Hall of Fame Game

Finally! Football is back. I know I didn't care that the game didn't matter. I was ecstatic that there was a game to watch on a lazy sunday evening. The Houston Oilers...I mean Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills took part in the Hall of Fame Game last night. The throwback uniforms were part of a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the American Football League. So how did the teams look? Here's my take:
Buffalo: Buffalo unveiled their no-huddle offense which they hope will help them take advantage of some of their offensive weapons including RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Lee Evans, and, of course, their newest addition WR Terrell Owens. The starting offense was able to move the ball well. They did not score a TD but they were able to put two strong drives together. One of the drives ended in a Trent Edwards INT, but Bills fans can at least say to themselves "Hey, at least he was throwing the ball downfield." After the starters had their chance, one player that stuck out was RB Xavier Omon. He had 11 rushing attempts for 36 yds. and 3 catches for 25 yds. He looked like a big bruising back with a bit of quickness. He could stick around on the roster if he continues to play well during the pre-season, and if an injury occurs to the RB's on the Bills, he could see significant time. Defensively, the Bills rushing defense looked solid at the beginning. They were holding Titans RB Chris Johnson to a only a few yards and seemed to be in the backfield alot. They were forcing the Titans to beat them with the pass (which they did). It didn't last though. Johnson was able to put a couple of runs together, but overall the defense looked strong.
Tennessee: The first drive of the game, provided the first big trick play of the 2009 NFL Season. After a very strong drive where QB Kerry Collins looked great, the Titans faced a 4th down. They brought in punter Aaron Trapasso. It was a fake! Trapasso faked a handoff, the sprinted 40 yds for a TD. Great play, looking forward to seeing it during the season. Throughout the starters performances, the Titans offense looked fantastic. LenDale "No Tequila" White was still able to punch in the ball to the end zone from the goal line, free agent acquistion WR Nate Washington looked solid, and the line looked like they were healthy. You can't talk about Tennessee without mentioning QB Vince Young. He looked bad. Bad throws. Bad decisions. Young threw a pick on a pass that was not anywhere close to his intended target. The offense overall though, despite Young, moved the ball very well. The defensive line looks vastly different without DT Albert Haynesworth, who signed a huge (seriously, huge) contract with the Washington Redskins. They still looked good though. The defense was able to force a turnover against Trent Edwards and stop the Bills on multiple drives.

By the way the final score: Tennessee 21 Buffalo 18.