With a quarter of the Bills' season gone, one aspect of their game can be pointed out as the cause of their two losses: turnovers.
Through four games, the Bills have a turnover differential of -3 with 11 giveaways and eight takeaways. Fortunately for the Bills, they have one player that's making takeaways customary.
Outside linebacker Bryan Scott leads the Bills with four takeaways this season, one in each game they've played. Scott said he's not exactly looking for a turnover, but wants to be where the ball is every play.
"It's a great thing," Scott said. "We're just trying to get turnovers. Every play I'm out there I'm just trying to hustle, so if a guy makes a play on the ball and it's on the ground I'm trying to get to it.
"I was always taught be in the picture when the play is over, so if the ball is there I'm going to it."
Scott leads the team in both interceptions and fumbles recovered with two a piece. The veteran safety, turned linebacker, said it's been a much smoother transition this year to linebacker.
"In the past years I've been studying both the safety position and the linebacker position, but the linebacker I was learning on my own," said Scott. "Now that I'm in the linebacker room I have a coach that teaches me up and teaches me technique. It makes it a whole lot easier."
Head coach Chan Gailey agreed that it has benefitted the team to keep Scott in one spot.
"Probably the best thing that has happened to Bryan, and I give Dave (Wannstedt) and Bob Sanders a lot of credit, they have given him one job," Gailey said. "Go be a nickel linebacker. Not try to be safety, not try to be a back-and-forth kind of guy. He has one job, go be a nickel linebacker and he has done an excellent job of learning that and learning how to play that responsibility run and pass. We were bouncing him around last year and it was not fair to him almost. He has taken to this extremely well and done a great job."
In last Sunday's loss to the Patriots, Scott made a fumble recovery just before the half to halt a possible scoring drive for New England. After Jairus Byrd forced the ball loose from Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, Scott dove on the ball and scooted eight yards before being tackled.
Scott said although they had a tough time stopping the run last game, it had nothing to do with the defensive scheme they were in.
"I keep hearing that, 'Oh you guys were in nickel when you couldn't seem to stop the run because you were in nickel,'" Scott said. "It wasn't because we were in nickel. Guys just missed tackles and got out of their gaps. Whether we're in nickel or we're in base, it's all the same. Get in your gap. Make the tackle. Get off the field."
This Sunday, the Bills begin a two-week road trip to face the two best teams in the NFC West. Scott these games are like any other during the course of the season.
"It's the same mindset I have going into every week," Scott said. "There is a talented guy over there and we have to stop him."
At 2-2, the Bills lofty expectations for the season seems a little dim at the moment, but Scott says there's still time left to turn it around.
"There was a great quote we had this week, 'The last four games don't determine our season, it's how we respond to our last four games,'" said Scott. "If we're 2-2, the season is still early. We can string some wins together, and people will stop talking about what happened last week."
