Cowboy from New York said:
I wouldnt mind seeing it against Washington next week or SF in week 3, games in which we play offenses that have big problems.
No huddle against SD leaves the chance of the chargers getting the ball back quickly and our young defense being exposed to more of Tomlinson than we have to on what could be a hot day with Ferguson still working on getting his conditioning back.
Bledsoe's field generalship jells in a hurry
By MARK GAUGHAN
News Sports Reporter
12/30/2004
Click to view larger picture
James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe says he has "so much more time at the line of scrimmage and can change the play three or four times."
Click to view larger picture
Mark Mulville/Buffalo News
Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe called Willis McGahee's number to score a touchdown on one of the no-huddle drives Sunday against San Francicso.
The Buffalo Bills came out in the no-huddle offense Sunday in San Francisco and held the ball on their first five drives for 12, nine, 10, nine and seven plays.
Five drives of seven or more plays, and they scored on four of them.
Only once in their first 14 games had they managed even three straight seven-play drives.
So as they enter their must-win regular-season finale against Pittsburgh on Sunday, it's no wonder the Bills are thinking the no-huddle is a good idea.
"I love it," quarterback Drew Bledsoe said. "It allows us to be right a lot more of the time by getting into a good play."
"I think the players like it, and I think they get energized a little bit by it," quarterbacks coach Sam Wyche said. "We've prepared each week for it and had it available. We just decided it was time to give it an early look and it was successful, so we stayed with it."
The Bills picked a perfect time to sharpen their attack. This week, they face the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL. The Steelers are No. 1 against the run, No. 4 against the pass and in the top 10 in every other defensive category.
The Bills aren't saying they're ready to adopt the no-huddle permanently. It doesn't exactly fit the ball control-and-defense blueprint of coach Mike Mularkey. But it's clear the no-huddle is a tactic that can help the offense and give opponents something else to worry about.
"It's something I'm very comfortable with," Bledsoe said. "I really enjoy it. It's a weapon we can use going forward. I think you'll see more of it."
Bledsoe was brilliant running the attack Sunday. He looked sharp in brief no-huddle situations earlier this season. The Bills used it on three first-half drives in Seattle and marched 10, seven and 12 plays. They scored touchdowns on two of them.
"I don't think Drew's really gotten the credit he deserves for his play-calling in that offense," guard Ross Tucker said. "He does a great job."
"The no-huddle is really just a series of audibles," Wyche said. "You're trying to have a nice balance. I think he really did a nice job of mixing run and pass, deep and short, left and right, and throwing to different people. It's a feel. He has it."
Wyche knows the no-huddle as well as anyone because he revived it in Cincinnati in the 1980s. He says a veteran quarterback is essential to its success.
"I call it field generalship because it's about total poise at the line of scrimmage," Wyche said. "It's reading the coverage, knowing how much time is on the game clock, on the 40-second clock, making sure everybody is in the right position, looking them in the eye and making sure they heard you and they know what the play is. It happens pretty fast. You have to be on your toes."
Bledsoe has 11 touchdown passes and five interceptions during the team's six-game win streak.
Bledsoe likes the ability to get the Bills into the best possible play.
"I have so much more time at the line of scrimmage and can change the play three or four times," he said.
"It helps you to dictate to the defense," said receiver Lee Evans. "It helps you to keep them off-guard a little bit where they can't just sit on things. They kind of have to do things on the run. Hopefully, somebody makes a mistake and you can pop one."
The Bills think against some opponents it limits the blitz package they can send at the offense because they are forced to keep the same 11 players on the field. That might not be a huge benefit against Pittsburgh, which like Buffalo uses a wide variety of zone blitzes.
The risk of running the no-huddle, of course, is the offense leaves the field quickly if it doesn't get a first down. Against San Francisco, which has the 26th-rated offense, that wasn't necessarily a big worry.
Pittsburgh is the No. 2 rushing team in the league and is No. 1 in time of possession. If the Bills' offense hurries off the field Sunday, it might be awhile before it gets back on it.
