Boy, what a crappy game that was. But, not totally unexpected: the Dolphins seem to be living up to their usual modus operandi: starting the season strong, which will presumably be followed by a major fade in November and December. The Bills usually lose game in Miami if they're scheduled in September, so the fact that they lost this one doesn't really surprise me. The next time these two teams meet will be the second-to-last game of the year for both, on December 21. Circle that date now.
I wasn't surprised that the Bills had difficulty getting their passing game opened up, really. I was surprised at the complete failure of the Bills' running game. I don't just mean they had trouble running the ball; they literally couldn't run the ball, and that's just a week after Travis Henry had 21 carries for a mere 26 yards in the previous game. So now I'm wondering if last year wasn't an indicator of Henry's talent so much as a career year. I really hope this gets on track soon; otherwise the Bills will be sorely tempted to rush Willis McGahee into play later this year when he's cleared to return from his injury, and I want him to sit as much of the year out as possible. (The guy's a potential superstar, but that injury is not one you want to risk by coming back too early.) The Bills seemed to abandon the running game almost immediately, and they too quickly took on the look of flailing on offense, which played right into Miami's hands.
And I have no idea what was up with that trick play in the second quarter. That's two weeks in a row that the Bills have tried a trick play and had it go disastrously awry. The only upside here was getting yet more evidence that Joe Theissman has no idea what he's talking about, ever: he babbled on about how the Dolphins' defensive line came up and screwed up the halfback option pass, and how the Dolphins' cornerback read the play all the way, blah blah blah…and not once did he mention the fact that Travis Henry underthrew the ball something awful, not putting it deep enough and hanging it in the air.
The Bills' defense played very well, especially with being on the field for so long. They even showed more signs of a pass rush. So, I'd say that the Bills need to pay the running game less lip service and pay it more game service. Don't abandon the run so quickly, Gregg Williams! Anyhoo, next up the Bills have a home game against the Eagles, who are 0-2 and coming off a bye week. That'll be a tough game.
:: The Vikings are not only 3-0, but all three wins are division wins. Impressive.
:: Who are these unscoring guys wearing the San Francisco uniforms?
That's about all. Once again, the day was too nice for a lot of football-watching.
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