ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -With all due respect to Drew Brees and Co., Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell doesn’t regard the 40-point-a-game Saints as the best offense he’s ever prepared to face.
How’s No. 2 sound?
“I think that Brady offense was still the most high-powered,” Fewell said, referring to the Tom Brady-led 2007 Patriots, who put up 94 points in their two-game series against Buffalo. “I would say that (the Saints) are two with the way these guys are playing right now.”
Then again, Fewell readily acknowledges he’s got his hands full Sunday, when the explosive Saints (2-0) face the Bills (1-1).
“They demand your respect,” Fewell said. “I think when you initially watch them, you’re taken back a little bit.”
It doesn’t get much easier watching game film a second or third time either.
the 1968 Raiders – to score 45 or more points in each of the first two games. The fireworks began in a season-opening 45-27 win over Detroit, during which Brees threw six touchdown passes, one short of the NFL record. Then came last weekend, when the Saints shrugged off what’s traditionally been a blitz-happy and opportunistic Eagles defense in a 48-22 win at Philadelphia.
Brees has been a one-man tote board so far in picking up from last year, when his 5,069 yards passing fell 16 short of Dan Marino’s single-season record. Brees’ nine touchdown passes are more than 30 teams have scored overall this season. And his 669 yards passing account for more offense than 17 NFL teams have produced rushing and passing combined.
And here’s what’s truly frightening: Brees suggested this week that there’s “still a lot of room for improvement.”
Like what, scoring 70?
“Well, I guess anything’s possible,” Brees said. “But I don’t think this week, because those guys look pretty stout.”
Brees isn’t taking anything for granted, in part, because it’s only two weeks into the season. It’s also true the Bills haven’t been the pushovers many expected after overhauling their offense – firing coordinator Turk Schonert and releasing starting left tackle Langston Walker – days apart in early September.
Buffalo came within Leodis McKelvin’s fourth-quarter fumble of beating the Patriots, who overcame an 11-point deficit in the final 2:06 to pull out a 25-24 season-opening win. And the Bills showed resilience in bouncing back to beat the Buccaneers 33-20 last weekend.
Their offense is showing signs of finding its identity behind running back Fred Jackson, who has combined for 328 yards from scrimmage while filling in for suspended starter Marshawn Lynch. And Trent Edwards finally showed he’s capable of throwing the deep ball, hitting Terrell Owens and Lee Evans for long touchdown passes last weekend.
“We’re kind of under the radar and underrated because of the fact that we lost to New England,” Owens said. “It was a tough loss for everybody, but we know that we have a great team. … This offense has a lot of potential.”
They’ll face a defense that’s had it relatively easy considering the Saints have yet to trail.
Veteran safety Darren Sharper has three of the Saints’ six interceptions, and returned one 97 yards for a touchdown last weekend.
Buffalo’s defense is also opportunistic, having returned interceptions for touchdowns in each of its first two games: one by Aaron Schobel, and the other by Donte Whitner.
Whitner has several reasons to be motivated. One, he’s angry after having $400,000 of jewelry stolen from his home last weekend. Second, the defense’s emotional leader is still ticked by those who continue to pay the Bills little respect.
“We understand that everybody outside our locker room thinks that we are underdogs. But we don’t feel like we are underdogs,” Whitner said, noting he has respect for the Saints but isn’t all that impressed.
“When you’re impressed and intimidated, you get blown out,” he said. “So we’re not impressed or intimidated.”
Fewell suggested the Bills will not change their defensive game plan against the Saints, and is confident a four-man rush will be enough to pressure Brees. The question is where that rush will come from because the Bills have mixed it up by dropping linemen into coverage while rushing linebackers and defensive backs.
Of course, Fewell noted, 50 mph winds would help, too.
The game-day forecast calls for a high of 69, with moderate winds and a chance of showers.
Brees is fine with that.
“I’d like to think we can be effective no matter what the conditions,” he said.
Nothing has slowed the Saints yet.
Add A Comment