Die Hard Bills Fan

Today was suppose to be a breakdown of the matchup between the Buffalo Bills DB’s and the Arizona Cardinals passing game, but breaking news came out about two players that will force this breakdown to be pushed back a day or two.

For starters, Cardinal’s WR Anquan Boldin has not been ruled out for the Week 5 matchup between the two teams. Boldin suffered a devasting hit in the final minute of the Cardinals, Jets game. He was taken off the field by a stretcher.  Rotoworld.com is reports that Boldin has about a 50-50 chance to play though. Here is what they had to say:

Anquan Boldin (head) didn’t practice Wednesday, but the Cardinals aren’t ruling him out for Week 5 against the Bills. Coach Ken Whisenhunt says Boldin needs to be cleared medically before any determination on his playing status is made. Boldin says his only injury is a “fracture near his sinus.” His chances of facing Buffalo seem 50-50 at best.

So with seemingly good news coming out of Cards Camp, what did the Bills get? Well it wasn’t great news coming out of Bills camp, but hey at least their starting CB Terrence McGee was not ruled out. McGee was hurt in the win against the St. Louis Rams. Here is what the Canadian Press is reporting (it is the most recent story published on McGee):

Cornerback Terrence McGee, who wore a brace on his left knee and walked with a noticeable limp, was one of three Buffalo Bills defensive starters to miss practice Wednesday as the team prepared to play at Arizona this weekend.

Coach Dick Jauron wouldn’t rule McGee out, saying he will continue to have his sprained knee tested through the end of the week. McGee said the knee was still sore, but had improved since Monday, when he had difficulty walking.

“I haven’t given up hope yet,” McGee said. “I’m really not too sure. I’m just trying to see from day to day.”

Don’t be alarmed too much Bills fans. The other two defensive starters missing pratice today were DT Marcus Stroud (left shoulder) and DE Aaron Schobel (foot). They were both hurt in the last game, but both finished the game. Both are also expected back at pratice tomorrow.

If McGee can not go, Nickel corner Ashton Youboty and 1st round pick Leodis McKelvin would be the two guys getting the playing time. Both have played pretty well so far this season.

Needless to say the breakdown between these two teams will take place later in the week when the injury report comes out. My question to those of you out there is, “Who is more important to their team if they are unable to play and why?”. Please leave the answer is a comment or send the response to buffbillsfan517@yahoo.com. I will address the best/most interesting answers in the breakdown that comes later in the week.

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The Buffalo Bills will face the St. Louis Rams today at the Edwards Jones Dome.

TV Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ St. Louis Rams (0-3)
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots)
Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). All done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• The Bills have beaten the Rams in four out the last five meetings, and lead the overall series, 5-4.
• The last game between these two teams ended in a Buffalo win, 37-17.
• RB Marshawn Lynch has scored atleast one TD in each of the first 3 games
• Rams RB Steven Jackson is avergaing just 3.2 yards per carry in a Rams offense that has put up just 29 points in three weeks. It doesn’t get much easier this week as St. Louis goes up against a sixth-ranked Bills defense
• The Bills defense has not allowed a 100 yard rusher in their first 3 games. Let up an average of 93.6 yards per game.
• With returnman Roscoe Parrish out look for rookie Leodis McKelvin to have a huge impact on not only punt returns but also kick returns.
• The Bills are 6-0 when QB Trent Edwards posts an 80-plus passer rating. Edwards is averaging a 96.6 rating through three games this season.
• QB Trent Green of St. Louis is making his first start of this season for the benched Marc Buldger. Green has started three times vs. the Bills, posting a 2-1 record.
• Green is making his first start since suffering a concussion while with Miami in Week 5 last season. The concussion was Grade 3 which is the most severe level. Many thought it would be enough to send Green into retirement. But he’s back for more (which might not be a good thing).
• The Line: The Bills are favored by 8. Over/Under 42.5.

Injury Report:

Bills - Out of Game: TE Derek Fine (Hand) and WR Roscoe Parrish (Thumb). Probable: FB Darian Barnes (Ankle).

Rams - Out of Game: WR Drew Bennett (Foot), WR Keenan Burton (Knee), and RB Antonio Pittman (Lower Leg). Probable: G Jacob Bell (Hamstring), DE James Hall (Thigh), RB Steven Jackson (Groin), TE Joe Klopfenstein (Illness), DE Leonard Little (Hamstring) and T Orlando Pace (Groin).

Quote of the Week:

“I’ve always liked to block but I guess what set it off was something Tyke told me a long time ago. He said if you’re going across the middle and a DB has a free shot to take your head off, he will. Plain and simple. It will make him look good and feel good. So that’s just the mentality I take into it. You’re going to try to take my head off, so what should stop me from trying to take your head off?”

-WR Josh Reed on blocking

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

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The Buffalo Bills took a hit with the news coming out today that slot WR and return man Roscoe Parrish will be out 4-6 weeks after recovering from thumb surgery.  Parrish underwent surgery on the thumb Tuesday after he suffered an injury in the game Sunday, against the Oakland Raiders.  The exact extent of the injury is unknown although head coach Dick Jauron has come out and said it was a problem with the ligament.  Jauron said, “It wasn’t a bone issue.  My understanding was it was a ligament issue and there’s no support for the thumb if it moves a certain way. Talking to him today he wasn’t in a lot of pain or discomfort with it. We’re just hoping it heals real fast and we get him back on the field.”

The thumb was injured early in the 4th quarter of the game, but Parrish played through the pain and scored a late receiving TD that helped the Bills rally in the 4th to beat the Raiders, 24-23.  Roscoe hasn’t missed a game due to injury since 2005 when he broke his wrist in training camp during his rookie season.

Through the first 3 games, Parrish has caught 7 passes for 60 yards and 1 TD.  In the return game, he has 11 punt returns for 167 yards (good for a 15.18 average) and 1 TD.

Rookie Leodis McKelvin will most likely step into the punt returners role which he excelled in  during his college career.  Second string RB Fred Jackson or slot WR Josh Reed could also return punts as all three did so in pratice today.  It will not be known until game day which player will be taking over his duties.

Rookie WR James Hardy and Justin Jenkins are the two players who will step into Parrish’s slot role.  Steven Johnson is a long shot to take over the job.  Jenkins has not caught any passes so far this season, while Hardy has 2 catches for 12 yards and a TD.

My thoughts are that McKelvin takes over the punt returner role, while Jenkins gets most of the playing time from the slot.  Hardy will be used a lot more inside the 50 though, and especially in the redzone where he is a huge target with his large frame. 

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The countdown to kickoff has begun.  Only 4 days away until the Bills return to the Ralph to take on the Oakland Raiders.  Similar to last week, instead of breaking down a match up today I invited another guest to the site.  Matt Loede joins the website today.  He is the senior editor at billsgab.com and nflgridirongab.com.  NFLGridrongab.com brings together all of the teams in the NFL.  It is a great site to go to for opinions and news on any NFL team.  Matt has been covering the sports world for over 13 years and this week he is heading to Blog World 2008 this weekend in Las Vegas.  He was gracious enough to stop by and chat a little bit about the Buffalo Bills and the entire NFL (NOTE: Just like last time, my questions are in bold while Matt’s answers are in normal font).  

What are your thoughts on the Bills through their first 2 games?  They beat the Seahawks badly, 34-10 and they came through when they had to against the Jaguars 20-16.  That is two wins against playoff teams from last year.  Sure both of these teams have injuries, but they looked pretty good in both of them.  This is the first time since 2003 that the Bills have started 2-0 to begin a season.

I think the Bills have looked solid through two weeks.  The one thing that has impressed me is the maturity of Trent Edwards, as well as the ability of the defense to make stops when they need to.  Edwards and the offense really came through Sunday when the team was trailing and had two great drives to take the game back over.  Injuries or not, many felt Seattle and Jacksonville would be, and could still be playoff teams.

How do you like the Bills offense through the first 2 games?  It is similar to a west coast offense with some different formations.  It let’s the young QB Trent Edwards make quick decisions and they air it out when the defense starts cheating up.  Not to mention Edwards spreads the ball all over the place.  Everyone gets involved, something as Bills fans we haven’t seen in a while.  Plus they have Lynch that they can ride all day too if needed.

As I said above, Edwards and the offense has looked very good.  Turk Schonert has done a very good job in two games as the new offensive coordinator in putting Edwards and the offense in a position to succeed, and Trent has taken advantage of it.  Marshawn and the running game has been good, and credit also has to be given to the O-line for doing a good job up front.

How do you see the AFC East playing out?  The Patriots looked pretty much like the same team (just less scoring) and the New York Jets looked pretty bad.  The Bills and the Pats are both 2-0 so far this season.  Do you give the Bills a shot?

The Bills have a shot, but injuries and how other teams shape up will determine just how much of a shot Buffalo has come playoff time.  The big difference is they started slow last year and caught their stride midway through the season.  This year they have already started fast, and now need to not have a letdown, as the Pats will not be going away easily as we saw last week vs. the Jets.

What are your “surprises” so far this year?  A lot has caught me off guard so far.

• Titans at 2-0, I’m surprised with.  I didn’t see that team doing anything this year. 
• Colts at 1-1!  What surprises me with that is Peyton Manning doesn’t look like himself (except for the one throw to Wayne ). 
• Broncos at 2-0.   I thought Denver would be fighting for a wild card spot not leading the division (although some calls by refs in your favor help).
• Chargers at 0-2!  Chargers get beat by last second plays two weeks in a row but their defense does not look right to me (and Shawn Merrian is out for the year).
• Vikings 0-2!  Vikings were supposed to be going to the Superbowl according to some experts.
• Jags 0-2.  Jags went 11-5 last year, although they do have some injuries.    

There has been plenty of surprises to go around, some good, and of course some bad.

For the Good - the Bills have to be high on the list, along with the Carolina Panthers, who look like they are going to contend with the Saints for the NFC South Title.  Pittsburgh looks for real in the AFC, and Jay Cutler and the Broncos look like a team that is going to give a lot of teams issues.

On the Bad side - The Browns and Vikings have to top the list.  These two teams were the “sexy” picks by many to get deep in the playoffs, and now they are both having to fight just to not find themselves 0-3 after Sunday.  The Chargers have had a tough start, and the Colts may be 1-1, but they look like they have aged a bit.  Seattle and the Jaguars look like two teams that are going to never be able to overcome already the injuries they have encountered.

While we are on the entire NFL, I have to ask this question early in the season. What are your predictions for the rest of the season (division leaders, playoff teams, Superbowl champs, etc.)?  Sorry if you have gotten sick of this one.

Division Champs:
AFC - New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Denver
NFC - Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans, Arizona
Wild Cards - AFC: Tennessee, San Diego NFC: NY Giants, Philadelphia
Super Bowl: Dallas vs. Pittsburgh - Dallas 24-20

Back to the Bills now.  What are your keys to the game for them to beat the Raiders?  The #1 on my list is to stop the run.

Stopping the run is by far and away the most important.  This team ran for 300 yards last week, so yes, that is the biggest key.  On offense, they can’t make mistakes to think the Raiders can sneak out a win in Buffalo.  Take the lead early, pressure Russell and force him to have to win the game

How about them rookies?!?  We say both of them play roles in todays game.  2^nd rounder James Hardy caught the go ahead touchdown pass and even 1^st round pick Leodis McKelvin got into the game a little bit with two returns.  What role do you see the two of them playing the rest of the season?  I don’t see McKelvin beating out Jabri Greer anytime soon for the starting spot.  

I see Hardy and McKelvin playing the roles they have already played, which is to get in the games at various points, but also for Dick Jauron and the staff not to force them into situations to fail.  I like that neither have had to play a lot, but when they have played they have been able to be successful.

A big part of the Bills offense is Lee Evans.  Do you think he gets a contract extension and stays with the Bills for the foreseeable future?

Edwards and Evans finally seem on the same page, which concerned me entering the season.  Yes, I see Evans and the team getting together on a deal that will pay him like the #1 WR that he is quickly showing he can be week in and week out.

How about another WR?  Every year we hear how the Bills are going to get the ball into Roscoe Parrish’s hands.  Do you think this will come true this year?

Right now Parrish is still a mystery as to how much he’ll be used.  He only has four catches in two games, and Edwards seems more comfortable with Evans and Robert Royal.  Parrish will at some point get a shot to make a play, but those may be few and far between.

Where did Aston Youboty come from?  I didn’t even have this guy making the roster before preseason. 

Just goes to show that some players that are not great in preseaosn and practice can show up when the lights are brightest.  That’s the case with Ashton, who seems to have relished his role with the team, with 11 tackles and a sack in two games.  For now, he’s been a welcome surprise.

Prediction time.  What is the score for the game between the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills?

I think the Bills will win, I say 24-13.  They can’t take the Raiders lightly, as this is a team that lost 41-13 two weeks ago only to come out
and physically dominate the Chiefs in a place they rarely win.  Look for the defense to have its moments, and for Edwards and Evans to make a few big plays to secure the win.

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Hello Bills fans.  What a game yesterday.  The Bills started off with an impressive drive and finished the game with one to get their second victory.  I just wanted to talk about the play of cornerback Ashton Youboty.  During the preseason, many felt that Youboty was either going to get traded or released after the Bills signed a cornerback in free agency and drafted one in the first round.  Youboty had a great preseason and showed the coaches that he could be the full-time nickel back.  He beat out veteran Will James and rookie Leodis McKelvin by his tenacious tackling and great ball skills.  Youboty is one of the reasons we won yesterday.  He had a great sack on Garrad in the first quarter.  It was a corner blitz that the Jaguars didnt recognize.  Youboty also had a great open field tackle on Garrad that prevented a first down.  He also made a great play on a Jacksonville receiver to prevent another first down.  It really shows that he could be a great player in this league.  Youboty was a high draft pick but never really developed his first two seasons.  He dealt with the passing of his mother during his first training camp and never really settled in.  He is now showing signs of his ability and will continue to make the Bills secondary one to fear.  With Terrence McGee, Jabari Greer, Donte Whitner, Ko Simpson and Ashton Youboty, the Bills have one of the best secondaries in the game.  Congrats to Youboty.  Lets Go Bills. 

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The Buffalo Bills game is of course Sunday at 1:00 (eastern) against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The next match up that I am going to take a look at is the two teams special teams which will have a huge impact on the game.  The match up is broken down into 3 categories, Punting (punters and punt coverage), Kicking (Place kickers and Kickoff Coverage) and Return Game.

PUNTING

BILLS:

The Bills have one of the best punters in the game with Brain Moorman.  He got a ton of work in the first game of the year.  Punted the ball 9 times for a 46.6 average per punt.  Moorman also had a 19 yard TD pass for a perfect QB rating and he also put the ball inside the 20 3 times.  He really helped the Bills pin the opponent deep in their own territory.  The Bills did struggle a little bit on their punt coverage though.  They let up an average of 13.5 yards on 4 returns.  They didn’t let anyone get a huge return, although there was one punt return that went for 21 yards.  A better job on coverage would really help out the field position battle.    

JAGUARS

Seahawks punter Adam Podlesh was able to put 4 punts inside the 20, despite only averaging a 37.0 average on 6 punts.  He also had one touchback.  The Jaguars coverage team was very well and they will have to continue that this week against one of the most dangerous return men in the league, Roscoe Parrish.  They did do a good job against the Titans.  They averaged letting up 7.5 yards a return (with a long being of 8).  Those kinds of numbers will have to continue if they want to keep the Bills out of end zone on special teams.

KICKING

BILLS

Rian Lindell went 2/3 in field goals so far this season.  One of them was blocked though, something that cannot happen in close games.  The Bills last opponent, Seattle, had a pretty respectable average of 26.5 yards on 4 returns with a long of 39.  The Bills are set in the field goal department but again need to improve their coverage team.

 JAGUARS

Josh Scobee went 1 for 2 on his field goals in their game vs. the Titans.  The Jags kick coverage team was very good in the two times they got on the field, holding Chris Carr (of the Titans of course) to a 16.5 average with a long of 21.  Very nice job there and that will need to continue this week. 

RETURN GAME

BILLS

The Bills are loaded with return men.  The starter on kickoffs is cornerback Terrence McGee while the punts are handled by speeding Roscoe Parrish.  The Bills also have an X-Factor in rookie Leodis McKelvin, their first round draft pick.  McKelvin has yet to return a kick or punt in a game.  He is very dangerous though.  He had 8 return touchdowns in college and 1 in a preseason game this year.  McGee didn’t really stand out in the last game seeing as he had 1 return that went for 27 yards.  He has big play capability though.  You have to watch out for him on every play.  Parrish of course returned a punt for a highlight reel TD last week.  The play went for 63 yards.  Parrish also had 6 returns in total that average 20.0 yards a return.  Another big play threat.  All three of these guys are very hard to contain.  

JAGUARS

The Jags return men didn’t do too bad of a job themselves.  Brain Witherspoon had 2 punt returns for that averaged 22.5 yards (long of 29).  He also had a monster game on kickoff returns.  Had 3 returns for 124 yards!  That is good for a 41.3 yards a return average.  He will need to be contained by the Bills to keep him from breaking a long one. 

WHO WILL WIN THIS MATCH UP:

I love the Bills special teams and most weeks I will pick them by a landslide but they might have met their match in Jacksonville.  The Bills overall kicking game is better and I like their return men more but how can you argue with the stats.  It will definitely be a battle for field position all game between these two teams.  It is more of a tossup but there is no way I’m going to call something a tie.  The Jaguars are my pick to have a better game in today’s match up.

Remember if you disagree with anything I said in this article, be sure to put your opintions in a comment below.  Have a good night everyone.

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Hello Bills fans. After watching the game again on the NFL Network re-air, Leodis McKelvin’s 95 yard kickoff return was awesome. He has a knack for making a big play on special teams. I saw his 45 yard punt return in person last week that he could have scored on also. Its great that our special teams which has been our most consistent area, has another weapon in McKelvin. After he busted up the seam, he faked the kicker out of his shoes. McKelvin then turned on the after burners and nobody was within 20 yards of him. If we can get a few of those this season, the Bills will be in great shape. I would rather see McKelvin take most of the kickoffs and let Terrence McGee focus more on being a shut down corner. I can’t wait to see McKelvin return one back on September 7th. Check out the video on BuffaloBills.com. Go Bills.

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Hello Bills fans.  The Buffalo Bills fell to the Redskins 17-14 at Fedex field this past Saturday.  I was in attendance for the game and even though it didnt count, it was great to watch the Bills.  The starting offense didnt look so great and couldnt get into a flow.  Trent Edwards did have a nice 18 yard pass to Roscoe Parrish.  The offensive line had two false starts on the opening drive so we had to settle for three.  The defense didnt fare to well but was missing starters Donte Whitner, Angelo Crowell and Terrence McGee.  I take preseason for what its worth.  Its basically for the players that are on the bubble to show what they can do in game situations.  Cornerback Ashton Youboty had a nice interception and then flipped it to Reggie Corner who returned it to the 20 yard line. That setup J.P. Losman’s td pass to rookie receiver James Hardy.  Hardy made up for a drop with a nice 16 yard reception in the endzone.  Rookie Leodis McKelvin shined in the return game taking a punt back 45 yards.  If he would have cut to the right side, he would have scored.  McKelvin also had a 37 yard kickoff return.  He looked impressive.  As always the special teams played fantastic.  The unit forced a fumble on the opening kickoff which was recovered by kicker Rian Lindell.  Although we didnt pull out the victory, I saw some positive things from our team.  I cant wait to see us play at full strength.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fan.  Tomorrow the Buffalo Bills will travel to Washington to face the Redskins for their first preseason game of the 2008 NFL season.  Coach Dick Jauron stated that the starters will play between 10-20 snaps.  Donte Whitner, Josh Reed and Angelo Crowell are the only starters that will not play in this game.  Im upset that I will not be able to see those three because I want to see our offense and defense at full strength.  Rookie wide receiver James Hardy will play unless his hamstring tightens up before the game.  Im very excited to see how Trent Edwards has improved and added size since last season.  I cant wait to see some of the other rookies such as Leodis McKelvin, Chris Ellis and Reggie Corner in action.  I will report on my trip to Washington when I get back into town on Sunday night.  I cant believe the preseason is here already.  Go Bills. 

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Hello Bills fans.  The team has reach a contract with 2nd round pick wide receiver James Hardy.  The Bills open training camp tomorrow morning at 8:30.  This is great news because Hardy is going to be looked at as the #2 receiver opposite Lee Evans.  Hardy will do wonders for this offense and it was important for him to be at camp from day one.  The only draft pick that is unsigned is first round pick Leodis McKelvin.  Bills COO Russ Brandon anticipates that McKelvin will be signed real soon.  Look for him to reach an agreement tomorrow.  I cant believe the offseason is over.  Finally.  Go Bills. 

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