Buffalo’s much talked about no-huddle offense has played under their new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to mixed results.
They played well the first two weeks, but scored only 17 points combined the last two games against the Saints and Dolphins. Trent Edwards has struggled to get Terrell Owens and Lee Evans involved.
One side effect of the no huddle offense that it often leads to an inability to possess the ball.
The Buffalo News points out that the Bills are averaging just 25 minutes and 26 seconds time of possession (TOP), dead last in the league.
“We’re not helping our defense at all,” running back Fred Jackson said this week. “You can’t score if you don’t have the ball. We have to do a better job of staying on the field and keeping drives alive.”
The Colts showed in their Monday Night Football win over the Dolphins that TOP can be overrated, but Trent Edwards is no Peyton Manning.
Making matters worse, the Bills defense is a lightweight group that has been forced to play a number of backups because of injuries at key spots. They have allowed 27.5 points per game, fourth worst in the league.
The Saints seemed to outlast the Bills defense, exploding for 17 fourth quarter points. The Dolphins ran over Buffalo from the moment the game started.
The Bills time of possession is low largely because they are struggling on third downs; only Kansas City and Tampa Bay are worse. This is not the type of company Dick Jauron wants to keep in year four of his program.
On Sunday, the Bills get to face a Browns defense that is second to last in the league in yards and points allowed. This is a matchup in which Edwards and the offense should be able dictate play on their terms, helping out the defense.
It’s also a game the Bills and Jauron absolutely need to win for any chance to maintain relevance this year.
(For the record, I picked the Bills to escape with a win.)