COMMENTARY
Sullivan: Is no-huddle back for good or just a ruse?
Published: August 09, 2009, 11:45 pm
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CANTON, Ohio — It was a great weekend for Bills nostalgia, a romp down Memory Lane. But really, the no-huddle? I heard the Bills had been using it almost exclusively during training camp. But might they actually use it as their base offense this year?
"If we huddled up, I seriously wouldn't know where to stand," left tackle Langston Walker said before the Bills' Hall of Fame game against Tennessee. "The only time I see us huddling is timeouts and change of possession. That's about it."
The first offense went exclusively no-huddle Sunday night. Of course, they were together for only one possession, which ended when Trent Edwards badly overthrew Lee Evans and got intercepted inside the Titans' 10. That was it for the night. The Bills have four more of these riveting preseason games. Coach Dick Jauron wasn't about to expose his starters this early in the process.
But the offense showed promise in its brief showing. Terrell Owens finally made some noise on a football field, catching two passes from Edwards for 27 yards on the opening drive. You could see the possibilities T.O. presents as a viable second receiver — if he is indeed the No. 2 — opposite Lee Evans.
The Bills were fairly crisp in the no-huddle. The Titans defenders weren't set when Edwards brought the offense to the line on the second play of the night. Edwards zipped a pass to an open Owens over the middle for a 16-yard gain.
Owens operating in no-huddle inspires fanciful notions in the minds of Buffalo fans. They remember how the K-Gun rolled up points and staggered NFL defenses during the Super Bowl years. The offense has been dull and ineffective for years. The no-huddle would give the offense an identity, and afford the fans much-needed hope.
But is it really plausible for this year's team to run the no-huddle as its primary offense? The teams in the glory years had Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and James Lofton. They had a highly skilled offensive line that had played together for several years.
This team has an unproven quarterback and a new starter at all five positions on the offensive line. It's hard to imagine the Bills engaging Tom Brady and the Patriots in a track meet in the opener — or for that matter, Drew Brees and New Orleans in Week Three.
It's incompatible with Jauron's basic coaching philosophy, which is to sit back and wait for the opposition to make the first mistake. Jauron employing a no-huddle? It's like Rush Limbaugh advocating higher taxes.
Maybe this no-huddle experiment is all a ruse, an attempt by Jauron to confuse Belichick and muddle his preparations for the opener.
"No, there's no tricking of anybody," Walker said. "It's the real deal. We're going to be on the ball for 95 percent of plays. The only time I foresee us huddling up is stoppages of play and timeouts and things of that sort."
We'll see. With T.O. on board, the Bills have more weapons. Defenses have to worry about two top-flight receivers, and Edwards should be able to get the ball out more quickly than in the past.
Jauron might be using the no-huddle to compensate for the shortcomings of a young, unproven offensive line. The hurry-up can help the linemen, who won't have to hold their blocks as long if the ball is getting out quickly.
One way or another, the offense needs to be more dynamic than in years past. Huddle or not, the Bills need to maximize their offensive weapons and be more aggressive. Management didn't bring T.O. to Buffalo so the coaches could play not to lose.
People act as if the defense is some emerging force, but it looked like the same old "D" Sunday. They don't make big plays and the defensive ends simply aren't good enough. Aaron Schobel looked slow. They need to sign Aaron Maybin and find out if he can help.
Cut through all the hype and this is still a team that finished 2-8 a year ago. Exotic schemes are nice. They offer hope. But if Sunday is any indication, the Bills are still a mediocrity, a team looking up at average.
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