Bills vs Pats Preview

Are you ready for some football? And a butt kicking? ehh... Well that's what most likely will happen tonight when the Bills play the Pats in the season opener. The Bills haven't beaten the Patriots since the season opener way back in 2003, and the last two times Tom Brady played against the Bills he threw for 9 touchdowns. I'm predicting nothing short of a blood bath to be honest. The stars are aligned for Brady to return from a career threatening injury to show the world he's back. But for s#$ts and giggles, here is how the Bills can keep it close.

Brady must go down, and he must go down hard

The only way to slow down Tom Brady is by getting into his face. That's how the Giants pulled off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. Unfortunately for the Bills, Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay aren't Michael Straham and Osi Umenyiora. If the Bills decide to just run a four man pass rush for the game, I'm going to be double fisting jack and cokes to ease the pain. The Bills have to blitz, in fact they have to live by it. Perry Fewell has to get creative and blitz line backers, safties, and corners. Jauron is suppose to be this defense guru with the cover 2. It's time to cover at least 2 defensive bodies on Brady's ass.

Fast Freddy

Fred Jackson finished his 2008 season in a very impressive fashion. He started for an injured Marshawn Lynch, and rush for 134 yards on 27 carries against... the Patriots. The Bills need a heavy dose of Fred Jackson to not only ease the pressure of Edwards, but to keep the Patriots prolific offense off the field. The next 3 games are going to be huge for Jackson with Lynch on suspension. I've been saying for a while if Jackson plays suberb, he may supplant Lynch in the starting line-up. It's Jackson's time to shine, and maybe even get a raise.

Is the Pats defense ripe for the picking?

So long Bruschi, Harrison, Seymour, and Vrabel. The Patriots defense is in transition. Don't get me wrong, a Belichick transition would be equivalent to the Bills making the playoffs. But the Patriots are younger in a lot of key spots, and did have one of the worse passing defenses in the NFL last year. The Pats still do have Bills killer, Vince Wilfork whom has eating alive every center the Bills have had. If the Bills are going to be competitive in this game it's going to be them executing against a new Patriots defense. 

Owens debut hopes to revive Evans

Well you can't go through a preview of the Bills without mentioning Terrell Owens. Owens is the only thing Bills fans have been holding their hats to since March. T.O. is the reason fans are confident (although shrinking confidence) that the team can maybe end a 9 year drought of not making the playoffs. But more importantly Owens should be able to take some of the pressure away from Lee Evans, who has had some god awful games against the Patriots. It should be the first time Evans won't be facing a double team since his first 2 years with the Bills. Evans hasn't been the same since his breakout 2006 season, where he had almost 1,300 yards and 12tds. Since being recognized, Evans has been virtually invisible in last 2 years, averaging only 59 catches and less than 1,000 yards receiving. It's time for Evans to give the Bills a return investment on the 4-year 40 million dollar contract he signed last year. 

Prediction

Even before the Bills decided to whack their offensive coordinator and Left Tackle, and Trent Edwards went into crisis mode with his confidence, I wasn't a fan of the opening game against the Patriots on national TV. Fans can be optimistic all they want about how it's better to play the Pats the first game of the year, rather than down the stretch. I don't buy that logic, as a matter of fact, Belichick and Brady have been preparing for this game since January. The Pats are all about making statements. How could we forget the team running up the score during the 2007 season. The Bills offense I think will put some points up, but the defense will whittle away in the spot light and the pressure Brady will put on them.

Patriots-41

Bills-23

PS- look for the Bills to run a fake punt.

Does Edwards have all the tools?

From ESPN AFC East Blog

This was supposed to be Trent Edwards' big no-excuses season. He purportedly had all the materials he would need. Three years into his NFL career, we were going to find out whether he deserved to be considered the Buffalo Bills' quarterback of the future. Trent Edwards has a lot to adjust to this season: a new left tackle, new offensive coordinator and new offensive scheme to run. That was the sentiment a month ago, maybe even a couple of weeks ago.

Not anymore.

Edwards heads into 2009 with less support than he's ever had. If Edwards were to fall flat on his facemask this year, we still wouldn't know with any reasonable degree of certainty what he's capable of and whether he should be the man in 2010. Within 10 days of the season opener, the Bills have made decisions that dim Edwards' chances of success.

Edwards, to his credit, isn't looking for excuses. It sounds like he still believes the Bills' offense depends mainly on him. "I think that the position I am in -- with two years under my belt, with a lot of say in the way this offense goes -- a lot of the reason this offense is going to be where it needs to be is because of me," Edwards said. "I think that's a great opportunity for me."

About the only way we will discover anything new about Edwards is if he puts the team on his back and leads them to the playoffs. Anything less can be justified by the circumstances the Bills' front office and coaching staff created.  The Bills released left tackle Langston Walker on Tuesday. Walker was their most experienced offensive lineman and the projected substitute when the Bills traded two-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters.

Mind of Joe 

Interesting piece from Tim Graham. Think of what this team looked like in March when the Owens signing happened. They had both their starting LTs, the same offensive coordinator,  and Lynch wasn't suspended yet. It's interesting to think what exactly would term a successful year for Edwards. I think if Edwards can get his numbers up to 20 td's, he stays. But anything less, he's gone. And always remember how much money will play in this. After this year, Edwards only has 2 years left on rookie contract. I've seen worse QB's than Edwards who've gotten fatter contracts. 

Owens says it was a joke

After hearing Owens comments, It seemed he was more joking than he was being serious. He did say the no-huddle does leave him a little winded because he's not in game shape because of being  injured all of preseason. Owens then twitted that the whole thing was a joke. 

Again, those jerks @ espn has taken my comments out of context!! i clearly ws joking!! Wow! They never cease 2 amaze me! espn is a joke!!

Of course some media outlets are taking his words out of context. 

WGR Story

Headline: Owens sounds off on the no-huddle offense

The Bills fast-paced offense is wearing thin on Terrell Owens. “No, not really, but I gotta deal with it,” was T.O.’s answer when prodded about the new offensive attack. He did let out a laugh after responding to the question.

In all seriousness, Owens’ sprained toe is shaping his opinion. After missing three weeks with that injury, he says the no huddle is tiring him out in practice.

The loss of Turk Schonert and Langston Walker isn’t troublesome. Owens thinks the offense will have a productive season despite the last second changes.

AP

T.O. Says he will deal with it

Receiver Terrell Owens doesn't have a problem with the Buffalo Bills no-huddle offense, except that it's tiring him out. Owens raised eyebrows on Wednesday when he said he wasn't much of a fan of the Bills new scheme.

Owens, "No, not really, but I gotta deal with it," the receiver said in a conference call with members of the Patriots media as the Bills prepare to open the regular season at New England on Monday.

Owens laughed after making that statement, though it was not clear whether his concern was with the no-huddle scheme itself or how much it's been tiring him out. Owens returned to practice last week after missing the final four preseason games with a sprained toe.

Upon learning that his comments were being taken literally, Owens posted a note on his Twitter page insisting that he was "clearly joking." During the conference call, Owens did refer to the offense as being "all right," while noting he's been a little winded.

"We're doing some things in the offense that will help me get in shape a little bit faster than I need to," Owens said. "I've got a taste of it since [minicamps] and I know what to expect."

Owens added he hopes the offense can also wear down opponents by not allowing them to make defensive substitutions.

"It's something we're looking forward to, and we're going to try out," he said.

Profootball talk

"No, not really, but I have to deal with it," Owens said. And by deal with it, Owens apparently means he'll passive-aggressively undermine the entire direction of the offense through the media. Bills coach Dick Jauron confirmed for the umpteenth Wednesday that the Patriots will "definitely" see the Bills in no-huddle in the season opener. No matter what Owens thinks about it.

Mind of Joe:

Obviously Pro football talk is taking the root as shit stirrers, by not even mentioning their was a laugh involved. WGR almost the same thing, except they did mention him laughing in their article. I've been listening to WGR all afternoon and the hosts think its a problem what Owens has said. But Paul Hamilton, brought the whole thing to a forefront by stating the guy was joking. Which if you listen to the whole interview you get Owens sense of humor. If you don't believe me, read the AP story where Owens was quoted as saying the No-Huddle is helping him get into shape. 

T.O. isn't a fan of the no-huddle

In comments that will be blown out of proportion, but that indicate seemingly inevitable storm clouds on the horizon, Terrell Owens gave his honest assessment when asked if he liked the no-huddle offense Wednesday.

"No, not really, but I have to deal with it," Owens said.

Mind of Joe

Ah, that popping sound you hear are kernels becoming popcorn. It's going to be interesting to see how the media takes to this story. I'm guessing the local media will be more for Owens comments, considering the offense has been deplorable in the preseason and for the last 4 years. Look for the national guys at ESPN to make Owens seem as if he's a cancer. I can already hear Skip Balless saying, it's only preseason and Owens is already complaining!  

If you're asking me, I'm going with Owens on this one. The no-huddle seems a lot like smoke and mirrors, covering up the lack of an offensive line and remedial game planning from Jauron and company.   

Outside the lines featuring Bills OC firing

From ESPN

Tuesday's edition of "Outside the Lines" examined last week's rash of offensive coordinator-cides, including the Buffalo Bills' decision to snuff Turk Schonert on Friday -- 10 days before the season opener against the New England Patriots. 

ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck, who signed with the Bills out of Boston College in 2001 but didn't make the final roster, said he spoke to the players and was told Schonert had become a divisive element on the team by openly contradicting head coach Dick Jauron's philosophies in team meetings.

"I know personally, from talking to players on that team," Hasselbeck said, "that Turk was actually talking to the players and blaming some of the lack of success the offense was having on the fact that this [offense] was being forced down his throat.

"When you have a coaching staff that isn't pulling in the same direction to ultimately win football games, and you have coaches backstabbing other coaches, going behind their backs and saying, 'Hey, I don't like this idea, but this is what the head coach wants,' you end up creating a situation where no one trusts anybody."

Mind of Joe

Nothing like some back door politics at One Bills Drive. If there is one thing I've learned in any job situation, don't bitch about the boss to your fellow employees. Back to football, Turk is an offensive coordinator. Dick Jauron is the head coach. It's not impossible for a coach to implement his will on what type of scheme he wants. That's why there are head coaches and coordinators. It almost makes me think of Kevin Gilbride's time with the Bills. His last year (2003), the Bills were designed to be more of a smash mouth team, yet no one told that to Gilbride, and the offense struggled because his philosophy was to air it out and he was fired. Look at Gilbride now with the Giants, coach Coughlin told him the importance of running the football and the Giants are the best running team in the NFL. Gilbride adjusted, not an impossible feet for Turk to try. 

And as if it was going to be any harder for Schonert to get a job because of his resume being god awful, having parting shots and being accused of backstabbing your current employers isn't going to get you many calls from NFL teams. 

The Bills are cheap

The Buffalo Bills have the eighth least expensive team in the NFL this season.The total value of all of the contracts of all 80 players the Bills took to training camp this summer was $487.88 million. That ranked 25th out of 32 in the NFL this year, based on league documents obtained by The Buffalo News. The top spending team — again based on the total value of the contracts of all the players at training camp — was Minnesota, at $736.87 million. Among the other teams near the top were some of the biggest-spending big market teams, such as No. 2 Philadelphia ($721.22 million), No. 3 Dallas ($715.40 million) and No. 4 Washington ($676.88 million).

Mind of Joe

This is no surprise considering the Bills have the cash to the cap philosophy. The Bills are starting to be reminiscent of the Sabres and Darcy Reiger's thought process when it comes to being more accountants than personnel guys. Face Facts, the Bills are always looking for the cheap way to do business and have a history of it. The reason JP Losman was supplanted as the starting QB had more to do with he was due a new contract than his play. Edwards was the perfect choice because he was a rookie and had 4 years left on his deal. You think Wilson wants to pay 50 million for a QB (Matt Schaub)? 

Of course starting 3 guys on the o-line who have never played a NFL down would economically be beneficial for the Bills. There's a reason why the Bills didn't draft an offensive tackle in the first round. It's because its a high paid position and anyone drafted would become a FA within 5 years. The Bills would have a Jason Peters situation all over again. 

And I've been saying since training camp, the Bills are begging for Fred Jackson to take over the starting job from Marshawn Lynch. Even though Lynch is under contract for 2 more years, who says their isn't a chance he may want to renegotiate a new deal. A guy like Lynch could get at least 40 million for his second contract. Where as Jackson is under contract for 4 more years at a modest 3-4 million a year. All about the dollars. 

Chris Brown is obviously a homer

This is an excerpt from Chris Brown's story on Walker getting cut:

This is a very, very, very bold move by the Bills. I give them credit for taking such a bold step with a far younger player that has no NFL regular season game experience. Couple that with the fact that he’s going to be lining up next to a rookie in left guard Andy Levitre and it’s a big roll of the dice against an experienced defensive line in New England for Week 1.

Mind of Joe:

Seriously, you can just see why you can't trust someone that covers a specific team when their checks are from the organization they cover. His take on the Bills was more of compliment. Face facts, you don't cut your LT a week before your first regular season game. Another fact, don't except to read hard hitting news from a reporter who works for a sports team. 

Walker is sent his walking papers

The Buffalo Bills released starting left tackle Langston Walker today in another stunning move on the eve of the regular season. The Bills are expected to give the starting left tackle job to second-year man Demetrius Bell as soon as he is healthy. Bell has been out with a sore back but could return to practice Wednesday.Buffalo has re-signed veteran backup tackle and guard Kirk Chambers, who had been released Saturday. It's another big shake-up for the offense in the wake of the firing of coordinator Turk Schonert on Friday. The move saves the Bills $3 million in cash, which was to be Walker's base salary. Walker still will count $4.5 million against the salary cap due to past bonus payments that he received.

Mind of Joe:

Well so much for continuity for even the fricken preseason. I wonder what's going to happen to 68 seconds with Langston Walker on Bills.com. I can't say I'm too surprised by the move considering the Bills are about one thing, and that's $$. We should of seen this coming just from Jauron not denying that Bell may be in line to start. The biggest question is why in the world would the Bills cut Walker 6 days before the start of the season. That's your starting Left Tackle! I wouldn't mind the move if it were done in July, but not now. It's just another case of the organization not thinking things through until it's too late. And just think it means the Bills have 3 guys who have never played a down in the NFL on the offensive line. That's just unreal.

Sully off the mark with AVP

Jerry Sullivan wrote a pretty positive article on Alex Van Pelt taking over as the new OC. It was a little too pro AVP if you ask me

If Van Pelt had been 6-foot-4, with a classic quarterback's physique, he could have been a star in the league. You never worried when the Bills put him on the field. He acted as if he belonged. Back in 2001, he caddied for Rob Johnson and served as a friend and mentor. But when he got his chance later that season, it was clear that Van Pelt was better.

He made quick decisions. The ball came out his hand quickly. Van Pelt didn't take sacks, and he wasn't afraid to throw the ball down the field. He expected to make the big throw. Despite his stature, he had the mentality of a gunslinger, a playmaker. He believed in himself, and got the most out of his ability.

Mind of Joe

Um, was Sully watching Frank Reich? The only compliment AVP should get is he held the clip board very nicely. I think a lot of his love for AVP is because of his disdain for Rob Johnson. If you don't remember Sully was an avid Flutie guy and didn't like Johnson at all. So when Johnson went down with an injury (what else was new?), AVP made the most of his playing time, which wasn't much. His 2001 record was 2-6 with 12 TD's and 11 INT's, with YPA of 6.7. Not exactly eye gauging. I'll give AVP the benefit of the doubt that he made the most of his talents, but that doesn't exactly mean he was good.

Turk calls out Jauron

While Dick Jauron and his new offensive staff was having breakfast in bed with Ralph Wilson in Detroit, former Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert decided to get a few things off his chest.

In comments to Buffalo television station WIVB (via Tim Graham at ESPN), Schonert popped off about the disagreements he had with Bills head coach Dick Jauron. Specifically, he says Jauron wants an offense built more for middle schoolers.

"He told me the offense wasn't simple enough for him. We had too many formations, too many plays. I didn't simplify it to his liking," Schonert said.

"He wants a Pop Warner offense. He limited me in formations and limited me in plays. He's been on my back all offseason."

Mind of Joe:
Ouch! Gotta wonder if it's sour grapes by Schonert or a legit problem. It also suggests how Jauron loves being as simplistic as possible with his coaching terminology. The last eight teams Jauron has coached have failed to be in the top 20 offenses in the league in yards, and only his 2001 Bears were in the top 20 in points. AVP better be calling Jim Kelly for guidance when running the no-huddle offense, cause history proves Jauron doesn't have a clue.

Wilson has Front Office for diner

Per ESPN:

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. summoned head coach Dick Jauron, along with general manager Russ Brandon and two assistant coaches, for a conference at his Detroit home on Saturday after a tumultuous preseason that resulted in the firing of offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, according to team sources.

Wilson conducted a give-and-take session on the team's direction after the Bills' offense sputtered during a 1-4 preseason, sources said. In addition to Jauron and Brandon, Wilson also met with the Bills' new play-caller, quarterback coach Alex Van Pelt, and Eric Studeville, running back coach and running game coordinator.

Substantive details of the confab are unknown but Wilson always has been a hands-on owner.

"I will neither confirm nor deny that there was a meeting," said Scott Berchtold, the Bills Vice President of Communications.

Mind of Joe

Someone sure as hell is letting the HOF go to his head. I can't recall the last time Wilson had some sort of covert operation meeting in his house prior to the regular season. I wonder if the coaches and Ralph ate at the same dinning room table used in Tim Burton's Batman? It's good that Wilson is more determined to get the ship ridden correctly, unless he's suffering from some Alzheimer's dimension and thinks he's Lou Saban.

Rhodes hits the road

I had mentioned in my running backs preview that it wouldn't surprise me if Dominic Rhodes somehow got cut. Mainly because of money and the Bills being pretty deep at back. Well surprise became reality as the Bills cut Rhodes today.

Rhodes had 64 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, four catches for 21 yards and returned four kickoffs for 87 yards in four preseason games. He also fumbled twice, losing one.

But money may have been a bigger factor in Rhodes' release than his performance. The Bills save more than $2 million in cutting him. He was due to make base salaries of $750,000 this year and $1.25 million in 2010 as part of a two-year contract, which included a $200,000 signing bonus. He also was scheduled to get a $150,000 roster bonus by making the team. It's the second year in a row the Bills cut a FA pick-up in preseason (Will James was last year).

The move leaves the Bills dangerously thin and running back for the first 3 games of the year with Lynch on suspension. The Bills better hope that Fred Jackson doesn't get hurt, because their back-up is Xavier Omon, who isn't exactly Kenneth Davis. The Bills counting their pennies as usual.

Other notable cuts were offensive lineman Kirk Chambers, defensive end Copeland Bryan and tight end Jonathan Stupar.

Jerry Jones doesn't like sharing

For all of you fans who are sick and tired of Ralph Wilson complaining about not making enough money, well prepare to hear it some more. Jerry Jones, the leader of the Evil Empire against all small market teams, isn't a big fan of revenue sharing. In fact he pretty much wants it gone. Jones talking to a Minnesota newspaper about the Vikings ongoing new stadium problem, talked about his issues with revenue sharing.

"Right now, we are subsidizing this market," Jones said, according to Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "It's unthinkable to think that you've got the market you got here in Minnesota -- 3 ½ million people -- and have teams like Kansas City and Green Bay subsidizing the market. That will stop. That's going to stop. That's on its way out."

Ouch!

The reason why Wilson always bitches about how teams make so much money off luxury boxes is because those specfic sales are NOT shared with other NFL teams. All the money Jerry Jones makes off those $500,000 suites at the new Dallas Stadium goes directly in his pocket. If the NFL gets rid of Revenue sharing, you can forget about the Bills being competitive, and you can pretty much pencil in at least 2-3 more games in Toronto. In case you don't understand how revenue sharing works, just read below.

About 2/3 of the NFL's money comes from the TV deal. The players get about 2/3 of team revenue. So, more or less, the TV contract goes to pay the players. These contracts are typically for about 5 years, and every time they are renegotiated the price goes up. So do player's salaries.

The money from the TV contract is share and share alike - the Redskins, Cowboys, Bills, and Packers get identical checks. This money is key to the success of the smaller franchises. Without the TV contract money, there is simply no way on earth that Green Bay could ever field a competitive team.

There are a lot of other sources for NFL money. NFL licensed jerseys, for example that Randy Moss jersey you put on your kid last Halloween when you dressed him up as a demon, result in license fees going to the NFL. This money is also equally shared.

When the teams play, there is a "gate," the money people pay for seats. This is in the neighborhood of about $2.5M per game. This money is split 60-40, with the visiting team getting 40% of the gate. Because of this teams like Jacksonville and Arizona just love it when the Packers or Cowboys come to play. These are the two or three games each year these teams can count on selling out, and the money they get is very welcome.


Toronto/Buffalo Bills eh?

Jauron, a terrible liar

Dick Jauron will never get confused with Bill Parcells when it comes to giving good interviews, but the funniest quote of the day had to do with his thought process in firing Schonert.

"It's nothing we had planned on, obviously," Jauron said. "Nothing that was enjoyable in any way shape or form, but that's what occurred. ... I wasn't thinking about firing him three days ago. I wasn't thinking about it two weeks ago. But when you start thinking about it, I think you need to move on it and do something. When I started thinking about it I gave it a good deal of thought and did it."

So wait, you didn't think about firing him 3 days ago, but you all of a sudden had an epiphany after the Detroit game? A game where the majority of the Bills starters didn't play. Man, Jauron is just terrible with hiding the obvious, this move came from above, end of story. But again this is the same coach who wastes timeouts to see what the temperature of the field is during the 3rd quarter. Maybe he just overthinks everything.

So much for continuity

Talk about a contradiction. Considering the Bills reasoning for keeping Jauron was continuity, it only took 5 preseason games to throw continuity in the garbage. You could say Schonert has a legit beef for being fired, considering it was preseason and the Bills didn't have Owens in any of the games. The whole thing of the Bills keeping the coaching staff in tack because of continuity, only then to fire the OC in the preseason proves continuity=cheapness in Wilson's eyes. Another reason Dick should send another bottle of wine to his agent for getting the extension done after the Bills 5-1 start.

Schonert move doesn't cure the problem

When thinking of the Schonert firing more, I think of this analogy; It's like putting a band-aid on a gun shot wound. The Bills are trying to show the problems aren't because of their head coach, when the blame squarely goes on his shoulders. I haven't written my coaching preview yet for the Bills, but I can't express how disappointed I was when the Bills didn't fire Jauron last year. Jauron is a terrible coach, whose worse game day management I've ever seen.

Ralph Wilson can say all he wants that Jauron wasn't fired because of maintaining continuity. That's the biggest Bull I've heard since Larry Quinn said the Sabres would sign Drury and Briere. Ralph kept Jauron because he just gave him a new deal, and by firing would mean Wilson would be on the hook for the remainder of the contract.Whether the move was because of Wilson or Jauron, the point is the Bills have a very mediocre coach. Heck, lets just say it. A terrible coach.

Another side note, I heard Schonert wasn't too popular with his players, especially his quarterbacks. It's interesting to note how Schonert is a protege of Sam Whyche, the old Bengals coach, who was known for being very loud (the anti-Jauron). Maybe Jauron's players, who all love the guy because he's very easy on them and hardly calls him out, didn't mesh well with Schonert. Just saying.

Who the hell made the call?

I just had a thought, considering Jauron claimed the Bills didn't game plan for their preseason opponents, how could you justify firing Schonert? Something smells bad in this. Don't be surprised if Ralph Wilson had a hand in this. Normally, Wilson is known to throw some coordinators in the volcano if the team is playing like crap. He's the same owner who told Wade Phillips to bench Doug Flutie in the playoff game against the Titans. Hell, he even fired Bill Polian because he didn't get along with his daughter. 

If Jauron is making the call, then you know he is feeling the pressure more so than ever in his 3 years here. What happen to all the excuses Jauron made for the preseason? It was Owens not playing, we don't game plan, we don't need to play the starters the last game of the year. If Schonert was in this much danger 3 days ago, you'd of thought the Bills would of  played their starters on Thursday to give Schonert one last fighting chance. 

That's where I think the choice came from up above. If I'm not mistaken, Jauron has never fired a coach since being with the Bills. And to think T.O. hasn't played in a month. It's going to be a interesting season. 

Van Pelt to take over

Profootballtalk.com is reporting Van Pelt would be taking over for Schonert. You have to wonder if that means the Bills will scrape the no-huddle offense, considering the no-huddle offense was more of a Schonert idea from his days as a player with the Bengals. It would be a very bold move, considering the Bills didn't huddle once during the preseason. Well preseason I guess does matter to Dick Jauron.

Schonert Fired

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com reports that the Bills have fired Offensive Coordinator Turk Schonert. The Bills have had a poor Preseason offensively. The team failed to score a touchdown in their past two exhibition games. Florio reports that Quarterbacks Coach Alex Van Pelt will take over for Schonert. The Bills have scheduled a 1:30 p.m. press conference today.

Schonert would be the third Offensive Coordinator to lose his job before the 2009 Season. The Chiefs fired Chan Gailey while Tampa Bay let go of Jeff Jagodinski.

Preseason over

Can someone please show Roger Goodell the tape of last night's Bills game, to prove preseason is god awful. Anyways with that being said, preseason is over and the Bills are hobbling into New England for their season opener. Last nights snore fest loss against the Lions 17-6, didn't do anything as far as confidence goes because the majority of the Bills starters didn't play. 

As usual, the offense struggled not scoring a touchdown for the second straight preseason game. But some of the Bills young defenders were able to stand out for the game. Aaron Maybin and John McCargo had a sack each, and Reggie Corner has a interception, solidifying being the heir apparent to Terrence McGee for next season. Maybin has been impressive in his 2 preseason games, and may be shedding the project label I gave to him for this season. I've been saying for a while the Bills need to play McCargo more, as much as he's been labeled a bust, he really hasn't been on the field all that much when in the line-up. It's time to see if the guy has it or not. 

Again, the young guys playing well is all fine and dandy, but it's preseason. I remember Erik Flowers had 3 sacks in the preseason once. Exactly. The Bills are going into New England pretty much injured free, but their confidence may be a bit shaken. I can't remember the last time a Bills team looked this bad in the preseason. But maybe them being terrible in the preseason is an omen to come for the regular season, considering the Bills have been decent during the preseason throughout this decade.