Little Lynch, less Evans, lots of headaches for the Bills

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, December 09, 2008  |  Comments( 73 )

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If either running back Marshawn Lynch or wide receiver Lee Evans was held to 58 yards in one contest, it would be a sign that the respective star went underused and an indication that the Buffalo Bills probably lost that day. If they together managed 58 yards in one contest, it would be an insult to the NFL and their capabilities as human beings.

It’s little surprise that the latter happened against the Miami Dolphins in Sunday's 16-3 loss, as both of this franchise’s notable weapons saw their particular talents go to waste during a match that turned into a waste of time for Bills fans. This offense has one million problems to fix, and getting its two respectable threats involved should just maybe top the to-do list.

The Bills got a combined zero big gains during the Miami game from Lynch and Evans, mostly because they never had a chance to inflict devastation on the fellow visiting team. The rusher was handed the ball 13 paltry times, accumulating an equally paltry 31 yards; he also added a lone catch.

With that reception output, he unfortunately didn’t lag far behind Evans, who reeled in three footballs for 23 yards on yet another day this season when the wideout found himself going woefully underutilized. It wasn’t simply thanks to J.P. Losman’s capricious accuracy: The quarterback was painfully awful, but he may as well have been given more chances to prove he could be less awful.

It started badly, as the usually dynamic pair only totaled seven touches in the first half. The one fact that makes that pathetic accumulation worse is that all of those chances were runs by Lynch; Evans was shut out through the first two quarters, as coordinator Turk Schonert apparently still hasn’t realized that there’s a correlation between disregarding the receiver and the offense’s failure to accomplish anything. It was only this season’s 13th game, after all.

The situation didn’t improve after the break, either. The two had 13 total chances by the third quarter’s end, with Evans increasing his output by infinity percent; unfortunately, his catch quantity only jumped by one to one. The Wisconsin product continued to go shamefully ignored to the point where he may has well have spent the afternoon patronizing the Hard Rock Café housed within Toronto's Rogers Centre. Evans’ only other direct action came in the form of a catch each on the final two drives, and the fact he didn’t get to indulge in a Pig Sandwich was just a further affront.

Meanwhile, Lynch’s only grab came on that second-last possession, covering 4 worthless yards on a fourth-and-5. To be fair, he once again didn’t help bump up his own totals earlier: The Cal man had a ghastly drop with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter when Losman actually improvised a worthwhile attempt after a troubled snap. The rusher also dropped a screen pass on the aforementioned second-last offensive effort, meaning a usual solution was part of the problem.

At the same time, it would be easier for Lynch to avoid drops if he got more chances to do his primary task: It’s as if he’s rusted over when he finally gets a chance to field the ball after going unused for such long stretches. As usual, he busted his tail when finally presented with opportunities, but the infuriating layoffs between rushes also affected his catching.

Of course, the bigger issue is that not enough runs for Lynch is horrid in itself. Schonert’s unwillingness to establish the rushing game or take enough chances to get his top receiver involved hurts both players. Why should any defense fear one or the other when neither is going to get even a marginally acceptable number of tries? Worst, it affects them when they actually get involved: Lynch is trying too hard, while Evans doesn’t get enough tries to try hard.
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CommentsComments: 73  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
ba bye		10:28 AM
12/09/2008
Let's see...Fairchild or Schonert? Schonert or Fairchild? I think the Bills scored 12 TDs by passing in 2007. Guess how many they...
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No.2
Goose		10:54 AM
12/09/2008
3d---In response from last night yes I gave JP time to develop, then realized he just doesn't have it. I'm a firm believer in...
No.3
Kegman		11:16 AM
12/09/2008
Anybody read Sullivan's column this morning? It's some revealing snippets from his interview with Ralph after the game. I'm not...
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