Sorry but I couldn’t wait any longer… Usually I make a bold prediction rather than a straight article but this time I relent. While I am no in-depth style guy as Boomer or others I hope to entertain and create some buzz! I would like to begin by saying that the Bills, while not a scary team to look at, are a somewhat under the radar type of team. They have a very good secondary in McGee, McKelvin, Byrd and Whitner, back in full health, while boasting no expectations. Not to mention they still have the Dolphins Burner - Lee Evans, Fred Jackson, Spiller and Lynch. Let us also not forget that they only finished with ONE less victory than the Dolphins. That being said the balance weighs heavily in the Dolphins favor with a deep group of returning veterans on the Offense. Ronnie "Wildcat" Brown, Ricky "Deep Thoughts" Williams, Hartline, Polite, Long, Carey and a somewhat experienced Henne will lead the cast. Not to mention The Beast shall claim his kill and will only be limited if injured (knock on wood). However, the same query lingers for a hungry Ronnie Brown. IF Brown can manage a healthy season, I will proclaim him the league's leading rusher (you can write that down). The Dolphins Defense however is somewhat of a question mark heading into Buffalo, though the talent is there to harass the Bills quality rushers as well as whoever may be the QB on opening day. Keys to the Game: Buffalo: 1. Stop the potent rushing offense of the Dolphins (HA!) with multiple rush blitzing schemes. If you let Ronnie and Ricky, get going it will be a LONG day (No pun intended). 2. Double the Beast all day and pray that man-coverage can handle everyone else (Not likely). In addition, pray that double-coverage is enough to stop Marshall. 3. Create turnovers by harassing a young Quarterback in Chad Henne (My biggest anxiety). 4. Find a way to score on offense by utilizing speed and quickness (Evans, Spiller, and Parrish). (Makes me nervous as well) 5. Find a way to eat up clock by running down the throat of the Dolphins. (Don't see this happening with Starks, Odrick, Douglas, Dansby and Bell being the stalwarts) Miami: 1. Continue from last year's rushing offense. A more experienced and healthy running game should dominate the line of scrimmage with Long, Carey, Polite, Fasano plowing the way. 2. Feed The Beast. Get Marshall going and confident early. Enough said. 3. Shore-up a growing secondary with constant pressure. This should be easy for Nolan's schemes. Just don't give up the BIG plays! 4. Create Turnovers with an aggressive Defensive scheme. Nolan should have a sound game plan. Did I mention the Dolphins BURNER Lee Evans? 5. Stop the Run. The Dolphins appear well suited to stop a running game now with power and speed. Starks may be no Wilfork/Jenkins type of space eater but he is a powerful man! Odrick, McDaniels, Douglas, Langford and Soliai should help much from the LOS while Dansby, Crowder and Bell headhunt (and hopefully Wake). I believe this Dolphins team will get it done, though it could be a bit scary at moments. Evans has proved to be a scary guy on the outside against the Dolphins and Parrish is no slouch. Miami needs to make a statement here and show the league that they will not play down to the competition, as they have in the past, and dominate! OK, a couple bold predictions… Don’t twist my arm! Ronnie Brown – 15 carries, 98 yards, 2 TD’s (one from the Wildcat). 3 receptions for 25 yards Ricky – 10 carries 60 yards and a TD Brandon Marshall – 6 receptions for 120 yards and a TD Henne – 23/27, 247 yards and a TD Dansby – 9 tackles, 1 Sack or Interception Bell – 8 tackles Wake – 4 tackles, 2 Sacks Dolphins 31 Buffalo 17
Buffalo might be even worse this year. The QB situation is dreadful, there are conflicting reports as to who may end up the starter Edwards or Brohm. It's probably Edwards but who knows. Spiller is still holding out. Though they have pieces on the oline, it should still remain one of the poorer units in the NFL. The front seven on defense still isnt anything to fear. They have a good secondary and a running back. Thats about it. Maybe some recievers but its too early to tell. We should destroy them
Given our history of slow starts, I doubt we win by 2TDs. my comments: -Do the Bills have a pass rush now that Aaron Schobel is gone? might alleviate some of your concerns -They do have a solid secondary, so I seriously doubt Henne goes 23/27. I think we win, Henne gets 1 TD/1 INT, but we win because Ronnie and Ricky get 2 TDs. We give up 16 points and win 21-16
No offence Ricky but that's funny. Buffalos secondary is very good I hope we ground and pound the first game.
LOVE IT! LMAO! I have to say Ohio Fanatic is probably a bit more realistic but I'm sticking to my guns...
Thanks Adam. Wish I could take credit for it. Ever see Conan the Barbarian? Great flick for it's time/genre. Check it out if you've never seen it. Just don't expect much in the way of a plot, or acting, or great special effects. Come to think of it, it was kind of a lame movie. At least by today's standards. Although, Sandahl Bergman was pretty easy on the eyes. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082198/
agreed. growing up, Loved that movie. sequels dropped off a bit. Was funny to see Wilt Chamberlain completely tower over Arnold. The Red Sonja spinoff was absolutely awful.
I honestly think this game is going to be a big key to our season. If we flounder against a very heavily criticized Bills team, its going to deflate morale. If we squeak by them, I see it being a good lesson. And if we outright destroy them, it'll be great to watch, but might play too much into the egos of our young defense. As much loading up as we did on D in the draft, I get really worried about them getting in the NFL mindset of any given Sunday. The best team does NOT always win. I'm hoping for a close game win against the Bills. Enough to make the new guys realize they're in the NFL, and even a down and out team like the Bills can win on Sunday.
got to play the games one @ a time the x-factor will loom as always w/a parcelian team Miami will play w/tenacity & brutality give no quarter, take no quarter
Our front seven are going to make it miserable for Edwards. They have some skill players sure, even some very skilled perimiter players, but this game will be dictated in the trenches, and we will destroy them. I expect lots of slot / short routes to Bess, Hartline and Marshall as Henne keeps it simple and maintains possession. Keep Byrd/Whitner out of their equation. Our running game will be in full effect as our Oline will dominate. Sure they are being discounted early, and sure they could be better than they are on paper, but this team is in a misery of personnel trouble already and they play in one of, if not the toughest division in the league. Buffa-Suck will have a hard time winning 6 games this year, I fully expect a sweep of them and we don't play in Buffalo in Nov/Dec so their weather adv. is tossed out against us. Should be a great statement game to start the season and put some early pressure on the pats and jets
I object.......the phrase "Keys to the Game" is copyrighted on this forum by yours truly. Are you tryin to muscle in on my turf? Huh? Are ya? Wanna take this outside? Or you got the compensation required to stop my friends Vinnie, and the other Vinnie from eyeing up your knee caps?
Con - HA! Sorry , didn't mean to muscle in... I always assumed Keys to the Game was a very generic term! But I won't make that mistake again. Tell Vinnie and the other Vinnie I got no beef... The Aqua Crush - I hope you are right! the 23rd - LOVE w/a "parcelian" team, NOICE! Parcells has his own term! SeanP - I completely agree!
All you graphics people are the same, make some fancy schmancy dooddles and think ya own the joint. But the real pain in the *** people around here are those gurus......
I hope we crush them. We need a goos opening statement game! It's been too long. And it's always nice to beat the Bills in Buffalo, that hasn't happened in a little while either, since 2008 was in Toronto. Maybe we'll get Schobel. Apparently he wanted out of Buffalo.
how about we not give up a 40 yard TD run to a third string QB. That was a disgrace up there last year. Oh yeah and when you are running it down there throats please Mr Henning don't get cute on us.
RIGHT! I saw you contributing over in the Graphics Forum... A local team rhyming with Meat ring any bells???
Some other thoughts concerning the game against the Bills.. No Terrell Owens this year. In that week 12 loss to the Bills. Owens had one of his better games all year. 96 yards and a TD. No Shobel this year. Weaker pass rush. So maybe between Henne and Williams we don't give up 4 (!!!!) INTs. A ratio of 1 TD to 4 INTs is a losing formula even against a team like the Bills. Our leading receiver that day was Fasano with 74 yds. Next up was Bess with 34 yds. Brandon Marshall should prove to be an elixer for that. On the flip side, in spite of generating 6 sacks we still allowed 246 passing yards from Fitzpatrick. But I have to believe our secondary will be better this year. I think we win that game decisively.
Yeah man, those are some valid points... Evans and Parrish against our young corners are my main concerns. Of course if Wake, Misi, Dansby and Co. are getting pressure it could look more like that route we put on them a couple years ago...
i think we win this game handily ... 10+ points .... whilst the D will not be fully ready for a couple weeks into the season - i do not see BUF challenging us to badly through the air ....
My prediction... PAIN. No seriously, remember what we did to Seattle in the 2000 season opener...if you dont, look it up. Thats my prediction.
I like your point about crushing the Bills and the D getting air headed, especially since the next game is the Vikings and with or without Farve they still have weapons on both sides of the fields which will make it a tough game for us to win. I hope that we do come out victories with the Bills and every other game.
That sounds good in theory but I dont know. Having a tough time against a lowly Bills team could also hurt confidence. I would like a decent blowout. One where we dominate from start to finish but dont over do it. So we go into the Vikings game with great momentum and confidence (not over confidence) and get the job done.
I think we're going to crush the Bills. Just my opinion of course. One, we'll have vengeance on our minds after that embarrassing loss to them last season. Two, our defense is going to be revved up with this new scheme. Three, the Bills don't have a QB. Four, the guy who is supposed to be their starting tail back is missing crucial time in camp. Five, they won't be able to stop our run and that will set up nicely for the play action. Six, in spite of their good secondary, we just have too many go to guys IMO. Seven, the Bills have no pass rush, so Henne will get comfortable back there and with the running game we have, it will keep their secondary very honest. Eight, we have Marshall, Hartline, Bess, Camarillo, Fasano, and RB and RW out of the backfield. Someone - more than one of them - will always be open. And since Henne will likely have plenty of time in the pocket, he will find that man. NINE, we are just way better than them. Miami 30, Buffalo 10