Game Recap: Preseason Week 3 (Jacksonville at Buffalo)

Fitzpatrick almost perfect; Bills win first preseason contest 35-32
  
   Will the real Buffalo Bills please standup...
   Only a week ago, Chan Gailey's squad had a hard time getting anything to go right.  The offense was abysmal and the defense was abused.  On Saturday night, the same group was completely dominating on both sides of the ball - showing off an explosive pass game and suffocating defensive line.
   Generally speaking, the third preseason game is considered the most important in gauging a team's level going into the regular season.  Regardless, Bills fans should curb their enthusiasm for a few weeks.
   Clearly, the Bills have enough firepower to compete with anybody.  But the biggest difference between the NFL's elite and bottom-feeders is consistency.  Buffalo has to keep the light on for 16 games if they really hope to make progress.
   Here are my notes from the game:

Positives:

1)  Who is that guy under center?
   Ryan Fitzpatrick is kinda like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. 
   Against the Broncos, "Bad Fitz" was unable to connect on even the easiest of passes.  Throws were high, short, behind and floated into ridiculous coverage.
   Seven days later, "Good Fitz" stepped on the scene - rifling several perfect slants, hitting deep bombs in stride and hitting a perfect strike between defenders in the end zone.  We couldn't have expected more with Peyton Manning taking snaps.
   It's games like this that drive Bills fans mad, and keep the questions circling about whether he's the future at quarterback.  How can a player be so inconsistent?
   If Fitzpatrick can figure out the answer to that question, it's amazing to think about what he's capable of.

2)  A young receivers finally steps up...
   It would be an understatment to say that trading Lee Evans was not a popular decision.  In addition to a vicious lash-out from fans, a number of veterans went against the grain and publicly questioned the team's move.
   That's why it was so important for one of the Bills young receivers to have a big game during the preseason.  Not only does it ease concerns about the offense, but it also gives players confidence in the management's personnel decisions.  Division in the locker room is never a good thing.
   For Marcus Easley, it was a much-needed breakout (five catches, 51 yards and a touchdown).  Coaches have been high on him since training camp last year, but he's been unable to get healthy and was in real danger of getting cut.  It's not inconceivable that Easley could grab the #2 receiver spot very soon.

3)  Defensive line shines again
   The majority of top draft picks over the last two years have gone into shoring up the defensive line, so its' exciting to see the group finally becoming a force.
   For the third straight game, the run defense was strong at the point of attack - giving Jaguar running backs nowhere to run and not allowing the offensive line to generate any push.
   Last week, coaches experimented with a very base defense and no blitzing, only to watch the defense bring little pressure and the secondary get shredded.  On Saturday, the pass rush rebounded nicely, even with Shawn Merriman and Chris Kelsay on the sidelines, and with Marcell Dareus hobbling.
   The stars of the night were second-year lineman Alex Carrington, Pro Bowler Kyle Williams (who is the most explosive player I've seen come off the line since the Bills had Sam Adams) and usual backup Spencer Johnson.


Negatives:

1)  First half score was closer than it should have been...
   Football is a funny sport.  Even with tons of talent and great execution, a game can often come down to a few fluky plays and a stroke of (bad) luck.  That's exactly what the Bills saw on Saturday.
   The first 20 minutes of the game saw the Bills dominate both sides of the ball, quickly jumping out to a 17-0 lead against Jacksonville's starters.  But then came a terrible pass interference call, a couple missed tackles and soft coverage during the pre-halftime two minute drill.  All of a sudden, Jacksonville was within a touchdown of tying the game.
   The same thing has happened too many times when the games actually count, and Buffalo has been on the "unlucky" side more often than not.

Extra Points:

>>  I've been very critical of the offensive line this offseason.  They were very much improved this week, especially when it came to giving Fitzpatrick time in the pocket.  Still, this unit has a long way to go. 
   It only takes one bad block to kill a drive or take points off the board.  Failing to seal the edge on the third and goal play (first drive) was the only difference between a touchdown and a field goal.  And that point difference will cost us games in the regular season.