Bills fans wait for Hall of Fame Game.  Oh, and summer, too

By Anthony Bialy  |   Friday, February 06, 2009  |  Comments( 97 )

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Pretend football is only six months away. It may seem too distant a marker, but after coping with real baseball for so long, the preseason opener will seem like a trip to Vegas and Disney World combined. That’s especially true for Buffalo Bills fans, as their team’s participation in this year’s Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 9 is more than just a showcase of meaningless football. This team can’t show it’s ready soon enough.

Everyone gets to see: It’s a nationally televised game, one that will be carried by NBC at 8 p.m. Extra exposure can’t hurt, even if it’s only a glorified scrimmage against the Tennessee Titans. This also means Buffalo gets an extra preseason game, which at worst gives the team another occasion to screw things up before real action commences. At best, the Bills get an extra chance at sharpness, one that some players could definitely use based on the way 2008 went.

For one, quarterback Trent Edwards needs every chance to show he can play steadily on a steady basis. He can clear shakiness, or, even better, flaunt his accuracy a month before record-affecting games appear on the schedule. As for a target he could use, wideout James Hardy may be returning from his knee injury by then depending on how quickly he adjusts to his bionic updates; he should welcome this early prospect to start fresh after his frustrating dud of a rookie campaign.

Plus, this game is a good chance for a Bill who doesn’t currently exist, namely a reliable third rusher. Fred Jackson cemented his Marshawn Lynch-supporting role by running for 125 yards on 30 attempts in the 2007 preseason; second-year man Xavier Omon, a draftee or mysterious free agent could in turn get steady work supporting Lynch and Jackson if he seizes it at the earliest opportunity.

As for the opposite kind of rushing, the fixture should be useful for a defense that can’t show it can tackle quarterbacks soon enough. Aaron Schobel particularly needs a preseason to ready himself after years of not requiring extensive summer competition. This game is the initial instance where he, and we, discover where his form stands after his first serious pro injury. The good news for him is that the team announced this week that he doesn’t need surgery to fix his Lisfranc, so some genuine not-really-genuine action will be a perfect test for him.

The Bills were plagued by intermittent sloppiness last preseason; while it’s understandable that a team that's together for the first time will play spastically, those trends never disappeared during true contests. They kept up their exhibition tendencies in games that count, which makes the preseason opener a key date for Buffalo: It’s a chance for the Bills to make consistent efforts and clear-headedness a very early point of emphasis.

It’s also a countdown day. Knowing the Earth only has to make half a trip around the Sun before the Bills next face a foe makes life worthwhile and meaningful. Anyone who thinks it’s too early to look forward to a football game being held deep into summer that’s irrelevant to the standings isn’t a fan.

Excitement regarding the August-based matchup separates true believers and posers, which is another reason why participating in the Hall of Fame Game is an excellent moment that can’t come soon enough. Count the months for now, and start counting the days about two months from now.
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No.1
flda-dennis		10:25 AM
02/06/2009
I dont think we get an extra preseason game. I thought we got two weeks off before the regular season opener.
No.2
10:44 AM
02/06/2009
I try to cut A.B. a lot of slack because heaven knows I couldn't find something clever and interesting to write about the Bills 5...
No.3
mrags		11:36 AM
02/06/2009
The bills do receive 5 pre-season games this year with this game. To my knowledge the tickets are not included in the season tix...
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