rayonsports.com

The Buffalo Bills rebounded from a dismal performance in Pittsburgh last week with a resounding 37-14 win over the AFC East rival New York Jets on Sunday. It was an impressive win by the Bills, who have been inconsistent all season, but highly competitive at home. The win was mostly orchestrated by the defense, which came up with four turnovers, including a pick-six interception by safety Da’Norris Searcy. Jairus Byrd had two interceptions and a sack, Kyle Williams two sacks and a forced fumble and Manny Lawson added a sack as rookie Jet quarterback Geno Smith was under duress all day, and was benched for backup Matt Simms in the fourth quarter. Aaron Williams and Kiko Alonso were active also, leading the team in tackles. The Bills have had the luxury, in coordinator Mike Pettine’s system, of playing three safeties all of whom are major contributors. Byrd, Searcy and Aaron Williams did that on Sunday and actually, a fourth safety – Jim Leonhard – has made plays at times also.

It wasn’t all defense that led Buffalo to its’ win, however. On a day when the Bills were missing their top two receivers due to injuries, and the winds were swirling, Rex Ryan’s Jets loaded up the box with up to 9 players at times, gearing up to stop  Buffalo’s formidable running game led by C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, daring rookie QB EJ Manuel to beat them with the passing game. It was a no-brainer strategy, really, especially after Manuel’s listless performance against the Steelers last week. The Jets, indeed, succeeded in stopping the run, but Manuel proved to be up to the challenge of beating the Jets through the air, with an efficient performance in which he hit 20 of 28 throws for 245 yards and 2 scores, with no turnovers. His first TD pass was a desperation heave while under pressure that T.J. Graham made a great adjustment on, and turned into a 34 yard touchdown. The other scoring throw was a perfect deep pass covering 43 yards to Marquise Goodwin, who is establishing himself as a top deep threat. Manuel spread the ball around well, completing passes to 9 different receivers on a day when his top targets – Stevie Johnson and rookie Robert Woods – were sidelined. With the win, Buffalo improves to 4-7 on the year going into their bye week. After the bye, their next three opponents – Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville – have combined to win a total of 5 games this season, so the possibility of getting to .500 is there, if coach Doug Marrone and his staff can get the club to play consistently on the road.

The Buffalo Bills, although they are on their way to another losing season, have been competitive in almost every game so far. That wasn’t the case on Sunday against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. After being humiliated by New England 55-31 last week, the Steelers, one of the NFL’s proudest franchises, were sure to come out with extra motivation against the Bills, and they did. They completely shut down rookie QB EJ Manuel and the Buffalo offense and coasted to a 23-10 win. There really was nothing whatsoever positive about the offense’s performance, except maybe for rookie tight end Chris Gragg scoring his first NFL touchdown to finish up a garbage time TD drive at the end of the game. Then again, Gragg had at least a couple of drops during the game. Manuel played like he wasn’t ready to return after missing games with a knee injury, as he consistently missed open receivers and looked antsy in the pocket. It didn’t help him that the running game did little to help. The Bills’ defense played a decent game again, getting a turnover on Jairus Byrd’s interception, registering four sacks on Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger (2 from Jerry Hughes) and holding Pittsburgh to field goals on all but two drives.  Actually, it should have been all but one drive, but Marcell Dareus jumped offsides on a field goal attempt to hand the Steelers a first down and a second chance to score a touchdown, which they naturally capitalized on. That penalty was a continuation of the totally inexcusable mistakes the team has been making all season. With the season now 10 weeks old, the coaching staff deserves a lot of blame for not having this team playing disciplined football. The “young” team excuse doesn’t wash at this point. One negative in the Bills’ defensive performance was the play of cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Once again, he had a target on his back all day, and Roethlisberger burned him on third down consistently. Although he’s a high first round draft pick who came into the league with the reputation of being a “lockdown” corner, Gilmore is playing with no confidence at this point, and is the weak link in the secondary. The Bills, for the most part, fought hard all day on defense, only to have Gilmore burned for easy first downs on third down. The punt coverage team gave up 74  yards on 2 returns, setting up the Steelers with great field position with those two long returns. This game was one of those ugly contests that are discouraging to the coaches, players and fans, and showed that Buffalo is just not a team that’s ready for prime time.

The Buffalo Bills started the second half of the 2013 season at home against unbeaten Kansas City on Sunday the same way they’ve played for most of the first half. They played a competitive game, yet made enough mistakes to basically hand the Chiefs their ninth win, 23-13. Buffalo’s offense was handcuffed by having to use undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel at quarterback due to a rib injury suffered by Thad Lewis, who held the job the past few weeks because the regular starter, EJ Manuel, is also hurt. Tuel played well enough to give his team a chance to win, but his third quarter interception that Sean Smith returned 100 yards for a KC touchdown turned the game around. It was a 14 point swing that a young, unstable team like Buffalo has shown it is unable to overcome. That pick-six, along with T.J. Graham’s fourth quarter fumble that Tamba Hali scooped up and ran in for another TD, were the only touchdowns the Chiefs were able to score, and they were gifts courtesy of a Bills’ team that is starting to make plays like that a habit. Add in a block in the back penalty that wiped out a punt return touchdown by Leodis McKelvin early in the game, and you have the recipe Buffalo used on Sunday to put their season record at 3-6. The Bills’ defense held KC in check most of the day, with the only negative for that unit being Stephon Gilmore’s inability to cover anybody. Gilmore, since returning to the lineup from a broken wrist, has looked tentative and has actually become a target for opposing passers instead of the “lockdown” cornerback he’s supposed to be.

The Bills lost, and it’s disheartening, but there were a lot of positives in their effort against an unbeaten foe. Tuel, like Lewis, played well enough for his team to win, and his 59 yard TD pass to Marquise Goodwin was a thing of beauty. He kept drives alive all day with key third down conversions, but just couldn’t finish those drives, although some drops by his tight end Scott Chandler didn’t help his cause. The Bills’ running game, as usual, was impressive. Fred Jackson was his usual hard-running self, and the week off to rest his bad ankle did C.J. Spiller a world of good, as he rushed for 116 yards on only 12 carries and ripped off a couple of great long runs. The defense played another impressive game – Kiko Alonso and Jerry Hughes registered sacks, and Aaron Williams was a tackling machine in the secondary. Overall, they held the Chiefs to 210 total yards, while Buffalo’s offense amassed 470. The two six-point turnovers were the difference, and this game slipping away was not unlike the game against the Jets earlier in the year, when Rex Ryan’s team was penalized 20 times and still managed to beat the Bills. The Bills’ coaching staff needs to use the remaining 7 games in this season to reverse the team’s trend of finding ways to give away games, to stop beating themselves. To cut out costly penalties and turnovers. Until they do that, well, eventually the “young” team label will become the “losing” team label, the same one they’ve worn under the past four coaching staffs.

The Buffalo Bills’ mid-season report card this year should be a mirror image of the grades they got the last two seasons, as they have compiled a 3-5 record so far, putting them on a pace to match the dismal 6-10 finishes of 2011 and 2012 under Chan Gailey. So why does it feel so different in 2013? Mainly because outside of the record, not much about the entire organization is the same. Owner Ralph Wilson has turned the operation of the club over to Russ Brandon, who took the reins and made major changes, promoting Doug Whaley to general manager and hiring Doug Marrone as head coach. The mid-season report card follows:

Front Office / Coaching

It’s unclear who is responsible for the 2013 draft, Whaley or Buddy Nix, who stepped aside shortly afterward. Whoever it was, they appear to have added some terrific building blocks for the future on both sides of the ball. To me, the jury is still out on Marrone, who came here after guiding Syracuse University’s program from the depths to respectability. He’s a young, energetic coach and assembled what looks like the best staff of assistants the Bills have had in years. His coordinators, Nathaniel Hackett on offense and Mike Pettine on defense, are bringing some creativity to their units so far. Pettine, especially, is highly respected around the league, having worked with a couple of the NFL’s top-rated defenses in Baltimore and with the Jets. One place where Marrone hasn’t distanced himself much from Gailey is his failure to correct the team’s penchant for foolish penalties in clutch situations.

Here’s a position-by-position look at the team’s roster at the half-way point:

Quarterback

The Bills wiped the slate completely clean here – unloading all three QBs from 2012 and starting from scratch. The drafting of EJ Manuel as the quarterback of the future looks like a good move so far, although injuries have made it hard to evaluate him completely. Still, he has looked good, and certainly not intimidated at all, when he’s played. He hasn’t been spectacular, which is not uncommon for a rookie forced into a starting role, but also has made very few mistakes, which IS uncommon for a rookie. The backup QB spot is still a work in progress. The signing of veteran Kevin Kolb looks like a wash, with concussion issues probably signaling the end for him. Thad Lewis looks like the best prospect so far to keep the job, with undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel maybe holding the third spot as a developmental project. It’ll be interesting to see if recently signed Matt Flynn gets a look, or if he only stays around until Manuel gets healthy.

Running Back

This is one spot on the roster that’s remained pretty stable the last couple of seasons, with C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and Tashard Choice all making major contributions to what is a top-notch rushing attack. The Bills did make a change at fullback, replacing Corey McIntyre with another undrafted rookie, Frank Summers. He is a competent blocker and receiver, and like McIntyre, contributes on special teams. One note – I’ve suggested at various times that the Bills would be wise to trade Jackson, whose play was declining and who was bothered by nagging injuries. It’s a good thing I’m not the Bills’ GM, because they would be hurting big time this year without Jackson, who has re-emerged as an important veteran leader for the team.

Receivers

The Bills’ receiving corps has undergone a makeover also. Two holdovers from previous seasons, Stevie Johnson and tight end Scott Chandler, continue to be go-to targets for the quarterbacks. Johnson in particular has grown into a major leader on the team. Marquis Goodwin has shown flashes of becoming a top downfield threat, combining his track meet speed with great football skills. He’s battled nagging injuries, however, which has limited his production. Robert Woods and second year man T.J. Graham have both made plays at points this season, but have seemingly developed chemistry with different QBs. Woods has been a top target of EJ Manuel when he’s been the starter, while Graham has been a favorite target of Thad Lewis when he’s played. Marcus Easley struggled to stick on the final roster, and has pretty much only contributed as a gunner on special teams. Veteran Lee Smith has been Chandler’s primary backup at tight end, used mostly as a blocker. Chris Gragg, a seventh round draft pick, is on the roster but has yet to make an impact. The only other receiver on the roster is Chris Hogan, who has made a few appearances but not done much.

Offensive Line

The Bills’ offensive line has been relatively stable the last couple of years. Eric Wood is solid at center, along with guard Kraig Urbik and right tackle Eric Pears. Second year man Cordy Glenn has settled in nicely at left tackle. The other guard spot has been a problem. The Bills definitely miss the departed Andy Levitre there. Colin Brown began the season as the starter, but has since been cut, with Doug Legursky, a former Steeler, taking over. Buffalo finds themselves in the same position they’ve been in for the last couple of years – the line play is good, but the depth is questionable. They’ve been lucky to escape any major injuries to the starters, which would prove to be disastrous. The ever-changing list of backups, at the halfway point, includes Thomas Welch, Antone McLain and Mark Asper, a player they cut last season who was brought back for a second chance. The pickings are pretty slim.

Defensive Line

Even with the season-ending injury early in the year to Alex Carrington, this unit is a strength of the team and one of the top lines in the NFL. Kyle Williams has been his usual consistent self at one tackle spot, while Mario Williams is having a career year at end, leading the team in sacks, with a lot of those sacks coming at crunch time in games when they were really needed. Marcell Dareus, at the other tackle spot, is finally playing to the level expected of him as a high draft pick. Alan Branch, a veteran free agent signee, has stepped into Carrington’s spot and been solid. The Carrington injury did cut into the depth along the D-line, as the only other players listed on the roster behind the starters are Corbin Bryant, who has played regularly and gotten the job done, Stefan Charles, who was just signed this week from Tennessee’s practice squad, and Jerry Hughes, who’s listed as a defensive lineman but is more of a pass rushing “edge” linebacker.

Linebacker

The Bills seriously upgraded their linebacking corps in the off-season, with the additions of free agent signee Manny Lawson, who has done a terrific job starting on the outside, and draftee Kiko Alonso, who is the NFL’s defensive Rookie of The Year so far in 2013. Depending on whether they’re in a three or four man front, Arthur Moats  and Nigel Bradham get significant playing time, along with Hughes, who usually plays in passing situations. Hughes was acquired from the Colts in the off-season for Kelvin Sheppard, and appears to be an upgrade from Sheppard. Among the backups, Jamaal Westerman has mostly seen special teams action, while Ty Powell has yet to see the field. He is one of the recent signees, as the team has been continually trying to improve its’ roster.

Defensive Backs

It’s hard to evaluate this part of the team, since two key members, Stephon Gilmore and Jairus Byrd, missed significant time early in the year due to a holdout and a hand injury. They are both just now rounding into shape, and neither has made a great impact so far. The expectation is that the secondary play should improve in the second half of the year as they get comfortable again. The Bills have a stable of what should be pretty good cornerbacks in Leodis McKelvin, Nickell Robey and Justin Rogers, but they have all been toasted by opposing receivers at different times this year. Aaron Williams, who was switched to safety in the off-season, has had to transition back to corner due to injuries, and has been one of the defense’s key players so far. As for the corners, they are usually pretty good in coverage, but could use some work on their ball awareness skills. They always seem to be pretty close in coverage with opposing receivers, but never are aware or able to make plays when the ball arrives. While Byrd was out, Da’Norris Searcy saw a lot of action at safety, and made some key plays also, as has veteran Jim Leonhard. Rookie draft picks Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks are both works in progress, while Brandon Smith is another in-season signee who is getting a look in the Bills’ effort to get better.

Special Teams

The Bills have a pair of great return men in McKelvin, who returns punts, and the rookie Goodwin, who handles kickoffs. Also. Leonhard filled in admirably on punt returns when McKelvin was hurt early on. Rookie draft pick Dustin Hopkins was supposed to claim the placekicking job, but a groin injury relegated him to the injured reserve list. Dan Carpenter has done a terrific job in his place, and may now have a claim on the position for the future also. The punt coverage team has had a lot of terrible moments in the first half of the year. It could be argued that they cost the team a couple of wins, but now that fan favorite Brian Moorman is back as the punter, that unit should improve in the second half of the year. Shawn Powell, who was cut after a couple of dreadful outings, never seemed to master the art of punting in different situations the way Moorman has.

The Buffalo Bills’ matchup with New Orleans down in the Superdome on Sunday went about as expected. The Saints were 11 point favorites at home against an obviously overmatched Bills’ squad, and they won 35-17. Drew Brees threw five touchdown passes, and I usually don’t have much good to say about the coverage in Buffalo’s secondary, so it would be easy to rip the players back there, but for various reasons I came out of the game with a positive attitude about the team, with a lot of hope not only for the long term but even for the short term future of this team. Here are some reasons why:

* Let’s face it, the NFL schedule makers did the Bills no favors this year. The easiest opponent they’ve played so far has been Cleveland (the only team they’ve faced with a losing record) and even then they had to play the Browns on the road in a nationally televised contest. The last 2 weeks they’ve had to go on the road to play Miami and New Orleans with both of those teams coming off bye weeks, with an extra week to prepare. It doesn’t get any easier as the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs visit Ralph Wilson Stadium next week. Honestly, based on the effort they’ve shown so far this year in trying circumstances and the results they’ve gotten, I like their chances against the Chiefs, unbeaten or not.

* Thad Lewis obviously needs to work on his ball security issues and seems to be coming down to earth as far as his abilities as he plays more, and opponents have film to work on to prepare for him, but you have to love the tenacity this kid shows every week. He’s really just holding down the fort until EJ Manuel is healthy, but the team seems to believe in him and he’s got decent leadership ability.

* Even though they allowed Brees to throw for the 5 TDs, the Bills’ defense played a decent game. They had 4 sacks and played the run well, and had Brees looking a little nervous early on in the game with good pressure. The score was only 14-10 at halftime.

* Just like recent seasons, this team doesn’t quit. C.J. Spiller was inactive for the game but wanted to play, and Lewis, Fred Jackson and Stevie Johnson are all battling every week even though they’re hurting.

* Their record is 3-5, and they’re playing with a QB who started the season on the practice squad, but the Bills’ offense has one major quality a lot of teams in the NFL don’t have – a quality running game. Even with Spiller out they ran the ball effectively against the Saints, until they got behind and had to throw because they were playing catchup.