Buffalo Bills At New England Patriots Gameday Preview

PATRIOTS: QB Tom Brady only having four TDs is proof that the offense is struggling under new OC Josh McDaniels. Facing the Bills 19th-ranked pass defense could change that trend. ... With TE Aaron Hernandez (ankle) out, WRs Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd were targeted 22 times against Baltimore. The two have combined for 38 catches and 488 yards but have yet to reach the endzone. ... TE Rob Gronkowski only has 14 catches for 156 yards and was a no-show last week with two catches. He’s due to break out. ... DT Vince Wilfork and LB Jerod Mayo anchor a rush defense that allows 81.0 ypg., third best in the league.
BILLS: RB Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller or Tashard Choice lead a Bills offense that chews up 178.0 ypg. on the ground. Spiller ran for 308 yards before injuring his shoulder last week, and Choice toted the rock for 91 yards on 20 carries in relief. Jackson could return this week. ... QB Ryan Fitzpatrick takes a lot of heat, but he hasn’t thrown an INT the last two weeks. He has eight TDs this season. ... WR Steve Johnson has 172 yards receiving and three scores and will be the focal point of the Patriots secondary. ... DE Mario Williams, the $100 million man, was brought in for games like this. He has to get in Brady’s grill for the Bills to have any chance.
THE PICK: Chan Gailey’s Bills are looking to become AFC East contenders, and the Patriots are holding on for dear life. Even with Jackson returning for the Bills, it’s hard to bet against a Bill Belichick team that has its back against the wall. The Pats D slows down the Bills attack, and Brady takes care of the rest. New England (-4) 30, Buffalo 20. 

Buffalo Bills At Cleveland Browns 2012 Gameday Preview

Mike McClain - BROWNS ON OFFENSE: It was a complete turnaround for quarterback Brandon Weeden and running back Trent Richardson. Weeden looked comfortable and in control against the Bengals, completing 27-of-37 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Richardson rushed for 109 yards on 19 carries and scored touchdowns on a 32-yard run and a 23-yard reception. Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi has eight receptions for 131 yards. A week after not catching a pass Greg Little caught five passes for 57 yards and one touchdown.
BILLS ON OFFENSE: Running back C.J. Spiller has been outstanding in replacing the injured Fred Jackson. Spiller leads the NFL with 292 rushing yards, adding three touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has completed 28-of-51 passes for 373 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Two of the touchdowns came in a 35-17 rout of the Chiefs. Receiver Stevie Johnson has six receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Scott Chandler and Donald Jones also have six receptions each. The line has yet to allow a sack.
BROWNS ON DEFENSE: There's concern about the cornerback spots. Joe Haden will serve the second game of a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Sheldon Brown played only one down last week, but he's expected to play more this week because the Bills normally line up with three receivers. Buster Skrine started in Brown's place last Sunday and struggled. Middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson is off to a good start with eight tackles, three sacks and two interceptions. Strong safety T.J. Ward leads in tackles with 17. The defense is tied for second in the NFL with eight sacks.
BILLS ON DEFENSE: The Bills signed former Texans end Mario Williams to add spice to the pass rush, but he's still looking for his first sack. Signing Williams was a risk because of a recent history with injuries. Stopping the run has been a problem. Opponents are averaging 134 yards a game. Safety Jairus Byrd leads in tackles with 17. Linebacker Nick Barnett is second with 15.
BROWNS ON SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker Phil Dawson has made all five of his field-goal attempts. Punter Reggie Hodges has a 34.4 net average. Joshua Cribbs is averaging 28.4 yards on kick returns and 12.4 on punt returns. The punt coverage unit was torched last week by Adam Jones, who went 81 yards for a touchdown.
BILLS ON SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker Rian Lindell has yet to attempt a field goal. Punter Brian Moorman has a 31.2 net average. Leodis McKelvin has a 23.7 average returning kicks. He averages an eye-popping 31 yards on four punt returns, including a 60-yarder for a touchdown. The Bills are allowing 25.6 yards per punt return.
BROWNS MUST: Pound Richardson at a defense that's struggled stopping the run. Conversely, Spiller can't pick up big chunks of yardage. The team that runs better will likely win.
BILLS MUST: Put pressure on Weeden. Given time against the Bengals, Weeden looked like a time-tested veteran. Controlling the ball on the ground is paramount.
PREDICTION: Browns, 24-17

Buffalo Bills VS. Kanas City Chiefs 2012 Gameday Preview

Editor’s Note: We’re very lucky here at BLD to be part of Fansided, a wide-reaching network with blogs for every NFL team (as well as a huge selection of NBA, NHL, MLB, and other blogs as well). We’d be dumb not to take advantage of these resources, so welcome to our weekly feature: Behind Enemy Lines. Each week, we’ll be checking in with the staff from the Fansided blog representing the Bills’ opponent for that the week.
This week we’re checking in with Patrick Allen, senior editor of Arrowhead Addict, Fansided’s oldest and most successful blog. The work Patrick and his staff turn out is simply awesome. Be sure to check it for the latest Chiefs-related news.
Anyway, big thanks to Patrick for taking the time to answer some Chiefs-related questions for us as we get ready for Sunday’s huge home opener.
1) If any team had as bad a Week 1 as the Bills, it was the Chiefs. Is it already time to panic in Kansas City?

It was certainly a downer but only because of how lopsided the final score was. It is easy to panic when you get your butts kicked but as the chiefs showed us last year, you can get smoked in your first two games, losed the third and still nearly win the division. It is a long season.

The Chiefs were missing four starters on defense and the Falcons are one of the best teams in the NFL. They were just outmatched.

2) Are Chiefs fans pretty much ready to abandon ship on Matt Cassel, or is there still hope there?

Chiefs fans understand that Cassel has serious limitations but they also understand that he is the best QB on the team and for now at least, we’re stuck with him. Cassel is an interesting case. He can be very effective when everything else is going well. During the first half of the Falcons game he looked like an All-Pro. His problem is, when the going gets tough he crumbles.

3) There’s good news for the Chiefs defense, as it looks like CB Brandon Flowers will play. The defense really struggled in Week 1, so I imagine any good news is welcome. Are there reasons to suspect this unit is much better than it looked against the Falcons?

I think KC will do better simply because the Bills are no Falcons. I don’t mean that as an insult. The Bills crushed the Chiefs last year. Chan Gailey is a hell of a game planner so I would never feel comfortable going into a game against him.

But the Chiefs will be getting their best corner and their best pass rusher back this week so I think they will put up more resistance for sure.

4) Which young players are you expecting to have a breakout year for the Chiefs?

Dexter McCluster. It is his third season but it appears he has finally found a role in the offense a slot receiver. Also keep an eye on Jonathan Baldwin, the 2nd year WR out of Pitt. He has been wowing coaches in practice. It hasn’t translated into game performance yet but it will at some point.

5) Any other story lines to keep an eye on Sunday?

Eric Berry and Steve Johnson. There has got to be some bad blood there after SJ ended EB’s season last year. I don’t think Berry will be looking for a dirty hit on Johnson but I bet he will lay some wood on him if he gets the chance. Heck, I know I would if it were me. Then again, if I ran into Steve Johnson I’d probably just end up hurting myself but you get the point.

6) Finally, how about a prediction for the game?

The Chiefs are so inconsistent I don’t know what to think. I have seen them look great and terrible so far in 2012. But I think (hope) they put it together this week. Chiefs 24, Bills 21

Buffalo Bills Vs. Kanas City Chiefs Week 2 Game Preview

When: Sunday, Sept. 16
Time: Noon, Central Time.
Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY.
TV Broadcast: CBS – Spero Dedes, Steve Beuerlein, commentators. DIRECTV – 706.
Radio Broadcasts: Over 60 radio stations on the Chiefs Radio Network, see KCChiefs.com for affiliates, Mitch Holthus, Len Dawson, Kendall Gammon, commentators.
SIRIUS: 137 (KC), 112 (BUF). XM: 231 (BUF)
Two teams with preseason playoff aspirations that crashed to Earth in Week One, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, will try to right the ship on Sunday. On paper, all the trends go Buffalo’s way including the fact that the Chiefs haven’t won a game in Buffalo since the 1980’s, and that the Chiefs defense makes Bills QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick, look like Hall-of-Famer, Jim Kelly.
While the Chiefs went comatose in the second half in a 40-24 loss to Atlanta last week, the Bills self-destructed on a monumental scale and lost 48-28 to the NY Jets. Both teams will be somewhat desperate to turn their fortunes around even though it’s only the second week.
None of the Chiefs players would come out and say that this week’s game is a “must-win” situation, but luckily it seems like that might be what they’re thinking.
An 0-2 start wouldn’t mean the end of anything mathematically, obviously, but the Chiefs will be underdogs in their next three games (@New Orleans, vs. Chargers, vs. Ravens). An 0-5 start to the season doesn’t exactly take a lot of imagination to believe.
A win in Buffalo and an upset in one of the next three games would leave the Chiefs at 2-3 in their first five and they will be right in the thick of things in the AFC West – especially if one of the wins is against the Chargers. After Week 5, the Chiefs schedule begins to ease up and most Chiefs fans could see them winning these games. Well, some of them, at least.
Here are three things the Chiefs must do on Sunday to pick up their first win of the season:

• Do. Not. Turn. The. Ball. Over!!!! Ok … ok … this could be written every week, but after the Atlanta game (since Cassel obviously didn’t read my article last week when I said more than one turnover would kill the Chiefs’ chances of winning), it becomes even more important. It’s not rocket science, but when the Chiefs offense hangs onto the ball, their chances of winning increase dramatically. Cassel’s turnovers on three consecutive possessions turned an exciting and close game into heartache for the fans in Chiefs Red. This week, Buffalo can be an even bigger turnover machine than the Chiefs are, so keeping turnovers to one or less to sneak out of Buffalo with an upset win is critical.

• Therefore, take advantage of a turnover-prone Buffalo offense – Unlike the Falcons, the Bills don’t have multiple Pro Bowl caliber threats on offense, so Romeo Crennel should be able to game plan to stop WR Stevie Johnson and RB C.J. Spiller. Johnson, of course, is the one who cheap-shotted Chiefs safety Eric Berry last season and put him on the Injured Reserve list for the year. It would be hard to imagine ANYONE on the Chiefs defense losing track of where he will be at all times. Spiller is Jamaal Charles-lite and can kill the Chiefs with big plays. He’s the type of back where the Chiefs can stop him 10 rushes in a row and then he busts one for 75 yards and a TD. But he tends to fumble the ball. This is the time Glenn Dorsey, Dontari Poe and Tyson Jackson must make their presence felt against Buffalo’s O-line so that the linebackers can hit Spiller at the line of scrimmage and keep the big gains to a minimum. Finally, Tamba Hali needs to be foaming at the mouth to get to Fitzpatrick because he has more interceptions thrown than any other QB in the league over the last 12 NFL games. Pressure in his face will cause much-needed turnovers for the Chiefs defense.

• Brian Daboll needs to continue to diversify the Chiefs offense. The Bills made the Jets offense look downright invincible last week and even though you cannot bank on it happening with the Chiefs this week, KC showed in the first half against Atlanta that they can move the ball effectively. Sure … if Charles and Peyton Hillis are ripping off five yards per carry, then they’ll keep running the ball. However, offensive coordinator Daboll needs to keep the pressure on for the whole game and that means taking shots downfield to Bowe and Breaston and attack the middle with Boss and McCluster. When Jon Baldwin catches a pass or Tony Moeaki stops batting passes up in the air so they’re intercepted, they can become a bigger part of the offensive game plan.

Everything points towards Buffalo continuing their winning streak against the Chiefs other than the fact that KC has won 4 of their last 6 road games. The fan says that the Chiefs will rise up and cause three or more turnovers (while committing none) and sneak out of Buffalo with a 17-16 win. The realist that has been watching this team for the last month thinks the misery continues for another week:
Prediction – Buffalo 24, Chiefs 13

Buffalo Bills: Ryan Fitzpatrick Or Bust

Tauruas Londono - For better or worse, the Buffalo Bills FO is putting all of its chips on Ryan Fitzpatrick. It goes beyond Fitz's generous 7-year $62 million dollar deal. Much of the gamble now rests on the fact that the Bills will have little depth at the QB . Fitz not only has to be good, "scary good," he has to stay healthy.

Is it fair to say the Bills have razor-thin depth behind Fitz despite the possibility that they might enter the season with four QBs? It seems like the Bills would be wise to hold onto Tyler Thigpen as the season gets underway, if for no other reason than the fact that he knows Gailey's passing scheme far better than Tarvaris Jackson will on opening day. However, I'm under no illusions that Thigpen's days in Buffalo are numbered.

Whether or not Chan and Nix keep Thigpen for any length of time after preseason, there's little doubt that they're going to eventually wind up with one, yes one quarterback behind Fitz. From four to one seems like a big leap, but let's be clear about something; Brad Smith is absolutely not a legitimate every-down passer in this league. I'm not sure that he's a legitimate passer, period.

Chan is enamored with the idea of a utility man he can use in the wildcat, and Smith is that man. The fact he's officially the third-string QB has more to do with where Chan wants to fit him on the roster than providing authentic depth behind Fitz. Smith has to take up a spot somewhere.

That's all well and good, but it means that once Thigpen finally gets his walking papers (whenever that may be), Tarvaris Jackson will be the only real QB backing up Fitz. Make no mistake, having Jackson as back-up isn't a doom & gloom scenario. Jackson has started at QB in no less than 34 games. Last year, Jackson ended the season with a respectable 60.2% completion percentage and a QB rating of 79.2. You can't feel too bad about a back-up who has those numbers.

Fans might prefer a situation where the second-stringer was a young, up-and-coming talent (like, say, Fitz himself arguably was), but the Bills have decided to go in the opposite direction. As much as some fans might want the next franchise QB to be sitting on the sidelines, the Bills are intent on former starters (Vince Young and then Jackson) rather than starters-in-waiting.

For better or worse, Jackson will essentially be the only real back-up. Buffalo has no long-term solution at QB beyond Fitzpatrick (whose under contract until 2017). Meanwhile, Fitz is in an odd situation. He's a veteran in the first full year of his contract, and the expectations will be higher than at any time in his 7-year career.