Why the Slow Start for Myers?

There is probably more than one reason Mr. Myers isn't replicating last season's magic at this point.

Tyler Myers has had a weak start to his sophomore campaign. Not helping matters much, is that the Buffalo Sabres are dying by his sword right now, just as they lived by it last season. His 48 point plus-13 rookie season was a great treat, but his 1 point, minus-7 start to his second has been a crappy trick.

I would say that the theories I have heard to explain his slow start are relatively reasonable. So far I have heard that off-season personnel changes, increased league exposure, poor all-around play by his team, and increased pressure from his new role as #1 D-man are legit probabilities.

One factor that hasn't been brought up here is his increase in weight/muscle mass.

Myers is noticeably larger now than he was last spring. Just look at his neck now compared to last season.

Ask a hockey player who has ever gained/lost a lot of weight in a relatively short period, and they probably will tell you that there is an adjustment period. One thing that is often compromised when weight is put on is agility.

Could this be part of the big soph's problem?

Bills/Jags Recap

Is it time to think ahead to the 2011 Draft yet? Despite a fairly strong offensive showing, the Bills fell to 0-5 for the first time since 1985 by falling 36-26 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ryan Fitzpatrick was solid, if somewhat erratic, completing 20 of 30 passes for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns (two to Steve Johnson, who very quietly has four on the young season). Once again however, the run defense proved to be the Achilles Heel (or at least one of them) as the Bills gave up over two hundred yards rushing for the third straight contest (216). 


Thoughts:

-The Bills were slightly better at getting off the field on third down defensively, but it helped them little in the time of possession battle. The Jags held the ball for over 34 minutes despite giving the Bills three extra possessions due to turnovers.

-The Bills D still cannot cover tight ends (Marcedes Lewis had two touchdowns), and still has some mind boggling containment issues (the Jags ran the same end around to Mike Walker three times, resulting in 53 yards and two first downs).

-Ryan Fitzpatrick, while playing fairly well, still had a few passes not thrown to any one specific individual, so much as the universe at large.

- The offense is still struggling to find ways to get the ball into CJ Spiller's hands. He touched the ball a total of six times for 34 yards on offense, although he ran well when he did touch it.

- The Bills were not penalized excessively, but they certainly made those penalties count. Three of their five penalties were inside the Jags red zone, and effectively killed off two promising scoring drives. We can only imagine how the complexion of the game would have changed with the Bills up 21-3 as opposed to 13-3.

- Maybe our top three receivers aren't so bad. After a miserable performance against the Jets, the trio of Evans, Parrish and Johnson combined for 14 catches, 191 yards and 3 touchdowns.

- Congrats to the Bills D for their first interception of the year! I believe that only puts us only 12 behind the Carolina Panthers for the league lead.

Up next: The bye week. I'm guessing we can't lose.

Brady / Moss Hair Fight

I know I should probably write something about the Bills game, but this is much more entertaining.

Charlie Casserly just reported that Brady got into an altercation in the locker room with Moss before the trade. About hairstyles.

Am I the only one who is amazed by the number of "legitimate" news organizations with whole sections of web sites devoted to rumors? CBS even cleverly names this section "Facts and Rumors". I'd be more comfortable if there was a line drawn between the two, however closely they may be related.

I think it's time we started a regular rumor section here. Our rumors, however, will be clearly marked as such. I'll start it off. There is a rumor making the rounds that Tom Brady is under the care of a Brazilian doctor who has been treating him with Ibogaine. The Ibogaine Effect should be immediately recognizable -- from Brady's tearful breakdown on the flatbed truck in New Jersey, the delusions and altered thinking that impacted his play in Florida, and finally the condition of "total rage" that gripped him in Boston.

You heard it here first. Tom Brady is a crazy drug addict. Seriously.

Get a Load of This

Puck Moving Defense is Questionable in Weekend Play

About 10 minutes into Saturday night's 6-3 stinker, right about the time that Tyler Myers put one past the outstretched leg of Ryan Miller and into the back of his own net, you got the feeling that this one was going to get ugly.

It didn't get much better when shortly after, Myers blew a tire behind his own net and turned the puck over. Brandon Dubinsky put that one away to make it two-nothing.

The Rangers 5th goal came when the tall sophmore and his center Derek Roy got caught chasing the play behind the net and left the slot open.

The blame for the lone goal scored by the Ottawa Senators in Buffalo's 2-1 win on Friday was also on the defense. Jordan Leopold was overpowered by Ottawa tough guy Chris Neil at center ice. The puck was turned over, and quickly converted into a score to send the Senators into the dressing room with a tie and some momentum, after getting smoked most of the 1st and 2nd period.

The defense is supposed to be one of the strengths of this team. Last season, the Sabres were 4th in the league in goals allowed per game. While Miller played a big part (after all, your goalie is your last defense man), the blue liners were also responsible. It was one area on the team that got addressed in free agency this summer as Leopold and Morrisonn were brought in to replace the departing Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder.

Lindy Ruff is going to have to talk to his defense and get them to pull it together. There needs to be better communication. There needs to be smart and accurate outlet passes. No more of this trickster action skating the puck all over your own zone to find some room.

We'll see what happens on Monday night when the Sabres play the heavyweight champions of the world, the Chicago Blackhawks. Were this weekend's miscues just part of a bad dream, or are they part of the reality of the next 80 games?

Three Quick Keys to Beating Jacksonville

1. Pass The F**king Ball

Before I started writing this piece, I was sure I would start off by claiming the Bills needed to re-affirm their commitment to the run, and I still believe they need to. After doing some research however, I'm convinced that what the Bills really need to do is attack down the field. The Jaguars defense hasn't been especially potent this year, but its been especially atrocious in the downfield passing game. They're last in the league in both passes of 20+ yards allowed (19) and 40+ (7). There should be some opportunities for Evans, Parrish and the rest of the receiving corps.

2. Stop The Run

You're going to accuse me of relying on cliches for this article, but there it is. The Bills are dead last in the league in yards surrendered per game (174!) and 26th in yards per carry. Its contributed mightily to the Bills being 31st in time of possession and 31st in third down percentage (only ahead of the Patriots interestingly).

The onus is very much going to be on Kyle Williams and the two inside backers for this one. The Jaguars have get more first downs running up the middle that any else in the league- they 20 so far this year (the number two team, Philadelphia, has 13). I would hope to see a lot of Troup in the base 3-4, and/or a heavier 4-3 (with say Kelsay, Stroud, Williams and Edwards for example). The Jags haven't been running over a lot of teams this year (only 4.1 yards a carry), but they are committed. It will be crucial to force them into third and long situations and put the ball in David Garrard's hands.

3. Get Creative on the Edges

The Jags offensive tackle position has been a mess this year, so its a great opportunity for the Bills pass rush to show some signs of life. While the Bills aren't boiling over with talent at the OLB position, they should be able to win some one on one battles. More importantly, they should be able to confuse Jacksonville's young tackles with overloads and stunts along the edges.

Let 'em know you're there!

Get that fuckin' stick in their side. Let 'em know you're there!
- Reggie Dunlop

Watching the Sabres tonight I'm astounded they continue to let the opposing team harass Ryan Miller. I hate to endorse violence, but we need to give notice that the price for anyone who wants to get familiar with Ryan Miller is pain. Pain and blood.

Other thoughts from tonight's game:

This team hustles. It's fun to watch, but offensively we continue to have trouble finishing. I've seen a lot of good chances missed.

I've noticed a few too many sloppy giveaways in the transition game. Hopefully it's just a bad night, but if we continue to give the opposing teams this many chances, Ryan Miller will start to look human.

Down 4-1 at the end of the second period. Ugh. I'm going to switch over to some playoff baseball, maybe my absence will bring us some luck.

Putting on the Foil

Can you feel the electrons buzzing a little faster today? Hockey starts tonight. Real hockey, where the winners get two points, and the losers get to go home and think about missed opportunities (and also possibly a point, but that's another post.) The Buffalo Sabres have had a few months now to consider all of the missed opportunities from last season, when they won their Division, but failed to make it past the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs.

Even though this year's team is full of familiar faces (the primary offseason acquisition being Shaone Morrison), how they will perform is a complete mystery. Will the team that won the Northeast division show up ready to play? Or will it be the team that got pushed off the puck again and again in the series against the Bruins? I don't claim to know how this season will turn out, but the beauty of any new sports season (even for fans of teams from Buffalo) is fresh hope.

I've got a feeling....

Gross Injuries Keep Rivet off the Ice

Last spring, shortly after the Buffalo Sabres took a butt slide out of the playoffs, we found out that Craig Rivet had been playing injured for most of the season. It appears that Captain Bad Bod was suffering from a double labrum tear. The 36 year-old had to undergo surgery.

In two seasons with the Sabres, Rivet has struggled to stay healthy. When he first arrived in 2008 he had to have knee surgery early on. He quickly returned after surgery and finished the season with 24 points in 64 games.

Last season, the grizzled veteran played in 78 games, mostly while injured. Season highlights included 6 fights (2 with that dirty little man Daniel Carcillo), a playoff goal, and a face-off with Lord Vader presiding.

To say that Rivet has slowed a bit since his days with Montreal is probably accurate. But you might have to say that he has gotten tougher with age, just like an old beef bull. The man danced with a few nasty characters last season while wearing a brace to support his injured shoulder.

His latest boo-boo is a throat contusion. Rivet says that he was clipped in the throat by a teammate's shoulder pad during one of the first practices of training camp, and five days later he felt a pop. A blood vessel had burst. Gross.

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Team Loyalty

Editor's note: On the cusp of the MLB divisional series, Brendan explains how he gets to root for a team that actually has something to play for following the end of the regular season...

Please hold your boos until the end.

I am a Yankees fan. In the spring of 1986, I was just beginning to cultivate a fondness for baseball. My family had moved "upstate" that year, and most of my new friends were kind of amazed that I had so little interest in or knowledge of the sport. In my case, my sporting preferences had been passed down from a father who had me on ice skates at the age of three, and whose face turned a bright shade of red each Sunday afternoon from September through December. My father found baseball about as interesting as golf, and I suspect he signed up to coach my first soccer team in an effort to keep me away from t-ball.

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So Long and Good Luck Trent

In April of 2007, I was making a new beginning. I had just moved to NYC from Burbank, CA after two years of successfully negotiating myself deeper and deeper into a rut. I had moved to New York in an attempt to pull myself up by my bootstraps, and directly into the poor house. I succeeded for six months, before finding the job that landed a crippling blow to my bright hobo future.

I watched the draft that April on a huge, obscenely heavy fifteen year old TV I had bought at a thrift store relatively cheaply, and chatted via webcam with my bset friend from college. We both loved Marshawn Lynch, although I worried that it meant we would miss out on Paul Posluszny. I have rarely been more excited than when I saw the Bills leap up to the 34th pick that year and snatch him up. I pumped my fist in the air (carefully, as my room was tiny), and looked around desperately for someone to high five. At the time I was living with two artists, and it was difficult to explain exactly to people who spent time dissecting something like Bernini's "The Ecstasy of St. Theresa" why this draft was so important.

As the 2nd round drew on, I drifted away to find some Chinese food (i.e fried chicken), and received a text from my friend. The Bills had picked, and they had picked Trent Edwards. My first thought was of course: "People still name their children Trent?". When I got home I began to research this Trent person. It turns out that he was a highly recruited high school QB. Notre Dame wanted him. Michigan wanted him. Florida wanted him. He picked Stanford, and even went on to pick up a degree in something other than physical education. Even more exciting, the man I still think is the greatest head coach in the history of the game, Bill Walsh, gushed about the kid.

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