Ed Thompson: How is former Colts DT Larry Tripplett faring in
Buffalo this season?
Mark Ludwiczak: Unfortunately for the Bills, Tripplett hasn't been nearly
as productive as they probably had hoped when they gave him such a lucrative
deal in the offseason. I personally think that's because the play at the nose
tackle position next to Tripplett - either Kyle Williams or Tim Anderson - has
been so lackluster. As a result, Tripplett's faced numerous double teams and has
been unable to rush up the field, which as you know, is his forte. However,
Tripplett did have his best game of the year against Green Bay last week - Bills
head coach Dick Jauron even said as much - so maybe he's starting to step up his
play.
ET: After RB Willis McGahee broke a rib in last Sunday's game against Green Bay, Anthony Thomas stepped in and performed well. If Thomas has to lead
the charge again, how big of a hit is that for the Bills' offense?
ML: It's a big hit to lose a guy with McGahee's ability, no doubt. Thomas
just doesn't have the talent McGahee has. That being said, there shouldn't be
that much of a difference in the Bills' running game - the offensive line has
been so poor that it really doesn't matter who they have back there. And Thomas
has run hard when he's been given the chance. He hits the holes hard and takes
what the defense gives him - which some people even criticize McGahee for not
doing, because he has a tendency to dance a little before hitting the hole.
ET: Give us your assessment of what QB J.P. Losman is doing better this
season, where he is still struggling, and whether or not he handles himself well
under the kind of pressure he's likely to see from Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis this Sunday. I noticed the Bills have given up 26 sacks so far this
season...
ML: Through the first couple weeks of the season, Losman was really coming
on and all signs were pointing to him being a productive NFL quarterback. But
the wheels came off against Chicago in Week 5, and he's regressed ever since. It
doesn't help that the offensive line has been brutal in pass protection - they
made three switches on the line during the Bye Week to try and shore things up.
I expect the Bills to have plenty of pressure from the Colts' front four this
week. Losman's also had trouble with fumbles, so I would expect at least one if
Freeney gets loose.
ET: How much of last week's win over Green Bay would you attribute
to the four turnovers versus just overall solid play by the team?
ML: Let me get this out of the way - Buffalo's offense was absolutely
brutal against Green Bay. The defense was alright - but Brett Favre and the
Packers absolutely gift-wrapped their turnovers. It wasn't as if the Bills
really forced any of them. They were all miscues by either Favre or one of his
teammates. Green Bay gave away the game. The Bills were very lucky to come away
with a win - they would have lost that game against most other teams in the
league.
ET: Who is the player that Colts fans are most likely not to know,
but will be very familiar with by the time this game is over?
This is a tough one, because none of the Bills are really standing out right
now. Middle linebacker London Fletcher is well-respected around the league, but
I doubt the average fan knows a lot about him. He had perhaps the best game of
his career in a Buffalo uniform against Green Bay, with 14 tackles and an
interception for a touchdown. I doubt the Colts will have any troubles with the
Buffalo defense, but Fletcher will probably be running around like crazy to try
and stop the bleeding.
Mark Ludwiczak is the associate editor of Bills
Digest, a great publication for Buffalo Bills fans that's published 24 times
annually. Check back on Friday for the second part of this feature where Mark
addresses the Bill's struggles on third-down, their performance in the red zone,
which defensive back will be most vulnerable on Sunday and more!
