Week 5 Recap: Buffalo 31, Philadelphia 24

Turnovers key as Bills knock off disappointing Eagles "Dream Team"

The Bills defense had Eagles quarterback Michael
Vick under intense pressure all day long, leading to
four interceptions

   One of the most important lessons for a young team is learning how to shake off a tough loss.
   Mission accomplished.
   The Bills came back from their disappointing Week 4 performance by jumping out to an impressive 28-7 lead against a favored Eagles team, forcing four interceptions out of quarterback Michael Vick, and finally holding off a potential fourth quarter comeback.
   It wasn't the prettiest win.  The defense fell apart again and needed all of their five takeaways to walk away with the victory.
   But it was a victory... and one they almost certainly would have lost in years past.  The offense continued to move the ball very well, and did another outstanding job of putting up points in the red zone. 
   At 4-1, the Bills have already matched the number of wins they had in 2010, and they remain tied for first place in the AFC East.

Game Observations:

1)  Turnover kings...
   I don't think the Bills secondary could cover an old man with a walker.  But where this group lacks in coverage ability, they have made up for in aggression and on-field awareness. 
   The defense can't count on these kinds of bounces every week.  But not all of the turnovers have been luck bounces.  Many have come off batted passes, deflections and from extreme pressure on the quarterback.  That comes from good coaching.

2)  Fred Jackson is an animal...
   What more can be said about Jackson that hasn't been stated over the previous four games?  On Sunday, he racked up almost 200 yards from scrimmage.
   Since the days of Thurman Thomas, the Bills have used first round picks on Antowain Smith, Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch and C.J. Spiller.  They have all gotten outplayed by an undrafted free agent from Coe College.

3)  No longer worried...
   As usual, all of the media attention is going to Jackson and Ryan Fitzpatrick.  But the real story of the Bills season has to be the offensive line.
   Even replacing starting left tackle Demetrius Bell with rookie Chris Hairston, the unit didn't miss a beat.  On the season, they have allowed only four sacks (best in the NFL) and helped the team average 5 yards rushing per carry (#4 in the NFL).  But the group is most impressive when flexing their speed and agility when blocking downfield on screen passes.

4)  Blown coverages galore...
   It's hard to imagine the Bills getting better pressure on the quarterback.  Vick was crushed several times and forced into rushing most of his throws. 
   So how in the world were receivers getting open so deep, right in the middle of the field? 
   In past weeks, Leodis McKelvin and rookie Aaron Williams were the primary victims.  This week's biggest culprits were Reggie Corner and the normally solid Drayton Florence.  With so many coverage breakdowns, at some point we have to start wondering if the root problem lies in the defensive scheme and not the talent. 

Looking to next week:

   After falling to the Seahawks, the 3-2 Giants will be very eager to get back in the win column.
   New York has struggled badly with turning the ball over, which (on paper) could fall right into the hands of an opportunistic Bills defense.  Coach Tom Coughlin will be preaching "protecting the ball" all week long.
   The Giants are no longer a top running team, but they do have several dangerous weapons in the passing game, starting with an exceptional set of receivers (Hakeem Nix, Mario Manningham and the emerging Victor Cruz).  Like many of the runners the Bills have already faced this year, Ahmad Bradshaw can also make big plays out of the backfield. 
   New York probably has the best group of pass rushers in the league, but are expected to be without Justin Tuck (and possibly Osi Umenyiora).  The Bills should again find success running the ball, which in turn will set up the short passing game.