Out of Bounds

Bills Jets matchup

2011-11-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ok... So it's Jets week, and that means putting up with some of the most annoying NFL fans in the nation, Jets fans.

I have had conversations with quite a few Jets fans this week and they were very frustrating, to say the least. The most common comment I got from them is "the Jets match up well against the Bills". I don't know if there is some give-us-hope website that these Jets fans are getting this from but when I hear "the Jets match up well against the Bills", I say, "Maybe, possibly, but I don't know. I don't think so".

Let's talk about matchups, shall we?

Fred Jackson, tops the league in all purpose yards, he has the fourth most yards in the NFL (721), he has the second highest average (5.5) amongst running backs. He's facing off against the leagues 25th ranked run defense. The Jets defense looked as though it would be tough to run against after they held Felix Jones to just 44 yards in week one, and holding the entire Dallas team to just 64 total yards on the ground. But, as it turns out, Felix Jones has been struggling this year eclipsing the 100 yard mark only once in 5 games, and breaking 50 yards only once in the remaing 4 games.

Week 2 Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 88 yards on 18 carries (4.8 ypc) add Karims 15 yards on 6 carries and the Jaguars get 103 yards on the ground. Not a horrible day for the Jets rushing defense, but any optimism that they were going to be strong against the run was shattered the following week when Darren Mcfadden shredded the Jets D for 171 yards on 19 carries, that's 9 yards per carry, moore took a carry 23 yards for 194 total yards on the ground for the Raiders.

The next week the Ravens gained 112 yards on the ground between Ray Rice (66 yards) and Ricky Williams (49 yards). A 3 yard loss by Flacco totals 112. Things didn't get much better when the Jets rushing defense took on the Patriots. Benjarvus Green Ellis ran for 136 yards on 27 carries, and 152 total rushing yards for the Patriots. Miami gained 118 yards on the ground between Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas (who?). And then there's the Chargers who are only the second team all season that the Jets held under 100 yards, they gained 96 total yards on the ground.

I know it sounds weird with DMC and MJD on the list, but Fred Jackson is the best running back that the Jets will have faced this year. Most yards and higest YPC average of any runningback the Jets have faced. I expect Freddy to get 25+ carries in this game, that's only happened twice this season with 26 rushing attempts against the Eagles and 26 carries against the Redskins. I can't see this Jets defense stopping Freddy, it could be a long day for them.

Bills 13 ranked Passing offense vs the Jets 7th ranked Pass Defense.

Another thing I hear from Jets Fans is Revis this Revis that, I have a mancrush on Revis.It's true, he's good, no, great. But again, we're talking about how these teams match up against each other, because after all, Jets fans say that the Jets matchup well against the Bills. But here's the problem Jets fans, Revis can't cover the entire team, more specifically, Revis can't cover Fred Jackson. Again, he is in the top of the league for all purpose yards. Also, the Bills offense does not depend on one WR. The Bills offensive scheme actually favors this matchup, it's about getting the ball out quickly to the open guy. That means David Nelson, Donald Jones, Freddy Jackson, even Naaman and Spiller will get into the mix. I'm not forgetting about Cromartie, but the Bills run a lot of 4 and 5 wide spread, so Revis really isn't that important in this game. Also, I don't anticipate much passing so it makes Revis even less of a factor.

Which leads me to another point: Typically teams that are bad in rushing defense have better stats in the passing game because teams are too busy running all over them, and therefore throw less.

The Bills 24th passing Defense vs the Jets 22nd ranked pass Offense

The Bills passing defense has been giving up a lot of yards which is why they are ranked so low, but they lead the league in interceptions, which gives them a leg up on this matchup. Marcel Dareus looks like he will be a force at nose tackle, actually, the best matchup to watch on Sunday lies here, Dareus vs Mangold. Because as Jets fans told me the Redskins are not exactly world beaters, but, 10 team sacks against any NFL team is very impressive. If the Bills pass rush looks 1/3rd as good as it did against the Skins that means 3.33 sacks, and a rough day for Sanchez, who, hasn't exactly been lighting up the league this season.

The Bills 20th ranked rush Defense vs the Jets 28th ranked run offense

As uninspired as the Jets passing offense looks, the rushing O looks even worse. It's been very subpar this season and with Dareus at NT I don't see the Jets rushing getting any better.

As much as Jets fans think the Bills match up well for the Jets, I say, no... the Jets match up very well for the Bills.

Also, since the running game with Fred Jackson is going to be a big part of this game, I expect to see some play-action in this game.

With Donald Jones back in the lineup, look for the Bills to install some more deep passes back into their gameplan.

The Bills should be working with good field position all day long, and perhaps a defensive TD (from a pick 6) that should help put this game away.

24-10 Bills.

Fitzpatrick has IT.

2010-11-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

OK, here is my problem right now. Some local radio personalities are saying that Fitzpatrick is not a QB that you can build your team around. I say, a QB that can throw 2 almost 3 interceptions early and bounce back to have a 316 yard 4 td game is a guy worth consideration.

I said a while ago that if Fitzpatrick kept playing well that he would have to be the Bills choice for QB in the 2011 season, if there is one. Fitzpatrick now has 18 TD's to 9 INT's, that's a 2 to 1 TD to INT ratio. He plays with swagger, he can move around and make plays with his feet, and he knows how to find the open receiver. Sure, he wasn't a flashy number 1 draft pick, but I challenge you to look up the number 1 QB taken in the last 10 years, you will find that nearly 50 percent of them are not starters in this league.

When you have a QB playing as well as Fitz is playing why would you look in another direction. If Edwards played this well, he would still have a job and the same people would be talking about building the O line and D line.

He's not accurate they say: He's completed nearly 60 percent of his passes and seems to progress each week. That's what you want from your QB right?

Let's not forget how bad the offensive line is for the Bills. This guy is making plays with no time to think. Go ahead, watch a Patriots game, watch a Colts game and take a look at how long those QB's have in the pocket. If Fitz is playing this well behind this offensive line, imagine what he could do with time to think!

I say, you keep Fitzpatrick at QB, build the team around him. Draft defense in the first round, it's a bigger need. Build the offensive line in the off season too and the Bills will have a team that will be tough to beat, with Chan Gailey and his die-hard attitude.

Fitzpatrick, average points per game

2010-10-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Bills offense with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm is averaging 25 points per game this season. If the defense was decent the Bills would have won 3 out of 4 of the games he's started in.

What's more? His average of 25 points per game this year would have won 11 games last season when the defense was playing better.

Ryan Fitzpatrick as found his rythm, that's for sure. Let's see how long he can hold onto it for. If he plays out the rest of the season the same way he's been playing, in my mind, for now, the search is over.

All Eyes On Me

2010-10-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

If Ryan Fitzpatrick was looking for a theme song for the week, it would be "All Eyez on Me" by Tupac Shakur. Bills fans everywhere, whether they like it or not, were impressed with Fitzpatrick's 29/43 382 yard and 4 td performance last Sunday against the Ravens.

Well, he has certainly woke up the fan base, and set a precendent. Coming off a bye week where the owner, Ralph Wilson, came out and said that the team needed to draft a QB with their first pick, Fitzpatrick decided to show Mr Wilson exactly what he was capable of.

Now the newly awake fanbase will all be watching his performance this weekend against the Chiefs to find out if he is worthy of being the number 2 ranked QB in the NFL after 7 weeks (4 weeks for Fitzpatrick). But more than that, the fanbase will be watching to see if he has what it takes to be the Bills QB for at least the next season. Fitzpatrick says getting the same performance from last week is attainable but it won't be easy.

"Well it’s a completely different team in terms of the scheme that they use and they’ll present different challenges for us. But again it’s a matter of trusting the plan that we have in, getting the most that we can out of the next three days of practice and just going there and executing the plan."

The Bills Quarterback also says it may be tough to run on the chiefs.

"This is a week that they challenge you a little bit, it’s hard to run the ball versus these guys, very stout, but we want to run the ball and we’re going to accept that challenge. Hopefully we’ll have a good day there and then they leave your guys in a lot of one-on-one matchups on the outside."

So the offense may have to rely on the passing game. If that happens Fitzpatrick will have another week to prove the doubters wrong. Well here he is 4 weeks in and he has 11 TD's (4th most in the league) and only 4 Int's. He has ten more games to show management and the owner at One Bills Drive that he can be the guy that they call their QB of the future. He holds his own destiny, let's see how he handles it.

First Overall Pick is Seeming More And More Like Reality

2010-10-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

While the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft is getting cloer to reality for the Buffalo Bills, what seems to be dimming is the need for a Signal Caller.

Coming off an impressive 4 TD game with 374 yards passing while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes Ryan Fitzpatrick is making a solid case as to why the Bills should look at drafting another position with their high draft pick.

Currently Fitz has the second highest QB rating in the NFL, second to only Peyton Manning. The Bills QB also has 11 TD's in just 4 games as the starter, that's just one shy of a 3 per game average.

I am not saying that the decision should be made today. What I am saying is that if Fitz continues to get better each week, which is what he has done since the release of Trent Edwards, and he finishes the season as strong as he is playing right now, then it would be foolish for the Bills to use the number 1 pick overall on a QB. Remember how mad the fanbase was when the Bills drafted Spiller last year? We already had a running back they said. Well, if Fitzpatrick keeps playing the way he is now, we will already have a QB, and much more glaring needs like Defensive End, or Left Tackle.

I don't understand how anybody would be unhappy with this. We will have found our QB, the smartest QB in the league who is very physical and athletic who continues to get better each week. So, then, why draft a guy who may or may not work out? Any Bills fan SHOULD be happy if Fitz continues to play well and get better. It will fill one need (QB) and allow the Bills to draft at another position of need.

Kyle Williams has attitude and swagger

2010-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Kyle Williams is in his fifth season as a Buffalo Bills defensive tackle. He's been quietly making plays for the Bills, an He's the first to admit he's not your prototypical DT.

"According to everybody that knows something, I've never been prototypical at anything, I just go out and make plays, and that's what I'm going to keep doing. I'm going to go out and play my ass off, and I'm going to get after guys and when the ball turns over I'm gonna throw a freaking fit."

Williams talked about his agressive style saying that he doesn't want to just be a guy that plugs a gap.

"I want to punch a guy, I want to go tackle the ball carrier, and I want to get back to the huddle and I want to do it again."

Williams who logged 66 combined tackles and 4 sacks in the 2009 season in 14 games, also spoke of some of the differences betweens the old defense and the current one.

"90 percent of our snaps the last couple years, we've been in an overfront, and we have been in cover 2 or cover 3, so they know what to expect. We were flying off the ball, doing this and that. Where now, we're playing a little bit heavier, a little slower, but, we can do more things on defense to confuse the offense. Where in the past we really didn't have that."

Kyle is ready to end the losing streak against New England, and says it's not to late to turn that streak around.

"They killed us one time when they were on the roll, when they went undefeated in the regular season. Other than that it's been pretty tight, I'd go as far to say we've had 2 games were in our hands, that were ours but we gave them anyway... We've got to learn that in the fourth quarter... we got to learn to finish the game, get over the hump, and then, that's when you start winning the football game. Everytime you go play them, it's a new game, a new opportunity, and a chance for us to start a streak as far as I'm concerned."

Roscoe Parrish ready to shine at the number 2 WR spot

2010-09-22T17:15:00.001-07:00

Roscoe Parrish practiced at the 2 spot during Wednesday's practice in preparation for the New England Patriots game in Foxboro. It appears as though he has surpassed Stevie Johnson on the depth chart.
"I wouldn't say that, I'm just taking advantages of all my opportunities that's coming my way, and I appreciate Chan Gailey for giving me the opportunity to prove myself in this league."

If once again starter Ryan Fitzpatrick has time to think behind the Bills offensive line Roscoe Parrish could prove himself once-and-for-all against the Patriots 28th ranked pass defense.

Parrish has been saying for a few seasons now that he felt that his role on the Bills offense should be bigger, but last year he was benched by Dick Jauron.
"I can only control what I can control. Last year was a down year for me. I just can’t feel sorry for myself. With Chan Gailey using me, it’s a blessing."

This could be a good game for the Bills offense as the Patriots are 26th in total yards allowed on defense, with an average of 382 yards per game, and 5.4 yards per play.

Some people say that Roscoe is too small to play the outside wide receiver position because it's more physical, Roscoe disagrees: "You’ve got to fight on the inside, too. There really isn’t a difference. They can press me inside and they can press me outside. It’s just a receiver spot. "

keith ellison

2010-09-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Keith Ellison says" playing for Buffalo is an absolute thrill"

New on Out of Bounds this year

2010-09-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ghostline Entertainment will be streaming the taping to their website www.Ghostline-Entertainment.com on Monday nights. So if you can't make it out to the show you can still see what the players have to say.

Tapings start at 7:00pm on Monday nights, the stream will start around this time. Also, we will offer viewers using the "chat" function to submit their questions for the hosts to ask.

If you want to attend a taping go to www.Ghostline-Entertainment.com to see shoot locations and dates, as well as guests that will be appearing that week

2010-09-15T14:52:00.002-07:00

Donte Whitner also emphasizing confidence saying: "...we're a confident bunch...we expect to come out and stop them. We expect to get up in their faces and challenge them and make them compete, and that's what we're going to do."

2010-09-15T14:52:00.001-07:00

Jairus Byrd says that the defense is confident enough to stop the Packers, adding "Our defense does not lack confidence."

Stevie Johnson mad about preseason performance

2010-09-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Stevie Johnson will be playing with a chip on his shoulder this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. His preseason performance was not up to his standards, and he's ready to show that he can hold that number 2 spot.

We spoke to him wednesday about his preseason:

"I'm not even going to lie, the preseason for me, it sucked. And that's what it was, you watch the film and I didn't really make too many plays, but there wasn't too many to be made out there. This season is about to start and we'll have a lot more time out there and they'll see the difference... but as far as this preseason, yeah it sucked, sorry guys"

2006-02-04T07:38:00.001-08:00

Powerplay is a Hockey show concentrating the Buffalo Sabres. Powerplay is hosted by Howard Simon, and legendary Buffalo Sabre Danny Gare, Each week they interview a current sabre player and an alumni Sabre. Sometimes there are special guests, like in this episode we have Baby Joe Mesi. Other guests are Paul Gaustad and alumni player Derek Smith

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PowerPlay

2006-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00