Logo of another old, defunct team from the early years of the National Football League, the Dayton Triangles. The team, named for their home field of Triangle Park in Dayton, Ohio, played in the NFL from 1922 until 1929, and were mostly a doormat in the league, recording only one winning season in their 8 years of NFL existence, while racking up 3 winless seasons.
1981 Topps football card of former Oakland Raider cornerback Lester Hayes, who was known for his low, crouching stance while lining up opposite opposing receivers, and also for his extensive use of “Stickum” before it was banned by the NFL. He was nicknamed “Lester The Molester” for his relentless style of bump-and-run coverage. Hayes was an avid Star Wars fan, and in pregame interviews prior to Super Bowl XVIII, he proclaimed himself “the only true Jedi.” The colorful Hayes was more than just a “character”, however. He was a 5-time Pro Bowler, a 2-time Super Bowl champion, the NFL Defensive Player of The Year in 1981, and a member of the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1980s. He is arguably the greatest “shutdown” corner in league history.
The standard line all teams use about the beginning of every new NFL season is – don’t pay attention to anything that happens in the preseason, because it never translates into the regular games. However, the Buffalo Bills’ opening game of the 2012 season against the New York Jets looked as bad as any of the 4 eggs they laid in the exhibitions, maybe worse when you consider that Sunday’s clunker was achieved with the starters playing the entire game. Here are some observations from the game, both negative and positive, about the Bills, starting with the negatives:
* Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t looked sharp at all this year, actually since the first 7 games of last season. The problem is the excuse that he had injured ribs doesn’t hold water anymore. I think it’s very telling that the television analyst for the game, former NFL QB Rich Gannon, continually criticized Fitz’s decision-making in the game. Gannon’s NFL career was similar to Fitzpatrick’s – he was considered a career backup until getting his chance to start with the Raiders, and his strength was his heady play, his weakness that he lacked the strong arm of other QBs. So Gannon knows what he’s talking about. It’s alarming that a QB who is a Harvard grad and whose game is predicated on reading defenses and making smart decisions has looked so clueless.
* Speaking of clueless, what was the Bills’ defensive secondary doing all game long? New D-coordinator Dave Wannstedt has installed a new, simplified 4-3 scheme that the players are supposed to thrive in. Jet receivers were running uncovered all day and the defensive backs looked totally befuddled, especially on third down, as the Jets converted 71% of their third down opportunities, and most of those conversions looked way too easy. Of course, there was no pass rush at all to help them out, as Mario Williams and Mark Anderson were invisible throughout the game, but that’s still no excuse for all the blown coverages that were going on all day. The expectation was that Wannstedt would have some wrinkles ready to try to get Jet QB Mark Sanchez off his game and disrupt the team’s passing game, but the defensive game plan looked just like the “vanilla” plan the Bills used in preseason. Also, on paper, the defense has some top-notch players, but when is this unit going to develop some backbone and start stopping somebody? The Jets didn’t punt until early in the 4th quarter, when the game was pretty much decided.
* The Bills had the top kick coverage teams in the NFL last year, so how do the special teams open the season? By allowing a long punt return for a touchdown. The fact that the game was a blowout and that all 3 phases – offense, defense and special teams – looked flat is an indictment of the entire coaching staff. The players looked unprepared, and typical of games like this when one team is physically manhandling the other, Buffalo lost 2 key players to injury – star RB Fred Jackson and slot receiver David Nelson.
Here are the positives:
* If Jackson’s knee injury turns out to be serious, the Bills’ running game should at least still be competent as long as C.J. Spiller stays healthy. He was one player who looked motivated and played hard on Sunday, recording the best rushing day of his career.
* It’s a shame that the Bills’ pass defense was so lost and disorganized on Sunday. The team did a decent job stopping the run, which really is the strength of the Jets’ offense.
* There is some potential for success by the offense if Fitzpatrick can get his head out of the clouds. The line seems to be blocking well for both the run and pass, and guys like Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Scott Chandler, Spiller and Nelson have the potential to make plays. They just need their quarterback to get them the ball accurately and on time more often.
So now, the Bills’ coaches have to sort through the rubble from this opening day disaster and figure out how to right the ship before next week’s home opener against Kansas City. They’ll likely have to play without Jackson and Nelson, so the offense will be handicapped even more. It probably should have been expected that the Bills would struggle against the Jets, since Rex Ryan’s team has owned the Bills for a few years now. They’ve been able to beat Buffalo by dominating in the trenches on both sides of the ball. It’s unlikely the Chiefs will be able to accomplish that, but Buffalo won’t win this week either without picking up their game in all three phases.
Logo of an old defunct professional football team that played in the early days of the National Football League, the Providence Steam Roller. After an early life as an independent “barnstorming” team, they were members of the NFL from 1925 until 1931, winning the league championship in 1928. They established a number of “firsts” as a pro football team – they were the only team in history to play their home games in a bicycle racing venue (called the Cycledrome), once played a series of 4 games in a 6 day stretch, and hosted the first night game in NFL history, hosting the Chicago Cardinals under hastily installed floodlights in 1929.
1964 Topps football card of former pro player and coach Walt Corey, who starred as a linebacker for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise in the American Football League from 1960 until 1966. He was an AFL All Star in ’63. After retiring as a player, Corey was a long-time assistant coach for several teams, with his most notable stint being the defensive coordinator in Buffalo under Hall of Fame head coach Marv Levy. Corey worked for another Hall of Famer – Mike Ditka – as he was the defensive line coach for Ditka during his time as coach of the New Orleans Saints.
The Buffalo Bills did very little in the preseason to instill confidence in their fan base that they’ll be able to make any improvements this year. They lost all 4 games and none of the games was very inspiring. However, history shows you can’t put any stock in exhibition game results when it comes to predicting regular season success. It’s also important to mention that the 4 teams who play in the AFC East division managed one win total for the entire preseason, by New England. The Bills, Jets and Dolphins were all winless. With that in mind, here is my season preview of the 2012 Buffalo Bills:
The Bills will be relying heavily on this year’s draft picks to make major contributions as they look to try and carry their early-season success from 2011 into an entire year, so the “grade” for the 2012 draft class will be evident as the season plays out. Five picks will have opportunities to contribute in big ways, including 2 starters – CB Stephon Gilmore and LT Cordy Glenn, the team’s top 2 picks. Third round choice WR T.J. Graham was impressive in preseason and looks like he’ll be a contributor as both a slot receiver and a deep threat. LB Nigel Bradham could push for playing time behind Arthur Moats, and K John Potter was kept on the roster specifically as a kickoff specialist. C.J. Spiller and Moats look like the only players from Buddy Nix’s 2010 draft who are going to be legitimate NFL players. There are 7 players from the 2011 class on the roster, including 4 starters.
The heat should be on coach Chan Gailey to produce a winner this season, his third as head coach of the team. Dave Wannstedt, as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, is a major upgrade over George Edwards, and new QB coach David Lee will be counted on to help smooth out the rough spots in QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s game. The coaching staff has to figure out how to keep the team from collapsing when faced with adversity, which is what seemed to happen most of the second half of 2011.
The offensive unit is immediately improved from the end of last season due to the return from injury of 2 key members – RB Fred Jackson and C Eric Wood. Both were performing at a Pro Bowl level before they were lost for the season. Last season also saw the emergence of Spiller as a top notch NFL back, after Jackson was hurt, and also of TE Scott Chandler. Stevie Johnson, of course, has cemented himself as one of the top receivers in the league. He became the first wideout in team history to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in successive years in 2011. Donald Jones, who was counted on to contribute in 2011 but battled injuries all year, is back and looked solid if not spectacular in preseason, while the rookie Graham is an unknown, but didn’t look out of place in the offense in the exhibition games. The offensive line had a decent year in 2011 despite going through a lot of shuffling due to injuries, and if they can stay healthy and develop together they should improve even more.
This unit looked soft and disorganized for most of 2011, hence the switch to Wannstedt as coordinator. On paper, things almost positively have to improve, with Kyle Williams back from the IR (another player who was performing at a Pro Bowl level before getting hurt), and the additions of free agents Mario Williams and Mark Anderson to the defensive line. Three 2011 draftees will be starters on the defensive unit also and will be counted on to take their games to the next level in their second years – DT Marcel Dareus, LB Kelvin Sheppard and CB Aaron Williams. Again, “on paper” the Bills appear to be deep on defense and have the potential to be not only an improved unit but a great and dominating one. Of course, the games aren’t played on paper, and the defense has to develop more of a killer instinct and find ways to stop giving up big plays at the worst times during games.
Bruce DeHaven built quite a legacy as a special teams coach under Marv Levy in the Bills’ Super Bowl era, and by the end of last season had the team back at or near the top of almost all special teams statistical categories. The club is solid and seasoned at all the important special teams positions, from long snapper Garrison Sanborn to punter Brian Moorman to kicker Rian Lindell, and may have uncovered this generation’s version of a special teams demon in Leodis McKelvin, a supposed first round draft bust who has reinvented himself as a top punt returner, “gunner” on kick coverage and even a slot coverage cornerback on defense. The team showed a great commitment to the importance of special teams by keeping rookie kickoff specialist John Potter on the roster also.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the Bills’ roster going into the 2012 season:
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick is still the unquestioned leader of the offense, but for the second year in a row the same question remains about his game – can he cut down on the costly turnovers and run an efficient, error-free attack for this team? He had accuracy issues in preseason, especially on deep throws. Tyler Thigpen made the final roster almost by default after the Vince Young experiment failed, and probably won’t stay around long if newcomer Tarvaris Jackson can show any promise at all. Brad Smith is supposed to be the third QB, but he is mostly just a “wildcat” novelty.
RB Fred Jackson
Fred Jackson’s return to health can’t be overstated as a positive for the Bills to have a successful 2012 season. He was playing at a league MVP level when he was lost for the year. The one positive that came out of the loss of Jackson was the emergence of C.J. Spiller as a top runner in his absence. It will be paramount for Gailey and the offensive braintrust to find ways to exploit the talents of both Jackson and Spiller. Tashard Choice made the team as a third back and should be an important role player as the long season unfolds. Fullback Corey McIntyre is an unsung leader on the team, and valuable as a lead blocker, special teamer and occasional receiver out of the backfield. That last sentence, concerning McIntyre, is a reprint, word-for-word, about the tough FB from last year’s season preview. It’s still the truth, and speaks of his consistent contribution to the Bills. A new addition to the 2012 Bills is “H-back” Dorin Dickerson, who can play tight end or fullback and even line up as a wideout. He’s a tough blocker, too, and his versatility has to help the team.
WR David Nelson
The Bills’ offense routinely sets up in 4 and 5 wide receiver sets, often with an empty backfield, yet amazingly kept only 5 wide receivers on the opening day roster, 6 if you count third QB Brad Smith. If nothing else, the top 3 of Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones and David Nelson have at least developed a good rapport with Fitzpatrick. The fourth receiver, the rookie Graham, seemed to run good routes and make few mistakes in the preseason while playing mostly with the backup QBs. Smith is the fifth WR, but starts the year hobbled, so look for Jackson, Spiller and Dickerson to see action lined up wide early on. Ruvell Martin, cut and then re-signed, is on the roster mostly for special teams. Chandler is now entrenched as the starting tight end and seems poised for a big year, as he too has developed a good rapport with Fitz over time. Lee Smith is the backup TE and is a good blocker.
OG Andy Levitre
The offensive line, if everyone stays healthy, should be one of the strengths of the Bills this season. The unit did a good job of both pass and run blocking in 2011 despite having to go with patchwork units a lot of the time. When center Eric Wood was lost for the season due to injury, the line lost of lot of its’ continuity, as Andy Levitre was forced to move to center, which left 2 positions in flux. This year, the unit will begin the season with some stability, with Wood returning to anchor the line, Levitre, who is clearly one of the unsung heroes on the roster, returning to his familiar guard spot, and rookie Cordy Glenn starting at the all-important left tackle spot. The other 2 starting spots are manned by gems mined from the waiver wire by Nix – guard Kraig Urbik and right tackle Erik Pears. It’s rare that any team’s offensive line makes it through a full season without injuries, but the Bills have added some depth to deal with that problem. Chris Hairston, who was supposed to challenge Glenn for the left tackle spot but wound up spending the preseason filling in for Pears while he dealt with injuries, is a solid replacement for either tackle spot, and may even start the season starting in place of Pears. Colin Brown did a good job at center after Wood went down last year, and can also play guard. Chad Rinehart, another waiver wire acquisition, backs up the guards and big Sam Young joins Hairston as much needed depth at the tackle spots.
DE Mark Anderson
When the Bills cut veteran Dwan Edwards, it was a clear sign that the front office had made huge upgrades with this unit since the end of the 2011 season. Of course, the biggest upgrade is the return of tackle Kyle Williams to the starting lineup. Add in the expected maturing of last year’s top draft pick, Dareus, at the other tackle spot, and the additions of free agent pass-rushing ends Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, and the Bills have the potential to field the top defensive line in the division. There is adequate depth here also, with veterans Chris Kelsay and Spencer Johnson, along with 2 players who’ve shown flashes as playmakers but need to work on their consistency – Alex Carrington and Kyle Moore.
LB Nick Barnett
The Bills’ linebacking corps, in 2011, never made a whole lot of sense to me. Players like Kelsay, Spencer Johnson and Carrington were listed as linebackers, and a career LB like Shawne Merriman was considered a pass rushing defensive end. This year, with new coordinator Wannstedt switching the base formation to a 4-3, things appear to be back to normal, with defensive linemen playing on the defensive line and linebackers playing linebacker. The team’s linebacking corps isn’t considered a strength, but if the Bills figure they can cut loose a player like Merriman, they must feel good about the players they have at the positions. Outside backer Nick Barnett is the best and most experienced of the group. He’s a playmaker, and has a valuable attribute not found on the roster – he played on a Super Bowl winning team in Green Bay. Kelvin Sheppard will be the starter at middle linebacker, and must show some development from his rookie year if the Bills’ defense is to improve. It appears that Arthur Moats has won the other starting outside LB job, and I’m hoping he can expand his penchant for making plays in the few opportunities he’s gotten into becoming a star now that he gets his ultimate chance. Kirk Morrison provides veteran depth behind Moats, while youngsters Chris White and rookie Nigel Bradham should help out as backups as they gain experience. Veteran safety Bryan Scott is listed on the roster as an outside backer, but make no mistake, his role will be in pass coverage against teams that run 4 and 5 receiver sets.
CB Leodis McKelvin
It will be interesting to see how the Bills’ secondary will do this year playing behind what should be an improved pass rush. One development that would help the team’s cause is if veteran Terrence McGee can stay healthy and hold down one cornerback spot. If not, it’ll be up to rookie Stephon Gilmore and second year man Aaron Williams to minimize big plays since opponents are sure to test both. Leodis McKelvin has nailed down the third corner position and will be mostly responsible for covering opponent’s slot receivers, while Bryan Scott tries to contain the tight ends. How successful they are, especially on third downs, will tell a lot about whether the defense improves in 2012. Buffalo is solid at the safety spots with George Wilson and Jairus Byrd, who is poised to have a big year. Backing up the safeties are Da’Norris Searcy and Delano Howell, a rookie who is the only undrafted free agent to make the Bills’ roster this year. Justin Rogers, who missed most of the preseason with injuries, is another backup corner who likely will make most of his contributions returning kickoffs.
Some pundits are picking the Bills to finish second in the AFC East and make the playoffs, while others are writing them off as also-rans who will struggle to finish with a .500 record. The team certainly excited their fan base by starting out the 2011 season with a 5-2 record, then completely folded, although they had major injuries to important players, to finish 6-10. There are 2 major factors that will decide how much success the team will have in 2012. The first is whether Fitzpatrick returns to the early-season form he showed last year that earned him a new contract, or continues to pile up turnovers which plagued him in the second half of the year. If Fitzpatrick fails, the Bills will almost certainly begin the process of trying to find a different option for 2013, a new “franchise” quarterback. The second factor is whether the team, and more specifically the defense, can overcome their habit of losing all composure when they face adversity. The season finale in New England last year, when the Bills blew a 21-0 lead and were blown out 49-21, was a classic example of this. Other than Barnett and Wannstedt, and assistant GM Doug Whaley, the Bills have no one in the organization who has experienced winning, let alone winning Super Bowls. If the team is to become a playoff team, they will have to do it from within – young players will have to mature and figure out how to win, while veterans will have to get over the hump and convince the young guys, and themselves, that they can win. It’s a problem that a team like the Patriots doesn’t have. A sign to watch for as the season unfolds is if the Bills can pull out a couple of “signature” wins, which most likely happen in road games, that can help catapault them to a winning year.
It’s become a tradition for this post to include, for any Bills fans who need to get psyched a little more for the start of the season, the link below:
Logo of the Buffalo Bills professional football team, from its’ days in the old American Football League. The team played in the AFL for all 10 years of its’ existence, and won league titles in 1964 and ’65. The red “standing buffalo” logo was changed to the current “charging buffalo” logo in 1973 when the team, absorbed into the NFL when the two leagues merged, moved into its’ new digs – Rich Stadium. The logo was revived on the club’s “throwback” uniforms for the AFL’s 50th Anniversary season a couple of years ago.
From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1978 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ defensive back Tony Greene, one of the most underrated and unsung players in Bills’ history. An undrafted free agent, he played 9 seasons with the team, from 1971 to 1979, and made the Pro Bowl in 1977. Greene had 37 career interceptions for the Bills.
The National Football League’s 2012 regular season begins this week, and this year really snuck up on me since the opening game is being played on Wednesday night. There are always surprises that take place on the opening weekend, and it’s generally the hardest week to pick winners. I haven’t posted on this blog in awhile, but I do have a few “drafts” of posts started, and now that the NFL season is here, I’m sure I’ll find the time to post more frequently. There will be a Buffalo Bills season preview coming later in the week. For now, here are my selections for this week’s games:
Dallas at New York Giants – seriously, the Giants of the past few seasons have got to be the most inconsistent multiple Super Bowl winners of all time. Then again, Dallas may be even more inconsistent. I’ll take the G-men to post a big opening night win.
Buffalo at New York Jets – the Bills started out strong last year before fading badly, but the Jets have had their number for a couple of years now. I’m not sold on Mark Sanchez as a quality NFL quarterback, but I also don’t think the Bills’ new revamped defense is a cohesive enough unit yet to stop the Jets. New York opens at home with a win.
Indianapolis at Chicago – the Colts are officially rebuilding and the Bears are going to be a sleeper team in 2012. The Andrew Luck era begins with a loss as Chicago’s defense dominates at home.
Philadelphia at Cleveland – the Eagles were a major disappointment in 2011 and I believe they’ll be on a mission to prove last season was a fluke. Philly wins a close contest over a developing Browns’ squad.
St. Louis at Detroit – the Lions’ defense should smother the Ram offense at home, and I believe they’ll win this game, but because new coach Jeff Fisher will have his players prepared, the game will be a lot closer than expected.
Miami at Houston – the Dolphins drew a tough opponent to open the season against. Wade Phillips’ Texan defense will keep Miami rookie QB Ryan Tannehill in check, and Houston will win big.
Atlanta at Kansas City – the Chiefs, a playoff team in 2010, started the season miserably last year as injuries and bad losses derailed them and cost coach Todd Haley his job. Romeo Crennel righted the ship enough to earn a shot at coaching the team for at least a full season, and K.C. will be competitive all year in the AFC West. However, the Falcons will pull out a close win on the road here.
Jacksonville at Minnesota – neither of these teams is going to contend in 2012, but one of them will excite their fan base with an opening day win. I believe that team will be the Vikings at home, with QB Christian Ponder playing a decent game.
Washington at New Orleans – even with all the Bountygate distractions and suspensions, the Saints, on paper, are a much better team than the Redskins. But I’ll take Washington to pull off an opening day upset.
New England at Tennessee – look for Titans’ RB Chris Johnson to have a big game on the ground, and for the Patriots to cruise to an opening day win behind Tom Brady.
Seattle at Arizona – both of these teams have aspirations of stealing the the NFC West division crown away from the 49ers. The Seahawks actually have a shot at meeting those aspirations, and will open the 2012 season with a big division road win here.
San Francisco at Green Bay – the 49ers probably play better defense than the Packers, but there’s no way Alex Smith outduels Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field on opening day. Green Bay wins handily.
Carolina at Tampa Bay – I expect both of these teams to be competitive in a tough NFC South this year. In this game, I also expect Cam Newton to light it up and lead the Panthers to a big win.
Pittsburgh at Denver – Tim Tebow led the Broncos to a huge playoff upset over the Steelers last year, then was unceremoniously dumped in favor of Peyton Manning. So there’s a lot of pressure on Manning to at least match what Tebow did. I think he’s up to it, and the Broncos will win a close game at home.
Cincinnati at Baltimore – the first game of an opening weekend Monday Night doubleheader. Both of these teams are competent and coming off playoff years, but the Ravens are at home and have much more experience in the big game spotlight, so I’ll pick them to win.
San Diego at Oakland – an old AFL rivalry matchup to wrap up the first regular season weekend. Oakland is improving, but the Chargers are a better team at this point and will win a hard fought contest here, with Philip Rivers outdueling Carson Palmer.
Logo of the National Football League’s New York Giants, the defending Super Bowl champions and one of the oldest and most storied franchises in the league. This logo was used from 1976 until 1999, an era that included the opening of the new (now old) Meadowlands Stadium, the “Miracle of the Meadowlands” Joe Pisarcik fumble that turned a sure Giant victory into defeat, and on into the successful Bill Parcells Super Bowl winning years. The club, founded in 1925 by owner Tim Mara, is, to this day, legally known as “The New York Football Giants”, a move that was made to distinguish them, in the old days, from baseball’s New York Giants who played in the National League before moving to San Francisco.