It's important not to take too much from the preseason.
Coaches often use very basic game plans. A lot of starters only play at half speed, if they happen to play at all. Many of the guys on the field in the second half won't even be on a roster come early September.
Regardless, there were plenty of interesting trends and tidbits that came from Saturday night's contest against the Bears. Some moments will likely get optimistic Bills fans excited, while others will raise major concerns.
Positives:
1) The Bills might actually have a pass rush!
For a team that managed only 27 sacks in 2011, the pass rush was incredible all night long.
On the first two drives, a rejuvinated Shawn Merriman had two solo sacks, along with a play where he pressured quarterback Jay Cutler directly into the arms of Marcell Dareus. Speaking of Dareus, the first round pick was constantly pushing into the backfield in his first NFL action, looking both incredibly strong and surprisingly quick.
Overall, the Bills had an amazing nine sacks on the night - with both the starters and backups supplying consistent force up front. In fact, Chicago's inability to throw from the pocket made it hard to judge the play of the defensive backfield.
Negatives:
1) Stopping the run could be a big problem again...
Like a replay of last season, the Bills were gashed for 164 yards on the ground.
The Bills rush defense looked very promising during the first two series, with Bears running back Chester Taylor getting stuffed on several plays. But the third drive was a much different story. Most of Buffalo's starting defenders were still on the field, as Marion Barber rumbled his way down the field and helped the Bears score the only touchdown of the night.
The reserve crew was even worse - getting blown off the line of scrimmage, easily shoved out of running lanes and caught in over-pursuit of the ball carrier.
2) Blocking needs a lot of work...
The offensive line is expected to be a big problem area again in 2011 - and to nobody's surprise, it looked like Buffalo's worst unit on the field Saturday night.
Eric Wood, Kraig Urbik and Erik Pears all missed important blocks during the first two drives - major factors in the Bills starting unit only putting up three points. The backups were dreadful, giving no room for the running backs and no time for the quarterbacks.
If Saturday was any indication, head coach Chan Gailey will be calling for a lot of quick slants and screens to disguise his weaknesses on the line. But that will only work some of the time. At some points, the Bills are going to need to pickup big yardage and the big guys will have to give Ryan Fitzpatrick time.
Extra Points:
>> The first-string offense used mostly short passes and a couple really nice runs by Fred Jackson to work the ball down field. They might have scored more, if not for Urbik's missed block and an offensive pass interference call.
Fitzpatrick still seems like the inconsistent and controversial quarterback that polarized Bills fans last year. On one hand, he has great command of the huddle and makes some really nice throws. But he follows that up by sailing passes over the heads of his receivers.
>> Gailey experimented quite a bit Saturday with the Wildcat formation, getting several good plays from free agent pickup Brad Smith. The formation was also used by undrafted pickup Josh Nesbitt.
It has yet to be seen how much Buffalo will use the formation during the regular season, but it does seem like it can be an effective play for the offense.
>> Second round cornerback Aaron Williams had an up-and-down night. During the second half, he was toasted on a two long passes that set Chicago up in the red zone. But he was able to save the score with an athletic diving interception, where he managed perfect coverage and then tipped the ball to himself.
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