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Monday, August 25, 2008 7:17 PM EDT
POLLOCK: Bills sharp, announcers, not so much
Some random thoughts on the Bills’ 20-7 preseason victory over the Colts on Sunday night at Lucas Oil Field while wondering whether there’s ever been a worse NFL announcing team than Sterling Sharpe, Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk. But we’ll get to that in a moment, first the important stuff.
NO MATTER what else happened in the game, it paled next to the injury suffered by Buffalo offensive tackle Langston Walker.
The Bills are already without Pro Bowler Jason Peters, in the midst of a bizarre non-communicative holdout, which is the reason Walker moved to the left side from his normal spot on the right.
If Walker’s arm injury is serious - and it appears to be only a bruise - Buffalo would be without its two starting tackles and forced to play Kirk Chambers, who has one career start in three pro seasons, and Patrick Estes who has started none in the same span. The other option would be moving veteran center/guard Duke Preston outside
The Bills hard-balling Peters, with three years remaining on his contract, is commendable. But, sadly, Walker’s injury merely enhances Peters’ bargaining position.
FOR THOSE who criticized the Bills for not trading J.P. Losman during the off-season, last night he issued a reminder of the wisdom of keeping a veteran backup quarterback.
No, he wasn’t perfect, showing an occasional moment of indecisiveness, but Losman engineered back-to-back drives that netted a touchdown and a field goal, produced 131 yards, used 31 snaps and ate up some 18 minutes.
And, oh yeah, he was 9-of-11 on third-down conversions.
Make no mistake, Trent Edwards is the starter - once his thigh bruise heals - but it’s encouraging to see Losman play that well.
Clearly, J.P. is a better player than Colts’ backup Jim Sorgi, whose injured knee kept him out of last night’s game, leaving Indianapolis with the nightmarish tandem of No. 3 QB hopefuls Jared Lorenzen and Quinn Gray.
Based on performance, to Indy fans, Losman had to look like the second coming of Jim Harbaugh, and to Bills’ faithful, Gray appeared to be the reincarnation of Willie Totten.
IT WASN’T exactly Peyton Manning testing the Bills’ defense, but four interceptions is a noteworthy number.
Backup cornerback Ashton Youboty, desperately trying to retain his roster spot, notched his second “pick” in three games and safety John Wendling, cornerback Reggie Corner and linebacker Keith Ellison each got one.
Then, of course, there was Joseph Addai’s fumble that bounced into the hands of cornerback Terrence McGee who went 68 yards for a score, the 285-pound Lorenzen in breathless pursuit.
FIRST-ROUND draft choice Leodis McKelvin, who has done a number of good things especially in the return game, showed his coverage inexperience, big-time.
His mis-timed jump for the ball handed Gray a 94-yard touchdown connection with Devin Aromashodu.
It’s plays like that which will likely keep Jabari Greer the starter at left corner with McKelvin the nickel back.
In the regular season, that kind of error can be a game-changer.
AND FINALLY, there was the announcing crew.
Critics of Bills’ preseason telecasters Steve Tasker and Ray Bentley had to be begging for them last night.
Is that the best the NFL Network can offer for a nationally televised game?
Start with the fact there were three analysts in the booth.
Sharpe became play-by-play man by default and was absolutely awful.
Runners, receivers and tacklers frequently went unidentified.
He told us Buffalo back Fred Jackson was “gang-tackled.” even though there was only one defender on the screen and, of course, he offered the classic “the Bills are hitting on all seven cylinders” leaving you to wonder what happened to the eighth.
How about his referring to rookie running back Xavier Omon as “ORmon” all night?
Or the absolute mangling of John DiGiorgio’s name?
And as much time as Sanders has spent on television, should we really have to hear him say “I axed him”?
Worst of all, they acted as if the telecast was a fraternity party. Clearly unprepared, they substituted laughter and inane comments for insight ... the Three Stooges meet the NFL.
There was precious little analysis or knowledgeable observation and plenty of generalizations and undeserved superlatives.
In short, it was a singularly terrible performance ... worse, even, than Gray’s. We can only hope this disaster unfolded only because Cris Collinsworth was at the Olympics.
(Chuck Pollock, sports editor of the Times Herald, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
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