field in key situations in the third quarter.  Two key stops on third-and-manageable by Youboty forced field goals, and again - without those stops, the Bills aren't down just 6 late in the game.  He has easily been Buffalo's most consistent defender through two weeks, and he also registered a sack today.

Game Thread Roll Call
Many thanks to the fine folks who stopped by to chat during today's hopping game thread.  Kudos go out to NJBillsfan, who paced us all with 59 comments.  Glad to see so many people out to enjoy the big win!

StuckInNJ, Cinga, Zumone, RabidBuffalo, Ron From NM, Brian Galliford, the Skycap, Buffalonian, BuffCrunch, TheK-GunNeedsReloaded, MonStarr_716, Memphisbillsfan, karovda, keuka121, D.O., twoeightnine, krytime, jj24, Krenn, NJBillsfan, JoeGoal, BeastMode, TheSharp, Joe P., thefourwinds, spavery, fletcherjd, WABillsfan, tlowe52, norcaliangelsfan, Hopefulcynic, River City Rage, jdol1568

Enjoy this one, Bills fans.  Much more on this game, as well as next week's game, in the coming days.

     
Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
1:00 PM ET, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (CBS)
Key Matchups :: What to Watch For :: Big Cat Country
Video Preview :: Jaguars on Stroud :: Marshawn on Marshawn
BUF Injury Report :: JAX Injury Report
Bills inactives: WR Johnson, RB Omon, CB Corner, OL Whittle, OL Bell, TE Fine, DE Ellis

This is it, Buffalo Bills fans - get ready for Buffalo's biggest regular season game in the last decade.  The Bills fancy themselves playoff contenders, but they haven't made many believers yet.  A victory against Jacksonville - in a notoriously difficult place to play and over a team that remains among the conference's elite franchises - would go a long way toward converting a few more non-believers.

This one, folks, should be very good - and this is the place to talk about it.  We're about to find out exactly what our team is made of; whether the club is a contender or merely a pretender.  So if you're looking for the best place to discuss the game LIVE, search no more - just create a free account and get chatting.

Game on.  It's time to make believers of the NFL.  GO BILLS!

Bills LB Mitchell must key on Garrard (buffalobills.com)

All week, we - along with every other fan of the Buffalo Bills across the country - have talked about what it would mean if the Bills emerged victoriously from this weekend''s game in Jacksonville, where they'll take on a very good Jaguars team in just over a day's time.  For a young Bills team that's on the upswing yet hasn't made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season, a win in Jacksonville would be the biggest win for the franchise in recent memory.

Yet a victory is anything but a given.  The Jaguars are coming off of an opening day loss to the Tennessee Titans, and despite the fact that they're banged up along the offensive line, this is the team's home opener, and the physical brand of football they prefer makes them a tough win for any opponent they face.  This is a playoff team that the Bills are about to take on, with a solid head coach, tremendous athleticism, and an excellent quarterback in David Garrard as their leader.  To expect victory would be foolish.  But this is a winnable football game.  If the Bills can exploit the following three matchups - along with taking care of business in five key areas - the Bills will dramatically increase their chances of pulling off a huge win tomorrow.

BUF LB Kawika Mitchell vs. JAX QB David Garrard
If I'm defensive coordinator Perry Fewell (and for the record, I'm glad I'm not - I'd be screwing up his good thing), my focus is on containing Garrard.  Allowing the quarterback to make plays on the move would erase even a stellar performance otherwise by my defense.  In order to contain Garrard, I'm not laying off on my blitz packages, I'm using a spy - and the guy I'm using is Kawika Mitchell.  No Bills defender is better coming downhill than the free agent addition, and he has the athleticism to take care of Garrard in space.  Donte Whitner is an option in spying Garrard as well.

BUF WR Lee Evans vs. JAX CB Drayton Florence
Last week, Buffalo's offense - while wildly inconsistent - was able to be effective enough for a dominant victory by exploiting favorable matchups.  The biggest one that Buffalo hit on was when Seahawks CB Kelly Jennings lined up across the line of scrimmage from the team's top wideout, Lee Evans - Evans hauled in four passes for a whopping 102 yards, picking up yardage in large enough chunks to make up for a faulty ground game.  The Jaguars will try to match up their top corner - Rashean Mathis - on Evans as often as possible, but when the Bills' top receiver draws Florence, he needs to make him pay.

BUF OGs Derrick Dockery/Brad Butler vs. JAX LB Mike Peterson
No, Buffalo's offensive line (more on them momentarily) won't be able to fully contain Jags DT John Henderson, because it's rarely done.  Henderson is a key factor for the Jaguars, but the Bills should instead work on getting their mobile guards to the second level on run plays in the hopes of erasing MLB Mike Peterson.  The 32-year-old linebacker was a bit of a liability in the team's loss to the Titans (though he played well overall), and if the Bills can get their hat on the veteran a few times in this game, it could lean to some long gainers by Marshawn Lynch.  Picking up yardage in large chunks is crucial to success early on for Buffalo's young offense.

Game Notes
A few notes to pass your way this fine Saturday morning on what we're hearing about tomorrow's game.  Important to note: we cannot actually confirm any of these developments.  We trust that these things will come to fruition, but for the purposes of this post, let's refer to these notes as "informed speculation":

- Peters to play, start: We're hearing that Dick Jauron will announce later this afternoon that OT Jason Peters will play and start in this matchup - not a huge surprise.  We're also hearing, however, that the team plans on shaking things up on the line for a series or two to keep Peters fresh (he's still not at 100% football shape), so expect to see Langston Walker on the left side and Kirk Chambers on the right occasionally as well.  We have not heard, however, who the Bills will be releasing to make room for Peters on the active roster - I'm personally guessing it will be Demetrius Bell.

- Bills worried about heat: Buffalo will be taking precautions on what is expected to be a humid 94-degree day in Jacksonville.  For starters, DT John McCargo is expected to be active as the Bills look to supplement their defensive line rotation (we believe that Xavier Omon will be inactive for this one, as the team won't sacrifice a specialist - risky, however, for Lynch and Fred Jackson).

Also, in an effort to preserve Terrence McGee's energies for his cornerback duties, don't be shocked to see Leodis McKelvin handle some kickoffs in select situations.  Receiver James Hardy is also expected to play more as well as the Bills look to become more efficient attacking the middle of the field via the pass.

More as we hear it.  Get ready for tomorrow's Open Game Thread, folks - it opens a half-hour before kickoff, 1ET.  We're looking forward to chatting with you during tomorrow's big game.

     
Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Sunday, 1:00 PM ET (CBS)

The Buffalo Bills, in just under two days' time, will play their most highly-anticipated regular season game in recent memory when they travel to Jacksonville to take on a tough Jaguars team.  There's no need to bring up just how big a win in Jacksonville would be to this franchise; I believe that every Bills fan out there has subconsciously felt that importance ever since the team's 34-10 opening day win over Seattle.  A win would be huge, to be certain, but it's also important to realize that a loss isn't the end of the world - and this game will almost assuredly be a battle.

This is a very winnable game for the Bills.  The Jags are reeling a bit after dropping a 17-10 decision to the Tennessee Titans on opening day, and their injury woes on the offensive line are well-documented.  But this is the NFL.  The Jags may be weakened, but they'll be ready.  The Bills will be ready too.  Here's what Buffalo needs to do to emerge from Jacksonville with an unblemished record...

Third downs will be key: Buffalo got lucky in this area against Seattle.  Poor weather and great defense - on both sides of the ball - led to both the Bills and Seahawks' poor third down conversion rates; the Seahawks converted just 3 of 16 third downs into firsts, while the Bills weren't much better at 4 of 16.  The Bills' defense will be looking for a repeat performance in this category in Jacksonville, but if the offense can't improve on that number, they'll be in serious trouble.  It's going to be a hot one, and the team with the most rested defense will have a huge advantage.  Sustaining drives is an absolute must.

Run. The. Ball.: I don't care how it gets done.  They can pass to set up the run, they can run to set up the pass; the only thing that matters is that the Bills have a consistent rushing attack in this game.  They didn't have that against Seattle - they had a few big runs by Marshawn Lynch and a mediocre attack beyond those carries.  O-Line coach Sean Kugler needs to start making a concerted effort in getting his massive offensive line (average weight: 332) blocking well in the running game.  They weren't particularly effective against Seattle, and they've got some big bodies to move around in Jacksonville.  They'll need to be on their game - Jason Peters or no Jason Peters.

Utilize the screen pass offensively: If we know anything about Jags defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, it's that he likes to employ an aggressive defense.  He'll blitz, he'll stunt, he'll mix it up - he'll do anything it takes to keep the Bills off-balance.  The only way that the Bills can re-gain that balance is to keep the Jags on their toes, and that's achieved by the screen pass.  The Bills were dangerously close to having some considerably large gains on screens against Seattle, but the passes couldn't be completed.  That play, while not completely imperative to beating the Jaguars, would go a long way toward making Williams re-think his aggressive ways.

Eliminate explosive Jags runs: To be honest, I'm not overly concerned about Jacksonville's dynamic rushing duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.  I have a lot of confidence in this Bills defense, particularly against Jacksonville's weakened offensive front.  I don't think the Jags will be able to run the ball consistently no matter how they try it.  With backs as talented as Taylor and MoJo, however, one run is all you need to have a big day.  The Bills can't allow either of these backs to explode in this game for a long play, especially a scoring play - it would render all of their run stuffs pretty worthless.

Contain QB David Garrard: It's no secret that Garrard is a threat when running - just take a look at his game-clinching jaunt in Jacksonville's playoff win over Pittsburgh last season.  It's also no secret that Jacksonville's wide receivers - boosted by the return to health of Jerry Porter - have a very large size advantage over Buffalo's competitive but diminutive corners.  Pass rush Garrard all you want, but don't let him escape the pocket, whatever you do, Buffalo.  Garrard is dangerous on the move, and coverages generally break down when quarterbacks run - which will emphasize that size advantage in the receiving corps.  Keeping Garrard contained is absolutely essential when the Jags are throwing - and the team's two best defenders last Sunday, Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell, need to be the erasers.

Much more on this game tomorrow and on game day, when we'll cover the event live with our usual Open Game Thread.  We're hearing some things about personnel and game situations that we'll pass your way tomorrow as well (though, at this time, none of it is confirmed).  Stay tuned!

Garrard missing key portions of O-Line (NFL.com)

It's a good thing Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard is mobile.  He, like his entire team, will be doing a lot of scrambling on Sunday as they play their home opener against the Buffalo Bills.

The Jaguars dropped their season opener for the second straight season to the Tennessee Titans, a 17-10 loss that was devastating to more than just their early-season record.  Jacksonville lost its most dominant run blocker - left guard Vince Manuwai - and stellar right guard Maurice Williams to season-ending injuries.  Center Brad Meester is already hurt, meaning that the Jaguars will be taking on the Bills with three reserves in the middle of their offensive line.  The team was scrambling early in the week, signing street free agents including Chad Slaughter, Milford Brown and Todd Wade to help fill the void inside.

Despite the losses, the Jaguars will still be a dangerous offense on Sunday.  Why?  Precisely because they're in scramble mode.

Game plans should change
You can bet that, hell-bent on getting off to a quick start, the Bills have been game-planning for the Jaguars for a number of months now.  A certain percentage of that game plan, however, likely goes out the window simply because the Bills are about to play a different Jags team than they expected to play, specifically offensively.

Jacksonville will likely concentrate less on running the ball up the middle due to their injuries, instead utilizing their backs' cutting ability to exploit the edges of Buffalo's defense.  They will likely have to alter their pass protection schemes to handle the Bills' stunting and blitz packages, and there's a very good chance that they'll utilize Garrard's mobility on bootlegs and moving behind slide protections.  Literally, Garrard will be scrambling more so that he has time to deliver the ball.

There's a point where talent overwhelms, however, and Buffalo's depth along the defensive line - as well as their ability to blitz with linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Paul Posluszny, as well as cornerback Ashton Youboty and safety Donte Whitner - should do just that to the revamped Jaguars front.  Still, Buffalo's back seven should be challenged by the accurate Garrard, especially when he's on the move.

Jags getting healthy in areas, too
One area where the Jaguars look to improve on Sunday is in the wide receiver corps.  Jerry Porter, the team's biggest free agent acquisition this off-season, missed the season opener in Tennessee, but it's likely he'll make his Jaguars debut against the Bills.  Porter, while flawed, is a playmaker - something Jacksonville's offense sorely lacked last week.  To boot, receiver Matt Jones - busted for cocaine possession earlier this off-season - has re-emerged in the offense, boosting the Jags' depth in their big, physical receiving corps.

Garrard completed 23 of 35 passes in Tennessee, but only one receiver - Jones (6 catches, 80 yards) - averaged over 10 yards per reception.  Garrard was throwing intermediate routes in most cases; he'll likely be doing that again on Sunday with the Jags' offensive line in flux.  The Jaguars will, however, continue to take shots downfield, especially with Porter and speedster Troy Williamson in the lineup.  They have to; otherwise, the Bills will stack the box against Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew (who are still quite dangerous, and containing this duo is an absolute must), and the Jags could be staring another 10-point outing in the face.

How the Bills can do enough to win
You can put a lot of bank on the fact that barring unforeseen circumstances, Marcus Stroud is going to have a big day.  The Jags will do all they can to take Stroud out of the equation, but after seeing him dominate the Seahawks, I don't think the big man can be denied.  Look for the Bills to spy Garrard's movement with Mitchell, Posluszny, Whitner or Youboty; all four have the ability to keep Garrard's rushing in check and make plays coming forward, a necessity to slowing down the Jags' attack.

As the Bills proved in their win over Seattle, the easiest way to win football games is to have all three phases involved and making plays.  The Bills will try to follow the formula that helped them beat Seattle (and for the record, it's the best way to win a football game handily) - grab an early lead, stop the run, and tee off once the Jags are one-dimensional.  But this is a big game, and you can bet the Jags will be prepared.  Avoiding the big play is an absolute must if the Bills want to stay competitive; big plays (along with turnovers) killed the team's chances at pulling off an upset in Jacksonville in 2007, and they'll need to reverse that trend this Sunday.

The Bills might be able to pull it off - and if they do, the Jags will be scrambling once again.

     
Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
SB Nation's Jaguars coverage: Big Cat Country

The Buffalo Bills are set to square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in just over three days' time, and these teams could not be coming off of more different Week 1 results.  The Bills dominated the Seahawks in a 34-10 win in their home opener; the Jags, however, dropped a 17-10 decision to division rival Tennessee, losing several offensive linemen along the way.  The events of Week 1 have many Bills fans believing that a Week 2 game that most of us had chalked up as a loss might, in fact, be a winnable game.

Want more low-down on the Jaguars?  Big Cat Country is the place to be, and the man who heads up that effort, River City Rage, was kind enough to answer a few questions of mine about his Jaguars as we start mentally preparing for this game.  (OK... I'm just straight up ready for the game, as I'm sure many of you are.  But we might as well talk about it until then, right?)

Buffalo Rumblings: With a banged up offensive line and a dinged up Jerry Porter, how concerned are you about the Jaguars' ability to be balanced offensively?

RCR, Big Cat Country: Honestly, I'm terrified.  The tackles - Khalif Barnes and Tony Pashos - get a lot of attention, but our running game was driven by Vince Manuwai. Having the entire middle of our line stocked with second tier players will drastically change the way the Jaguars operate.  In many ways, the Jaguars will have to learn to pass in order to set up the run, rather than running to open up the passing game.  David Garrard will need his recievers to run short crisp routes and exploit their size advantage in order to move the ball down the field.  Look for short passes and a lot of dink and dunk.  That is, unless Tulan Reyes can prove to be a road grating run blocker.  Ed. Note: Don't count on it.

Buffalo Rumblings: Talk a bit about David Garrard, who had a terrific 2007 season.  How confident are you that he can replicate that success in 2008?

RCR, Big Cat Country: I will tell you for a fact that David Garrard will throw more than 3 interceptions.  I can also state for a fact that he'll throw more than 18 touchdowns.  I'm not expecting him to match his numbers - he'll throw more picks, especially with the protection breakdown - but he'll also throw closer to 27 or 28 touchdowns.  Opposing teams are going to key off against the run, and if Porter, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams and Marcedes Lewis can continue to develop in the Jaguars' system (and stay healthy), they'll offset the inevitible decrease in rushing TD's.

Buffalo Rumblings: Gregg Williams takes over what has traditionally been a strong Jaguars defense this season.  Which player(s) has he been attempting to emphasize in his scheme?  Does the defense have a weakness?

RCR, Big Cat Country: Yes, the weakness is that we have to get there.  Gregg Williams called a blitz on 3rd and 15 that Mike Smith would have never called.  Rather than play conservative, the Jaguars attacked and got burned to the tune of a 44 yard catch and run by Bo Scaife.  The Jaguars and Gregg Williams want to be aggressive, but they can't do so until the players can get there.  Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves were drafted (at a cost of picking NO offensive linemen, that's the definition of irony) to bring the heat.  Williams also thinks that Reggie Nelson is greater than or equal to Ed Reed and the three of them are going to be featured.  Weaknesses include: relying on rookie defensive ends to create a pass rush that was not there and moving a cornerback (Brian Williams) to strong safety and assuming he can stuff the run.

***

I'll tell you what, folks - I'm not scared of Jacksonville's offense, and not just because Buffalo's defense played well against Seattle.  The Jaguars will score more points on Buffalo than the Seahawks did, and they'll very likely have an easier time of it moving the ball, with or without half of their offensive line.  But the Jaguars need to make big plays offensively - they aren't a team that can chip their way down the field five or six times a game and come away with points, unless it's supplemented with big chunks of yardage - and Buffalo's defense is tailor-made to avoid such a development.

Their defense, on the other hand, will keep the Jags alive in this one right until the bitter end, for better or for worse.  We've seen the Gregg Williams defense - in fact, the Bills beat it last year when Williams was the defensive coordinator in Washington.  Williams has better talent to work with in Jacksonville.  The Bills should be able to move the ball - if they can do it against the stingy Seahawks defense, they can certainly do it against Jacksonville - but they must absolutely avoid turning the ball over, because that's the lifeblood of the Jaguars.  Turnovers turned a close game into a blowout when the Bills visited Jacksonville last season.

Much more on this game this afternoon and in the coming days.  Time to start building up the adrenaline, Rumblers.