Lemon must avoid pick pitfall against Buffalo

By Hugo Guzman  |   Wednesday, November 07, 2007  |  Comments( 17 )

Miami Dolphins
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Sad as it may seem, the bye week is officially over for the Miami Dolphins, so it's time to shift focus away from the big picture and get back to analyzing football.

For the time being, the 0-8 Dolphins must ignore hot topics like John Beck's reserve status and focus on the task at hand, which is notching a win against the Buffalo Bills. Prior to the start of the season, most pundits circled this Week 10 matchup as a probable victory for Miami, but the Bills are on a three-game winning streak and are 4-4 on the year.

Additionally, the Bills come to town boasting one of the best ball-hawking pass defenses in the NFL. Buffalo has hauled in 12 interceptions in eight games, making the prospect of trotting out a green rookie quarterback less than promising. Unfortunately, the guy playing ahead of Beck, Cleo Lemon, doesn't exactly inspire confidence with his ball-protection prowess.

In his first three outings this season, Lemon threw four interceptions, and most of them were of the painfully misguided variety. Some came on deep attempts that fell well short of their intended target, while others occurred on ill-advised intermediate throws. Several more could have been interceptions had tipped balls bounced in a different direction.

Against the Bills, the bounces might not be as forgiving.

Still, there is some good news. Lemon was able to avoid throwing an interception in Week 8 against the New York Giants. Furthermore, he actually posted what was by far his best outing of the season, completing 17 of 30 attempts for 149 yards and a touchdown in the horrifically sloppy conditions of London, England. The hope in Miami is that Lemon will be able to parlay a bye week's worth of preparation and competition into an even more productive performance on Sunday.

Interestingly enough, while the Bills have been able to pull down their fair share of interceptions, they have been extremely vulnerable in virtually every other facet of the game. Buffalo ranks 29th in the league against the pass, allowing 255.6 yards per game, and has given up 12 aerial touchdowns while notching just eight sacks. So if Lemon is able to protect the football, he may be able to lay the foundation for sustained offensive success.

The Bills are also susceptible to being gashed on the ground, allowing 115.4 rush yards per game; therefore, Miami's 12th-ranked rushing offense could be in a position to help Lemon out in his quest.

Meanwhile, Miami's beleaguered defense might get some respite this week against a Buffalo offense that ranks 31st in total yardage and scores just 16.1 points per game.

Still, in the end, the game will likely hinge on Lemon's ability to manage the offense and avoid costly turnovers. If he can hold up his end of the bargain, Miami could well be on its way to victory No. 1.

If not, make way for the John Beck era.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 17  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
ScrewLosmanHaters		02:47 AM
11/07/2007
Excuse me but in the last five games the Buffalo Bills defense as averaged holding their opponents to about 78.3 rushing yards a...
No.2
abacus		10:14 AM
11/07/2007
Buffalo has tightened up on defense as of late but the key here is that they don't seem to score much. If Miami can outscore them...
No.3
Paul		10:30 AM
11/07/2007
ScrewLosmanHaters has a great point. The Bills rushing D has been very good after the 0-3 start. They held Cincy to 28 yards,...
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