the Difference

[billsintaiwan]

Rivers made a couple mistakes, Warner made virtually none. SD was moving the ball at will, but three plays made the difference. we had a couple chances in the AZ game to turn the tide (most notably youboty's dropped int after the losman-evans bomb), but it never happened.

 

and, with apologies to Losman fans, Edwards makes this team believe. He answered when it counted, never turned the ball over, and (correct me if i'm wrong) did not have any three and outs. The guy is a winner. Losman is a scratch off lottery ticket.

 

let's keep it rollin'! it has been a long time since we've had a team like this.

[JPicc2114]

The difference was trent edwards playing in the game

[drnykterstein]

the difference was home vs away games, plus coming off a bye week..

 

.. plus they were different games on different days. one game was at 1:00 and one was at 4:00?

[BB27]

No Lossman.

 

Thats the only difference that counts.

[ThePebble19]

There were a lot of key differences. Edwards controlled the ball, and sustained drives. We got pressure on Rivers, which we did none of in the last game against Warner. And, like one of the previous posters said, it was a home game after a bye week. We were flat out prepared for this game.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

The difference was trent edwards playing in the game

 

Agreed.

[bizell]

the defense made a stop or two before the end of regulation

[reddogblitz]

The main difference was the defensive scheme. I was very relieved yesterday to see us back to our blitzing, fake blitzing, aggressive defense. That was the difference. I still think that if we had played that was in AZ we probably would have won. If we had played the same scheme as we did in AZ yesterday, it would have been another blood bath.

 

Bringing the heat makes the QB flub up. Think of the '85 Bears and '08 Giants. Worked on Hasselback, Russell, whoever that was the Rams started, Romo (last year) and Rivers.

 

Go BILLS !!

[marauderswr80]

Trent Edwards dont play defense either. Buffalo's D couldn't stop anything against AZ. They were out matched that day. I dont think having Trent would have changed things other then Buffalo may have had a score or 2 more.

[VABills]

Trent Edwards dont play defense either. Buffalo's D couldn't stop anything against AZ. They were out matched that day. I dont think having Trent would have changed things other then Buffalo may have had a score or 2 more.

The best defense is a good offense

[Pyrite Gal]

Rivers made a couple mistakes, Warner made virtually none. SD was moving the ball at will, but three plays made the difference. we had a couple chances in the AZ game to turn the tide (most notably youboty's dropped int after the losman-evans bomb), but it never happened.

 

and, with apologies to Losman fans, Edwards makes this team believe. He answered when it counted, never turned the ball over, and (correct me if i'm wrong) did not have any three and outs. The guy is a winner. Losman is a scratch off lottery ticket.

 

let's keep it rollin'! it has been a long time since we've had a team like this.

I agree wholeheartedly with your first paragraph but it seems somewhat counter-intuitive to your second paragraph.

 

I think the big diff in the game outcomes is in fact seen in the mistakes we forced Rivers into and the performance Warner had. However, it would seem to me the big factor in this had little to do with Losman and a lot to do with our pass rush being far more effective against Rivers. The oddity is that this happened despite our Pro Bowl DE not being able to suit up against SD.

 

I think the factors that explain the diff were:

 

1. The D got motivated big time against SD after AZ ripped 'em a new one. Better players are in fact better players, but motivation can allow even lesser players to strap it on and perform big time after they are embarrassed. I think a healthy Schobel is a better player than a healthy Denney, but in this game Denney and the rest of the D were motivated big time and it paid off with more sacks. turnovers and most important shutting down one the best RBs in the game after getting rolled by the old Edge.

 

2. I think another big factor was that an injured Schobel who was handled by none other than Mike Gandy (who was probably also well motivated by getting chopped by the Bills) was replaced by a motivated Denney and the rest of the D crew.

 

3. The Bills coaches made great use of the bye week to install a D scheme with a good number of LB and corner blitzes and good stunts by the DL so that the loss of Schobel co-incided with far better DL production.

 

I think Edwards does bring a confidence to this team that they are not out of a game even if they are two scores down in the 4th. While Losman has demonstated an outstanding ability to hit the long pass and even lead the team to good O performance (and fully demonstrated when he took a team where Trent had an anemic day last year and he led the team to victory), this proven ability is no where near the same as the confidence TE gives the entire Bills squad in the bad times.

 

However, as you point out, JP hit an outstanding pass last week to put the Bills back in the game but they could not hold it.

 

I think the big difference between AZ and SD was the pass rush and that TE/JP may be a the story ESPN decides to go with but it really made little more than a marginal difference in this game.

[marauderswr80]

That is true about the offense, they can make a good defense as well. However, Buffalo just had way too much trouble stopping the passing attack.

 

But we are 5-1.....go from there.

[Mickey]

Rivers made a couple mistakes, Warner made virtually none. SD was moving the ball at will, but three plays made the difference. we had a couple chances in the AZ game to turn the tide (most notably youboty's dropped int after the losman-evans bomb), but it never happened.

 

and, with apologies to Losman fans, Edwards makes this team believe. He answered when it counted, never turned the ball over, and (correct me if i'm wrong) did not have any three and outs. The guy is a winner. Losman is a scratch off lottery ticket.

 

let's keep it rollin'! it has been a long time since we've had a team like this.

You left out the extra week of preparation which is kind of a big thing to leave out. Mitchell's pick was largely the result of just that, preparation. Major kudos to the coaches. On the replay, it was clear he read the play from the git go. Take that 10 point turn around and I am not sure we win that game.

 

The defense was very good yesterday (due to extra week of prep?) and they stunk up the filed something awful against the Cardinals. But I guess that is just further proof that Losman stinks. I won't mention that the offense put up only 6 more points yesterday than they did against the Cards nor that 13 of those 23 points were owed in large part to what the defense accomplished. I certainly won't mention having to settle for field goals three times.

 

At this point, Edwards is clearly the better QB, no one is arguing anything different but could we go maybe one day without someone finding a contorted way to piss all over JP yet again?

[Mickey]

I agree wholeheartedly with your first paragraph but it seems somewhat counter-intuitive to your second paragraph.

 

I think the big diff in the game outcomes is in fact seen in the mistakes we forced Rivers into and the performance Warner had. However, it would seem to me the big factor in this had little to do with Losman and a lot to do with our pass rush being far more effective against Rivers. The oddity is that this happened despite our Pro Bowl DE not being able to suit up against SD.

 

I think the factors that explain the diff were:

 

1. The D got motivated big time against SD after AZ ripped 'em a new one. Better players are in fact better players, but motivation can allow even lesser players to strap it on and perform big time after they are embarrassed. I think a healthy Schobel is a better player than a healthy Denney, but in this game Denney and the rest of the D were motivated big time and it paid off with more sacks. turnovers and most important shutting down one the best RBs in the game after getting rolled by the old Edge.

 

2. I think another big factor was that an injured Schobel who was handled by none other than Mike Gandy (who was probably also well motivated by getting chopped by the Bills) was replaced by a motivated Denney and the rest of the D crew.

 

3. The Bills coaches made great use of the bye week to install a D scheme with a good number of LB and corner blitzes and good stunts by the DL so that the loss of Schobel co-incided with far better DL production.

 

I think Edwards does bring a confidence to this team that they are not out of a game even if they are two scores down in the 4th. While Losman has demonstated an outstanding ability to hit the long pass and even lead the team to good O performance (and fully demonstrated when he took a team where Trent had an anemic day last year and he led the team to victory), this proven ability is no where near the same as the confidence TE gives the entire Bills squad in the bad times.

 

However, as you point out, JP hit an outstanding pass last week to put the Bills back in the game but they could not hold it.

 

I think the big difference between AZ and SD was the pass rush and that TE/JP may be a the story ESPN decides to go with but it really made little more than a marginal difference in this game.

I'd bump No. 3 up to No. 1. The additional prep time was clearly a major factor, not just in the pass rush. They really thought outside the proverbial box with the way they decided to handle Antonio Gates with Scott for example.

[JimmyPage]

The best defense is a good offense

Exactly

100% correct !

 

This team is like night and day with Edwards in there.

The sooner this team shows Losman the door the better off it will be.

[VOR]

You left out the extra week of preparation which is kind of a big thing to leave out. Mitchell's pick was largely the result of just that, preparation. Major kudos to the coaches. On the replay, it was clear he read the play from the git go. Take that 10 point turn around and I am not sure we win that game.

 

The defense was very good yesterday (due to extra week of prep?) and they stunk up the filed something awful against the Cardinals. But I guess that is just further proof that Losman stinks. I won't mention that the offense put up only 6 more points yesterday than they did against the Cards nor that 13 of those 23 points were owed in large part to what the defense accomplished. I certainly won't mention having to settle for field goals three times.

 

At this point, Edwards is clearly the better QB, no one is arguing anything different but could we go maybe one day without someone finding a contorted way to piss all over JP yet again?

The 6 points is essentially the (Vegas) difference for home versus away advantage. Given the protection Trent got, the fact that the Chargers' secondary is the 2nd worst in the NFL, and the defense's performance, anyone that thinks that the difference between winning this game and losing the Cards game was mostly (I'd say argue even at all) Trent is fooling him/herself.

[BuffaloBob]

Trent Edwards dont play defense either. Buffalo's D couldn't stop anything against AZ. They were out matched that day. I dont think having Trent would have changed things other then Buffalo may have had a score or 2 more.

Yeah, but Trent INSPIRES the defense. If Trent hadn't been hurt, the defense would have played like they did against SD. There would have been at least three turnovers by the defense!! Moreover, had Trent been playing, there would have been no missed assignment on the botched hand-off, and even if there had been, Trent would have lept a tall building or something and prevented the turnover. If Trent had been playing, Royal would not have put the ball on the ground (he would have held on tighter for Trent than JP), and even if he hadn't, Trent would have recovered the fumble!

 

And of course, had Trent been playing, the times that Peters got beat around the corner would NOT have led to a sack and/or turnover because Trent has never given up one of those (nor has he ever held the ball too long). Well, OK, at least he hasn't given one up THIS year. Well OK, no more than two or three. BUT hey those were ALL Peters' fault after all. And even if Royal still fumbled, and even if Trent had not managed to recover the fumble, there would have been no offside on the FG that allowed them to get a TD and go back up two TDs with a quarter to play.

 

And before you tell me what color the sky is in your world, please don't let it get in your way that the defense couldn't stop the Cards BEFORE Trent got hurt, let alone but once afterward. Don't pay attention to the fact that we were within a TD of them until the middle of 3rd quarter, when Royal put the ball on the ground deep in our territory, at which point the defense and special teams combined to permit that to lead to a two TD advantage. And certainly don't let it bother you that even if Trent had led the offense to scores on three straight possessions, as did JP, that in order to overcome a 2 TD advantage, that the defense would have had to get at least three stops (including shutting them out) while preserving enough time on the clock to permit those three scoring drives.

 

But I know, had Trent been playing, the defense would not only have been inspired to shut them out the rest of the way, they most certainly would have even scored a TD or two. God knows, the back-up QB keeping them within a TD through 2/3 of the game notwithstanding their pathetic performance wouldn't be inspiration enough for professionals to try and give the kind of performance the team needed under the circumstances.

 

Yeah, the only reason we are not still undefeated is that stupid JP had to come in and he lost the game. That, and the fact that Trent wasn't able to insire those stops and turnovers on defense the team so desperately needed.

[Fan in San Diego]

The difference was trent edwards playing in the game

 

Big time difference.

[2003Contenders]

For all of those who point out that the Bills have faced teams at the "right" time (i.e. Seahawks with injured WRs, Jags with banged up OL, Rams and Raiders in turmoil, and Chargers looking ahead to the UK), the opposite can be said of the match-up against the Cardinals. The Bills picked the absolute wrong time to play the Cardinals -- coming home after an embarrassing loss to the Jets, where Warner was nailed for 6 turnovers, largely because he held onto the ball too long. Against the Bills, he played a near-perfect game (much like Trent Edwards did against the Chargers yesterday.) The MO for our defense is to disallow the big play and force the opposing QB to be patient and march down the field accordingly. Warner was able to do that -- Rivers wasn't. Some credit certainly has to go to Jauron and Fewell for using the extra week wisely to hatch some new schemes and giving Rivers some looks he hadn't seen before.

[Fan in San Diego]

Trent Edwards dont play defense either. Buffalo's D couldn't stop anything against AZ. They were out matched that day. I dont think having Trent would have changed things other then Buffalo may have had a score or 2 more.

 

Have enough 3 and outs and turnovers and the Offense can affect the defensive play. Football is a very emotional driven game.

[jarthur31]

Trent Edwards dont play defense either. Buffalo's D couldn't stop anything against AZ. They were out matched that day. I dont think having Trent would have changed things other then Buffalo may have had a score or 2 more.

 

The most reasonable response in this thread so far.

 

Greer was beat on the slant all day and NEVER adjusted. Did we abandon the cover 2 in AZ? Why was he afraid to get beat deep?

 

We missed alot of tackles for loss in that game that would've turned things around.

[BuffaloBob]

Have enough 3 and outs and turnovers and the Offense can affect the defensive play. Football is a very emotional driven game.

Yeah, only problem with that explanation is we scored on three straight drives sandwiched between two turnovers that would have been turnovers even if Edwards was playing, leaving us two TDs down. How does that reflect on the defense's inablility to stop them (let alone cause turnovers of their own) but once in that whole timeframe? Was it that time of the month for them or something? Would Trent have eased their troubled minds, even though he would have had to deal with same offensive lineman who can't execute an assignment and a tight end who can't hold onto the ball?

[VOR]

What's troubling is hearing a defensive leader come out and say that once Trent went down, they basically lost all hope because they "had to play perfect." Like JP didn't have to do the same, with the way the defense was escorting the Cardinals' players into the endzone.

 

I hope they grow up/grow a pair before the playoffs start. Although I hope I'm not jumping the gun on that one.