ESPN NFL

Originally Published: August 14, 2009

No-huddle all the rage at Bills camp

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By John Clayton
ESPN.com

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Stuck in a 7-9 funk for three consecutive years, the Bills needed to make a bold move. The economy on the western side of New York continues to struggle. Bills fans, meanwhile, have grown impatient.

The Bills haven't been to the playoffs since 1999. Pressure continues to build as coach Dick Jauron prepares for his fourth season. Owner Ralph Wilson and Bills fans want a winner. Jauron and the organization decided status quo wasn't going to get the Bills over the top.

So the Bills signed Terrell Owens to give a shot to their offense. Jauron gave the green light for the Bills to go into a space-age no-huddle offense to improve the tempo of games and attack opposing defenses.

Fans are excited. Crowds have flocked to St. John Fisher College to see if winning can become a reality for the Bills. The other night, the Bills staged an evening practice. Fans watched with amazement as quarterback Trent Edwards directed a no-huddle offense that moved the ball up and down the field.

While Edwards barked out the play calls, rock and heavy-metal music cranked through the speakers around the stadium. Bills practice was part football, part concert. It made for a winning evening. We'll see if that translates into winning on Sundays.

Here are five things I learned at Bills camp:

1. Edwards adapting well: The transformation of the Bills' offense into a pure no-huddle attack is one of the most interesting studies in the NFL this summer. Edwards has all the skills to be a good no-huddle quarterback. He is Stanford smart. He makes good, quick decisions throwing the football. He is an accurate passer who can move the chains. Plus, he has a good enough command of the scheme to keep everybody aware of their assignments so coaches don't have to burn timeouts. This is an interesting blend of no-huddle philosophies. Offensive coordinator Turk Schonert brings with him the background of Sam Wyche's no-huddle from the Cincinnati Bengals teams led by QB Boomer Esiason. Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt blends in his memories of the K-Gun no-huddle that QB Jim Kelly used to run with the Bills in the 1990s. Plus, Kelly is only a phone call away to consult when needed.

The big concern with the no-huddle is making sure it eats enough clock so the defense doesn't have to be on the field more than necessary. Often, a no-huddle offense gets the job done quickly, leaving the defense on the field for more than 30 minutes a game. Those types of defenses tend to wear out in the fourth quarter.

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AP Photo/David DupreyNow that they have T.O. in the fold, the Bills have to adjust to being under a microscope.

2. The reality of T.O.: The T.O. experiment is working well, but it does require some maintenance. Tuesday was a classic example. Owens complained on his Twitter account how his toe was aching following Sunday's Hall of Fame Game against the Titans. After Owens missed a morning walk-through, Jauron, usually forthright about injury reports, was a little vague when talking out Owens' absence. The media pressed for answers, forcing the team to issue an official statement saying Owens, who has had nagging toe problems since his days with the 49ers, had a sprained toe. With most players, a missed practice would have been an afterthought. With T.O., there is no such thing as a nonstory.

From the strategic standpoint, Owens' powerful body opposite wide receiver Lee Evans should get AFC East defenses and others out of the Cover 2 shells that bracketed and restricted Evans last year, bringing the passing attack to a halt. Evans admitted the coverage left him with basically three short routes to run. The presence of Owens should at least let Evans try his other routes.

3. O-line questions linger: Bills fans and maybe Edwards should close their eyes for the next month of the preseason while the offensive line works out its problems. The Bills' offensive line is like a construction zone on the New York Thruway, and it will take a month to sort out whether the Bills have the right line for their offense. Left guard Andy Levitre was driven back several times by Titans defensive tackles in his NFL debut. Breakdowns in the line forced Edwards to scramble or rush throws.

Not one spot on the offensive line is the same as a year ago. The Bills are going with rookie guards Levitre and Eric Wood. Both have the potential to be solid, longtime guards, but they are raw. Geoff Hangartner is the new center. Langston Walker moves from right tackle to left tackle, where he will have more challenges blocking quick pass-rushers who might get under his long arms. Brad Butler moves to right tackle. The Bills' O-line has four more preseason games to work out the problems. It definitely needs the work.

4. Pressure is a priority: The pressure is on Jauron and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to put more pressure on opposing offenses. Pressure is the reason the Bills used a first-round pick on Aaron Maybin. Although Maybin is one of five remaining first-round holdouts, rumblings at camp indicate he is close to an agreement. Fewell can't wait, because he needs to get Maybin on the field to see how he can use him. The Bills aren't sure if they will use him a little at linebacker or defensive end. Whatever happens, they want him to kick-start a pass rush that had only 24 sacks last season.

For the past two years, Fewell has received glowing reviews for what he's done on defense. Bills defenders play hard. Though they tend to give up yardage between the 20s, they do a decent job of holding opposing offenses to field goals rather than touchdowns. For things to work well this year, the offense and the defense have to work well together. A defense that forces turnovers can give the offense good field position. Too often last year, Edwards was forced to make long drives to score points. The lack of pressure left the Bills with only 10 interceptions. Fewell must put more fuel into the Bills' pass rush.

5. Nelson's potential: The sleeper on the Bills' offense could be tight end Shawn Nelson. The fourth-round choice from Southern Mississippi is a big target (6-foot-5) who moves well around the end zone. The Bills haven't had a tight end with more than 34 receptions or three touchdowns since the 2001 season. Although it might be asking a lot for Nelson, currently a backup, to catch 30 passes as a rookie, he has the look of a tight end who might be able to catch 50 someday.

The Bills need a productive tight end. Josh Reed handles the slot in the three-receiver set, and Roscoe Parrish, another slot receiver, figures to be traded because the Bills are about seven deep at wide receiver. If Nelson and Reed can work the middle of the field in passing situations, they could open some single coverage for either Evans or Owens.

John Clayton, a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's McCann Award for distinguished reporting, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.