Jauron & Levy’s Charging Buffalo Bills vs. Mangini & Bradway’s Bad Jets “Bets”
The Bills have their third straight AFC East divisional game this weekend. The New York Jets are coming to town for the Bills’ home opener. After thoroughly “Squishing the Fish!” last week the Bills are raring to go out and do the same to a weak Jets team that is hamstrung by all Terry Bradway’s bad draft picks, which were even dumber than some of Tom Donahoe’s many dumb draft decisions.
Dependable Defense
The Bills nearly shut out Dante Culpepper and the drowning Dolphins last week. With Bills four rookies starting on the defense, it looks like the D can only get better.
President/GM, Marv levy & Head Coach, Dick Jauron’s, strong draft day decisions are already paying big dividends. Ko Simpson and Donte Whittner played great against the Dolphins. Their speed keeps them in every play, and they shouldn’t have any trouble keeping up with Chad Pennington’s less than laser, rocket arm passing to the Jet receiver corps.
It’s gratifying to see the Bills young secondary do well to keep Coy Wire (“you still playing anything but special teams”) off the field. Kudos to Coy for blocking a punt, but his play in the secondary confirms that he can’t cover anyone and can’t catch anything.
After a very successful first try at 3rd corner by Kiwaukee Thomas this week, he’ll join Nate Clements and Terrence McGee in a very formidable nickel package. Laverneus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery lead a pedestrian receiving corps that shouldn’t present overwhelming problems for the Bills secondary.
Takeo Spikes is the team’s emotional leader and he is always needed on the field. Nevertheless, Keith Ellison did a more than respectable job filling in. Angelo Crowell also “stepped up” and made the big play to sign the death certificate for the Dolphins. When Miami first got into the red zone Crowell picked off a pass from Culpepper that appeared to be intended for Ryan Denney,
If Spikes does play vs. the Jets, a shut out is a consideration. The Jets offense features four running backs. Three of them were backups last year and the forth split time on a college team that had a running game ranked in the 90s. London Fletcher alone could probably shut down a big part of the Jets running game.
Looking at the Past to Predict the Present
The Bills’ line had a great game against Miami and can look to do the same this week. They sacked Culpepper 5 times in Miami’s first 15 plays. Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay also combined for four sacks. Last year Aaron Schobel ended Pennington’s season, and the Bills should be all over him again this year.
The Jets have a weak right half of the line and are starting rookies at center and left tackle. So, as well as the Bills line played against “the Fish,” the Bills could easily be even more impressive hosing down the Jets & all the Jets’ ‘firemen’ fans, like their leader, “#42 “Harper” wearing the white J-E-T-S fireman’s hat sitting on the shoulders of his 400 pound brother, while shouting rallying cries as futile as his own fireman’s “rally cap.”
Offense
The Jets offense doesn’t do anything well and the Bills’ can’t do much wrong these day,. Look for that match-up to be rather one sided. In fact the only thing that I’ve been disappointed in the defense with is that they haven’t been scored on too much, so McGee hasn’t gotten many kick returns, only one last week.
The Offense Doesn’t need to “Improve”
Sure the Bills have only gained 451 total offensive yards and scored 2 touchdowns this year, and yes Peyton Manning had 400 yards last week with 3 touch downs, but that doesn’t mean the offense needs to improve. The Offense has actually done everything that they have needed to. The Bills have not turned the ball over once this year. They have become the perfect “care taker” offense letting Jauron & Fewell’s dominating defense do the rest.
Maybe Willis McGahee won’t return to his “scoring machine” ways; maybe Lee Evans won’t be an All Pro big prime time receiver, but they don’t need to be. As long as the Bills hold on to the ball and get a field goal every now and then the Bills “Big D” will do the rest.
J.P. Losman clearly has not put up gaudy numbers, but has been impressive, in a similar fashion to former Bills QB & Congressman Jack Kemp, who had mediocre stats but proved to be a big winner for the Bills after two seasons.
J.P. has a 63.4 completion percentage and a 88.2 QB rating. He has not made any big mistakes this year and looks a lot more mature this year. Losman knows his job isn’t to carry the team, but to not lose the game. Who knows, after this week J.P.’s stats could combine to be one good game. Don’t look for any Bills’ receiver to have a big day. When you get 125 passing yards a game, unless you’re working the “Randy-ratio” (Moss), its hard for a receiver to have good numbers.
McGahee looked better in Miami, but he still has not dominated a game. Nevertheless, Willis’s best game of the year did come against the Jets last year. With the Jets dismal offense, the Bills offense should be on the field a lot tiring out the Jets’ D. Keeping the D on the field and most likely a big lead should be a good combination for Willis to have a break out game.
Fantasy, Picks & Predictions
The Jets really can’t do anything right and this game shouldn’t be close, especially with a large number of McFadden’s rowdy crowd going up for the game.
“Pinto” Kenny Johnson’s 200th at Pole # 6 Brings Good Luck
Also, the Bills can’t lose on Pinto Kenny’s 200th game. So the Bills should cover the 5.5 point spread and improve their record in the AFC East. Separately, after last week I don’t think I can ever pick the Bills to cover the over, so take under 34. Willis will be the game’s top fantasy performer.
Around the league Donovan McNabb should be the best quarterback. He has 664 yards and 5 touch downs this year and is going against a weak San Francisco D. Stephen Jackson going against Arizona should be the top runner this week. Larry Fitzgerald will find the end zone for the first time this season and be the league’s best receiver this week. The Bills’ D may “throw a shut out” along with Baltimore against Cleveland. Having either will be a treat this week.