. (WGR 550) -- The good thing for the Bills is they were not in town to hear how disgusted fans are with this football team after blowout losses to San Francisco, New England and the Jets.
Buffalo practiced all week in Arizona so I’m at a little disadvantage this week not being around the team, but there are some things I don’t need to be with them to know.
After Arizona, it’s a home game against Tennessee which has extra time to prepare after upsetting Pittsburgh on Thursday. Buffalo then takes to the road for difficult games in Houston and New England. There’s a good chance their defense will get shredded again in one or both those games.
Remember last season when Washington came to Toronto and the Bills recorded nine sacks? After that game Buffalo got just 14 more sacks in the final nine games.
This season the Bills have 10 sacks in five games. Kyle Williams has 3.5, Marcell Dareus has two, Mario Williams has 1.5 and Mark Anderson, Kevin Sheppard and Alex Carrington have one each. They’re facing an Arizona offense that has given up 23 sacks, 17 of those have come in the last two weeks against St. Louis and Miami. The opportunity to have a game like the Redskins game of last year is looking this defense right in the eye. They must for the first time all season put heat on the quarterback. They did a little bit in Cleveland, but their chance is here.
The only real weapon the Cards have is Larry Fitzgerald. He’s the best receiver the Bills have faced and considering below average veterans and low drafted and free agent rookies are making the Bills secondary, especially Aaron Williams look like D3 college players. Kevin Kolb might be able to hurt Buffalo with Fitzgerald. Kolb has completed just over 60% of his throws and Fitzgerald has only two touchdowns, but if they get him matched up with Williams, he could have a record breaking day.
If Arizona, which is 31st in offense and 26th in points scored rolls up over 400 yards against the Bills, you then know many of the Bills on defense are waaayyy over rated and it’s time for Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey to be gone, so they can use the bye week after the Titans game to reorganize.
So what if the defense finally comes through does that guarantee a win against a 4-1 team? Not really because Arizona’s defense is much improved. Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t handle the 49ers defense and the Cardinals are only a slight step down. Arizona only gives up 15.6 points per game and it’s 12th in total defense.
Remember in preseason I mentioned how excited I was to see how new quarterbacks coach David Lee could maybe help Fitzpatrick improve to the next level? It’s had the opposite affect. His accuracy in worse than ever, I know, he has 12 touchdown passes which is 3rd in the NFL behind Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, but his QB rating 18th in the NFL behind Christian Ponder, rookie Robert Griffin III, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker and Kolb. Predictably, Gailey and Nix protected Fitzpatrick again this week and said he is still their franchise quarterback.
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a quarterback miss so many wide open receivers which would’ve been drive saving plays or in many cases, touchdowns. If Fitzpatrick or the receivers don’t screw it up, then key penalties do.
Gailey also has to figure out a better method of using Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. Splitting series has not gotten it done the past two games. It’s also difficult getting a running game going when the opponent has no respect for your quarterback’s ability to beat them.
We already know during a game, Gailey and his coaching staff have no answers, he told us that last week so the game plans have to be solid and must work. If it doesn’t, there’s no figuring it out until next week.
I know I refuse to pick games on the Bills roundtable, but if I had I’d be 5-0 this year. I know, that’s easy to say and many of you may not believe me, but what’s so hard picking the Jets, Patriots and Niners to win and the Chiefs and Browns to lose? I will not make a pick public this week either, because most Bills fans are not going to want to hear it.
