The voices on the video clip are not the ones I am talking about below.
The Bills beat the Colts last night in their 3rd preseason game. There were a lot of positive things but I have talked about them in my previous blog and until the regular season starts I don't see a reason to keep repeating myself. Instead I am going to vent about something that is bugging me.
Last night the Bills went into halftime up 17-0 over the Colts, everything was going their way. The announcers hosting halftime managed to not say one positive thing about the Bills. In fact the only time the Bills were mentioned was at the start of the broadcast when they said the score.
So if they are not talking about the team that is winning, in the game they are watching what were they talking about? How great Peyton Manning (who was not even suited up to play) is. Oh they also managed to kiss a little of Tom Brady's ass. We Buffalo fans can never hear enough about how wonderful #12 for the Patriots is. For the record he was not playing anywhere last night either.
Now the Bills don't always give you a positive reason to talk about them but last night they did. Instead of seizing the opportunity to bring up names we don't hear every week of the regular season, the announcers decided to discuss 2 players that probably have more media attention then anyone else throughout the season. This is wrong and needs to be changed.
Look, I am not asking for anyone to praise the Bills for a preseason win over a team that didnt even have their best player but give credit where credit is do. I can watch sports center all day and hear about whats going on around the league I watched that game because I'm a Bills fan and that's what I want to hear about.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bills vs Steelers Preseason
The Bills defeated the Steelers Thursday night and managed to answer a lot of questions with their very impressive performance. The defense stepped up again with an early take away and Trent Edwards connected with Robert Royal for 2 touchdowns. The team looked great. They seemed to eliminate a lot of the unpolished mistakes they made against the Skins.
Preseason is a great time to see players take some chances and we got to see Trent Edwards keep a drive alive with a 20+ yard scramble on third down early in the game. Those are the kinds of plays that will win football games. It is also great to see Edwards and Evans building some chemistry. With out a doubt Losman had a feel for Evans and I was concerned some of his talent might go to waste if Edwards couldn't do the same.
The special teams also contributed to scoring with a 95 yard return by rookie Leodis McKelvin. If this game is any inclination of the season to come the NFL better get ready to look at the Bills as contenders.
Preseason is a great time to see players take some chances and we got to see Trent Edwards keep a drive alive with a 20+ yard scramble on third down early in the game. Those are the kinds of plays that will win football games. It is also great to see Edwards and Evans building some chemistry. With out a doubt Losman had a feel for Evans and I was concerned some of his talent might go to waste if Edwards couldn't do the same.
The special teams also contributed to scoring with a 95 yard return by rookie Leodis McKelvin. If this game is any inclination of the season to come the NFL better get ready to look at the Bills as contenders.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Bills Preseason Opener
The Bills suffered a loss last night in their preseason opener against the Washington Redskins. The Bills had moments that showed off the talent and chemistry the team is developing but there were a handful of mistakes. Mostly ones that your supposed to make in preseason. There were a bunch of false starts, most of which were called on the newly assembled offensive line.
Overall, I think the game was a huge success. The Bills #1 draft pick Leodis McKelvin seemed to hold his own in the cornerback position and also showed off his return ability. The offense also got the Bills 2nd round pick involved in the game when JP Losman threw a touchdown to James Hardy. Hardy had been called for a false start and had dropped a pass just plays before so it was great to see him stay focused and make a play.
I understand that this is just preseason but there were somethings that frustrated me last night. Buffalo seemed to have the same problem they had in previous years...3rd down. In order to win in the NFL you have to be good on 3rd downs on both sides of the ball. The defense did not seem to be able to get themselves off the field at moments, although it did improve as the game went on. On offense the Bills struggled at times to get themselves in to 3rd and short situations. Part of it was because the running game was not getting it done in the early part of the game and the other part I put on the play calls.
There was one play call in specific that really aggravated me. With a little over 3 minutes left in the half, Buffalo had a 3rd and 6 situation from about the 7 yard line. In my mind this call was a no-brainer. A simple fade to Hardy in the back of the end zone. These are the situations you want a 6-5 212lbs receiver for. It would have been a great time to see what he could offer and it would have given the rookie a confidence boost. Instead Buffalo attempts a 2 yard pass to Parish. Lets say best case scenario he catches it and makes the first guy miss he is still 5 yards outside of the end zone and 4 away from the first down. Worst case scenario is a turnover. That can be a very crowded area of the field in that situation. Last season we had to throw balls like that because of the lack of size and it didn't work consistently. The red zone is a place were you use size not speed to score, at least on passing plays.
This was preseason though and we have a new offensive coordinator so hopefully it will be something that will be corrected before the season starts. The Bills next game is Thursday in Toronto were they will take on the Pittsburg Steelers.
Overall, I think the game was a huge success. The Bills #1 draft pick Leodis McKelvin seemed to hold his own in the cornerback position and also showed off his return ability. The offense also got the Bills 2nd round pick involved in the game when JP Losman threw a touchdown to James Hardy. Hardy had been called for a false start and had dropped a pass just plays before so it was great to see him stay focused and make a play.
I understand that this is just preseason but there were somethings that frustrated me last night. Buffalo seemed to have the same problem they had in previous years...3rd down. In order to win in the NFL you have to be good on 3rd downs on both sides of the ball. The defense did not seem to be able to get themselves off the field at moments, although it did improve as the game went on. On offense the Bills struggled at times to get themselves in to 3rd and short situations. Part of it was because the running game was not getting it done in the early part of the game and the other part I put on the play calls.
There was one play call in specific that really aggravated me. With a little over 3 minutes left in the half, Buffalo had a 3rd and 6 situation from about the 7 yard line. In my mind this call was a no-brainer. A simple fade to Hardy in the back of the end zone. These are the situations you want a 6-5 212lbs receiver for. It would have been a great time to see what he could offer and it would have given the rookie a confidence boost. Instead Buffalo attempts a 2 yard pass to Parish. Lets say best case scenario he catches it and makes the first guy miss he is still 5 yards outside of the end zone and 4 away from the first down. Worst case scenario is a turnover. That can be a very crowded area of the field in that situation. Last season we had to throw balls like that because of the lack of size and it didn't work consistently. The red zone is a place were you use size not speed to score, at least on passing plays.
This was preseason though and we have a new offensive coordinator so hopefully it will be something that will be corrected before the season starts. The Bills next game is Thursday in Toronto were they will take on the Pittsburg Steelers.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Teppo Numminen
The Buffalo Sabres signed veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen to a 1 year contract. Numminen only played in 1 game in the 2007-2008 season due to health problems. However in the 2006-2007 regular season Numminen contributed to the team with 29 points and +17 rating. In a season with all kinds of superstars emerging he still managed to make a difference both on and off the scoreboard. Anyone who watches him play can obviously tell he is an intelligent player who makes smart decisions and always seems to be aware of his surroundings.
The Buffalo Sabres seem to be putting together a talented mix of young speed (Andrej Sekera and Mike Weber) and veteran leadership (Henrik Tallinder and Teppo Numminen). With every contract that gets signed its looking more likely that the Sabres will come out this year swinging. The powerful offense will be no surprise but adding up the addition of the veteran and the learning experience last year provided to younger players it is very possible that they also will rank high in the defensive categories.
Buffalo has talent at the blue line but they play a high risk style which often leaves their defensman and goalie to face numerous odd man situations. This style of play makes experience and the ability to read plays before they unfold invaluable. As a fan I am very excited to see #27 on the ice again and I am looking forward to a good year in Buffalo.
The Buffalo Sabres seem to be putting together a talented mix of young speed (Andrej Sekera and Mike Weber) and veteran leadership (Henrik Tallinder and Teppo Numminen). With every contract that gets signed its looking more likely that the Sabres will come out this year swinging. The powerful offense will be no surprise but adding up the addition of the veteran and the learning experience last year provided to younger players it is very possible that they also will rank high in the defensive categories.
Buffalo has talent at the blue line but they play a high risk style which often leaves their defensman and goalie to face numerous odd man situations. This style of play makes experience and the ability to read plays before they unfold invaluable. As a fan I am very excited to see #27 on the ice again and I am looking forward to a good year in Buffalo.
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