What I learned from the Bills preseason

1) CJ Spiller is no Reggie Bush: Damn, that kid can fly. I’ve made no bones about not liking the Spiller pick back in April. Well, I’m starting to come around to it. The guy is a stud and a game-breaker. He’s just the type of player that the Bills offense has desperately needed. I still can’t get over that touchdown run he had against the Colts, where he jooked like 4 Colts defenders out of their cleats.

Then to think that he gained over 50 yards in the first half against the Bengals after starting with negative 16 yards is even more impressive. I was excited before the preseason started about the running back situation for the Bills. Now, after getting just a taste of Spiller, I can’t wait to see what Gailey has in store for the 3-headed monster.

2) The defense is going to have growing pains: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, going to a 3-4 defense is going to take maybe a year or two to reap in the benefits. Remember, when Gregg Williams overhauled Wade Phillips 3-4 defense (which was ranked 4th in 2000) for a 4-3, the defense was in shambles for the first two years under Double G.

As for the present, preseason or not, when your first team defense allows six touchdowns in just 5 quarters, you’re asking for problems. Did the Bills first team defense even register a sack? Again, not to beat a dead horse, but the linebackers on this team can’t cover a lick or rush the passer.

I know a number of fans have chalked up the Bills secondary as being a top tier unit. However, I’m a little concerned to see how they can play without being in a cover 2 defense. Remember, the cover 2 is known to have the safety work over the top and help out more in the passing game. In a 3-4, the safeties are going to be more aggressive and play closer to the line of scrimmage. Plus, having no pass rush will only hurt the secondary.

3) Trent Edwards is Captain Chuck It: Sure, it wasn’t exactly an open QB competition. But, Trent Edwards is providing Bills fans a glimmer of hope with his preseason play. Edwards had a quarterback rating of 102 for the preseason and guided the first team offense to 41 points. To think, in Edwards last four games in which he started and finished, the Bills scored 17, 3, 10 and 7 points. Of course, not all of it was Edwards fault. I think with addition of Chan Gailey’s play-calling, he should be a better quarterback. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Edwards is the future and I doubt he’s going to approach his 102 quarterback rating for this season.

However, if Gailey can make Edwards into an average quarterback, can you imagine what he can do with a legit franchise passer?

OK, I’m giving Edwards no respect. He played well during the preseason and discovered the deep ball with Lee Evans. He was able to read the field so much better than last year and didn’t panic into checking it down to a running back. He also stepped into the pocket and actually made our offensive line look better than they are. So there, Edwards is the MVP of the preseason.

4) Don’t bank on the tackles: I don’t know which defender it was, but against the Bengals, a defensive lineman just blazed past Cornell Green in sacking Trent Edwards. Green didn’t even lay a glove on the defender. Plus, from what I saw during rest of the preseason, Green isn’t exactly the type of run blocker that the Bills had envisioned. But, hey, we all knew what we were getting by signing a retreaded Oakland Raider offensive lineman (See: Langston Walker).

The tackle situation for the Bills is a disaster and you can only blame it on management’s refusal to pay for the going rate for a starter at the NFL. BTW, you still banking on Demetrius Bell this season? Something tells me that he plays like 12 games, finishes about half of them, and then gets about 12 penalties.

5) Chan Gailey doesn’t miss around : You gotta give Gailey credit for the way he ran the preseason. In a world where training camp offers a ton of empty cliches like “being in the best shape of my life” and other overstated quotes, “We are practicing in pads and things are changing.” Gailey has to be the greatest preseason coach in Bills history.

Seriously, think about it.

Marv Levy’s teams never played well during the exhibition season. I can’t recall Wade Phillips doing anything productive, besides listing Doug Flutie and Rob Johnson as co-starters (No clue what he met by that when you can only start one guy). And Like Gailey, Greg Williams yelled a ton, but I can’t recall seeing the Bills offensive first unit score 40 plus points in the preseason. Mike Mularkey? Um, he didn’t really say much and I can’t recall being excited about the Bills during the preseason. As for Dick Jauron, well, his preseason was so bad last year that the Bills fired their offensive coordinator and waived their starting left tackle.

So, yes, Gailey is the greatest preseason coach in Bills history. All kidding aside, besides the defense, Gailey has come in and helped give Bills fans a glimmer of hope with the offense. Edwards hasn’t looked this good since the start of the 2008 season and Gailey’s attitude is quite refreshing. Of course, it helps that he’s replacing a coach who talked as if he was giving a eulogy, which only enhances Gailey’s vocabulary.