TIM'S TAKES: Kickoffs did Bills in all night

By Tim Schmitt

Thoughts collected while turning the knife a second time on Tuesday while watching the Bills implode on DVR:

• It’s been years since the Bills have had their special teams prove their undoing, but a case could made for that on Monday night.

Aside from Leodis McKelvin’s untimely fumble in the waning moments — and the one he dropped earlier that Nic Harris recovered — the Bills special teams units were woeful in the team’s regular-season opener, just like they were through the preseason.

John Wendling, once anointed as the next great Bills special teamer, hasn’t done much to prove worthy of the title. On Laurence Maroney’s opening kickoff return that got the Patriots past midfield, Wendling lost containment on his side, allowing Maroney to get to the outside. Rookie Jairus Byrd followed the lead and jumped inside Wendling’s lane. This isn’t the kind of mistake a guy who’s spent three seasons in every special teams meeting.

And the Bills got the ball past their own 21 just once in five kickoff returns.

The few opportunities Buffalo did have on special teams, it missed. The Bills put a block on late in the first quarter and Donte Whitner came free. But rather than lay out, Whitner went in tentatively, even though it was a fourth-and-16 situation. a 5-yarder for running into the kicker wouldn’t have hurt the Bills at all.

• Even with Chris Kelsey leaving with an injury, you have to like the rotation the Bills used on the defensive line. Although it went unrecognized on the telecast and on the stat sheet, Spencer Johnson made the big stop on Maroney’s early fourth-down carry, shedding 6-foot-8, 315-pound rookie Sebastian Vollmer to plug the hole on the left side. Johnson didn’t even get credited with the tackle — Kyle Williams and Keith Ellison got the honors — but it was his play that made the difference. Later in the opening quarter, on a third-and--4 from the Bills’ 26, Marcus Stroud went for a breather and Johnson was credited for an assist when the Bills held Kevin Faulk to a 2-yard gain. Truth be told, Leodis McKelvin was the one who made that play, and this time he didn’t get recognized.

And although Aaron Maybin didn’t register a stat, just his presence changes the tempo of an opponent’s pass play. When Maybin flies upfield, even he’s not in the play, a quarterback can’t see him and feels obligated to rush his throw. Ends are taught to put their hands up to block passing lanes if they’re well-blocked and while that can occasionally help, having uncertainty as to where an end is can be much more helpful.

• One of the four penalties on Demetrius Bell was a horrible call, he was lined up a fraction behind the left guard. But how about Vince Wilfork giving Bell a shot in the helmet well after the play in the first quarter and no flag was thrown? A few plays later, safety James Sanders took a cheap shot at Bell’s knees on a sweep left and again, no call. It’s obvious the rookie was being overscrutinized by officials, and that’s bound to happen. If Bell keep blocking like he did on Monday, though, he’ll get more respect — and calls.

• When did Donte Whitner become the kind of guy who blows kisses to the crowd after a quarterback overthrows the receiver he’s covering? What used to be a stern confidence seems to be

• When the Patriots clear the backfield, they try to create mismatches in the secondary. For example, when Maroney cleared out in a four-wide set, he went in motion to the edge of the formation, hoping to get the corner to come out and cover him leaving one of the slot receivers on a linebacker. Give Ellison and the coaching staff credit, they didn’t fall for it. The linebacker picked up on the formation and stayed with Maroney on the outside, making for a better defensive matchup.

• Not that you needed to be told this, but what makes Brady so special is his innate sense of staying tuned into the game rather than getting caught up in the spectacle. When the Bills scored to make it 24-13, Brady’s first inclination wasn’t to slouch, but to give his offensive unit some inspiration. And after throwing the game-winning touchdown to Ben Watson, rather than relish in the moment as his offensive linemen were mobbing him, Brady held up two fingers and got the team to huddle up. He’s simply the best there is.

• Anyone else notice the early commercial for the MMA fight being held at Seneca Niagara?

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.