Reilly
09-13-2005, 08:49 PM
Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Tampa Bay Bucaneers (1-0)
Game is Sunday, September 18th at 1:00 PM EST.
Why To Watch
This game features two teams that rely on outstanding defenses to win games. The Bills will need another impressive gameplan for QB J.P. Losman (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6781) and will need RB Willis McGahee (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6359) to continue the high production he's shown since his rookie season.
For Tampa Bay, head coach Jon Gruden must continue to find ways to run the ball against an impressive defense. Can Carnell Williams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7181) have another great game? Can the Bucs continue to protect Brian Griese (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322)? How will defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen match-up with both DC Ronde Barber (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3985) and Brian Kelly (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4304) in passing situations? Which special teams unit will step up and create field position?
http://espn.starwave.com/nfl/gamepackage/i/helmets/buf_34_rf.jpg When the Bills have the ball
Rushing: Last week, Buffalo's notched a whopping 38:15 in possession time. Bills RB Willis McGahee (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6359) took a little while to get going, but once he did, he battered the Texans and finished with a 117 yards on 22 carries. The Bills offensive line has two new starters from a year ago in LT Mike Gandy (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5515) and LG Bennie Anderson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5777). RG Chris Villarrial (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3582), who suffered a bad ankle sprain during the week, started Sunday's game, was unable to finish.
Rookie fourth-round pick Duke Preston (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7298) took most of his snaps in the second half. This could pose problems for the Bills upfront against an active front four. The Buccaneers' defense was better in 2004 than people gave it credit for. A great pass rush helped Tampa Bay rank number one in the league vs. the pass, but the Bucs struggled to stop the run at times due to teams looking to gain yards on the ground more often.
Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen will still use a lot of cover two, and will rely on his front four to continue to get into gaps and cause confusion to blocking patterns, thus allowing his linebackers to play inside-out to the ball carrier. RDT Anthony McFarland (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4663) does a good job of using his hands, play strength and quickness to be active in a small area. WLB Derrick Brooks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3141) is the heart and soul of the Bucs defense and MLB Shelton Quarles (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4073) was very active in the box vs. the Vikings last week.
Passing: Losman threw for 170 yards and one touchdown in leading six scoring drives -- including five for field goals -- in his debut Sunday, a 22-7 victory over the Texans. However, the Bills will need to improve in the red zone (1-for-5 vs. the Texans) against a very good defense in the Buccaneers. The Bills have some explosive playmakers at the skills positions.
WR Lee Evans (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6772), who had a quiet preseason, exploded on the opening drive with catches of nine and 42 yards, and Eric Moulds (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3510) finished with four receptions for 40 yards. Moulds extended his team record with a catch in his 111th consecutive game. TE Mark Campbell (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4930) will have to step up again to take pressure off Losman in the short, underneath areas of the passing game vs. the Bucs cover 2 schemes. The Bucs defense forced Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4659) to commit five turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumbles.
The Bucs have a veteran defense and are led by RDT Anthony McFarland (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4663), RDE Simon Rice and WLB Derrick Brooks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3141). The combination of DCs, Brian Kelly (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4304) and Ronde Barber (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3985), continues to be among the best in the game. Kelly is a tight cover man who doesn't take many risks and is more willing to allow a short pass to turn into a big gain. Barber is a big hitter who has great timing and pattern recognition. Kiffin will rely on a great pass rush and a complicated cover 2 scheme to match-up with the Bills receivers.
http://espn.starwave.com/nfl/gamepackage/i/helmets/tam_34_rf.jpg When the Buccaneers have the ball
Rushing: First-round pick RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, the fifth-best performance by an NFL rookie on opening day. Williams is a durable guy who can run inside or outside, and has the ability to make explosive plays in open space.
Look for Gruden to involve RB Michael Pittman (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4326) more this week with the "Rocket" personnel grouping, to create certain match-ups on first and second down. Again, the offensive line will find it difficult in generating running lanes against the Bills' front seven. LDT Sam Adams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2825) is a perennial Pro Bowler who is very disruptive and can be powerful when controlling the point of attack.
LDE Chris Kelsay (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6384) and RDE Aaron Schobel (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5493) are very active one-gap players when stemming gaps and reacting up the field. The linebackers are solid and very productive. SLB Jeff Posey (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4534) was a man possessed against his old team last week, making several nice plays against the run. MLB London Fletcher (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4539) had a team-high 10 tackles and recovered a fumble. WLB Takeo Spikes (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4278) had a forced fumble to set up Buffalo's final field goal. SS Lawyer Milloy (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3572) is a force in the secondary and can be dependable vs. the run.
Passing: QB Brian Griese (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322) threw a touchdown pass for the 12th consecutive regular season game against the Vikings. Griese will need to make decisions, see the field and complete a high percentage of passes in the short and the intermediate areas of the field in the Gruden-controlled underneath passing attack.
However, WR Joey Galloway (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3135) proved he can still be a deep threat, finishing the opener with five catches for 97 yards, for a 19.4 average. Look for third-round pick TE Alex Smith (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7247) -- who was impressive in the red zone area -- to be more involved in the passing game in the Buccaneers 1-2 (1 RB, 2 TE) personnel grouping. Another key player the Bills will have to gameplan to stop is receiver Michael Clayton (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6774). Clayton was one of the biggest surprises of 2004. He has good hands, size and can be productive on all three levels in the passing game.
The Bills defense, that led the NFL in takeaways a year ago, picked up where it left off with five takeaways and five sacks. The defense harassed Texans' QB David Carr (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5887) into his second-worst ever passing day (nine completions, 12.1 rating). FS Troy Vincent (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2225) picked off David Carr twice last week and RDE Aaron Schobel (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5493) had two sacks, but cornerback Nate Clements (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5468) locked down WR Andre Johnson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6339) and limited him to three receptions for 18 yards. The Bills are good in the secondary and match-up well vs. the Buccaneers receivers.
Game is Sunday, September 18th at 1:00 PM EST.
Why To Watch
This game features two teams that rely on outstanding defenses to win games. The Bills will need another impressive gameplan for QB J.P. Losman (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6781) and will need RB Willis McGahee (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6359) to continue the high production he's shown since his rookie season.
For Tampa Bay, head coach Jon Gruden must continue to find ways to run the ball against an impressive defense. Can Carnell Williams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7181) have another great game? Can the Bucs continue to protect Brian Griese (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322)? How will defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen match-up with both DC Ronde Barber (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3985) and Brian Kelly (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4304) in passing situations? Which special teams unit will step up and create field position?
http://espn.starwave.com/nfl/gamepackage/i/helmets/buf_34_rf.jpg When the Bills have the ball
Rushing: Last week, Buffalo's notched a whopping 38:15 in possession time. Bills RB Willis McGahee (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6359) took a little while to get going, but once he did, he battered the Texans and finished with a 117 yards on 22 carries. The Bills offensive line has two new starters from a year ago in LT Mike Gandy (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5515) and LG Bennie Anderson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5777). RG Chris Villarrial (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3582), who suffered a bad ankle sprain during the week, started Sunday's game, was unable to finish.
Rookie fourth-round pick Duke Preston (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7298) took most of his snaps in the second half. This could pose problems for the Bills upfront against an active front four. The Buccaneers' defense was better in 2004 than people gave it credit for. A great pass rush helped Tampa Bay rank number one in the league vs. the pass, but the Bucs struggled to stop the run at times due to teams looking to gain yards on the ground more often.
Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen will still use a lot of cover two, and will rely on his front four to continue to get into gaps and cause confusion to blocking patterns, thus allowing his linebackers to play inside-out to the ball carrier. RDT Anthony McFarland (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4663) does a good job of using his hands, play strength and quickness to be active in a small area. WLB Derrick Brooks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3141) is the heart and soul of the Bucs defense and MLB Shelton Quarles (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4073) was very active in the box vs. the Vikings last week.
Passing: Losman threw for 170 yards and one touchdown in leading six scoring drives -- including five for field goals -- in his debut Sunday, a 22-7 victory over the Texans. However, the Bills will need to improve in the red zone (1-for-5 vs. the Texans) against a very good defense in the Buccaneers. The Bills have some explosive playmakers at the skills positions.
WR Lee Evans (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6772), who had a quiet preseason, exploded on the opening drive with catches of nine and 42 yards, and Eric Moulds (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3510) finished with four receptions for 40 yards. Moulds extended his team record with a catch in his 111th consecutive game. TE Mark Campbell (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4930) will have to step up again to take pressure off Losman in the short, underneath areas of the passing game vs. the Bucs cover 2 schemes. The Bucs defense forced Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4659) to commit five turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumbles.
The Bucs have a veteran defense and are led by RDT Anthony McFarland (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4663), RDE Simon Rice and WLB Derrick Brooks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3141). The combination of DCs, Brian Kelly (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4304) and Ronde Barber (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3985), continues to be among the best in the game. Kelly is a tight cover man who doesn't take many risks and is more willing to allow a short pass to turn into a big gain. Barber is a big hitter who has great timing and pattern recognition. Kiffin will rely on a great pass rush and a complicated cover 2 scheme to match-up with the Bills receivers.
http://espn.starwave.com/nfl/gamepackage/i/helmets/tam_34_rf.jpg When the Buccaneers have the ball
Rushing: First-round pick RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, the fifth-best performance by an NFL rookie on opening day. Williams is a durable guy who can run inside or outside, and has the ability to make explosive plays in open space.
Look for Gruden to involve RB Michael Pittman (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4326) more this week with the "Rocket" personnel grouping, to create certain match-ups on first and second down. Again, the offensive line will find it difficult in generating running lanes against the Bills' front seven. LDT Sam Adams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2825) is a perennial Pro Bowler who is very disruptive and can be powerful when controlling the point of attack.
LDE Chris Kelsay (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6384) and RDE Aaron Schobel (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5493) are very active one-gap players when stemming gaps and reacting up the field. The linebackers are solid and very productive. SLB Jeff Posey (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4534) was a man possessed against his old team last week, making several nice plays against the run. MLB London Fletcher (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4539) had a team-high 10 tackles and recovered a fumble. WLB Takeo Spikes (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4278) had a forced fumble to set up Buffalo's final field goal. SS Lawyer Milloy (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3572) is a force in the secondary and can be dependable vs. the run.
Passing: QB Brian Griese (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322) threw a touchdown pass for the 12th consecutive regular season game against the Vikings. Griese will need to make decisions, see the field and complete a high percentage of passes in the short and the intermediate areas of the field in the Gruden-controlled underneath passing attack.
However, WR Joey Galloway (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3135) proved he can still be a deep threat, finishing the opener with five catches for 97 yards, for a 19.4 average. Look for third-round pick TE Alex Smith (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7247) -- who was impressive in the red zone area -- to be more involved in the passing game in the Buccaneers 1-2 (1 RB, 2 TE) personnel grouping. Another key player the Bills will have to gameplan to stop is receiver Michael Clayton (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6774). Clayton was one of the biggest surprises of 2004. He has good hands, size and can be productive on all three levels in the passing game.
The Bills defense, that led the NFL in takeaways a year ago, picked up where it left off with five takeaways and five sacks. The defense harassed Texans' QB David Carr (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5887) into his second-worst ever passing day (nine completions, 12.1 rating). FS Troy Vincent (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2225) picked off David Carr twice last week and RDE Aaron Schobel (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5493) had two sacks, but cornerback Nate Clements (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5468) locked down WR Andre Johnson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6339) and limited him to three receptions for 18 yards. The Bills are good in the secondary and match-up well vs. the Buccaneers receivers.