Midseason Thoughts

[Dawgg]

As we cross the midseason and lick our wounds from a nasty defeat at the behest of the Cowboys, one fact remains clear: the Bills have far exceeded expectations by any stretch of the imagination. Let's not forget that this is a team featuring a journeyman quarterback, a mediocre offensive line and a terrible defense, all led by a non-nonsense head coach.

 

A few broader thoughts about this team. Not knee-jerk reactions from this game, but rather observations based on the entire season up until this point.

 

1. Defensive Problems Persist. Rebuilding the defense is a multi-year job and the team is undoubtedly feeling the effects of high picks on the defensive side that simply haven't panned out –- Whitner, Maybin, Poz, Troup, McCargo, McKelvin, Chris Ellis -- the list goes on. Drafting Dareus, Aaron Williams and Sheppard + signing Barnett & Wiliams were all steps in the right direction but the lack of pass rush and talent void at linebacker is simply crippling this team. The unit has been substandard all year, relying on a high frequency of turnovers to cover up what is now becoming apparent: HELP WANTED!

 

2. Offensive Line Instability. This team needs a blue-chip tackle in the worst way. Levitre and Wood were playing at an all-pro level at guard/center, respectively, and both should be left in those positions in perpetuity. When tackles go down, the team should sign fill-ins over moving an Levitre, an established centerpiece, to the outside. Demetrius Bell has shown signs, as has Hairston, but they seemingly get injured at every turn.

 

3. Special Teams have regressed. Love Bruce DeHaven, but it's clear that the attitude on special teams simply does not match that of the unit under Bobby April's direction. Is it a lack of talent? Poor scheme? To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure but my hunch is that continuing to build defensive depth through the draft will benefit special teams.

 

4. Receiving Corps - Too Young. Lay off Donald Jones. He's coming off an injury and quite frankly, needs to play in order to develop into the player that he can be. I saw enough of him in the Patriots game to know that he has potential to be a real player. That said, this unit is in desperate need of a dependable veteran presence (not Lee Evans) to round things out – someone like a Patrick Crayton, Santana Moss, or Cotchery. Not looking for a star here, just a dependable receiver who can make critical 3rd down catches.

 

5. Spiller -- USE HIM. Freddy is having an amazing year and deserves to get most of the touches. But jerking Spiller in and out of the offense isn't doing him any favors. Yes, he should have come down with that ball today but he needs to be involved in the offense a bit more before we can render snap judgments on his ability to play. Why not? When he was actually given a series of chances to run against the Raiders, he really showed some flashes. Why not involve him in the screen game?

 

6. Coaching. Gailey is simply doing more with less and it's hard not to like his no-nonsense style. I personally don't have an opinion on George Edwards because it's hard to place judgement on a guy that has no talent at his disposal. I remember cries for Jerry Gray's head during the early years of GW's era. As soon as the team loaded up on talent, Gray became a head coaching candidate around the league. Not saying Edwards is a similar case, just emphasizing that this roster is loaded with Areana League players on the defensive side of the ball.

 

7. Tight End = Solved! Love everything I see about Scott Chandler and it's great that the team was able to find a solution without expending a high draft pick to do so. That said, another athletic tight end should be a priority in the draft as we have seen in New England the value that 2 versatile tight ends can bring.

 

OK I'm done.