Buffalo Bills go to work on their ground game
ORCHARD PARK — Perry Fewell’s first major move as the new head coach of the Bills was to announce on Wednesday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at quarterback in place of Trent Edwards.
For his next trick, Fewell might want to consider doing something about the Bills’ sagging running game by perhaps making another switch and benching Marshawn Lynch in favor of Fred Jackson.
Buffalo has exhibited many flaws this season, and the inability to consistently move the ball on the ground ranks near the top of the list.
“We’re just going to work at it day by day in order to get better,” Fewell said of the running game. To that end, he had the Bills practice in pads both Wednesday and Thursday and there was more hitting than the typical Dick Jauron practice, a move Fewell said was designed to start achieving a more physical attitude with the run game in mind.
“That’s the only way that I know — and that the players know — to do it is to put the pads on, go out, and let’s try to work on our run game each day and see if we can improve it on Sunday,” Fewell said.
Lynch, Buffalo’s first-round draft choice in 2007 who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, has gained only 254 in the six games he has played since returning from his NFL-mandated three-game suspension. That yardage total ranks Lynch tied for 45th in the league, and his meager 3.2 yards per carry average is 43rd.
“You always want to do good, but the ball doesn’t always bounce your way and it’s just something that you have to go through,” Lynch said.
Jackson gained 291 yards (including a career-best 163 against Tampa Bay) on 61 carries (4.7 per attempt) while he was starting those three games in place of the suspended Lynch. Since Lynch’s return, Jackson has been relegated to a reserve role and has carried the ball just 59 times for 202 yards (3.4 per attempt).
“It was expected with Marshawn coming back, I knew that my carries would be cut in half at minimal,” Jackson said. “I’m happy with Marshawn back taking some of the carries because it’s a long season and we still have seven games left and it keeps us both fresh.”
With 493 yards (20th in the league), Jackson has an average of nearly one yard per carry more than Lynch. He also is averaging two yards more per pass reception than Lynch, he threw a touchdown pass to Lee Evans last week in Tennessee out of a Wildcat formation, and he has been handling both the kickoff and punt return duties, making him one of the most important players on the team.
Ultimately, both Lynch and Jackson would likely be having better seasons if the Bills weren’t so inexperienced and injury-depleted on the offensive line. The Bills have started six different offensive line combinations and there will be a seventh on Sunday because rookie Andy Levitre is starting at left tackle in place of injured Demetrius Bell, and veteran journeyman Seth McKinney will likely start at Levitre’s left guard spot.
“I would say more than anything, with the injuries we’ve had, we haven’t had the same offensive line week in and week out and they haven’t been able to jell,” Jackson said.
Another issue has been Buffalo’s persistent failure to convert third downs and keep drives alive. The Bills rank 30th in third-down conversions and they have surpassed 100 yards rushing as a team just three times. In five games they have attempted 21 or fewer rushes.
MAIORANA@DemocratandChronicle.com
At a glance
What: Buffalo Bills (3-6) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4).
Where: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
When: 1 p.m. Sunday.
TV/radio: CBS/WHAM-AM (1180), WFXF-FM (95.1).
Line: Jacksonville by 8 1/2.
Injuries continue to mount
The injury-ravaged Bills took couple of more hits this week as linebacker Keith Ellison was placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury and defensive tackle Marcus Stroud has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against Jacksonville with a knee injury.
Also, defensive tackle Kyle Williams is questionable with a knee injury, so the Bills may have to face the league’s fourth-leading rusher, Maurice Jones-Drew, with John McCargo and Spencer Johnson starting at the tackle spots.
Bryan Scott is expected to make his second straight start in Ellison’s place.
Cornerback Terrence McGee, who missed last week’s game with a knee injury, has practiced on a limited basis all week and is questionable, though his chances of playing are not good. And with Ashton Youboty also out with a high ankle sprain, Reggie Corner would get the start.
On offense, left tackle Demetrius Bell is out and rookie Andy Levitre will make his first start in that position with veteran Seth McKinney getting the call at left guard. Also, it appears Kirk Chambers will start at right tackle instead of Jonathan Scott, who just returned to the team following the death of his father.
— Sal Maiorana
