Buffalo Bills

Bills backups roll up points, yards against Colts backups

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If there’s one rule of thumb that football fans need to follow it is to not read too deeply into the results on the scoreboard from preseason games.

While the third game is typically considered the final tune up for a team’s starters, the Bills entered their 2013 slate with the opportunity to see a handful of potential starters in extended auditions during their 44-20 win over Indianapolis.

E.J. Manuel was the greatest beneficiary of the extra playing time as he ran Buffalo’s offense for the entire first half while Kevin Kolb served as the emergency quarterback due to missing time last week with a knee injury and family issue. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Manuel made the most of his opportunity, but the extra playing time certainly won’t hurt his progression.

The shining moment of his day came on a surgically precise two-minute drill to give the Bills the halftime lead. The 92-yard drive likely served as a nice confidence boost for Manuel as the 92-yard trek was really the first evidence of the swagger that was on display during his most impressive games at Florida State.

Assuming he has the upper hand in the quarterback competition, I’d say that Manuel didn’t do anything to hurt his status on the depth chart. He took care of the football and even showed how dangerous he can be outside of the pocket on a pair of runs. His touchdown pass to Dorin Dickerson was perfectly thrown and served as a perfect cap to his preseason debut.

Manuel was somewhat limited to start the day, as the Bills featured a run-heavy look to start their possessions. In addition to the majority of run calls, Manuel was a little cold off the bat when putting the ball in the air. It wasn’t until his final couple of series when he started to heat up. He had his fair share of flaws; double clutching a few throws and getting a little too cute with others. Perhaps it was a case of nerves more than anything else and Friday’s matchup against Minnesota will serve as the link in the chain for Manuel. Continue reading →

Trade with Rams provides Bills with numerous options

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It seems as if Bills fans are largely split on the selection of EJ Manuel with the 16th pick in the first round last night. Most draft pundits are down on the selection since the majority of them graded Manuel as a second round choice. What bears consideration though is what else came from the move to select Manuel.

Obviously the Bills valued Manuel as the top quarterback in the draft. They very well could have taken him at eight and have walked away with the player they wanted all along. While it would have been considered a massive reach – much like the pick at 16 is as well – the Bills could rest easy knowing they came away with the player they targeted.

However, they remained patient and swung a mutually beneficial deal with the Rams to slide back in the first round. The overall haul of the deal gave the Bills an additional second round pick while seeing them move back eight spots in the first round (16th overall) and seven spots (78th overall) in the third round. They also added an extra seventh round pick.

St. Louis came away with the opportunity to get Tavon Austin – the player they coveted most – and Bills were forced to wait and see if they’d still have the pick of the litter at 16. They did.

It’s safe to assume that the Bills would have been able to pick from at least three or four of the draft’s top quarterbacks at 41 had they gone a different route at 16. But as I wrote earlier, if this is the guy they know they wanted, it’s okay that they took Manuel at 16. Now the focus should shift to the second round.

Having two more picks in the top 50 gives the Bills a ton of flexibility and the chance to immediately stock the cupboards in a way they wouldn’t have been able to previously. With cornerback, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker (if Dansby isn’t signed) and even offensive line on the wish list, the Bills should exit the second round with two of those slots filled with two excellent talents.

There is a host of quality talent at receiver and tight end at the top of the second round along with a number of players at various positions who were originally given first round grades. So coming away with two offensive weapons for Manuel to throw to likely won’t be seen as a loss by anyone.

In fact, it might be safe to argue that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts depending on which positions are targeted at 41, 46 and even 78 before the night is out. For a team in need of depth, securing picks that will impact the roster the most needs to be valued and the Bills did exactly that.

Bills tap Manuel as their answer at QB

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EJ Manuel was the guy the Bills wanted and he’s the guy the Bills got. He just happened to go about 10-20 picks higher than most expected.

In a draft with loads of depth but short on top-end talent, there was no guarantee where the first quarterback would be taken or who that quarterback would be. Different pundits pointed in four different directions as to which team would be selecting a quarterback and which quarterback would be the first off the board. Funny enough, no one was able to hit the nail on the head (except for Joe Buscaglia).

Sitting with the eighth pick and what now appears to be a draft board whose top-ranked player was somewhat undeserving of the eighth overall selection, the Bills wisely moved back, added another valuable pick and still put themselves in a position to take their quarterback.

Buddy Nix, Doug Whaley and company deserve credit for adding another second round pick while only retreating eight selections in the first round (and another seven in the third). All the while, the player they were targeting the entire time stuck around for them at 16.

Truthfully the only issue anyone has had with the choice is that Manuel was expected to be a better fit lower in the first round or even early in the second. There’s little doubt about his overall talent, just misgivings about the pick with which he was selected.

After having a night to digest everything, the only thing that matters is that the Bills got the player they wanted while adding an additional pick to stock the cupboards with. As pointless as draft grades are, the Bills deserve a pass for their maneuvering last night.

This logic can be assigned to any player they would have decided to take at 16. If Jarvis Jones, Xavier Rhodes or Cordalle Patterson sat atop the Bills’ board and the team managed to get their guy while adding another quality pick the story would be the same. The general train of thought is that 16 was a reach for Manuel. But if that’s the player the Bills wanted then there is no such thing as a reach in their book. Continue reading →

Stadium renovations are a win

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The plans for the renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium are officially public and they look pretty darn good. These renovations are part of the new lease agreement and this should serve as the official bridge that will carry the Bills from The Ralph to a new stadium.

Any new stadium talks are in the very early stages and can’t be taken all the seriously at this point since the main group promoting their plan remains without any backing or support from any outside entity. While that stadium plan is certainly ambitious and should be pursued, it seems like quite a longshot at this point in time.

Based on how the new lease was constructed and some of the comments made by those involved in this process (both with the County and Bills) it would appear that a new stadium is indeed part of the long-term plans for the franchise. For the time being, making sure that The Ralph is habitable for fans is key. Call it putting lipstick on a pig or a band-aid for a gunshot wound, but these renovations are not only necessary and they look good.

The two most visible additions will be the Welcome Plaza on the west end of the stadium and the addition of two videoboards on the east end of the stadium. Additional renovations to the concourses and gates also appear to be part of the gameplan. Continue reading →

Bills lease opens the door for new digs

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Seven more years of the Buffalo Bills. Seven years to end the playoff drought, to find a quarterback and maybe even win a Super Bowl. The new Bills lease has granted a stay of execution of sorts for a team that was once rumored to be on the hot seat for relocation.

Really what this lease does is provide a seven-year (possibly ten) window for this franchise to build a new stadium and cement themselves in Buffalo permanently. Of course building that stadium will be more than just a difficult mountain to summit.

The new lease has some safe and reassuring features built into at while also containing its fair share of confusing wrinkles. The $400 million buyout is no small fee, especially when combined with whatever the NFL charges for relocation fees for a new owner. The seven-year buyout is a big factor, especially for those who were truly frightened at the thought of the Bills leaving town.

Of course, the window for a much more affordable $28 million after year seven should make fans more uneasy, especially if there is no new stadium in sight. It is a safe assumption to think that the lease was worded to spend a year or two on feasibility and design and the next five on construction of a new stadium that would leave a miniscule opt-out for the team to slide into their new digs after year seven. Continue reading →

Extra Point: Letdown in Miami sets the stage for empty finale

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Just one more game until Bills fans can unite and begin to prognosticate and mull over the draft. One more game after Sunday’s loss in Miami.

Buffalo’s loss to the Dolphins was about as meaningless as they come which is really only unfortunate in the sense that 2012 makes a baker’s dozen worth of seasons in which all four December games were dead air filling three hours on a Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s loss wasn’t all that different from most of the losses this season. The Dolphins enjoyed success with their ground game, managed to include an offensive wrinkle that baffled the Bills’ coaching staff and they forced Ryan Fizpatrick to try and make plays to change the game.

This recipe can be found on page 13 of the “How to Beat Chan Gailey Cookbook” offered at retailers across the country.

Trying to make heads or tails of another one of these losses is beyond pointless. Unlike some of the games earlier this season, Sunday’s defeat brought nothing new to the table. Mario Williams, Kyle Moore and Shawne Merriman were ineffective off the edge in what was truly the most unimpressive game from that trio in a few weeks (Seattle excluded due to the overall awfulness of the defense that day). The defensive tacks and secondary were also quite average for most of the game themselves. As for the linebackers, they might be better off seeing if the other team will play eight-on-eight rather than keep those three on the field.

Now, it is important to realize that because Mario Williams did not have a three sacks and wasn’t a factor on each and every play of the game that he is not only horribly overpayed but an overrated and pampered talent that is going to drag this franchise to the ground. At least that is what Jerry Sullivan will lead you to believe.

In fact, this lost season will fit nicely atop Super Mario’s mantle for no other reason than him being anointed as the player who would save the team and begin to drag the franchise from the depths of mediocrity this season. Count me among those who bought into the philosophy. The Bills hadn’t had a game changing defensive talent on the roster since Aaron Schobel was good six years ago. Williams was that player and more before he even put on a helmet and despite what Buffalo’s resident pessimistic jackass columnist will have you believe, he was that player.

Williams is the first Bill to eclipse ten sacks since Schobel did it in the mid-2000s and is just on the outside of the league’s top-10 for sacks this season. What is going to be overlooked by many in Buffalo is that Williams play through the middle portion of the season was a catalyst for the Bills success. When he hasn’t played well, the defense hasn’t played well. But when he is making plays and wreaking havoc, the Bills are a better team. At the end of the day that is exactly what he was signed to do.

Go ahead and beat your drum about his contract and being overpaid. You might as well hitch that wagon to the Ryan Miller horse while you’re at it. While many arguments about Williams and his play have validity, most of this white noise just shows how ill-prepared Buffalo is to have a true superstar.

Whether it be Miller or Williams (or any future big name that is signed here), Buffalo fans (and some media members) seem to live under the misguided pretense that this player is to be a god-like figure who will singlehandedly carry his respective team to glory. Most of the time it just leads to whiner line calls and columns referring to fridges and other nonsense but sometimes there are intelligent people having intelligent conversations. While I might not be the brightest bulb, I can certainly see what Williams was able to contribute to an otherwise pitiful defense.

Missing the Mark

While plenty of press will revolve around the shortcomings of the coach, quarterback and defensive unit, I wonder why Marcell Dareus hasn’t received more scrutiny. Dareus has had a very difficult year and I commend him for being strong in the face of the tragedy he has faced. What I certainly don’t know is how it has affected his play and I wouldn’t dare speculate to that degree.

What I do wonder is how things may have differed if the Bills had landed Von Miller in that draft. While Cam Newton was the assumed #1 pick, Miller and Dareus certainly could have switched places. Would Miller have brought more to the defense? Was Dareus a consolation prize for the Bills at #3? Or is this just another instance of “Buffalo Sports Luck” and the team finding the lone bust in a rich top-five? I don’t hate Dareus as a player and I think he can be a difference maker, he shows as much at times in each game. However, he doesn’t seem to have the same motor as Kyle Williams. Perhaps Dareus is a little overweight and isn’t capable of playing as the dominant force he was at Alabama. I’d like Dareus to come back in 2013 after dropping about 20 pounds and committing to a more nimble and agile game.

Linebackers MIA

The play of the linebacking corps has been the Achilles heel of this Buffalo defense. Kelvin Shepard was drafted as a 3-4 inside linebacker and hasn’t done much to prove his worth in a 4-3. Nick Barnett has been capable as a three-down player but is clearly an aging commodity. As for Nigel Bradham? He has been average at best and hasn’t done much to appear to be improving as the year has progressed. He may have the most upside of the three and that is a scary thought.

None of the three were visible difference makers on Sunday and that has been a near weekly occurrence this season. Linebacker may be the biggest need for the Bills and could most definitely be in the cards when they come to pick in the first round.

MVP: CJ Spiller has continued to build on his impressive breakout campaign. Good for him for showing how effective he can be with more than 20 carries.

LVP: Passing offense. For a coach who showed so much creativity early last season, his approach and offensive play calling has been horrendous as of late and the inability of the offense to move the ball without CJ Spiller was appalling.

It was over when Reggie Bush scored his third touchdown of the game. Based on the way the passing offense was working, the Bills weren’t coming back from that deficit.

Extra Point: Bills blownout of Toronto

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I can’t imagine Bills beat writers enjoy the movie Groundhog Day considering they live the movie each week. Of course the Bills find some ways to change things up here and there.

Sunday’s blowout loss to the Seahawks mathematically confirmed what everyone else was already assuming about the Bills’ playoff chances. The Seahawks read-option attack shredding the Bills defense and helped to bury the Bills 50-17.

After an impressive run of stout run defense and a nearly equal effort against the pass, the Buffalo defense was unable to effectively scheme and attack the Seahawks scheme. Russell Wilson made the Bills look silly as linebackers were vacating the box in pass coverage, Wilson was scrambling in underneath the coverage to the tune of 92 yards and three touchdowns. Three rushing touchdowns from a quarterback is something you expect from Georgia Tech or Navy, not an NFL team.

Overall, the Bills gave up 270 yards to the Seahawks on the ground and 466 for the game. The performance was a drastic change from the sub-90 yard performances from the previous weeks. Continue reading →

Extra Point: Same story, different day in loss to Rams

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Sunday’s let down was more of a re-run than a new episode in the saga of “The Ways the Bills Lose”. After holding a lead for most of the contest, a late drive and poor offensive execution in the fourth quarter sealed a victory for the visiting St. Louis Rams.Bills Rams

CJ Spiller had eight touches all game and that is really all that needs to be said on the Spiller matter. Chan Gailey has criminally misused Spiller on nearly a weekly basis and hasn’t figured out a way to solve the problem. Spending more than a sentence on Spiller’s misuse on a weekly basis is quite literally the definition of insanity. So, why not focus on the other things the Bills have failed to capitalize on?

The Buffalo defense has been downright angry in the weeks since the bye. Mario Williams is good for at least one big play per game and has become a real issue for opposing lines to handle. In addition, the interior combo of Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams has added to the headaches for opposing offensive lines. Thanks to the play of those three players, someone is typically bursting through the line each play.

Thanks to the improved play of the defensive line, the Bills run defense has been nothing short of dominant and there has been far less pressure on the defensive backs to make huge plays. Just look at Stephon Gilmore who is rounding into a very impressive talent at corner. Between Gilmore and Jarius Byrd, the Bills have the makings for a very impressive defensive backfield. Continue reading →

Extra Point: Bills run out Jags during a blackout

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Spiller vs Jags

The Bills confirmed much of what the fanbase already knew on Sunday, they’re better than the worst teams in the NFL. The team moved to 5-6, still well outside the playoff and top-five draft pick niche that the team has carved for most of the past 12 years.

What following the Bills has become is little more than a rotation of broken records. You can change the tune and rhythm, but it is always the same song over and over again.

Granted, there are plenty of things to like about this team, especially if both Jarius Byrd and Andy Levitre are given long-term contracts. However, the need for change is well overdue and one day maybe this fan base will see some real progress made. Continue reading →

Extra Point: Bills fall from playoff contention in loss to Colts

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This week’s loss to the Colts all but eliminated the Bills from playoff contention. I penned the recap for Buffalo Wins this week and rather than write the same thing twice, I’d instruct you to check out the piece I posted for Buffalo Wins.