Buffalo Bills vs. Indy Colts: Week 17 Preview

This coming Sunday the Buffalo Bills will host the Indianapolis Colts to close out the regular 2009 season. The game features two teams at different ends of the spectrum.

For the Colts, coming in with a record of 14-1, their chances at a perfect season came to an end last weekend against the New York Jets. As a result, fans should make sure they are in their seats for the opening kickoff, as the first quarter may be the only time they get to see Peyton Manning perform. 

Could you imagine Peyton Manning playing a full game against a defense that had already placed Terrence McGee, Jairus Byrd, Kawika Mitchell, Leodis McKelvin, and Keith Ellison on season ending I.R.?

What if the Bills declared Marcus Stroud, Bryan Scott, and Nic Harris as out? I shudder to think what the end result of that outcome would have been.

It would almost be laughable. Behind Manning, the Colts drive the entire field in three or four plays. The Bills need three or four plays just to get a first down, and don't succeed at that very often either, as they are last in the league at converting on third down.

How long will the Colts regular offensive and defensive starters go in this game? Hard to tell now, but there is little motivation for them to play the entire game. The Colts have already clinched home field advantage in the AFC throughout the playoffs.

For the Bills, sitting at 5-10, this is their final chance to leave an impression on video tape for the new regime coming in to analyze their play. Whoever is hired in the offseason to take over, will be pouring over these final game tapes to see who continued to play hard, and who was going through the motions. Your standard video resume.

This is a difficult game to preview or forecast because of the unique circumstances leading up to it. If the Colts wind up resting all their starters in the second half and playing only their reserve guys, the Bills may find themselves winning this game. A win would create a positive ending to this forgettable season.

Trying to prepare for the playoffs, the Colts came up with 29 players on their injury list for this week, even though quite a few players on that list practiced fully on Wednesday. Expect the Colts to sit out a number of these guys as a precautionary measure against further injury.

Having a big injury list is nothing new to Bills fans, and true to form, the Bills will have a number of players missing this game as well. 

So far, we know that Bryan Scott and Jonathan Scott will both be out (Great Scott!). Andre Ramsey, fresh off of the practice squad, will be starting on the offensive line. Other Bills that missed practice this week include: Marcus Stroud, Jamon Meredith, Nic Harris, Josh Reed, and Jonathan Stupar.

Ramsey has his work cut out for him, as both Colts defensive ends, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, were named to the Pro Bowl team. Good luck Andre, and while I am at it, good luck to whoever is playing QB behind you.

Speaking of QB, no final word yet on who the Bills will start, Brian Brohm or Ryan Fitzpatrick. Both have issues, but we already know what Fitzpatrick can do. The sample size of Brian Brohm's work is too small to judge him fairly. I want to see more of Brohm and hope he will start the game.

However, Perry Fewell is coaching to win, and since that is what Ralph Wilson asked him to do when he was handed the interim gig, Fewell is doing everything in his power to win. The Bills are 2-4 under Fewell, and the team battles every week for him.

That is nothing new, as the team battled every week under Dick Jauron as well. Fewell does coach with more passion, but his tenure will probably be the interim assignment only. Whether or not he is retained as Defensive Coordinator remains to be seen.

It is curious that Fewell never did name a new Defensive Coordinator, as he maintained the dual role during his stay as interim head coach. Maybe he was in his defensive coordinator side of the brain when he ordered up the punt on fourth down last week from the Falcons 37 yard line. If he was Head Coach only, maybe he goes for it then?

That example may be a bit of a reach I realize, but is an illustration of why I want the Bills to hire an offensive minded head coach. I have had my share of defensive coordinators running the team.

Fewell's chance to finish with a winning record wasn't plausible because of the battered team he inherited. Fewell will be a victim of the Bills many injuries and the limited offensive abilities. He will finish with a losing record as a direct result. Too bad, because Perry deserved a better fate.

What Does the Season Finale Mean for Bills Fans?   

This game is meaningful on a number of counts. It marks the end of the decade. A decade that saw the Bills never advance to one single playoff game.

It was also a decade of dreary offenses, poor front office decisions, and a never ending run of failed experiments at quarterback, mixed results in the draft, poor head coaches and general managers.

The end of the season also means that we don't have to see any more players carted off of the field in to the locker room. No more stories about a running back torching the Bills for over 200 yards. No more losses to make our Monday mornings miserable.

Out with the old and in with the new. Because of the 19 players that the Bills placed on I.R. this year, the team roster has swelled to enormous proportions with all of the replacement players added on. How many of the players that were picked up during the course of the year will be on the 2010 roster? 

Players like Chris Draft, Kendall Simmons or Richie Incognito may be brought back next year to play a role on the team. Depending on whom the Bills draft and sign via free agency, perhaps none of them are brought back.

Many Bills will be playing their final game on Sunday. Is this the last time Terrrell Owens will line up as a Bill? Does Aaron Schobel retire after the year as he has hinted he may do? What about Trent Edwards? Does he come back next year to compete for a starting QB job, or do the Bills release him or trade him away?

For some old Bills, Sunday's game is a homecoming game and a farewell of sorts at the same time, as Gibran Hamdan and Josh Stamer, recent roster additions due to new injuries, will probably not be back next year.

Other Items of Note and Things to Watch for

Congratulations to Jairus Byrd for making the Pro Bowl team. Byrd is the first Bills rookie defensive player to have earned a nod to the Pro Bowl team. Kudos to Kyle Williams for being named as an alternate, and I suspect other Bills will be named as alternates as well. Namely Aaron Schobel and Brian Moorman.

Look for more snaps this week for James Hardy, as he continues to get more involved in the offense. He did not get many plays in last week, but he has a lot of rust to work off. Would be nice to see him receive more targets, especially if Josh Reed sits this game out.

The outcome of this game will determine the Bills final draft position, but for all intensive purposes, we are looking at a slot somewhere in the first 10 picks. That should allow the team to find an impact player, and hopefully not another project like Aaron Maybin.

The only acceptable project I would subscribe to would be for a franchise quarterback selection. Just look at the job that Mark Sanchez did this year with the Jets, and you know that Sam Bradford, Jimmy Claussen, or Colt McCoy would need to spend at least a year to learn and observe from the sidelines.

However, I would be delighted if the Bills select a stud lineman, either on the offense or defense side, to improve our physical line play. We need to run the ball better, and defend the run better, so anybody that will help on either side of the line is a priority.

For what it is worth, try to catch some of the episodes being run on Showtime this week that are looking back at the old AFL. They have some great footage covering the Bills of old.

I especially enjoyed the game footage that featured Harry Jacobs with a microphone. He was barking out defensive alignment calls. They showed the Mike Stratton tackle of Keith Lincoln three times in rapid fashion. That never gets old.

I never tire of seeing Cookie Gilchrist running through tackle after tackle. He desimated old AFC defenders and should be somebody that Marshawn Lynch should be patterning himself after.

Gilchrist was as powerful a running back as the Bills have ever employed. You will see footage of Jack Kemp, Daryl "The Mad Bomber" Lamonica, Ron McDole, etc. Classic stuff. They even had Jim Brown making comments about Gilchrist.

Finally, just a note to say thank you to the many Bills fans that have offered their comments and opinions to my articles throughout the season.This was the first year that I have covered the team in this fashion and it was a learning experience for me.

I have enjoyed writing about the Bills more than you can imagine. I just wish I had more positive things to write about, but I personally don't like to sugar coat things, so try my best to tell it like it is.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe New Year's Eve and hearty wish for a healthy and prosperous 2010. Happy New Year!! Go Bills!!