Die Hard Bills Fan

1st Quarter

Rain was coming down hard and you could tell that both of the teams quarterbacks didn’t play much in the preseason. It was a quarter filled with incompletions and punts. The Bills went on a drive with 4:04 left in the 1^st quarter. It started with great field position (had the ball at midfield). Trent Edwards dropped back and threw a nice ball to Lee Evans down the sideline. Completed for 32 yards. On this same drive the Bills were stuck on 3^rd and 11. It looked like they would have to settle for a field goal but a great play call changed that. The Seahawks showed blitz and it looked like it would work but then Edwards handed the ball to Marshawn Lynch on a draw play. Evans threw a great block downfield that sprung Lynch for a 21 yard touchdown.

Bills lead 7-0 after one quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

The Bills special teams is going to have to step up if they want to stay in ball games this season and they showed up big on a punt return for a TD by return man Roscoe Parrish. Parrish caught the punt and then showed why he is a game changer, makes cut and breaking tackles before he took it all the way to the house, finishing the 64 yard run.

Later in the quarter with about 5:00 on the clock, the Seahawks went on a drive of their own. On 2^nd and 10, the Bills had blown coverage and the Seahawks looked like they could take advantage. Matt Hasselbeck threw a deep ball to Nate Burleson who was wide open. He jumped up, had the ball in his hands but just couldn’t hang on. The next play Hasselbeck dropped back and threw a fade to Burleson who made a great catch in the end zone with Bills CB Jabri Greer on the coverage. Seahawks finally get on the board, 14-7.

Bills kicker Rain Lindell then added a FG to add to the Bills lead, 17-7.

Then after the Seahawks failed to do anything with a minute left, they gave the ball back to Buffalo. Edwards made a few good passes which set up Lindell with another FG try. The 38 yard attempt was up and good.

Bills lead at halftime, 20-7.

3rd Quarter

Seahawks wide receiver Burleson was injured in the 3^rd quarter while running a pattern on 3^rd and 7 with under 6 minutes left. He ran an out and fell to the ground holding his knee. He did not return to the game.

Seahawks would also add a FG to the mix. Score is now 20-10.

With under 3 minutes left in the 3^rd, the Bills lined up for another FG try. The snap was good, the holder (and also punter) Brain Moorman got the snap and then stood up to throw a fake. Ryan Denney (the DE and special teams player) was wide open and ran into the end zone for the first TD of his career. The trick play worked and the Bills are now up, 27-10.

On that kickoff following the Bills TD, Jon Corto the Orchard Park native (who was featured in a previous story) forced a fumble. Bills recover! The Bills then went for the stranglehold. On first and 10, Edwards faked a handoff and steps up in the pocket. He then delivers a strike to TE Robert Royal who caught it for a 30 yard TD. Bills now lead 34-10.

4th Quarter

It was just a quarter where the Seahawks couldn’t do anything and the Bills were content with running out the clock. With :34 left in the game, the Bills finally accomplished something that they were close to the entire game. They intercepted a pass. Terrence McGee picked off the Hasselbeck pass and that would seal the game. BILLS WIN 34-10!

The NFL.com Gamecenter: Post Game is attached.

Wrap Up

Trent Edwards went 19/30 with 215 yards and a TD with no INTs.

Marshawn Lynch led the ground game carrying the ball 18 times for 76 yards and a TD. Fred Jackson also contributed with 31 yards on 10 attempts.

Brain Moorman (holder and punter) went 1/1 for 19 yards and a TD.

It seemed like everyone was catching passes in this game with 6 different players recording receptions. Evans had 4 catches for 102 yards, Royal had 6 catches for 52 yards and a TD. Josh Reed caught 3 balls for 37 yards, Denney of course had the TD catch for 19 yards. The running backs also got mixed into the action with Lynch catching 3 catches for 18 yards. Not only did Parrish serve as a big return man but he also caught 3 balls for 6 yards (mostly on screens).

Lindell went 2/3 on field goals with one of them being blocked.

McGee had an INT, Denney, Aaron Schobel and Kawikea Mitchell all had 1 sack. DT Kyle Williams had 1.5 sacks while newcomer Marcus Stroud contributed with .5 sacks.

Not only did Moorman throw the TD pass, he also averaged 40.6 yards a punt (on 9 punts) with 3 inside the 20.

Keith Ellison played well at LB today in place of Angelo Crowell who will be out for the year. All of the newcomers on D looked amazing too, not to mention 2nd year man Paul Poz.

MORE TO COME on this game tomorrow where I tell you what my feelings are. Of course it will be happy though because the Bills WON! LET’S GO BUFFALO!

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The Buffalo Bills named their team captains today. Six were named in all and of the 6 captains, 3 are retutning from last season.

Lee Evans (offense), Chris Kelsay (defense) and Brain Moorman (special teams) were the 3 captains that were named again for a second straight year. Second year quaterback Trent Edwards was also named a captain on the offensive side of the ball. Thrid year saftey Donte Whitner, who has showed great leadership for such a young player will also represent the defense. George Wilson, the backup saftey was given the 2nd special teams captains role.

All of the players were voted captain by their teammates.

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Hello Bills fans.  Today the Buffalo Bills had their first team OTA.  Chris Brown of buffalobills.com reported that only three players were not in attendance.  They were Jason Peters, Brian Moorman and Mike Viti.  Peters is recovering from sugery he had for a sports hernia injury.  Mike Viti is probably still at West Point because they havent had their finals yet.  It was reported that James Hardy made the catch of the day by hauling in a deep ball from Trent Edwards.  It was great to see Marcus Stroud on the practice field as well as Paul Posluszny, who is fully recovered from an arm injury.  Josh Reed also looked good in catching a few balls.  Check out the video on the Bills website. 

Lee Evans is entering the final year of his rookie contract signed back in 2004.  He was interviewed today and stated that the team has offered him a contract extension.  He didnt want to talk about it but did state that he is looking forward to this season.  With the offensive weapons this team has, I dont see why Lee would want to play anywhere else.  This Bills team is young and has added a talented receiver in James Hardy, which will only make Evans more successful.  He might be holding out until the end of the season before signing a long-term extenstion.  The Bills really want Evans and feel that he is one of the core players on this team.  I hope we can sign Evans and keep him a Buffalo Bill for his entire career. 

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Hello Bills fans.  Not only did Jason Peters get elected to the Pro Bowl, he was also voted second team All Pro.  Peters seems to be getting better and better every year and should be our left tackle for the next ten years.  The Bills signed Peters to an extension last year but will probably have to redo that contract in the near future.  Peters signed a five year 15 million dollar contract.  Left tackles in the NFL make a ton of money and Peters will cash in soon.  Punter Brian Moorman made third team All Pro.  It is great having a punter like Moorman.  He is great at placing punts inside the 20 and without his leg the Bills wouldn’t have the best punt coverage in the NFL.  Congrats to Brian and Jason.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  My one question is where did the team that was playing in the first quarter go?  After building a 14-0 lead after two impressive scoring drives, the Bills offense was basically non-existent.  Trent Edwards looked very impressive early on throwing two nice touchdown passes.  His 42-yard bomb to Roscoe Parrish setup his four-yard strike to Lee Evans.  Evans made a phenomenal move to get open for the reception.  After their third possession stalled and the Bills were forced to punt, long snapper Ryan Neill bounced on to punter Brian Moorman.  Moorman picked up the ball and tried to run with it but was quickly brought to the ground.  It seemed like right after that play the momentum changed.  The Giants had a short field and scored right away.  The lead was now down to 7.  After the Giants got the ball back, the Bills defense forced them to punt.  Safety Donte Whitner tried to block the punt but ran over Giants punter Jeff Feagles.  Roughing the kicker penalty was called and the Giants had new life.  On the next play, Brandon Jacobs took one 40+ yards for the score.  The game was now tied.  Two major mental mistakes gave the Giants two scores and new life.  This was similar to what went down in Jacksonville only a few weeks ago.  Our once strong special team units suddenly cost us 14 points.  You cannot win games with major mental errors like that.  The Giants would add a field goal and take a 17-14 lead going into the half.  The Bills would take the lead in the third quarter thanks to Marshawn Lynch.  After the defense forced turnovers and held the Giants at the goal line on 4^th down, Edwards tried to hit Lee Evans on a crossing route.  The ball bounced off of Evans chest and the ball was intercepted and taken back for a touchdown.  What looked like a promising second half turned into a disaster.  The Giants were up 24-21 and never looked back.  Our offense sputtered in the final quarter and the Giants returned another interception for the icing on the cake.  I thought that Kevin Everett’s presence would have the Bills all pumped up.  They came out hot but became cold as the game wore on.  Terrible game. 

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Hello Bills fans. Tomorrow the Buffalo Bills travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns. This is the biggest game of the season because the Bills trail the Browns by one game for the final wild card spot. The forecast shows snow and high winds, which will force both teams to run the ball more. I’m totally excited and can’t wait to see how the Bills respond to the biggest game in years. Here are the key matchups to this week’s game.

Marshawn Lynch & Fred Jackson vs. Browns Defense: To win this game, we must pick up most of our yards on the ground. Lynch and Jackson will both get their share of carries and hopefully can repeat their performance from last week. Look for both to get the ball early and often.

Browns Receivers vs. Bills secondary: This might be the toughest battle of the day. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow will be hard to contain. I hoping the weather is harsh so Browns quarterback Derek Anderson will have trouble getting the ball to his playmakers. Terrence McGee, Jabari Greer and Donte Whitner must bring their A game to slow down Cleveland’s receivers. I have a feeling that Whitner will get his second pick of the season. He is from Ohio and will have a lot of family and friends at the game.

Special Teams: If the weather is as bad as they say it will be, special teams will decide this game. Rian Lindell and Brian Moorman must do their jobs and perform when called upon. I would love to see Roscoe Parrish return a punt for a touchdown. Cleveland has a dangerous return man and our coverage units must slow him down. Look for Lindell to knock home a few field goals.

Every player on both teams know that this is a huge game. I feel that it will be close and the team that holds on to the ball longer will win. I fell both Lynch and Jackson will carry us to victory. My prediction…..Bills 20 Browns 16.

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Hello Bills fans. After Sundays game I had a feeling that Rian Lindell would be named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. His five field goals helped the Bills improve their record to 6-6. Lindell has been phenomenal this season and I am glad we gave him a contract extension before this season. It’s nice to know that we have a potential pro bowl kicker and a pro bowl punter on our roster. Congrats Rian. Lets Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans. After yesterdays huge come from behind win, it is time to give credit to our field goal kicker. Rian Lindell is having a fantastic season. He is 14 for 14 on extra points and 20 for 22 on field goals. He has now kicked 17 straight field goals tying Steve Christie for the longest streak in team history. Lindell has been solid all season and deserves to get AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his five field goal performance. His biggest kick of course was the game winner with four seconds to go. It’s great that we have Lindell and punter Brian Moorman. Both players are signed long term and that is a credit to Bills management. Special teams are a big part of this team. Special teams coach Bobby April is one of the best in the game. Congrats Rian. Thanks for a monster game. Lets Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans. This Sunday the Buffalo Bills travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. This is a must win game for the Bills if they want to stay in wild card contention. Jacksonville comes into this one with a 7-3 record. They have a tremendous defense and an excellent running back tandem. Here are the key matchups the Bills most win to come out of this one victorious.

J.P. Losman vs. Jacksonville Defense: As I stated in a previous post, Losman needs to have a big game to hold onto his starting job. He needs to be accurate and get rid of the ball when the heat is on. I hope he can hook up with Lee Evans on some deep routes to help get us into the endzone. Losman must put this team on his back and lead us to victory. I just want to see him have a monster game. He is due for a 300 yard 3 td performance.

Jones-Drew & Fred Taylor vs. Bills Defense: This is going to be a tough task for the run defense this week. Jones-Drew has the power to break tackles and the speed to take it to the house. The defense has to forget about last week and come out and perform at a high level. If we can slow down the run, this will put more pressure on David Garrad. Although Garrad has played well this year, we need to force him into some bad throws. I hope our big guys up front can get penetration and slow down both Jones-Drew and Taylor.

Special Teams: In my opinion, special teams are going to play a major part in this game. Jones-Drew is a dangerous kick returner. Our coverage units must play solid and not allow him to get the Jaguars in good field position. Rian Lindell has been great all year and will have to hit all of his attempts. Brian Moorman must also pin the Jaguars back so we can win the field position battle. I would love to see Roscoe Parrish and Terrence McGee break some long returns.

The Bills are treating this game like a playoff game. Jacksonville is in the wild card hunt also and needs this game just as bad as we do. To be successful, the Bills offense must not turn the ball over and the defense has to get some sort of a pass rush against Garrad. This is going to be a tough game but hopefully we can come out victorious. My prediction….Bills 20 Jaguars 17.

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Hello Bills fans. Tomorrow the Baltimore Ravens travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills. This is another tough game due to the Ravens tough defense. This will be yet another huge test for rookie quarterback Trent Edwards. Hopefully the offensive line can protect him and give him enough time to get the ball out to our playmakers. One positive is that the Ravens come into this game a little banged up. Kyle Boller is getting the start in place of injured quarterback Steve McNair. Ray Lewis is also questionable and cornerback Chris Mcallister is not playing. Hopefully we can capitalize on this and get Lee Evans involved early and often. Here are the key matchups the Bills will need to win to pull out the victory.

Trent Edwards vs. Ravens Defense: Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is going to send everything but the kitchen sink at Trent Edwards. He will be blitzing often to try and make Edwards rush his throws. Our offensive line needs to step up and give Trent some time to find Evans, Roscoe Parrish, and Josh Reed. I think Edwards will have a good game because he knows how to recognize the blitz and get the ball out of his hands early.

Willis McGahee vs. Bills Defense: Our defense has held our last two opponents to less than 80 yards rushing. I hope we have another one of those days and take McGahee out of the game early. Let Kyle Boller try to beat us through the air. McGahee will be back in Buffalo for the first time after he was traded from the team in March. We need to shut him down and not let up big plays on the ground. Our defensive line has been playing better as of late and I really feel that we have a special player in John McCargo. Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay must put pressure on Boller. This will help Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer greatly.

Special Teams: Our special teams has come up big for us this year except for the onside kick in the Dallas game. McGee and Parrish need to get our offense in good field position. Rian Lindell needs to be on his game as well because I feel this one will be a close game. Brian Moorman is a phenomenal punter and hopefully he can pin the Ravens back when called upon. It would be nice going through this one without a punt but the Ravens defense is hard to score on.

This is a big game for the Bills. Being home will help because we need the crowd to throw off the Ravens offense. I think Lynch is ready for the breakout game and hopefully Trent can lead us to victory. My Prediction….Bills 20 Ravens 17.

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