Week 9 Scouting Report: Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills
Published by Andrew Chadwick on November 2, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
State of the Franchise
The glory days of the 1990s are long gone in Buffalo, as the Bills have failed to make a play-off appearance since 1999. This year promised to be different with the hiring of Chan Gailey as head coach.
The former Dallas coach made an immediate impact on the team by installing a 3-4 defense and a run-centric offense. He also dumped two former starters, Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch, in favor of a journeyman quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and an unproven rookie (C.J. Spiller). The result: an 0-6 start to the 2010 season; the worst start for a Bills team since 1984.
Some Bears fans may assume this weekend’s game against the winless Bills in Toronto will be a cakewalk. However, the Bills are better than their record suggests.
Let’s examine the Bills’ strengths, weaknesses and likely courses of action against the Bears in this weekend’s matchup in Toronto, Canada.
Biggest Strengths
Ryan Fitzpatrick: Since Ryan Fitzpatrick became the starting QB, the Bills’ offense has improved significantly. The Harvard alum is quietly having an excellent season, passing for 12 touchdowns and posting a 91.1 quarterback rating. With a solid group of receivers and Fitzpatrick’s steady play, the Bills have been efficient and effective through the air. For instance, against an excellent Baltimore defense, Fitzpatrick threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns in a heartbreaking overtime loss.
RBs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller: This is not the flashiest running duo, but the two backs have been productive, averaging 4.0 and 4.1 yards per carry, respectively.
NT Kyle Williams: The fifth-year NT has racked up three sacks and has been excellent in stuffing runs up the middle. He is by far the best defensive lineman the Bills have.
Biggest Weaknesses
The Bills Defense: This may be the worst defensive unit in football, giving up 30 points per game. The Bills are particularly bad at stopping the run. Although they kept the Chiefs under 14 points, they still yielded 414 total yards, 274 of which were on the ground. The transition to the 3-4 defense has been less than ideal, as the Bills’ linebacker corps has struggled in the new system.
RT Cordaro Howard: The first—year player has performed poorly in pass and run blocking.
Lack of turnovers: The Bills secondary has one interception all season.
Likely Courses of Action
On offense, expect the Bills to challenge Chicago’s secondary—the weakest link on the defense. Fitzpatrick has a hot hand and the Bears secondary is vulnerable. Although he is mostly a short to intermediate-range passer, Fitzpatrick has demonstrated a willingness and ability to hit the deep route. Expect a well—rounded passing attack balanced by a solid running game.
Defensively, the Bills will likely turn up the heat on Cutler and commit an extra defender in the box to strengthen their shoddy run defense. Olin Kreutz will likely have his hands full blocking NT Kyle Williams on passing and running plays. If Chicago can manage to protect Cutler and open running lanes, expect a big day for the Bears offense.
On special teams, the Bills will likely kick away from Hester; a trend that will continue through the rest of the season.
Predictions
I will post my final, detailed prediction later this week. As of now, I think the Bears will win 21-17 behind a solid running game. Who does everyone else think will win, and by how much?
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