Hey, At Least We Cut Down On Our Penalties.

Typically I would do a breakdown of the Bills game, and usually I would talk about the highs and lows of the game.  I go through all the big plays, and try to point out some smaller things that led to either a Bills win or loss.  But, I am at a loss today.  I refuse to admit that Miami is just that good.  I think it is time to admit that Buffalo may just be, really bad.   How do I break down a game that was just a train wreck from start to finish?  The Bills vs. Miami was the one game that would even up Buffalo’s record and get them back on the winning track.  Instead of outlying play by play ever terrible part of this game, I noticed some trends that speak volumes of what this team will be.

There are a few troubling things that I saw with Sunday’s game.  I spent all night trying to figure out the Bills version of “what came first; the chicken or the egg?”  Is Trent Edwards really this bad?  Or is Trent Edwards playing poorly because of the inexperience of the offensive line?  Or is the offensive line made to appear that they are playing poorly because Edwards goes through his progressions too slowly and doesn’t release the ball quick enough?  Or is the play calling so poor that Edwards is not being given an opportunity to release the ball quick enough, making the offensive line look bad?  Or, finally, is it Trent Edwards not taking any risks down field which is allowing opposing defenses to play tight against Buffalo’s receivers?

I do not believe Trent Edwards can be as bad as he has been playing, but there are signs that have been appearing through each game that show he may not be the answer at QB.  Through the preseason, Edwards was playing far too slow, he was slow to get to the line, slow to call a play, and slow to go through his reads and release the ball.  Edwards seems to be stuck at an impasse this season which will further frustrate Bills fans.  He seems to be trying really hard to look for the down field play in order to stretch the field, but is unwilling to commit to the down field pass unless the receiver is wide open.  Due to the fact that this is the NFL, that will rarely happen.  So Trent Edwards is now faced with the dilemma of finding a different open receiver rather than his down field option.  By spending so much time looking down field, he has missed the opportunity to hit the third or fourth receiving option for a mid range gain.  So what is left?  The check down.  The problem is, he is now waiting too long to hit his safety valve that the defense is now in position to make sure that the pass is met with a minimal gain.

Trent Edwards has previously been check down happy, but at least the Bills were moving the ball down the field.  The reason for this is that he wasn’t concerned with the big play down field and just went through his progressions quickly.  So when he threw the ball to Lynch or Jackson, the defense was not able to get into position to make a play on the ball carrier, and they were able to get positive chunks of yards.  Go back and look at the game film and you will notice Trent really focusing down field, and really zoning in on his primary targets against Miami.  The problem that this also creates is that he is showing a lack of trust in his receivers.  I know, Owens has dropped quite a few passes so far this season, but to not trust Evans and/or Owens to make tough catches is just absurd.  Edwards needs to allow his receivers to make plays on the ball.  Not every drive will see Buffalo have crisp passes to wide open receivers.

The offensive line is not to blame for this debacle.  It is true that the offensive line is playing poorly at times and failing to protect Edwards or create holes for Jackson.  But, again, they are not to blame.  Truthfully, they are playing like an inexperienced offensive line, which is exactly what they are.  It is not the fault of the entire offensive line that the Buffalo Bills, in their infinite wisdom, believed that it was a good idea to start the season with three lineman starting who had zero NFL experience.  For the sake of argument, considering the little amount of experience this unit has, I actually think they are doing pretty good.  Some are making rookie mistakes because, well, some are rookies.  Considering how bad this line could be or should be, I believe this portion may actually be on target with their development.  Only in Buffalo did they expect less sacks after constructing a completely new offensive line.

Even though Trent Edwards is not reading plays fast enough, I find that the Buffalo Bills that started the season is not the same Buffalo Bills over the last two games.  Against the Patriots and Bucs, the Bills were being much more creative with their offense.  Edwards was rolling out more in order to compensate for the inexperience of the offensive line.  Jackson was utilized more in the passing game as well.  The Bills don’t seem to playing the same way and it may be due to play calling.  The Bills seem to be running a much more conventional offense.  They aren’t showing much motion, they aren’t rolling out.  The Bills seem content to play right at their opposition rather than to keep them guessing.  Alex Van Pelt may be calling the right plays and Edwards just isn’t executing, but I doubt that is the case.  The Bills have enough weapons to be dangerous, but they just don’t have the offensive line or the quick thinking QB to exploit them.  The Bills need to understand this and develop their offense accordingly.  Deep passes do help to keep a defense honest, but so does consistent movement of the ball, even if it is 6 or 7 yards at a time.  In turn this will then open up the long ball to help keep the defense honest.  The offense is over thinking every move they make and continue to fall in love with the “big” play rather than understanding the importance of clock management.  The difference between a big play and a well managed drive is roughly 6 to 8 mins, but the score will be the same.  It’s ok to settle Buffalo.

The best thing about this years Buffalo Bills is that most of the question marks were supposed to be on defense.  Yet the only consistent has been that the defense has kept this team in games.  Buffalo has a trio of problems that they need to find a solution for.  They have a coaching staff that is inept and out dated, an offensive line that needs more experience and leadership, and a quarterback that is starting to look more like J.P. Losman without the arm strength.  Edwards has the tools to succeed but must take control of his team.  The coaching staff also has a responsibility to put Edwards in situations where he will succeed.  The Bills are now 1-3, when they easily could have been 3-1 or even 4-0, let’s go Buffalo!

Tags: Alex Van Pelt, Buffalo Bills, Fred Jackson, J.P. Losman, Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Miami Dolphins, Terrell Owens, Trent Edwards