Simpson, others playing for 2009 jobs? (buffalobills.com)

One may read the headline of this piece and think "Oh boy, Galliford's the latest to give up on the Buffalo Bills this season".  Though I might argue that - along with everyone else that's hopped off the bandwagon - we have good reason to doubt it, rest assured that's not the case.  So when (if?) you read this piece, read it with the knowledge that I am not denying that the Bills still have a shot at the playoffs.

Instead, I'll speak briefly about how I'm a guy that's constantly looking forward - just as many of you are.  I love watching football, but I also love the idea of building a roster; finding those ever-elusive pieces of a contending puzzle and fitting them together.  Whether the Bills make the playoffs this year or not, the 2008 season can now officially be considered in the home stretch with just six weeks to go.  Even if the Bills end their post-season drought, there are guys on this roster who should recognize the fact that they're playing for their jobs beyond this season.  Lighting a fire under these players could, in fact, give the team a spark heading into these ultra-important six games.

Those ten players, in no specific order...

QB Trent Edwards.  To answer your question, yes, I do hate putting Trent on this list.  In reality, I don't believe that Edwards is on the proverbial "hot seat" in any sense of the term when it comes to his status with this coaching staff.  But it's not hard to imagine a scenario where if Buffalo's quarterback continues to struggle as the season closes out, Bills fans will be calling for the team to begin a new quarterback search.  A nice, strong, confidence-boosting finish by Edwards would erase a lot of that potential.

WR Steve Johnson.  Stevie isn't going anywhere; it should be noted, then, that Johnson makes this list because he's playing for a much bigger role in 2009.  Johnson has seen his role increase of late, and while he hasn't been perfect, he's shown a pretty good rapport with Edwards.  He knows how to find a hole in a zone, and he's looked pretty good both as a run blocker and after the catch.  This kid has a future.  He and Josh Reed could wreak a lot of havoc underneath in 2009.

TE Robert Royal.  There are games where Royal looks like a highly competent tight end; those games, however, are few and far between.  Clearly, the Bills need an upgrade at tight end.  Royal is entering the final year of his deal next season.  He's one of a few Bills veterans that fall under the category of "most likely to get cut"; he is, quite literally, playing for a job in 2009.

OT Jason Peters.  I'm not one of the bandwagon fans who like to boo Peters every time he makes one little mistake.  Peters may not be as dominant as he was in 2007, when he was voted to his first Pro Bowl, but he's playing at a very high level.  He'll need to return to dominant form as the season closes if he expects to receive that fat contract extension he so desperately desires.

C Duke Preston.  Melvin Fowler, benched since early in the season, is a goner, as he's an unrestricted free agent after the season.  Problem is, so is Preston.  The Bills are expected to upgrade the center position from outside the organization, but Preston has a legitimate chance to be re-signed as the new guy's understudy.  He'll have to play better than he has in recent weeks, however.

DE Chris Kelsay.  Kelsay's contract runs out in 2010.  He hasn't been productive from an on-field standpoint.  There will come a time when Dick Jauron has to upgrade players he likes with players he likes and can win with.  Kelsay's contract, as most of you know, is gigantic (for a player his caliber).  I still have my doubts that Kelsay is a goner after the season, but his time as this team's starting left end is likely growing short.

DE Ryan Denney.  If Kelsay's not a goner, Denney is.  He's 31 years old and is scheduled to earn $2.4 million in base salaries alone next season - the final year of his deal.  That's too much money for a guy who, if the Bills upgrade the position, would be fourth or fifth in the rotation.

DT John McCargo.  He's been a healthy scratch, he's been traded, and he's been a healthy scratch again.  Motivation is McCargo's problem, and although he's under contract through the close of the 2010 season, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which McCargo returns to the Bills in 2009 after what he's gone through the past 8 months.  If McCargo sees the field again this season, he'll be playing for his next job in another NFL city.

CB Terrence McGee.  Hear me out on this one.  McGee is under contract through the end of next season.  He'll be 29 if he hits unrestricted free agency as scheduled.  Rookie corner Leodis McKelvin has come on strong, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where the Bills let Jabari Greer walk, as he's been the team's best defensive back this season (Greer is a UFA after this season).  Don't forget about Ashton Youboty and Reggie Corner, either.  Buffalo's cornerback spot is still crowded despite the injuries, and McGee is the toughest guy to figure into the team's future plans.  He'll need to perform to keep his status as this team's top cover man (and, for the record, he was excellent against Cleveland).

FS Ko Simpson.  Simpson has been juggled around a lot.  He missed the entire 2007 season with an ankle injury.  He's been semi-benched this season in order to move Donte Whitner to his free safety spot, sliding Bryan Scott into the starting lineup at strong safety (though he still plays more at free than any other safety on the team).  The Bills are deep at this position, but they lack playmakers.  If the Bills feel the need to add a play-making safety in the off-season to team with Whitner, it's clearly Simpson who'll be riding the pine or looking for employment elsewhere.

***

Feel free to add names to the list.  And on a side note, let's keep coaches out of this.  We've heard enough about everyone's opinions on Dick Jauron, and there are a million FanPosts in which you can vent about Buffalo's head coach if you feel inclined to do so.  This is about the roster.  Have at it, folks.

The Buffalo Bills' final injury report for this Sunday's tilt with the Miami Dolphins is out, and once again there are some pretty big names on it.

DE Aaron Schobel: He has been officially ruled out by head coach Dick Jauron and will miss just the second start of his career.  The official site's Chris Brown reports that Schobel is making progress, but his foot remains in an immobilizer boot.  Rest assured that the Bills won't allow Schobel to hit the field until he's 100 percent - they want him completely healthy for the stretch run.  Ryan Denney will start in Schobel's stead, just as he did last week in the win over San Diego.

CB Terrence McGee: Listed as questionable.  He's been limited in practice all week, but Jauron admitted - again according to Chris Brown - that he didn't want to give McGee a full work load this week.  We heard last week that McGee would be good to go against San Diego; clearly that didn't manifest itself, but the injury was described to us as "very close" earlier this week.  I think McGee plays and starts in this one.

CB Ashton Youboty: Listed as questionable.  He was active last week against San Diego, but largely for numbers purposes.  He didn't play a snap.  McGee appears to be much closer to going this week than Youboty, and one of the two is going to play.  Again, my money is on McGee, and if he does, Youboty won't play.  Leodis McKelvin would take over the nickel role, with some of the team's safeties playing their roles as well.

OG Brad Butler: He's out.  He didn't play much against San Diego after spraining his knee; I, for one, didn't even realize he was out in that game for quite a while.  It's unclear how long he'll be out; until he returns, Jason Whittle - the Bills' oldest and most tenured player - will get the start.

C Melvin Fowler: Listed as questionable.  He's been limited in practice this week, and just like Schobel, I don't think the Bills are in any hurry to get Fowler back into the lineup until he's completely healthy.  I agree with Brown on this one - even if Fowler is active, I think his understudy, Duke Preston, will make his second straight start.  With Butler out, however, it may be imperative for Fowler to dress in case another guard goes down and they need to move Preston around.

TE Derek Fine: For the first time in his young NFL career, Fine is completely healthy and ready to play.  Whether or not he'll be active is another question entirely.  My guess is that he won't; the sooner they can get him in on special teams units, however, the better - the team is going to miss John DiGiorgio.

Schobel, front four not making plays (buffalobills.com)

One of the Buffalo Bills' biggest problems defensively in 2007 was their inability to consistently get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  The Bills finished the 2007 season with just 24 sacks as a team, and as a result, they fielded one of the league's worst defenses (statistically) last season.  The defense did enough for the Bills to scratch and claw their way to a 7-9 record, but it was clear that without an improved pass rush, the Bills weren't going to get much better.

So the team spent the off-season getting tougher up front, and the impact was immediate - the Bills registered five sacks in a season-opening win over the Seahawks.  All was well - newcomers Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell registered three of those sacks, and the Bills' defense dominated, holding the Seahawks to just 10 points.  Four games later, however, the Bills have added only five more sacks to that season-opening total, and the team's pass rush woes are resurfacing.

The stat that tells all
Last season, in picking up 24 sacks in total, Buffalo's leading sacker was, unsurprisingly, defensive end Aaron Schobel, whose 6.5 sacks made up what was, statistically, one of his worst seasons as a professional.  The more concerning stat was that it took 12 Bills defenders to get to that 24-sack total.  While it's not necessarily bad news that the Bills had twelve defenders register sacks, it does smack of the need to blitz often.  Behind Schobel, no Bill had more than 2.5 sacks last season.

Nothing has changed in 2008, save the fact that the blitz is a bit more diverse and potent.  The Bills have registered 10 sacks, and it's taken nine defenders to do so.  Stroud leads the team with the two he piled up on opening day; Mitchell, Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Spencer Johnson, Kyle Williams, Ashton Youboty and Donte Whitner have all added one sack each to that total.  It's the same deal - defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has been forced to utilize the blitz to get pressure, and while it worked early, opponents are starting to figure it out.

Quick strike offenses
Part of the Bills' issue with getting to the quarterback has been the offensive strategy of its opponents.  With Buffalo employing a Cover 2 zone scheme, teams have relied on quick routes and a "possession passing game", for lack of a better term, more and more as the season has progressed.  Arizona executed this attack to perfection; quarterback Kurt Warner didn't even average six yards per attempt (250 yards on 42 throws), but he completed 78 percent of his passes, moved the chains and didn't take a sack.  The Cardinals basically ran the ball down Buffalo's throat via the short passing game.

It's a bit unfair to expect the Bills to put up astronomical sack numbers when opponents are running this type of offense.  As it is, the Bills rank near the middle of the pack in sacks this season.  Until the Bills figure out how to slow down this type of attack - a minor alteration to the coverage scheme should do it - don't expect the Bills to start adding significant numbers to their sack total.  It's just not realistic.

Inconsistency starts up front
The blitz is utilized so often in today's NFL that teams are becoming increasingly proficient at picking up extra rushers.  Buffalo's blitz packages are working about as well as we can honestly expect them to - the Bills aren't registering a lot of sacks, but we've seen guys such as Mitchell, Paul Posluszny and Whitner put big hits on quarterbacks this season.  That's the sign of an effective blitz package.

The problem, then, has to lie with the guys on the line of scrimmage.  This post isn't designed to knock Schobel and Kelsay; they're good football players.  They're guys that could play on any team simply because of their energy levels (although perhaps not at their current respective salaries).  They belong on the field.  But there's a dimension missing, particularly on the edges, and that dimension is athleticism.

Rookie Chris Ellis - a third-round pick out of Virginia Tech - was expected to provide that athleticism this season.  After an underwhelming pre-season, Ellis has yet to be active for his first NFL game.  Schobel and Kelsay aren't phenomenal athletes; they're effort rushers.  Those guys can work well in this league if they're complemented.  Right now, Ryan Denney and Copeland Bryan aren't doing the complementing.  We're still not even sure if Ellis can provide that spark if he ever gets the chance to play.

Bottom line
Basically, what it comes down to is this: the Bills' pass rush is what it is.  Currently, it is a problem.  As long as the team stays healthy, it has the opportunity to have some big games and be moderately proficient for the rest of this season.  But Bills fans need to start dealing with the reality of the situation: Buffalo isn't an elite pass-rushing team, and the defense is going to struggle at times because of it.  Understand it's going to be intermittently problematic moving forward.  This Bills defense is good enough to take the Bills to the playoffs, but it's not elite - and it's not elite because it lacks an athlete at defensive end.

That's the only missing piece, folks.  Perhaps Ellis is the answer; I'm not convinced.  We just need to deal with the reality of the situation; anticipate the problem areas, and you'll have no reason to complain about them as the season wears on.  The Bills have the ability to overcome their pass rush woes, especially when considering the schedule the team faces.  But log this in your off-season observation book, and try not to break it out until the off-season arrives (whether that's the first or third week of January remains to be seen): the Bills need to address this area with a top-notch athlete in the very near future.

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.  With our reviews of the special teams and offense out of the way, let's take a look at the unit that anchored Buffalo's win - our new-look defense.

10 points allowed, five sacks, an interception and one monstrous performance marked an excellent 2008 debut for the Buffalo Bills defense.  This is a team that has employed a passive scheme in the first two years of Dick Jauron's tenure as Bills head coach; with better talent at key positions this season, however, Jauron has allowed Perry Fewell to press the "Go" button - the Bills really took it to the Seattle Seahawks defensively in Week One.  Here's what we saw that we felt was noteworthy...

Defensive Line
I was surprised - as I'm sure many of you were - when the Bills went with only seven active linemen for this game, including just three tackles and with both John McCargo and Chris Ellis inactive.  The team made the right decision, because the defensive line was dominant in this game, and the reason was Marcus Stroud.

Buffalo had heat on Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck all day, and most of the time that pressure was coming from the middle of the line.  Especially in the first half, Hasselbeck was flushed backwards or sideways, and he wasn't particularly effective throwing on the move in this game.  Stroud was the usual culprit, but Kyle Williams and some well-timed stunts and blitzes by the team's ends helped tremendously.  No one was as obviously influenced by Stroud's presence than Aaron Schobel, who was quite clearly his 2006 self on Sunday.

This unit was also quite stout at the point of attack.  You have no idea (OK, maybe you do have an idea) how refreshing it was to see our line avoid getting pushed back two yards before firming up each and every run play.  This is a gap-oriented rush defense, and the line was allowing those gaps to be open in the run department, leading to solid penetration by our linebackers and defensive backs.  There are times that I wish our defensive ends were a touch more athletic, but the line looks good after one game.

Linebackers
Boy, does Paul Posluszny look like he's in command of this defense.  Yes, Donte Whitner is the leader, but Posluszny is the quarterback, and he did a great job of getting his guys lined up on Sunday.  Seattle - the epitome of a good tempo offense - repeatedly tried to catch the Bills' defense off guard by hustling out of the huddle, and each time the Bills got lined up correctly before the snap.  Our young middle linebacker was good at the line of scrimmage (which is nice, but shouldn't be a surprise), but he was also surprisingly excellent in coverage, making plays on a few balls and making some good hits.

Saw plenty of good things out of Kawika Mitchell.  He's not as fluid as Posluszny or Keith Ellison in coverage, but that's not his role, and even when he's back there, he's not a huge liability.  What's more, he's easily the team's most explosive blitzer, as evidenced by his sack in which he shot the A gap with the speed and anticipation of a super hero.  Mitchell's presence allows Buffalo to be flexible and unpredictable in the way in which they blitz; outside of Stroud, Mitchell might be the team's most important defender.

Defensive Backs
The Bills went with only four corners in this game, and the three that saw predominant playing time were all very good.  Terrence McGee tackled well and got his hands on a few balls; his interception in the waning moments of the fourth quarter was a thing of beauty.  Jabari Greer is a gamer, but there are times when his size severely limits what he can do.  Greer was assigned the ominous task of taking on a Walter Jones block early in the third quarter on a toss sweep by Julius Jones; needless to say, Greer was dwarfed and the run netted six yards for Seattle.

Ashton Youboty was the real story here, however.  His coverage was very good, and his tackling was better.  Youboty was involved near the line of scrimmage on a couple of run plays, and he has that type of ability - to be a playmaker in that nickel role.  I wouldn't be shocked to see Youboty as a full-time starter by season's end, with Greer becoming the nickel back in a sense (i.e. Greer comes in on third downs but plays outside, allowing Youboty to shift inside).

I saw good things from Ko Simpson as well.  He was a factor on special teams and wasn't out of position on any of Hasselbeck's 41 throws.  When he wants to, he can hit hard.  Whitner played faster than I've ever seen him play; he absolutely flew to the ball on a handful of occasions.  Buffalo's pass rush was a big part of the good day for the DBs, but don't underestimate what this group did, either - their coverage was, by and large, excellent.

General Observations
- Perry Fewell did a masterful job with his game plan.  Seattle's offense was off balance all day, and even when they did make a few plays, he had a wrinkle to throw off their momentum (see: Seattle's opening drive of the second half).  This is the Perry Fewell we've been waiting to see - forcing the action with his defense, rather than playing to stay alive.  I'm especially thrilled with the development of Buffalo's corners playing a bit more press coverage (and I'm sure Kurupt will agree with me there).  It should continue to improve.

- I'm not fussed about Leodis McKelvin not seeing the field too much (or James Hardy, for that matter).  McKelvin is green, and the fact that the Bills can use guys like Bryan Scott or George Wilson as dime backs in the interim should they feel it necessary is helpful.  McKelvin's got to earn his keep, and it's nice to see a Bills rookie have to do that for once.  No longer are we counting on rookies to be big producers.  Now they're waiting in the wings and boosting our depth talent pool tremendously.

- I actually like the idea of playing with just three interior linemen, even if it means sacrificing John McCargo to the inactive list.  The rotation works well, and allows Buffalo's line to be bigger and more athletic.  Let's just hope that the stunted rotation doesn't compromise the health of any of its participants, most obviously Stroud.

- The Bills employed some of what we saw the New York Giants employ last season - four defensive ends on the line, standing up pre-snap.  Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney and Copeland Bryan were the participants (Kelsay and Denney lined up inside), and on the few snaps in which this occurred, it was effective - Bryan streaked in untouched to pressure Hasselbeck on one play.  This is what depth at defensive end does for you, and the Bills certainly have plenty of it.

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.

Crowell likely finished as a member of the Bills (Photo Source)

Yesterday, the Buffalo Bills shocked their fan base when they announced that linebacker Angelo Crowell had been placed on Injured Reserve.  Though he had practiced just a day earlier and had participated in the Bills' pre-season victory over Indianapolis, Crowell chose to have surgery when his lingering knee injury was deemed too difficult to play on.

Now, the fact that Crowell is seeking a second opinion on his injured knee is, by and large, irrelevant.  Crowell's 2008 season is over, and as this is the final year of a contract extension he signed in 2005, he will become an unrestricted free agent - and his career with Buffalo is likely over.

Variety of Reasons Behind the Move
A source close to the team informs us that Buffalo's decision to end Crowell's season was not made lightly.  The team was concerned about the amount of time it would take Crowell to rehab; the standard line of 2-4 weeks post-arthroscopic surgery may not have applied to Crowell, as his injury was lingering, and the team feared that it may be without Crowell for up to three months.  Crowell's decision to seek a second opinion is likely to dispel the rumor that he's damaged goods now that his season is over.  It's important to note that Buffalo's medical staff was behind this decision, and that their concern about what could happen during Crowell's rehab was the motivating factor behind the decision.  Had they waited for Crowell's rehab to begin and then knew that his out time would be substantial, they'd have been taking a huge risk.

The team also feared that Crowell had ulterior motives in sitting out - namely, his contract.  The team feels that Crowell made his decision with the idea that he'd miss part of the season, get completely healthy, and have a productive go of it once he returned in order to maximize his contract value.  That's not entirely unreasonable to believe given the circumstances.  The team's decision to IR Crowell was not made, however, to prevent him from maximizing his contract value.

Not a Part of Long-Term Plans
In short, the Bills' current regime - led by head coach Dick Jauron - has never been overly enamored with Crowell since taking over the team in 2006.  Crowell has been a productive player in his time, to be sure, and he was certainly good enough to be a starter here, but the coaches have never felt he gave it his all, both on and off the field.  That's not to say they view him as a "me-first" player; he just doesn't display some of the traits that the team's leaders do, particularly in work ethic.  He's also not viewed as the most intelligent of players, especially in coverage.  It boils down to this: the Bills viewed Crowell as good enough to start in 2008, but he wasn't in the team's long-term plans.

The fact that Crowell's decision was spur-of-the-moment brought the situation to a head.  Our source tells us that once Crowell's decision was made, the Bills were faced with an ultimatum: wait for Crowell and possibly play a double-digit number of football games with only 52 players, or put him on IR, let him get healthy, and wish him well.  In the end, the decision wasn't exactly easy, but it was probably the right one - if Crowell is a lame duck and the team wasn't happy with him, what gain is there to waiting for him to return, especially if his motives are more contractual-based than team-based?  The Bills' duty is to the team, not the player, and if Keith Ellison is more dedicated to the team than Crowell is - and isn't considered a huge drop-off - then you do what's best for the team.  It's that simple.

Bills Leaders Upset with Crowell?
Don't forget, either, that some of the popular players mentioned as possible releases in lieu of losing Crowell - such as DE Copeland Bryan or OT Matt Murphy - earned their keep.  They're team-first guys; Murphy in particular has proven to be the antithesis to Crowell, struggling to play through a shoulder injury for the good of the team.  There's a difference between "hurt" and "injured", folks.  Crowell is hurt; he can clearly play on the injury, as he did so literally a day before deciding to have surgery.  Meanwhile, Murphy is gutting it out, and guys like Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay and even Ellison played through actual injuries last season - our source says "they were virtual cripples" - all for the sake of the team.  Our source reveals that several key players - leaders - aren't happy with Crowell's decision at all.

Ultimately, what's important to know about Crowell is this: he was, in essence, a lame duck player that wasn't necessarily a part of the team's long-term plans.  We fans can have our opinions on the matter, but ultimately, the team is excited about what Keith Ellison can do as a starter on the strong side.  Any notions that the team made this move to cut costs or punish Crowell for pulling a surprise on them are completely and utterly false - they did it because of the nature of Crowell's injury and the fact that they didn't want to wait for a guy who might not be putting the team first.  It's not the prettiest of situations, but as they've done many other times, the Bills made the right decision in this matter.  It was a hard decision, but it was right.

It's Sunday, folks - and since Buffalo Bills fans watch football on Sundays, we're back with our second edition of the Sunday Football Vid.  Grab a quick snack and, if possible, drag your computer to your favorite football viewing location; we want your surroundings to mimic your regular football viewing habits as closely as possible to the real thing.

This Sunday, we've got an excellent ten-minute video - created by our friends over at Bills Zone - of Buffalo's biggest beat-down last season, a 38-17 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  You'll see great plays as well as some Miami comedy.  Video courtesy of rob4989 at YouTube:

But wait!  This week's version of Sunday Football Vid is going into overtime!  Our very own sireric asked for a visual of Patriots QB Tom Brady taking a nice lick; a very quick video from Buffalo's 31-0 video over the Pats in 2003 fulfills his wishes.  The hit came courtesy Aaron Schobel; the video comes courtesy of Tolan04 at YouTube:

Man, I love football.  26 days until the start of training camp!

Schobel looking to rebound from subpar '07 season (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'll attempt to answer over the next week or so.

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

Aaron Schobel: A 2007 Pro Bowl alternate, Schobel is coming off of his most puzzling season to date - Schobel has retained the respect of his peers for becoming far more consistent and a better all-around player, but it's not often that a player earns a trip to Honolulu after notching only 6.5 sacks.  Schobel is an excellent defensive end, but he can't do the job by himself.  In 2006, the left end platoon (see next two names) combined for 11.5 sacks; in '07, that number dropped to 3.5.  No wonder Schobel had trouble replicating his 14-sack '06 output.

Schobel is the Bills' best run end and their best pass rusher.  He'll need to become a much more explosive threat in 2008 if this defense is going to work, however.  He'll be able to do that if some of his running mates step up their play.

Chris Kelsay: A defensive team captain, Kelsay is statistically one of Buffalo's biggest underachievers.  Sure, he's a good player to have on a team - hard worker, tough guy, solid person, good leader.  But Kelsay's 2.5 sacks are a pitiful amount for a starting end, and his inability to rush the passer hurt Schobel's production severely last season.

Kelsay does make the occasional big play - see his tipped pass/interception for TD against the Cowboys last season as an example - but the team would be better served if Kelsay played a situational role.  He's not a starting-caliber end, especially in a Cover 2 defense, and his presence does more harm for Schobel than it helps the defense.

Ryan Denney: See Kelsay, Chris, but add two years and a serious foot injury.  Seriously, these guys could be carbon copies of each other - Denney is a smart, tough football player, and his height makes him an asset on passing downs as an inside rusher and on special teams, but he's only notched 7 sacks in the past two seasons (Kelsay, for the record, has 8 in that time span).  Denney is 30.  This may be his last season as a Bill.

Copeland Bryan: Talk about a waste of a roster spot - Bryan, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears, was acquired by the Bills prior to Week 2 last season after the team decided to release Eric Powell.  Keep in mind that this occurred while the Bills were desperately thin at end - Denney was injured, Anthony Hargrove was suspended, and reserve DT Jason Jefferson was playing end on run downs.

Bryan did not play in that Week 2 loss to Pittsburgh.  He wouldn't play a down for Buffalo until October 28, and ended up playing in a whopping two games for the Bills.  He recorded one special teams tackle in his first season in Buffalo.  Hello, Chris Ellis.

Shaun Nua: Nua is a product of the Steelers' system that spent the last month of the '07 season on the practice squad.  He's not an ideal fit for this defense at end or tackle, and he'll likely be a training camp roster casualty.

Ryan Neill: In the mold of Kelsay and Denney, Neill offers very little at the NFL level in terms of defensive end play.  He is, however, an excellent special teams player - and not just because he's the team's long snapper.  Neill struggled in the elements in his first year as the full-time long snapper, but in general, he performed pretty well in that capacity and should continue to get better.  At this point, he's a virtual lock for the roster.

The Additions: Chris Ellis
There's an unusual amount of pressure on Ellis to perform this coming season as a rookie third-round pick.  It may not be fair, but it's necessary - Ellis is by leaps and bounds the best natural athlete at defensive end on Buffalo's roster and will be counted on to be a situational pass rusher in his rookie season.  Blessed with excellent quickness and a good first step, he should make an impact early - and he's got the potential to be a top-flight starter given time to develop.  I'm really excited about this kid.

The Subtractions: Anthony Hargrove, Al Wallace
These guys won't be missed.  Hargrove is currently out of the league - he is without team and will likely be suspended for the entire '08 season after yet another substance abuse issue.  Wallace looked like he was going to be a nice veteran addition during last pre-season, but a knee injury landed him on IR and he wasn't re-signed.  The Bills will be fine without these guys on the roster.

Pre-Season Outlook: One thing is certain - even with very minor changes within this positional group, there's more healthy talent here than there was last season.  Denney has been participating in OTAs, signifying his return to full health from his foot injury, and Ellis should provide a nice energy boost - especially on pass downs, when Schobel needs the most help.  I actually like the mix of talent here - Schobel and Ellis are the pass rush guys, Kelsay and Denney are the hustle guys with grit.

If the talent here is utilized correctly, this group could be serviceable.  Not elite, but serviceable - and far better than they performed as a unit last season.  And, of course, the help brought in at other positions - specifically the two defensive tackles we acquired - should help as well.

Change: Energy internally; external help.

As always, your thoughts and opinions on this analysis are welcome and encouraged in the comments section.