Eye on the Enemy #2 - Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Giants, Ravens, Broncos

1. Buffalo Bills

Bills head coach Doug Marrone was well aware of what happened in the past in preseason. He is not going to make the same mistake.

The Bills' best season under Joe Collier came in his first year in 1966, when they won the Eastern Division with a 9–4–1 record, eventually losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Championship Game. After coming within one game of an AFL championship, the team slumped to 4–10 in 1967. After a poor performance by the Bills in a 1968 preseason game, Collier set up a scrimmage for his team. During the practice session, quarterback Jack Kemp broke his right leg, an injury that forced him to undergo season-ending surgery. The Bills fired Collier after a 48–6 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the second week of the regular season. Collier's fate undoubtedly was decided by Kemp's injury.

Buffalo took its 1-1 record into Pittsburgh Saturday night. There was bad news in this game for the Bills as fourth overall pick, wide receiver Sammy Watkins, suffered a worrisome rib injury. The Bills still owe a 2015 1st round pick to Cleveland for Sammy. It is like having a car accident in the showroom.

The offense sputtered all night. QB E.J. Manuel was 17 for 27 for 148 yards. Seven of these completions were screen passes to RB Fred Jackson for 28 yards. The defense gave up two long bombs for scores. Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown blew past LB Brandon Spikes on the way to a 76 TD catch and run. WR Markus Wheaton beat CB Stephon Gilmore on a corner pattern on a throw from QB Ben Roethlisberger. The Bills fell to Pittsburgh, 19-16.

Let's hope Doug Marrone doesn't schedule double sessions on Sunday. Get some ice for Sammy, hope for some negative x-rays and say some prayers. You're going need all the help you can get.

2. New York Jets

The Jets record is now 2-0 in preseason.

If you just looked at the final score, you would think it was a great win by the Jets, 25-17. You would be wrong.

Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton was 8 for 8 for 144 yards, a touchdown and a QB rating of 158.3. That is a perfect score.

WR A.J. Green had 3 catches for 69 yards. After the Cinci starters left the field after the 1st quarter, it was 14-3. It looked like last year's 49-9 drubbing that the Bengals put on the Jets last fall. New York was flagged for seven major penalties, including unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness. QB Michael Vick was 5 for 9 for 70 yards, including two scrambling rushes for 16 yards. Head coach Rex Ryan will keep us all guessing as to who his starting QB will be. If they face the Bengals, it won't be Geno Smith (10/13, 98 yards, one interception).

As for the secondary, the New York Daily News noted how much the Jets really should've brought back CB Darrelle Revis to fix the problems.

Gary Myers, NYDN:

Rex Ryan thinks so much of his own coaching ability that he probably thinks he can win if he put himself at cornerback. Even so, he sure could use Darrelle Revis right about now and the cornerback was ready to come back to the Jets.

CB Antonio Allen was torched by WR A.J. Green. CB Dimitri Patterson sat out the game with a calf injury. He was the big free agent signing in the offseason. He joins his seventh team in 10 years. Rex Ryan just went to Plan C, and we are only halfway through the exhibition season.

3. Miami Dolphins

Miami is looking to improve on offense this year. The last time the Dolphins played Tampa Bay was in November 2013, and they rushed for a paltry two yards on 14 carries. It isn’t helping that starting center Mike Pouncey may open the year on the PUP list. It might help if he behaved off the field as well.

Miami's ground game against the Bucs was still anemic with 22 carries for just 38 yards. They did have a solid 280 yards through the air, mostly from QB Matt Moore. 158 yards passing yards from Matt may keep him in line to remain the #2 QB behind Ryan Tannehill. Brady Quinn was signed this week with the Dolphins. He has two TD passes in the last four seasons, and is now on his fifth NFL team. And he wants to be the backup for the home opener against the New England Patriots. It looks like he has a lot of work ahead of him. It is good to dream.

Miami ranked last in 2013 in YAMT. That is yards after missed tackle. Head coach Joe Philbin has stressed proper tackling technique all camp.

Former Patriots RB, Jeff Demps rushed for 27 yards on seven carries for the Bucs. He should have stuck with track.

4. New York Giants

The Giants were at the Colts for their 3rd exhibition game.

After three quarters, the Giants were getting crushed 23-0, however, 27 fourth quarter points gave them an exciting 27-26 victory. The Giants move to 3-0 in the preseason with QB Eli Manning going 1 for 6 for 7 yards. It was Eli's first completion in two weeks. Backup QB Ryan Nassib led the comeback with two fourth quarter touchdowns. The Colts attempted a 64 yard field goal on the final play, but it was wide left.

Offensive showing leaves Tom Coughlin and the NY Giants feeling incomplete in 27-26 preseason win over Colts. I believe a better term would be "irate".

5. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens were on the road against The Dallas Cowboys. They now have a 2-0 preseason record after high scoring affair with a 37-30 win.

RB Ray Rice was used sparingly for just 2 carries and 21 yards. The Ravens were helped by a 26 yard touchdown return of a Demarco Murray fumble by Baltimore linebacker Courtney Upshaw. Deonte Thompson took a kickoff back 108 yards for a touchdown. Another Cowboys fumble put the Ravens deep in Dallas territory for an easy 19 td pass to WR Torrey Smith. Joe Flacco was a mediocre 9 for 17 for 113 yards. One drive stayed alive on a roughing the passer penalty. The running of Lorenzo Taliaferro for 57 yards and 55 yards for Bernard Pierce were the offensive highlights. Even in preseason, Dallas continued to make numerous mistakes to cost themselves victories.

6. Denver Broncos

Following the day off on Monday, tempers flared in Broncos practice this week right from the first series. With no fans at camp due to construction, tempers have boiled over quickly. At this rate, practices will be closed to the public for the year.

DT Kevin Vickerson and C Will Montgomery got Tuesday’s workout underway by fighting on just the fourth offensive play of the morning practice. QB Peyton Manning was not happy with the behavior of his teammates. Getting tougher is the goal. Attacking each other is unacceptable.

Guard Orlando Franklin and defensive tackles Derek Wolfe and Terrance Knighton were at the center of a scrum that included almost the entire team, with players running over from the other sideline to get into the fray. Franklin's helmet was ripped off in all of the shoving and the coaches dispersed the group.

After beating the Seattle Seahawks 21-6 in the first exhibition game, the mood should have been good around camp. All the extracurricular activity after the plays and the trash talking carried over. The only way the Broncos will see the Seahawks this year will be on television. If they don't fix the team chemistry, even Peyton Manning won't be able to save the season.

We will recap the Sunday night game against the San Francisco 49ers next week. The Seahawks are in the 49ers' heads as well. Who would have guessed that the old New England Patriots head coach Pete Carroll would become such an antagonist?

Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

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