Bills offense blanked in loss to Saints

The Bills defense did their job for 3 quarters. The special teams produced the Bills only TD. It was the offense that didn't produce in the Bills 27-7 loss to the Saints. Trent Edwards went back to preseason form as he was mostly checking off and throwing short patterns. The Bills D held the powerful Saints offense to just 10 points in 3/4 of the game. It was the job of the offense to produce and do their part, but they failed miserably.

"They're a no-huddle team, and we made a big emphasis this week on the defensive line," said New Orleans head coach Sean Payton.. "And I felt like we had an edge in that area. We challenged them [the players on the Saints defensive line] and I was really pleased as the game went on, how we controlled the line of scrimmage."

Edwards was in his preseason form, completing 20 of 35 passes for just 156 yards and no touchdowns. He also was sacked once and picked off once. The deer-in-the-headlights look was back on Edwards face and the Saints knew it.

Bills new offensive coordinator in the booth, Alex Van Pelt, said, "I have to do a better job adjusting to what we were getting. It was one of those days where he was going to pressure us almost every snap. I have to have better answers than I did."

"When they do close the middle, we have to get the ball to Terrell (Owens) and Lee (Evans), and I've got to find better ways to get those guys involved in the pass game, no question."

Team reflects coach’s image

There are two things that go hand-in-hand with the Bills offensive plight this year. It starts at the top, with Dick Jauron's conservative ways. Then that translates to quarterback Trent Edwards and the entire team is then molded in Jauron's conservative image.

With the Bills trailing 17-7 Jauron decided not to go for it on fourth-and-one from the Bills 29 with 7:30 minutes left in the 4th quarter and punted. That has been criticized harshly by the fans and media. That was the icing on the cake of conservative thinking that cost the Bills the game. 

Jauron defended his decision to punt by saying, "It's a 10-point game. We're not going to give them the game. That's not to say we might not have made it. But it's not a good gamble, in my opinion, to give them a short field right there in a tight football game. We had fought the whole time to get it there, to keep it there."

The offense reverted back to the safe passes, with nothing going more than 18 yards. There were several long throws, namely to Terrell Owens, but TO came up empty for the first time in 185 games. Owens "forced" press conference was also empty, as he didn't want to tip his hand to give the press some juicy quotes that they would rip apart.

The Bills defense, on the other hand, came to play. They limited the Saints offense, which had averaged more than 40 points their first two games, to just 10 points in the first 3 quarters. It was up to the offense to do their part and the fell on their collective faces, thanks to the conservative thinking.

The only TD by the Bills came when special teams coach Bobby April called for a fake field goal that had holder and punter Brian Moorman throw a pass to defensive end Ryan Denney. It was Denney's second touchdown reception in two years. Maybe the Bills should work him into the offense as their new tight end. The other receivers aren't reaching paydirt.

Wilson gets what he pays for

Jauron is probably the cheapest head coach owner Ralph Wilson can find. Another thing going for Jauron is that he's a "Yes man" and that makes the relationship comfortable for the 91 year-old Wilson. Wilson is not going to give up too much control again, not after what happened with former GM Tom Donahoe. From that point on, Wilson decided to bring in the reigns and have a coach and GM who is was cozy with. Jauron fits that bill to the tee.

Next week it’s off to Miami, to face the 0-3 Dolphins. It should be a chance for the Bills to finally get their act together, but it could turn out to be the Dolphins first win.

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