10 Answers: What Needs To Happen For a Buffalo Bills Return To The Playoffs

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10 Answers: What Needs To Happen For a Bills Return To The Playoffs in 2009?

One of the burning questions this off-season is as follows: what exactly needs to happen for the Buffalo Bills to return to the postseason? On the surface, simple answers include improving the offense, keeping Edwards healthy for 16 games, and improving the anemic pass rush.

But the more complex answers are in reality a multitude of factors that need to manifest themselves for this team to overcome the odds in 2009. In a perfect will everything will come together, but the Buffalo Bills live in a not so perfect world.

So let’s take a detailed look at just what needs to happen for the bills to make an elusive postseason appearance in 2009:

1. Attrition and Parity

On paper, the Bills play three of the toughest divisions in the NFL, including their very own AFC East. And on this same piece of paper the schedule is far more brutal and unforgiving than it was last year.

Given recent history, it’s probably safe to assume that some these teams will take a step backwards in 2009, or will flat out disappoint and not live up to lofty expectations. After all, only 6 teams in each conference make the playoffs when it’s all said and done.

But conversely, there are always teams that come out of nowhere to make a run when very few believe they would. So in banking on the former scenario, we all know that Jauron has no problem beating the sub-.500 teams.

And if teams like Miami, Atlanta, Carolina and Tennessee all have a down year that will help the Bills cause immensely.

2. Reanimation of the corpse

Not to be confused with the 1985 cult classic film, but Richard "The Corpse" Jauron needs to find a pulse in 2009 and recapture some of his early coaching career magic when he was the NFL coach of the year in 2001.

Jauron is known for being smarter than the average coach with his Yale pedigree, but his record against good teams (i.e. teams with a  record above .500) is downright pathetic. And many of his critics have said he’s one of the best coaches in the league when it comes to Monday–Saturday, but come Sunday he’s simply in over his head.

But the bottom line is that with the most talented offensive roster he’s ever fielded, he needs to turn it around in 2009 because if he don’t Buffalo will no longer have any use for a limp...(you know).

3. Exterminating the injury bug

There’s no question that Trent Edwards is the key player that must stay healthy for 16 games in 2009, but for the Bills to take the next step they need to squash the nagging injury bug that has hit this team hard the last few years.

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