Buffalo News writer Mark Gaughan said that Ryan Fitzpatrick has done an "OK" job but is running a flawed offensive scheme.
Buffalo Bills beat writer Mark Gaughan of the *Buffalo News *joined Nick Scurfield of HoustonTexans.com for an interview to preview the Texans-Bills Week 8 matchup at Buffalo.
Gaughan has been with the *Buffalo News *for 26 years and covered the Bills for the last 18 years.
**Listen to the podcast **
Nick Scurfield:A big topic of discussion down here has been how the Texans are going to handle the weather in Buffalo, particularly if the winds are swirling. How much of a factor do you think the weather will be?
Mark Gaughan:I don't know. We haven't hit winter yet, and it's supposed to be pretty nice, so I don't think that'll be a big factor.
Nick Scurfield:What's been the cause of the turnaround for the Bills in the last two games? It seemed like everybody had stuck a fork in Dick Jauron and the team after they started 1-4.
Mark Gaughan:They have a pretty good defense, and it's always been a pretty good defense, so the defense is playing very well. Even in games where they've given up a lot of rushing yards like against New Orleans, the defense played a great game. If they had gotten any help at all from the offense, they would've won that game. Same with the New England game: They lose 25-24, defense scores a touchdown. The defense is pretty solid. It's not the Ravens, but it's pretty good, and they've played two teams that have turned the ball over. So if the Texans lose the turnover battle in a big way, that would be maybe the only way they'll lose.
Nick Scurfield:The Texans have played against quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick twice – once with the Bengals, once with the Rams. How has he performed in the last two games?
Mark Gaughan:Well, the Bills' offense is horrible. So, that's the first thing to know. They're struggling at offensive tackle. They've got four guys on the offensive line who never took a snap before this year. They drafted two rookie guards high, and those guys are doing OK and they're promising players. But both tackles are really, really green, so they haven't been able to pass protect very well. They can't hold up long enough to throw deep.
Secondly, the Bills have tried to keep it simple with the idea of running the no huddle, and so they're very basic. They're not real complex for opposing defenses. So with those two situations going on, they've had five brutal offensive performances in a row, and I don't know if there's any light at the end of the tunnel for this offense. Fitzpatrick has done an OK job of managing the game. He can make the throws, but he's operating in a very flawed system.
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For more, including Gaughan's thoughts on Terrell Owens, rookie safety Jairus Byrdand his prediction on the game, click here to listen to the full interview in a HoustonTexans.com podcast.*
