Reed key to Buffalo’s offensive success

By Connor Byrne  |   Wednesday, October 03, 2007  |  Comments( 25 )

Buffalo Bills
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Many fans of the Buffalo Bills probably don't want to admit it, but much-maligned wide receiver Josh Reed is a vital part of their team's offense.

That much was proven during last Sunday's 17-14 victory over the New York Jets, a game that saw Reed finish with four receptions for 64 yards in Buffalo's inaugural win of 2007.

Reed, a 2001 second-round pick, has been a figure worthy of some disdain among Bills followers throughout his career. The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder won the Biletnikoff Award (given to college football's top wideout) in his final year at LSU, and he showed positive flashes as a rookie in Buffalo, hauling in 37 receptions for 509 yards.

Since, though, Reed, an adept blocker and high-IQ player, has never finished with more than 58 catches in a single season, having been held to 16, 32 and 34, respectively, in his other three campaigns. This year has been injury-shortened for Reed, who missed Week 2 altogether with a thigh injury, but he does lead the team in yards per catch (12.8), and six of his 10 receptions have gone for first downs.

If the Bills want to keep finding the win column and avoid further dreary defeats (they're 1-3), Reed will have to continue being involved in the aerial attack by offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild and third-round rookie quarterback Trent Edwards.

Making his first NFL start, Edwards completed 22 of 28 throws for 234 yards, one touchdown and one interception versus the Jets, turning in easily the best performance from a Bills signal-caller this year.

Edwards, 23, received plenty of help from Reed, who regularly abused first-year Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and made New York's defense -- which was giving more attention to stopping No. 1 WR Lee Evans and running back Marshawn Lynch -- pay severely.

The only mistake Reed made was failing to catch a crucial third-and-3 pass that would have locked the game up late in the fourth quarter, but Revis had good coverage on the sixth-year man, and it would have been a difficult reception to make. Luckily for Reed and the Bills, their defense held intercepted a last-gasp pass from Chad Pennington and ultimately sealed the win.

If the 27-year-old Reed continues to stay healthy, he'll be paramount to the success Buffalo's 29th-ranked offense experiences from this point on. Already, he's been an important part of one victory.

"His [Edwards'] performance speaks for itself," Reed said after the game, complimenting the QB who got him the ball.

In usual solid but unspectacular fashion, so did Reed's.

E-mail: cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

RealFootball365.com: In-depth Buffalo Bills coverage five days per week.
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