The Daily Blog 9/11/09 - A Look at the Bills
After what has been an eventful week here in New England, it's time to take a deeper look at the Buffalo Bills. In today's entry we highlight what's going on out in Buffalo including the latest news and headlines you may want to check out.
The Bills have had a tough few weeks, which have included firing offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and releasing starting left tackle, Langston Walker. According to the Buffalo News all of these happenings have managed to push Terrell Owens out of the spotlight out in Buffalo.
"You can say the T.O. buzz has worn off," Bills receiver Lee Evans said, mentioning that part of it could be attributed to the fact Owens has been out with a sprained toe. "It has overshadowed him. But it's bigger than 81. He'll certainly do some things throughout the season to get it back. And hopefully it ends with a 'W,' because that's all that really matters."
With Owens on the roster Buffalo is hoping that this could be the year they contend for a playoff spot. The team is currently enduring a lengthy nine-year postseason drought, which is the longest in team history, and tied with Detroit as the worst current stretch among NFL teams.
That all starts with their match-up against the Patriots Monday night, and the Buffalo News also takes a look at how New England will adapt their defensive scheme after last Sunday's trade of Richard Seymour, who was sent to Oakland for their 2011 first round draft pick.
"We've been a multiple defense since I've been here. We'll continue to be that," Belichick said. "We'll try to put the players out there that we feel are the best for the situation or the game plan or the team we're playing."
On offense the Bills are aware of how dangerous New England is, especially now that Tom Brady is back. Considering the success the Patriots have had against Buffalo's secondary, they're bracing for an all out air assault.
"I always know once we play them it's got to be your best game of the year," Bills cornerback Terrence McGee told the News. "They prepare well, they execute well, they bring guys in who do their job and you can't make a mistake or they'll capitalize on it. You've got to have your best practices throughout the week and definitely your best game as far as technique and detail."
One player who will be in the spotlight out in Buffalo is Demetrius Bell who is preparing to be Buffalo's starting left tackle on Monday night. The second-year player, who did not play at all last season, is coming off of a solid performance in training camp which earned him the starting job after the Bills made the surprise decision to release veteran Langston Walker on Tuesday.
"He's got the ability," head coach Dick Jauron told the newspaper. "Clearly he doesn't have the experience, and he's going to quickly get some."
His quarterback, Trent Edwards, is also trying to get things in order. He's seen his offensive coordinator get fired. The next day they cut veteran running back Dominic Rhodes, and then on Wednesday they introduced Bell as their new starting left tackle after surprising everyone by releasing Walker. All this as they get set to take on a Patriots team that they know will not be an easy opponent.
"I'm really very happy with where it's at," Edwards said. "You can only let it be a distraction if you let it negatively affect you. And I don't think we have guys on this team that are going to let it negatively affect them."
Should the Bills have to go to a no-huddle offense, their biggest target - Terrell Owens - told members of the New England media this week that he's not a fan of that style of the offense but he'll 'deal with it'.
"No, not really, but I gotta deal with it," the receiver said in a conference call with members of the Patriots media this week.
Upon learning that his comments were being taken literally, according to the newspaper Owens posted a note on his Twitter page insisting that he was "clearly joking."
After playing in only five games in 2008 because of a Lisfranc foot injury, veteran defensive end Aaron Schobel is looking forward to getting back on the field and is glad to be healthy heading into Monday night's game.
"I'm in decent shape. I'm ready for what I've got to do," Schobel said earlier this week. "After all these practices and all the time leading up to that first game, you forget that you were even hurt. But I'm glad to be healthy again."
To finish things off, the team's official site has their preview for this week's game, with Juaran waiting to see how things have all come together.
"I think we've come a long way," Jauron said. "We'll find out on Monday night how far we've come. It's not going to be easy, there's no doubt about that."
QUICK HITS
- Our own PatsFans.com columnist Kevin Rousseau will be featured each week throughout the season on the Weekend Jab, 96.3 out of Portland, at 7:25am every Saturday throughout the season to talk Patriots. Be sure to check him out.
- ESPN's Tedy Bruschi this morning predicts that his former teammate Tom Brady will be named "Comeback Player of the Year" and expects Brady to throw for 40 or more touchdowns. He also predicts a rematch between New England and the New York Giants for the Super Bowl. He looked quite comfortable doing the Coors Light "Cold Hard Football Facts" segment this morning.
- We'll end on this note. Obviously everyone knows about the debacle going on with Richard Seymour. This is quite a funny article from the San Francisco Chronicle talking about how Raiders owner Al Davis has 'checked in to fantasy island' and that he may be completely out of touch with reality.
That's it for today. Hope everyone has a good weekend, and we'll see you tomorrow with the next entry. In the meantime be sure to check back for updates throughout the day and be sure to also follow me on Twitter.
