Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com, citing a league source, reports that the Buffalo Bills have decided to move away from the no-huddle offense. Installed during May mini-camps and the brain child of much-maligned head coach Dick Jauron, the no-huddle has yet to provide a discernible boost to a Bills offense that, some might argue, has regressed from its abysmal close to the 2008 season.
Buffalo's offense currently ranks No. 25 in the NFL, averaging 290 yards per game. Through five games, however, Buffalo's offense has generated a measly 56 points, with just 13 of those coming throughout the Bills' last three brutal losses. Trent Edwards has struggled immensely; the offense as a whole has lacked rhythm; and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has not proven himself to be much more reliable than his predecessor, Turk Schonert. Schonert, if you recall, was fired ten days prior to the Bills' season opener.
WGR 550 mentions in their coverage of Florio's report that Jauron, in addressing the media Wednesday, discussed the need to put Edwards "in the best position to succeed." Undeniably, Edwards has looked uncomfortable of late, but he has not exhibited any outward signs of communication issues within the no-huddle offense pre-snap. What Edwards does need, however, is an offense that's on the same page - and his line has not been getting the memos. Six offensive linemen were flagged for penalties in Buffalo's most recent loss, and the team committed nine false starts. Those issues halted what little momentum the offense did garner in the game, and forced Edwards into bad situations.
Perhaps the thought process behind the decision is to try to eliminate some of the mistakes the young offensive line is making. It seems to be the most likely rationale. If the report is accurate, we're likely going to see Buffalo operating from a huddle Sunday in New Jersey. Considering the fact that Jamon Meredith is likely to make his first NFL start at right tackle in the event that Jonathan Scott can't play, it can't hurt. But it probably won't help, either.