Hey Cats fans!! A Buffalo scouting report from the other side

[PunchImlach]

Greetings, fellow NFL fans!!! As a Buffalo ex-pat living in an NFC city (Philly), I often find that fans in the other conference don't really know a lot about each others' teams. For instance, I know that DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both Walter Payton reincarnated and Jake Delhomme has thrown three thousand, four-hundred and seventy-two interceptions since that playoff game last year. As far as I would know, Mike Minter could still be starting and it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

So, anyway, here's a little scouting report on the Bills so you know what to expect when the game starts. I apologize for the length, but I have a lot of time on my hands at the moment and there's a lot to talk about:

Offense

The Bills play a very conservative, very careful offensive style intended to minimize mistakes and turnovers. They like to run the ball with their own two-headed monster; bruising, physical back Marshawn Lynch is excellently complemented by the athletic, speedy Fred Jackson, who is as dangerous a return man and receiver as he is a runner. One of the best tandems in the league, I would expect the Bills to trade one at season's end....too much value sitting on the bench for a team that has a bunch of holes elsewhere.

At QB, we don't know yet. Trent Edwards was diagnosed with a "mild" concussion....no concussion is ever "mild." He's supposed to be at the podium today for media day, but no word on whether he'll be playing or not. He's a true rhythm QB who can look great at times and really poor in others. Throws a great rainbow deep ball but really, really struggles on mid-range patterns....think outs, posts, digs, etc. Tends to get a bit skittish, so blitzing can be effective on third and long as he has a tendency to dump the ball off short of the markers. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick is pretty bad, like most backups. He played well enough to win last week but his statline was weak. 10-25 for 116 with 1-1.

The O-Line is the most inexperienced non-expansion group in league history. Four of the starters had never taken an NFL snap before this season, and three are rookies. The old man is someone you all know well, C Geoff Hangartner. I was skeptical going in, but he has been excellent versus 3-4 NT's, which is the only reason he was signed in the first place. No complaints. The Bills start two rookie guards, Andy Levitre and Eric Wood, who have played very well considering their ages. Wood, mark my words, has seven-time Pro Bowler written all over him. The kid is a road-grader. Levitre will be a good player for a long time, but isn't as talented, physical, or mean as Wood is. And, yes, one is named Levitre and the other Wood. I think it's funny, too. Where we are SERIOUSLY weak is on the edges, starting seventh-rounder and Karl Malone spawn Demetrius Bell and fifth-rounder (and cut from GB) Jamon Meredith. They are really, really, REALLY raw, and though both show a lot of promise, they are prone to bad mistakes, stupid penalties, poor use of leverage, and general suckitude. Both will get better with time, but they're liabilities right now and will continue to be. Rush the edges.

The WRs are great talents and are really, inexplicably under-utilized. Lee Evans and Terrell Owens are a dynamite pair and Josh Reed/Roscoe Parrish are great slot receivers. Not even Nostradamus could tell you why we throw to our TEs and backs more than our WRs. It's just piss-poor gameplanning in my opinion, and one of a few reasons our offense has just been needlessly bad as of late. Ironically, we're a lot better offensively on the road than at home, which also makes no sense.

Defense

The defense is strong up the middle, anchored by DTs Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams. Combined with finally-healthy MLB Paul Posluszny and SS Donte Whitner, the Bills should FINALLY start getting their run defense back, ranked a really spectacular 32nd in the NFL The are weak against the run on the edges, with undersized DEs Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, and Aaron Maybin vulnerable to big linemen. Keith "I make a million tackles six yards downfield" Ellison and the revolving door of undrafted rookies at the other OLB spot (Ashlee Palmer, Chris Draft, Nic Harris) make the edges of the defense horribly susceptible to the run. As you saw, Thomas Jones ripped off runs of 64- and 71-yards against us, both off the tackles. His other runs were a rather pedestrian 20 carries for 73 yards, but any time you give up 300+ yards rushing, regardless of how much of it came on three long runs off tackle.....well, you have problems. Like I said, they should be better now that they're finally healthy (4 LBs out for the year, so we have zero depth), but time will tell.

They are great against the pass, and it's not really inflated by the bad run D, as they've been thrown on 10th most in the NFL. They're #1 in yards/attempt and completion percentage, #2 in passer rating and interceptions (though Sanchez did throw five of them). Ballhawk rookie Jairus Byrd already has three picks in only five games, and rumor has it that run-specialist SS Bryan Scott may return from injury, keeping Byrd fresh for passing downs. I guess this is what happens when you draft 9 DBs in two years and ignore your front seven.

Special Teams

The best unit in the NFL over the past five years (according to Dallas Morning News), they have been ordinary by their lofty standards this year. They take way too many unnecessary penalties, and, as such, have had four return TDs called back through six games......even though they still have 3 D/ST touchdowns on the season already. Their coverage, though, has continued to be spectacular. Roscoe Parrish is statistically the best punt returner in NFL history, and Fred Jackson is doing an admirable job filling in for injured All-Pro KR Leodis McKelvin (IR). Rian Lindell is a consistent kicker, nearly perfect from under 40 and consistently 70% from outside 40. Brian Moorman is a multi-time All-Pro punter who has continued his long streak of being the best field-position-switcher in the league. It's no easy task punting in the swirling winds off Lake Erie (especially in the winter), but he's a champ at it.

Predictions!!!

The Cats will have success running the football, and this game will be a low-scoring slugfest. It will come down to turnovers, and if the Panthers have two or less, they will win by one score. If the Panthers have three or more, the Bills will win by a narrow margin....less than 3 points.

May it be a great game, good luck to everyone, and NO INJURIES!!! I'll hang around this afternoon to answer some questions if you have any; I have a 9 PM flight and no work to do until then.

[PunchImlach]

Also, for the record, I've seen a bunch of LA or Toronto Bills jokes while I was clicking around earlier.

Come on guys...any NFL city that sells out every game should NEVER lose their team. It's really not funny.

[CRA]

I wish we still had Minter instead of that pretender.

I agree. 2 or less turnovers and Carolina wins it...pending they don't let Roscoe and your return game score or put you in scoring position multiple times.

[Guild]

Good post.

[DevilCat]

:iagree: Relocation should be OUTLAWED!

[Chaos]

Offense

The Bills play a very conservative, very careful offensive style intended to minimize mistakes and turnovers. They like to run the ball with their own two-headed monster; bruising, physical back Marshawn Lynch is excellently complemented by the athletic, speedy Fred Jackson, who is as dangerous a return man and receiver as he is a runner. One of the best tandems in the league, I would expect the Bills to trade one at season's end....too much value sitting on the bench for a team that has a bunch of holes elsewhere.

What the heck does that mean, those words don't make sense?

Sincerely,

John Fox

Jeff Davidson

Jake Delhomme (the sh*t literally rolls downhill)

[jkeough]

Also, for the record, I've seen a bunch of LA or Toronto Bills jokes while I was clicking around earlier.

Come on guys...any NFL city that sells out every game should NEVER lose their team. It's really not funny.

in all fairness, all those jokes were in the Smack Forum...alls fair in there...besides the other Bills Fans have been doing Southern Stereotype jokes all day

[PunchImlach]

What the heck does that mean, those words don't make sense?

Sincerely,

John Fox

Jeff Davidson

Jake Delhomme (the sh*t literally rolls downhill)

It's a double-edged sword though. We don't turn the ball over but we're also never going to score 30 points on an every-week basis. Jauron's offense is a great way to be really, really mediocre unless you have a great defense......which would explain why we've been 7-9 three years in a row.

[PunchImlach]

in all fairness, all those jokes were in the Smack Forum...alls fair in there...besides the other Bills Fans have been doing Southern Stereotype jokes all day

I haven't yet been in the Smack forum. It's sig/avatar jokes, primarily.

That also shows you how dumb some Bills fans are....Charlotte is HARDLY the stereotypical South. I have like six friends who work for BoA down there and they all love it.

[joemac]

I predict that Jake throws about 12 times, and we run about 45. We might be in line to break the franchise rushing record this week.

[Chaos]

I haven't yet been in the Smack forum. It's sig/avatar jokes, primarily.

That also shows you how dumb some Bills fans are....Charlotte is HARDLY the stereotypical South. I have like six friends who work for BoA down there and they all love it.

I think most northern transplants do love it down here, but I guess it's hard for most of them to admit that.

[jkeough]

I think most northern transplants do love it down here, but I guess it's hard for most of them to admit that.

thats why they never leave....the ones i cant stand are the ones that say"well back home we do it this way"

[PunchImlach]

I predict that Jake throws about 12 times, and we run about 45. We might be in line to break the franchise rushing record this week.

You'll need to throw a lot more than that if you want to ring up yards like the Jets did.

Part of the reason teams have been successful as of late running on us is that the threat of the pass is still there.....preventing us thus far from stacking the line with eight or nine people. For how poorly we defended the run, we still only played with seven in the box since the Jets called over 30 passes....and the Browns almost 30 the week before.

I think if it becomes apparent that the Panthers have no intention of throwing, the Bills will drop that eighth and ninth man into the box to stop the run. No matter how great your line and backs are, nobody can run well against that kind of front consistently.

[Guild]

You'll need to throw a lot more than that if you want to ring up yards like the Jets did.

Part of the reason teams have been successful as of late running on us is that the threat of the pass is still there.....preventing us thus far from stacking the line with eight or nine people. For how poorly we defended the run, we still only played with seven in the box since the Jets called over 30 passes....and the Browns almost 30 the week before.

I think if it becomes apparent that the Panthers have no intention of throwing, the Bills will drop that eighth and ninth man into the box to stop the run. No matter how great your line and backs are, nobody can run well against that kind of front consistently.

Thats when we smoke pass to Smitty and he runs. If you put people in the box like that then the CBs have to play off the receiver or risk getting burned which means Smitty has space to get moving and hopefully make the CB miss or breaks the tackle.