I was able to catch up with the elusive Brian at Buffalo Rumblings to ask him 5 questions about his Buffalo Bills.
1. How much does Trent Edwards improve the Bills offense?
He really doesn't. Edwards-led Bills offenses have been slightly better moving the chains this season, but moving the chains doesn't help you much if you can't score, and this is a Bills offense that has really struggled to put the ball in the paint. In addition, Trent has developed a nauseating (to us, anyway) tendency to play incredibly tentative football - he's jittery in the pocket, doesn't take enough shots down the field, and doesn't let his receivers make plays. Still, he's a better option than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Needless to say, Buffalo will be looking at quarterbacks next off-season.
2. Talk about what the T.O. experiment has been like. Do you expect him to play this week?
It's been essentially the complete opposite of what most probably expected - which, given Owens' history, would have been stellar numbers and a ticking-time-bomb attitude off the field. Thanks to inept quarterback play and arguably the NFL's worst offensive line, opportunities have been limited for Owens, and even when he's gotten those opportunities, he's dropped roughly a quarter of those targets. Forget about the idea that he's lost a step - trust me, he hasn't. I've seen him live four times this season, and he's just as dominant as ever. He's just in a bad situation, and he knows it. He'll play out the string, keep his mouth shut, and move on to the next city in 2010 - and he'll probably help a contender.
No, I don't expect him to play this weekend. His hip issue kind of came out of nowhere, and he's missed two days of practice. If he's limited on Friday, there's an outside shot he plays, but it doesn't look good right now.
3. What strategy will the Bills use to stop Chris Johnson?
Pray. Seriously, I don't know what they'll do. They'll be short-handed at DT, where they'll be dressing only three guys. Their linebackers and defensive ends aren't the most athletic guys in the world. Bryan Scott, our opening-day starter at strong safety, will be starting at outside linebacker this week. We're really overmatched. It's going to take seven or eight - perhaps even nine - in the box, and impeccable tackling, to keep Johnson's numbers low enough to win the game.
4. Who is the best Buffalo Bill we have never heard of?
That's a trick question. All of the good Bills players are probably guys you've heard of. If you haven't heard of them, they very likely stink. If you're twisting my arm for an answer, I'll go with Keith Ellison. He probably won't play this weekend, so you don't even need to "worry" about him, but Ellison has been our second-most valuable defender this season (aside from the obvious choice of rookie FS Jairus Byrd). He's a guy that is really limited athletically, but he's so smart and technically sound that he's indispensable to a coordinator, even when he's a physical liability. He's lined up at all three linebacker spots for Buffalo this season. We're going to miss him while trying to stop Johnson.
5. Write the headline in Sunday's Tennessean.
Johnson's big plays continue as Titans roll past Buffalo
As always, head over there to see his questions with my answers.