Die Hard Bills Fan

We are now just a mere 3 days away and counting until the Bills home opener on Sunday afternoon at the Ralph!  As a Bills fan I am PUMPED!!  Finally we get to see the team back in action and see what they can do against some pretty good competition in the Seattle Seahawks.

I broke down the Bills defense a couple days ago so today is time to show a little love to the O!

QB

1.  Trent Edwards

2. J.P. Losman

3. Gibran Hamdan

…The biggest question mark with this group is can they perform?  They all combined for 12 touchdown passes last season which was good for 29^th in the league.  Their combined passing yards of 2,634 was 30^th in the league.  In comparison to how bad this group was take a look at former Bills QB Todd Collins.  Last season the 35 year old (now 36) threw for 888 yards and 5 touchdowns in 4 games!…  Edwards worked hard in the off-season and added much needed muscle to his frame.  It will help him be more durably and keep him in the lineup.  It won’t hurt for his deep balls either.  When drafted he was suppose to be a leader.  The 2^nd year signal caller was voted team captain this season…  Losman is entering his last season as a Buffalo Bill.  His contract is up and he will take his services elsewhere.  A very gifted QB but was never very consistent…  Hamdan is back for another season.  He was on the practice squad last season before being signed to the club due to Edwards last season injury…

GRADE: C

RB

1. Marshawn Lynch

2. Fred Jackson

3. Xavier Omon

…Beast MODE is back!  After leading AFC rookies last season in most of the rushing categories, Lynch is looking to build on the numbers he had last season.  He is already one of the top 10 backs in the league…  Action Jackson is now in his second season of backing up Lynch.  Look for an article on him to come later in the year.  Not many people realize what he has gone through to make it to the league…  Omon, the rookie draft pick beat out Dwayne Wright during the preseason for the final RB spot.  Won’t see much time with the two guys he has in front of him…

GRADE: A-

FB

1. Darian Barnes

…Barnes is a 7 year vet and his big body should pave the way for a great season for Lynch.  The 6′ 2″, 240lb FB loves hitting people.  Look for him to clear the way for a great season running the ball.  Will do much better than those stupid H-backs in the past…

GRADE: C+

WR

1. Lee Evans

2. James Hardy

3. Josh Reed

4. Roscoe Parrish

5. Steve Johnson

6. Justin Jenkins

…Evans continues to be a huge deep threat and is by far the best WR for the Bills.  He worked with Edwards during the off-season so we will have to wait and see if that will pay off.  Evans put up some of the worst numbers of his career last year…  Hardy is the 2^nd round pick from Indiana.  The big target should get some opportunities in the red zone…  Reed is a great possession receiver on the Bills team.  He has reallu improved his catching ability since joining the Bills…  Parrish is the speed man who the Bills want to get the ball to.  His speed can change games.  A 5 yard slant could turn into a touchdown…  Johnson is the rookie wideout from Kentucky.  He was selected in the 7^th round.  He stood out during training camp and the preseason to win a roster spot…  Jenkins was kept for his special teams ability…

GRADE: B+

TE

1. Robert Royal

2. Derek Schouman

3. Derek Fine

…Royal caught 3 touchdown passes last season, and 2 came in one game.  He has had a good preseason though so let’s see if they try to get him more involved in the gameplan…  Schouman has 3 receptions in his career and is currently coming back from injury…  Fine the rookie from Kansas looks to get more reps at special teams this year than tight end.  When he gets healthy look for him to be an impact player on special teams which he was very good in at college…

GRADE: C

LT

1.  Jason Peters (HOLD OUT)

2. Langston Walker

3. Kirk Chambers

4. Matt Murphy

5. Demetrius Bell

…Peters is a bum.  Report to your team.  You’re not only hurting yourself but your teammates also…  Walker switched over from the right side of the line with the absence of Peters.  At 6′8″, 366 lb. he defiantly has the size to do it.  He will need to step up big time though.  Let’s be honest he is no Jason Peters… Chambers is starting at RT after Walker switched over… Murphy is a 7 year vet who is undersized for the LT position.  He should be on special teams duty all year…  Three years ago, Bell wasn’t even playing football.  He was playing basketball.  In college he started 22 games in a row at LT.  He has the size but needs to work on fundaments.  Has raw talent just needs to be groomed.  He was selected in the 7^th round, Pick 219^th overall…

GRADE: C

LG

1. Derrick Dockery

2. Jason Whittle

…Dockery stands at 6′6″ and 330 lbs.  He has to step up his play with Peters gone for the foreseeable future.  This is his 2^nd year with the Bills…  Whittle is a 10 year vet with a lot of experience.  Will help provide depth on the OL…

GRADE: C+

C

1. Melvin Fowler

2. Duke Preston

…Fowler has started all 16 games at center for the past two seasons for the Bills…  Most of Preston’s playing time last year came from special teams…

GRADE: C+

RG

1. Brad Butler

2. Duke Preston

…Butler is a 3 year player that has a huge body.  The 6′ 7″, 315 lb. guard started all 16 games last season…  In case you needed another fact on “Duke”, his real name is Raymond Newton Preston III…

GRADE: C

RT

1. Langston Walker (moved to LT while Peters holds out)

2. Kirk Chambers

…The former 6^th round pick is given the starting role by default.  He has only one start in his NFL career.  It was at left tackle against the Eagles in last year’s season finale.  The outcome?  No sacks allowed and helped Lynch gain 105 yards on the ground…

GRADE: D

Overall the Bills need to be able to run the ball and whatever QB is in needs to play consistent.  Edwards gets the ball out quick and not saying that Peters being gone will hurt the running game but Peters is a much better pass blocker than run blocker.  A true FB will also help out Lynch on the ground game.  The offense also needs to get the ball to the playmakers.  Lynch, Evans and Parrish should all be in the game plan every week to get a lot of touches.  Royal at TE also needs to be more of a receving threat.  He is a good blocker though so that will help out the line too.  The Bills O won’t do much this year numbers wise but if they can hang on to the football and control the clock it should be enough to get by on.    

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Hello Bills fans. Tonight is the last preseason game as the Buffalo Bills take on the Detroit Lions at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Coach Dick Jauron stated yesterday that it is a game-time decision regarding who will play in this game. I don’t think Trent Edwards or Langston Walker will be suiting up for this one being that the regular season is right around the corner. The fourth preseason game is usually for players that are on the bubble and coaches looking to see who will fill out the final roster spots. This is also for players to show their potential and winning a spot on the practice squad. The roster must be cut down to 53 on August 30th. It will be interesting to see who makes the final cut. I have a feeling there will be a few surprises. Last years #3 running back Dwayne Wright might lose his job to rookie Xavier Omon. If Omon has a big game tonight and Wright gets shutdown like last week, it will be an easy decision for the coaches. The countdown is at 10 days and the season is amongst us. Go Bills

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Hello Bills fans. The team just announced that they have signed third round pick Chris Ellis and sixth round pick Xavier Omon. Ellis will be competing for the fourth defensive end spot. Omon will be competing with Dwayne Wright for the third running back spot. The team now only has Leodis McKelvin and James Hardy to sign as camp opens tomorrow at St. John Fisher. Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans. It was announced today that Anthony Thomas has a torn calf muscle and is out indefinitely. Does this mean we get to see Fred Jackson as our starting tailback? I think so Bills fans. Jackson was impressive in the preseason and has looked good in limited time the last two weeks. He converted a big fourth down last week with his ability to break tackles and keep the legs driving. His running style kind of reminds me of Marshawn Lynch. Both backs are not big but break tackles and fight for every last inch. If Jackson does get the start, look for Trent Edwards to get him the ball in the passing game to move the chains. I think Jackson is going to do a great job but would still love to have Lynch out there. A-Train has been a great blocker for us this season and I think the Bills should use him as a fullback in the future. Rookie Dwayne Wright will get some carries but Jackson will have the full workload. Good luck Fred. Lets Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans. With Marshawn Lynch likely out this week, the Bills might use three different backs during this game. I believe that Dwayne Wright, Anthony Thomas and Fred Jackson can all contribute this week. Wright is more of the power back that will grind out those extra yards. Fred Jackson is a speedier back that can slash and get to the outside. Anthony Thomas is great at pass blocking and catching the ball. It seems that if we put all three of those backs skills together we get Lynch. Lynch can do it all and will be extremely missed this weekend. Lets hope that Wright can wear down the defense. I would really like to see what Jackson has. I liked the way he looked during the preseason and was happy when he made the final roster. He is been inactive most of the season. I know that when he gets on the field he will give his all. I like all three backs but will miss seeing Lynch out there. Lynch has become one of my favorite players on the team. He fights for every last inch and almost always breaks the first tackle. I hope he gets healthy real soon. Lets Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans. Coach Dick Jauron stated in his Wednesday press conference that he is not optimistic that Marshawn Lynch will be available for Sunday night’s game against the Patriots. Lynch sprained his ankle in the 4th quarter last week against the Dolphins. If Lynch is not able to go, look for fellow rookie Dwayne Wright to get the majority of the carries. Anthony Thomas will most likely be used on third downs. I would also like to see Fred Jackson get some touches. He impressed me in the preseason. I really hope Lynch heals quickly and is able to go on Sunday. He is a great talent and contributes so much to this offense. J.P. Losman stated that if Lynch is out the other three running backs have to step up. He called Lynch a tremendous force and it will be tough to not have him out there. Lets hope for a miracle and Lynch starts on Sunday. I do like Wright and feel that he can be a good complement to Lynch. I don’t know if Wright can carry the full load but in limited carries this season he has run hard. We need you Marshawn. Lets go Bills.

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In their final preseason game, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Detroit Lions 16-13. The Bills fell in an early 13-point deficit. Trent Edwards came in and led the team to a field goal right before halftime. Edwards went 18-24 of 182 yards. Most of his passes were crisp and on the money. His best pass was a 23-yard completion to Jonathan Smith. Edwards felt the blitz coming and perfectly placed the ball in Smiths hands along the sidelines. Rookie fourth round pick Dwayne Wright had 11 rushes for 51 yards. Fred Jackson had the teams’ only touchdown in the third quarter on a five-yard run. Bills receiver Justin Jenkins led all receivers with five catches for 56 yards. Tight end Kevin Everett also made a few nice grabs. Starting quarterback J.P. Losman only played two series and completed 5 of 6 passes for 43 yards. The starting offense moved the ball but the drives stalled due to a bad call by the officials on what looked to me like a reception by Peerless Price. Rian Lindell hit all three of his field goals tonight and looked in mid-season form. Jabari Greer and Ashton Youboty impressed me with their physical tackling. After the Bills took the led late in the fourth quarter, Josh Scobey stripped the ball from Lions kick return Kasper and it was recovered by John Wendling to seal the victory. Even though the team got off to a slow start, the young guys battled the whole game to take the victory. Big game for Edwards as he has just about solidified his role as the second string quarterback. It always feels good after a win even though it was only a preseason game.

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When the roster is trimmed to 53 on Saturday September 1st, the one guy that I am rooting for to stick with the team is Fred Jackson. I know that he has been playing against second and third string defenses. I know that Marshawn Lynch and Anthony Thomas will get the majority of the reps. I know that the Bills are very happy to have Dwayne Wright. I just feel that Fred Jackson can contribute to this team either on special teams or on a third down play here or there. I say give him a chance and see what he can do. He has a lot of potential and I think he can be a secret weapon for us. Here is to Fred Jackson. I hope to see you on the opening day roster. Lets Go Bills.

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With the 2007 season fast approaching, one thing that is making me a little crazy right now is that Coach Jauron talking about a running back by committee approach. I’m not really a big fan of that because you don’t let one guy get into a groove with the offense. Don’t get me wrong, I do like Anthony Thomas but as a backup. I hope Marshawn Lynch gets most of the touches and Thomas will spell him on certain downs. I think that is the way it’s going to go but Coach Jauron does want to keep guys fresh. I’m all for that and I would also like to see 4th round pick Dwayne Wright get some carries, but Lynch should get the majority of them. I think Lynch is going to be a special player because he can run and catch the ball. Watching highlights of his play in college shows that he has the ability to be like a Thurman Thomas was for our AFC champion teams. Lets hope Marshawn will have a great year and become Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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