Im a Saints fan, but...

[Alphadawg7]

1. Duh.

 

2. Wrong. It isn't fantasy football.

 

3. Arguable but not totally incompetent at least. If you jam their wide receivers then you are asking to get burned deep, and Drew Brees is the kind of QB that can make you pay dearly for letting the WR get even one step's advantage. I would say this is conditional: *if* we can get decent pressure, then we can move up and press the WRs more aggressively. But we should start playing soft and make Drew prove that he can consistently beat us underneath and against our blitz package before we give them any chance at throwing it long (kind of like teams have done to Trent thus far).

 

4. Duh.

 

5. Duh.

 

Wow. One out of five of your comments warranted a legitimate response. That shatters your previous best of zero for eternity in comments that make sense. Good for you!

 

You are widely considered the worst poster on this board, so this reply doesnt surprise me. Just because you write "duh" doesnt mean they arent keys to the game. Keys to the game are not rocket science...the OP wanted to discuss it, so there it is.

 

And you are grossly wrong on #2 and #3. Funny, how our entire team, OC, HC, and WR's all feel the WR's need to be more involved, yet your self proclaimed genius says other wise...man you are a waste of message board space.

 

#3 - Playing off them is so bad against this team as Brees (I am guessing you havent watched him play) constantly beats teams over the middle on quick routes which then opens the DB's up to bite on the double moves deep. The Saints WR's are not going to out muscle DB's, you have to jam them and use Safety help to protect the deep ball.

[BuffaloBill]

Welcome. Did you bring Juleps from Pat O'Brien's with you?

 

Juleps ... hurricanes ... get your drinks straight

[Stan da Man]

How does the potential weather forecast play into the game plan and success of the NO offense? IF we see showers with 15mph winds it could swing this more towards a ground game, no?

[streetcar]

How does the potential weather forecast play into the game plan and success of the NO offense? IF we see showers with 15mph winds it could swing this more towards a ground game, no?

 

Ah, now there is an interesting question. Ive heard it argued both ways. Some say it will slow any offense down while others say that wide recievers get an advantage in their cuts since they know where they are going and the defensive backs do not. Drew hasnt seen much weather in the pros but he did play at Purdue. I for one am glad we are playing you guys in Sept instead of December to tell you the truth.

[1billsfan]

Your best D is your offense...the keys to the game will be this:

 

1. Ball control by the Bills - Stopping the Saints O is just not going to happen, all we can hope is to slow it down a bit. The best way to do that is to keep them off the field, so I expect to see a heavy dose of Fred Jackson this week. Since we run the no huddle, we really will need to slow down a bit on getting to the line to eat some precious clock time up.

 

2. Our WR's have to be more involved - If we get into a shoot out (based on what Brees has done thus far, thats quite probable) we will need our best playmakers involed with Lee and TO and thus far they just arent touching the ball enough.

 

3. We have to Jam your WR's...Its amazing how far off the DB's have been playing against your WR's. Seems teams are so afraid of getting beat deep that they are playing way off the WR. For us to be able to slow your Offense, we absolutely have to jam your WR's at the line to give our defensive line time to put pressure on Brees by making him hold the ball longer.

 

4. Turnovers - We will not be able to afford any turnovers. They are always bad, but against such an offensive juggernaught like the Saints, they can be even more costly.

 

5. First downs - we must move the ball consistently, we cant afford so many short drives. Even if we only get a FG, we have to keep the chains moving and the Saints off the field.

 

The Dolphins had over three quarters worth of ball control and still lost. This next game is about putting the petal to the metal with Owens and Evans. Yes, Jackson will have his roll, but having our wide receivers scoring touchdowns is our only chance to pull off the upset win. That and a few lucky bounces and the Saints offense having troubles with the crowd noise.

 

If the Bills go ball control they lose 10 out of 10 times. They are just aren't any good at doing that and especially punching it in in the red zone. Go deep or go home.

[buffaloboyinATL]

Ummm.. didn't Kellen Winslow catch a bomb from leftwitch for a touchdown?

They fell for the trap too. Sometimes you have to let a few mice eat the cheese before you drop the bar down on their necks. That's the benefit of having a genius for a head coach.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

What's the word in New Orleans about Lance Moore...playing this week, or injured...or is he just a non-factor in that team's offense.

 

I had the unfortunate experience of watching the Bills lose to the Saints 20 years ago...in the snow...with John FOURCADE as the Saints QB.

 

 

 

and then cursed out some ******* whose football hit my car leaving the stadium. Not the best of days.

[JPicc2114]

Bills will be the best offense the Saints have faced this year so far. Will be an interesting game. Fred Jackson another 150+ game. I think so

[Alphadawg7]

The Dolphins had over three quarters worth of ball control and still lost. This next game is about putting the petal to the metal with Owens and Evans. Yes, Jackson will have his roll, but having our wide receivers scoring touchdowns is our only chance to pull off the upset win. That and a few lucky bounces and the Saints offense having troubles with the crowd noise.

 

If the Bills go ball control they lose 10 out of 10 times. They are just aren't any good at doing that and especially punching it in in the red zone. Go deep or go home.

 

You clearly missed the significance of that Indy-Mia game...The only reason Mia was even in the game was because of how long they controlled the ball. Payton had over 300 yards passing despite having the ball less then 15 minutes in the game...if Payton had been on the field more that game wouldnt have even been close.

 

Ball control against a potent offense is always in every single game plan the #1 absolute priority. There is no way the Bills are thinking lets go out and get into a shoot out with this team. That doesnt mean you dont try and score when the chances are there, but against this D, I expect a heavy dose of Freddie to keep Brees and Co. off the field. Not to mention, Freddie has easily been our MVP thus far.

[streetcar]

What's the word in New Orleans about Lance Moore...playing this week, or injured...or is he just a non-factor in that team's offense.

 

I had the unfortunate experience of watching the Bills lose to the Saints 20 years ago...in the snow...with John FOURCADE as the Saints QB.

 

 

 

and then cursed out some ******* whose football hit my car leaving the stadium. Not the best of days.

 

It sounds like Lance will play. It was a very slight hammy. I wouldnt say Lance is a non factor at all as sure handed as he is. He catches better than anyone but Colston. But there are enough weapons that if he isnt 100 percent they wont have to play him. Henderson and Meach are much faster than he is.

[95altima12]

SouthGeorgia, I do think we will beat Atlanta but it will be tough. I think we will split with them head to head but they got the tougher schedule. They are well coached Ill say that. Our two teams always play each other tough even when one of the teams is bad and one is good. Those long time rivals run deep dont they.

 

I hate the Falcons I hope you kill them and we do too!!!! Yes I am from Atlanta and they have some of the worst fans!

 

Don't expect to be able to run the ball up the middle might be able to get outside. I heard Bell is hurt that might help us. We might be able to work on getting to Brees more then the run stop if we shut the run game down early. Just some thoughts.

I as well welcome you to the board. Good to hear some people still like talking about football and not just BS on. Also how do you think we fare against the Falcons? I know its late in the year and that will prob have a huge affect on the game. Sorry if that was already asked.

[1billsfan]

You clearly missed the significance of that Indy-Mia game...The only reason Mia was even in the game was because of how long they controlled the ball. Payton had over 300 yards passing despite having the ball less then 15 minutes in the game...if Payton had been on the field more that game wouldnt have even been close.

 

Ball control against a potent offense is always in every single game plan the #1 absolute priority. There is no way the Bills are thinking lets go out and get into a shoot out with this team. That doesnt mean you dont try and score when the chances are there, but against this D, I expect a heavy dose of Freddie to keep Brees and Co. off the field. Not to mention, Freddie has easily been our MVP thus far.

 

You do have a point. Peyton was unreal last night. It's just my opinion that, in this particular game, the Bills need Owens and Evans completely involved in the game plan from the first quarter to the last. They need to keep the crowd revved up as well. And after last years absolute failure at the ball control, scoring TDs in the red zone game the only way to victory that I can see is through Owens and Evans with Jackson getting a heavy dose of screens passes and of course on a few runs to keep the Saints defenders honest. There is no way I see this team beating the Saints through a ball control game. A shootout with a few lucky bounces is what I see as the only possible win scenario. I can't wait to see what they do.

[Orton's Arm]

Hey gang, I hope you guys don’t mind a Saints fan being here for a bit. I don’t talk trash and I like to be truthful about my team so I wont be an obnoxiously over the top homer.

 

This is actually the first time I have joined a non division rival’s forum but I decided it would be the best way to learn about a team I don’t know much about (I knew more about them in the day - loved Thurman Thomas and was a huge Bruce Smith fan). I did watch the game against the Pats and I won’t even mention how it ended but I loved what I saw of Edwards and the no huddle scares me with our D. I’m sure you guys can tell me plenty about our DC and I’m looking forward to hearing it. Yes we are all worried about our D here in NOLA but right now our biggest problem is special teams IMO. It was horrible against the Lions and it got better in Philly but still is plenty weak.

 

Anyway, I look forward to posting with you for the week and maybe beyond if you have me. Ask me anything about the Saints and Ill answer honestly if I know. Thanks. Street

Welcome to the boards!

 

On defense, the Bills have been good at stopping the run, and pretty good at stopping the big play. On the other hand, the defensive backs often play soft, and the pass rush has been hit and miss. A "death by a thousand small cuts"-style passing attack is generally quite effective against the Bills' style of defense. The Bills' defense cannot get off the field on third down! Sometimes this defense will cause offenses to bog down after they've put together a long, sustained drive. So you might see some field goal attempts where you'd been hoping for touchdowns. You could easily see a few big defensive plays over the course of the game. But overall, expect to see your team's offense to get plenty of time of possession, and to move the chains an awful lot.

 

On the other side of the ball, the Bills have a young, athletic, highly mobile offensive line that's quite good at run blocking. The interior of the line is also solid in pass protection. The tackles are a little more iffy in that department; so if you have good DEs then Edwards won't have all day to throw. The LT--Bell--is a first-time starter, and didn't play football on any level before 2005. He's learning on the job, and had a better game in his second week than in his first.

 

The QB--Edwards--is off to a good start this year, and has the fourth-highest passer rating in the NFL. That will probably go down as he faces some better defenses, but for right now he's looking pretty good. Of immense help has been having the newly installed Alex van Pelt as his offensive coordinator. That's a ridiculously big upgrade over the bum of a coordinator we had there last season.

 

Terrell Owens is one of the Bills' receivers. I'm sure you've heard plenty about him already. He's a big-time player who typically commands double teams; thereby opening up other receivers and the Bills' running game. His actual production this season has been below his usual standards, but his effect on the overall game goes beyond just his own production. He drops more passes than he should though.

 

At the other outside receiver position there's Lee Evans. Evans is the kind of guy who can and will burn a DB with his raw speed if he's left in one-on-one coverage. Unfortunately, Evans is short (only about 5-10), so it's not like you can have him compete for jump balls the way a Randy Moss would. A better comparison player would be Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers, except that Steve Smith is a much more three-dimensional WR, and significantly better player, than is Lee Evans. It would, however, be an exaggeration to say that Evans is good at only the long bomb.

 

At slot WR the Bills have Josh Reed. Another smurf receiver, Reed runs good routes, has good hands, and has been a solid, reliable part of the offense for the last few years. He's not as fast a receiver as one would like, however. At TE, the Bills have had some injuries; so expect to see rookie fourth round pick Nelson get more playing time. Nelson is fast, and is the most dangerous receiving threat the Bills have at the TE position. He's improving as a blocker. In addition to Nelson, the Bills have several decent but unspectacular TEs who can serve as safety valves, move the chains, and keep drives alive.

 

Due to the suspension of Marshawn Lynch, the Bills' starting RB is currently Fred Jackson. Jackson is a very shifty, elusive, instinctive RB; whose nimbleness makes him difficult to bring down. He's also a good receiving threat out of the backfield; and is particularly dangerous after the catch. Expect to see him pile up 150 - 200 all-purpose yards.

 

The Bills' offense is dangerous. If you put seven men in the box, Jackson will punish you for it. A lot. In fact, between him and the first-rate run-blocking of the offensive line, the Bills' running game has been successful even when teams have put eight men in the box. But if you put eight men in the box, then that leaves your defense open to a big play from someone like Evans or Owens. Add to that Alex van Pelt's penchant for getting the absolute most possible out of the offensive talent he's been given, and the Saints defense is going to be in for a long afternoon. (As, obviously, will also be the case for the Bills' defense.) If ever a game looked like it was going to be a shoot-out, this game would be it.

 

In past years, the Bills have used dominant special teams play to partially mask their inadequacies on offense and defense. This season the special teams unit seems to have taken a step backward. It still looks solid, but it no longer looks outstanding. McKelvin had two fumbles against the Patriots on kickoff returns. One of those fumbles was recovered by the Patriots; directly leading to the Bills' loss.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

How does the potential weather forecast play into the game plan and success of the NO offense? IF we see showers with 15mph winds it could swing this more towards a ground game, no?

Ah, now there is an interesting question. Ive heard it argued both ways. Some say it will slow any offense down while others say that wide recievers get an advantage in their cuts since they know where they are going and the defensive backs do not. Drew hasnt seen much weather in the pros but he did play at Purdue. I for one am glad we are playing you guys in Sept instead of December to tell you the truth.

I know the question was directed at streetcar, but here I go anyways.

 

Conventionally speaking, the advantage that offenses have in inclement weather has only to do with footing. In rainy, icy, wet, slick field conditions, the offense has the advantage because they know where they're going and the defense is in chase mode.

 

But as for high winds, it is never a benefit to an offense. IMO a windy day helps the Bills cause...the windier the greater benefit.

 

What's the word in New Orleans about Lance Moore...playing this week, or injured...or is he just a non-factor in that team's offense.

As an NFL addict, my information is that Lance Moore put up big numbers in 2008 largely because Marques Colston was injured for much of last season. This year Colston is healthy and Moore is his backup. At the other position, Devery Henderson continues to start over Robert Meacham.

 

Great to have an intelligent, civil conversation with a fan from another team. And as you've seen, most of the people here on our board are great fans too. Thanks for stopping in, streetcar.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

jus throwing this out there (some hate and some love) but you can listen to the local sports talk station online

 

www.wgr550.com and click the "listen now" button

 

usually 6-10am and 3pm7pm will give you the best time to listen to bills talk and what the opiniated hosts and buffalo fans think

 

just give you a different way to get information

[BuffOrange]

Hey gang, I hope you guys don’t mind a Saints fan being here for a bit. I don’t talk trash and I like to be truthful about my team so I wont be an obnoxiously over the top homer.

 

This is actually the first time I have joined a non division rival’s forum but I decided it would be the best way to learn about a team I don’t know much about (I knew more about them in the day - loved Thurman Thomas and was a huge Bruce Smith fan). I did watch the game against the Pats and I won’t even mention how it ended but I loved what I saw of Edwards and the no huddle scares me with our D. I’m sure you guys can tell me plenty about our DC and I’m looking forward to hearing it. Yes we are all worried about our D here in NOLA but right now our biggest problem is special teams IMO. It was horrible against the Lions and it got better in Philly but still is plenty weak.

 

Anyway, I look forward to posting with you for the week and maybe beyond if you have me. Ask me anything about the Saints and Ill answer honestly if I know. Thanks. Street

 

How good is your OL?

 

And how is Brees so damn good when Colston is (I think) the only skill player that's a real weapon?

I'm sure glad Miami chose Culpepper over him a few years ago.

[drewbreeesss]

Hey gang, I hope you guys don’t mind a Saints fan being here for a bit. I don’t talk trash and I like to be truthful about my team so I wont be an obnoxiously over the top homer.

 

This is actually the first time I have joined a non division rival’s forum but I decided it would be the best way to learn about a team I don’t know much about (I knew more about them in the day - loved Thurman Thomas and was a huge Bruce Smith fan). I did watch the game against the Pats and I won’t even mention how it ended but I loved what I saw of Edwards and the no huddle scares me with our D. I’m sure you guys can tell me plenty about our DC and I’m looking forward to hearing it. Yes we are all worried about our D here in NOLA but right now our biggest problem is special teams IMO. It was horrible against the Lions and it got better in Philly but still is plenty weak.

 

Anyway, I look forward to posting with you for the week and maybe beyond if you have me. Ask me anything about the Saints and Ill answer honestly if I know. Thanks. Street

 

Well, aren't you polite, darling. How's life in the marigny?

[Simon]

Last week the Bills matched up very well with Tampa as they were not strong enough to hurt us in the spots where we're susceptible right now. This week is a brutal matchup for us.

Our LB corps wasn't particularly strong when healthy, but now with Paul Posluzny sidelined we are carrying arguably the weakest group of 'backers in the entire NFL. Not to mention that Posluzny was the Bills dime 'backer and we don't have anybody else on the roster who can capably fill that role. We're also rolling out a SS whose strength is definitely not in coverage and have a starting CB who's gimping around on a bad ankle. You can also factor in that the Bills are putting a rookie safety on the field to match up with opponents' spread sets.

Between Shockey and the fact that the Saints are carrying a deep and talented WR corps with a heady accurate QB, this is an absolute nightmare matchup for a hobbled Bills defense. Unless Whitner can find an opportunity to put the fear in those young WR's right out of the gate, teh Saints are likely to run up and down the field at will on the Bills D.

 

Offensively we're a little better off with a solid ground game and some downfield threats matching up with a Saints secondary that has had problems in the recent past. Unfortunately we can no longer throw at Jason David 20+ times a game and the Saints really seem to have solidified things with the addition of two gamers in Sharper and Jabari Greer.

If the Bills make a concerted effort to hammer away with Fred Jackson and take some smart shots downfield occasionally, they might be able to keep things in reach on the scoreboard. But when it gets down to brass tacks late, I don't see Buffalo as the kind of team that's going to beat a well-coached Saints team in the 4th quarter.

[GR8PRKN]

1. Duh.

 

2. Wrong. It isn't fantasy football. Case in point: against the Bucs, neither Lee Evans or TO amassed an impressive number of catches or yards. But they accounted for 14 points. All that matters is that they force teams to play reactive football. Who actually carries it or punches it in is utterly irrelevant.

 

3. Arguable but not totally incompetent at least. If you jam their wide receivers then you are asking to get burned deep, and Drew Brees is the kind of QB that can make you pay dearly for letting the WR get even one step's advantage. I would say this is conditional: *if* we can get decent pressure, then we can move up and press the WRs more aggressively. But we should start playing soft and make Drew prove that he can consistently beat us underneath and against our blitz package before we give them any chance at throwing it long (kind of like teams have done to Trent thus far).

 

4. Duh.

 

5. Duh.

 

Wow. One out of five of your comments warranted a legitimate response. That shatters your previous best of zero for eternity in comments that make sense. Good for you!

 

Just for the record, the other three points weren't bad at all, just obvious.

 

 

Your a TOOL!! add value or don't log on!!

[BuffOrange]

Last week the Bills matched up very well with Tampa as they were not strong enough to hurt us in the spots where we're susceptible right now. This week is a brutal matchup for us.

Our LB corps wasn't particularly strong when healthy, but now with Paul Posluzny sidelined we are carrying arguably the weakest group of 'backers in the entire NFL. Not to mention that Posluzny was the Bills dime 'backer and we don't have anybody else on the roster who can capably fill that role. We're also rolling out a SS whose strength is definitely not in coverage and have a starting CB who's gimping around on a bad ankle. You can also factor in that the Bills are putting a rookie safety on the field to match up with opponents' spread sets.

Between Shockey and the fact that the Saints are carrying a deep and talented WR corps with a heady accurate QB, this is an absolute nightmare matchup for a hobbled Bills defense. Unless Whitner can find an opportunity to put the fear in those young WR's right out of the gate, teh Saints are likely to run up and down the field at will on the Bills D.

 

Offensively we're a little better off with a solid ground game and some downfield threats matching up with a Saints secondary that has had problems in the recent past. Unfortunately we can no longer throw at Jason David 20+ times a game and the Saints really seem to have solidified things with the addition of two gamers in Sharper and Jabari Greer.

If the Bills make a concerted effort to hammer away with Fred Jackson and take some smart shots downfield occasionally, they might be able to keep things in reach on the scoreboard. But when it gets down to brass tacks late, I don't see Buffalo as the kind of team that's going to beat a well-coached Saints team in the 4th quarter.

 

I remember Football Outsiders ranking Jason David below "hole in zone" in their CB rankings.