My Meaningless Opinion

[R. Rich]

Two in a row! Are things looking up again, or are we Bills fans being set up for another colossal heartbreak? I dunno, but it's a lot more fun after a win than a loss.

 

Decent effort from Fitzpatrick. There were some bad throws (a lot of 'em late to get to the receivers), but he also made some pretty nice ones, such as the bomb and the short TD pass to Evans. Still, he did overshoot Evans a couple times as well as Owens and Stupar. Well, if he was going to put it together for only a quarter, it sure was nice that it was the fourth quarter.

 

Aside from one cutback run and the TD, Lynch didn't really do much. Same for Jackson. Heck, Fitzpatrick had a better day than Jackson; yikes!

 

Owens had a couple drops in this one, though neither was a very well thrown ball. Still, as a guy who has been in the league as long as he has been, he's gotta come up w/ those. He did make a very nice third down catch w/ someone hanging all over him, so it wasn't all bad. Evans had perhaps his best game of the year; he ran some nice routes (yes...he did!) and worked hard to get open. Continue to build on that. Josh Reed dropped a screen pass that could've been a big gainer. Stupar actually got open a few times, but the timing wasn't there (over/underthrown) and he couldn't come away w/ 'em. I sure hope Nelson can stay healthy the rest of the way so we can see if he'll develop as a receiving TE.

 

Another rough outing from the offensive line. Hangartner got abused on several occasions, as did Levitre. Penalties and poor communication still seem to be issues w/ these guys. Props to Demetrius Bell for a great block on Lynch's TD run. The kid needs some good news w/ the way his season is going. Unfortunately, that was w/out question the highlight of the run blocking for the day. Basically, it was abysmal. When Fred Jackson, who usually can make people miss on the run to get yards (as opposed to Lynch, who hesitates a bit too much hitting the hole), can't even get started, then you know it's bad.

 

Overall, the defensive line did a good job. Spencer Johnson brought some nice pressure in the game, though he needs to be a bit more careful in terms of the blows to the head. Schobel and Kelsay put good pressure on the Delhomme. Yes, I said they put good pressure on Delhomme; it wasn't a typo. Stroud did some good things, including a nice tackle for a loss and another where he went downfield to make a stop. Could've used a bit more collapsing the pocket though (watch how Bills' opponents do it to Buffalo's interior O line), but not too shabby.

 

The linebackers made a lot of tackles in this one, but also gave a lot of ground, too. Sure, they kept DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart from getting 100 yards, but they did allow Williams to average nearly 6 yards per rush. That is not a ringing endorsement of their play. I think they give a great effort, but bottom line is that this unit is just too small and has trouble hitting the gaps and stuffing the run. They have problems shedding blocks, which means they get to plays late and make those tackles for 4-6 yard gains that we all love.

 

As for the secondary....I have mixed feelings on their performance. On one hand, George Wilson and Jairus Byrd both looked very good out there, but on the other hand, how did Terrence McGee get beaten on a long gain by a tight end??? And how did Delhomme, who actually had to worry 'bout......get this....the Bills' pass rush, actually have time to hit many underneath throws? Maybe a bit of win some, lose some. But, if the "lose some" part is a bunch of short throws while the "win some" part is Byrd's 2 pivotal INTs, Florence's pass breakups, and Wilson getting a great tackle in the backfield plus the game-sealing INT, then I'm okay w/ the final results.

 

As for the special teams....wow! They truly were special in this one! Outstanding coverage (Justin Jenkins was a beast!!), excellent job kicking (Moorman was stellar), and they even came up w/ a badly needed turnover! And, were there any flags on the Bills' coverage units? This is definitely one they'll want to remember.

 

I can't even kick it on Jauron this week. Only 3 penalties, the guys worked their tails off to keep Carolina's running game in check (they had some yards, but didn't take the game over), and even strayed from their conservative ways w/ success (going deep when they were leading late???). Not a great game (offense still is stuck in neutral far too often), but not a debacle, either.

 

So, the Bills get the opportunity to maybe get back to .500 ball on Sunday by beating the Texans. Tall order, to be sure, but this team can do it. Just look @ how everyone is annointing the Saints as this phenomenal team, and they have had a great season to date. Now remember that the Bills did a great job of staying w/ the Saints and actually shut down Drew Brees and may have won that game if their offense had a pulse that day. So, the Bills have shown that they can go toe to toe w/ the big boys and hold their own. Good, as their remaining home games will be tough (Houston, Miami, Jets, New England, Indianapolis), and even though the Titans, Jags, and Chiefs are struggling, those are all tough places to win games and they still have to go to Atlanta, also. In essence, there are no gimmes left on the schedule for the Bills. So, it's time to crack down and make something of the 2009 season.

[stuckincincy]

The linebackers made a lot of tackles in this one, but also gave a lot of ground, too. Sure, they kept DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart from getting 100 yards, but they did allow Williams to average nearly 6 yards per rush. That is not a ringing endorsement of their play. I think they give a great effort, but bottom line is that this unit is just too small and has trouble hitting the gaps and stuffing the run. They have problems shedding blocks, which means they get to plays late and make those tackles for 4-6 yard gains that we all love.

 

You can never have too many good linebackers.

[rastabillz]

You can never have too many good linebackers.

The 11th Commandment.

[Beerball]

Two in a row! Are things looking up again, or are we Bills fans being set up for another colossal heartbreak? I dunno, but it's a lot more fun after a win than a loss.

As for the secondary....I have mixed feelings on their performance. On one hand, George Wilson and Jairus Byrd both looked very good out there, but on the other hand, how did Terrence McGee get beaten on a long gain by a tight end??? And how did Delhomme, who actually had to worry 'bout......get this....the Bills' pass rush, actually have time to hit many underneath throws? Maybe a bit of win some, lose some. But, if the "lose some" part is a bunch of short throws while the "win some" part is Byrd's 2 pivotal INTs, Florence's pass breakups, and Wilson getting a great tackle in the backfield plus the game-sealing INT, then I'm okay w/ the final results.

 

As for the special teams....wow! They truly were special in this one! Outstanding coverage (Justin Jenkins was a beast!!), excellent job kicking (Moorman was stellar), and they even came up w/ a badly needed turnover! And, were there any flags on the Bills' coverage units? This is definitely one they'll want to remember.

Hey R.R. nice recap.

 

DBs...corners play to friggin soft (IMO). I assume that's the scheme...

 

Special Teams...Really really nice job in coverage all day.

 

Am I alone in thinking that George Wilson was a liability on defense last year? He gets my "almost mid-season" Most Improved Player award.

[Ramius]

Amazing what Eans can do when we have a QB who actually tries to get him the ball. The last 2 games with Fitz do nothing but strengthen the agument that trentative doesn't even look for his WRs and just looks to check down.

 

As for the McGee play, i dont think he was burned so much as it was a miscommunication. The replay showed that McGee came off the outside TE to give help on the 2nd TE running the inner route. Seems more like a blown coverage than getting "burned."

[zow2]

Nice observations. Until the Bills get that 7th loss, I'm still holding out hope for the P-word. Houston is a big game. Trent has been stinking up the joint at home lately so I hope to see one more week of Fitz at the very least. If he wins that game, then keep starting him.

[H2o]

I won't have any hope in this team until we get to 9 wins (highly unlikely) and then I'll set myself up for a another disappointment against some team's 3rd string so we miss the playoffs again. You gotta love it.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Great post.

 

Nice to see a win, but in the long run, ekeing out a win when it was totally undeserved only hurts the long-term future of the franchise. If Ralph even gets a SLIVER of an excuse to keep Jauron and the Front Office around, he's gonna jump all over it.

[Gordio]

Amazing what Eans can do when we have a QB who actually tries to get him the ball. The last 2 games with Fitz do nothing but strengthen the agument that trentative doesn't even look for his WRs and just looks to check down.

 

As for the McGee play, i dont think he was burned so much as it was a miscommunication. The replay showed that McGee came off the outside TE to give help on the 2nd TE running the inner route. Seems more like a blown coverage than getting "burned."

 

 

Agreed, although Fitz threw some ball that were nowhere near his intended target, at least he shows the guts to throw the ball down the field every so often. He said something interesting in the news today. He said "when I see Evans 1 on 1 I am going to throw the ball to him" That speaks volumes to the confidence he has in Evans. I wish Edwards had that same confidence in his receivers to make a play. As long as the Bills keep winning I hope Jauron does the right thing & leaves Fitz as the starter. The schedule does not shape up too bad with Houston this week then Tenn/Jacksonville on the road, Miami at home, KC on the road & then the toronto date with the Jets. All those games imo are winnable. I know Jauron will f*ck it up somehow but right now there is some hope at one bills drive that they could still make something out of this season. We will see how they do sunday, this is a pretty decent Houston team coming in here.

[Beerball]

Agreed, although Fitz threw some ball that were nowhere near his intended target, at least he shows the guts to throw the ball down the field every so often. He said something interesting in the news today. He said "when I see Evans 1 on 1 I am going to throw the ball to him" That speaks volumes to the confidence he has in Evans. I wish Edwards had that same confidence in his receivers to make a play. As long as the Bills keep winning I hope Jauron does the right thing & leaves Fitz as the starter. The schedule does not shape up too bad with Houston this week then Tenn/Jacksonville on the road, Miami at home, KC on the road & then the toronto date with the Jets. All those games imo are winnable. I know Jauron will f*ck it up somehow but right now there is some hope at one bills drive that they could still make something out of this season. We will see how they do sunday, this is a pretty decent Houston team coming in here.

Fitz surely isn't the long term answer...but...those two throws to Evans (long gainer & TD) would never have left Edwards' hand.

[Gordio]

Fitz surely isn't the long term answer...but...those two throws to Evans (long gainer & TD) would never have left Edwards' hand.

 

 

Absolutely, Edwards never even attempts those throws.

[Heels20X6]

Absolutely, Edwards never even attempts those throws.

 

Of course he wouldn't. Trent only "takes what the defense gives him".

[Lt. Dan's Revenge]

Another rough outing from the offensive line. Hangartner got abused on several occasions, as did Levitre. Penalties and poor communication still seem to be issues w/ these guys. Props to Demetrius Bell for a great block on Lynch's TD run. The kid needs some good news w/ the way his season is going. Unfortunately, that was w/out question the highlight of the run blocking for the day. Basically, it was abysmal. When Fred Jackson, who usually can make people miss on the run to get yards (as opposed to Lynch, who hesitates a bit too much hitting the hole), can't even get started, then you know it's bad.

 

Agree with basically everything you said, but particularly this. Hangartner was getting killed on about 3/4 of the plays out there, and Levitre wasn't much better. Their bright spot (along with Bell) was the Lynch TD run, but other than that they weren't doing anything to open up holes in the running game. Merideth did a brutal job pass blocking, and it REALLY would have been nice to see the coaching staff give him more help with a tight end or back on his side, but apparently that is too obvious of an answer for them to do it. IMO, our offensive line play prevented us from multiple big plays yesterday, giving Fitzpatrick no time, let alone the ability to step into his throws. If this somehow improves over the course of the season, our offense could really start to move the ball.

[Haven Moses]

Agree with basically everything you said, but particularly this. Hangartner was getting killed on about 3/4 of the plays out there, and Levitre wasn't much better. Their bright spot (along with Bell) was the Lynch TD run, but other than that they weren't doing anything to open up holes in the running game. Merideth did a brutal job pass blocking, and it REALLY would have been nice to see the coaching staff give him more help with a tight end or back on his side, but apparently that is too obvious of an answer for them to do it. IMO, our offensive line play prevented us from multiple big plays yesterday, giving Fitzpatrick no time, let alone the ability to step into his throws. If this somehow improves over the course of the season, our offense could really start to move the ball.

I think the middle of the OL is miles ahead of where we were last year. At least the blitzes right up the gut aren't killing us. Granted the tackle play is lousy, but if the middle holds up, the QB has a chance.