2010 RECORD: 4-12-0
(4th in AFC East)
HEAD COACH: Chan Gailey
Offense: After finishing near the very bottom of the league in scoring, the Bills need to get it going on offense and will have Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback.
Fitzpatrick put up some decent numbers last year, throwing 23 touchdown passes with 15 interceptions and had 3,000 passing yards. Tyler Thigpen and Levi Brown will be the backups.
Fred Jackson did a good job for the Bills carrying the ball to the tune of 927 yards (4.2 ypc average) and scored five touchdowns. C.J. Spiller was used sparingly after Marshawn Lynch was dealt to Seattle, but did gain 283 yards and averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Look for him to get more carries in 2011, along with rookie Johnny White (North Carolina) possibly getting a shot as well behind Jackson. The fullback is Corey McIntyre.
Steve Johnson is the man at wide receiver and the Bills dealt Lee Evans to Baltimore after the lockout.
Johnson (82 catches, 1,073 yards and ten TD) will team up with Donald Jones as the primary targets. Roscoe Parrish (33, 400 yards, two TD) and Brad Smith are also on hand, along with tight ends Scott Chandler and Shawn Nelson.
Smith is a diverse offensive player who can quarterback (when necessary in the "wildcat") and also rushed for 299 yards while averaging 7.9 yards per carry with the New York Jets last year.
The offensive line consists of center Eric Wood, tackles Demetrius Bell and Erik Pears and guards Andy Levitre and Kraig Urbik.
Buffalo scored just 283 points last season while averaging 305 yards in total offense per game. The running attack gained 108 yards per game while the passing game averaged 197 yards.
Defense: Stop the run!
The Bills were awful last season, giving up 170 yards rushing per game, which was dead last in the NFL.
They also gave up 425 points, which ranked 28th overall. However, the pass defense shined once again, ranking third in the NFL, yielding just 192 yards per game. A better pass rush would help as well as the Bills had just 27 quarterback sacks last season.
The Bills will employ the 3-4 scheme and have Kyle Williams at Nose Tackle. The ends are Dwan Edwards and rookie Marcell Dareus (Alabama). Alex Carrington, Torell Troup and Spencer Johnson provide depth up front.
The linebackers feature Nick Barnett (signed as free agent from Green Bay) and Andra Davis on the inside with Shawne Merriman and Chris Kelsay outside. Rookie Kelvin Sheppard (LSU) will be available as well at linebacker.
Merriman is looking to resurrect his career with the Bills after being injured two of the last three seasons and being let go by the Chargers last season.
The secondary is solid and has Leodis McKelvin and Terrence McGee at the corners with Drayton Florence (three picks in 2010 to lead the team) and rookie Aaron Williams (Texas) also ready to go. The safeties are Jairus Byrd and George Wilson.
OUTLOOK: The Bills showed some life last year and hung tough in many games.
The fact they play in the same division (AFC East) as the New England Patriots and New York Jets makes things extremely tough to compete for the post-season.
Fitzpatrick has moxie and will only get better as he has a solid receiver in Johnson, along with a good running tandem of Jackson and Spillers. Brad Smith is a good pickup and should help the offense.
Head Coach Chan Gailey will have the team for the full season after taking over midway through the 2010 season when Dick Jauron was fired.
The defense must improve against the run, especially playing against the Jets and Dolphins twice during the season.
The schedule isn't easy and if the Bills want to challenge Miami for third place in the division, they have to score more often and show consistency on offense to help keep their defense off the field.
A 5-11 finish is probably the best the Bills will do this year as they look for contributions from the rookies and hope for consistency out of the players they have on offense and defense.
TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- at Kansas City
Week 2- vs. Oakland
Week 3- vs. New England
Week 4- at Cincinnati
Week 5- vs. Philadelphia
Week 6- at NY Giants
Week 7- BYE WEEK
Week 8- vs. Washington
Week 9- vs. NY Jets
Week 10- at Dallas
Week 11- at Miami
Week 12- at NY Jets
Week 13- vs. Tennessee
Week 14- at San Diego
Week 15- vs. Miami
Week 16- vs. Denver
Week 17- at New England
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