2009 Buffalo Bills Offense Preview

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

2009 Buffalo Bills Offense Preview: After years of futility, the Bills are looking to the past in order to move their offense into the future.

By SaviorEdwards

The old adage “Defense wins championships” is still very true in the 21st century NFL. But “Offense wins games” and “Offense sells tickets” is also still true.

Obviously the latter two are more important in regards to the current state of the Buffalo Bills. If they don’t have the offense to win enough games in the regular season to position themselves for a playoff birth, the former is irrelevant.

For the greater part of this decade the Buffalo Bills' offense has been put on the PUP. Not the ‘Physically Unable to Perform’ list, but the "Pathetic, Unbearable, and Predictable" list.

In fact, those are just a few of the many words that come to mind when describing the Buffalo Bills offense, which has been ranked 25th or worse in each of the last six years.

And ironically, the coaching staff in Buffalo (who can also be described by the same words) has opted to make bold and unprecedented changes in 2009 by retooling the entire offensive line. They signed one of the greatest (and most controversial) wide receivers to ever play the game and implemented a fast-paced, no-huddle attack. Their actions will no doubt bring a smile of hope to fans of the early '90s super bowl teams still yearning for a return to greatness.

So, for this piece I’ve decided to look at the projected 2009 Bills' offensive depth chart and figure out if enough changes were made to finally get back to the playoffs. I will use a 1–10 grading scale in evaluating each position:

1-3: Terrible, 3rd string at best
4: Below Average
5: Average
6-7: Above Average
8-9: Pro Bowl Caliber
10: Elite (Top 5 at position)

Also, if I have a back up graded higher than a starter, it doesn't necessarily mean he's better than the starter. It just means he's a very good backup with potential and could start for the Bills or another team.

Quarterback

Projected Depth Chart: Trent Edwards (starter), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibram Hamden

Individual Analysis

Trent Edwards: Grade 8/10

Make no mistake about it, the 2009 season will be determined by one player. My grade is purely based on the expectation that Edwards will progress in 2009 as the leader of this offense and solidify himself as a franchise QB for the Bills.

He also must silence the critics regarding his durability and stay healthy for a 16+ game season in 2009. If you’ve followed his progression, you really have to like what you’ve seen from Edwards in just two NFL seasons.

He’s clearly made significant strides in several key metrics last year, including completion percentage, QB rating, and yards per attempt. His most recent stats put him among the league leaders last year. He’s been given the keys to the brand new convertible, and I expect a pro bowl caliber season from him in 2009.

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