Bills turn attention toward Seahawks
The Buffalo Bills held their first practice with a full roster Sunday afternoon, and left tackle Jason Peters was nowhere to be found.
His absence wasn’t so much a surprise as it was confirmation that their regular season will begin without him. Their attention has turned toward the Seattle Seahawks.
Peters wouldn’t have enough time to be ready to play Sunday in Ralph Wilson Stadium even if he ended his holdout today, having made his discontent clear to the organization. The two sides haven’t spoken since January. The Bills doubt he would be ready physically to play, regardless of his mental state.
The pressure intensifies on Peters, who has until Sunday to get his situation settled before losing more than $191,000 per week in salary.
For everybody else, it’s onward and, they hope, upward.
“It’s definitely a hit to our team,” wide receiver Lee Evans said. “To say he’s not missed would be ridiculous, but there’s nothing we can do about it. We can’t sit here and wish, and wait and hope. All we can do is play ball. We have to play ball with the guys that are out here. He’s not here. We have a football game to play.”
How will the Bills fare without their Pro Bowl offensive tackle? It’s one of many questions that will be answered beginning Sunday. The Bills are optimistic about making the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but they enter this season with a different set of problems than those that plagued them in recent years.
“We have a chance,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “It’s all we’ve asked for. They’ve worked hard, and now the real thing is upon us. The games will start counting on our record. You have to have a winning record to have a chance at the playoffs. That’s our goal. The guys are optimistic. I’m certainly optimistic. I don’t know how you win if you don’t think you can.”
The Bills believe they have the right quarterback in second-year man Trent Edwards, but a bruise just above his right knee limited him to only four series over two preseason games. He hasn’t taken a snap in a game since Aug. 14, when he looked good in completing 9 of 11 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Edwards’ strength is making quick decisions and accurate throws, but there are concerns about whether he’ll be sharp going into the opener. He acknowledged having a sloppy workout Sunday. His leg felt fine. The key now is getting his game ready before the opener.
“The offense has a lot to prove, and it starts at the quarterback position,” Edwards said. “I’m talking generally right now, but there’s a lot of expectations. A lot of work has gone into this season, and it will show on Sunday. I know I have a lot to prove, but if you ask any offensive player, they would say the same thing.”
The biggest issue is the offensive line, which was among the team’s most dependable units. No matter anybody’s opinion about Peters’ decision to stay home, his absence forced the Bills to make changes up front and left them thin at left tackle.
The Bills’ starting O-line has been together for only six series in the preseason. Langston Walker, who moved over to the left side from right tackle, missed the last preseason game with a sore left forearm. He should be ready Sunday. His backup is rookie Demetrius Bell, who is still catching up to the Bills’ offense and the speed of the NFL.
“I’m not worried,” guard Derrick Dockery said. “We have guys that are working hard and preparing to play Seattle. Those five guys will show up suited to [be] ready to play. We’ll be ready.”
The Bills know they have a talented running back in Marshawn Lynch, who is coming off a strong rookie year before running into off-field problems. They’re hoping to become more resourceful on offense. It means finding different ways to get receiver Lee Evans involved, relying on veterans Roscoe Parrish and Josh Reed to give Evans more room and making good use of big rookie James Hardy.
Of course, how they fare isn’t going to be known until later. The Bills’ offense has been rated 25th or worse for five straight seasons. Last year marked the third time over that span in which they were 30th. They also scored only 20 offensive touchdowns, a record low for the franchise.
The Bills are excited about their defense, which was second in yards allowed in both 2003 and ’04 before slipping to second-worst last season. They received a burst of talent and energy when they signed free-agent linebacker Kawika Mitchell and traded for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud. They also have middle linebacker Paul Posluszny back after he missed all but three games last season with a broken arm.
Rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin is still learning to play his position at an NFL level, but he looked terrific in the preseason. The Bills are anxious to see how effective he’ll be once he makes the adjustment. He’s already proven to be a strong return man, joining Parrish and Terrence McGee on a team stacked with them.
What does it all mean?
The first test comes Sunday against the Seahawks. The Bills are hoping to have a few answers.
“Every question that hasn’t been answered, every rock that hasn’t been turned, it will be on Sunday afternoon,” strong safety Donte Whitner said. “We want to have a good showing, and I believe we will.”
