Week 7 grades for the Bills

By Connor Byrne | Friday, October 28, 2005 | ( 0 )

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On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills looked absolutely horrendous in their 38-17 loss in Oakland. The Raiders dominated in just about every phase of the game. Here are Sunday's grades for the Bills...

Offense:

Quarterback = C. Kelly Holcomb completed 19 of 27 passes for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those are nice stats but he just isn't throwing for enough yards. He created a couple of sacks as well by holding on to the ball too long. Through his first three weeks as the Bills' starter, Holcomb has done well but it's probably time to go back to J.P. Losman and think about the future.

Running game = D-. The Buffalo Bills rushed 23 times for 84 yards as a team but their featured back, Willis McGahee, didn't get the ball enough. He ran it just 15 times for 50 yards. Those aren't good stats but it's hard to criticize Willis if he never really got a fair shot in this game. He needs at least 25 runs per game.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends = D-. Eric Moulds and Josh Reed led the way with four receptions, Lee Evans caught three passes, and Jonathan Smith caught one pass. However, these receivers failed to get open many times on Sunday, despite a depleted Raiders' secondary. Their failure to create separation from the opposing defensive backs is really harming the Bills' passing game. Tight end Mark Campbell caught two passes for only 7 yards. This team is in desperate need of a premier tight end. They just don't have one.

Offensive line = F. The run-blocking was atrocious and they rarely gave the quarterback enough time to throw. Holcomb even stated after the game that he had never been hit so hard, or so much. Every time this group plays a game on the road, they lay an egg. It's a disturbing trend that continues to go on. They were manhandled by a Raiders' defensive line that is fairly mediocre.

Overall Offensive grade = D. There wasn't really anything positive worth noting from this group. All of the starters and the reserves pretty much played terrible. Over the past few years, every time it looks like this offense is getting it together, they go on the road and look as bad as ever. Sunday's game was no different, they ought to be embarrassed.

Defense:

Defensive line = F. They failed to create pressure on Raiders' immobile quarterback Kerry Collins the entire game. The line had just one sack and that was after Collins decided to hold the ball since nobody was open. These guys seem to get worse every week. They were dominated by the Raiders' suspect offensive line and they allowed Oakland's running back, Lamont Jordan, to ram it down their throats.

Linebackers = D. Weak side linebacker Angelo Crowell added seven tackles and as well as a sack. However, he was awful against the run as well as in pass-coverage. Strong side linebacker Jeff Posey played an absolutely terrible game just one week after playing a great game. As for the middle-linebacker position, starter London Fletcher once again proved why he is among the most overrated linebackers in football. The guy has been a total joke this year. He racks up a lot of tackles but half the time he's getting run over.

Secondary = C-. Nobody in the secondary played well for the Buffalo Bills but it's not really that fair to come down on them if the defensive line and linebackers create no pressure. These guys can only defend the opposing wide receivers for so long, and then they get open. It was among the worst games played by the secondary all year but they probably would have been a whole lot better with at least an adequate pass-rush up front.

Overall Defensive grade = D-. The group continues to show their mettle, or lack thereof, every time they have to play a game on the road. These guys are nothing but a bunch of paper lions who like to pat themselves on the back every opportunity they get. I think it's time to break this group up in the off-season. They reached their pinnacle last year and were supposed to be even better this year. Well, this year they aren't even average.

Special Teams = B. As usual, this unit was solid. Rian Lindell converted his only field goal try, a 41-yarder. Also, Lindell's kick offs were really good for the most part. Return man Terrence McGee flashed more brilliance as he averaged 32.7 yards per kick return. However, punt returner Nate Clements left a whole lot to be desired. Punter Brian Moorman was solid yet again as he averaged 45.0 yards per kick. The coverage was pretty sharp as well for the Bills' special teams unit. However, it just didn't feel like they brought their best.

Coaching = F. Head coach Mike Mularkey officially is one of the worst in the NFL. He is way too focused on trickery, instead of what works. He should be handing it off to Willis McGahee 25 times a game and going with a ball-control offense. Instead, he and his offensive coordinator decide to call run plays to guys who haven't had a run play in five years. The play I'm talking about took place when Buffalo had a fourth down situation from the Raiders' two-yard line. The Bills elected to call a run-play to fullback Daimon Shelton, he hasn't run the ball since the 2000 season. Guess what happened? He was stopped and the Raiders got the ball back. Offensive coordinator Tom Clements is just another version of Mularkey. Neither are qualified enough to be holding their current positions. The same goes for defensive line coach Tim Krumrie. He's done a pathetic job with the group that he's been given. I can't criticize offensive line coach Jim McNally because you can't expect him to make diamonds from coal. Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray once again failed to make adjustments and watched his defense get stomped. For the most part, the coaching staff is a complete debacle.

Those are some pretty ugly grades for the Buffalo Bills, but they deserve every one of them. It's only going to get worse for this entire team next week as they will stay on the road to take on the New England Patriots. It will be Sunday night's ESPN game and the angry Pats will be coming off of their bye week. Ouch.

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