Last Year:
Like a stag party devoid of strippers, the Buffalo Bills finish to 2003 was substandard. After hiring ex-Patriot Lawyer Milloy a week before season?s start, the Bills were escorted to a couple of deceptive wins over New England and Jacksonville which had fans hooting and hollering Super Bowl. Those howls came to a crashing halt like half of all marriages as Buffalo?s two-win introduction was undressed by a 2-7 stretch encompassing three football weeks without a touchdown. Not even Levitra would have helped this dormant offense wake up as creativity and skill is not sold in the form of a pill (I believe Balco supplements are a powder). Six wins, and nine losses later, head coach Gregg Williams lost his shirt, and Drew Bledsoe came to the edge of squandering his, due to both of their bankrupt benefactions. With the investment into new head coach Mike Mularkey, his offensive expertise will have to rejuvenate Drew Bledsoe and the Bills? inept offense if this team has any interest in dominating once again.
What we Learned from Last Year:
Taking something good and making it better has been a primitive phrase that movie sequels have continually failed to implement in the past. Look no further than Ghost Busters II, Superman follow-ups and now Spiderman 2, who have all been let downs like the Buffalo Bills transition from 2002 to 2003. While ?new and improved? has always been an act for sacrificed changes, it didn?t take long for the Bills to step out of role and disappoint as their passing game plummeted from 5th two years ago, to 28th last season. I Still Know What The Bills Did Last Summer and that was allow wide-receiver Peerless Price to fly to Atlanta. Anticipating for an offense to duplicate their feature presentation without one of their leading actors is like expecting big things from Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. Eric Moulds had a lot of extra viewers focused on him all season and lacking a second receiving threat was more disastrous than Home Alone 2 & 3. Drew Bledsoe directly suffered more than anyone else as his unsupportive cast hung him to dry in the pocket. Defenses keyed in on the running game, forcing the Bills? offense to become like Scary Movie 3, predictable. With Moulds darting in and out of the lineup due to injuries, and Travis Henry?s insecure hands resurfacing at times, not much more could go wrong for this team?s offense.
So while Peerless Price and the Bills? attack was sacrificed last season, it was the defense that Matrix Reloaded themselves back into the upper echelon of the league. The D was led by The Two Towers London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes who combined for 259 tackles last season. Although this bunch finished as high as 2nd overall in the NFL ranks last year the numbers are very deceptive. Mull over the fact that teams only needed roughly 10-15 points to beat Buffalo, and even at certain time, only needed to score more than a touchdown to get the win. When you have that knowledge, then you may as well get your points, and play field position with an offense that battles to get first downs.
The Bills started the season with a topsy 2-0 record, trashing New England 31-0, then dismantling Jacksonville 38-17 and no team looked sharper in the NFL. After those two heart-filled wins it looked as if head coach Gregg Williams had finally made a connection with his players but that memory chronically faded up until the season finale where the Patriots trounced Buffalo by the identical 31-0 result and the Bills? topsy-turvy season had finally ended turvy.
What Has Changed?:
Like Fox?s The Swan, Mike Mularkey?s job this off-season will be to take an offense that was stuck in a rut, and revitalize them by restoring beauty and confidence. Infusing first round draft picks Lee Evans and J.P. Losman will get some attention and last year?s top choice Willis McGahee has finally healed, and is ready to put his makeup on. The selection of Lee Evans is a way of saying ?We miss you Peerless? but as is with most rookie wide outs, it will take the speedster some time to attain to Peerless Price?s level. Wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert, who was instrumental in the growth Pro Bowl rookie Anquan Boldin in Arizona, has stepped over to the Bills coaching staff in order to do the same with Lee Evans. While Evans tries to replace Price, McGahee will look to replace Travis Henry as the running back that matters on this team. Travis Henry has been dynamic in his time, but is notorious for dropping the ball in critical situations and if that persists he?s going to fumble away his job to Willis. The surgeon who will be in charge of everyone?s ball distribution will be first year head coach Mike Mularkey. The good news is that he?s known as an offensive mind around the NFL, and he will be able to cure a lot of the blemishes this offense has been diagnosed with. Remember that season when Kordell Stewart dressed up like an MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Mike Mularkey picked his clothes for that fashion show, or should I say, happened to be his offensive co-ordinator that year and if he can camouflage Kordell as an MVP candidate, then he probably knows how they get the Caramilk in the Caramilk bar, and he can probably correct the Bills 28th ranked passing game.
Though the Bills? defense positioned second last season, expect that to change if the offense starts to click. With few weaknesses in the secondary and line-backing corps, this team desperately needs to uncover another rush specialist either from their roster, or on the free agent market. As teams come to realize that a field goal is not sufficient enough to overcome the Bills? new offense, they will pass the ball significantly more than last year. This defensive line does not consist of anyone who strikes fear to opposing lines, and while run-stopping may be this unit?s strength, dropping the quarterback could get ugly.
With question marks about Willis McGahee and Lee Evans capabilities this season, and how the defense will handle additional pressure, expect inconsistency from a team that isn?t too weak or too strong overall.
O/U 7.5:
This win total is accurate for a team that will lurk around the .500 mark. Aside from the Patriots, the Bills will face inter-division rivals Miami and New York who are all on the same ?not quite there? treadmill. Winning three games in-house will not be a sweat-less jog, especially being in the company of the Super Bowl champs. Other meetings include JAX, @OAK, @BAL, ARZ, STL, @SEA, CLE, @CIN, @SF, and PIT. Anywhere between seven to nine wins is attainable.
Fantasy Sleeper:
Behind every man, there?s a great woman, behind every Yankee, there?s a Red Sock, and behind every sleeper, a bust looms nearby. People will be reaching for Willis McGahee and Lee Evans hoping for the best, but the reality is that rookie wide receivers are not always fertile early in their careers, and Willis McGahee will be sharing carries with a proven running back. If you want a true sleeper, give Josh Reed a try who is likely to go undrafted in most pools, and in his third has a legitimate chance to finally be the #2 receiver this team has longed for.
Like a stag party devoid of strippers, the Buffalo Bills finish to 2003 was substandard. After hiring ex-Patriot Lawyer Milloy a week before season?s start, the Bills were escorted to a couple of deceptive wins over New England and Jacksonville which had fans hooting and hollering Super Bowl. Those howls came to a crashing halt like half of all marriages as Buffalo?s two-win introduction was undressed by a 2-7 stretch encompassing three football weeks without a touchdown. Not even Levitra would have helped this dormant offense wake up as creativity and skill is not sold in the form of a pill (I believe Balco supplements are a powder). Six wins, and nine losses later, head coach Gregg Williams lost his shirt, and Drew Bledsoe came to the edge of squandering his, due to both of their bankrupt benefactions. With the investment into new head coach Mike Mularkey, his offensive expertise will have to rejuvenate Drew Bledsoe and the Bills? inept offense if this team has any interest in dominating once again.
What we Learned from Last Year:
Taking something good and making it better has been a primitive phrase that movie sequels have continually failed to implement in the past. Look no further than Ghost Busters II, Superman follow-ups and now Spiderman 2, who have all been let downs like the Buffalo Bills transition from 2002 to 2003. While ?new and improved? has always been an act for sacrificed changes, it didn?t take long for the Bills to step out of role and disappoint as their passing game plummeted from 5th two years ago, to 28th last season. I Still Know What The Bills Did Last Summer and that was allow wide-receiver Peerless Price to fly to Atlanta. Anticipating for an offense to duplicate their feature presentation without one of their leading actors is like expecting big things from Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. Eric Moulds had a lot of extra viewers focused on him all season and lacking a second receiving threat was more disastrous than Home Alone 2 & 3. Drew Bledsoe directly suffered more than anyone else as his unsupportive cast hung him to dry in the pocket. Defenses keyed in on the running game, forcing the Bills? offense to become like Scary Movie 3, predictable. With Moulds darting in and out of the lineup due to injuries, and Travis Henry?s insecure hands resurfacing at times, not much more could go wrong for this team?s offense.
So while Peerless Price and the Bills? attack was sacrificed last season, it was the defense that Matrix Reloaded themselves back into the upper echelon of the league. The D was led by The Two Towers London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes who combined for 259 tackles last season. Although this bunch finished as high as 2nd overall in the NFL ranks last year the numbers are very deceptive. Mull over the fact that teams only needed roughly 10-15 points to beat Buffalo, and even at certain time, only needed to score more than a touchdown to get the win. When you have that knowledge, then you may as well get your points, and play field position with an offense that battles to get first downs.
The Bills started the season with a topsy 2-0 record, trashing New England 31-0, then dismantling Jacksonville 38-17 and no team looked sharper in the NFL. After those two heart-filled wins it looked as if head coach Gregg Williams had finally made a connection with his players but that memory chronically faded up until the season finale where the Patriots trounced Buffalo by the identical 31-0 result and the Bills? topsy-turvy season had finally ended turvy.
What Has Changed?:
Like Fox?s The Swan, Mike Mularkey?s job this off-season will be to take an offense that was stuck in a rut, and revitalize them by restoring beauty and confidence. Infusing first round draft picks Lee Evans and J.P. Losman will get some attention and last year?s top choice Willis McGahee has finally healed, and is ready to put his makeup on. The selection of Lee Evans is a way of saying ?We miss you Peerless? but as is with most rookie wide outs, it will take the speedster some time to attain to Peerless Price?s level. Wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert, who was instrumental in the growth Pro Bowl rookie Anquan Boldin in Arizona, has stepped over to the Bills coaching staff in order to do the same with Lee Evans. While Evans tries to replace Price, McGahee will look to replace Travis Henry as the running back that matters on this team. Travis Henry has been dynamic in his time, but is notorious for dropping the ball in critical situations and if that persists he?s going to fumble away his job to Willis. The surgeon who will be in charge of everyone?s ball distribution will be first year head coach Mike Mularkey. The good news is that he?s known as an offensive mind around the NFL, and he will be able to cure a lot of the blemishes this offense has been diagnosed with. Remember that season when Kordell Stewart dressed up like an MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Mike Mularkey picked his clothes for that fashion show, or should I say, happened to be his offensive co-ordinator that year and if he can camouflage Kordell as an MVP candidate, then he probably knows how they get the Caramilk in the Caramilk bar, and he can probably correct the Bills 28th ranked passing game.
Though the Bills? defense positioned second last season, expect that to change if the offense starts to click. With few weaknesses in the secondary and line-backing corps, this team desperately needs to uncover another rush specialist either from their roster, or on the free agent market. As teams come to realize that a field goal is not sufficient enough to overcome the Bills? new offense, they will pass the ball significantly more than last year. This defensive line does not consist of anyone who strikes fear to opposing lines, and while run-stopping may be this unit?s strength, dropping the quarterback could get ugly.
With question marks about Willis McGahee and Lee Evans capabilities this season, and how the defense will handle additional pressure, expect inconsistency from a team that isn?t too weak or too strong overall.
O/U 7.5:
This win total is accurate for a team that will lurk around the .500 mark. Aside from the Patriots, the Bills will face inter-division rivals Miami and New York who are all on the same ?not quite there? treadmill. Winning three games in-house will not be a sweat-less jog, especially being in the company of the Super Bowl champs. Other meetings include JAX, @OAK, @BAL, ARZ, STL, @SEA, CLE, @CIN, @SF, and PIT. Anywhere between seven to nine wins is attainable.
Fantasy Sleeper:
Behind every man, there?s a great woman, behind every Yankee, there?s a Red Sock, and behind every sleeper, a bust looms nearby. People will be reaching for Willis McGahee and Lee Evans hoping for the best, but the reality is that rookie wide receivers are not always fertile early in their careers, and Willis McGahee will be sharing carries with a proven running back. If you want a true sleeper, give Josh Reed a try who is likely to go undrafted in most pools, and in his third has a legitimate chance to finally be the #2 receiver this team has longed for.