The offense reverted back to their 2003 selves and succumbed to a blitz up the middle that seemed to come on every down. QB Drew Bledsoe was sacked seven times, mostly due to the inability of the offensive line and running backs to pick up the blitz and was unable to get the ball downfield. Bledsoe also reverted to his tendency to hold on to the ball too long.
On one play, I counted five times that he patted the ball and never turned his head in search of an outlet receiver. He was, of course, sacked. On another play, FB Daimon Shelton ran right by a blitzing cornerback while going on a pass route. Bledsoe was, of course, sacked.
How can a seven-year veteran fullback not know that he should stay home on a corner blitz coming from his quarterback's blind side? There is no excuse for that level of ineptitude. He should be ejected into the nothingness of outer space for that one.
"Dammit, Jim! (McNally), Bledsoe pleaded. "I'm a quarterback , not 'Flash Gordon!'"
"Uhhh, Drew?" Coach Mularkey chimed in. "Flash Gordon was a quarterback."
Earth to Bledsoe: Watch the tape and take note of how Oakland QB Rich Gannon got rid of the ball just as Buffalo's pass rush was closing in on him.
Buffalo's running game was the biggest disappointment of the day, but only because so much more is expected. Travis Henry slipped around and was stuffed all day, carrying 21 times for only 67 yards while Willis McGahee was practically invisible with -3 yards on two carries. For the second game in a row, Buffalo failed to punch the ball into the endzone on a goal-line play. Where is the two-headed monster? Where is the offensive creativity?
A defense that only allows 13 points and well under 300 yards of total offense per game deserves to win even if they don't force a turnover. The defense stood its ground and kept the Bills within a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter when Oakland made it 13-3 on a Sebastian Janikowski field goal.
Sadly, without any help, Buffalo's superb defensive players are not going to be so rewarded, and Takeo Spikes is cursed with a losing team once again. All this defense needs is 17 points a game. Two touchdowns and a field goal are all this team needs to get to a winning season, but the offense can't get it done. The blame lands squarely on the offensive line.
It has been eight years that Buffalo fans have been complaining about their offensive line. Bills' GM Tom Donahoe responded to this need by drafting Jonas Jennings with a third-round (95th overall) compensatory pick in 2001 and drafting Mike Williams 4th overall in 2002. These two players seem to be holding their own but the interior of the line is where the major leaks remain.
Oakland blitzed linebackers up the middle on almost every passing down and any semblance of a pocket was gone in two seconds. On the first play from scrimmage, Oakland rushed a linebacker up the middle and Travis Henry ran the ball off left tackle and gained seven yards. The next play was a quick pass out into the flat to Henry for four yards and a first down.
The rest of the running plays that series were up the middle, straight into the Oakland blitz, and went nowhere. Instead of taking what Oakland was giving them, Buffalo decided to go straight into the one thing Oakland was not giving them. Indeed, looking throughout the game, the overwhelming majority of Henry's yards were off tackle, but Oakland did not change their plan to stop him. They kept blitzing up the middle because Buffalo was playing into it often enough for it to work.
Why not hammer the ball off tackle again and again, "Captain Kirk?" Or hit Henry out in the flat until the defense has to respect it?
