After using the 4-3 defense for nine years and seeing little results, the Buffalo Bills have decided to revert back to the defensive scheme that led them to four straight super bowl appearances in the early ’90’s under Marv Levy.  Wade Phillips, who succeeded Levy on the sidelines, used the same scheme from 1998 to 2000 and the Bills finished sixth, first and third in the NFL in defense.

Times have changed and unfortunately these aren’t the glory days for Buffalo anymore.  The Bills are working on five straight losing seasons, a decade long playoff drought and have turned over the front office and the roster again.  Unquestionably, the Bills are facing many challenges in 2010 and their conversion to the 3-4 defense stands to be one of their biggest ongoing storylines to watch.

Perhaps the biggest issue the Bills will encounter with their new 3-4 defense is a collection of players better suited to play in the 4-3 than in the 3-4.  Added to the defensive mix in the offseason were free agent defensive end Dwan Edwards and linebackers Andra Davis and Reggie Torbor, along with new defensive coordinator George Edwards.  Those additions will surely help aid in the transition process, but success on the defensive side of the ball rests largely on the remainder of the roster adjusts to the different and unfamiliar responsibilities.

Change for the better?

It would seem that the Bills are living proof of the old adage that defense wins championships.  In the past five seasons, the Bills have finished no higher than 22nd in defense, posting losing records all five years.  Ironically, the last time the Bills ranked in the top 10 in defense and had a winning season was 2004.  A direct correlations between defensive success and winning?  I think so.

By the end of last season, it became crystal clear that a change was badly needed on the defensive side of the ball.  Buffalo boasted the 2nd best defense against the pass in the NFL, but were especially embarrassing against the run.

The Bills ranked 30th in the league against the run, allowing 156.3 rushing yards per game.  One of the lowlight marks of the 2009 was the Bills sheer inability to stop the ground game of their division rival New York Jets.  In two games against the Jets, the Bills surrendered a staggering 567 yards rushing.

Recent history could suggest that the Bills’ switch to the 3-4 might lead to a better run defense.  A prime example can be found just a season ago.  The Green Bay Packers were the top team against the run last season, which was their first year in the 3-4 defense.

Nose tackle is key, OLBs endure toughest challenges

The coverages, nuances, terminology and responsibilities will be like night and day for the players, and it all starts with the man in the middle.

The nose tackle is the centerpiece of the 3-4 defense.  Your prototypical tackle needs to be quick off the snap and even faster at the point of attack because he’ll often encounter double, even possibly, triple teams of lineman.  Usually, your nose tackle is a mountain of a man (think Vince Wilfork, Kris Jenkins and Kevin Williams) but that doesn’t always have to be the case.  Dallas has had success with a smaller-type nose tackle, Pro Bowler Jay Ratliff.

In the offseason, the free agent cupboard was bare of nose tackles.  The likes of Casey Hampton and Vince Wilfork were kept off the market with lucrative long term contracts from Pittsburgh and New England respectively.  Buffalo flirted with the idea of adding Jimmy Kennedy, but he chose to re-sign with Minnesota.  That leaves the Bills with Kyle Williams and rookie Torell Troup, both smaller nose tackles.  Williams checks in at around 305 pounds and the Bills bypassed the mountainous Terrence Cody for the smaller, yet quicker Troup in April’s draft.

The Bills’ secondary won’t see many drastic changes, but there will be differences.  Under Dick Jauron, Buffalo played mostly zone in the Tampa-2 scheme, but now under Gailey and Edwards the Bills will play a lot more man-to-man coverage.  It will give the secondary opportunities to play closer to receivers and get a faster jump on the ball.  If the corners can eliminate the underneath routes and checkdowns, then in turn the pass rush is alotted more time to get after the quarterback who has dwindling options.

The outside linebackers face the biggest test and they’ll have to be the jack of all trades.  Aside from Torbor, the Bills’ collection of newly transformed outside linebackers have been their entire careers in the 4-3 defense, so this change will come as a culture shock.  They’ll be responsible to provide the primary pass rush, aid and support containing the run, and also dropping back into coverage against the pass.

Will it all come together?

The 2010 season promises to be an ongoing work in progress for Buffalo on defense.

It would be foolish to think there will be few growing pains and struggles along the way, particularly in the early portion of the season.  In their first six games of the season, the Bills will face four playoff teams from a year ago (Green Bay, New England, NY Jets and Baltimore) ; the Jets are the only team out of those four who the Bills will play at home.

Whether or not the Bills have the right personnel on defense to play in the 3-4 this season remains to be seen.  Admittedly, it could take a few seasons for Gailey and Edwards to completely makeover the defense to where it needs to be.  And for every success story of transitioning from the 4-3 to the 3-4, like Green Bay did a year ago, there is a Kansas City who struggled mightily all season.

Once the Bills strap on the pads and get rolling, we’ll have a better idea of where the defense is it, where it’s going and what’s to come.

It’s been four years since Seattle last had a 1000-yard rusher.  The team’s brought in the likes of Julius Jones, TJ Duckett and Edgerrin James in addition to resigning the franchise’s all-time leading rusher in Shaun Alexander and drafting Justin Forsett.  None of whom have provided the kind of returns on the Seahawks’ investments that the organization and its fans would have liked.  In fact, the production from Seattle’s leading rusher every season since 2005 has dwindled so much that the Seahawks haven’t had a running back eclipse the 700-yard mark in the past two seasons.

Enter new offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, known for his work with the prolific ground games in Atlanta from 2004-2006 and the Denver Broncos from 1995-2003, and a couple fresh running backs to battle returners Jones and Forsett in an effort to bring life back to one of the team’s most stagnant aspects.

In this installment of SeahawksGab’s Preseason Preview, Editor Devon Heinen breaks down the 2010-2011 Seattle running game. 

THE RETURNERS
Julius Jones
Sharing the running responsibilities during his days with the Dallas Cowboys, Julius Jones’ best games were against the Seahawks at Qwest Field.  In two games against Seattle, Jones rushed for 310 yards on 52 attempts and reached the end zone three times.  However, when the Notre Dame product inked a deal with Seattle, the jury was out.

Was Jones going to be able to produce like he did when he tore up the Qwest Field turf while wearing a star on his helmet?  Or was Seattle getting the running back that averaged just 3.6 yards per carry the year that he had been phased out in Dallas by a young Marion Barber?  Unfortunately for Seattle, the latter depiction has thus far proven to be the more accurate one.

In Jones’ second season with the Seahawks, he averaged 3.7 yards per rush, down from 4.4 yards per rush in his first year with them, and scored a paltry two times while leading the team in rushing.  Yes Seahawks fans, Julius Jones, not Justin Forsett, led your team in rushing this past season.

What does the 2010-2011 season have in store for Jones?  A similar role to the one he had in his final year with the Cowboys.  He’ll continue to get touches, but look for him to be phased out in favor of Justin Forsett or a player acquired via trade during training camp.

Prediction: 150-plus carries, but less than 200 for 500 yards and 3 touchdowns 

Justin Forsett
Despite his lack of height, Justin Forsett’s been the darling of Seahawks fans since 2008, his first season in a Seattle uniform.

After spending his first two seasons in the National Football League doing special teams work, the 5-foot-8 Forsett tallied his first-ever offensive touches in 2009.  With the opportunity Forsett shined, averaging 7.1 yards per carry, totaling six runs of 20 yards or more and four touchdowns.  What’s more, he finished sixth overall in running backs in yards after contact per attempt with 3.2 yards, outperforming Beanie Wells, Maurice Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson.

Glowing geports out of Seattle’s Renton, Wash. training facilities this offseason point to Forsett becoming the team’s focal point out of the backfield.  Should Seattle opt to not go out and acquire a true workhorse during training camp for the team’s stable of running backs, expect big totals for Forsett.

Prediction: 250+ total offensive touches (rushes and catches combined) for 1000 yards from scrimmage and 5 offensive touchdowns 

Louis Rankin
Injuries to Seattle’s running backs sent Louis Rankin from the team’s practice squad to the playing field on game days, where he carried the football eight times in 2009.

Don’t expect much from Rankin in a Seahawks uniform this season, as he is a long shot to make the team.

Prediction: Cut from roster prior to Week One. 

THE NEWCOMERS
LenDale White
LenDale White was brought in during the 2010 NFL Draft to make a difference; however, he never left his mark on the field, as he was let go by the team in late May. 

Leon Washington
Like White, Leon Washington was picked up in a draft-day trade during the 2010 Draft.  Unlike White, Washington’s still with the team, though the former New York Jet is still recovering from a broken leg.  It remains to be seen how available he’ll be during Seattle’s preseason.

If Washington’s leg doesn’t limit him this season, he could be used by new head coach Pete Carroll as a complimentary piece to Justin Forsett out of the backfield since Washington and Forsett are similar in style of play and size to each other.  Where Washington could make his presence felt the most for Seattle is in the team’s kick and return games, something he’s been excellent at in the past with the Jets.

Prediction: Less than 50 offensive touches, but 20 total returns in special teams 

Quinton Ganther
Quinton Ganther was brought in during the offseason to help fuel competition after spending 2009 with the Washington  Redskins; however, don’t expect Ganther to make the final roster, as he should find himself lower on the depth chart than Louis Rankin.

Prediction: Cut from roster prior to Week One. 

THE TWIST?
Marshawn Lynch
Throughout the piece there’s been hints about Seattle possibly picking up another running back prior to the start of the regular season.  Should Seattle do that, look for the Seahawks to make a deal with the Buffalo Bills for Marshawn Lynch.

Seattle’s been linked to Lynch dating back to the 2010 Draft, but, according to reports, Seattle didn’t want to part with what Buffalo was asking for in return for the former Pro Bowl running back.

I don’t see Seattle coughing up the kind of draft picks Buffalo has been reportedly asking for, although if a trade were to take place Seattle would have the kind of workhorse needed to produce consistently not only this year but down the road as well.

Prediction: Seattle sticks with what it has on its roster and addresses its need at the position via the 2011 NFL Draft.

Can’t get enough SeahawksGab?  Follow Devon on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

Rumors of moving have been around for many years now, but instead of talking about it, Bills fans choose to turn the other cheek and refuse to believe that one day they could lose their beloved franchise. Even though the Bills last winning season came in 2004 (9-7, no playoffs), thousands of fans still come to support their team week after week. Matter of fact, last year alone, the Bills were ranked 10th out of the 32 teams in attendance, coming in at an average of 70,128 a game, pretty impressive if you ask me.

But no matter how much outside support the Bills get from their fans, the future of this beloved franchise lies within the hands of their 91-year-old owner Ralph Wilson. Wilson and the Bills have been in the NFL since 1960, leaving no dispute that Wilson has put his entire life into the Bills. Wilson also has insisted that he will neither sell nor move the team from its small-market roots during his lifetime. Unfortunately, father time is no longer on Wilson’s side, and after publicly stating that he won’t pass on the franchise to his children after he’s gone, the Bills could someday soon be on the market.

What does that mean? Well the Bills have already been linked to Los Angeles, San Jose, and of course Toronto, but it no matter the location, it will always come down to money. Blue Jay’s Owner, Ted Rogers will surely have Roger Goodell on speed dial to give his first pitch on why a NFL needs to be in Toronto. With a rumored offer of $900 million for the team and $500 spent on a new state of the art stadium, Toronto might seem like a no brainer to the Commish.

But if a hero does come along to keep the Bills in Buffalo (Jim Kelly do you hear me?), not only will they need money to buy the team, but also need to renovate and update Ralph Wilson Stadium. Seems like an impossible job for one man alone, but with the help of the right team of investors, it could be possible.

Either way, the one sure thing right now is that the 2010 NFL season is on it’s way, and no matter how good or bad the Bills are this year, I urge you to put on your fan gear, and go support this team, there may only be 21 more chances to do so in Western New York.

The one area where the Buffalo Bills are stacked with talent is the running back position. They have last year’s star 1,000 yard rusher in Fred Jackson, 2008 Pro Bowler Marshawn Lynch and rookie C.J. Spiller. Heading into the 2010 season, many would believe that head coach Chan Gailey is going to have a field day with such weapons standing behind the Quarterback, but Matthew Berry of ESPN has put together some interesting stats on Coach Gailey’s past that would beg to differ:

The chart proves that Gailey isn’t a huge fan of splitting carries between running backs.  Although, I’m not sure that Gailey ever had two running backs on his roster who have both already proven themselves as capable to successfully handle the load, as well as a promising rookie.

Coach Gailey can either take all this talent and find a way to use their skills together out on the field, or he could have history repeat itself and pick one clear starter.  Doing the latter will turn the running back situation into one of the biggest training camp battles to watch out for.

In an interview on 710 ESPN Seattle, via ProFootballTalk.com, head coach Pete Carroll said that the Seahawks won’t pursue the one-time San Francisco, Baltimore (he was traded there…remember?), Philadelphia, Dallas and Buffalo head ache (my words, not Carroll’s).

Instead, Carroll said Seattle would “continue to work with the guys we’ve got and be in a ‘different direction.’”

Seattle’s conglomerate of wideouts currently include T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Deon Butler, Golden Tate, Mike Williams and seven others.

Can’t get enough SeahawksGab?  Follow Devon on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

And while it was exciting for many Bills fans to see their management finally making an effort to change the attitude of this struggling franchise, once the smoked cleared and the Bills found their man, many fans were left scratching their heads asking…who?

Yes, new head coach Chan Gailey isn’t exactly a household name, but that doesn’t mean he won’t end up being the right man to take the Buffalo Bills to the promise land. So before training camp starts, let’s all learn a bit more about Chan Gailey.

Chan Gailey, 58, was a three-year letterman for the Gators as a quarterback in the 1970’s. His first coaching job came at Troy State University where he was in charge of the secondary.

After leaving Troy State, he spent four season with the Air Force Academy before taking over as head coach in 1983 for Troy State University. In his second season as head coach, he lead the team to a 12-1 and a Division II championship.

He made his professional league debut as a defensive assistant and special teams coach in 1984 for the Denver Broncos. The team made three Super Bowl appearances during his six year tenure on the staff.

Gailey soon left the NFL to coach in the World League of American Football, but quickly returned to the NFL to join the Pittsburgh Steelers as their wide receivers coach and eventually as their offensive coordinator. The Steelers won their division all four years that Gailey was there.

Gailey’s most recent NFL head coaching job came in 1998, with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys made it to the playoffs in both seasons with Gailey calling the shots, but failed to advance pass the first round. After the Cowboys, he signed with the Miami Dolphins as the offensive coordinator for both the 2000 and 2001 season.

Leaving the NFL yet again, Gailey spent the next five years as the head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were he lead the team to Bowl Games in each of his first five seasons, winning only two.

Being dismissed from the team following the 2007 season, Gailey was hired as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, were after one full season with the team, he was suddenly let go after three pre-season games in 2009.

That brings us to the 2010 season, where Chan Gailey becomes the 15th head coach of the Buffalo Bills, the team’s fifth head coach in ten years.

And I will be the first to admit that although Gailey has plenty of experience coaching football, his overall record and accomplishments won’t scare off or wow any opposing team. (In nine seasons as a college head coach, he had a record of 68-44. In 13 seasons as a National Football League assistant, his teams went 124-82-1. In two seasons as an NFL head coach, he went 18-14)

But we can rest assure that Bills fans everywhere (including myself) will give Gailey every chance in the world to succeed. To finally have an offensive minded coach, which is something we haven’t seen at One Bills Drive is quite a long time, is reason alone for excitement.

The Date: Thursday, July 29th

The Place:  St. John’s Fisher College  in Pittsford, NY

The Storyline: Buffalo Bills begin 2010 Training Camp

With just over two weeks away, we’re about to embark on the Buffalo Bills 2010 NFL season.  They say that hope springs eternal, but I say that summer evokes optimism.  Whether you’re the reigning Super Bowl champion or you’re the team that had the first overall pick in the draft, in July we’re all looking through the same rose-colored glasses.  In July, everybody’s a Super Bowl hopeful.

But soon the infatuation of training camp wears off, and the real world NFL will come calling again.  How exactly these Bills will measure up in 2010 largely depends on how many questions they’re able to answer (or not answer) about themselves.

It’s fair to say that the majority of the football media aren’t enamoured with the Bills, their new regime, their offseason and their draft.  Whether right or wrong, whether you agree or not, the public perception of the Bills isn’t flattering.  And maybe in return, the Bills aren’t a flattering team , so this probably works to an extent in both ways.

If you’ve viewed any preseason power rankings or write ups, the Bills won’t be found on the first page with the usual suspects Indianapolis, New Orleans, Minnesota, New England and San Diego.  The Bills are placed near the bottom of the heap, some going as far as ranking the Bills as the worst team in the NFL.  I can remember mere days after the 2010 NFL Draft concluded that ESPN”s Todd McShay already had the Bills selecting No.1 overall in the 2011 draft, so that right there probably tells you all you need to know about the perception of Buffalo and what to expect in 2010.

But this is the world we live in.  The court of public opinion wields a lot of power and influence, and they’ve told us the Bills belong in the four-or-five-win-club along with fellow cellar dwellars in Cleveland, Oakland, Tampa Bay and Kansas City.

It’s very hard to use the phrase contender and Bills in the same breath.  The popular view is that the Bills have three quarterbacks, which suggests they don’t have any.  They’re converting to the 3-4 defense with still largely 4-3 player personnel and the tackle spots remain in flux and the Bills failed to address the position in the draft. If you go a step further, Las Vegas has told us that the Bills are 20 to 1 odds to win the AFC East and 100 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl; St. Louis and Tampa Bay are also 100 to 1 odds.

The tasks for the Bills in 2010 won’t be for weak and weary, and much like the draft philosphy, the Bills will plug holes in 2010 but it’s foolish to think all their problems are solveable in one season.  But they have to start somewhere.

They need to find out once and for all if Trent Edwards fits into their plans going forward as a quarterback, or whether Brian Brohm is capable of being a starter in the NFL.  They must find a way to conquer their New Englad demons; the Bills have lost 13 straight games to the Patriots.  The Bills’ consecutive losing seasons stands at five, while their playoff drought is at 10 years and counting.

Sure, it’s only July and there’s plenty of hope in the air.  The pigskin, the pads and the helmets are about to reappear.  But in a couple weeks, simply hoping won’t be good enough.  When camps breaks, and July turns into August and August morphs into September, the Bills will need  wins to accomplish their tasks and elevate out of the AFC basement.

And while you must take each opinion with a grain of salt, when a Hall of Famer such as Jim Kelly speaks his mind, the whole city of Buffalo, as well as Bills fans everywhere should be all ears. Here is the latest from Kelly, as reported by www.buffalonews.com

” Jim Kelly, like most Buffalo Bills fans, hopes coach Chan Gailey selects a starting quarterback capable of leading the team to more victories. And by the sound of it, the Hall of Famer figures that player is Trent Edwards.

“I hope it’s Trent,” Kelly said on Friday at Coca-Cola Field for Hunter’s Hope Night for the Buffalo Bisons game that was called due to poor field conditions. “I know Trent, I’ve known him for a couple of years and I think everyone hopes that one guy will step up.”

Kelly, 50, has apparently changed his tune from last November when he told USA Today that while he admires Edwards, he believed it was time for the team to move on.

“I like Trent personally,” Kelly told USA Today. “He works hard. But he’s had three years. It’s time to find somebody who is the future of the Buffalo Bills. If I’m the owner, that’s what I’m thinking.”

Now, Kelly said there are legitimate reasons for Edwards to play, like an offensive line that couldn’t remain healthy and an offensive system under former coach Dick Jauron that, Kelly said, “stunk.”

“Everyone talked about the thing between me and Trent and the bottom line is he didn’t have an offensive line last year with all the injuries, and he had a system that I totally thought stunk,” Kelly said. “It’s a new start, not many people get a third opportunity to show what they can or cannot do.” ”

Chan Gailey is doing a good job keeping everyone in the dark about who his first string Quarterback will be come training camp. But if the competition remains as close as he makes it seem, perhaps it doesn’t matter who starts the season, because it’s the one that finishes it, that truly matters.

Two-time Pro Bowler, Aaron Schobel, has made it clear during mini camps that he was leaning on calling it a career. “At this point I doubt I’m coming back,” Schobel told Buffalobills.com last month. “ I’m not ready to say I’m retiring yet, but if Buffalo needs to move on without me they sure can. I would understand. Don’t wait on me.”

Schobel admits that being part of a losing program for the past nine years has played a role on whether or not to join the team for the 2010-11 season. But as the team comes together to prepare for the season, Schobel is now giving mixed signals, “If September rolls around and Buffalo wants me then maybe I’ll play,” said Schobel. “But I doubt it.”

While Coach Gailey isn’t pushing the issue with Schobel, it will definitely take a team effort to overcome the presence Schobel had on the field. Over his first seven seasons with the Bills, Schobel has led the team in sacks and currently ranks second on the Bills’ all-time sack list with 68.0, behind Hall of Famer Bruce Smith. Schobel has also shown no signs of slowing down, totaling ten sacks last season (his 9th season with the Bills).

Filling in for an absent Schobel will be Aaron Maybin, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft. While Aaron Maybin didn’t record a single sack during his rookie campaign, it would only to be fair to point out that he was given little to no playing time under the Dick Jauron regime. This year, Maybin will be given every chance to be successful under the new 3-4 defensive scheme.

Heading into his third season in the National Football League, Buffalo Bills quarterback Brian Brohm feels he’s ready to compete for a starting job. “I’ve had two years in the NFL to get used to everything and get myself prepared,” Brohm told Michael Grant of The Courier-Journal. “I feel like I can fully compete for this starting job. I feel like I’m ready to take charge out there. We’ll see what happens. But I feel like I’m at a position where I’ll be able to put my best foot forward and make a legitimate run at the starting job.” Injuries to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards thrust Brohm into his first NFL start in Week 16, where he completed 17-of-29 passes for 146 yards with a pair of interceptions in a 31-3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Gailey plans to have a pecking order in place for training camp, which is expected to have Edwards first and either Brohm or Fitzpatrick second and third, with 2010 seventh-round pick Levi Brown fourth. Due to Brown’s upside, Edwards, Brohm, and Fitzpatrick may be vying for just two spots. “This offense is suited for me,” Brohm said. “I feel good about that. I’m comfortable with every read we have, every throw we have. Almost everything we’ve done, I’ve done it before either in college or my first couple of years in the league.”