REPORT CARD VS. JETS

PASSING OFFENSE
B -- This was a tale of two quarterbacks. Rookie Trent Edwards started for the fourth game in a row, and he did what he has been doing over the past month -- he completed the majority of his passes but kept it safe. He was 14 of 21 for a pedestrian 130 yards. Then Edwards suffered a sprained throwing wrist, and in came the mad bomber, J.P. Losman. Playing for the first time since suffering a knee injury on Sept. 23, Losman completed three of five passes for 113 yards, the big one an 85-yard TD pass to Lee Evans with 3:38 left to play for the game's put-away touchdown, and only touchdown. The QBs completed passes to nine players -- three receivers, three tight ends and three running backs -- and they combined for a 92.3 rating. As for the offensive line, Edwards suffered the only sack despite frequent blitzing by the Jets.

RUSHING OFFENSE
C -- Rookie Marshawn Lynch started well on the game's first drive as the Bills methodically marched down field and chewed up 10:07, though they settled for a field goal because first- and second-down runs were foiled. Lynch wound up with 80 yards on 21 carries, a workmanlike day, but his longest run was for 10 yards. Halfway through the season, the No. 1 back has 148 carries, and only two have gone for longer than 20 yards, a pair of 23-yarders. He has not shown the ability to break one, though he has been getting some tough yards inside. Fellow rookie Dwayne Wright saw his most extensive playing time with 12 carries for a pretty harmless 25 yards. Anthony Thomas was inactive due to an eye injury suffered away from practice. In all, the Bills averaged just 3.1 yards per rush.

PASS DEFENSE
A-minus -- The Bills entered the game ranked 31st in pass defense, a rung they've occupied for most of the season. However, with the wind blowing at the Meadowlands and facing weak-armed Chad Pennington, the defensive backs played a little differently than they usually do in Buffalo's passive cover-two scheme. Pennington has never been a deep thrower, and he had no chance to be one in this game, so the Bills' cornerbacks -- Jabari Greer and Terrence McGee -- were in much more press and man-to-man coverage, and it worked. Pennington threw for only 106 yards before getting benched late in the game, and Kellen Clemens piled up 67 yards in garbage time. The Bills have risen to 29th now at 253.4 yards allowed per game. McGee had a diving interception of a Clemens pass late in the game, and then FS George Wilson had a last-play pick in the end zone when Clemens fired a Hail Mary. The Bills were credited with six passes defensed, and there were three sacks and 10 QB hits as DE Aaron Schobel had his best game of the year.

RUSH DEFENSE
A-minus -- For the second time this season, the Bills did a solid job on Jets RB Thomas Jones, limiting him to 70 yards in this game and 105 total in the Bills' season sweep. Jones had a 15-yard run and Leon Washington a 17-yarder. Beyond that, the Jets gained 68 yards on 21 other attempts against a rush defense that, after giving up 171, 184 and 177 yards in its first three games, has allowed just 363 yards total in the past four. Schobel forced two fumbles, one of which was recovered by Chris Kelsay to kill a Jets scoring threat. LB John DiGiorgio was a beehive of activity, and he made a team-high 13 tackles and defended a pass. LB Angelo Crowell had another big game with eight tackles and a sack, and the Jets produced only three first downs via the rush. One of the keys for the Bills was not getting sucked in on some of the Jets' misdirection runs, and they swarmed to the ball.

SPECIAL TEAMS
A-minus -- It was a typically solid day for the Bills' respected kicking teams. Rian Lindell made both of his field-goal attempts, including a go-ahead 40-yarder on a windy day with 10 minutes left that produced the eventual winning points. The kickoff coverage team limited the league's No. 1 kickoff returner, Leon Washington, to two returns for 48 yards, while Washington had only 10 yards on two punt returns as three of Brian Moorman's six punts were downed inside the 20. Terrence McGee had 25- and 26-yard kickoff returns, while Roscoe Parrish averaged 18.5 yards on four punt returns, with a long of 33 yards.

COACHING
B -- The offensive game plan was again frustrating to watch, as Steve Fairchild made a number of conservative calls while Edwards was in at quarterback. It seems as if Fairchild entrusts Edwards with more in the game plan, but then he pulls the reins back during the game. Losman came in and threw two deep passes among his five attempts. On defense, Perry Fewell has his group playing inspired. After such a slow start, and dealing with so many injuries in his unit, Fewell has done a great job of working with what he has and melding the defense together. There was plenty of pressure from various blitzes that resulted in three sacks and constant harassment of Pennington. The defense is getting healthier and getting better by the week. As for head coach Dick Jauron, he deserves credit for keeping the Bills focused after a slow start that saw them lose two heartbreakers on the final play at home.

Copyright (C) 2007 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.