~Tony Constantino
~Mike Wolcott
~Loren Kelley (Guest Contributor)
~Mike Wach (Guest Contributor)
Hello A&M blog readers. As always, thank you. Entering the 2012 season, Buffalo Bills fans seem optimistic once again. The signing of Mario Williams, along with the additions of Mark Anderson and Stephon Gilmore, has created buzz around town. The common sentiment among fans is that the team is primed to end their 12 season playoff drought. It is safe to say this team will have the attention and the hearts of Bills fans in their hands. In this entry, we thought that it would be fun predict the outcome of this year’s Buffalo Bills season. We’ve asked two of our friends to join in with their predictions. Enjoy!
Mike Wach
With the obvious offseason success stories the Bills had as well as a seemingly strong draft that filled in positions of need, it is easy to get excited. I too am excited, but for more than being caught up in the fervor of Super Mario. The biggest reasons the Bills will make the playoffs this year are more about their opponents than themselves. Boasting a cupcake schedule filled with the NFC West and AFC South, many other teams would be able to ride into the playoffs easily. However, there is the infamous "this is Buffalo" factor of this team seemingly being able to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory frequently. Therefore I say they are in for a tremendous fight for a playoff spot. I believe the Bills are playoff bound due to the existence of the Wild Card. I believe teams like New England, Houston, and San Diego will have minimal trouble in winning their respective divisions. I see the AFC North going to either Baltimore or Pittsburgh and the loser of that race getting the first Wild Card position. The second Wild Card figures to be an insane scramble between the rest of the contenders: Denver, Cincinnati, NYJ, Tennessee, and of course, the Bills.
Within this pack, I predict the Bills will emerge. The Jets turned into a complete circus by the end of last year and God's Golden Quarterback (Tim Tebow) will not quell that wildfire in the least. Prepare to watch the wheels come off, Jets fans. Cincy came out of nowhere last year to grab a playoff spot and look for them to go back to nowhere this year. Andy Dalton will be in a sophomore slump now that teams know to take the Bengals a little more seriously. The Titans offer a challenge but I believe they come up with the same result as last year, namely being in the hunt, but just missing out. Lastly, Denver offers the biggest challenge for the Wild Card and it should be obvious that Peyton Manning can will crappy teams to victory. However, with a defense that was suspect last year (see Denver vs New England in playoffs), a punchless wide receiver corp, and an overall lack of talent around him, I don't think Manning will pull it off this year. Watch out for Denver in the future though. Finally, there's the Bills. Buffalo has a shiny new defensive line that is sure to make QB's suffer, a healthy team (at least at the moment), and an offensive plan in place that can work when your quarterback doesn't have broken ribs. I say the Bills manage their way through and easy schedule and eek into the playoffs for the first time since Bill Clinton was in office. Whether or not they go any further is a different story all together. You can take my predictions for that after Week 17.
My prediction: 10-6, with a Wild Card berth by the smallest of tie breakers.
Loren Kelley
Before I give you my prediction, I'm going to make some points to help you understand where I’m coming from. Generally speaking, Bills fans do not use their brains to make reasonable predictions. Instead, fans have dreamlike expectations each year, only to be let down. We tend to think of the years from 1988-1999; Super Bowls, playoff games, and solid drafting. Every year since then, fans let their excitement get in the way of a rational assessment of the team. The Bills will draft a so called “future superstar,” or place heavy responsibility on the shoulders of a player who would be a 2nd stringer on other teams. Let’s face the damn facts, if you woke up every day in the morning to someone shitting in your cereal, are you going to continue to wake up with a smile as you put shit filled flakes in your mouth? No.
Last year I placed a bet with friends on the outcome of the season. At the time, the Bills were playing well and stood at 5-2. Despite this, I knew that a collapse was imminent, and made a $20 bet on a 7-9 finish. For those who have forgotten, we finished 6-10. I can hear fans now, ''Ohh well we got this guy now, or how about this other great prospect that isn't worth a damn to another team?'' Didn’t fans have the same optimism about Rob Johnson? Trent Edwards? Not to mention every coach since Marv Levy. The track record speaks for itself. I understand how some fans might say that you have to be there for your team through thick or thin. I however, prefer to have a team earn my respect, rather than be a cow taken to the slaughter each and every year.
My prediction: 7-9. Deal with it and don't tell me about how the last 6 or 7 games of the year SHOULD BE wins. They should be, but WON’T BE. This is the Buffalo Bills, remember?
Mike Wolcott
For yours truly, it is hard to buy in completely. As a long time Bills fan, I’m conditioned to expect disaster and disappointment at every turn. Just about every season, the Bills give reason for hope, but ultimately disappoint. Looking back to the start of last year’s season, fans were optimistic because of the signing of Shawn Merriman and the drafting of Marcell Dareus. Two years ago, it was a new head coach and running back that created excitement. Three years ago, Terrell Owens came to town.
As for this year’s Bill team, I have two major questions. The first question is: how good is Ryan Fitzpatrick? He looked like a completely different player in the second half of last season after breaking his ribs. Obviously I don’t expect him to be Dan Marino out there, but part of me hopes that he can be a proficient (if unspectacular) starting quarterback. This remains to be seen though, and if Fitz plays like he did in the second half of last season, it will be another disappointing year for Bills fans.
My other major question is: how much better will the defense be? Most of the optimism for this year’s team comes from the additions that have been made on defense. The Bills defense was absolutely abysmal last season, probably the worst that I have ever seen (ranked 30th). The only time they stopped anyone was on some freakishly tipped interception. The Cowboys, Dolphins, and Chargers all scored touchdowns on the first three drives of their games against the Bills last season. There’s no question that the free agent signings of Mark Anderson and Mario Williams will help this season, along with the drafting of Stephon Gilmore. That being said, I am still left wondering how much better will a handful of players make that defense? The defensive line looks great, but the starting cornerbacks are first and second year players, and the linebacker corps is weak. Super Mario may be a superstar (as he should be for 100 million), but a middle of the pack defense is the most that a reasonable Bills fan can expect.
How well Fitzpatrick and the defense fair this season is really anyone’s guess. I predict an efficient offense and an improved defense. I definitely have my reservations/questions about the team, but I also feel that there are reasons to be optimistic. The 2011 Bills went 6-10 and were riddled with injuries. The 2012 team is both improved and healthy, and has the second weakest strength of schedule in the league. For those reasons, I am hopeful that the Bills will be in contention for a Wild Card berth at the end of the year. Here I go again, I’m buying in to a team that always seems to let me down.
My prediction is 9-7. If the cards fall the right way, we could see a Wild Card berth.
Tony Constantino
The Buffalo Bills have been one of the most disappointing teams in all of sports over the last decade. Outside of Buffalo, the Bills have been considered an afterthought to most football fans. This offseason, Ralph Wilson signed a few larger checks than he normally does and the Bills were pulled into the spotlight. With well over 100 million dollars spent in free agency, the Bills were the talk of the free agency period. However money spent does not hang championship banners in any league, great teams do. Last season concluded for the Bills with many questions to answer: What happened to Fitzpatrick? Where is the rush defense? Can anybody on this roster sack opposing quarterbacks? Who is Scott Chandler? etc... This season begins with another batch of questions to answer: Who is the 2nd wide receiver? Why is Kelvin Sheppard the starting middle linebacker? Can Fred Jackson stay healthy? Can the Amish Rifle take that next step? and so on...
I will say this, the Buffalo Bills have potential. Nobody in this town wants to hear that the Bills are a season or two away from contending for a playoff spot, but I deem this to be a reality. A good defensive line can mask a lot of problems on any defense, just ask the New York Giants. However, the linebackers in Buffalo are extremely weak and the cornerbacks have little to no NFL experience. Stevie Johnson is a 2nd receiver playing as a number 1 option until further notice, and the Bills have no number 2. Scott Chandler is the worst starting tight end in the NFL. The Bills have the easiest schedule I have ever seen, and that cannot be ignored. In fact, if this team makes it to the playoffs, the schedule is the biggest reason. You can only play the team that stands in front of you, and you have to play all 60 minutes each week.
My prediction: 8-8. The groundwork will be laid, and this season will be a sign of things to come.
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