Evans (left), receivers more productive in '08 (buffalobills.com)

In 2007, the Buffalo Bills fielded one of their worst offensive units in team history.  En route to a 7-9 record, the Bills shuffled quarterbacks and scored just 20 touchdowns in what was, statistically, a mediocre season on just about every level.

Fast forward to 2008.  Trent Edwards has settled the Bills' instability at quarterback by emerging as a legitimate NFL starter with tons of potential.  But that's been the only major change.  Even with very little personnel turnover (rookie WR James Hardy was the only significant off-season import for the unit), the turnaround that Buffalo's offense has made has been surprising - and even more surprising, the biggest strides have come in the passing department.

The Bills have improved in just about every major statistical category offensively, most importantly in points scored (the Bills are averaging 25.2 points per game this season, up from 15.8 in 2007).  Yet despite the significant strides made, there's still room for improvement.

Quarterbacks making each play count
We're all aware of how well Edwards has played.  He's the most exciting Bills player in quite some time, at least in terms of the excitement he engenders for future prospects of the organization.  But even J.P. Losman, filling in for Edwards for a game, has jumped in on the statistical prowess.

A quarterback's effectiveness is best measured in yards per attempt.  In 2007, Bills passing plays averaged 6.39 yards per passing attempt - a mediocre number that reflects the team's inability to make big plays through the air.  That number has skyrocketed to 8.24 yards per attempt in 2008, as the Bills have made more plays downfield and have gotten much more from their receivers in run-after-catch yardage.

Bills quarterbacks - yes, even Losman - are distributing the ball effectively and letting their receivers make plays.  It's not an elite development, but it's clearly a step in the right direction.  (Get well soon, Trent.)

Receiver production up
The Bills took some heat when their only significant upgrade to a mediocre receiving corps was the rookie Hardy, whose impact has been minimal through the first five games of his inaugural season.  Effective quarterback play, however, has turned this "mediocre" receiving corps into a bunch of playmakers.

In 2007, the Bills' top four receivers (basically, swap Peerless Price for Hardy) combined for 148 receptions, 1,847 yards and just six scores.  The touchdowns were most concerning, but 2008 is different - Bills receivers have already nabbed four scores this season, and more are on the horizon.  If statistical trends continue for the remainder of this season, Bills receivers will see increases in receptions (projected 157), yards (2,483) and touchdowns (13).

Lee Evans and Josh Reed have been the go-to guys.  Evans is currently averaging 27 yards per reception, second in the league for players with 10 or more receptions.  Reed's production has been a bit more surprising; in line for a career year, Reed has become the go-to-guy on third down.  14 of Reed's team-leading 21 receptions (67%) have created first downs; Evans has added 14 more on his 16 receptions (87.5%).

Running backs getting involved, too

One of the more noticeable differences between 2007 and 2008 has been the involvement of running backs in the passing game.  Offensive Coordinator Turk Schonert promised to emphasize the talents of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson as receivers, and he's delivered in a big way.

In 2007, Bills running backs caught 55 passes - and that total includes the 15 hauled in by the now-departed Anthony Thomas.  Lynch and Jackson have already hit the half-way point of that total this season, as they've combined to catch 29 balls.  That puts the duo on pace to catch 93 passes this season, a very high number for any running back duo in today's NFL.

Where to improve: tight ends and pass protection
It's been great that Buffalo's running backs have been playing the role of safety valve, because the Bills have seen a drop-off in production from the tight end position.  Sure, Robert Royal has increased his production (he's on pace to outstrip his 2007 reception total by 17), but the position has dropped off as a whole.  Bills tight ends caught 56 passes in 2007; they've got just 15 this season.  The return of rookie Derek Fine from injury likely won't help balloon those stats.  Lynch and Jackson have picked up the slack, but the lack of a threat down the seam still hinders this team.

The biggest hindrance, however, has been pass protection.  The Bills aren't throwing much more than they did in 2007, surprisingly, yet the excellent pass protection that Bills quarterbacks enjoyed last season has been MIA.  Bills quarterbacks were sacked 26 times in '07, or less than twice per game.  In just five games this season, Bills quarterbacks have been sacked 16 times; if that pace continues, the Bills will likely surrender double their '07 sack total (52).  That's not good news for Edwards and his concussion, nor for the still-highly-unreliable Losman.

Even considering these issues, there's far more promise to Buffalo's aerial attack this year than we saw in 2007.  The difference has been night and day, and it's been reflected in the team's overall performance.  Don't expect the tight ends to produce more than their current clip; we can be a bit more optimistic about the pass protection given the bye week.  In the end, it all comes down to the quarterback, however; the emergence of Edwards, with an assist from Schonert, has turned an awful Bills passing game into, in reality, an excellent one.

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 (3-0) at St. Louis Rams (0-3)
SB Nation's Rams coverage: Turf Show Times

The 3-0 Buffalo Bills face a major gut check as they strive for a 4-0 start for the first time since 1992.  They invade St. Louis hoping to drop the Rams to their fourth straight loss to start the season.  The Bills haven't won in St. Louis since their first visit to the Edward Jones Dome in 1995.  Below are my keys to a Bills victory and a great start to the season:

Start fast, play inspired:  We are an 8 point favorite and should win this game.  The best way to put away teams that aren't as good as you is to do it early.  We saw how an 'inferior' team can stay in the game last week; there's no reason to let that happen again this week. 

Stop the Steve-o: With good old Trent Green joining the starting lineup, I think it's pretty obvious the Rams need to really integrate Steven Jackson into the offense.  He is by far their best player, so it'll be no surprise if they pretty much run him into the ground.

Get after the other Trent:  I fear for Trent Green's safety, but our defense shouldn't.  Green has obviously been cleared for contact and should be ready for a big pass rush.  Let's give it to him.  The Rams' O-Line has been awful this year, and that is being nice.  We need to blitz early and often, and make Green as uncomfortable as possible, if he isn't already.  I'm expecting 4 sacks or more and will be disappointed if we don't hit that.

Turnovers, as in "get some":  I, for one, was fully expecting a big season turnover-wise out of our defense.  That hasn't exactly happened yet, but there will be plenty of opportunities this week.  A Rams team that has been outscored by 29 points per game has actually only turned it over 3 times.  It'd be nice to add to that number and finally get our defense going in that category.  We've been pretty excellent in all areas except for turnovers thus far.

Run it like the rest: The Rams are allowing 184 yards per game on the ground, so it's pretty obvious that they are weak in that area (like most areas).  After three mediocre rushing performances, this needs to be the week the Bills offense and Marshawn Lynch step it up and dominate on the ground.  The Rams' D is there for abusing, so it's time for our OL to take over a game.  If we can't run it this week, I'm afraid of how we'll run it the rest of the season.

Attack deep: This is one key to pull from last week.  Again, I feel it's absolutely necessary to try the Rams deep. They are about as bad as it gets in the secondary, and we really need to attack that.  I've mentioned in the past how important it is for our offense to get Lee Evans involved early.  Last week was a nice example.  We didn't get the ball to Lee that much until the fourth quarter and our offensive production suffered, in part, because of that.  Like most teams, it's extremely important to the offense's success to get the top WR involved.  This week is as good as any week to throw it deep early and often.  Evans should have opportunities to literally embarrass the Rams' "starting" corners.

Impose our will: Like I mentioned before, we are the superior team, we just have to show it.  With Scott Linehan likely to be fired if we win, there's no reason we should let this be a close game.  There has been a lot of turmoil surrounding the Rams this week, and we need to play off of that.  It is important for us to dictate the tempo as we did against Seattle and at times against Jacksonville.  This week is a good time to really prove what kind of team we are.

Make Special Team special again:  Last week we were pretty awful in this phase, while we were rather mediocre the prior week.  After a phenomenal performance in Week 1, the unit's play has slipped.  With Roscoe out for the next month or so, we need other guys (Leodis and friends) to step up and prove their worth. Specifically, the coverage units really need to step up and limit the big returns.  This has been an issue the past two weeks, and this week we'll need to hold the semi-still-dangerous Dante Hall in check.  Time for Bobby April to whip his boys back into shape.

Don't be that guy: Everybody hates 'that guy', so let's not be him.  The Rams are a team that is about as weak as they come and we are rather solid in all three phases.  Under Dick Jauron the Bills have lost one game against a team that finished the season with a worse record that us (Detroit 2006).  It's obvious that he has the team ready for the teams the Bills are supposed to beat.  The Rams game should be no different and they should play it that way.  Like they have in the past, there's no reason to be looking past this week's opponent. Jauron's teams have done a solid job beating the teams they should beat; let's not see something different this time.

***

The Bills are 3-0 and looking good.  The Rams are 0-3 and have looked about as bad as physically possible.  On paper the Bills should easily take care of business.  However, as this is the NFL, anything is possible.  The Bills need to stay focused and ready as every road game is a challenge.  Go Bills, and let's make it 4-0!!!

Stay tuned to Buffalo Rumblings and today's Open Game Thread for a "live chat" during today's big game!

RB Lynch sees role change slightly (buffalobills.com)

To say that the Buffalo Bills have "improved" offensively from 2007 to 2008 would be one of the biggest understatements ever recorded in human history.  Granted, it was never going to take much to improve, as Buffalo suffered through a historically bad offensive effort in 2007 - a year in which the Bills scored only 20 offensive touchdowns and ranked at or near the bottom of the league in nearly every major statistical category.

Now it's 2008, and the Bills have made improvements.  We're all aware of the reasons - namely, the rise of Turk Schonert to offensive coordinator and the maturation of second-year quarterback Trent Edwards - but the level to which the offense has risen (while still leaving a level of satisfaction to be attained) shows how dramatically different this year's version of the Buffalo Bills offense is.  The Bills played 16 games in 2007 and scored 20 touchdowns.  In three games thus far in 2008 - all wins - the Bills have scored 7.  That puts them on pace to nearly double last season's output.

Here are some themes to Buffalo's offensive resurgence.

Chunk Yardage
Picking up yardage in chunks has long been a favorite saying of head coach Dick Jauron.  Now his team's offense is actually doing it, and at an above-average level of proficiency, at least when it comes to the rest of the league.  Did you know that Edwards currently ranks fourth amongst NFL quarterbacks with 10 passing plays of 20 yards or more?  Nor did I.  The Bills may not be throwing deep, but they're making big plays in the passing game.  It's these plays that have allowed the Bills to up their yards-per-passing attempt statistic (arguably the most important at the QB position) from the 6.39 YPA they put up last season to 7.8 YPA this season.

What's even more interesting is that the Bills are picking up said chunk yardage through the air, something they simply could not do last season.  Marshawn Lynch was the team's workhorse between the twenties last year, but Lynch thus far has just one carry in which he picked up more than 20 yards.  He's being relied on more as the "tough yardage" guy in the new offense, and it's a role that he excels at - and which also inhibits some of his statistics.

Playmakers
When Schonert took the job, he said he was going to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers and let them go to work.  Boy, has he delivered on that promise to date (with 63 huge assists from Edwards); the Bills are currently on pace to field five players with 40+ receptions on the season, and a sixth could be added to that group depending on the production of Roscoe Parrish when he returns from injury.  The Bills had just two players - Lee Evans and Josh Reed - cross the 40-catch plateau last season.

In particular, Schonert has worked to get the ball into the hands of Lynch and Fred Jackson in the passing game - and it's worked.  Last season, Beast Mode and Action Jackson combined to catch 40 passes.  They're currently on pace to end the 2008 season with a combined 85.  The 16 grabs the duo have put up in three games have all been essential to Edwards and the offense, especially when it comes to moving the chains.

Lynch as "The Closer"
With such an inept passing attack last season, Lynch was counted on as the "do-everything" guy for the offense.  It's the reason he led the league in average attempts per game (21.5), and it wore him down a bit.  This season, he's only logged 71% of Buffalo's carries, with Jackson eating into some of his rushing workload (he has 21 carries to the 60 of Lynch).  The result?  Lynch has been free to do other things, particularly catch passes, and he's been effective in the fourth quarter (see the Oakland game for proof of that).

Edwards and the passing game are taking care of business between the twenties, but Lynch has now become "The Closer".  Buffalo's red zone offense was terrible last season, and the one player with a nose for the paint - Lynch - had some trouble getting there due to his heavy workload.  He scored 7 times last season; he's already notched over half of that total with 4 through three games this season, good for the second-highest total in the league.  What's more, he's doing it on big plays - of his 4 scores, three have come from outside the ten yard line (on runs of 21, 11 and 14).  Don't be fooled by his lowered yards-per-carry average (3.6) - Lynch is every bit the explosive player we saw frequent glimpses of in 2007.

The Formula = Efficiency
This isn't exactly rocket science - in fact, it's mostly common sense, something a Buffalo play-caller hasn't had in quite some time.  Schonert's instinctive play-calling has worked wonders on Buffalo's skill players, and it's led to a dramatic increase in production by Buffalo's once-inept offense.

Yet the group isn't satisfied, and they shouldn't be.  Edwards has been harder on himself than anyone has ever been on his predecessor, J.P. Losman.  They're aware that there are holes to patch up, particularly on the offensive line, whose run blocking has been questionable and pass blocking deteriorated (the group has given up 7 sacks this season).  There are still cries to get rookie receiver James Hardy more involved in the offense, a move that might now necessitated by the Parrish injury.  They'll work on it.

What matters is the competency.  No longer do the Bills have to pray for breaks for their offense.  Now the group is getting it done on their own, and they have plenty of room for growth.  That's great news in the short-term and most definitely in the long-term - and the credit goes to Schonert's formula, with some help from Edwards' development.  If this pace is kept up, Buffalo's going to win a lot more football games in 2008.

Hardy will get his chance to contribute (Associated Press)

It's been a strange sight for fans of the Buffalo Bills through the first three weeks of the 2008 regular season.  No, not just because the Bills have jumped out to a 3-0 start; that's certainly strange around these parts, but not the point here.

The point here is that for the first time in quite a long while, the Bills are playing winning football - rather, they're playing any kind of football - without large contributions from their rookies.  Sure, second-round pick WR James Hardy made an outstanding game-winning touchdown catch in the team's win over Jacksonville; yes, top pick Leodis McKelvin has made an impact as a kick returner, registering a 56-yard jaunt in this past Sunday's win over Oakland.

But the Bills' two most prominent rookies have barely played.  McKelvin has seen a handful of snaps - almost literally - as a dime back, but he hasn't recorded a stat defensively.  Hardy has two receptions for 12 yards and a score through three games, has dropped some passes, and hasn't seen a lot of field time overall.  Now, one injury - a thumb that will keep WR Roscoe Parrish out of action for 4-6 weeks - bizarrely forces the Bills to rely on both of their top draft picks to fill the void left by Parrish.

McKelvin to be primary return man
Don't be fooled by head coach Dick Jauron, who yesterday said that punt return duties could be handled by either McKelvin, running back Fred Jackson or receiver Josh Reed.  It was McKelvin who handled first-team punt return duties during the pre-season, when Parrish saw no action in that role.  It was McKelvin who, despite making a few bad decisions - one leading to a turnover in the pre-season win over Pittsburgh - also made some big plays in that role.  It was McKelvin who returned seven career punts at Troy for touchdowns.  The kid's explosive, and his forte is returning the punt.

There may be a circumstance or two where the Bills put Jackson back as more of a "punt catcher" (remember Chris Watson?), but McKelvin should and will see most of the work.  He's one of the most explosive return men to enter the league since, well, Devin Hester, and it would be a crime if the Bills kept him on the sideline.  They won't.  McKelvin's style is clearly a bit different than that of Parrish, but they're both effective, dynamic return men.  The drop-off will be minimal, but we should be wary of the rookie's decision-making back there.  (Of course, Parrish has made some questionable decisions himself.)

Hardy's role likely to expand offensively
It's Hardy, the 6'5" rookie receiver out of Indiana, that has more pressure placed squarely on his shoulders.  The team's offensive coordinator, Turk Schonert, has slowly been working Hardy into more and more offensive packages as the team has progressed through its first three games.  But we all know the history of rookie receivers - rarely do they make an impact in their first seasons.

But Hardy's not expected to carry the offense by any means.  The team will still rely on Lee Evans and Josh Reed as its two main receiving threats (just as they did when Parrish was healthy), and players such as Jackson, Robert Royal and Marshawn Lynch will likely see their roles expand in the passing game as well.  Hardy clearly won't need to fill the void alone - but when the ball comes his way, he needs to grab the opportunity.  He's got a chance to show that he can be more than a spot contributor and a red zone threat.  It'd be nice to see the rook make an impact in the middle of the field, where the Bills haven't been particularly effective throwing the ball to date.

A new era of Buffalo football
The Parrish injury, and his two young replacements, are indicative of a new era of Buffalo football.  Gone are the days when Bills rookies were thrust immediately into the starting lineup and expected to play like veterans.  Now, Buffalo's most talented youngsters are relied on as depth - something the Bills haven't had much of in recent years.  It's time for the rooks to contribute - even if it's only for a few weeks.  The Bills are fortunate that their first major injury occurred before the bye week, as it slightly lessens the impact.

So let's go, Leodis and James.  We've been anxious to see the kids get some playing time.  Now their time has arrived.

It wasn't the prettiest game to re-watch, but the Buffalo Bills' victory over the Oakland Raiders wasn't as ugly as it appeared watching it live at Ralph Wilson Stadium, either.  Here's what we noticed on a second run-through of the game tape on special teams.  Offense Review :: Defense Review

After two strong performances to start the season, Buffalo's special teams didn't play particularly well in the team's win over Oakland.  Mistakes and poor decisions were made and the Raiders' unit - which came in with a solid reputation, and proved it deserved it - made a lot of plays.

Kick/Punt coverage: These units have proven to be the weakest areas of Buffalo's units through three games (though they did put some above average coverage on the field in Jacksonville).  Johnnie Lee Higgins' 69-yard kickoff return to start the game in essence put the Bills in an immediate hole, and he had some dynamic punt returns as well.  Oakland had killer field position throughout the entire game.  Again, I'll point to the personnel turnover on this unit as the problem; Bobby April needs to get these guys covering better quickly, as the Bills face some dynamic return men (Dante Hall, Steve Breaston, Darren Sproles) over the next few weeks.

Kick returns: He didn't have an overwhelming day, but the Bills made the right move getting Leodis McKelvin onto the field in this department.  Yes, he was one of the players that made a mistake, mishandling a rolling kickoff that pinned the Bills at their own 13 yard line.  But with a rookie return man, you take the good with the bad, and there was a lot of good in what McKelvin displayed Sunday.  He's a far more patient returner than I've ever given him credit for, and clearly, his long return at the end of the first half put his team in a good position.  He's got a ton of potential, and as a rookie, he's got a lot more wiggle and much fresher legs than Terrence McGee.  Mark my words: McKelvin will return at least one kick for a score this season.  (It will help when his blocking, particularly from the wedge, becomes more consistent - they did perform much better this week, creating more than one lane on a few occasions.)

Punt returns: Speaking of "take the good with the bad", we all are aware of the great things Roscoe Parrish can do as a punt returner.  But we saw the bad on Sunday from him as well; fielding a punt at your own goal line is only acceptable under the rarest of circumstances, and the decision caught his teammates off-guard and they committed a penalty.  He can't do that again.  That decision was the epitome of what the entire Bills team went through Sunday: they were pushing and borderline desperate.  When the team let the game come to them in the fourth quarter, we saw what happened.

Block units: Haven't been seeing as much of the "hey John Wendling, let's see if you can't take a flying leap over gigantic men" formation as we saw during the pre-season.  Opponents are gearing up for it, and Wendling has instead just sort of been hovering a yard or two behind the line of scrimmage on those kicks.  That formation will need to be used sparingly going forward.

Credit where credit is due: He's not a Bill, but I still feel compelled to talk about Shane Lechler for a moment.  Oakland's punter is fabulous.  He had some help from great field position, but he single-handedly erased Parrish from having an impact on this game (something Parrish would fix with his touchdown reception on offense).  Oakland's special teams units literally dominated a Bills unit that is supposed to be the league's best.  Like the rest of the team, this area needs to mature as well.

It wasn't the prettiest game to re-watch, but the Buffalo Bills' victory over the Oakland Raiders wasn't as ugly as it appeared watching it live at Ralph Wilson Stadium, either.  Here's what we noticed on a second run-through of the game tape offensively.

I seem to do these breakdowns a bit differently each week, and today is no different.  Rather than hit on general topics with the offense as I've done in the past, I'll discuss some observations about several players.  On to what caught my eye...

Trent Edwards: Many of you have made this comment, but it's important to re-iterate - Edwards has struggled with accuracy and rhythm early in Buffalo's two home games this year, and Oakland was no different.  He missed a wide open Roscoe Parrish on an early third down with a wide throw, and generally looked out of sync with his well-covered receivers.  He did, however, show excellent pocket awareness in the face of a fierce Raiders pass rush, as evidence by his scrambles and his two "scramble throws" to Darian Barnes and Marshawn Lynch.  He played well, and his fourth quarter play speaks for itself.

Marshawn Lynch: Combined, Lynch and Fred Jackson carried the ball 28 times on Sunday.  The two runners were met by Oakland defenders at or behind the line of scrimmage 15 times.  More on that here.  The fact that Buffalo averaged 3.8 yards per carry is a testament to the abilities of our two backs.  As many of you correctly alluded to yesterday, Lynch had a monster game.  27 touches, 114 yards and two scores were big enough, but Lynch kept Buffalo's 96-yard drive alive with third down conversions three times.  The Bills don't win without his production, and his four tough runs to set up the Rian Lindell game-winner were large as well.

Jason Peters: Buffalo's starting left tackle took some heat after this performance.  It seemed justified, as Peters was directly responsible for two sacks, a lost fumble and a handful of big hits on Edwards.  I watched the film, and particularly in the early parts of the third quarter, Peters' footwork seemed tentative.  Then I received word that Peters played the second half on a "bad ankle sprain" - he flat-out refused to leave the game, instead choosing to tape up his ankle at the half (this is why Kirk Chambers made a brief appearance at the end of the first half; Peters was never benched).  Peters was dominant in the fourth quarter, and Dick Jauron alluded to that fact in a press conference today.  Please think twice before calling out our left tackle - considering the facts, he performed admirably.

Josh Reed: Perhaps the most important adjustment the Bills made as they prepared for their fourth-quarter surge was to line Reed up in the slot.  Buffalo's receivers were having trouble separating from Oakland's two excellent cornerbacks, so in the second half, the Bills began splitting tight ends, running backs and James Hardy out wide to free up Reed and Roscoe Parrish on the inside (and thus on Raiders linebackers and safeties).  The results were excellent - Reed caught 5 of his 6 passes (for 66 of 72 yards) in the fourth quarter, and all of those receptions went for first downs.  Once this happened, coupled with a more aggressive offensive approach, the offense started to roll.

Langston Walker: Playing right tackle full-time for the first time this season, Walker struggled with Raiders speed rusher Derrick Burgess.  Oakland's best defensive lineman repeatedly came fast, got under Walker's pad level and drove the 366-pound tackle backwards towards Edwards.  Walker held his own on those plays, but the Bills play some talented defensive ends (and 3-4 speed rushers) in their remaining plate of games, so it's something to keep an eye on.

Darian Barnes: You had to laugh at Barnes' big plays in the first half - he was quite literally the entirety of Buffalo's passing attack for a period.  When Barnes left with his foot injury, Derek Schouman filled in as the lead blocker, and let's just say the drop-off was minimal.

Defense and special teams to come later on today.  Stay tuned, Rumblers.

Late Lindell FG lifts Bills past Raiders (Associated Press)

The turnovers piled up and the mistakes piled higher, but a frantic fourth quarter comeback allowed the Buffalo Bills to defeat the Oakland Raiders at Ralph Wilson Stadium by a final score of 24-23.

Make no mistake about it: the Bills had absolutely no business winning this game.

The Bills nearly beat themselves with three turnovers, penalties, poor decisions (especially when it came to field position) and untimely errors.  But the team rallied behind quarterback Trent Edwards, whose second straight week of fourth quarter heroics have the Bills at 3-0 for the first time since 1992.  Ed. note: I was seven.

Raiders force the action for 3 quarters
In this day and age in the NFL, no week is an easy week - and the Oakland Raiders proved that.  The Raiders imposed their will on the Bills for the first three quarters and part of the fourth, displaying a smash-mouth offensive style and, even more importantly, a fast, physical defense that had Buffalo's offense reeling.  Edwards was sacked three times on the day, and Raiders rushers gave Buffalo's offensive line fits throughout the day - again, until the end of the fourth quarter.

The Bills kept themselves in this game, however, mostly due to an excellent effort from the run defense.  We knew coming into the game that if the Bills held up against Oakland's formidable rushing duo of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, quarterback JaMarcus Russell would have to beat the Bills.  He nearly did - the Bills held McFadden and Bush to a combined 97 rushing yards, yet a Russell throw late in the fourth quarter found Johnnie Lee Higgins for an 84-yard score that extended Oakland's lead to 23-14.

Clearly, the game wasn't over at that point.

Edwards, offense come alive in fourth quarter
When it counted most - just as he did last week, and just as he's done a handful of times in his 12 career starts - Trent Edwards rallied his offensive troops.  Buffalo put up 17 points in the fourth quarter, and clearly, they needed every one of them.

Edwards finished the day 24 of 39 for 279 yards with a score - a beautiful toss to Roscoe Parrish to cut the Raiders lead to 23-21 - and a controversial interception.  Though he struggled to deal with a tough Raiders scheme for three quarters, he made big throws in clutch situations and had a QB rating of 81.  What's more, he was responsible for keeping his teammates' heads in the game after Russell's big touchdown throw; he could be seen pacing the sideline, clapping his hands and pumping folks up.  Kid's a leader.  He grew up a bit more today.

I said it at the top, and I'll say it again now: the Bills had absolutely no business winning this game.  But unlike years past, when the Bills would have folded and lost a close game, they overcome all of their errors and put up a win.  It's encouraging, but it also gives Buffalo's young (and in some cases, immature) team some perspective.  As the saying goes, "a win is a win is a win".

More stats for you: Marshawn Lynch scored twice and picked up 83 yards on 23 carries; five Bills receivers caught at least three passes, with the biggest ones being made by Parrish in the fourth quarter; Buffalo was once again big on third and fourth down, converting 6 of 13 opportunities; fullback Darian Barnes caught two passes for 34 yards in the first half; Marcus Stroud and Paul Posluszny tied for the team lead with six tackles each.

Game Balls
Rian Lindell: Missed a field goal early that looked like it would loom large, but redeemed himself with the game-winner as time expired.

Trent Edwards: Every week, our kid quarterback becomes a better leader on the field.  We don't win this game last year, and we don't win it without Trent Edwards.

Paul Posluszny: Was active against the run and steady in coverage.  He hasn't been talked about much, but for a young linebacker making his sixth career NFL start today, his play has been outstanding at middle linebacker.

Roll Call
Props to the 38 folks who stopped by for an excellent day in our Game Thread; bigger props to Kurupt not only for his work as moderator while I was at The Ralph, but for his day-high 192 comments.  Big ups to the 38 names below:

RabidBuffalo, StuckInNJ, NJBillsfan, Kurupt, Cinga, the Skycap, JoeGoal, Memphisbillsfan, patamunzo, WABillsfan, taskersd, BuffCrunch, tlowe52, Ron From NM, silverstreak3k, TheK-GunNeedsReloaded, TheSharp, MarshawnMania, SPD, karovda, geno227, SebastianPruiti, Red Reign, BILLS, GhostDogg47, Hassanali181, BearsNecessity, Jay Elway, Joe P., Hopefulcynic, Amoc, billsstein, Krenn, chaosthepitbull, jdol1568, rexob, norcaliangelsfan, killascript

     
Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Four key matchups and who wins them

The Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders are set to square off in a Week 3 NFL matchup in just about two days' time.  In anticipation of the matchup, SB Nation's Bills and Raiders bloggers - Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings and Saint of Silver and Black Pride, respectively - have gotten together for a little cage match debate surrounding four of the game's key personnel matchups.

Which blogger - and by extension, which community - is right?  Take a gander, gather your thoughts, and let's duke it out in a Bills/Raiders blogger cage match.

MATCHUP ONE: Bills PR Roscoe Parrish vs.  Raiders punt coverage
Brian Galliford: I'm not worried about the coverage men that the Raiders boast - Parrish can beat anyone one-on-one, especially on punt returns.  Shane Lechler, however, provides a formidable challenge because he's got a huge leg.  The key to neutralizing Parrish is kicking it high and making him fair catch it; otherwise, you'd better hope the ball goes out of bounds.  Lechler has the leg to force Parrish to fair catch the ball on Sunday.  Still, it's going to take a solid effort by both Lechler and the coverage unit to contain the NFL's best punt returner.  Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: The Raiders' special teams take great pride in having stopped THE BEST punt returner in the NFL - Devin Hester - last season, and I am sure that they have a pretty good game plan for your man Roscoe Parrish.  Shane Lechler has, unfortunately, been our MVP for the last 5 years because he can put the ball where he wants it, when he wants to and is probably the best distance punter in the NFL. Look for his kicks to be high in the air and don't expect MUCH from Roscoe "Pico" Parrish this week.  You may want to start thinking of other ways to score. Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP TWO: Raiders RBs Darren McFadden/Michael Bush vs. Bills run defense
Brian Galliford: No offense to Raiders fans, but I'm not scared of this duo.  Don't get me wrong - they're both incredibly talented backs, and neither of them has a ton of mileage, so they're going to be formidable for a long time as long as they stay together.  But the Bills are returning from a trip to Jacksonville, where they absolutely shut down the duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.  On the road.  In blistering heat.  I don't think that Oakland's offensive line will be able to open up holes big enough, consistently enough for Oakland's two excellent backs.  Still, these guys are going to be a big challenge for our defense.  I think we're up to it.  Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: Hah, there you go again. The Bills' run D has to be as overrated as they come, at least so far. Last season the Buffalo run D was Raider-esque. Though not quite as swiss cheesy as Oakland's, it was TERRIBLE, and Oakland's run offense was 6th in the NFL without Bush OR McFadden.  By the end of Sunday's game you will know what 200+ yards rushing tastes like. This O-Line may not be able to pass protect, but they can run the ball down anyone's throat.  Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP THREE: Bills WR Lee Evans vs. Raiders pass defense
Brian Galliford: I like Oakland's secondary.  The back seven is clearly the strength of the Raiders defense, as y'all boast a lot of talented individuals back there.  When the Raiders are fortunate enough to match up Nnamdi Asomugha on Evans, you guys will be fine.  But Turk Schonert, Buffalo's new offensive coordinator, has done very well finding ways to get Evans matched up against lesser players.  Evans is averaging 22.4 yards per reception this year, and most of his catches have come when Schonert has drawn up a favorable matchup.  When Asomugha draws a lesser Bills receiver, however, watch out.  Advantage: Push

Saint: DeAngelo Hall put the "D" back in his first name last week as he blanketed the Chiefs receivers. I know that it was the Chiefs, but the entire defense dominated and our DBs could have easily had 5-6 picks. Of course we will need to get pressure on the QB or Lee Evans could break loose, but, Nnamdi, Howard, Morrison, Huff, Routt, Hall and Wilson is one heckuva nickel package.  I expect these guys to punch Evans in the mouth and then dominate him. IF he does match up with Hall and burn him a couple of times then he will be blanketed by Nnamdi all day.  Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP FOUR: Raiders pass rush vs. Bills offensive line
Brian Galliford: To be honest, I'm not at all impressed with Oakland's defensive line.  I like Derrick Burgess, but I think he'll be faced with a bit of the problem that Aaron Schobel faced in Buffalo for the past two years - he doesn't have anyone to help him.  Buffalo's offensive line does an outstanding job pass protecting, and the team has two running backs that have been superb picking up the blitz.  It helps that Trent Edwards is very adept at getting the ball out quickly.  Bold prediction: Oakland doesn't register a sack on Sunday.  Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: I am looking for the Raiders to stunt up the middle this week and let the edge rushers, Burgess and Kalimba Edwards, rush the corners.  We have seen how well Langston Walker pass protects and I expect at least one false start and a hold and maybe even two sacks allowed just on him alone.  I am kidding (a bit) about Langston, and to be honest, I don't know which game plan will show up. If Oakland blitzes (like they did against KC) and mixes up their packages then they will get to Edwards. If they go "vanilla" (like they did against DEN) then Brian may be correct.  Advantage: Push

***

OK, Bills and Raiders fans.  Respect is the name of the game, but trash talk is a must.  Who's right?  Who's just a "homer"?  Time for you to sound off on these matchups and the game in general.

McKelvin will return kicks more often (buffalobills.com)

It is fairly common knowledge that the special teams units of the Buffalo Bills consistently rank among the best in the NFL.  It has been this way for quite some time.  Under the leadership of special teams coordinator Bobby April, the Bills have boasted a consistently excellent special teams corps for the past four years that has featured some explosive playmakers.

For the most part, that hasn't changed in April's fifth season.  Through two games, the Bills are once again showing that their kick and punt return coverage units are outstanding - despite some pretty substantial personnel turnover - and punt returner Roscoe Parrish has electrified his fans and teammates by averaging 17.6 yards per return and scoring once through two games this season.

It's par for the course at those three spots.  The team has not been proficient as usual, however, in the kick return department.  Now, the team is turning to rookie first-round pick CB Leodis McKelvin to bring the Bills' kick return game closer to par.

Where explosiveness outweighs consistency
The man that McKelvin is replacing is veteran cornerback Terrence McGee - and to be very clear about the whole situation, "replace" is a strong word.  More accurately, McKelvin will now share the kick return workload with McGee, once one of the game's best kick return men and a former Pro Bowl player at the position.  The move is expected to be beneficial in many ways.

McGee appears to have lost a step in the return game.  Granted, he hasn't had much of an opportunity to go to work - he's returned just three kicks during two strong defensive performances by the Bills - but he's not as quick to the hole as we've seen him be in years past.  The fact that McGee is the team's top cover corner hasn't worn him down to the point where he is incapable of returning kicks, but his effectiveness at the craft has been limited.  McGee is averaging just 20.7 yards per return, a figure far below his usual expectation.

To be fair, McKelvin hasn't fared much better.  On two returns (both in last week's victory over Jacksonville), he's gained just 43 yards.  But the rookie brings something to the table that McGee hasn't for at least two seasons: explosive potential.  McGee has been the model of consistency, routinely giving the Bills above-average field position offensively.  McKelvin likely won't be as proficient at that aspect right out of the gate, but his speed, acceleration and vision make him a far more viable home run threat.  Add that to the fact that McGee will be fresher and avoid bumps and bruises, and the benefits for Buffalo become quite clear.

McKelvin the return man
As this past April's NFL Draft approached, players such as RB Chris Johnson (now with Tennessee), RB Felix Jones (now with Dallas) and WR DeSean Jackson (now with Philadelphia) were regarded as the most explosive return men in the draft class.  It was Troy's McKelvin, however, who scored on eight returns in his collegiate career (seven on punts).  McKelvin was widely regarded as the top cornerback prospect entering the draft, but he also may have been the most underrated return prospect.

Now the eleventh overall pick is getting his chance to show his talents on the field - and he'd better take advantage of it, because it's not likely he'll see significant playing time defensively any time soon.  Buried on the depth chart as the team's fourth cornerback, McKelvin hasn't even see much dime work to date - meaning that in the cases he's on the field in 2008, he'll likely be touching the ball.

It's no secret that McKelvin is a better punt returner than a kick returner, but that's the case for most young players, especially those with the unique skills of McKelvin.  But he's got a load of potential as a kick returner.  If he can iron out the little things that have yet to crop up - ball security and patience chief among them - McKelvin has the opportunity to quickly assert himself as one of the better return men of the game.  It will help Buffalo become even more dependable defensively, and it will complete Buffalo's explosiveness in all four major phases on special teams.  It's win-win.  Run, Leodis.  Run.