Do you think turnovers have a direct effect on success? I would say so. In order to get takeaways, most say that you have to put pressure on the quarterback which makes perfect sense. I have also heard many people say that the Bills need a defensive end to help the pass rush because they didn’t do that last year. I was never convinced that that was the case. I thought that it was mostly the conservative style of play and statistics might help me here.
The Bills quietly ranked 9th in total sacks with 38 and defensive end, Aaron Schobel had 11.5 of them. That’s 1.5 away from cracking the league’s top five pass rushers. On top of that, they were number one last year against the pass (yards allowed per game).
What does all this mean? I’ll tell you my crazy theory. The pass rush was inconsistent but not because the defensive line was incapable of doing it. Rather, the defensive strategy didn’t call for it. That really doesn’t make sense, but how much of last year did? It’s a conundrum. Maybe they were just plain unlucky. Maybe they saved all their good bounces for this year.
Speaking of bounces, Travis Henry made the ball do that a mere 3 times last season, which is a huge improvement, but those fumbles always came at the worst times, it seemed. It’s his only drawback. He uses that stiff-arm to brutal perfection, but exposes the ball too often when doing so. Consequently, out it comes…bounce, bounce, bounce, right into a defender’s hands. He’s got to hold onto the ball for the offense to keep its momentum.
In camp against the Browns and Sunday against the Broncos, McGahee showed signs that he’s ready to take some carries away from Henry. Just how many remains to be seen. That will depend on three things. They are going to use both backs simultaneously in some situations, so depending on how often they do that, there’s at least a few.
If Travis Henry fumbles the ball in key situations, McGahee will play even more. However, if Henry puts together a few fumble-free 100-yd. performances early, McGahee might just be a third-down specialist. That’s not what you want out of a first-round draft pick, but I can think of worse situations to be in. Trade talks will likely intensify as the season progresses.
Another first rounder, the cocky but likeable J. P. Losman is waiting for his opportunity as well. If he plays this year, you know things have gotten bad, right?
I don’t know. Let’s ask Tom Brady and the Patriots if that’s such a terrible thing. If it’s because Bledsoe is struggling and Travis Brown can’t get it done, then we might make a case for desperation.
When I saw Losman practice I thought to myself, “He’s got the quickest release I’ve seen since Dan Marino.” Now, before I go too far with that comparison, I’ll just say this: He’s a lot faster on his feet than Marino!
Okay, enough.
Dan Marino was perhaps the best ever at his position and to compare him to a rookie is ridiculous. I digress.
Losman looked very smart and poised going 5-for-5 with 55 yards passing and 37 rushing yards on three carries against the Broncos. With Losman, Evans and McGahee, the Bills potentially have their future “big three,” not to mention a bonus in Josh Reed. Now, if they can get that offensive line to come around, they have the tools to be competitive for some time to come.
Last year was discouraging but this year brings new hope. The offense has more weapons, and the defense has remained virtually intact. I really think Bills football will be exciting again. However, this is Mularkey’s first year at the helm and the AFC East is, arguably, the toughest division in which to play offense.
This year may be another story, but I think it will go something like this:
Clown-hair guy: “I think I saw it!”
No Shirt in December guy: “Saw what?”
Clown-hair guy: “The White Buffalo!”
No Shirt in December guy: “Dude, that was a plastic bag blowing around on the field.”
Clown-hair guy: “Oh. Maybe next year.”
