BillsObserver

Moats didn't play yesterday.

I just want to thank the Detroit Lions for punishing Brady more than a few times. Suh was ALL over the place.

haha!

I'm wearing one right now.

Here's my list of players to watch tonight and why you should be keeping a close eye on them: MARCUS EASLEY - Easley had a rough start last week against the Broncos but as the game went on, he looked more comfortable and even made a few good catches. It's also been noted that he's had a good week of practice this week, resembling a legitimate wide receiver. This is what the Bills need after Lee Evans turned in another good performance with the Ravens. With Donald Jones out for the remainder of the preseason, this is Easley's audition for the role of the #2 receiver. It's not likely to happen this quickly but if he can turn it up a few notches tonight, he can give the coaches a reason to think twice about where he stands in this group of wide receivers. They desperately want him to be that guy but he has to prove himself first. THE O-LINE - We all know the drill here. Basically this group of lineman has been pretty bad thus far. They need a good night to give us fans some hope going into the season. Buddy Nix told us all that they liked this group of lineman better than we do. Now it's time for this group to prove Nix right. Bell needs to redeem his god awful performance from last week. Levitre needs to establish himself as a starter once again. And they need to hold up for Fitzy. FITZPATRICK - I've been having some conflicting opinions about our starting QB. On one hand, he's had a pretty weak camp so far. On the other hand, he's never been that type of QB to begin with. Hell, that's why Trent Edwards beat him out last year in preseason (not the only reason though). But there's one thing I strongly believe to be true about Fitz - he's a gamer. He plays best when the pressure is on and when the bullets are flying... for real. That might be enough reason for fans to want a different quarterback next year. They might want that QB who can throw a 20 yard out and looks tremendous doing so. Or they could simply say, I want my QB to be more consistent. I totally understand that. But tonight is an interesting night for Fitz. The fans seem down on him. The local media is down on him. Fitz needs to remind fans why he was basically given the job this year. Fitz can ease the minds of fans by putting up a touchdown or two (two would be great for the Bearded one). The bottom line for me is, I believe in Fitz. But for the first time in a long time, I'm starting to question him as our long term starter. I see the Bills round-up clips from their website and they feature mostly Thigpen (more on him in a bit) highlights. But I know that can change with a solid performance from him tonight. Fitz, we need your A game tonight. Yes, it's preseason, but the starting offense has yet to score a touchdown yet. They need a few tonight. CJ SPILLER - This one could also read Fred Jackson. After all of the hoopla about Jackson's complaints this week, it will be interesting to see who has the better night tonight. Who will get the first carry? Coaches promised Fred it would be him but that could always change. Can Spiller follow up his decent performance last week with a GOOD performance on the ground? Ultimately, it doesn't really matter who has the better night because this league is a 2 back league and we need both guys for the duration of the season. What we really need to look for is CJ's progression as a blocker. He whiffed on his blitz pick ups last week and needs to show more in that department against the Jags. I also want to see more north-south running and less east-west running which gets him in trouble. Granted, he doesn't get much help with the O-line but it would be nice to see him correct some of the mistakes he made last week. Spiller is going to have a HUGE role with the Bills this season. His development is critical for the Nix/Gailey regime. He was their first pick. It's time to see some results. I could probably cut and paste this paragraph when it comes to time for "WHO TO WATCH" for the first regular season game. MIKE CAUSSIN/ZACK PIANALTO - The more I think about it, the more I think Shawn Nelson is in danger of losing his spot on this team because of his prolonged injury that has kept him mostly out of camp and the preseason. The way I see it - Scott Chandler has the #1 TE spot locked down. David Martin will likely get that #2 spot because of his blocking abilities. And then it comes down to a 2 man race - Caussin and Pianalto. So far, Caussin has stood out more in camp and in game action. Other notables: Michael Jasper - Kyle Williams has been working with Jasper more. A sign that the coaching staff wants to give Jasper a real shot of making this team. I still think he's a practice squad guy right now because he's too raw at this point. He has shown VERY little in preseason games. Don't get me wrong, I, like many of you, love the Jasper story but he has to show more to justify a roster spot. Kamar Aiken - Because of the emergence of Roosevelt and the Bills high hopes for Easley, it's unlikely he'll get a roster spot but he sure looks like a good practice squad guy right now. I really like what I've seen of Aiken so far. He's looked good in camp and I thought he looked good in his limited time last week. Tyler Thigpen - He looked much better last week compared to his first preseason game, a sign that he is starting to feel comfortable with Gailey's system again. Like I mentioned earlier, it looked like Thigpen had a good week of practice. Thigpen's guaranteed the #2 spot so there's no real reason to watch him other than the possibility he performs really well which could cause the coaching staff to think twice during the season if Fitz continues to struggle. Andra Davis/Spencer Johnson - 2 veteran players who have looked damn good so far but for some reason continue to be mentioned as guys who could possibly be cut for reasons I don't understand. Some have speculated that Spencer makes too much money for a backup. Some of have said that the Morrison signing could spell the end of Davis' Bills tenure. I disagree all the way around. Both men have looked good and deserve a roster spot. Robert Eddins - the undrafted rookie from Ball State has quietly made a few nice plays. There's a bit of a logjam at the LB position (funny because we were saying the opposite just a few months ago) so it's very unlikely he'll make the opening day roster but he's a good candidate for the PS. Chris Hairston - Hairston has been out for a few weeks with an injury. He has a lot of family at the game tonight so I expect a decent performance out of him. Despite him looking mostly clumsy in camp prior to his injury, I can't see the Bills not putting him on the 53 man roster. Here's to hoping we see something good out of the 4th rounder tonight. Reid Forrest - Can he unseat the long tenured Brian Moorman? Did you know his net average is better than Moorman's? But can the Bills afford another PR gaff? Moorman is beloved by the community. Honorable Mention: POZ I'd love to read some more if you got any.. (left out a few guys because of their injury status)

I love the deal. Can't say a bad thing about it. Wish all Bills moves were this enjoyable

So stupid. I have the NFL Game Pass and found out they adhere to local blackout rules. It's Preseason. Freakin' preseason.

I love Kelly the fair and balanced dog. You've been rock solid lately. Good stuff, dawg.

Rodney McKissic from Buffalo News just tweeted the following: @rodneyjmckissic Marcell Dareus seen walking on crutches with left ankle wrapped.

So you're not allowed to have an opinion unless you played? Or is it your opinion doesn't count as much unless you played?

The fans have lost the last smidgen of patience they had. If there seriously is a plan in place (build through the draft, no splashy signings, marginal free agent signings etc..), it's probably several years too late. There is no doubt that the first few games will sell out. Bills fans will always do that. After that, it all depends how the team starts. If we're 2-0, you can bet your ass they will sell a bunch of tickets and the fears about the Oline, lack of signings etc will quickly be forgotten. Conversely, if we're 0-2, you can guess what will happen with ticket sales.

Good work Ralonzo!

It's all good. I like your reviews of the first half. It's good to have 2 different views. Keep it up!

Here you go: Denver kicks it into the back of the endzone for another touchback. 1st and 10 Run play to J White who was thrown to the ground by former Bill Mario Haggan. White hit his head on the turf on the way down. White was on the field for a long time and eventually carted off. 2nd and 11 Thigpen with the 5-step drop and completes one outside to Naaman Roosevelt for a nice gain. 3rd and 3 Very similar play call except Huggins couldn't bring it in. He should have caught it. PUNT 1st and 10 (Broncos) Run to the left by Ball who was taken down by Batten and Corner. Holding call on #85 (offense) though. Decent push by Troup. 1st and 20 Quick throw to the right. Completion to Decker. Corner made the stop. 2nd and 16 Another short pass but broken up by Means. Good play by Means. 3rd and 16 ANOTHER pass break up by Reggie Corner this time, intended for Decker. QB had a lot of time. Poor pass rush. PUNT 1st and 10 (Bills) Nice run to the right by Bruce Hall. Levitre held his man up here. First down. 1st and 10 Play-action quick throw to Roosevelt for a short completion. Haggan was injured on the play. 2nd and 6 Incompletion. Intended for David Martin who had a guy all over him. Offensive line broke down here. 3rd and 6 Incompletion. Intended for Hall but Thigpen threw it a bit too high. PUNT (by Reid Forrest) 1st and 10 (Broncos) Incompletion. Quinn threw it away. Troup had great pressure here. He blew through the line and would have had Quinn for the sack if he wasn't wearing the club which prevented a grip on Quinn. 2nd and 10 Run play to Minor. Little gain. Troup fought off too defenders here and still made a play. Hicks made initial contact. 3rd and 9 First down completion to WR Decker. Quinn had plenty of time and found Decker. Scott pushed him out of bounds. 1st and 10 Nice run by Minor for another first down. Hicks and Scott in on the tackle. Jasper was stuffed here. 1st and 10 Movement on the line, 5 yard penalty. 1st and 15 Quick pitch to RB Johnson who gained about 7 before being brought down by Aaron Williams. The defensive line looked brutal here. 3rd stringers in. 2nd and 7 TOUCHDOWN to WR Davis from Quinn. Quinn had a ton of time. Davis beat Reggie Corner for the easy touchdown. No safety help. Denver 24-3 1st and 10 Incompletion. Play-action pass down the middle to Roosevelt who dropped it. Would've been a nice gain. Tasker said it was off target. I disagree. Well thrown ball into Zone coverage. 2nd and 10 Screen play to Pianalto who picks up a few yards. 3rd and 5 Completion to Kamar Aiken who picked up the first down. About a gain of 8. Nice throw and catch. 1st and 10 Run to the outside by Elzy. Nice gain. Caussin with the nice block on the outside. 2nd and 1 Another run by Elzy who was met at the line. 3rd and 1 Brad Smith checks in at QB. Run play by Elzy who picks up the first. 1st and 10 Thigpen back in. Thigpen was flushed out right and had a ton of pressure coming his way. He threw it away. 2nd and 10 More pressure coming Thigpen's way but he was able to get it to his hot read (Elzy) for a decent completion. Offensive line looked confused by the blitz. 3rd and 4 Run play by Bruce Hall who got enough for the first down. 1st and 10 Another run to Hall for a short gain. Wang didn't help Hall much here. Rinehart still in, as is Hangartner. 2nd and 8 Completion to Easley. Thigpen had a lot of time and found a wide open Easley down the field. 1st and 10 Screen play to Hall who had no blockers in front of him and was thrown down for a short completion. 2nd and 9 TOUCHDOWN. Thigpen threw a perfect ball to Huggins back shoulder. Really nice play. Broncos 24, Bills 10 1st and 10 (Broncos) Tebow is checking in for the first time. 3rd stringer tonight. Cut back run by Minor for a short gain. 2nd and 6 Screen pass to Minor who picked up the first down easily. Announcers revealed Moats was taken to the locker room with a leg injury. 1st and 10 Short run by Minor who was met immediately by Danny Batten. Good play by Batten who was coming from the far side. Jefferson got in on the tackle as well. 2nd and 7 Tebow had plenty of time here. Incompletion. Deep ball intended for #42. Glover had good coverage on the play. 3rd and 7 Delay of game. 3rd and 13 SACK by Eddins. The pocket collapsed on Tebow. Dotson had a good push here. PUNT 1st and 10 (Bills) NICE run by Hall who picked up about 14. Huggins did a good job blocking. Wang was really good here. 1st and 10 Incompletion. Deep throw to the right intended for Roosevelt but Naaman didn't have a chance here. 2nd and 10 Hand off to Hall who went left for a pick up of about 6. Levitre was playing center here and did a really good job on his guy. 3rd and 4 Empty backfield. Completion to Kamar Aiken who picked up the first down. Good play. Big collision on the tackle. Aiken is okay, the defender is not. 1st and 10 Incompletion. Thigpen had a lot of time. Thigpen went deep down the middle to Easley who should have probably caught it but got alligator arms at the last second. 2nd and 10 Completion to Easley. Good delivery by Thigpen who hit Easley on a slant for a first down gain. 1st and 10 Wildcat play by Brad Smith who didn't pick up much. Well defended by the Broncos. 2nd and 12 Completion to Roosevelt. Play-action pass to Naaman who picked up 6 or 7. Good catch by Naaman who fell awkwardly and is going to the sideline. 3rd and 4 Incompletion. Quick pass that was well behind Aiken. Thigpen felt the pressure and got rid of it quick. If he held onto it just a bit longer he would've had a better look. 4th and 4 Incompletion. Broken up by Bronco defender #32. Thigpen went left to Aiken in the endzone but #32 read the play perfectly. 1st and 10 (Broncos) Hand off to RB Johnson who picked up very little. Dotson in on the stop. 2nd and 10 Another run play. Short gain. Looks like Broncos want to get this over. 3rd and 6 Play-action run by Tebow who picked up the first. Tebow slid. Kirlew still hit him. 1st and 10 Run play to Johnson. Pick up of about 5. Kirlew in on the stop. 2nd and 5 Run play that was sniffed out by Glover. Jasper was pushed back on this play. 3rd and 6 Short run gain stopped by Langley and Kirlew. PUNT 1st and 10 (Bills) Brad Smith in. Running the regular offense, not the wildcat. Completion to #87 Pianalto for a decent gain. 2nd and 1 Another completion to Huggins who picks up a few. Huggins was shaken up by the tackle. He's being helped off the field. 1st and 10 Smith looked at a few options down field and then took off. He gained about 20 here. Great scramble by Smith. 1st and 10 Completion to Bruce Hall who picked up the first down. 1st and 10 Completion to Pianalto who was wide open. Nice throw by Smith. Clocks run out. Broncos win 24-10. I would like to see Brad Smith lined up more as QB. He looked good albeit against 3rd stringers. -- If you read all this and want to see the complete first half review, here it is.

Yes I remember the same stretch of games. It was at the beginning of the season. Our D looked freakin' good. I remember one play in particular where Ashton stepped up and popped his guy on a quick pass play. At that moment I thought, "this guy is good when he's healthy! damn good!" and then he hurt himself the next week. And then our D had a few bad weeks in a row. There is no correlation here as Ashton wasn't really that significant.

Right in front of my 50 inch TV.. oohhhh whoops!

Terrible logic.

Can't wait. Goosebumps emerge when I think about it. I love this team.

Like I said, Moran over hypes stuff. To him, this is likely "MAJOR" news. I'm not saying that's it, by the way. I personally have no clue. But Moran has done this in the past.

The only "Major" thing I can see is the Kyle Williams extension. Moran tends to over hype things so I wouldn't expect anything ridiculous. I'll be surprised if it isn't the Williams deal but I do find it interesting that Kyle said that they just began talking about a deal, so if this is the case, that was a really quick deal.

Im only voting when Merriman sacks Brady, Brady fumbles and Dareus scoops it up and returns it for 6 and then does the pee wee herman dance.

People on twitter are saying Dareus is having a great practice. Just killing dudes out there. Levitre is taking reps at center with the 2nd team. Not sure what this means for Hangman? Looks like they're force feeding Jones. I like it.

Thanks for the updates, mrags. I fully anticipate tomorrow's practice (the last one at st johns) will be a light one. And this is the one to pay more attention to.

I'm in favor of this, so as long his torn left quad muscle is healed or close to it. We need depth in the worst way. Here's what Drew Brees said about him: Drew Brees called Stinchcomb “one of the greatest teammates I’ve ever had. He’s a true pro,” Brees said. “He’s everything you want in a teammate, in a football player, in a man, in a leader ... He’s been a mainstay for this team, for this offensive line for a long time, especially during our time here. I’ve had five great years with him. He’ll always be one of my great friends, close friends. I wish him the best and his family. I’m not sure what’s next for him but I’ll always love that man.”

Great post, Kelly.