SB Nation - Tyron Brackenridge

Eben Misses a Block

Tkopa — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:32:26 -0000

This is the last of my game analysis photo journal. If we had a longer week, I would show how much we missed Rashean Mathis. Tyron Brackenridge was victimized by Chad Henning and was the leading tackler for a reason. I like Tyron, he is learning, but will be very glad to see Rashean back. This series will show how much more Eben Britton needs to improve. I have faith in him and trust during the off season he will work on his game, but the loss to Miami was not all David as you will see.

This is the sequence where it is third down and four from the Miami 47 yard line, the two minute warning has just ended. We are losing 14-10 and must score a touchdown. Eben Britton and Maurice are sent out alone to the right side. This is good play calling and should work. That is rookie corner-back Vonte Davis for Miami. Based on what I saw in this game, he is a much better candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year than Brian Cushing. In this critical play, if Eben takes Vonte out, Maurice gets the first down and our hopes stay alive.

This is perfect position. One big push and Vonte should go flying. Take him out Eben.

I don't know what kind of move Vonte pulls here, but it looks like it was drawn from a comic book. Somehow he goes down and under Eben in a some kind of flying move (notice he and Eben are off the ground), and manages to get an arm on Maurice. Eben is blocking air.

Not only does Vonte get an arm on Maurice, he brings him down. That saves the game for Miami and in my eyes qualifies him as quite a player. Eben actually blocks no one in this play. He whiffed. It goes without saying Eben needs to improve especially since run blocking is the strongest part of his game.

Here is the lesson we are learning, rookies are an investment for the future. The fact that we are getting as much productivity as we do from the rookies and are posting wins says a lot. When Eben and Eugene round out their skills and Derek Cox moves up a level, the strength of the team improves. I have been reading and hearing how David took all the blame for the loss. Not true. It was a team loss and it will be a team win. I am still happy with the progress of this team. I am ready to renew my season tickets right now. The growth of the rookies has been a joy to watch. Marcedes, Harvey, and soon the offensive line. Good football is on it's way. See you on Thursday.

- Terry O'Brien

Dolphins vs Jaguars: Keys to Victory

Matty I — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Let if fly!

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We're getting closer and closer to Sunday's big game between the Dolphins and Jaguars. For all intents and purposes, this game is essentially a playoff game - at least for the Dolphins, as every game has been since last week.

So let's get to my keys to the game. Last week, the Dolphins were three for three with the keys I highlighted. Let's hope for another outstanding performance.

Aggressively attack Jacksonville's secondary
I talked about this earlier in the week as well and I'm going to talk about it again because I think it's extremely important. I really hope that Dan Henning uses what he learned last week against New England - that Chad Henne can indeed win a game with his arm - and applies it again this week against an even worse (statistically) secondary.

Jaguar fans can come onto this site all they want and talk about how their cornerbacks aren't below average players. But without Rashean Mathis, who is again not expected to play, the Jaguars really don't have any cornerback that I'd be worried about throwing at. Don't get me wrong - Derek Cox, the rookie corner, seems like he's got plenty of potential. But when he's your best corner on the field, you got problems. He's allowing 64% of the passes thrown at him to be completed. On the other side, Tyron Brackenridge is giving up over 15 yards per completion and, quite frankly, should probably be no better than a fourth or fifth corner in the NFL.

I'm not trying to trash their secondary. But I just can't believe Jacksonville fans will come on here and defend their 23rd ranked pass defense - a unit that is allowing 242 yards per game - and say that they hope the Dolphins pass against them. This is a pass defense that gives up 7.2 yards per attempt, has surrendered 20 touchdown passes (more than even Miami's secondary has), and lets opponents complete a ridiculous 65.5% of their pass attempts. For comparison's sake, the Dolphins are only allowing opponents to complete 57% of their pass attempts.

Now I'm not saying that we should forget about Ricky Williams and the ground game. I certainly don't want to see Henne throw over 50 passes again. But let's not be afraid to attack a secondary that let Alex Smith throw for 232 yards and two touchdowns just two weeks ago.

Contain the hyphens
I think the Jaguars lead the NFL in longest last names among offensive starters. But both of the "hypheners" - yes, I made up my own word - are very good players.

The Dolphins need to contain Maurice Jones-Drew as best they can. He's fourth in the NFL in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns. And we can't forget how talented MJD can be catching the football out of the backfield as well. I'd be lying if I didn't say how worried I am about the Jaguars getting Jones-Drew in space against our inside linebackers. We all know that one thing our two inside backers are not is quick. They're big and powerful - but have no shot at making a play on a guy like MJD in open space.

Luckily, Jones-Drew hasn't looked like himself since his 120+ yard performance four games ago against the Jets. Since then, he has carried the ball 64 times for just 217 yards in three games, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. That includes a game against Buffalo - one of the NFL's worst rushing defenses - in which MJD gained 66 yards on just 25 carries. If the Bills can do it, so can the Dolphins.

The other "hyphener" is, of course, Mike Sims-Walker. Sims-Walker is a big, physical receiver who is David Garrard's primary target through the air. He leads the Jaguars in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (52-752-6). But he hasn't been the same receiver, it seems, over the past four weeks. In that span, despite being targeted 32 times, Sims-Walker has just 16 receptions for 198 yards.

It'll be interesting to see which rookie cornerback gets the job of covering Sims-Walker on Sunday.

Get the early lead
You'd obviously like to do this in every game. But I think it's especially important against a team with a great running back. And the stats back it up. The Jaguars are 2-5 when trailing at the half. And one of those wins was an overtime win at home against the terrible St. Louis Rams. But what's more telling is that the Jaguars are 5-0 when leading at the half. Why? I'd say that having a second half lead allows Jacksonville to really work Jones-Drew and the running game late in the game, wearing down a defense. From there, the play-action pass opens up as defenses get desperate to contain MJD and it goes downhill.

Again, not to hate on the Jaguars, but I'm just not a fan of David Garrard. And I'd love nothing more than forcing the Jaguars to abandon the run in the second half and put the game on Garrard's arm. This would allow the Dolphins to really pin their ears back and get after Garrard. The Jaguars surrender a ton of sacks - 34 on the season, to be exact. If the Dolphins can get a lead and force the Jaguars to throw, I think Sunday will be a fine day for Dolphin fans.

Dolphins vs Jaguars: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

From the "phrases I never thought I'd say" file: I love me some VD!

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On Sunday the Dolphins play what is essentially their second consecutive playoff game when they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. In reality, every game from here on out is a playoff game for the Dolphins. One slip up and their playoff chances take a serious hit.

So with that said, let's talk about three critical matchups for Sunday's game:

Mike Sims-Walker/Torry Holt vs Vontae Davis/Sean Smith
Every single week it seems like I start off this post by highlighting our two rookie corners. So why stop now?

Truth be told, this is a very interesting matchup. Why? Because this will be an excellent measuring stick to see how far Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have come. They've had to go up against some of the game's best receivers over the past two months (Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Steve Smith, Marques Colston, etc...). But this week they get to face an up-and-coming star, Mike Sims-Walker, and an aging but crafty veteran, Torry Holt - which should make for some interesting moments.

Last week we saw Vontae Davis really play well. Yes, he was burnt on that early first quarter bomb from Tom Brady to Moss. But he showed how resilient he is by bouncing back and really defending Moss well from that point on. Davis shadowed Randy wherever he lined up - a first for the young corner - and he held Moss to just one more reception - for only eight yards - the rest of the game. And who could forget his huge interception in the endzone?

Meanwhile, Smith didn't have such a great day himself. He let Sam Aiken out-jump or out-wrestle a ball away from him, resulting in an 81 yard touchdown for the young receiver. He let Aiken get about five yards in front of him late in the game as well but lucked out when Brady just overthrew the open receiver. And then on that final Patriot possession, Aiken again narrowly missed a big reception when he beat Smith and got two hands on the ball only to not bring in the tough catch.

With that said, though, I'm still not worried about Smith. I'm every bit as confident in him as I was before the draft when I highlighted him as the number one guy on my wishlist. And I expect a bounce back performance on Sunday out of Smith - who has tweeted how excited he is for this game on Sunday.

It'll be very interesting to see how the coaching staff decides to match up our young corners. Which one gets the 6'2 Sins-Walker, who is quietly having a big season? And which one gets the 6'0 Holt, who remains a factor even at the age of 33?

Jaguars offensive line vs Dolphins front seven
One of the things I've been most impressed with this season has been the play of Jacksonville's two rookie tackles. That's right - they start rookies at both left and right tackle. Not too often you see that.

But from the games I've watched - which, truth be told, is not too many - Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton have been playing some good football. And that is part of the reason why the Jaguars have the 7th ranked rushing offense in the NFL. Of course, the biggest reason for that is the explosive Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew is having an outstanding season in his first year as the full-time back in Jacksonville. He's fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns, and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Not too shabby.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, have been struggling of late against the run. Earlier this season, the Dolphins were one of the best in stopping the run. But thanks to many factors - injuries included - the Dolphins have fallen to 14th in the league against the run. And in their past 5 games, the Dolphins have allowed 127 yards per game on the ground and are surrendering 4.9 yards per carry. Not good.

However, two rookie bookend tackles does mean that the Jaguars are prone to surrendering sacks. The Jags have allowed 34 sacks this season - the 5th highest total in the league. Of course, the Dolphins didn't exactly do a great job of getting to Tom Brady last week. But Cameron Wake did make a play with under a minute left to force that errant throw by Brady that landed in Channing Crowder's arms. But outside of that play, Brady was pretty well protected.

What I'm hoping here is for Paul Pasqualoni to dial up some blitz packages designed to confuse these rookie tackles, keeping David Garrard uncomfortable all game long.

Dolphins wide receivers vs Jaguars cornerbacks
Last week the Dolphins went into that game against the Patriots with every intention of letting Chad Henne air it out. Against the NFL's 13th ranked pass defense (statistically speaking), Miami's receivers did an excellent job of giving Henne places to go with the football.

On Sunday, the Dolphins will face the NFL's 23rd ranked pass defense - a unit allowing 242 yards per game through the air and letting opponents complete over 65% of their passes. They will still be without their top corner - Rashean Mathis - meaning Tyron Brackenridge will get the start again opposite of Derek Cox. Neither of those two corners are very good. Cox is allowing 64% of the passes thrown his way to be completed while Brackenridge allows over 15 yards per reception.

Let's see if this group of receivers can again come up big in a big game and put some points on the board in Jacksonville.

Texans Five On Five: Week Thirteen

Jake — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:59:49 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

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The Houston Texans go to Jacksonville on Sunday to face the Jaguars. In Week 3, Chris Brown fumbled away a win on the goal line in Houston. Now the Texans will look for revenge. Here are the five matchups I feel are most important in order for that to happen.

1. Tyron Brackenridge vs. Andre Johnson - It's hard enough to contain Johnson with everyone healthy, much less when you're missing your best cover corner, Rashean Mathis. The Jags sport the 26th ranked pass defense this season, of which Mathis was one of the few highlights. Now Brackenridge, how has given up a total of 251 yards and a touchdown in the last two games since taking over the starting role, will try and stop Andre, who will likely play inspired because of the last couple of games.

2. John Busing vs. Maurice Jones-Drew - The Texans run defense has turned a corner since the last time they played the Jaguars, mostly due to improved play from the safety position. Busing hasn't contributed to that improvement though, and had not started since Week 3 until he was forced back into the lineup last week because of a season-ending injury to Eugene Wilson. The reason he lost his job? Poor support to the run. Busing will be dropped in coverage more than Bernard Pollard, but he will still be required to come up to help bring Jones-Drew down.

3. Dunta Robinson vs. Mike Sims-Walker - Anyone who has regularly watched the Texans this year knows that Robinson has been abused regularly. Opposing #1 wide receivers have tallied 50 receptions for 639 yards and 5 TDs, which is slightly deceiving considering it doesn't take into account the many pass interference infractions Dunta's committed. Sims-Walker can claim 6 receptions for 81 yards of that total. I honestly don't understand why teams don't throw Robinson's way more often.

4. Mario Williams vs. Eugene Monroe - This one is a little obvious but pivotal nonetheless. The Jaguars have given up the 6th most sacks and the 88 times that David Garrard has been hit is the most in the NFL. It's been established that Williams is hurting, but he simply needs to be able to beat a rookie in a must win situation, period.

5. Gary Kubiak vs. Wasted Season - To say the season has been disappointing is an understatement, but it's not over yet. The playoffs is almost certainly out of the picture, but the first winning season in franchise history is not. The Texans under Gary Kubiak are ~~11-4~~ 10-5 in the last 5 games of the season over ~~the last 5 years~~ the Kubiak Era. Gary might be coaching for his job though. It will be interesting to see how his coaching demeanor changes, if any, now that his back is against the wall.

Week 12 Game Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers

Jonathan Loesche — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:29:05 -0000

San Francisco 49ers (4-6)	Week #12	Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4)
	VS.

Date:	November 29nd, 2009	Location:	San Francisco, CA
Time:	4:15 PM EST	Stadium:	Candlestick Park
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	49ers -3
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	40.5
Weather:	Sunny, mid 50's	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Niners Nation	Coverage Map	Click Here

Well, this is it guys. Tim Tebow's final home game. Standing in his way is a dilapidated Seminole team that is a shell of the 90's powerhouse. Oh wait, there's another football game this weekend involving a team from Northeast Florida? Could've fooled me.

The Jaguars make their second trip out west this season to take on a fast sinking 49ers team. After starting the year 3-1, Mike Singletary's bunch has lost five of their last six. In addition, they can thank Jay Cutler for their 10-6 win over Chicago a few weeks ago.

The similiarities between Singletary and Jack Del Rio are striking on the surface. Both are ex-Pro Bowl linebackers who worked their way up the ranks before becoming head coaches. Both want their teams to run the ball, stop the run, and punch the other team in the mouth. And both have issues with getting the most out of their teams on a consistent basis.

Will the Jaguars get to 7-4 or will they have another bad west coast trip?

Jaguars Offense vs 49ers Defense

The 49ers rank 30th in the NFL against the pass, giving up 256 yards a game. Despite signing Nate Clements to the richest defensive contract in NFL history, the 49ers only have six interceptions this year off QBs not named Jay Cutler. The 49ers also rank 22nd in the NFL in sacks. Perhaps the most chilling stat for the 49ers is that their pass defense has gotten worse over that six game span. The team has given up 286 yards a game, including four 300 yard games.

Needless to say, statistically this should prove to be a good day for David Garrard and the Jaguars WR corp. Mike Sims-Walker has been favoring a hamstring injury, but practiced all week. However, I sat here last week and said Maurice Jones-Drew would get 200 yards and 4 TDs against the Bills run defense.

Where the 49ers defense excels is against the run. Led by All-World MLB Patrick Willis, the 49ers are 6th in the NFL against the run. In addition, they are tied for second for the lowest per carry average, 3.4 yards.

The offensive line will need to play much better than the siv they were against the Bills. The rock solid line that rose to the occassion against the Jets needs to make another appearence if the Jaguars want to win.

Maurice Jones-Drew needs just 74 yards to hit 1,000 and 2 touchdowns to set the franchise record for rushing TDs. I say he breaks 1,000 and ties the franchise record this week, before breaking it next week vs Houston.

Jaguars Defense vs 49ers Offense

The Alex Smith experiment returns for an encore performance against the Jaguars. Since replacing Shaun Hill in Week 7 of the regular season, Smith has put up respectable numbers in 2009. Smith boasts a 81.5 QB rating this year, a far cry from his career average of 66.5.

The 49ers passing offense flows through All-Pro Tight End Vernon Davis. Davis is easily the team's leading receiver with 51 receptions, 601 yards, and 8 touchdowns. The Jaguars have never done well against receiving tight ends (see Clark, Dallas) so it will be a challenge to keep Davis contained.

The most talked about player in the 1st round this fear was WR Michal Crabtree. Since Crabtree finally signed with the team he has put up ok numbers, but nothing mind blowing. All I can say is that I'm much happier seeing him on the opposing sideline this week.

Since the Jaguars have returned to the 4-3 defense, the returns have been excellent. Discouting the big play to Terrell Owens, the Jaguars limited the Bills to just 250 yards of offense last week. Derrick Harvey's continued growth is promising, though more sacks would certainly be welcomed.

Once again the Jaguars will be without Rashean Mathis. Tyron Brackenridge did a good job vs Owens despite what the numbers say, and if nothing else, at least we won't see Reggie Nelson at corner again.

Player On The Hot Seat

David Garrard, QB

The 49ers will likely sellout to stop Jones-Drew and that means David will need to be on his game on Sunday. Expect to see the Jaguars throw early and often to take advantage of the bad pass defense.

Prediction

Jaguars 24

49ers 13

-Jonathan Loesche

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/23

MattRichWarren — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:24:49 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch, left, breaks the tackle of Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Clint Ingram in first-quarter action during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

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Tyron Brackenridge saves the day for Jaguars | Jacksonville.com
Though he got torched for T.O.'s long TD, Brackenridge made up for it with a pass deflection on Buffalo's last drive and a fumble recovery on a Jags muffed punt.

Healing process will be lengthy one for this battered franchise : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan frames his game recap recalling how Kyle Williams looked like a mummy after the game following his trip to the trainers.

Lynch thinks he'll be fine | ProFootballTalk.com
Despite being carted off the field with a shoulder injury during the first half of Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, Bills running back Marshawn Lynch believes he'll be fine, a league source tells us.

Game Recaps
Quarterly report: Bills-Jaguars : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Mark Gaughan breaks down the game quarter by quarter with stats and key plays. He also mentions attendance was about 40k.

Bills' game effort grounded by penalties, miscues : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"The Buffalo Bills played another valiant-in-defeat game Sunday. It was the kind of loss that brings a head coach respect early in his tenure but ridicule later on."

Bills-Jaguars report card : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Running game gets an "F" while the run defense gets a deserved "A".

Bills notebook: Broken leg ends Wood's rookie season : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The Buffalo Bills' already crippled offensive line suffered a devastating blow Sunday as rookie right guard Eric Wood sustained a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in the fourth quarter of an 18-15 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

T.O. finally gets his close-up : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The veteran wide receiver finally had his breakout game in a Bills uniform. He finished with nine catches for 197 yards, including a 98-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Jags outlast Bills | BuffaloBills.com
Chris Brown's recap of the game.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Immediate Reactions, Wk11
Nick Mendola's immediate reactions following the Jaguars game.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Jaguars Spoil Fewell's Debut To Top Bills 18-15
WGR's game recap.

Ryan Fitzpatrick's nice effort for Buffalo Bills wiped out by mistakes | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana gives five points he saw in the Bills loss.

Buffalo Bills 2-minute read | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana gives his to-the-point take on the loss.

Buffalo Bills report card | Democrat and Chronicle
No "F" in Sal Maiorana's grading session.

Buffalo Bills lose Fewell's debut on late TD | Democrat and Chronicle
Perry Fewell's wife Kathleen was at the game and gave her husband a big hug after the game. Sometimes you just need a hug.

Bills @Jacksonville The View from the Stadium - Big Cat Country
Associate Editor from Big Cat Country, Tkopa, was at the game and offered this analysis from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Recap: Jacksonville vs. Buffalo
The Sports Network recap of the game.

Wrap-up: Jaguars 18, Bills 15 - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Tim Graham wraps up the game against the Jaguars.

Terrell Owens breaks Buffalo Bills' franchise history with 98-yard touchdown | Jacksonville.com
Terrell Owens has had great personal success in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium but his team has never won there.

Bills Daily Gameday Grades
Bills Daily hands out their grades for the Bills performance in Jacksonville.

Bills Daily Gameday Review
Bills Daily has a recap of the game.

Scott Pitoniak: Another Bills defeat, but encouraging signs in Fewell's debut
The Rochester writer gives his thought on the Bills 18-15 loss to the Jaguars.

Injuries, Mistakes Waste Owens’ Big Day in 18-15 Loss : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran sounds sad as he writes his postgame recap.

At Least He’s Happy | The Goose's Roost
"Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any weirder, this game happens." Yup. The "he" in the title is T.O.

Team in Transition
Sunday at the Post | National Football Post
"No matter who gets the Bills job, the fact that owner Ralph Wilson is always so involved will make it hard for him to give full control to anyone. " - Michael Lombardi

Jim Haslett seems a perfect match for Buffalo Bills next head coach -- OrlandoSentinel.com
"Obviously being from that area (grew up in Pennsylvania) and having played for that team (Bills), it makes sense," Haslett said of the possibility that he might be considered. "Obviously it would be a great opportunity, but who knows what will happen."

Brandon Has "No Comment" on Coaching Situation | wgrz.com
Channel 2's Adam Benigni is in Jacksonville today and tried to approach Bills GM Russ Brandon about the coaching position and the progress they are making in selecting a new head coach. Brandon had no comment.

Fewell May Make Bills Transition Less Painful | wgrz.com
Ed Kilgore says the Bills have a long way to go to change the organization and it looks like Russ Brandon is going to be leading the charge.

Sharpe comments on Bills-Shanahan - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"I had a great conversation with Mike Shanahan this morning," said former Bronco Shannon Sharpe. "He is going to interview this week at some point in time." Boomer Esiason added this for some reason: "He's not going to Buffalo."

Shannon Sharpe on what it takes to land Shanahan : Buffalo Sports Daily
Boomer Esaison also said Perry Fewell is not a candidate for the job after Bill Cowher said Fewell could win the position.

Report: Wilson ready to spend $10M - AFC East Blog - ESPN
NFL Network reporter Jason LaCanfora shared what he was hearing about the Buffalo Bills' coaching search on NFL Gameday Morning.

Mariucci rips firing of Jauron | ProFootballTalk.com
Steve Mariucci (who himself was fired midseason and replaced by good friend Dick Jauron) ripped the Bills for firing their coach before the season was over.

Friends gather to watch Cramerton native's NFL coaching debut | cramerton, native, coaching - Gaston Gazette
A bunch of Perry Fewell's high school buddies got together and watched the game at a local establishment.

News and Notes
Bud Adams makes nice with Bills fans | ProFootballTalk.com
Bud Adams took out a full page ad in today's Buffalo News to wish the Bills good luck for the rest of the season as a peace offering following his inappropriate gesture last week.

Titans Owner Bud Adams Buys Newspaper Ad to Send Good Wishes to Buffalo | wgrz.com
Video evidence that Bud Adams actually apologized.

T.O. passes Harrison with 98-yard play | ProFootballTalk.com
On the long touchdown, Terrell Owens passed Marvin Harrison for fourth on the all-time receiving yardage list.

WK 11 Can't-Miss Play: T-Oh! (:49) | BuffaloBills.com Video Gallery
Relive Ryan Fitzpatrick to Terrell Owens covering 98 yards in one play.

A look at T.O.'s 98-yard touchdown - AFC East Blog - ESPN
A few notes on Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens' 98-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Marshawn’s 3rd annual Turkey Drive today – Inside The Bills
Marshawn Lynch's family and friends handed out turkeys today to needy families in Lynch's hometown of Oakland.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
- The 98-yard pass play from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Terrell Owens was the longest TD pass in Bills history. [Ed. note: A shiny atta-boy to the person who can name the two who previously held the record.]
- Coach Perry Fewell said QB Ryan Fitzpatrick called an audible on the 98-yard touchdown pass to WR Terrell Owens. "He saw one-on-one [coverage] and pulled the trigger."
- WR Terrell Owens (197 yards) had his biggest day as a Bills receiver. "For me, personally, it is all for nothing when you don't get the win."

T.O.'s gift: the shirt off his back | Jacksonville.com
Continuing a trend with Owens, he gave Mike Sims-Walker his jersey after the game.

Bills Tweets
Thurman Thomas
Remember when u tried to get ur ass home b4 the street lights came on. Remember whe u cld say the entire Pledge of Alligance all the way through. Remember when the Bills use to make the Playoffs

Kawika Mitchell
BS aside... If u look @ the Bills performed, the way we faught today and how close we always r which I kno isn't new but we're rite there.

Kawkia Mitchell
I'm def not saying we dont have a lot of ish to work on. I'm sayin that I feel like we can b gr8. who knows tho? Its gotta happen 1st and theres going 2 b a lot of changes... We'll c.

Jaguars Vs Eagles: Winners and Losers

silencecs — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:13:22 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

Garrard, on one of the rare occasions he had time to throw.

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Winners:

Brian Witherspoon - Spoony showed us all why he's our kickoff returner. His blazing speed is undeniable and it is only a matter of time before he breaks one all the way. This guy is not going anywhere.

Derrick Harvey - Lst year's number 8 overall selection is starting to look like a top ten pick. He was applying pressure all game long and all he needs to do is finish. He is having a very positive preseason and that's a major plus, because we need him to have a big game out of the gate against the Colts.

Reggie Nelson- The Eraser had his best game of the preseason, flying all over the field, rarely out of position, and he actually caused a fumble with a huge forearm shiver he delivered. Reggie looked good, and he seems to be ready for a big year.

Gerald Alexander - The safety we traded Dennis Northcutt for played a lights out game, arguably better than Reggie, although against lesser competition. He is a solid back-up, and there will be little drop-off should Nelson go down with an injury.

Tyron Brackenridge - T-Brack has secured a spot on the squad. Period. He's lights out on special teams and he's been excellent in coverage and coming up to tackle. He has arguably outplayed Brian Williams, and will be on the team come opening day, without question.

Russ Purnell - Russ needed this game, big-time. The head of the absolute worst special teams unit in Indianapolis, was now the Jags replacement for the legendary "Joey D". The Jags special teams looked atrocious the first two games, but were standout in their performance against the eagles.

Russell Allen - Another player who is guaranteed a spot on the squad is UDFA Russell Allen. the MLB played a stellar game yet again, and the coaching staff has got to be impressed with the way this kid has grasped the defense. He's got potential as a QB rusher, and he is a strong tackler.

Podlesh/Weatherford/Scobee - Our kickers are playing flat out awesome. Scobee hasn't missed a FG yet, and Weatherford and Podlesh are both kicking like they deserve the spot. The Jags kicking game isn't a concern this year at all.

Mark Duffner - The LB coach, and arguably the best defensive assistant coach we have, has a stable of outstanding stallions at the LB position. All three starting LB's sat out the entire game, and all the back-ups filled-in extremely well. All of the LB's played great football, thus we give credit to the coach.

Losers:

Todd Bouman - He continues to have balls batted at the line of scrimmage, and is wildly inconsistent at times. He is not an adequate back-up, and needs to be replaced before the season begins. This game was his last chance, and he came up short.

The Offensive Line - Wow... a poor perforamance all around. Below average run-blocking, poor pass blocking, and pressure on Garrard from inside and out. Andy Heck has got some work to do in the next few weeks.

Mike "I NEED A" Walker - The perpetual injury bug missed another game, and he's legitimately only got one shot left to impress against Washington. If Walker misses or has a poor game this Thursday, then the only way he keeps his spot is if the Jags carry 6 WR's, and even then he won't be a lock.

Mike Thomas - The diminutive Thomas has to show something this Thursday, or he is likely headed to IR for the year, because I can't see the Jags giving him a spot without seeing him perform.

Paul Smith - Paul is garbage and has no shot to make this team. He's a great individual and may have a career in coaching in front of him, but his spaghetti-armed passes won't fly in the NFL.

On The Fence:

Brian Williams - B-Dub played his best game of the preseason, although he still isn't playing at the level he was even a year ago. Brian must come up big against the Redskins, or his spot may be in jeopardy. Derek Cox didn't play again, which is the biggest break Brian has had thus far.

Chauncey Washington - Last year's seventh round pick had a solid game, but fumbled the ball, a big no-no for any running back. Chauncey had his one fumble of the preseason, if he has another, it may become a factor.

Josh Vaughn - The former Buccanneer didn't have as big of a game as he needed to. Averaging only 2.9 yards on 10 carries. In a crowded backfield, Josh needed a bigger performance to give himself a shot at a roster spot.

Quentin Groves - The former DE was starting at LB for the Jaguars, and seemed to handle the experiment fluidly. He had a few pressures and one batted pass. It will be interesting to see if he continues to play LB.

Jaguars vs Dolphins: Winners and Losers

silencecs — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:06:57 -0000

More photos » by Marta Lavandier - AP

Tony Pashos leads a group of players who continue to underperform. Pashos was penalized, and allowed 2 sacks, as the Jaguars offensive line was a major culprit in the teams awful play.

Browse more photos »

The Jaguars were handily beaten by the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, and the game raised more questions than it answered. I'll examine the players who performed well, and those who faltered in Monday's season opener.

Losers:

Tony Pashos: The veteran gave up two clear sacks and was penalized on at least one occasion during the game. He is abover average in the run game, but was beaten badly time and time again. I'm not sure he would make a great guard either, and I think his salary is too much for an average guard. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, but he sure isn't showing any improvement as a RT, especially in the passing game. Something needs to be done about the RT position, Tony is not an adequate pass blocker. Period.

Uche Nwaneri/ Brad Meester/ Mo Williams: The starting interior trio wasn't able to allow Garrard enough time to pass, and couldn't open up lanes for MJD or Greg Jones. There is less concern here, because once Vinny comes back to RG, Uche will be able to head back to the bench. Uche is a great back-up, but there is a significant drop-off between Vince Manuwai and Uche, however, Manuwai is a premier guard, so that is to be expected.

Greg Estandia: Greg didn't do a lot to help his case in a crowed TE position. He was called for a penalty, and got very little separation even against the 3rd and 4th stringers of the Miami defense.

Greg Jones: The vet didn't show much in the running or passing game. He dropped passes, and looked nothing like the Greg of old. The line wasn't much help, but he looked very pedestrian in his first outing of the season, as did much of the team.

Brian Williams: The crafty veteran looked bad. He was flagged for penalty after penalty, and was beaten badly on more than one occasion. There is no question the acquisition of Derek Cox is looking like a much better gamble after Monday's game. Hopefully Derek will beat out Brian at some point in the season, and Williams can move to the nickel spot, where he would be much better suited (He'd be closer to the line of scrimmage to help in run defense). His salary is too high to play a nickel corner, so this may be the last season we have B-Dub around. He must improve over Monday's game, though.

Special Teams: Russ' unit looked atrocious. The kickoff coverage now uses the bunch formation (which is where everyone bunches behind the kicker and breaks apart as the ball is about to be kicked). This is amateur hour stuff, folks. It is a tactic that is used to try to confuse the return team's blockers, however, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Scobee made all his FG's, but the punting was inconsistent. The kickoff coverage was the main culprit here, and with the new wedge-ban in effect, it should make it easier on kickoff units to stop returns from going the distance.

Winners:

Nate Hughes: The second-year burner at WR continued to make his case for a roster spot, and it is a strong one. Nate has had a great camp, and that carried over into the preseason opener. He showed good speed and route running, and caught the ball with his hands, literally snatching it out of the air on one occasion. At a weak position, he may be a valuable find.

Eugene Monroe: "The Future" was dominant on Monday, shutting down the defensive ends the entire time he was in the game. He looked solid against the run, but most importantly, he looked like he belonged on an NFL field. The best case scenario involves Eugene starting the season at LT and Tra starting it at RT... Eugene needs to be starting, and if he continues to perform like he did on Monday, the coaching staff is going to have hard time keeping him off the field.

Tra Thomas: The newly acquired Tra Thomas looked sharp on Monday, and shows that Gene Smith knows how to scout offensive linemen. Tra needs to be on the field, and his run-blocking looked consistently strong. He's got remarkably good feet for someone his age, and he needs to be playing at RT over Pashos.

Russell Allen: Wow... Talk about answering the call of duty. Russell was called in to play MLB for Justin Durant when he was sidelined with a hip problem. Allen responded with 4 tackles and one pass defended. He did a good job of getting the defense into position and calling the plays. We may be looking at one of our future LB's here...

Montavius Stanley/Atylliah Ellison: Both made their case for solving the DT problem by stopping the run. Ellison seems to be the better of the two on the line, however, the importance of Stanley's blocked extra point can't be overstated. Special teams can get you on the field.

[Edititorial Note: Thanks to Rufio for reminding me of Thomas Williams]

Thomas Williams: Last year's fifth-round pick looked great. He was making absolutely vicious tackles and continued to show why our LB corp is the team's strongest unit. Williams turned out an all around fantastic performance.

On The Fence:

Troy Williamson: When people are raving over a guy who fumbled the ball, and got lucky on one of his catches, you know things are bad at the WR position. Troy looked OK to me. I didn't like seeing that fumble, because it was before the rain even started, so there is no excuse. He needs to step it up consistently before I start congratulating the guy on an above average performance.

Tyron Brackenridge: The CB had one pass defense, and one tackle. Most importantly though, he didn't look overwhelmed. He seems to be a player the Jaguars are hot on, and I didn't see him make any major gaffes, so I would say he's one to watch.

Zach Miller: This QB turned TE can flat out move. The kid was flying around on offense, and special teams, making a shoestring tackle at the 2 yd like on punt coverage. His only problem may be adjusting to having to catch the ball, especially when David really puts the mustard on it. He had one drop against the dolphins that should've been caught. He's not natural looking at the position yet, and his blocking leaves something to be desired, but he's got major upside, and he showed it Monday.

-Collin Streetman

Poll

Biggest Concern Going Into 2009

Offensive Line

179 votes

Defensive Line

68 votes

Secondary

101 votes

Coaching

54 votes

402 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs-Chargers Week in Review

Chris Thorman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:42:37 -0000

via NFL.com

I feel like it's been a haphazard week of coverage here at Arrowhead Pride so I wanted to take a minute to recap all the going ons of this past week. We've had roster moves, injuries and all that other good stuff to talk about. Here we go...

Injuries

I'm sure you saw Kolby Smith go down in last Sunday's game clutching his knee and it turns out he is done for the season and has been placed on injured reserve.

LB Derrick Johnson strained his hamstring against the Bucs and is out for this weekend's game.

S Jarrad Page (groin) and CB Pat Surtain (quad) both did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Surtain has already been ruled out for Sunday's game and the team has left open the possibility of Page playing.

S Dajuan Morgan tweaked his leg a bit in yesterday's practice, prompting Herm to say, "We’ll see where he’s at." Finally, DE Turk McBride is also listed on the injury report with a shoulder problem and both are questionable to play this weekend.

Roster moves

Because of recent issues with corner back play, the Chiefs signed CBs Richardo Colclough and David Macklin this week. They also added RB Omar Cuff to the practice squad and DE Wallace Gilberry to the active roster.

WR Kevin Robinson and TE Michael Merritt, both 2008 rookies who have yet to see the field, were activated this week. Merritt was placed on Reserve/Non-Football Injury on August 30th, while Robinson had been on Reserve/Physically-Unable-To-Perform since August 26th. Merritt won't play this week but may get a chance later on in the season. Robinson is currently third on the depth chart for the kick return position, making the possibility of him taking the field small.

To make room for these new additions, the Chiefs cut P Steve Weatherford, because Dustin Colquitt will play this weekend. TE John Paul Foschi and WR Nate Hughes were let go as well. Finally, just-signed CB Tyron Brackenridge was let go and DT T.J. Jackson was put back on the practice squad after spending time on the active roster.

For a full list of recent transactions, click here.

Depth chart

With Kolby Smith out for the rest of the season and Larry Johnson suspended this weekend, Jamaal Charles steps into the starting role, with Dantrell Savage backing him up. Right before last week's game against the Bucs, RB Jackie Battle was promoted from the practice squad which now makes him the #3 running back.

The full depth chart is here.

The Chargers

The 3-5 San Diego Chargers are coming off of a bye week and Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune gives us a quick synopsis of what's happening in San Diego:

The location of the bye week couldn't be any better, what with the Chargers precisely at the halfway point of their season, coming off two straight losses, road-weary from a trip of more than 11,000 miles across eight time zones. They've used the break to install a new defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera, and get themselves back into their best physical health of the season.

The Chargers literally are in the best team health of the season, with only WR Chris Chambers and CB Antonio Cromartie limited in practice and their center is out with an illness. Both Chambers and Cromartie are likely to play on Sunday.

Of course, the biggest news coming out of San Diego over the bye week was the hiring of inside linebackers coach Ron Rivera as defensive coordinator. The Chargers' 25th ranked team defense caused former Charger DC Ted Cottrell to be fired after giving up 37 points in Week 8 to the New Orleans Saints.

Quick look at the Chargers:

Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	28.0	343.0 (12th)	246.4 (7th)	96.6 (24th)
Def	24.9	371.6 (26th)	265.1 (32nd)	106.5 (16th)

Misc News and Notes

Last night on Thursday night football, the Broncos defeated the Browns on the strength of three 4th quarter touchdown passes by Jay Cutler.

I have to feel for the Broncos as a Chiefs fan when I read that they will likely place their 4th running back on injured reserve this season.

If you've got time today, check out this CBS preview of the game this weekend.

Wow, 19 rookies on the Chiefs' roster right now.

That's what I've got for this morning. The Kansas City Chiefs play a rare 3:15 PM central time game this weekend so make sure you come by for the open thread.

Kansas City Chiefs Continue To Shake Up Roster

Joel Thorman — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:38:56 -0000

Chris just posted the news that we brought Tyron Brackenridge back into the mix. Brackenridge was an undrafted free agent. He replaced another undrafted free agent, Dimitri Patterson.

Herm Edwards spoke on two other roster moves that will be coming soon. TE Michael Merritt and WR/KR Kevin Robinson haven't played a snap this season and the team is just over a week away from the deadline of making a final decision for those on the PUP list.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to make a decision. We’re still juggling it right now but we like our return guy (Savage) right now. We think he’s done a pretty good job and that’s kind of where Robinson fits.

“The other guy might have a chance. We’ll see where it’s at. He’s gotten himself in shape. He’s a good blocker at the point of attack. It’s just that he’s so far behind, that’s the hard part for him to catch up mentally. He’s missed all the off-season but he’s a guy that has a future in this offense. He’s just scout team right now.”

We speculated on this just a few days ago but it appears Dantrelle Savage will begin to see some time in the backfield. Herm was asked if Savage will play if Jamaal Charles can't go.

“Yeah. He sure will. It’s up in the air (with Charles and Colquitt) but Charles looked a lot better today and moved around pretty good. But we limited him. I anticipate he might be able to go.”

The run down goes, Brackenridge in, Patterson out, Merritt and Robinson coming off PUP is iffy, and Savage may be in the backfield on Sunday.