The NFL is back, and Sportsnet is breaking down everything you need to know about each of the 32 teams—including why you should or shouldn’t be rooting for them this season—in the month leading up to kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 10. Today, the Buffalo Bills.
Last year’s record: 9-7 
Head coach: Rex Ryan
Core players: Mario Williams (DE), LeSean McCoy (RB), Sammy Watkins (WR), Marcell Dareus (DT)
2015 is about… Finding a serviceable quarterback. The Bills have one of the best rosters in the AFC, but they have one problem looming over the club…and it’s a big one. They don’t have a proven quarterback. Outside of a couple years of an aging Drew Bledsoe, the club really hasn’t had a legitimate starter since Jim Kelly retired. That’s a big part of why the Bills haven’t made the post-season since 1999, the league’s longest playoff drought.
The front office and owner Terry Pegula got sick of the mediocrity surrounding the franchise and went forward with a splashy off-season that included the hiring of head coach Rex Ryan, one of the most eccentric figures in the entire league.
In his first off-season, Ryan attempted to improve the club’s quarterback depth by acquiring veteran Matt Cassel and former Baltimore Ravens backup Tyrod Taylor to compete with 2013 first-round pick EJ Manuel. Not exactly inspiring options. The energy has improved dramatically around the building and season-ticket sales have jumped to an all-time high, but it won’t matter if they don’t get more out of the most important position in the sport.
They lost… Kyle Orton, the veteran quarterback who made 12 starts after the Bills benched Manuel last season. The offence also lost a key playmaker when C.J. Spiller (RB) signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency. The electric 27-year-old contributed in multiple phases—running the ball, catching passes out of the backfield and returning kicks—but never quite lived up to his draft slot (the Bills selected him ninth overall in 2010).
On defence, the Bills dealt away star linebacker Kiko Alonso in a shocking trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Alonso played every defensive snap as a rookie, racking up 159 total tackles, and finished as the runner-up for the defensive rookie of the year award in 2013. However, a knee injury sidelined him for the entire 2014 season.
Yeah, but they got… In exchange for Alonso, the Bills acquired three-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy from the Eagles. The 27-year-old has the NFL’s third-most rushing yards (6,792) and fourth-most rushing touchdowns (44) in the league since the Eagles drafted him in 2009. McCoy will be prominently featured in Greg Roman’s offence, which is heavily reliant on the running game.
The front office supplemented the McCoy trade by adding more offensive weapons in free agency. The team signed explosive but erratic wide receiver Percy Harvin, who Ryan has strong familiarity with after coaching him for nine games last season with the New York Jets, and added tight end Charles Clay on a five-year deal. Harvin hopes to be used as a traditional outside receiver after spending the majority of his NFL career as a gadget player out of the slot.
Growing from within: Mike Pettine, a former Ryan disciple, co-ordinated Buffalo’s defence two seasons ago so it shouldn’t take long for the Bills to adjust to Ryan’s defensive scheme. The biggest beneficiary will be Stephon Gilmore (CB), the club’s first-round pick in 2012. Gilmore has the length, physicality and ball skills to excel in a scheme that primarily asks outside cornerbacks to play in press coverage.
While the Bills return the majority of their defensive starters, there is plenty of intrigue at linebacker—especially after dealing away Alonso. The linebacker group is full of unheralded-yet-ascending young players, including Nigel Bradham, Preston Brown, and T.Y. Powell, who should all command substantial playing time this season.
Why this team? Ryan, one of the game’s best defensive minds, inherits a unit that finished fourth in the NFL in total defence and allowed the third-fewest passing yards. Combine that with an offensive unit that looks far better on paper, especially if second-year receiver Sammy Watkins takes an expected leap forward. Watkins has the potential to be an absolute superstar.
Why not? The Bills are undoubtedly loaded with talent, but their ceiling is limited until they can find a stable solution at QB. Ryan doesn’t have much of a history of there, either. Outside of that, the club did little to upgrade their offensive line, one of the club’s weak spots last year. The only veteran addition up front was Richie Incognito, who sat out the 2014 season following a bullying scandal with the Miami Dolphins.
Perfect for fans of… The 2011 San Francisco 49ers. The offensive co-ordinator is the same and so is the blueprint. Play great defence, run the heck out of the football and protect the quarterback, which doesn’t just mean play better on the offensive line. Back in 2011, the 49ers got a career year out of Alex Smith, who had severely struggled in years past, by implementing an offensive a system that asked him to limit risks and avoid turnovers. The Bills will do the same.
How much hope? 7/10. The pieces are in place to end the playoff drought. Plus, there’s a huge opportunity. The Patriots won’t have Tom Brady for the first four games of the season and one of those includes a match-up with the Bills. Buffalo needs to pounce on that.
Will you be mocked for front-running? Yes. The Bills have only exceeded eight wins in a season twice since 1999, and one of them was in 2014, so you’ll be catching them on the upswing. That would be the very definition of front-running.
A Meme To Remember: This summed up the club’s inconsistency last season.
