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Around the AFC East: Buffalo Bills

It's Friday, so it's time to go around the AFC East.

To kick things off today is Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings:

Matty I: You said that you knew it was coming, and here it is.  What do you make of this Marshawn Lynch "potential hit and run" situation and how would the Bills cope with losing Lynch for any matter of games?  And how big of a distraction is this right now for Lynch and the entire Bills organization?

Brian G: It's difficult to discuss at this point because there's so little factual material surrounding the incident.  Lynch still hasn't spoken with Buffalo police, who continue to investigate the situation.  All I can say is this - the signs are pointing to Lynch being the driver, and if that turns out to be true, he could face up to a year in jail time (it's a misdemeanor crime).  The football deities know that I hope I'm wrong on that speculation.

All we get from team responses are the generic "no comment" and team media - so the reaction has generally been avoidance or support of Lynch.  I don't see how this can't be considered a distraction to the team, however - we're talking about Buffalo's best offensive player facing disciplinary action, after all.  They'll continue to handle it internally, but you better believe that this is on the minds of the coaches and front office.

We'd deal with a loss of Lynch just like we did last year - Fred Jackson would be the main ball-carrier, and either Dwayne Wright or rookie Xavier Omon would assume short yardage and goal line work.  It's clearly not ideal, but I don't think the running game would suffer greatly.  Offensive versatility, on the other hand, would suffer a major setback.

My Take: Sure, like all of you, I really hate the Buffalo Bills.  Despite that, though, I really hope this thing isn't as serious as it's sounding.  I don't want Lynch to miss any time.  First of all, he's a good, young player and the NFL can never have too many of those.  But more importantly, when the Dolphins beat the Bills in 2008, I don't want Bills fans to be able to use the excuse that their best offensive player wasn't playing in the game.

Alright, so I'm reaching a bit.  But if the Dolphins were to pull out a win against Buffalo in 2008, I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear all those Bills fans make excuses.

Thanks to Brian G for the time.  And be sure to head over to Buffalo Rumblings to see my response to his question.

Back with part 2 in a bit...

0 recs  |  Comment 9 comments

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Matty are you NUTS

...”But more importantly, when the Dolphins beat the Bills in 2008, I don’t want Bills fans to be able to use the excuse that their best offensive player wasn’t playing in the game.”

I guess you don’t live in Western NY so I’ll excuse you for this, but I don’t care if the entire bills team gets caught in traffic and they have to start guys from the stands…. As LONG AS MIAMI BEATS THE BILLS, I don’t care how it happens and who plays….. you can ask for moral victories…. just call me crazy uncle AL… JUST WIN BABY!!!!

by W NY Fins Fan on Jun 6, 2008 1:01 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Not having Lynch
but I don’t think the running game would suffer greatly.

I find it strange that Bill fans…most that I talk to, think they’re gonna be this great team. They could lose Lynch and their running game “wouldn’t suffer greatly”? Explains why they think they’re a playoff team, they could lose Lynch “their best offensive player”! I’ve never in my life seen a group of fans that every year think they’re team is so great that they will make the playoffs even though they haven’t done so in nearly 10 years and haven’t had a winning season in quite some time. I just hope they lose their best RB, WR and QB both times we play them this year so when we beat them we can talk about how we destroyed them even though their best offensive players weren’t on the field for either game.

by feelthepain on Jun 6, 2008 8:32 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

As Matty I pointed out last week, feelthepain, while Lynch was above average for an NFL rookie running back, he wasn’t a game-breaker. He struggled to average 4 yards per carry last season, and only had a handful of explosive runs on the season. He’s very efficient and runs harder than any back I’ve seen in Buffalo, but he’s not the elite back everyone says he is. Yet.

I seem to remember Lynch’s backup, Fred Jackson, running for 115 yards on less than 20 carries in a Bills win over Miami last year… he also carved up Washington’s defense the week before. Nobody knows about Jackson, but the kid can play. I don’t think the Bills can ride Jackson to a playoff berth – nor did I ever claim the Bills would make the playoffs – but Jackson can be a superb short-time fill in and complement to Lynch.

by Brian Galliford on Jun 6, 2008 8:44 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Well....

....pointing to a big game for Jackson against the Dolphins isn’t exactly saying much. Remember: Miami had the 32nd ranked rush defense in the league in ‘07, which is why Parcells and Ireland have really made sure to bulk up the front 7 this offseason.

by Matty I on Jun 6, 2008 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sure, which is why I mentioned the Redskins game as well. You can even include the Jags game, where Jackson took over for an injured Anthony Thomas (Lynch was out that game as well). In that three-game stretch (really more like 2 and a quarter), Jackson amassed 337 all-purpose yards: 215 ground, 122 through the air. Miami’s defense may not have been great, but Washington’s was OK, and Jacksonville’s was above average. So no… I still don’t think the backfield production would drop off much.

by Brian Galliford on Jun 6, 2008 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I dont think the NFL will do much to him

If Randy McMike got off essentially scotfree after hitting his pregnant wife, then I doubt anything will come out of Marshawn hitting some lady

by Patssuck456 on Jun 6, 2008 3:26 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I would just like to point out that Marshawn is definitely not our best offensive player; that distinction goes to Peters.
Secondly, as Brian said, Jackson is a gem. He’ll play well. Probably not great, and we’ll need either Wright or Omon for short yardage bruising, but he’ll play well.

by Hopefulcynic on Jun 6, 2008 9:09 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Rooting for Lynch

As a Cal alum and a Dolfan, I’m rooting for Lynch 14 weeks a season. He’s a great human being, and I’m shocked about this DWI thing. I hope he’s not responsible.

"I'm not as deep and complicated as people think." -Mike Tyson

by seamusfurr on Jun 7, 2008 6:13 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

hate to rain on your

parade, but he may be less then a great human being, because he either committed a hit and run or knows who did (with his car) and is covering for him…. now is this as bad as ray lewis, likely not, but it doesn’t get you nominated for ‘man of the year’.

by W NY Fins Fan on Jun 8, 2008 1:54 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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