Buffalo’s 2010 Season May Bring More of the same
The Buffalo Bills head into the 2010 season a decade removed from their last playoff appearance. You all remember it right? The Music City Miracle that will forever be known to Bills fans as the forward pass though evidence may prove otherwise?
Now, the Bills head into the next decade apparently starting fresh. However it appears that starting fresh will mean fresh disappointments for fans in Buffalo.
It appeared last season that the Bills were ready to start in a new direction under the right leadership. Head coach d**k Jauron was fired midway through the season, then the entire coaching staff were fired at the end of the season. In an opportunity to bring in a proven winning coach the Bills elected to go with Chan Gailey, who was a great coordinator with Pittsburgh and Miami in 10-15 years ago, but he is not a proven head coach and has not coached in the NFL in over ten years. The Bills probably would have been better off going after A) A rookie head coach in the league or B) a proven winner.
The quarterbacking situation may be the worst in the league in Buffalo. They went through another offseason without bringing in a franchise quarterback which they desperately need. Trent Edwards certainly has not filled the void and Ryan Fitzpatrick did perform decently, but he is a career backup. The Bills may be in for another season deprived of offense.
Just as woeful as their quarterback situation may be their offensive line. Trent Edwards took a big beating last year and Fitzpatrick was left scrambling for his life on many occasions. A good addition this offseason was RT Cornell Green who had been a good presence for the Oakland Raiders in the past three seasons.
The team’s backfield got a good shot in the arm with the drafting of RB C.J Spiller. Spiller can make an immediate impact as Marshawn Lynch’s future in Buffalo is fading by the minute. If the Bills are to improve this year, their running game will have to be the glue of their offense and make life easier for their quarterbacks. Lynch has underperformed and has been very inconsistent in his career while Fred Jackson is a good presence in blocking schemes and the passing game.
The Bills still lack a consistent threat at wide receiver though and will likely have one of the worst passing games in the league this year. The Terrell Owens experiment didn’t work for them and that’s a void that remains to be filled.
The defence is mediocre and would be a lot worse if not for Jarius Byrd. The Bills defence were 2nd in the league against the pass but 30th against the run. Byrd led the league in interceptions which kept the Bills defence from completely collapsing. Players this year such as DE Dwan Edwards and LB Andra Davis will immediately have to step up if the Bills defence are to keep the team in games.
Special-teams is a bright spot for the Bills as Ryan Lindell is one of the most consistent kickers in the league. He made 84.8% of his field goals last year and is a very reliable kicker.
Two-time Pro Bowl P Brian Moorman is one of the best in the league at his position. Last season, he averaged a net 40.2 yards and will be crucial if the Bills offense struggles, which it likely will.
The returners aren’t any slouches as Fred Jackson returns kickoffs and Roscoe Parrish returns punts. They may need to be relied on to help the Bills in the field position battles.
It really hurts the Bills playing in the AFC East as the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots are all very tough teams. The Bills may once again be the odd team out in the division and it will be a surprise if they manage to win a single division game.
C.J Spiller will have to have a Pro-Bowl season if the Bills are to save a little face, but the bottom line is, the Bills have no answers at quarterback and in many other places. Sorry Bills fans, it may be another long year.
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