It took a while for these Bills to circle their wagons, but it looks like they finally found the formation.
Riding an offensive surge, Buffalo snapped a four-game losing streak with an emphatic win over the hapless Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Quarterback Trent Edwards snapped out of his funk, and Leodis McKelvin proved his mettle in the 54-31 win, their first since mid-October.
The Bills finally won a turnover battle, forcing five takeaways while surrendering none to the 1-10 Chiefs. Buffalo scored 20 points off those turnovers, with the only non-productive one being a fumble recovered with four seconds left in the first half.
The big story from this game was Edwards, who officially put an end to his slump. A turnover machine for the past month, Edwards hung onto the ball, found the open receivers and conducted an efficient game, ending with a tidy 121.0 quarterback rating. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, including a 15-yard scramble with time expiring in the first half.
Edwards started shaky, missing a wide-open Robert Royal in the end zone after an excellent play-action fake. The pass was so far off, I had to check replays to make sure J.P. Losman didn't sneak onto the field. He also missed a few wide-open receivers over the middle to start the game.
One thing this game should show, however, is that the young quarterback doesn't have a case of the Òyips.Ó He showed no hesitation throwing the ball into tight coverage and put the ball right on the money. In the second quarter, Edwards looked for Lee Evans, who was tightly covered by the cornerback and safety. The QB threw the ball deep and expected his playmaker to come down with it. The play went for 51 yards and led to a field goal.
Another key factor for Edwards' resurgence was the return from injury of his favorite receiver, Josh Reed. The veteran receiver has a knack for finding soft spots in the coverage that has been sorely missed. He tallied five catches and a touchdown in the day.
Edwards' biggest help in the game, however, came from the coaches booth. Coordinator Turk Schonert dialed up a variety of plays, including some very effective play-action passes.
All of this was fueled by something noticeably absent this season: a running game. Since the second half of the Cleveland game, the Bills line has been clearing huge holes for the running backs, who are running wild into the secondary. The fans and media have been down on Trent, saying he's lost ÒitÓ and can't play. This game should help them remember how they felt about him following the team's quick start.
Everyone seems to forget he is still essentially a rookie. All quarterbacks have problems in their rookie years. They don't recognize coverage, can't sense that defender lying in the weeds, or can't feel that pressure coming from a different angle.
The difference between great quarterbacks and mediocre ones is that the great ones learn not to throw into coverage again, with Brett Favre as the exception. The jury is still out on Edwards, but all signs point to his being a franchise quarterback, as he continues to learn the game.
McKelvin, the other star of the game for Buffalo, also has taken a beating lately from the media. The first-round draft pick has been criticized for not standing out at the cornerback position at which he was drafted. It turns out he can play a bit there, too.
McKelvin picked off two Tyler Thigpen passes, including the highlight reel play he made that went for a 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter. That play gave the Bills their first lead of the game, which they never relinquished. McKelvin blanketed his assignment well for most of the game. He showed great anticipation on the passing routes and broke on the ball well before the receivers did.
And if he can keep it up in the weeks to come, McKelvin could be the playmaking cornerback they have needed in their secondary for a long time. While Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer are great coverage backs, neither is the type to make the key interceptions.
The fly in the barbecue for this game was the shocking play of the defense. Yes, they forced five turnovers, including two interceptions. Those turnovers did turn into 20 points.
But they surrendered 462 yards of offense and 31 points to one of the worst teams in the league. Kansas City moved the ball way too easily, both in the air and on the ground. Had they played anyone else, Buffalo could have been in some serious trouble.
The main reason for that was poor tackling. On the opening drive, Kansas City threw a deep pass down the sideline. Kawika Mitchell was in coverage. His ÒhelpÓ arrived in the form of Ko Simpson, and the two of them took turns whiffing on tackles while the receiver scooted into the end zone. Mitchell missed again later in the game, whiffing on a sack of the Chiefs QB that would have been a safety.
This might seem overly critical, considering the Bills had an impressive number of takeaways. But things like a rash of missed tackles do matter.
All of the problems Buffalo had in their losing streak (poor secondary coverage, lack of a pass rush) were evident in the giddy days when they were beating up on other mediocre teams. Those never got truly corrected, and future opponents took advantage of the weaknesses.
So coaching staff will want to take an extra long look at those game tapes. If a quarterback is judged by the way he learns from his mistakes, shouldn't the same standards be applied to the coaches?
Jim Cwierley is a contributing writer for the Niagara Falls Reporter. E-mail him at jim.cwierley@gmail.com.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | November 25 2008 |