Buffalo Bills Week 2 Preview
Big dreams, Big Game for Buffalo
Potentially the most important thing to happen this season for the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins took place in the first quarter of the Patriots-Chiefs game in New England Sunday afternoon. As it often works in sports, when a superstar player like Tom Brady goes DOWN, the hope and dreams of rival fans all across the division goes UP. Now, I understand that there are a lot of people, including my main man Phil Simms (MVP of Super Bowl XXI), that feel that Matt Cassel has “a great tool-set” and all the “potential skills that it takes to be a winning NFL quarterback.” And I know that even the Bills organization has said all the right things, “they still will be tough all year” and “I wouldn’t be surprised if they still go out and win 10-11 games.” Well I for one am not one of these believers. I expect the Patriots to completely fall apart. Lets be honest, the Pats offense has been carrying their defense the past couple years of their “dynasty,” while it used to be that the defense carried the New England offense. And as irritating as his Stetson billboards are, I have to admit Tom Brady has something to do with it. All I have to say is in sports-bars across the country the conversation revolving around Tom Brady, is whether or not he is the best QB of all time?…...The conversation revolving around Matt Cassel, is WHO THE HELL IS MATT CASSEL?. Do you smell a Wally Pipp situation? We won’t know the answer to that question for 16 weeks of football.
What we do know, is the Buffalo Bills came into this year with legitimate aspirations to end their 8-year playoff drought. As they sit today, 1-0, with a division completely turned upside down by injury, they finally have reason for excitement and believe that they might see those dreams come true. But there is absolutely no question that if the Bills have big plans for the season and Buffalo certainly has a big week of football ahead of them. The Bills, Pats and Jets, are all 1-0, with the Jets and Pats playing each other this week. When you consider the Bills are playing the Raiders followed by the Rams (probably the two worst teams in the league) in weeks three and four, Buffalo could take huge steps towards jumping atop this division with a win in a tough road game this week in Jacksonville against a team with Super Bowl thoughts of their own, looking to rebound from a bad week 1 loss.
In order for this to happen, Bills fans are hoping to see a lot of what they saw in a week 1 win against the 4-time defending division champion Seattle Seahawks. Bills football: Stable offense, great defense, and unbelievable special-teams. Trent Edwards did exactly what he needed to do; no picks, nearly 60% passing, no picks, a touchdown, and no picks. The defense, which, for the Bills to have a playoff season is going to have to carry this team, was great in holding the C-bags to only 85 rush yards and 167 pass yards. And the best special teams in the league did what they are going to have to do all year long - make a huge impact on the game to help put points up. The plays of week 1 in the NFL included Roscoe Parrish’s punt return touchdown, Dick Jauron’s trick fake field goal for a touchdown, and a forced fumble on a kickoff return, which directly led to a Trent Edwards 30 yard TD pass. On back to back to back plays, a fake Field Goal TD, a forced fumble on the ensuing kick off, and the lone touchdown pass of the game for Edwards. That was the game right there.
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Going on the road in week 2, the Bills D, is going to have to lead the way. You can’t really expect 21 points from your special teams, and you cant really expect Trent Edwards to put up too many points on the road in Jacksonville’s home-opener against a great defense. But what they need to expect is their defense to dominate an offense that last week put up an overwhelming 33 rush yards, for 189 total yards. The game for the Bills will have to be won in the trenches where an ultra-motivated Marcus Stroud will return for his 8 th home opener in J’ville, only this time as a member of the Bills. The 3-time Pro Bowl DT, who was traded in the off-season, looks to take advantage of a depleted Jags O-line, who lost both of its starting guards, Vince Manuwall, and Maurice Williams last week, and are still without OT Richard Collier who is recovering from an off-season gunshot wound. The Bills defense will have to take advantage, and dominate the run, as well as apply pressure on a (in my opinion) very shaky David Garrard who last week threw two picks and lost a fumble. While the Jags O-line this week is weakened, the Bills O-line is getting strengthened, with the addition of Pro Bowl LT, Jason Peters, who has ended his contract negotiation hold-out (3-weeks to late buddy) and will return to add major help to an offense that needs it.
This game has a low-scoring affair written all over it. In order to win this one on the road against a good team, the Bills are going to have to do what the Bills do. Efficient, mistake-free offense that doesn’t lose it. Solid defense that keeps it close. And a big play (punt return/Lynch or Evans TD) that wins it. If they can go out and win this one ugly, they have two weeks against bad teams to prove they can win one pretty. But Bills fans should absolutely have confidence that they can win this one. And if they can, they should absolutely have confidence they could make it to 4-0 in a division that at this point looks winnable.
Two things I know:
- this is a HUGE game for the Bills
- I love the under
By Liam Whalen
ProFootball-fans.com Buffalo Bills Correspondent