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.

     
Buffalo Bills (4-1) vs San Diego Chargers (3-3)

Here's a quick update on the injury status of several Buffalo Bills players as we continue to slog through the work week awaiting the Bills' home date with San Diego...

QB Trent Edwards: It's official, folks - like, really official.  Edwards is going to play in this one less than two weeks after sustaining a concussion.  Edwards practiced both Monday and today at full force and says he "feels great".  We figured this would happen, but it's still great news to hear.

WR Roscoe Parrish: Buffalo's most explosive player - period - will also return to the field this weekend.  Parrish is slightly less than four weeks removed from thumb surgery, but he's practicing fully and catching both passes and punts.  This is an important guy to have on the field.  It's very relieving to hear he's back.

TE Derek Fine: The Bills' rookie tight end is no Tony Gonzalez, but he appears to be closer to being ready to make his NFL debut.  Fine likely won't play against San Diego, but should be healthy enough to play in Miami if the Bills see fit.

DE Aaron Schobel: This is the first bit of bad news (unless, of course, you don't like Aaron Schobel).  The Bills' starting right end missed the fourth quarter of the loss in Arizona with a bum foot, and today, Schobel was spotted with a walking boot on said foot.  Clearly, he didn't practice.  WGR 550 reports that Schobel calls himself questionable.  Like him or not, the Bills need him on the field.

CB Terrence McGee: We heard earlier in the week that McGee was likely to be a go for the Chargers game, but on Wednesday, McGee practiced on a limited basis.  It's unclear at this point whether or not McGee will practice, let alone take the field.  There's still reason for optimism, but having McGee isn't as certain as we once believed it to be.

CB Ashton Youboty: Compounding the fact that McGee remains injured is the fact that his starting replacement, Youboty, has also been limited by a left leg injury.  Youboty is far more likely to play at this point, but the fact that he's dinged is a concern.  If both McGee and Youboty can't go, rookie Leodis McKelvin would get the start next to Jabari Greer, with fellow rookie Reggie Corner serving as the team's nickel back.  Ouch.

FS Ko Simpson: He, like Schobel, also left before the end of the Cardinals game with a hamstring injury.  According to WGR 550, however, Simpson considers himself to be "over 90 percent" and plans to play on Sunday.  He was limited today; if he surprises and doesn't go, George Wilson will get the nod.

***

So, in short: Trent is back!  Collective sigh of relief.  The big concerns right now are the defensive injuries, particularly in the secondary.  We're about to take on a potent Chargers passing attack, and we're going to need every healthy defender we can muster.  I still believe that McGee will find a way to play, though his chances are certainly diminishing.  Schobel's injury is cause for concern as well; perhaps this will be an opportunity for rookie DE Chris Ellis to prove his worth.

     
Buffalo Bills (4-0) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
Sunday, October 5, 2008 - 4:15 PM EDT
SB Nation's Cardinals coverage: Revenge of the Birds

The 4-0 (how great does that sound?!?) Buffalo Bills head out to the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals in a tough intra-conference matchup.  The Bills are looking to move to 5-0 for the first time since 1991 and for just the fourth time in franchise history.  Below are my keys to a Bills victory and a perfect record heading into the bye week:

Harass Kurt Warner: Pretty self-explanatory, but do whatever is necessary to get after Warner. Blitz him from any and all angles, run stunts, create pressure up the middle, hit him with a 2x4, etc.  Simply put, pressure and harass him, and he will turn the ball over.  We cannot allow him to sit back in the pocket because he will pick us apart and hit his talented wideouts.  He's as good as it gets when given the time to throw; it's time for us to have a game like the Jets D just had against him last week.  To do so, we have to get after him.  I like the Aaron Schobel vs Mike Gandy matchup.  If there is ever a game for Schobel to look like a Pro Bowler, it's this week against our old turnstile, Gandy.

Live on the Edge: Don't let Warner beat us; instead, force Edgerrin James to crank out the yards.  He's nowhere near the explosive runner he used to be and it may be in our defense's best interest to go the nickel route and challenge the Cardinals to beat us by running it.  I have no concern about James and the Cards' running game, so it is likely we focus on stopping the Cardinals through the air and take our chances against the Edge.

Take Fitzgerald out of the game: Easier said than done, I'd say.  With Anquan Boldin more than likely out of this game, Larry Fitzgerald will be the apple of Kurt Warner's eye.  And he could very well destroy our secondary if given the opportunity.  Because of that, I would focus heavily on shutting him down, shading a safety (likely Ko Simpson) toward him early and often.  With Terrence McGee out, we'll have to provide help to Jabari Greer and the young corners, Leodis McKelvin and Ashton Youboty.  I'll take my chances with Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban rather than letting Fitzgerald run free.

Control the line of scrimmage...offensively: There comes a time when the OL has to step up their play and finally hit their potential.  We've been so far from that level the past few weeks, but this is a good week for them to return to form.  Darnell Dockett is a very good player for the Cards, but their other starters are nothing to be overly scared of: Gabe Watson, Antonio Smith and Travis LaBoy (sorry Cards fans, don't kill me).  They have actually been quite solid this year stopping the run and getting after the QB, so despite their anonymity, they have been effective. The linebackers, led by Karlos Dansby, are pretty solid, so it will take a strong effort from our big nasties to control the game.  WIth the way they've played recently, I have a feeling that pride will kick in and they will finally have a big game, instead of a big quarter or two like we've been experiencing. 

Show Lee Evans off: Having signed Evans to a brand new, big time contract extension, I think fans around the league would like to see whether Evans is worth that type of money or not.  This is the perfect week for Evans to have a big time game to prove to everyone how good he can be.  With a semi-hobbled Eric Green, a rather solid, but unspectacular Rod Hood and the young Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie manning the CB spots for Arizona, Evans will have enough opportunities to excel this week.  The deep ball was a major concern for the Cardinals D last week, so that looks to be an area Trent Edwards needs to attack this week.  Like I say every week, get Lee into it early. I'd love to see him finally have an 8+ catch game.

Dominate Special Teams: This should be a close game which could come down to Special Teams.  The Bills should have a significant advantage in all areas of the "third phase", and this is an area to excel in this week.  Steve Breaston is a solid punt returner, but overall hasn't had much success returning kicks or punts this year.  Dirk Johnson is a mediocre punter who will give McKelvin and Fred Jackson opportunities to return punts, so the blocking needs to remain as strong as it has all season there.  As a unit, the Cardinals have been one of the bottom teams in the league this year, while the Bills rank near the top, per usual.  This would be a good week for McKelvin to break that big kick return we've all been waiting for.

***

This is a big game for the Bills and a win would leave a great taste in their mouth heading into the bye.  It is also another opportunity for the team to show that they are a contender this year and are able to win tough games, including tough games on the road.  Go Bills, and let's make it 5-0!

Stay tuned to Buffalo Rumblings and tomorrow's Open Game Thread for the "live chat" during today's big game with the Cardinals!  That thread will open approximately an hour before the 4:15 PM EDT kickoff.  Until then, GO BILLS!

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.

Four games, four very solid performances for Buffalo's defense.  Yes, Rams running back Steven Jackson was able to rush for 110 yards and gain 188 yards overall.  Yes, the Bills gave up some big plays.  But their second half performance - especially defensively, but also as a team overall - was simply dominant.  Buffalo was in control of this game from the moment they took the field after halftime, and the defense was once again the catalyst.

Active defensive line
A lot of folks like to reference poor defensive line play, particularly in the pass rush department, as a weakness of the defense.  I watched the defensive line quite closely in this one; trust me when I say that our guys up front are playing extremely well.

It tends to be forgotten, but a pretty important reason for the Bills' "lack of a pass rush" from their defensive ends (read: lack of sacks) is because of the type of defense we play, and the way that blitz packages are utilized.  Very rarely are quarterbacks taking more than a 5-step drop against Buffalo.  Zone defenses call for quick routes, and opposing offenses are getting the ball out quick.  Really quick.  Cover 2 defenses blitz all the time to create pressure because of that specific issue.  The Colts have Bob Sanders; the Bears have Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher; now the Bills have Paul Posluszny, Kawika Mitchell, Ashton Youboty and Donte Whitner.  The ends are playing very well - though they do still crash too hard on run plays and lose contain on occasion.  Chris Kelsay does this frequently.  And on plays where quarterbacks are waiting on more intricate routes, the ends are in their faces.

In fact, the main cause for Buffalo's inability to stop the run in the first half of this game was simply over-pursuit and poor tackling.  Defenders were literally running past Jackson, who utilized the cutback on most of his best rushes.  That overpursuit stopped in the second half, especially from our ends and the secondary.

The hitters
Speaking of the secondary - these guys can hit.  I'm not just talking about the lick that Leodis McKelvin put on Dane Looker that left the receiver stumbling toward the sideline.  I'm talking about across the board.  Whitner had a big hit on Trent Green for a sack.  Ko Simpson made some really nice, tough open-field tackles on Jackson.  Jabari Greer hits a receiver whether or not the receiver makes the catch.  We all know exactly how well Youboty has tackled to date.  Every one of these guys can lay the lumber.  It's fun to watch.

The hitters extend beyond the secondary, too.  Posluszny packs a punch when he tackles, as does Kyle Williams - they're jolters.  Buffalo has a fast, athletic and hard-hitting defense.  Even on bad plays, Buffalo's defenders are handing out punishment.  That's important as each game wears on, and you could see the Rams starting to get a little gun-shy after the Bills re-established a lead in the fourth quarter.

State of the CB position
The loss of CB Terrence McGee hurts.  His knee injury will keep him out of the Cardinals game, and probably a game or two after the bye week as well.  Naturally, with this in mind, I paid pretty close attention to the play of McKelvin, who is now Buffalo's "nickel" back but will spend most of his time lined up on the outside receiver.  What I saw wasn't all that bad.

As I noted earlier, McKelvin can hit.  But like any rookie, he's too over-eager.  McGee is such a good fit in this defense because he's calm, collected and technically sound.  McKelvin's not any of those yet.  He blew contain on Jackson's 29-yard touchdown run looking for the big hit.  He's not very good playing forward yet because he's too aggressive; his eagerness hinders his natural athleticism.  But he actually played pretty well, which surprised me.  When he plays within himself, he's a lock-down corner - right now.  But he doesn't play that way nearly often enough, which is hardly surprising, considering he's a rookie.  Expect more of the same from Leodis - mistakes, big hits and occasionally a big play.  Greer and Youboty will be fine; McKelvin is the key to Buffalo's pass defense for the next few weeks.

Special teams review to come.  Stay tuned...

Stroud & Co. must be stout on Sunday (buffalobills.com)

In 2007, stopping the run was the Achilles' heel of the Buffalo Bills.  Despite its best efforts to claw their way back into the playoff race, Buffalo's inability to shut down the run (along with inconsistent quarterback play) ultimately dashed those dreams last season.  Opponents ended the season averaging 4.4 yards per rush against the Bills, and the team's final record was 7-9.

2008, however, has started off a bit differently.  The Bills have won two straight games, and with a win this coming Sunday against the Oakland Raiders are poised to start a season 3-0 for the first time since 1992.  Ed. note: I was seven years old.  Buffalo spent their off-season attempting to upgrade their run defense, and thus far it's paid off: the Bills are giving up just 3.8 yards per rush, and their 91.5 rush yards allowed per game is much lower than the 124.6 they gave up in 2007.

This unit has been tested, too; they passed the test of shutting down Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor in Jacksonville in last week's big road win.  The unit is legitimate.  But they face another unique challenge this Sunday in the formidable Raiders rushing duo of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

Raiders one-dimensional, yet still explosive
To underestimate this duo simply because of the team they play for (to say the Raiders are "dysfunctional" is an understatement) would be a grievous error.  Just look at the numbers: in his first two professional games, McFadden has compiled 210 yards on just 30 carries.  Yes, folks, that's seven yards per rush - double the 3.6-yard average that Buffalo's own Marshawn Lynch has established to date.  Bush did not register a carry in Week 1, but when Justin Fargas went down with a groin injury in Week 2 (he won't play in Buffalo), Bush responded with 90 yards, a 5.6 yard-per-carry average and a touchdown of his own.

McFadden and Bush - Raiders draft picks in '08 and '07 respectively - were highly touted backs coming out of college for a reason.  McFadden has a chance to transform into one of the league's most explosive offensive weapons; he's on that path already.  Bush has recovered from a devastating knee injury he sustained in his final college season nicely; at 245 pounds, he's got a Jerome Bettis quality to him.  Now they have an opportunity to establish themselves as one of - if not the - most talented rushing duos in the league.

Keep in mind, also, that these two backs have put forth these eye-popping numbers with no help from their quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, and the passing game.  Russell's QB rating on the year is a respectable 84.9, but most of the solid stats he accrued in the team's opening-week loss to Denver (180 yards, two scores, no picks) came in garbage time as Denver was icing a 41-14 victory.  Last week in a 23-8 win over the Chiefs, Russell completed 6 of 17 passes for a paltry 55 yards.  To say the Raiders are one-dimensional is an understatement.

Oakland's likely Sunday rushing strategy
The Bills are a well-coached football team, and their strategy on Sunday to beat the Raiders is a simple one: stop the run and force Russell to beat you.  If Russell is forced to throw the ball at least 25 times, the Raiders are toast - it's as simple as that.  The problem, obviously, is making that happen on the field.  Don't expect the Raiders to attack Buffalo's defensive line with the run.  The Bills boast an excellent defensive tackle rotation with four solid run-stoppers in Marcus Stroud, Kyle Williams, Spencer Johnson and John McCargo.  The Raiders aren't likely to attack that group, especially with MLB Paul Posluszny backing them up.

In their first two games, the Raiders have spent the majority of their time attacking the edges of opposing defenses.  What's more, they've rarely attacked defensive ends in the run game to this point.  Just 24.6% of their run plays have attacked the interior line to date; the majority of their runs have come to the outside.  45.8% of their rushes attack left end/left tackle, while the remaining 30.5% are to right end/right tackle.  The Raiders have athletic backs and an athletic line, and they've put them to use thus far.

So the onus on stopping the run won't be on the tackles and the middle linebacker; it will be on the outside linebackers and the defensive backs.  Considering the Bills missed a dozen tackles (seven in the offensive backfield) in their win over Jacksonville, this is a bit concerning.  Aligned on the right side of the defense (the side that Oakland has attacked most frequently by far), LB Keith Ellison is sure to be a target.  Players such as Kawika Mitchell, Terrence McGee, Ashton Youboty, Jabari Greer, Ko Simpson and Donte Whitner will be heavily involved in stopping the run this week, based on the Raiders' tendencies.  Considering the talents of the Raiders' two backs (not to mention the size of them), great tackling from Buffalo's back seven is a must in this matchup.

How to beat the Raiders
Buffalo is going to load the box with defenders.  Considering the fact that Russell has struggled and the Raiders' receiving corps hasn't been at all helpful to their young quarterback, don't be surprised to see as many as nine Bills defenders in the box for the majority of Sunday.  They're going to dare Russell to beat them, because the chances of the young quarterback doing it in Buffalo are slim.

The other way to neutralize Oakland's running game is to get off to a fast start.  It's not exactly rocket science, but if the Bills get out to an early lead, the Raiders - a young team with a young coaching staff - will try to get back into it quickly.  Go for the jugular early, and the jugular will expose itself quickly.  The easiest way to dispose of the Raiders is to go for the quick kill, and as football is the ultimate team sport, Buffalo's offense could end up being the key to its run defense on Sunday.

But don't underestimate the importance of shutting down McFadden and Bush.  They took over and dominated an NFL game by themselves last week.  I don't care if it was "just the Chiefs", as I've heard all week.  It was an incredible showing, and the Bills are quite right to not take the tandem lightly.  Quickly snuffing out this duo should lead to a Bills victory, but by no means will it be an easy task.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Evans (83), wideouts impressive in victory (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills are back on the practice field and in the film room, and just like the Bills, we'll be breaking down a little film today.  I found some time this weekend to re-watch the first half of Buffalo's pre-season win over Pittsburgh, and trust me - it was as enjoyable to watch them "on film" as it was to watch the game live Thursday night.

Here are some general observations that I made - and hope you find useful - from Thursday's win:

Quarterbacks: What else can you say about Trent Edwards' performance (9/11, 104 yards, 2 TD)?  Unlike in Washington, where I saw Edwards make a few bad reads, I didn't see a single poor decision from Edwards Thursday night.  What made him click was the rhythm to the offense - Trent is at his absolute best when he's in sync with his receivers (which goes for any NFL quarterback), and his rhythm was perfect Thursday night.  Edwards may not have the strongest arm in the world, but he's clearly got enough zip on his throws to squeeze a pass between three defenders in the end zone.  That's strong enough for me.  If Edwards can play consistently near the level he displayed Thursday night (asking him to play at that level might be pushing it), this is a playoff team.

Running Backs: Marshawn Lynch looked quick, explosive and powerful.  He also had a superb blitz pickup on Edwards' first score of the evening, and did a nice impression of run blocking for Edwards on his 22-yard scramble.  Fred Jackson was Fred Jackson - more powerful than he looks (with great balance - see his screen reception) and one heck of a receiver.  I think it's pretty clear that rookie sixth-round pick Xavier Omon has leapfrogged Dwayne Wright on the depth chart - Omon is still better in pass protection and doesn't seem to have quite the fumbling issue that Wright does.  It's a pity, too - Wright ran the ball really well on Thursday night (not that Omon didn't), and his fumble really negated all of the excellent things he put together.

Wide Receivers: I thought Buffalo's wideouts were superb.  Few NFL receivers can run a route like Lee Evans when he's on his game.  He's so dangerous as a deep threat that he can get 18-20 yards downfield, stop on a dime, and be wide open.  If Edwards has the time to throw that he did on Thursday throughout this season, Evans is going to have a big year.  He might have a big year otherwise.  Roscoe Parrish looked good in my estimation, too - he needs to learn to run after the catch more like Evans in certain situations (like getting out of bounds in the two-minute drill), but it's clear that Turk Schonert is concentrating hard on getting him the ball this season.  I also like what I've seen out of Felton Huggins - he's a bit more well-rounded at this point than Steve Johnson, and I actually feel that if the Bills were to keep six receivers, Huggins might edge the rookie out.

Tight Ends/Fullbacks: Well, Robert Royal was the star (and by the way - this guy blocks like an offensive tackle when he wants to), but I still think I'm most impressed by Derek Fine.  Royal looked better than I've ever seen him catching the ball; maybe this is the season in which he's not a total liability as a pass-catcher for the offense.  Fine is a smooth athlete - he's not the fastest guy in the world (not even close), but he looks good running routes and especially in motion and working out of the slot.  He looks far more natural than any of his tight end peers; if things go well, I'm going to say he's the team's starter at tight end in 2009.

Offensive Line: I don't have much to add to Ron from NM, our resident O-Line guru; I will say that I was impressed once again by Demetrius Bell.  I wasn't sure how he'd hold up against a 3-4 defense (the toughest to pass protect against by far), but he showed that he's athletic enough to handle the speed rush at the NFL level.  He had a lot of help from tight end Courtney Anderson at times, but in all, it was an impressive performance for a guy who's only been playing football since 2005.  He's got a future.

Defensive Line: I dedicated most of my work on the defensive line to watching Marcus Stroud, and more specifically, how the Steelers dealt with him.  Stroud was on the field for 12 defensive plays - 8 passes and 4 runs.  On the eight passes (one a screen pass), Stroud was double-teamed twice.  Of the six pass plays he was single-teamed, he was able to create significant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger twice.  He was also tripped/blatantly held once as well.  Of the four run plays, he was double-teamed three times; the one time he wasn't, he crashed the line and made the tackle.  He is, quite simply, a force to be reckoned with - and while he can be handled by one blocker on occasion, that's usually not the case.  It's quite fun to watch that man play football.

Linebackers: Overall, this unit performed better than they did in Washington, but I still wasn't all that impressed.  Granted, the unit has been without Angelo Crowell for two games, so they're bound to improve when he returns to the lineup.  Kawika Mitchell was impressive against the run, and Paul Posluszny was solid as usual.  My problem is with Keith Ellison.  He just isn't physical enough to be good against the run; he can mop up when a running back is channeled to him, but what linebacker can't?  He's also consistently out of position dropping back into coverage, though that isn't specific just to Ellison.  Buffalo's defense struggles mightily with slant routes and the skinny post, and it's because the linebackers struggle moving backwards and the corners don't jam often.  I'm starting to think that the Bills concentrate on linebacker early in next year's draft, but the unit is scrappy and talented enough to be getting on with for now.

Defensive Backs: They weren't great.  Ko Simpson made an excellent play on a Roethlisberger pass that was eventually picked off by Donte Whitner; Whitner and the rest of his safety-mates looked good in run support as well.  Whitner in particular made a nice play at the line of scrimmage, an encouraging sign to be certain.  The pass coverage, in general, was weak; when there was no pass rush to be had, the Bills got gouged pretty badly (again, not a huge surprise).  I was particularly disappointed by Will James' performance - he tackled very poorly, took poor angles, and allowed a tight reception to Hines Ward on an excellent sideline throw under duress by Roethlisberger.  He'll need to pick his play up to hang on to the nickel job.

Leodis McKelvin and Ashton Youboty were the second-team corners (behind starters Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer), and the duo took their lumps, Youboty in particular.  Obviously, Youboty and free safety George Wilson gave up a long touchdown throw to Santonio Holmes; it was called a blown coverage on the broadcast, but it looked more like a disguised Cover 3 to me.  The Bills lined up in a Cover 2 look, but prior to the snap, SS Bryan Scott crept up to the line of scrimmage.  Buffalo's two corners and Wilson were to man the deep portion of the field in a three-man zone shell, but it didn't look like Youboty got as deep as he should have - he may have been peeking into the offensive backfield.  The result was that Holmes burned Youboty, and Wilson just missed making up for the gaffe.  (This was different than my viewpoint in the Open Game Thread, so I wanted to rectify my error here.)

Special Teams: Obviously, McKelvin's 95-yard touchdown kickoff return was the highlight and was an excellent individual play.  Outside of that return, however, the Bills' return game was rather pedestrian - Pittsburgh's punters did a nice job stalemating the punt return game, and the kickoffs never really got going outside of the touchdown play.  There's work to be done in that department.  McKelvin needs to learn to trust his wedge more often, and the wedge blockers themselves need to be more... well... wedge-y.

There was one change in terms of the starting kick coverage unit - Youboty replaced Will James, who was among that unit in Washington, and Youboty made a nice tackle on the second kickoff of the game.  Clearly, the Bills are sliding him up the depth chart in an attempt to find a way to keep him on the roster; he performed poorly defensively, but outside of McGee, he's the best tackler in Buffalo's secondary.  When Derek Schouman went down with his knee injury, fullback Darian Barnes took his spot on the kick coverage units.

Rookies Steve Johnson and Kennard Cox were the second-team punt gunners, and Johnson looked pretty good in this role.  If he's going to make the team, however, he'll need to show more than Huggins has in this role - and comparing notes from last pre-season, Huggins is still better in this role.

We'll discuss the second half of this game in our Second Half Film Session tomorrow afternoon.

Royal (84), offense excel in Toronto (Photo Source)

The Buffalo Bills' offense entered their second pre-season game with a chip on their collective shoulder.  Less than a week after an inauspicious start in Washington, Buffalo's offense did a complete 180 in a 24-21 pre-season victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Toronto.

NFL.com video highlights

Trent Edwards - last week just 1 of 5 passing - was two for two this week.  Two for two on scoring drives, that is; Buffalo's starting offense was on the field for two possessions, and ended both with Robert Royal touchdown receptions.  Edwards finished the evening 9 of 11 passing for 104 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.  He even had a 22-yard scramble for a first down on third and 12 on the team's second possession.

Wide receiver Lee Evans got into the act as well; after getting blanked in Washington, Evans caught three passes for 55 yards on two possessions this week.  Royal - heavily involved offensively due to a knee injury sustained by Derek Schouman - caught two balls both for scores; Roscoe Parrish, Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson were also involved in the passing game.

Buffalo's re-tooled offensive line blocked well for Lynch; Marshawn carried 5 times for 25 yards before his exit.  There were two minor errors that the offense made - Edwards was hit on his blind side on one play, and Langston Walker had a poor block on a speed rush - but otherwise, the Bills' offense was hitting on all cylinders.  It was truly an impressive performance.

Defense/Special Teams Not Slouches, Either
Buffalo's defense wasn't as spectacular as the offense on Thursday night, but they had their bright spots as well.  Take away a fluke 47-yard touchdown scramble by Steelers QB Dennis Dixon late in the fourth quarter, and the Bills held the Steelers to just 54 rushing yards on 20 carries.  Strong safety Donte Whitner, making his pre-season debut, looked good in run support and also recorded an interception off a tipped pass by Ko Simpson.

Not everything was rosy defensively, however.  The Bills missed a few golden opportunities to record sacks on Ben Roethlisberger, instead allowing the elusive signal-caller to escape and even make a few big plays down the field.  Buffalo's linebackers also continued to struggle in coverage, and the cornerbacks - specifically Ashton Youboty and Leodis McKelvin - were not as solid as they were in Washington.  The effectiveness of Buffalo's offense and some big plays, however, masked these deficiencies as the Bills' first unit built a 14-0 lead over the Steelers' first unit.

McKelvin proved that he can be explosive in the return game once again; his 95-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter gave the Bills a 24-14 lead and effectively put the game away.  Buffalo's special teams units, from team one to team four, were outstanding once again.

What's Coming Next?
- We'll have our Film Session again this week, as I was able to get this game on the ol' DVR once again.  Expect me to come back with a glowing report on rookie OT Demetrius Bell - I thought he excelled in extended action, specifically against the pass rush and blocking in space.

- The Bills have ten days off before their next pre-season game, a Sunday Night affair in Indianapolis.

- Here's the roll call from tonight's game thread: sireric, Kurupt, Bluebill, Scoe221, twoeightnine, Cinga, MonStarr_716, krytime, Fucilli5, RabidBuffalo, the Skycap, Berg79, jj24, Krenn, BuffaloBrewed, Kumario!, billsstein (17 users)... Congratulations to Kurupt, who blew away the competition with 112 comments.  Great stuff.

Plenty to be excited about after this game, Rumblers.