Cassel, Pats run over hapless Bills (Associated Press)

For the third consecutive week, the Buffalo Bills dropped a key divisional game against a solid AFC East rival.  A 20-10 loss to the New England Patriots is Buffalo's fourth loss in their last five games, and leaves them at the bottom of the division less than a month after leading it.

The Bills committed two more turnovers in an abysmal offensive effort that negated solid efforts by Buffalo's defense and special teams.  Left on the field for far too long, Buffalo's defense eventually broke, allowing the Patriots to chew up over 37 minutes of possession time, 144 rushing yards and all of the momentum in this one.  The Bills only lost by 10, but it could have been much, much worse than that - and it probably should have been.

Offense plays terribly
Trent Edwards threw two more interceptions today, and not even a late garbage-time touchdown pass to James Hardy could elevate his QB rating above a paltry 52.8.  He completed 14 of 23 passes for just 120 yards, with the score and two picks.  Once again, Edwards struggled without a solid running game - the Bills rushed for 60 yards on the day, doubling the pathetic 30 they picked up against the Jets last week - and was erratic while enduring a steady Patriots pass rush.  This was easily Edwards' worst performance as a pro; the stats don't tell the whole story.  Buffalo got nothing going offensively.

The predictability of Buffalo's offense is laughable.  One of my key areas of focus tomorrow while reviewing film is going to be putting a percentage to the number of times Edwards throws from under center.  We've seen this predictability before; the fact that it remains an issue is, quite frankly, absurd.

Marshawn Lynch fought hard for the 46 rushing yards he did pick up (averaging 3.3 yards per carry).  Roscoe Parrish was the team's leading receiver with 4 catches for 31 yards; Lee Evans had just 2 receptions for 22 yards in what was easily his worst performance of the season as well.  Teams continue to focus on negating Evans, and it's working wonders.

D, Special Teams keep it close... for a while
While getting no help from the offense, Buffalo's defense and special teams kept this game competitive into the fourth quarter.  The D held the Patriots to just a field goal after Edwards' first interception, and forced a fumble on a Matt Cassel sack after Trent's second pick.  Allowing just 3 points off of turnovers allowed the Bills to stay alive - or, rather, it would have if the offense wasn't playing so terribly.

In the end, however, Buffalo was once again unable to get off the field in the fourth quarter, allowing the Patriots to chew up over 9 minutes of game clock in the fourth quarter.  The Patriots converted 11 of 18 third downs, Cassel scrambled for 22 yards and a score, and rookie undrafted free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis picked up 105 yards and a score on the day.

Leodis McKelvin's 85-yard kickoff return late in the game, along with a strong punting effort from Brian Moorman (four punts downed inside New England's 20) highlighted an excellent special teams effort by the Bills.  The team also did well containing top-flight Patriots returners Ellis Hobbs, Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk.

Three big games coming up
The Bills fell flat on their faces in the toughest stretch of their schedule, and now sit at 0-3 in the division.  The team now plays three very winnable games in a row - at home against Cleveland on Monday Night, at Kansas City, and at home against San Francisco.  Needless to say, anything less than 3 wins in that stretch would likely relegate the Bills to also-ran status in the AFC - if they're not there already.

Game balls
There were some contenders, but a Bills loss negates the need to reward anyone.  If you're looking to hand out "anti-game balls", come on down, Turk Schonert, Trent Edwards and Dick Jauron.  (Yes, I said it.)

Roll Call
Thanks to ALL 34 folks who joined me in today's game thread, and props once again to WABillsFan who paced us all with a healthy 145 comments.

Ron From NM, StuckInNJ, taskersd, silverstreak3k, WABillsfan, BuffaloBrewed, Slimmons, SebastianPruiti, thatguy34, MonStarr_716, fletcherjd, D.O., NJBillsfan, Thronsen, BeastMode, ccthemovieman, keuka121, TheK-GunNeedsReloaded, Kumario!, bullruns, krytime, Cinga, keysh67, NJBill, geno227, Memphisbillsfan, jdol1568, Gino Parilli, TheAfghanTwilight, Hopefulcynic, Kurupt, chaosthepitbull, bflobob8, savedbychrist

I consider myself incredibly lucky to be a season ticket holder at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  I'm afforded the opportunity to see the Bills live at least seven times per season; I know that's an opportunity that many of you would just about die for.  I felt the pain many of you felt this Sunday, however, while trying to do my usual film breakdowns; there's only so much Cincinnati Bengals football I can handle.  Mercifully, we don't play that team this season.

So, with the power outage ultimately leading to a lot of useless time and data on my DVR, I'm shortening up the film sessions to some more general observations this week.  With any luck, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming next week after the Bills face the Dolphins.

C Duke Preston vs C Melvin Fowler
I can appreciate what y'all are saying about the Duke Preston vs Melvin Fowler debate, but please understand that this is one of the weakest debates I've ever seen when it comes to Bills personnel.  Let me assure you that even though Preston was part of a line that performed admirably against San Diego (at least when it came to pass protection), the Bills hold Fowler in much higher regard.  I wasn't too impressed with Preston; I doubt Fowler would have played worse.  Fowler is the starter when he's healthy, and that could be as soon as this week.

Marshawn vs Fred
I saw some folks asking why it was Fred Jackson and not Marshawn Lynch in the game while the Bills were trying to kill clock against the Chargers.  First of all, I didn't see anything different in the way the two backs normally rotate; by the terms of that rotation, it was Jackson's turn to be on the field.  Clearly, Buffalo's coaching staff is every bit as comfortable with Jackson as they are with Lynch to depend on him in that situation.

To add to this, however, I think it's pretty clear that Jackson was giving the Chargers more problems.  Lynch has trouble getting going sometimes; Jackson's a one-cut guy that hits his top speed relatively quick.  Jackson's numbers weren't as gaudy, but he was consistently having much more success running the ball than was Lynch, including up the middle.  Lynch had some long runs to boost his average; Jackson was churning out yardage better.  That may have played into the decision as well.  Combined, these two guys present a ridiculously challenging matchup for our opponents.

DT Kyle Williams
I mentioned prior to the start of the season that I thought DT Kyle Williams was getting ready for a break-out season.  Some of you scoffed.  Williams has been nothing short of Buffalo's best defensive lineman this season; when he's not double teamed, he's exploding into opposing backfields.  Nobody has made more plays in opponent's backfields than Williams this season.  When he's on, he's an absolute monster.  Nothing changed against San Diego; it took two guys to block him most of the game, and when they singled him up, he was highly disruptive once again.

DT John McCargo
Let's give this kid some credit - coming off of his botched trade, McCargo played a surprising amount, and he played pretty well.  He won't pick up much in the way of stats in his current role, simply because he inexplicably demands double teams when he's on the field.  He looked good against San Diego; he drew a double team that helped Copeland Bryan apply serious pressure on Kawika Mitchell's interception.

DE Contain vs Misdirection
This is a recurring problem for the Bills, and if memory serves me correctly, Buffalo's opponents have exploited it at least once in each game this season.  Buffalo's defensive ends make one major mistake in contain per game, and the usual culprits are Chris Kelsay and Bryan.  This week, the mistake came on a 31-yard reverse run by Chargers WR Vincent Jackson.  Buffalo's ends, by and large, played pretty well against San Diego, but it'd be nice if they started playing a bit more disciplined on misdirection plays.

FB Corey McIntyre
I was impressed with Buffalo's new fullback.  He didn't look great as a lead blocker, but he hasn't been allowed to do much of it yet, either, so I won't pass judgment there yet.  Where he looked outstanding was as a wedge-buster on Buffalo's kick coverage units.  McIntyre is like a little bowling ball of pain out there (well, as "little" as a 258-pound man can be, I suppose), and routinely destroyed the Chargers' blocking schemes.  He looked very good in this role.  Another quality signing by Bobby April.  As a result, the Bills were able to quite easily contain one of the NFL's most explosive return men in Chargers RB Darren Sproles.

P Brian Moorman
Let's give our punter some love.  He had a punt nullified by a penalty in the fourth quarter, and during said punt, he developed a pretty serious cramp in his left (plant leg) calf.  While the refs were taking care of the penalty, George Wilson helped Moorman stretch out on the field - but he was clearly bothered.  Moorman stayed on the field, punted a rocket with his left leg in a knot, then hobbled off the field after some excellent punt coverage.  Who said 172-pound punters weren't tough?

There's plenty to be excited about in Buffalo with the Buffalo Bills off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1992.  Yet despite four straight wins to open the 2008 regular season, Bills fans seem increasingly negative about the team's play, specifically in the last two weeks.  I'm here to quell some of that pessimism - because what I saw in tape in reviewing the Bills' 31-14 victory over the Rams was quite encouraging.  The tape never lies.

Buffalo opened its season with a thrilling performance on special teams in a win over Seattle.  The ensuing two games were not as kind to Buffalo, however, as Jacksonville and especially Oakland outplayed the Bills' special teams in nearly every department.  That changed on Sunday, when Buffalo's special teams returned to dominance in a victory over St. Louis.

Units dominant once again
The Bills were excellent in all phases of special teams on Sunday.  Their performance wasn't highlighted by the big, game-changing plays as it was against Seattle, but it was nonetheless dominant.  Buffalo had outstanding field position all day thanks to some lengthy returns by Leodis McKelvin and Fred Jackson and outstanding punt coverage (McKelvin averaged 32 yards on kicks and 12 on punts; Jackson averaged 13 on punts).  Brian Moorman placed 5 of his 6 punts inside the 20 yard line.

Blake Costanzo, John Wendling, George Wilson and Justin Jenkins headlined a superb coverage effort against one of the game's quickest return men in Dante Hall.  Wendling leapt over the line on a missed 51-yard field goal by St. Louis' Josh Brown.  It wasn't the cause of the miss, but it's always fun to watch.  Literally nothing went wrong for these units on Sunday.  It was, quite literally, utter domination.

Punt return duo works
I miss watching Roscoe Parrish return punts, and it's only been a week.  The Bills replaced him with two pretty good athletes in McKelvin and Jackson, and still the drop-off is noticeable.  Parrish is simply the best in the business.  With that said, I actually loved how the combination of McKelvin and Jackson worked out.

At times, April had both of them back to return.  Jackson was more effective on the day - he doesn't have great agility, but if he gets a seam, he's tough to bring down because of his wiggle and just because he's a pretty big dude (bigger than most punt returners, at any rate).  McKelvin actually looks better returning kicks than punts; the rookie seems to be adamant about trying to break off a long run straight up the middle.  Had he used his superior quickness to turn some returns outside, he might have averaged 20 yards a return.  These guys work well in tandem because of their complementary skills, but I'd still like to see McKelvin earn a few more returns in this department.

But I still want Roscoe back.  Get well soon.

George Wilson
This guy deserves kudos, because he's pretty quickly replaced the leadership void on these units when guys like Sam Aiken and Mario Haggan departed the team.  Wilson's been called the ultimate teammate, and it shows on the field - he's one of the most animated guys on the team.  Wilson made the tackle on each of Hall's first three kick returns; he's difficult to block on both kick and punt coverage.  His leadership and his abilities have quickly made him Buffalo's best special teams ace.  Guess his teammates knew what they were doing when they voted him a team captain.

He'd better relish his role of "best special teams ace", however, because John Wendling, Justin Jenkins and even Blake Costanzo are coming on fast.  Costanzo in particular is fun to watch; he plays the role of "wedge-buster", launching himself into the wedge on kick returns, and he blew up a lot of wedges on Sunday.  He's the ultimate special teamer: a good athlete with nothing to lose, he lays it all on the line.

That's all she wrote for this week's film sessions.  If there's anything else you'd like to see me address in these reviews, please feel free to let me know - I'm open to suggestion.

    
Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 1PM EST

It's time once again to check out the latest history between our Buffalo Bills and this week's opponent, the Oakland Raiders. If you like good memories, you will love the fact that I do these in reverse order. Feel free to read the first one and skip the rest if you're looking to preserve good mojo.

December 13, 1998: Bills 44, Raiders 21
Late in the '98 season the Bills were in need of a win and they got it. Using two defensive scores (a 13 yard fumble recovery for a TD by Phil Hansen and a 40 yard Gabe Northern int for a TD), the Bills rolled over the Raiders to help propel them to the playoffs. After starting 0-3 the Bills go 10-3 down the stretch to make the playoffs, where they lost to the Dolphins 24-17 in the first round. The Raiders finished 8-8.

October 17, 1999: Raiders 20, Bills 14
Antowain Smith rumbles for a 52 yard TD run 5:44 into the game but does little else after that, finishing with 5 carries for 57 yards. Doug Flutie had a rough game going 19 of 41 for 210 yards with 3 picks. Despite the loss the Bills still made the playoffs finishing 11-5; those playoffs ended for Buffalo with the Music City... well, you know. The Raiders finished 8-8 for the second straight year.

October 6, 2002: Raiders 49, Bills 31
Eric Moulds (8 receptions, 112 yards) and Peerless Price (7 for 126 and a score) both have huge days, but a Phillip Buchanon 81 yard INT for a TD seals it late for the Raiders. The Bills finish another mediocre season going 8-8, while the Raiders finished 11-5  and made it to the Super Bowl, where they got thumped by the Bucs 48-21.

September 19, 2004: Raiders 13, Bills 10
The Bills start the season with two straight 13-10 losses, after dropping the opener to the Jags by the very same 13-10 score. There really wasn't anything good to say about this one other then the fact that Brian Moorman had a 24 yard pass... whoo. The Bills did rebound after an 0-4 start to finish 9-7, and of course lost to Steelers scrubs on the last day of the regular season to miss out on the playoffs. The Raiders finished 5-11.

October 23, 2005: Raiders 38, Bills 17
LaMont Jordan almost single-handedly beats the Bills by finishing the day with 122 yards on 28 carries, including 3 scores. As bad as the Raiders were that year (they finished 4-12) they still were able to dominate the Bills who finished 5-11.

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.

Each Tuesday this season, we here at Buffalo Rumblings will review the week's Buffalo Bills game on film (i.e. good old fashioned DVR) to get a little more in-depth perspective on how the Bills are performing.  This week, in honor of their spectacular opening day performance, we'll start our film reviews with an analysis of the special teams.

Clearly, the Buffalo Bills have the best special teams unit on the whole in the NFL.  "Experts" may talk about other team's players (namely Chicago's Devin Hester), but they also know that when they want to talk about all-around special teams play, Buffalo is the mecca.  What we may not realize, however, is that the Bills' special teams - while explosive and dominant on Sunday - weren't perfect, and it was largely due to personnel turnover.

Kick Returns
Terrence McGee only got one shot to return a kick, and it was this close to being a big play.  On the opening kick of the game, McGee had a rather large cutback lane and was headed for it, but a Seahawk got enough of his ankle to slow him up, and Seattle avoided early disaster.  Not much to report here, because Seattle's other two kickoffs were touchbacks.

Punt Returns
What else is there to say about Roscoe Parrish?  He takes a lot of chances when he returns punts - mainly because he can - and clearly, he blew up on Sunday to the tune of 6 returns for 120 yards and his poetic 63-yard touchdown return.  Don't expect Parrish to ever get six punt return chances in a game ever again after this performance; I'm still not quite sure why Seattle kept kicking to the guy.  He can be a bit boom-or-bust, but when he booms, it's sonic.

Parrish is so good because he's incredibly adept at making the first guy miss; from there on out, it's 10-on-10 blocking, in essence.  Buffalo's punt coverage was very good Sunday, in particular on the touchdown return; John DiGiorgio, Jon Corto (twice), Bryan Scott, Justin Jenkins and Copeland Bryan all had key blocks on that play.  Bobby April knows exactly the type of player to use on his units - the guys who never, ever quit - and that's why the Bills are so solid in all facets.  I could watch the Parrish TD over and over and over...

Kick Coverage/Kickoffs
Rian Lindell wasn't awful on his kickoffs, but there's definitely room for improvement.  The weather played a part in this one, as windy conditions forced Ashton Youboty to hold for Lindell on kickoffs on more than one occasion.  He had one touchback, and his kicks were high and deep.

Buffalo's kick coverage wasn't spectacular.  Seattle's Josh Wilson ended up averaging 26 yards per return on four returns, including a 39-yarder that helped set up Seattle's lone touchdown of the game.  Of course, some of this can be forgiven when the same unit forces a fumble and the kicker recovers it later in the game; Corto's strip and the ensuing touchdown put the game completely out of reach before the third quarter ended.

Punt Coverage/Punts
Brian Moorman showed off some more inconsistency punting, shanking a couple, and booming a few more.  Again, the weather factored in slightly, but we can't blame any of it on the long snapping - Ryan Neill was impeccable.  Moorman's a veteran, and if Buffalo's offense has stretches like they did early in this game, he'll have his opportunities to iron out his issues.

Moorman did out-kick his coverage a couple of times, which was the biggest reason that Seattle's Nate Burleson averaged 18 yards per return and routinely was able to turn the corner.  Once Moorman gets his kicks higher, Buffalo's punt coverage - the clear strength of the unit last year outside of punt returns - will return to normal.  The team's gunners, Jenkins and John Wendling, were excellent as usual Sunday.

General Observations
- The touchdown pass from Moorman to Ryan Denney in the third quarter was a work of genius by April.  Perfect design with a dash of luck.  Not much to report from the film, other than the fact that it's hilarious to watch.  Yes... the Bills' special teams are so good that it's literally funny.

- It's important to realize that some of the coverage woes came at the hands of new personnel.  Buffalo's undergoing a serious facelift (dare I say youth movement?) on all of their coverage units in particular, and some of the longer runs the team gave up yesterday may have simply been growing pains.  Those guys work hard, however, so they should only get better the more they play.

- In general, an outstanding performance.  Nearly flawless, though it would be nice to see them tighten up coverages and become a bit more effective with their kicks.  Definitely not much to complain about, however.  These units were the clear difference in Buffalo's opening day win.

Parrish, special teams dominant in W (Photo Source)

Permission to be excited? Granted.  The Buffalo Bills are 1-0 after dominating the field in all three phases in a 34-10 opening day victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Buffalo set the tone early and used several big plays, particularly two made by the team's NFL-best special teams unit, to blow the game open in the third quarter.  A 64-yard touchdown punt return by Roscoe Parrish gave the Bills a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, and the Bills held a 20-7 lead at the half.

A second special teams score - this time a 19-yard touchdown pass from punter Brian Moorman to defensive end Ryan Denney - put the game completely in Buffalo's control, and a forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff allowed Buffalo's offense - via a touchdown strike from Trent Edwards to Robert Royal - sealed the deal.

Defense beats up on banged up Seahawks O
Without a shred of doubt, however, Buffalo's most impressive unit was its defense.  Facing a banged up, yet still dangerous Seahawks offense, Buffalo surrendered just 252 net yards, and their pass rush kept Seattle's offensive attack off balance all day.  Matt Hasselbeck - one of the smartest and most productive quarterbacks in the NFL - was horribly ineffective facing said pass rush, completing just 41% of his passes en route to a five-sack performance in which his QB rating was a paltry 53.9.

Marcus Stroud proved to be the difference-maker that the front office envisioned him as in this matchup.  Routinely overpowering Seattle's interior lineman, Stroud recorded three tackles, three assists and a half a sack, and anchored a run defense that gave up some longer runs but ultimately left Seattle largely one-dimensional.

Buffalo's pass rush was successful thanks to a nice variety of blitz packages installed by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.  The team's two best linebackers, Kawika Mitchell and Paul Posluszny, were particularly excellent in this area, and both have proven to be explosive playmakers near the line of scrimmage.  This trio, along with a tough, hard-hitting secondary, led the attack for what looked like a potentially excellent Bills defense.

Offense Efficient, but room to grow
Buffalo's offense got off to a slow start with four straight punts, but their attack was largely effective as the weather cleared up.  Trent Edwards outdueled Hasselbeck, completing 19 of 30 passes for 215 yards, a score and after taking just one sack.  After taking just 16 pre-season snaps, Edwards proved why he's the right quarterback for Buffalo: he's smart and handles situations particularly well.  He's got to get better, but play like that is enough to be getting on with for the time being.

Despite generally poor run blocking, Marshawn Lynch was effective, gaining 76 yards on 18 carries and opening the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.  As inconsistent as the run blocking was, the pass protection was excellent; Buffalo did a great job keeping Edwards' jersey clean against what is, in reality, a ferocious Seahawks pass rush.  That should only get better once the team incorporates Jason Peters back into its lineup.

Game Balls
We only give out game balls around these parts after wins; since the Bills won so thoroughly this afternoon, we'll give out four, as opposed to our usual three.  Game balls to...

Roscoe Parrish - I don't want to hear any more about Devin Hester, because he's clearly not the best punt returner in the NFL.  Parrish is clearly his equal.  His touchdown return was poetry in motion, and though it's sometimes a bit scary to watch him return, he's clearly a sparkplug for this team.

Langston Walker - Buffalo's entire offensive line did a great job pass blocking, but Walker in particular was excellent.  Assigned to stop speed rusher Darryl Tapp all day, Walker didn't allow Tapp to make a peep of impact in this game.

Marcus Stroud - Clearly this team's MVP after one game.  The man's hand punch is ridiculous, and he's unblockable at times, even when there are two guys into him.  If Buffalo is able to sustain its early defensive success, Stroud will obviously be at the center of the action.

Kawika Mitchell - He struggles a bit in space, but he is an outstanding blitzer, and it showed today.  Plugging him into the defensive lineup is nearly as important as plugging Stroud in, and to boot, Mitchell is an excellent leader.  He played great.

Roll Call
Props to the 25 folks - including some classy Seahawks fans - who stopped by today's open game thread.  Y'all kept the place hopping while I was away, and it's appreciated.  Congrats to Kurupt, who as usual commented more than anyone.  The roll call...

StuckInNJ, Kurupt, silverstreak3k, katal, Christian, Cinga, RabidBuffalo, jdol1568, Zumone, jri111, patamunzo, Memphisbillsfan, fletcherjd, Ron From NM, redwolf75, NJBillsfan, keuka121, Joe P., killascript, Hopefulcynic, BearsNecessity, acarj84, The Buffalonian, MARVelous, John Morgan

Plenty to be excited about after this one, folks.  Let's discuss this more and more in the comments section.

With Peters holding out, pressure squarely on Bills (Photo Source)

It's Friday morning.  The Buffalo Bills are set to hold their first training camp practice of the 2008 season in about a half hour.  They'll be hitting the practice field without their best offensive player, as offensive tackle Jason Peters has continued his holdout and has not reported to camp at St. John Fisher College.  NFL Network's Adam Schefter is reporting that Peters is contemplating a season-long holdout should he not get a new deal - and, unlike Chicago's Devin Hester, he can probably afford it.

We're all well aware of the situation.  What becomes important to discuss at this point is the two sides to the story from Buffalo's perspective (because, let's face it, the ball is now in their court - Peters has made his move).  The Bills, at this point, can either continue to play hardball, or they can just pay the man.  Let's dive in:

Reasons to Play Hardball with Peters
Below are the reasons why the Bills should maintain their hardened stance on the Peters situation.  It's important to note that no matter what we say here, this is the path that the club is most likely to follow.

#1 - His Current Contract: The Bills have shown a willingness to pay guys early in their careers that show promise.  They've handed out contracts to guys like DT Kyle Williams, OG Brad Butler, CB Terrence McGee, WR Roscoe Parrish and P Brian Moorman well before they became some of the better players on the team.  They did the same thing with Peters.  He's scheduled to make $3.25 million this season; that's not exactly chump change.  They made a commitment to Peters well before he exploded onto the scene as one of the NFL's best tackles.  His actions aren't exactly showing an appreciation for that move, if he has any at all.

#2 - Maintaining Precedent: A lot of folks are likening this situation to Aaron Schobel's last season, but that's now irrelevant - because Schobel actually showed up to training camp last season.  I've maintained all along that Peters would be smart enough to follow Schobel's blueprint; had he done so, the Bills might have begun talking to Eugene Parker, Peters' agent, this morning about a new deal.  Now that doesn't appear to be likely.  Peters' situation is unique from Schobel's, so the Bills need to maintain their stance that if you aren't here, we aren't paying you.

#3 - Commitment to Team: This ties in nicely with #2 - the Bills aren't going to pay Peters until he shows up for camp.  You work, we pay - that's not an unreasonable stance to take at this time, given the commitment the team has already made to him.  If I'm the Bills, I want some indication that Peters isn't thinking solely about himself here.  I want him in camp to prove that he gives a damn about what the team is building here.  I want to see that he's still a willing part of that.  If he shows that, then let's talk about more money.

#4 - Peters' Methods: There's a better way for Peters to go about this angling for a new contract deal - like showing up for work, for instance.  The organization has shown nothing but respect for Peters throughout his career here - it's been Buffalo's coaches and his opportunity here that made Peters into the player he is today.  They showed loyalty to his potential with the new deal in 2006.  Peters isn't returning the favor here, and the Bills have every reason to be ticked off about it.

Reasons to Pony Up the Dough
Below are the reasons why the Bills should break their stance and give Peters his new deal.  It's important to note that no matter what we say here, the Bills aren't likely to take this route, at least not in the immediate future.

#1 - Team Chemistry: Buffalo is attempting to put together an offense that is capable of being slightly better than mediocre in the NFL, and the chances of that happening without Peters are remote.  There are too many question marks offensively - Trent Edwards, James Hardy and an underwhelming tight end corps chief among them - to play too long without Peters.  If this unit is going to gel quickly enough to turn the Bills into a playoff contender in 2008, they need to play together, and they need to play together a lot.  That doesn't happen while this situation drags out.

#2 - Player Value: Only RB Marshawn Lynch compares favorably with Peters in terms of value to the offense, and Lynch's rookie deal is actually more valuable over the length of the contract than Peters' current deal.  Buffalo's best offensive player should be Buffalo's highest-paid offensive player.  When push comes to shove, Peters does still have a point - he deserves more money.

#3 - Establishing Precedent: This might be a good time for the Bills to establish a precedent within the organization - signing Peters would say "we recognize when a player deserves to be paid, and we're willing to do said paying".  Making sure Peters gets to camp before he gets paid is an important stance to take as part of this precedent, but it's also important to pay the man.  You work with me, I'll work with you.  That's the right precedent to establish here - and if, miraculously, they somehow secure Peters' help with this in the near future, they might just take this step.

#4 - Developing Trent Edwards: Need I mention that Priority Number One for this team since Jim Kelly's retirement has been finding a long-term answer at quarterback?  Well, the Bills think they may have found the answer in Edwards, but his potential development takes a hit with Peters sitting at home.  Developing Edwards is the most important objective for the Bills to hit to ensure the long-term on-field viability of this franchise.  Paying Peters may help them achieve that, but letting him sit out definitely hurts them.

My take?  I'm with the Bills... for now.  As I said above, they have every reason to be completely disappointed with Peters and how he's handled this situation.  But there will come a point, most certainly before the end of training camp (I'd probably position this crucial point somewhere around the third pre-season game) where they'll have to get Peters onto the field one way or another.  Yes, that drags the situation out, but it might have the effect of proving to Peters that he's being an idiot about this.

This is a mess.  Definitely not the way we wanted to see the 2008 season start off, folks.

Lindell, Moorman form elite K/P duo (Photo Source)

Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft - in fact, prior to the free agent signing period of this past March - we took a look at the Buffalo Bills' roster position by position, breaking down then-current personnel, finding holes, and building our community needs list.

Now that free agency and the Draft have been completed, and the Bills have infused their roster with new talent, it's time to repeat our process.  Where has Buffalo gotten better?  Where have they gotten worse?  How will additions impact which Bills veterans remain on the roster?  These are questions that we've been attempting to answer for the past week or so, and will continue to do so.

We continue those discussions today with an examination of Buffalo's special teams.  To view our previous discussions on Buffalo's ST situation (pre-off-season), bang it here.

Rian Lindell: In the early portion of the '07 season, Lindell was up to his old tricks, missing key kicks in a loss to Denver and the gut-wrenching loss to Dallas on Monday Night Football - both one-point losses, no less.  But Lindell made up for his early season misgivings with game-winning kicks to beat the Dolphins and Redskins, and though his successful kick percentage dipped a bit, he enjoyed one of his best seasons as an NFL kicker.  He needs to develop icier veins in crunch time - the Bills will be playing a lot of close games, in all likelihood - but Lindell is a very good kicker.

Brian Moorman: Still heralded as one of the game's best punters, Moorman was not as excellent in '07 as he has been in previous seasons.  Yes, he was still an asset to this team, and he's one of the team's most looked up to leaders, but there were stretches last season where Moorman would strike the ball inconsistently - sometimes for an entire game.  As he ages, he'll likely have a more difficult time dealing with Buffalo's inclement wind conditions (and those can be year-round).  For now, he remains established as one of the game's best, but it'd be nice to see him rebound a bit this coming season.

D.J. Fitzpatrick: This poor guy.  He's a young second-year guy who's probably a better punter than kicker, and has a good leg.  But the guy just doesn't get reps, and has no prayer of making this team's roster.  At least he gets to learn from one of the game's best in Moorman.

The Rest: Here's a list of players that we've identified as either guys who will be counted on to perform on special teams, or guys who need to do that in order to make the roster.  Don't try speaking this list out loud in one run; you'll run out of O2:

RB Dwayne Wright, RB Xavier Omon, RB Bruce Hall, FB Darian Barnes, FB Jonathan Evans, FB Mike Viti, WR Roscoe Parrish, WR Justin Jenkins, WR Scott Mayle, WR Felton Huggins, WR James Jones, TE Derek Fine, TE Derek Schouman, TE Tim Massaquoi, TE Teyo Johnson, OG Jason Whittle, OG Duke Preston, OG Christian Gaddis, OG Robert Felton, DE Copeland Bryan, DE Ryan Neill, DE Shaun Nua, DT Jason Jefferson, DT Corey Mace, DT Teraz McCray, LB John DiGiorgio, LB Keith Ellison, LB Alvin Bowen, LB Blake Costanzo, LB Marcus Buggs, LB Jon Banks, CB Terrence McGee, CB Jabari Greer, CB Leodis McKelvin, CB Will James, CB Reggie Corner, CB Ashton Youboty, CB Kennard Cox, CB Dustin Fox, S George Wilson, S John Wendling, S Bryan Scott, S Jon Corto.

Characteristic of this time of the year, the Bills have 43 players on their current roster that comprise one of the league's best special teams units.  That's more than half of the roster.  A large portion of those players are guys who have been added to the roster during this off-season.  This is a very young unit, and very much revamped, but there are guys who have the chance to either revive (read: Keith Ellison), start (Alvin Bowen) or make (Justin Jenkins) their careers on this unit.  I, for one, will be keeping an eye on how the team rotates through specialists during the pre-season, because it's those battles that will decide the final few roster spots.

That does it for our State of the Roster II series, which broke down every player at every position currently on Buffalo's roster.  We'll have a recap post up from the entire series later on this evening.  Go Bills!

Stroud will be counted on as leader in '08 (Photo Source)

Leadership may be a bit of a cliche when it comes to discussing NFL rosters, but the fact of the matter is that good NFL teams have good leaders.  Whether that leadership comes in the form of coaching, star quarterbacks or even punters, NFL rosters these days are so full of young players that it takes a certain type of leadership structure to get the most out of that inexperienced talent.  Just look at how the leadership of the 2007 New York Giants milked outstanding play out of several rookies en route to their Super Bowl championship.

With one of the youngest rosters in the league, where does Buffalo's leadership come from?  That's the question we'll attempt to answer this morning.  Due to the youth of the roster, especially at key positions, Buffalo's roster leadership structure is slightly different than those of teams like the Patriots and Colts, who have natural leaders at the quarterback position.  The Bills have players that they rely on, but each goes about his leadership duties in different manners.

Locker Room Leaders
Being a team built on high-character standards, the Bills have a locker room full of hard workers that are relentless on the football field (even if those types of players aren't routinely spectacular on the field).  But even amongst this group, there are players that stick out.  OT Jason Peters is a former undrafted free agent who has worked himself into a Pro Bowl left tackle (hear that, Marshall Faulk?).  That fact, coupled with his work ethic, make him a role model for Buffalo's younger players.

Punter Brian Moorman and defensive end Chris Kelsay were both team captains last year and figure to serve in that capacity again.  Moorman has been one of the NFL's elite punters for multiple seasons at this point, making him a leader by example (though he could stand to regain some consistency in '08).  Kelsay is a classic blue-collar worker who is on the field simply because of his hustle.  Sure, we as Bills fans would like to see more statistical production out of him, but those types of players earn the admiration of their teammates.  Kelsay is looked up to.

Models of Consistency
Any player that performs well week in and week out, especially statistically, becomes a leader by default.  Last year, then-rookie running back Marshawn Lynch became that player for Buffalo's offense.  Despite having to play in games where he was literally the only source of offensive yardage for his team, Lynch never rushed for fewer than 63 yards in a game - and that came in a Week 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Lynch will need to be as consistent in '08 as he was in '07, all the while increasing statistical production.  That's a tall task.

Defensively, Buffalo's model of consistency is linebacker Angelo Crowell.  He's not the league's best linebacker, and he has off days, but in general, Crowell was Buffalo's best defender last year.  Entering the final year of his contract, Crowell's production is expected to increase and become even more consistent as he plays for a new deal.  That may sound selfish on the surface, but if he plays well, it helps out young Bills defenders, specifically Paul Posluszny.

Energizer Bunnies
These types of players are the guys who are either the "big play" guys, or the guys you see romping up and down the sidelines and on the field, jawing at opponents and teammates alike and getting the crowd fired up.  The prior, in Buffalo's arsenal, is wide receiver Lee Evans.  The Bills need more out of their top receiver production-wise, but if the team is looking for a big play, they're targeting Evans.  Defensively, the "ra ra" guy is strong safety Donte Whitner, another player that needs to up his production in '08.  Both Evans and Whitner are elite talents, but neither made many big plays last season.  When these guys are on - both in the leadership department as well as making plays on the field - the Bills are going to be very difficult to beat.  Evans and Whitner hold the keys to Buffalo's offense and defense, respectively.

Buffalo's return specialists will be counted on to provide big plays and team energy this season as well.  Terrence McGee and Roscoe Parrish have done that for the better part of three seasons as one of the elite return duos in the league.  Adding a third explosive returner in top draft pick Leodis McKelvin only adds to the big-play potential of Buffalo's return units; this unit will be incredibly difficult for opposing teams to game plan against, and these three guys have to make big plays to help out the team's developing offense.

Clutch Performers
Ultimately, considering the style of football the Bills play offensively and defensively, the Bills are going to have to rely on guys in the clutch.  The Bills will be playing a lot of close games - just like they did in '07 - and they'll need excellent play from two players in particular to win those tight games.  Defensively, that player is Marcus Stroud - as the "big-name" addition being billed as the guy who will save Buffalo's defense, he'll ultimately shoulder the glory or the blame in tight situations.

You didn't think I'd go an entire leadership post without mentioning quarterback, right?  Trent Edwards, as a second-year starting quarterback, likely won't be asked to shoulder all of the leadership responsibilities of this team - yet.  He needs to concentrate on scoring touchdowns first.  But in those close games, no matter if your quarterback's name is Brady or Rob Johnson, quarterbacks must perform.  Edwards showed flashes of an ability to perform in the clutch last season in a win at Washington and a near-miss on a desperate final drive in Cleveland.  He needs to improve by leaps and bounds in this area.  But like Stroud, he'll ultimately shoulder the responsibility in late-game situations.

Buffalo has a wide-spread and varied leadership tree on their roster.  Whether that structure leads to more wins, however, remains to be seen.