Today is supposed to be film study day; I realize that.  But I spent Sunday afternoon and all of Monday wallowing, and I don't like to wallow.  So instead of starting off Tuesday morning with another bash session of the Buffalo Bills, I thought it'd be nice to take a look back at the first half of the 2008 season and hand out some awards.  At least there's some optimism here.  We'll get to the depressing stuff later.

Team MVP: Lee Evans
- I know, I know - this team is nothing without Trent Edwards, even if he has been playing poorly of late.  That's the easy pick, though.  I shudder to think about Buffalo's passing offense - no, wait, just the offense in general - without Lee Evans, however.  Evans is on pace to have a career year yardage-wise, and he's still averaging just under 20 yards per reception on the season.  Evans has emerged as a consistent threat, and I submit that no one - not even Edwards - is more important to this team's success this season.

Offensive Player of the Half: Marshawn Lynch
- This award almost went to Edwards as well, but nobody deserves more kudos than RB Marshawn Lynch.  Despite some of the worst run blocking the NFL has seen this year, Lynch has still scored six times - good for a tie for fourth amongst running backs this season - and continues to be the engine that drives Buffalo's offense.  He's also caught 27 passes this season, good for second on the team behind Evans' 35.  Despite having no help whatsoever in the blocking department, Lynch is still making plays.

Defensive Player of the Half: Jabari Greer
- No player has been more consistent defensively than Greer.  He's tied for the team lead with 2 interceptions; he's returned both of those picks for scores.  He also ranks fourth on the team with 34 tackles.  He's a small guy, but he's also Buffalo's most physical and aggressive defensive back.  He has limitations, but he consistently overcomes them.  What a pleasant surprise this guy has been for the past two seasons.  Give him a contract extension, Buffalo.

Specialist of the Half: Roscoe Parrish
- Few players in the league generate the buzz that Parrish does when he hits the field for a punt return.  His average is just 13.2 yards per return, a disappointment for him, but he's also been the lone playmaker for Buffalo's special teams unit.  Buffalo's defense needs to start making some stops so Parrish gets a few more opportunities.

Rookie of the Half: Derek Fine
- Not a whole lot to pick from here, as Buffalo's rookie class has been disappointing in plenty of ways.  Fine has only played in the past two games, and he's already equaled James Hardy's touchdown total on the season.  In fact, his four receptions are just three less than Hardy's 7 on the season.  This is more an indictment of Buffalo's high draft picks than anything else, I realize, but the Bills may have found something in Fine.  He's been solid on kick coverage to boot, as expected.

Unsung Hero of the Half: Paul Posluszny
- Poz has 17 more tackles than any other Bills defender this season.  He's been outstanding against the run, and though he has yet to register a sack, his blitzes have been among Buffalo's most effective in creating mayhem (he had pressures on each of Greer's interception-touchdowns, for instance).  Yet few talk about him; it's always Stroud, Mitchell or Whitner.  Poz has been outstanding, folks - he's one of the most technically sound players on the entire team.

Best Individual Performance: Marcus Stroud vs Seattle
- Where has Week 1 Marcus Stroud gone?  Stroud absolutely shredded Seattle in Week 1 to the tune of 7 tackles and 2 sacks in what, sadly, remains Buffalo's most complete performance to date.  Stroud was an absolute monster in that game, spearheading a defensive effort that included 5 total sacks and 2 forced turnovers.  Since that point, Stroud has picked up just 15 more tackles, however.  We need Week 1 Marcus back.

Play of the Half: Roscoe Parrish TD vs Seattle
- Lee Evans' one-handed helmet grab against San Diego was pretty sweet, as was Kawika Mitchell's interception off of Philip Rivers in Week 7.  Parrish, however, gets the award for his phenomenal punt return for a score in the Week 1 win over Seattle.  This is, quite simply, one of the best individual plays I've ever seen.  Roscoe Parrish rules.  Watch Roscoe's Return

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     
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.

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.

  Has Ashton Youboty outjumped the competition? (Photo Source)

As the pre-season begins to wind down, some of the Buffalo Bills' fringe players have one game left to show their stuff.  So the question becomes: what spots on the roster are most up for grabs and who's fighting for these final spots?  Besides the positions that have been discussed previously (Backup TE, Backup LT, Starting CB, Returners, Starting DT), there are some strong battles being waged between players of different positions fighting to make the final roster.

How many spots are available?
To start off, I'd like to point out the positions I feel we are comfortable enough to say who and how many players will make it.  I left a few positions up for grabs as one of those guys is likely to grab the final spot.

QB: 2 (Edwards, Losman)

RB: 3 (Lynch, Jackson, Omon(or Wright I suppose))

FB: 1 (Barnes)

TE: 3 (Royal, Fine, Schouman)

WR: 5 (Evans, Reed, Parrish, Hardy, Jenkins)

OL: 9 (Peters, Dockery, Fowler, Butler, Walker, Chambers, Whittle, Preston, Bell)

DE: 4 (Schobel, Kelsay, Denney, Ellis)

DT: 4 (Stroud, Williams, McCargo, Johnson)

LB: 6 (Posluzny, Mitchell, Crowell, DiGiorgio, Ellison, Spragan for now)

CB: 5 (McGee, Greer, McKelvin, Corner, Youboty/James)

S: 5 (Whitner, Scott, Simpson, Wilson, Wendling)

ST: 3 (Moorman, Lindell, Neill)

That gives us a rough total of 50 roster spots that should be pretty set at this point, at least numbers wise.  Again, the battle for the 5^th WR, backup C and 5^th CB are all debatable by many, but we will definitely be keeping someone for those spots.  That leaves us with roughly 3 open spots to be filled by any number of individuals from various positions: 3^rd QB, 4^th RB, 4^th TE, 6^th WR, 10^th OL, 9^th DL, 7^th LB or 6^th CB.  There should be some heated competition for these final roster spots and it should come down to a number of deciding factors, which we'll discuss after the jump.

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Evans extension could be completed soon (Photo Source)

After over three weeks of training camp practices, the Buffalo Bills are just two sessions shy of wrapping up 2008 Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher College.  Unbelievable, right?  With camp closing after Wednesday's practice concludes, several story lines are becoming prevalent again; and, of course, the Bills continue to make stories on the practice field as well.  Here's what we should be talking about as training camp comes to a close...

Peters Watch: Decision Time?
In case you took a holiday to Mars in March and are only just now returning to this glorious planet, Bills LT Jason Peters hasn't reported to Buffalo since taking a physical in early January.  Holding out for more money, the break of training camp seems a logical place to get a further reading on Peters' intentions for the 2008 season.  Will he report with camp over, or will he continue his holdout?  If he continues to stay away, it's likely that he'll be sitting out at least a portion of the regular season.

WGR 550 mentioned on this morning's "Howard Simon Show" that Bills LG Derrick Dockery - the only Bills player to have communicated with Peters (via text message) that we know of - mentioned that he believes Peters will be reporting for team duties "soon".  Whether this manifests into truth remains to be seen, but that - coupled with the fact that the Bills made no attempt to sign a replacement tackle after the injury to Matt Murphy - are encouraging signs for fans who'd like to see Peters report ASAP.  Stay tuned - we should be hearing much more on this throughout the rest of the week.

New Deal for Evans Imminent?
Rumors have been circulating ever since this past Thursday's pre-season win over Pittsburgh that WR Lee Evans and the Bills are coming closer to agreeing on a long-term contract extension.  COO Russ Brandon, who mentioned that he'd like to see Evans in a Bills uniform for the rest of his career, and Evans both confirmed that talks were moving in the right direction late last week.

Evans' deal is expected to be huge, and should it happen quickly, it will really solidify Buffalo's receiving corps for the foreseeable future.  This one seems to be much closer than any return by Peters, and it's expected that the ink will be dry on a new contract for Evans by the start of the regular season.

On/Off the Field
The Bills held a night practice Sunday evening and followed it up with an afternoon practice yesterday.  The Bills are steadily getting healthier, highlighted by the return of WR Josh Reed to the practice field.  Reed's lower back had kept him out of several practices and both pre-season games, but his back is now fine - though he's not completely out of the woods yet.  Reed has re-assumed his role of "Trent Edwards' favorite underneath target" immediately since his return; Edwards has spoken glowingly of Reed all week.

“I’m very, very happy with the progress that Josh has made this offseason,” said Edwards. “I was happy with the way he practiced during OTAs and minicamps and he’s progressed a ton since last year, so I’m excited for him this year.”

OT Patrick Estes, injured last week, also returned to the practice field.  Missing practice time over the past two days were TE Derek Schouman (who could miss several weeks), WR Scott Mayle, WR Roscoe Parrish (minor knee), WR James Hardy (resting hamstring), CB Kennard Cox and SS Donte Whitner (excused - family).

Position Battles Still Heated
Several position battles are still making headlines over the last few practices of training camp.  Let's review:

- RB Xavier Omon took second-team reps yesterday ahead of second-year pro Dwayne Wright, indicating that the rookie has snuck ahead of Wright in the battle for the team's #3 RB role.  Wright's fumbles appear to be the culprit.

- Receivers James Hardy and Josh Reed appear to be neck-and-neck for the starting role opposite Lee Evans.  Both are expected to be heavily involved in Buffalo's offense.

- With Derek Schouman ailing, rookie TE Derek Fine's solid performances could lead to him staying on the field ahead of Schouman when the latter returns from his knee injury.  Courtney Anderson's chances at making the final roster have improved as well.

- Both Kyle Williams and Spencer Johnson - as well as John McCargo to an extent - are vying for the starting DT role next to Marcus Stroud.  All three are expected to factor in heavily, but it appears that Williams and Johnson in particular are making strong cases to see the bulk of playing time between the three bigs.

- Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer are entrenched as the starting corners, but the battle for the nickel job is heating up.  Will James is the likely starter at this point, but rookie Leodis McKelvin - as well as fellow rookie Reggie Corner - are making a late push for the role.  It's expected that James will man the nickel spot to start the season (with McKelvin taking dime work), but the first-round pick should take over the third slot well before the end of the season.

The Bills have their final night practice tonight, and follow it up with an afternoon practice Wednesday to close out their three-week stay at St. John Fisher.  We'll discuss the events of those two practices - as well as events tied in with the end of camp - as it happens.

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.

Bills rookie CB Reggie Corner (Photo Source)

Note: Apologies for the lateness of this entry, folks.  The Bills' quick turnaround between pre-season games prevented me from getting to this until yesterday; rest assured that we'll go over the Bills/Steelers game ASAP, with the first half Film Session post coming tomorrow morning.

Yes, the Bills have already played another pre-season game, but that doesn't mean that our Film Session review of the second half of their first pre-season game won't come without valuable tidbits.  I've already broken down some of the Bills' win over the Steelers, but for the sake of chronology, we'll cover the second half of their loss to the 'Skins first.  Rather than making general observations about each position, I'll point out some things I noticed about individual players (this will be specific to pre-season games only).  Enjoy...

Dick Jauron: Whoops.  Guess we'll start with Buffalo's head coach first.  I found this curious: Dick looked murderous after RB Dwayne Wright's second-half fumble; he clapped his hands encouragingly (while still looking pretty miffed) after RB Xavier Omon's fumble.  Just an interesting fact to add to the facts in the competition for the third RB job.

Gibran Hamdan: I wasn't all that impressed.  He made some nice throws underneath and looks like a smart enough guy.  His accuracy on deep balls isn't great, and he looks jittery from time to time in the pocket.  He's light years better than Matt Baker, but I still don't think Gibran is a mortal lock to make the final roster.

Xavier Omon: This kid looks good.  He's already as tough as Wright in the run game, but he's more physical picking up the blitz.  On two plays in Washington, Omon made thumping good hits to completely erase Redskins blitzers.  That was unexpected from Omon coming from Division II.  Quite the pleasant surprise.

Demetrius Bell: Bell has got a future.  His athleticism is great - he's got quick feet and quicker hands.  Not surprisingly, he still struggles a bit technique-wise and with more physical players; I saw him get knocked backwards more than once by a solid punch.  He looks a bit tentative at times as well - but don't mistake that for his being passive.  He looks like he could be counted on as a reserve this season.

Duke Preston: My stomach lurched a bit on one play, where Preston was blown five yards backwards into his own backfield, but otherwise, I didn't think he looked too bad.  Granted, he was playing second and third team linemen from Washington.  I think his versatility keeps him on this team for another year.

Matt Murphy: It's a pity Murphy got hurt, because I thought he looked pretty solid at both left and right tackle.  He'd have made a fine third tackle in the event that Jason Peters' holdout extends into the regular season.  Alas, the 2007 injury bug waited around for Murphy as well.

Derek Fine: Buffalo's rookie tight end is easily the team's most natural receiver at the position.  He just looks comfortable running routes and catching the football; I think by mid-season, he's playing a prominent second fiddle to Robert Royal.  Derek Schouman appears to be all hype at this point.

Steve Johnson: I liked what I saw out of Buffalo's other rookie receiver as a run blocker; he's a tough shed in the slot.  He flashed good hands as well.  I don't know if we've seen enough out of him on special teams, however, to say that he's got a shot at the final roster.  In fact, I'd say that Felton Huggins has a better shot at the final roster than Johnson at this point, because Huggins is a better deep threat.

Chris Ellis: One one running play, Ellis completely blew up the Redskins' entire blocking scheme with outstanding penetration; he was blatantly held on the play as a result.  I'm going to be honest - I thought Ellis was Buffalo's most impressive rookie in Washington.  He's still green and needs another pass rush move or two for his repertoire, but I think if things go well this season he could be starting next to Aaron Schobel in '09.

Marcus Buggs: UDFA LB Buggs is small, but packs a nice punch.  He was solid in the team's goal line stand in the fourth quarter.  He looks good on special teams as well.  He may just beat out Blake Costanzo for the final roster spot at LB if the team keeps a seventh.

Reggie Corner: He took some lumps, but he also made some great plays.  For a guy nobody knew about exiting the draft, he looks very natural - and very quick - on the field.  Another solid find by Buffalo's scouting department.

Leodis McKelvin: I'm not worried about McKelvin's cover skills; those are already solid, and they'll get much better.  I focused instead on his tackling - and it's not great.  McKelvin is physical and willing to risk his body to make a tough play, but his tackling from a technique standpoint is quite poor.  It's this fact that might prevent him from sneaking in nickel reps, at least initially, in the regular season - Buffalo's nickel back must be a good tackler in Perry Fewell's system.

I have some notes on some other players, but they're not necessarily worth posting here.  Saw some good things out of Buffalo's youngsters, though, in particular Bell, Omon, Ellis and Corner.  Again, we'll have more Film Session stuff to discuss tomorrow morning as we break down the first half of the Bills' victory over Pittsburgh.

McKelvin, cornerbacks solid in pre-season debut (Photo Source)

As promised, I've reviewed Saturday night's broadcast of the Buffalo Bills' pre-season opening 17-14 loss to the Washington Redskins.  And, as promised, I took plenty of notes and hit the rewind button often in an attempt to get more nitty gritty details on Buffalo's personnel lineups and overall play Saturday night.

I've only had time to rifle through the first half thus far; rest assured that we'll talk about the scrubs either tomorrow or Wednesday.  For now, here's what I noticed re-watching the Redskins game in our first ever Buffalo Rumblings Film Session:

Quarterbacks: Now is definitely not the time to freak out about Trent Edwards' poor performance.  He just needs to play more.  Trent did make some bad reads while he played - both throws to Schouman, for example, were forced balls - but he's still doing the one thing that Dick Jauron wants him to do: getting the ball out quickly and, for the most part, accurately.  It's high time that Jauron sacrifice some of J.P. Losman's pre-season playing time to get Edwards some more experience reading defenses; it's quite clear that Losman doesn't need a ton of time after his strong performance Saturday.  Losman was, quite simply, in the zone.  He had one poor throw (the slant to Roscoe Parrish on third and goal); the rest was excellent work upon further review.

Running Backs: Not much to report here.  Fred Jackson got most of the work in the first half, and he played as advertised.  He looked good, but didn't stand out in any way.  Jauron did the right thing by limiting Marshawn Lynch to three carries - he doesn't need to work this early.

Fullbacks/Tight Ends: I thought Derek Schouman played poorly.  He doesn't play as fast in games as he does on the practice field; it is clear, however, that Edwards likes throwing his way.  Derek Fine looked smoother than anticipated; he did, however, whiff badly on a blitz pickup, which led to a Losman sack.  I am glad, however, that Darian Barnes is part of this team - I didn't realize how much I missed a good old fashioned lead blocker until I saw Barnes popping linebackers in the hole.  He looks like a good acquisition.

Wide Receivers: If you want a scapegoat for Buffalo's first-team offense issues, blame James Hardy.  He was routinely lined up out of position, missed some pre-snap motions, and was responsible for a false start, a near-false start, and a timeout.  He also misread the Redskins' defense on third and goal with Edwards under center.  Washington was blitzing from Hardy's side; Hardy should have read that blitz and cut his route off.  That's exactly where Edwards threw it, but Hardy wasn't home.  He's got a long way to go before he's an every-down receiver.

I really liked what I saw out of Roscoe Parrish; he might be ready for a break-out season of sorts.  I hope to see more of Justin Jenkins as well - he looks smooth operating out of the slot and is a bit bulkier than Buffalo's top two slot options, Parrish and Josh Reed.  Jenkins is a virtual lock to make the final roster.

Offensive Line: For a first-team analysis, see Ron from NM's FanPost.  I saw nothing different than he did re-watching the first half.  The second team line was comprised of Matt Murphy (LT), Christian Gaddis (LG), Duke Preston (C), Jason Whittle (RG) and Kirk Chambers (RT; also started).  I was particularly impressed with Murphy - he looked great in pass protection against a very good Redskins DE in Chris Wilson.  He's still raw at the position, however, so don't expect an immediate contribution.  Preston also fared well; he was the man responsible for blowing open a huge hole on Fred Jackson's 11-yard screen pass.  Gaddis was disappointing; he missed his assignment badly on a stunt on the Losman-to-Parrish deep throw.  Gaddis was the reason Losman had to throw that off his back foot.

Offense General: Clearly, Buffalo's offense could have played better.  But don't blame the short throws the Bills employed on Turk Schonert - he's done a great job giving Edwards options.  On two poor reads by Edwards, Schonert had layered his receivers' routes so that, within the same throwing lane, there was a short and deep option for Edwards.  Both times, the deeper route was open for Trent, and both times, he forced it to Schouman underneath.  Edwards telegraphs his passes in an obvious way; Schonert may have built in an offense wrinkle to hide that weakness.

Defensive Line: Buffalo's starting defensive line got one series, and I thought they looked great.  Marcus Stroud looks great, and the Redskins threw double teams at him quite often (he did get dominated by two 'Skins linemen once, but otherwise was a force up front).  I also thought the defensive ends looked disruptive, though clearly, they didn't play much.  Stroud and Aaron Schobel were pulled after the first series.  (By the way - there's no reason to knock Buffalo's pass rush after this game, either.  Washington threw so many balls off of three-step drops that there was no chance for the Bills to get any pass rush going.  Buffalo's blitz, however, did look weak.)

That's when things got interesting.  Spencer Johnson replaced Stroud inside and played all right; when Chris Kelsay left the game for good, however, Johnson slid out to defensive end for early downs (Chris Ellis replaced him on later downs).  Speaking of Ellis, I thought he looked good - he's quick and a bit more powerful than I imagined he would be.  He wasn't a liability in the run game, either.  He played a lot, which is good for him.  (Now Jauron just needs to employ the same philosophy with his starting quarterback.)

One last D-Line note: Jason Jefferson is terrible, whether he's lined up at tackle or end.  He's worse at end.  The guy defines the word "mediocre", and he's routinely five yards up field and out of position.  This guy can't get off our roster fast enough.

Linebackers: Buffalo's defense gave up some plays in the passing game, but don't blame the corners - the Bills' linebackers are currently pretty bad in coverage.  Both Paul Posluszny and John DiGiorgio are consistently a yard or two too deep or a step slow getting to the receiver.  Kawika Mitchell displayed a similar trait (while also looking great defending the run).  Buffalo's corners took some heat for some slant routes being completed, but the corners, in reality, were blanketing their receivers - the linebackers were just a bit off with their responsibilities.  Right now, the linebackers are the weakness of the defense, but their play isn't far off from being good.

Cornerbacks: In short, these guys looked great.  Five corners saw action in the first half (Terrence McGee sat this one out), but the best performer of them all was, of course, Ashton Youboty.  Youboty showed a physicality we haven't seen from him to date - he's an excellent tackler.  He also did very well in coverage and didn't make any mistakes.  His INT was a gift, however - Todd Collins should never have thrown that ball.  What got me most excited about Youboty was seeing him talk some smack with Redskins WR Santana Moss; I don't think I've seen that type of confidence out of Youboty before.  He looked great; I wouldn't be shocked if he pushed Jabari Greer (whose play was solid as well) for a starting spot.

Will James saw the most time in the slot, and while his play was generally good (his coverage was better than good), he did miss a tackle pretty badly on a screen pass.  Reggie Corner was the dime back (again, with McGee out of the lineup), and while he made some alignment mistakes and gave up some throws, he also showed pretty good instincts.  I like his future as the nickel back.

Leodis McKelvin made one big error - ducking inside a block rather than engaging it - and it led to a touchdown.  Other than that, he looked good in coverage (and great on kick/punt returns), but his body doesn't look NFL-ready to me.  He's really quite small.  I still think he's a starter by season's end, but he's probably fourth on the depth chart - at best - right now.

In all, I liked what I saw out of all five of Buffalo's corners - but if I had to pick a guy most likely to be released, I'm going with James.

Safeties: Not good, folks.  Ko Simpson was terrible, both on the blitz and in run support.  He was in the box a lot more than expected, with Bryan Scott playing deep.  Look for opponents to try to exploit that this season.  John Wendling, in my opinion, should be playing linebacker - he's OK by the line of srimmage, but a nightmare deep.  He hits hard.  He did, however, miss Ladell Betts badly on a draw play that led to big yardage.  He's quite green, and shouldn't see the field as a defender this season.

Special Teams: Monitored this closely for personnel.  Kick and punt coverage starting lineups listed below; these are a good indicator as to who Bobby April likes on his units, and who, therefore, stands a good shot at making the roster as of today:

Kick Coverage: Blake Costanzo, Justin Jenkins, Will James, John DiGiorgio, Keith Ellison, Derek Schouman, John Wendling, Donnie Spragan, Bryan Scott, Dustin Fox

Punt Coverage: John Wendling, Justin Jenkins (gunners); Ryan Neill (long snapper); George Wilson, Derek Fine, Blake Costanzo, Bryan Scott, John DiGiorgio, Keith Ellison, Donnie Spragan

Dwayne Wright, Duke Preston, Kirk Chambers, Kyle Williams, Marcus Buggs and Darian Barnes all saw coverage or blocking responsibilities in the first half as well.  Blake Costanzo surprised me; he was on the field for nearly every special teams play in the first half and played very well.  Is it possible he's a lock to make the roster?

Feel free to discuss/ask questions/leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Schouman making off-season waves (Photo Source)

Note: As Buffalo Rumblings counts down the days until the start of the Buffalo Bills' 2008 training camp (current count: 10), we'll be breaking down some of the bigger battles we're sure to witness during summer practices as part of a comprehensive package of pre-camp topics we'll explain in more depth in the near future.  For now, let's get our Training Camp Battles series under way with a discussion of the team's tight ends.

With a second-year quarterback in Trent Edwards working to establish rapport with nearly every offensive weapon in his arsenal, Buffalo's competition to find a "receiving tight end" to be Edwards' safety valve is, quite literally, wide open.  While the names here don't elicit excitement in what should be a boring offensive philosophy (at least when it comes to the tight ends), the winner of this competition will nonetheless have an impact on how Buffalo's offense operates.  Meet those about to go to battle:

The Favorite: Courtney Anderson (89)
A veteran of four NFL seasons, Anderson spent his first three years in Oakland, where he caught 62 passes and scored 6 touchdowns.  Anderson has a unique advantage over his running mates because of his size (6'6", 270 pounds); he's a very large man that is a solid run blocker and can make plays down the field because of his height.  Proof of that lies in Anderson's career yards-per-catch average of 12.3.  By comparison, the team's starter, Robert Royal, has a career yards-per-catch average of 9.2 in five seasons (Anderson's only caught passes in three, as he bounced around the league and went reception-less in 2007).  His unique skill set gives him an advantage over Buffalo's very similar Derek duo.

The Upstart: Derek Schouman (80)
We've discussed Schouman's excellent spring at length already this off-season; a seventh-round draft pick last season out of Boise State, "Schou" is the lightest and most fluid athlete of the players vying for this position.  He's benefited from taking first-team reps during the spring thanks to an injury to Royal, but it's likely he got those reps simply because Anderson and the other Derek (Fine) weren't with the club last season.  Still, reps are reps, and chemistry is chemistry.  Therefore, Schouman's rise makes him the upstart candidate in this battle.

The Darkhorse: Derek Fine (86)
Quick - name the last Bills tight end drafted as high as Derek Fine (fourth round, pick 132).  The answer is none other than Kevin Everett in 2005.  Before Everett, the answer to that question would have been Tim Euhus; before him, Bobby Collins.  Fine appears to be a clone of Royal (known for his blocking more than his receiving), but he was brought in for a reason.  He'll certainly stick with the team as a special teams core player, but he's got an outside shot at making an impact offensively as well.

The Longshot: Tim Massaquoi (88)
Signed last season after several injuries to several Bills tight ends (including Everett, Schouman and Ryan Neufeld), Massaquoi is known as a solid specialist, and that's that.  He's a longshot to make the final roster, let alone have an impact offensively - but his competition is so mediocre on the surface, it's hard to completely discount him, either.

Predicting the Winner
Royal is hardly anything to get excited about as a receiving threat, and it's difficult to imagine any of these four players supplanting him as the team's top tight end.  There is, however, a chance that one of these players can fill the short-area role that free agent defection Michael Gaines filled last year.  I'm currently giving the edge to Anderson.  Buffalo's biggest problems lay in the red zone, and Anderson has the height to make more of an impact than his running mates in that area of the field.  He's also a good enough blocker to play as the second tight end between the twenties in Buffalo's run-oriented offensive system; that's not a claim Schouman can make.

Ultimately, my opinion is as good as all of yours'; let's hear it, folks.  Who should/will be Buffalo's backup tight end heading into the 2008 season?

Next Battle: Backup left tackle.