Bills’ offense a little better in second preseason game

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, August 20, 2007  |  Comments( 49 )

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They're still a bit spastic but slightly more functional. It's not entirely promising, and there are necessary repairs to be made, but Buffalo's offense was a bit better in its second preseason clash, a contest against Atlanta. To be fair, it would have been hard for the unit to have looked all that much worse than it did overall in pre-Week 1, but there were occasional hopeful moments in the sort-of first home game of the year.

Viewers at last got to see a little bit more of first-round rookie running back Marshawn Lynch, as he mustered 16 yards on five carries. His best carry was his first, as he showed that he has power to accompany his renowned slipperiness, instinctively changing course when he saw an opening and then pushing the defenders who met him in the same direction he was traveling to pick up a total of 8 yards.

Lynch also involved himself in the best offensive play of the game, a 36-yard strike by J.P. Losman to Lee Evans in the first quarter. The premier wide receiver's life will not only be easier if someone emerges as a genuine second catching threat but also with the sort of top pass blocking that was provided before the completion.

The rookie runner picked up a blitzer with efficiency on the play; it's not his primary role, but his willingness to take on tasks he's not renowned for is a promising occurrence. Left tackle Jason Peters naturally dominated his man, too, while Robert Royal, who is closer to a sixth lineman than a receiving tight end, also protected his passer well.

That said, Evans could also use generally sharper quarterback play than what's been seen from the first-stringer this preseason. His connection with his star receiving teammate on that single prodigious play aside, Losman completed 7 of 13 passes for a somewhat underwhelming 78 yards. His passes have sometimes looked a bit dull, and it would relax many fans if Losman could play more like last year and have fewer 2005 moments.

It could be as simple as adjusting to the wind, as a couple of his passes fluttered away from their intended recipients during an unusually blustery August evening in Orchard Park, N.Y., including one where he had Peerless Price lined up in stride heading into the end zone and chucked the ball well short. It would have helped Price, too, as he tries to incorporate himself into the offense.

To be truthful, the offensive line also faced a few troubles. Peters isn't someone to worry about, but he did pick up a holding penalty for the second straight week. And Duke Preston did not distinguish himself at center.

A horrible snap sent vaulting over Losman's head during the second drive was bad enough, but Preston's false start while was simply unacceptable. That would be like a runner being allowed to fire the starting pistol during a race in which he's participating and still jumping the gun. If Jason Whittle ends up winning the right guard starting spot, Preston won't overtake Melvin Fowler for the middle position based on his weak performance as the snapper against the Falcons.

Friday's uneven level of play is why they hold four preseason games. Not only must prospective talent be auditioned during real action, but the complexity of getting all 11 players to sync takes a few tries. Performances improved marginally over what they showed against the Saints, and a bit of progress beats leveling off or plateauing. A sharper starting quarterback performance along with more game repetitions for the rookie running back are the best hopes for an elevated level of competition in the most important preseason moment for the offense: the third game.

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CommentsComments: 49  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Rickie		03:16 AM
08/20/2007
yeah, I'm a little disapointed and a little happy at the same time. There was some improvement but way more rustiness on the 'o'...
No.2
Ron		07:41 AM
08/20/2007
I am not sure how anyone can say that they improved when they had only three first downs in the first half! I am going to be...
No.3
RJ		09:05 AM
08/20/2007
Not to be a bucket of cold water, but it might be wise for Bills fans to curb their expectations for a good start to the season...
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