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| Author: | psychemedisabrefan [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
The games is this sunday September 20th at 4:05 PM on FOX. After last week's heartbreak and shock Bills fans eagerly wait to see if the team can pull it together and win or crumble into the doom and gloom season that many fans had predicted. (a little intro) Bills, Bucs eager to make up for Week 1 losses John Wawrow, The Associated Press http://www.buffalobills.com/news/articl ... f4a29c6e04 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -There's a joke going around town regarding what Buffalo Bills fans should do to make it up to Leodis McKelvin after the cornerback's front lawn was defaced with an obscenity this past week. Perhaps, the idea was raised, someone should spray-paint a big ``WE'RE SORRY!'' on the same plot of grass in front of his home. McKelvin laughed when hearing about it. Apology accepted from a player who has several reasons to put this week behind him as Buffalo prepares for its home opener against Tampa Bay on Sunday. McKelvin's not pressing charges against the two teens who admitted to police they defaced his property following Buffalo's season-opening 25-24 loss at New England on Monday. And it's better for McKelvin to look forward after his fumble on a kickoff return contributed to the Bills blowing an 11-point lead. ``It's the second week of football,'' McKelvin said. ``Right now, it's all about Tampa Bay.'' The Buccaneers have recent bad memories of their own they'd like to erase, particularly on defense. A once-stingy unit allowed one long pass after another - four of more than 40 yards, and three of them for touchdowns - in a 34-21 loss against Dallas last weekend. ``We're just blowing coverages, and that's just unacceptable,'' veteran cornerback Ronde Barber said. ``The sense of urgency appreciates especially after you have a loss like that.'' Welcome to an early-season matchup between non-conference rivals with very little history between them. Through a quirk of NFL scheduling, Tampa Bay is making its first regular-season visit to Orchard Park. Differences aside, these are two teams with plenty of questions to address. The Bucs' once-dominant defense is suddenly leaking a few holes. In giving up a whopping 462 yards against Dallas, the Buccaneers have now surrendered an average 390 yards over their past six games that count. That's uncharacteristic of a unit that's been among the NFL's best this decade. And it's enough to have rookie coach Raheem Morris expecting opponents, starting with the Bills, to continue testing the far limits of the defensive backfield. ``You are what your tape says you are, and I know (the Bills) are going to try and capitalize on that,'' Morris said. ``It's our turn to try and step up. Our guys have to accept the challenge.'' The defense is in transition after Tampa Bay elected not to re-sign 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks. The Bucs are also without starting safety Tanard Jackson, suspended by the NFL for the first four games for violating the league's substances of abuse policy. ``Tanard Jackson we do miss, but we can't make excuses,'' Morris said. At least there's nothing wrong with their offense, which, behind Byron Leftwich and a two-pronged running attack, generated 450 yards, the fifth-best total in a home game in franchise history. Not bad for a team that changed coordinators by firing Jeff Jagodzinski and promoting Greg Olson on Sept. 3. The Bills did the same thing a day later, firing Turk Schonert and promoting Alex Van Pelt. And yet questions remain whether the Bills' passing attack has more than a dink-and-dunk dimension to it after receiver Terrell Owens matter-of-factly said quarterback Trent Edwards missed a couple of opportunities to go deep against the Patriots. ``It's always a work in progress, and Trent has to better assess what he's seeing out there and take some shots down the field,'' he said. Owens, however, noted that he's satisfied with how the offense played and suggested that with a little bit more efficiency, ``I think we'll be headed in the right direction.'' Edwards was efficient in going 15 of 25 for 212 yards and two touchdowns against New England. But most of his attempts came on screens or to underneath receivers, with Owens and fellow wideout Lee Evans combining for five catches for 71 yards. Van Pelt found it difficult to argue with T.O.'s assessment. ``There's always room for improvement, absolutely. And Terrell's right, there were some opportunities,'' Van Pelt said. ``But for the most part, I thought Trent did a great job as far as getting it to the right receivers.'' An even bigger question is the Bills' resilience, and how quickly this relatively young team can bounce back from a demoralizing loss. Punter Brian Moorman looked at the bright side, noting how the Bills answered many of their skeptics by nearly beating New England. ``Nobody gave us a chance,'' Moorman said. ``I believe this team learned something from that. We still have a lot to prove. But I believe that we've got good things to come.'' |
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| Author: | psychemedisabrefan [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
I figured to post each article individual Gameday Tipsheet - Week 2 Chris Brown, Lead Journalist http://www.buffalobills.com/news/articl ... 7f90393b00 Top 3 Individual Matchups 1. Terrell Owens vs. Ronde Barber – Two wily veterans will match wits. Both players have been extremely productive in their lengthy careers. Owens is second all-time in touchdown receptions. Barber is the Bucs all-time leader in interceptions. Barber moves into the slot in nickel, but when on the outside it’s a matchup where superior football smarts could be the difference. 2. Kellen Winslow vs. Bryan Scott – If Bucs top WR Antonio Bryant is unable to play (knee) Byron Leftwich will be looking to Winslow all the more in the passing game. After watching the damage New England’s Ben Watson did last Monday night you have to believe Tampa’s offensive staff will see if Winslow can have similar success against Scott and LB Keith Ellison. 3. Gaines Adams vs. Demetrius Bell – The task gets no easier this week for Buffalo’s new left tackle. Bell draws the Bucs top pass rusher. Much like Bell, Adams is still more potential than production right now, but the third-year end has far more game experience and will be a test for the Bills’ blind side protector. Top 2 Bills Advantages Good advantage – Kicking game – Brian Moorman and Rian Lindell were rock solid in the kicking game for Buffalo on Monday night while Tampa’s new kicker Mike Nugent is off to a rough start. Last Sunday he had a 38-yard attempt blocked and pushed a 46-yard attempt wide right. Bucs punter Dirk Johnson had a better day than his kicking counterpart, but if wind is a factor Sunday things could get hairy for Tampa’s specialists. Best advantage – Deep passing game – The Bills haven’t made a habit of taking advantage of the deep ball the past couple of seasons, but this matchup makes it difficult to ignore. With a safety tandem that’s trying to get their feet back under them after giving up three touchdowns all over 40 yards the Bucs may overcompensate to guard against suffering the same fate this week, but it doesn’t mean Buffalo shouldn’t try with Evans and Owens outside. Bills number one must Contain Bucs run game – Despite getting beat handily by the Cowboys in Week 1, Tampa’s revamped run game produced big numbers in their opener with 174 yards on the ground and a 5.6 yards per carry average. Adopting a new zone blocking scheme in the mold of Denver’s run game for so many years under former coach Mike Shanahan, the Bucs offensive line is aggressive and Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham make for a formidable three-headed monster. Buffalo’s run defense fared well against the Patriots in Week 1 and will need to do just as well if not better against Tampa’s scheme which requires supreme discipline to capably defend. Scouting Eye Cadillac is back Not much was expected of former Bucs first-round pick Cadillac Williams coming off of back-to-back knee surgeries to repair torn patellar tendons in each knee. But after two years of grueling rehabilitation Williams was impressive in his Week 1 return with 97 yards on just 13 carries (7.5 average) and a touchdown. Benefitting Williams further is Tampa’s zone blocking scheme is very similar to the one he ran behind with enormous success in college at Auburn. Bucs head coach Raheem Morris maintains he’ll continue to go with the hot hand at running back, but each of the top three backs were used last week. Williams and Derrick Ward saw the most action. New DC No longer are the Buccaneers exclusively playing their trademark ‘Tampa 2’ defense originally built by former head coach Tony Dungy and further popularized by long time defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. New defensive coordinator Jim Bates, who had great success as a defensive boss in Green Bay and Miami, has brought a more aggressive scheme to the club. Tampa now plays more press coverage and has a far greater number of blitz packages in their scheme than in years past. Down a pivot man The Buccaneers lost starting center Jeff Faine for 4-6 weeks with a torn triceps in the opener. Rookie Jonathan Compas stepped in , but figures to be replaced in the lineup by veteran Sean Mahan this week. Mahan was one of Tampa’s final cuts before the season, but was re-signed. Adjusting to a new pivot man could initially compromise the Bucs’ effectiveness in the run game. No number one? Tampa Bay top receiver Antonio Bryant was forced to leave last week’s game due to knee fatigue, and has struggled through the practice week leading up to Sunday’s game not practicing Thursday or Friday. He’s listed as doubtful for this weekend’s game with Buffalo. Bryant is the Bucs’ number one passing weapon after putting together a monster season in 2008 that earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors with 83 catches for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns. If he cannot play Sunday it’s expected that the Tampa Bay offense will lean more heavily on number two wideout Michael Clayton and Kellen Winslow in the passing game. Behind those receiving weapons Tampa has only Maurice Stovall, rookie Sammie Stroughter and Brian Clark. Stroughter is expected to line up at Bryant’s split end position if he cannot play. Safety shuffle With starting safety Tanard Jackson serving a four-game suspension for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, Tampa’s starting safeties are Sabby Piscitelli and Jermaine Phillips. Phillips has a calf injury, but is listed as probable. Piscitelli meanwhile is a first-year starter at strong safety and was victimized on two of Dallas’ long touchdowns last week. If Phillips can’t go Sunday, veteran Will Allen would step in. Quality returner As talented as Leodis McKelvin and Roscoe Parrish might be as return men, Tampa Bay has a promising young returner in Clifton Smith. The fourth-string running back finished fifth in the league last season in kick return average with a 27.6 figure last season. That was just over a half yard lower than McKelvin’s average (28.2). Smith also handled punt return duties for the Buccaneers and finished second in the league in average last season behind Parrish with a 14.1 return average to Parrish’s 15.3. Smith had two returns for touchdowns last season. One came on a kickoff (97 yards) with the other on a punt return (70 yards). Buffalo Chips Quote of the week “I believe in myself. I feel like I have other guys’ trust in me. That’s the coaches’ call to make. Whatever call they make I’m sure it’s in the best interest of the team.” --New starting MLB Marcus Buggs Stat of the week Tampa Bay is making their first ever appearance at Ralph Wilson Stadium. With a win this week, the Bills will improve to 4-0 against current NFC South Division teams in their first game at the Ralph. Milestones within reach Trent Edwards (148) needs 27 pass attempts without an interception to set the club record for most attempts without an INT. Lee Evans need four receptions to pass Pete Metzelaars (302) for fourth place on the Bills all-time receptions list. He also needs just one catch for the 300th reception of his career. Roscoe Parrish needs one punt return for a touchdown for the fourth of his career, which would earn him sole possession of first place in franchise history. Final note Tampa QB Byron Leftwich’s last appearance at Ralph Wilson Stadium was also in a home opener for Buffalo in 2004. Then the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Leftwich led a late fourth quarter drive. Down 10-6 Leftwich marched the Jaguars 80 yards on 14 plays and hit Ernest Wilford in the back of the end zone with four seconds left in a 13-10 come from behind victory. |
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| Author: | psychemedisabrefan [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/200909200 ... eers@bills the NFL's game center. it has their preview, matchup etc. |
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| Author: | BS1970 [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
That's hard to believe that this is the Bucs first appearance to the Ralph considering they've been around for 34 years. And I'm sure whom ever wrote this article jinxed Trent when they said he only needs 27 more completions w/o an interception. Anyway, should be a good match up and I'm really looking forward to this game. Let's just hope Edwards gets the ball to TO some more so he doesn't bitch. Go Bills! |
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| Author: | icehound [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
0-2 |
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| Author: | CriminallyVu1gar [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 3:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
icehound wrote: 0-2 Oh give me a break. The game is at home, the line is Bills by 5, Tampa Bay got throttled by a Dallas team that is wholly unimpressive, and they're quarterback is the slowest thing to come out of Jacksonville since Rob Johnson. |
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| Author: | icehound [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 3:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
geeez...sensitive, aren't we. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong...just expressing a three-character opinion. Nothing more, nothing less... |
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| Author: | CriminallyVu1gar [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
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| Author: | psychemedisabrefan [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
well for some reason the two buffalo pro teams again seem to be following each other. i mean leodis fumbles and the bills lose the game in the last 2 minutes, and on the sabres side, two penalties taken right before overtime. so hopefully if the sabres can pull out a win, the bills will be able to. i'm hoping captain no confidence edwards realizes that the loss was not his fault. owens dropped a key third down pass. As well if owens and evans can get open down field dallas exploited the crap out of tampa's secondary, imagine what better receivers can do. |
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| Author: | psychemedisabrefan [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
especially b/c the next two weeks are atlanta and new orleans. |
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| Author: | JD1970 [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
Bucs 31 Bills 21 |
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| Author: | CriminallyVu1gar [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 9:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
psychemedisabrefan wrote: especially b/c the next two weeks are atlanta and new orleans. I believe it is new orleans at home and then in miami. |
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| Author: | mrkwllb [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
neither team can defend the pass, so it's going to be a gun slingers game. Buffalo pulls out a squeaker 24 - 21 |
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| Author: | icehound [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
Sports Illustrated has reported McGee will be out, with Youbouty subbing for him. Obviously, Posluszny's out for six weeks and Schobel is iffy, with back spasms. Cadillac Williams had a great game, last week, and may again have another record-day, on Sunday - If the Bills can't contain the run and/or pressure Leftwich. |
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| Author: | psychemedisabrefan [ Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
you would be right atlanta is not till near the end of the season. |
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| Author: | CriminallyVu1gar [ Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
icehound wrote: Sports Illustrated has reported McGee will be out, with Youbouty subbing for him. Obviously, Posluszny's out for six weeks and Schobel is iffy, with back spasms. Cadillac Williams had a great game, last week, and may again have another record-day, on Sunday - If the Bills can't contain the run and/or pressure Leftwich. Antonio Bryant, the Bucs leading receiver is also out. |
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| Author: | CriminallyVu1gar [ Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
mrkwllb wrote: neither team can defend the pass, so it's going to be a gun slingers game. Buffalo pulls out a squeaker 24 - 21 24-21 is not substantially different than the leagues average score (which was last I checked 27-17). 1 more combined point than average is not gunslingers. I think the Bills will win 24-10. |
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| Author: | Howie Hodge [ Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
It usually takes 3 - 4 weeks to see who has it, and who doesn't in the NFL. Even if Buffalo wins, it means little. Buffalo had a great start last year - but as it turned out, against shit ass teams. I will pipe in more around the 4'th and 5'th week.... |
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| Author: | Skyline_BNR34 [ Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
Well I think we will win fairly easily, and I should be able to watch this game, and Atlanta doesn't scare me and New Orleans has no defense, 27 points to Detroit, we have a better defense than Detroit. Atlanta is still a new team trying to gel better. |
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| Author: | Howie Hodge [ Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs |
Bulldicky; Atlanta was good last year, and they have gotten better. |
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