The New York Jets’ 38-14 win over Buffalo on Sunday cemented 2 things – that the Jets indeed have to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender, and that the Bills may be the worst team in the NFL right now. Buffalo’s offense didn’t get much done but the defense they were up against is among the NFL’s best. The expectation in a game like that is that your defense will slow down the Jets’ running game and can possibly bait young QB Mark Sanchez into some turnovers. Instead, for the second week in a row the Bills’ defense was non-existent. Jet running backs, led by LaDainian Tomlinson, ran through gaping holes all day long. The pass rush never got near Sanchez and Jet receivers were wide open all day. The Bills went into the game with 2 goals on defense – stopping the run, since the Jets had gouged them badly twice last year, and making sure Sanchez’s favorite target, tight end Dustin Keller, was accounted for and didn’t beat them. The Jets wound up with 273 yards rushing and Keller scored 2 touchdowns, including one in which he was completely unaccounted for in the end zone. The Jets manhandled Buffalo physically, and that is one of the Bills’ biggest problems right now. Their defense is a sieve and besides looking totally disorganized and lost in playing their new 3-4 scheme, there are no physical players, other than maybe nose tackle Kyle Williams, on the unit. In reviewing last week’s loss to New England I mentioned that the team’s high draft picks that should be major playmakers by now, Donte Whitner, Leodis McKelvin, Aaron Maybin, etc. are turning out to be mediocities rather than impact players. McKelvin was schooled by Sanchez and Braylon Edwards on a double move on Edwards’ touchdown in the 2nd quarter and again, like Whitner and Maybin, makes 3 negative plays in each game for every positive play. Granted, the offense didn’t help much, and Marshawn Lynch’s fumble pretty much sealed the deal for the Jets, but even had Ryan Fitzpatrick and Company equalled their 30 point showing last week, it still wouldn’t have been enough. Lynch, by the way, fits the same category as the first round defensive players. He’s a disappointment overall who makes 3 negative plays for every positive one. Defensive coordinator George Edwards should be under fire today after his unit’s performance for the last 2 1/2 games. Sure, the unit is learning the new scheme and needs to adjust, but the last 3 games weren’t an adjustment period, they were a total failure. It may be time to give some of the soft, over-rated veterans on the unit the Trent Edwards treatment – starting lineup one week, waiver wire the next. Coach Chan Gailey needs to find out if there are any younger players – on the roster, the practice squad or on other team’s practice squads – who have a little desire to play the game.
Meanwhile, on Sunday night in New York, the Giants defense, coordinated by Perry Fewell, who directed the Bills defense last year when it was the strength of the team, sacked the Bears’ Jay Cutler 9 times in the first half, knocking him out of the game with a head injury, and crushed the Bears 17-3. It’s starting to look more and more like Gailey and George Edwards should have followed the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” rule with the Bills’ defense.
Louise
October 4, 2010 at 4:05 pm
That game yesterday was almost unwatchable. Even the weather didn’t cooperate. It is gut-check time for all these playerson the Bills. They should be embarrassed and humiliated by their performance yesterday.