I am going to miss Roscoe Parrish in our Buffalo Bills re-watch, and I eagerly look forward to seeing what level of production head coach Chan Gailey can get out of the Bills' speedy slot receiver during the 2011 season.
As previously mentioned, our re-watch will span 11 Bills games, starting in Week 5 and ending in Week 16. We've completed work on four of those games, and unfortunately, Parrish was lost for the season at the end of that run - a loss to the Chicago Bears.
In the four games we re-watched on Parrish - that represents half of his 2010 season - Parrish really stood out. He caught 23 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown in that quartet of contests. He added 19 rushing yards on two carries, as well as 48 yards on three punt returns. He routinely made game-changing and explosive plays, and was a huge part of Gailey's offensive game plans. As you'll see over the next couple of weeks, the loss of Parrish really did a number on the Bills offensively.
After the jump, I've consolidated all of my notes on Parrish from the four reviewed games.
Week 5: Jacksonville 36, Buffalo 26
- Ryan Fitzpatrick sails a pass well over Parrish's head. Parrish wide open on the play.
- Next play: against a three-man rush, Parrish finds a soft spot in the zone, Fitzpatrick rips a throw into the hole a touch high, and Parrish goes up to get it, making a highlight-reel catch.
- Demetrius Bell and Andy Levitre poorly execute a combo block. Fred Jackson tackled for loss, negating an illegal formation penalty called on Parrish, who lined up off the line of scrimmage.
- Fitzpatrick side-arms a bubble screen. Ball is technically a lateral (fumble), Parrish has to scoop it off the turf like an infielder. Parrish fields it cleanly, turns it into a positive gain, and has his facemask pulled to boot.
- Fitzpatrick forces it in to Lee Evans (incomplete) on 3rd & 7. A wide-open Parrish is visibly frustrated.
Week 7: Baltimore 37, Buffalo 34 (OT)
- Parrish makes a short catch, and in trying to gain first down yardage fumbles the football. Ball travels several yards backward, Fitzpatrick recovers it out of bounds to at least maintain possession.
- Stevie Johnson and Parrish bust on a red zone route, end up in the same area. Fitzpatrick forces it in to one of them (hard to tell which), ball is tipped and could've been picked.
- Fitzpatrick throws a rope to the sideline with pressure in his face. Parrish makes an acrobatic, toe-tapping grab for a first down.
- Fitzpatrick stares down Parrish, tries to squeeze the ball into him between Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Fitzpatrick makes a nice throw on a poor decision, Lewis tips the pass, and Reed picks it off on the first play of the second half.
- C.J. Spiller doesn't finish a run that could've yielded first down yardage. Parrish gives him a hand signal that clearly says "turn it upfield right there."
- Cordaro Howard whiffs on a block, but Fitzpatrick takes the lick and still throws a strike to Parrish for first down yardage.
Week 8: Kansas City 13, Buffalo 10 (OT)
- Parrish catches a Fitzpatrick bullet on 3rd & 11 for first-down yardage. Parrish finds a hole in the zone between three defenders. Fitzpatrick had terrific protection.
- A blatant Howard hold on Andy Studebaker goes uncalled as Fitzpatrick rips a beautiful throw down the seam to Parrish for big yardage. Parrish blew by Brandon Flowers on the play.
- Parrish busts off a phenomenal 33-yard punt return to set the Bills up at midfield with over a minute remaining. Wicked spin move. Gailey stoked on the sidelines.
- Fitzpatrick throws a terrific block on Mike Vrabel on a Parrish reverse. Vrabel grabs Fitzpatrick's facemask, adding 15 yards to a 12-yard run by Parrish. Bills already near field goal range.
- Parrish picks up 12 yards running straight upfield on a bubble screen. Gailey targeting Parrish early and often in the clutch.
- A risky, yet nicely-thrown Fitzpatrick pass bounces off of Parrish's hands. Again, a completion would've yielded field goal range.
Week 9: Chicago 22, Buffalo 19
- Parrish burns D.J. Moore in man coverage. Parrish is very quick and explosive in and out of his breaks.
- David Martin and Bell throw beautiful second-level blocks on a bubble screen to Parrish. First down. Bell's block was on Urlacher.
- Another bubble screen to Parrish. This time, the only blocker out in front of two Bears defenders is Johnson. Parrish moves backward to try to create, and is tackled for a loss.
- Fitzpatrick throws a dart to Parrish for a touchdown. Terrific read and throw by Fitzpatrick. Parrish rolls over a Bears defender into the end zone. Tie game heading into the break.
- Another run out of the Pistol formation, this time with Spiller. Blows past Urlacher to the outside, but doesn't read a nice Parrish block well, runs into two Bears defenders, and loses two yards.
- On 3rd & 6, Fitzpatrick leads Parrish, who had all but stopped settling down into a hole in the zone. Parrish lays out and makes a terrific catch to sustain the drive.
- Levitre pulls on a play-action fake again (Pistol formation). Fitzpatrick leads a wide-open Parrish too far down the middle of the field. Parrish again lays out and gets two hands on it, but can't maintain possession as he hits the turf.
- Parrish catches a bubble screen, then carries two Bears defenders down to close to first down yardage.
- Parrish makes a terrific catch on the sideline, but his hand comes down out of bounds. Incomplete. Hand that came down was his injured wrist. Parrish in visible pain. This was Roscoe's last play of the season.