McGahee87 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 who ever has the insider on espn can you please post this article http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/scouting?ga...eId%3d260910017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrate Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Why To Watch This would seem to be a lopsided opener for the Patriots, but there are always several question marks to be answered in a team's first game. If Tedy Bruschi is suited up how will he perform not participating in any of the preseason games? How will the loss of Willie McGinest affect the defense? Who will be the go-to guy in the passing game without the presence of Deion Branch? How much will each back (Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney) carry the mail? There are few things to watch if you're a Patriot fan. Bills fans have to be a bit nervous going into Foxborough with a new coaching staff and a young unproven quarterback. How will J.P. Losman react on the road in front of a hostile crowd? Can the Bills establish any kind of a running game vs. one of the best defensive lines in the league? How will the change in the defensive philosophy (going smaller and quicker up front) affect the Bills' ability to stop the running game? There are a lot of good reasons to watch this game if you're a fan of either team. When the Bills have the ball Rushing: Buffalo has shown flashes of an effective running game throughout the preseason with Willis McGahee and Shaud Williams averaging almost 5 yards per carry. The problem with that stat is most of the production came vs. a somewhat porous interior line of the Bengals and the consistency of solid runs was not there. I do believe that this Bills offensive line has a chance to be very solid by season's end. New players and new coaching needs time to jell, especially with the offensive line. Size will matter when it comes to stopping the interior power of the Patriots (nose tackle Vince Wilfork is a biscuit short of 340 pounds). Bills center Melvin Fowler is somewhat undersized at 295 pounds but is very athletic. Help from his two guards (Tutan Reyes and Chris Villarrial) will be critical. The Patriots have made some changes with their linebacking corps. They lost Willie McGinest and may not have Bruschi in the opener. They've also shifted Mike Vrabel outside and added Junior Seau to the mix. On paper this shouldn't be a contest as the Patriots have been excellent vs. the run this preeason and the Bills have been inconsistent. But most teams don't show their hand before the opener, so there is a certain amount of mystery about how a game will be called both offensively and defensively. Passing: J.P. Losman Quarterback Buffalo Bills Profile 2005 SEASON STATISTICS Att Comp Yds TD Int Rat 228 113 1143 8 8 64.9 This is a bigger question for the Bills' offense than the Patriots' defense. It is obvious that J.P. Losman will be under the microscope. His poise and decision making will be a key to the game. In the past Losman has been very inconsistent and inaccurate. But he looked better in the preseason, completing 65 percent of his passes. The one position that still remains up in the air in Buffalo is the No. 2 receiver spot opposite Lee Evans has not been determined. That's not a good sign as the coaching staff may not feel great about either Peerless Price or Josh Reed. Reed may be the more physical receiver (with and without the ball) and Price may have a bit more juice as a playmaker. A player who is not mentioned much is Roscoe Parrish. He had an injury early in the preseason but is healthy now and with his quickness and ability to catch in traffic, he can be dangerous. The defensive backfield for the Patriots has been solid but it might not fare well if the defense can't put pressure on Losman early. The safeties are solid but Rodney Harrison is coming off a season-ending knee injury in 2005. The corners have been consistent thus far but their lack of size is still a concern. The Patriots were 31st against the pass in 2005. Their sack and interception totals were down. If the Patriots don't pressure the QB it could be a big factor in the outcome of the game. The New England defensive line is basically the same as last year, but the Bills' offensive line has some different faces. When the Patriots have the ball Rushing: New England's rushing attack was ranked near the bottom of the league in 2005 (No. 24). The offensive line is almost the same with the exception of the right tackle (Ryan O'Callaghan). They averaged a marginal 3.4 yards per carry in 2005 but appeared to be back on track during the preseason. It's tough to read too much into preseason stats but it is an indicator that they have been putting extra emphasis on the running game. Laurence Maroney can be the most effective runner for the Patriots even as a rookie. He runs hard and has young legs to make more big plays than Corey Dillon or Kevin Faulk. When you take a look at the Buffalo run defense you can almost ignore what they did last season. The Bills played most of the 2005 season without one of their best defensive player (Takeo Spikes). They have also replaced size with speed up front. Again it is tough to read too much into stats in August but the early indication is that the Bills have improved their run stopping. Safeties Matt Bowen and Donte Whitner should help the run defense. Bowen may not play in the opener but Whitner will be a physical force vs. the Patriots' running game. The mystery of a new defensive scheme with several new bodies for Buffalo will be tested by a nice trio of backs that can all tote the mail for the Patriots. Passing: Tom Brady Quarterback New England Patriots Profile 2005 SEASON STATISTICS Att Comp Yds TD Int Rat 530 334 3922 26 14 92.3 The Patriots' passing game is a mainstay. Even when the running game slipped in 2005 and the defense didn't show up at times, Tom Brady made plays in the passing game. The big question is who will be the go-to receiver for Brady. The always reliable Deion Branch and David Givens are not there and the receiving corps appears to be somewhat thin. Bam Childress has had a nice preseason but is he the answer? Bill Belichick has done a great job using his abundance of talent at the tight end position. He has got the ball to Benjamin Watson a bunch this preseason. The passing game has been fine in the preseason, but an attack that relies so much on the tight end might not work over 6 games. The Bills were ranked toward the bottom of the league in terms of defending the pass in 2005. But with a new scheme and a few new faces, it appears that there has been significant improvement in this area. The Buffalo cornerback stable of Nate Clements, Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer is more than capable vs. the pass.. It remains to be seen if Brady can continue to dominate, but he has been on fire this preseason and there is no reason to believe he will falter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackur Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 thanks good article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGahee87 Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 ty very much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Thanks ! Good article. States the facts with a balanced tone. Now I really can't wait for the game. I have a guarded optimisim after reading that article ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tod Flanders Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Thanks ! Good article. States the facts with a balanced tone. Now I really can't wait for the game. I have a guarded optimisim after reading that article ! 763145[/snapback] Good article other than the "carry the mail" references. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Good article other than the "carry the mail" references. 763150[/snapback] Yes that is so 1997 or so isn't it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5 Wide Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Good article other than the "carry the mail" references. 763150[/snapback] I would have preferred "tote the rock" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tod Flanders Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 I would have preferred "tote the rock" 763184[/snapback] Just another quick comment while this was fair and balanced article, I still don't see how they justify charging extra to get this "inside" information. Gee, JP Losman is a question mark? We need to see how the new OL and DL lines perform? Not exactly privledged information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Just another quick comment while this was fair and balanced article, I still don't see how they justify charging extra to get this "inside" information. Gee, JP Losman is a question mark? We need to see how the new OL and DL lines perform? Not exactly privledged information. 763199[/snapback] Good point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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