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. 8. Today, the Buffalo Bills.
Last year’s record: 8-8
Head coach: Rex Ryan
Core players: Sammy Watkins (WR), Marcell Dareus (DT), Stephon Gilmore (CB), LeSean McCoy (RB)
2016 is about… Determining if Tyrod Taylor is legit. Sure, we could have mentioned the longest playoff drought in North American sports or Rex Ryan’s potential last stand as an NFL head coach, but the Bills’ most important detail in all that will be the progression of franchise quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Not adequately filling the void since Jim Kelly retired in 1997 is the primary reason the drought exists in the first place, and Taylor provided plenty of reason to believe in his first season as a starter. He hit on big plays while posting impressive efficiency numbers, but now needs to prove his first year as an NFL starter wasn’t an outlier and that he can improve on his struggles within the intermediate passing game. If the 27-year-old Taylor—whose coaching staff believes is a “special talent”—shows he’s worthy of a long-term deal, the Bills will be in great shape going forward, no matter if Ryan lasts beyond the season.
They lost… Due to salary-cap issues—among other concerns—the Bills jettisoned defensive end Mario Williams prior to free agency. Williams was a poor fit in Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme, recording just five sacks in 2015, and publicly complained about his usage last season. Williams stayed in the division, signing with the Miami Dolphins, while wide receiver Chris Hogan joined the New England Patriots as a restricted free agent. He had 36 catches for 450 yards and two touchdowns for Buffalo last season.
Percy Harvin also announced his retirement after a typically strange season with the Bills where he battled injuries and a lack of desire to play football. The club also saw former starters such as cornerback Leodis McKelvin and linebacker Nigel Bradham join former Bills defensive co-ordinator Jim Schwartz with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But they got… The Bills made most of their big splashes in free agency prior to the 2015 season, which didn’t do much to improve their record, so they were relatively quiet in terms of major acquisitions this time around.
The biggest name the team added was running back Reggie Bush, who signed in early August to provide insurance behind LeSean McCoy at running back. Bush has been underwhelming the last couple of seasons due to injuries (he’s played in just 16 games) and a decline in explosiveness, but the team will be without backup Karlos Williams (suspension) for the first month of the season and Bush can still be an effective checkdown option out of the backfield on passing downs.
“First off, with Reggie Bush, he’s such a talent, but we want him to be almost like that Ferrari that we unleash and let people be like,’Oh man, he’s out there!’ But I also don’t want to run him into the ground,” Ryan said last week on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
That said, GM Doug Whaley’s biggest personnel additions came via the draft as the club landed three impact defenders in the first three rounds in last April’s draft.
Alabama’s Reggie Ragland will open the season as a starting linebacker (assuming his injury Friday isn’t serious) while Clemson pass rusher Shaq Lawson was initially projected to play a major role in replacing Williams, but he will miss at least a month of the regular season due to a significant shoulder issue.
Then in the third round the club landed defensive lineman Adolphus Washington, who can push the pocket from the interior, but struggles on running downs. He was a monster on a very talented Ohio State defence in college.
Growing from within: The Bills will need internal improvements this season across the board—especially defensively—to improve on their .500 record. It was stunning how the Bills’ defence went from a top-five unit into an underwhelming group that couldn’t pressure the passer effectively in the first season under Ryan, who has been known for his defensive prowess.
Ryan added his brother, Rob, and former all-pro safety Ed Reed to the coaching staff in order to teach his scheme more effectively, and the changes have already gotten rave reviews from linebacker Preston Brown, who was among those who complained about the complicated defence in 2015. Brown is one of many defenders, including pass rusher Jerry Hughes and linebacker IK Enemkpali, who the team believes will play at a higher level.
Why this team? Despite last year’s disappointment, the Bills still have a talented roster on paper and a quality core of elite talents. If Taylor takes another step forward at quarterback and the defence returns to their 2014 production, which is a reasonable expectation given the personnel and coaching staff, the Bills are capable of winning 10 games. (That is, if they can stay healthy.)
Why not? The Bills have depth issues at some key spots, including running back, wide receiver and linebacker. They need to amp up their pass rush, which could come with more exotic blitzing, but that will leave the defence vulnerable for big plays. Ryan needs to prove his early years with the Jets were not a flash in the pan.
How much hope? 6.5/10. This team is certainly capable of a wild-card spot, but I still have them third behind the Patriots and the Jets.
