Bills’ offense must get on track early against Saints

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, September 30, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Buffalo Bills
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On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills (1-2) will meet the New Orleans Saints (1-2) in San Antonio, Texas. Both teams come in with two game losing streaks after impressive opening day wins.

It is vital for the Buffalo Bills to get their offense off and running early because their defense has become a much weaker unit now that Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes has been lost for the remainder of the season. The offensive coaching staff for the Bills must stretch the field to take advantage of the Saints' weak secondary which got torched by Daunte Culpepper and the Minnesota Vikings' offense last week. To add insult to injury for the Saints, they have lost starting strong safety Jay Bellamy for the rest of the season with a torn rotator cuff.

Expect the Buffalo Bills to try and exploit this weak secondary with receivers Eric Moulds, Lee Evans, and Josh Reed. In order to exploit the Saints' secondary, Bills quarterback J.P. Losman must be given sufficient time in the pocket by his offensive line. The line has been sub-par over the last two weeks, leading to more mistakes from Losman.

It is also vital for the Bills that they establish dominance on the ground with their star runner Willis McGahee. He is currently seventh in the NFL in rushing yards with 291 but has not been given enough carries inside the opposing red zone, he has only one touchdown this year. This lack of carries has led to field goals, and field goals rarely lead to victories. Expect the Saints' front seven, led by Darren Howard and Charles Grant to do all they can to stymie McGahee.

As for the Saints offense, they need quarterback Aaron Brooks to play well and limit his mistakes. Brooks must be mindful that Buffalo has the number one pass defense in the NFL, with a secondary featuring ball hawks Troy Vincent, Nate Clements, and Lawyer Milloy. Those three have all been premier defensive backs throughout their careers.

Much like the Bills, the Saints must establish a good running game with their feature back, Deuce McAllister. He has struggled through the first three games of the season, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry. However, he may be in luck this week as he faces a Bills run defense that is ranked dead last in the NFL. The Bills need their defensive tackles, Sam Adams and Ron Edwards, to step up and prevent McAllister from imposing his will on the defense. It will also be interesting to see how well linebacker Angelo Crowell can fill in for Takeo Spikes. If Crowell proves to be below average, it could be a long game for the Bills' defense.

As for the outcome, it all depends on whether the Bills' passing game can exploit the Saints' depleted secondary, and if Buffalo's run defense can actually stop someone for a change. However, if the Saints' defense and running game step up, it should be an easy day for them in Texas.
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