Bills passing game Price-less but not hopeless

By Shawn Krest

It would be understandable if Eric Moulds, Drew Bledsoe and the rest of the Buffalo offense confused Bills president Tom Donahoe with Robin Hood. Time and time again this past offseason, Donahoe robbed from the team’s offensive riches in order to give to the poor on the other side of the ball. Peerless Price, Moulds’ running mate in the NFL’s most feared pass-catching duo, was dealt to Atlanta, because he was too expensive to re-sign. Tight-end Jay Riemersma, and the NFL’s all-time best pass catching fullback Larry Centers, were given pink slips as well in order to afford a spending spree on defensive free agents.

Bledsoe’s only remaining Pro Bowl target is Moulds, who many think will see more defenders than passes now that the team has lost its long and short threats. Opposing defenses always had to prepare for the game-breaker Price who could go deep to make big plays, which gave Moulds room to work. Bledsoe could wait a little longer to pass his receivers the ball, knowing that he had reliable hands coming off the line and out of the backfield as safety valves. Still, the Bills’ offensive stars will probably be wearing smiles at Bills camp at St. John Fisher. Below are a few reasons why, despite the personnel losses, the Buffalo passing game will still be a force in the league.

The running game: The defense didn’t get all the attention during the offseason. The Bills should have a much stronger ground game than they did last year. Centers was a true professional, but he couldn’t knock defenders out of Travis Henry’s path the way Sam Gash will. The Bills also added a second head to the running-game monster with the signing of Olandis Gary, a former 1,000-yard rusher. And there’s always the possibility that Willis McGahee could see some action later in the year.

Why is that good news for Moulds and the air attack? Last year, Moulds had his biggest games not when Price was luring defenders deep, but when Henry was pulling them up to the line. Moulds averaged 106 yards in the three games that Henry had more than 30 rush attempts. When the running game wasn’t a threat, Moulds’ numbers fell substantially. He averaged fourteen fewer yards in the games when Henry got the ball a dozen times or less. Moulds averaged a touchdown a game when Henry was running the ball. He managed only two (total) in the four games when Henry was ignored. There was almost no difference—less than one yard on average—in Moulds’ performance in games when Price was running deep (averaging more than 15 yards per catch) and when he wasn’t (less than 8 ypc).

The offensive line: They didn’t make any changes to the starters, which is good news. It will be the first time in recent memory that the line remained intact from one season to the next. Trey Teague has a year under his belt at center, and Mike Williams is no longer a rookie. Their individual improvement, and the improved chemistry of the line, working together, should keep Bledsoe off his back and give Moulds a little more time to work.

The defense: The addition of Takeo Spikes, Jeff Posey, Izell Reese, Marcus Jones, Sam Adams and a host of draft picks, plus the return of Brandon Spoon, should allow one of the league’s worst defenses to at least move up to average. Unlike last year, the offense won’t feel like they have to score on every play in order to keep up with the points that the D is allowing. The improved defensive line and linebackers should also allow the shutdown corners—Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements—to make a few big plays. Turnovers on defense mean a short field for Moulds and Bledsoe. Also, a few timely stops will allow the Bills offense to work against tired defenders at the end of the game.

The cupboard isn’t bare: Sure, Price is gone, and no one that lines up at receiver with Moulds will be nearly as good. Still, Moulds and Josh Reed, who had a solid rookie year at third receiver, Moulds and Shaw—a consistent pass catcher with Pittsburgh and Jacksonville, Moulds and Aiken—a tall, high-jumping rookie out of North Carolina with hands like Josh Reed, or even Moulds and Jett—one of the NFL’s fastest receivers a few years ago, but buried on Oakland’s depth chart—are all better than anyone Bledsoe worked with in New England. They may not put up the ridiculous numbers that Moulds and Price did last season, but they’re not exactly Vincent Brisby and Shawn Jefferson.

The new turf: The Bills tore up their old artificial surface, replacing it with Astroplay, which may be one of the team’s more underrated offseason moves. The improved surface will be cooler in the warm, early season games and is less likely to freeze at season’s end, which should both help the receivers, who do the most running in a game. Plus, it should be easier on knees and backs. If it can avoid some of the offensive linemen injuries the team suffered in 2002, or if it can allow Moulds to keep an extra half step at the end of a long season, or if it allows Bledsoe to bounce back from a big sack a little faster, it will be money well spent.

To Top