PonyExpress

The Bills look like a playoff team to me.

The first time I saw Trent Edwards play in the NFL, vs the Jets, his pocket poise and talent were obvious. That was his first start as a rookie. He is a winning QB who will become a playoff Qb if healthy. They have an elite LT, a very solid rb, a downfield threat in Evans, several lesser Wrs who were underused by Losman and started to emerge with Edwards, such as Parrish. The defense can apply pressure, but the DTs are shaky if that overdrafted NC State kid never pans out. The LB corps will be every solid with Crowell and Mitchell and Poslusny et.al. The corners are shabby, so I expect them to address cb in the 1st 2 rds of the draft. There is young emerging talent on that roster all over the field.

The head coach is a top notch professional who earned a lot of respect form his team for the way he handled the injury bug last season.

The team became very close after the injuries, the Everett tragedy (and triumph), and the Buffalo football culture has a habit of making teams close knit.

These signs of progress in Buffalo were hidden from Pats fans by the spectacular beatdowns suffered vs the Pats last season. Those blowouts will probably be a source of anger for years to come for those young Bills players who were humiliated on national TV.

But with all the talk of Parcells and Mumbles Mangini the Bills can get lost, and I see them making the playoffs and providing the only legit challenge to the Pats division title hopes next season.

tobias funke

Don't forget the way their defense shut down a very hot Dallas team for almost a full game, coming seconds from allowing a completely reigned-in Edwards to win it (how many passes did he throw over 5 yards? 3?).

I'm definitely interested in seeing how they do against us this season. Last year, the circus catches were great, but the games were over after 30 minutes. It's fun and all, but I like good divisional football and it kind of sucks seeing a team roll over like that.

upstater1

I like their coach, and their team seems ok, but I think it's a team that may experience some dissension with the overpaying of mediocre players.

Mainly, though, I don't think Trent Edwards will ever be good. He has no arm. He panics and makes terrible throws in the most crucial situations. He throws INTs at the exact wrong moment. I'm not sold.

Then again, I could be wrong. He was only a rookie, after all. Got to give him a break.

But at this point I would not be worried about him at all.

jeffbiologist

The Bills won 7 games last year. 2 against the phins, 2 against the jets, they were 3-9 against everyone else and we blew them away so badly their shadows might not even show up to play next year. I like the coach, the rookie QB is going to get better--but dont overlook the sophmore slump. Our division plays the west next year, the weakest divisions in football so I expect an increased win total, but I dont think they win 10 games and they might need 11 to get a wild card. The AFC north and south both have teams better, I could see Baltimore turning it around in a hurry, Pitt is always there, and now Cleveland...no way the Bills get a WC. They dont know how to win yet.

BelichickFan

Sorry to sounds like a simpleton but we beat them a combined 94-17 last year. I know they were without Lynch in the second game but combing what we did to them and seeing that they only beat one playoff team last year (Washington by 1 point), I will have to see it to believe it that they'll be a threat to us.

PonyExpress

Just rereading my own post it does seem rash and over the top. Upstater is a close observer and he knows the team much better than I do. But our opinions seem to differ on Edwards 180 degrees. There is a lot of growth potential in that team, alot of enthusiasm from young players, and solid leadership from the top down, with a Qb the coaching staff genuinely believes in. It basically comes down to the Qb. If Edwards is the real deal, Buffalo can challenge for the playoffs. If he's a poiseless punk with a popgun arm, then this is one of the stupidest threads of the century. Also those beatdowns last season were probably historical aberrations. The talent in the NFL just doesn't permit disparities like that. Buffalo will probably be better and less injury prone, the Pats will likely have a less dominant regular season statistically. I can also see the Pats overlooking the Bills through overconfidence and getting ambushed one game. Unlike Tobias I want more blowouts. 56-10 annihilations suit me fine, as I can relax and enjoy the food and beer better.

BadMoFo

I'd be happy to see the Bills finish second in the AFC East next year.

Afterlifemobile-86

Ok, I'll admit the Bills are going in the right direction and are closing the gap. But this is a team who had a combined 4 wins coming against the Phins and the Jets topped off with wins over the Bengals, Ravens, and Redskins. To me there is still a significant gap between the Bills and the Patriots. I feel that the Jets have maybe closed the gap even more. Although they mostly signed guys who were looking for a pay day and don't have the coaching personal to make the transition.

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DarrylS

I see progress and a pretty good coach, but they have a ways to go.. still could provide a forminable challenge, but we are about 6 steps ahead.. but on any given Sunday...

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Lampshade

Buffalo seem to be in a perpetual state of waiting for next year. This time next year I fully expect to hear how either a) Trent Edwards will improve in his 3rd year, or b) that the QB they draft to replace Edwards will make the difference.

The more I saw of Edwards last year, the less impressed I became. He forced passes at the most inopportune times, and seemed to come up smaller the bigger the occasion. Of course it's tough for any rookie QB, but imo the chances of him playing like a playoff QB next year are quite low.

They still have nobody to take some pressue away from the wildly inconsistent Lee Evans. Roscoe Parrish, imo, will never be more than an excellent PR and decent gadget receiver who gets worn down as the season goes on, and Josh Reed looks like never graduating from "inconsistent 3rd down receiver".

If Edwards and Lynch have good seasons maybe the receiver situation becomes less noticeable.

Defensively, Stroud (if healthy), Mitchell, Johnson, and the return of Poz should sure up the run D, but they haven't added anyone to a suspect secondary. I don't know what's happening with KO Simpson's rehab, but if he's not back they'll be daft to rely on George Wilson again. They're in a similar position to us at corner, with all 3 playing one spot further up the depth chart than is ideal. I don't see the possible signing of Will James as the answer.

They're definitely headed in the right direction, but there's still too much reliance on expecting players to make big strides from year to year. IMO to be legit contenders they'll need an impact draft.