Buffalo's Chances in Revamped AFC East

This is the year. The Buffalo Bills will finally snap the decade-long playoff drought and return to the postseason in 2009. After years of agonizing through three head coaching changes and consistently placing at the bottom of the AFC East, the Bills are poised to strike.

Year after year, Bills fans are hyped up to believe these fallacies. Year after year, they think this is their year. And year after year, they're forced to hope that maybe next year will be their year. So what should Bills fans realistically expect in the 2009 season?

After an exciting off-season, One Bills Drive is fervent with anticipation for the opener against New England. This is a team with talent more on par with the 5-1 start to the 2008 season than the dismal 2-8 end to it.

The Bills can expect to compete for a playoff spot until week 17. Compete for, but likely not get one. In order to make the playoffs, they will have to steal wins from division opponents, which is something they could not find a way to do in 2008.  

The front office has worked hard in free agency and the draft to address some of the most glaring problems to both sides of the ball. Adding Geoff Hangartner, Eric Wood, and Andy Levitre to the offensive line will help mask the loss of Duke Preston and Pro Bowler Jason Peters.

While it's yet to be seen how the new line (Which is projected to have a different player at all five positions from last season) will work together, the Bills are very excited about their rookies who will fight all summer for a spot in the interior.

The Bills also worked to improve a passing offense that finished the 2008 season 22nd in the league. The surprise one-year deal for Terrell Owens showed Bills fans that their team is willing to do just about anything to win games.

And even though Owens brings a laundry list of issues with him to Buffalo, his skills set is among the league's best, and the Bills are in desperate need of his abilities. Mix in fourth round draft pick Shawn Nelson at tight end, and the Bills may have all the weapons Trent Edwards needs to gain back the confidence he seemed to lose by the game last season.

On defense, the Bills looked to build up the line to put more pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. Spending their first pick in the draft on Penn State's Aaron Maybin showed just how committed the team is to building on a pass rush that was bad enough to place 29th in the league in 2008. A free agent visit from linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa could also be a needed upgrade from current starter Keith Ellison.

If the Bills are going to make the playoffs this season, they'll have to overcome a difficult schedule. The Miami Dolphins return the vast majority of their division-winning roster, and could be even more dangerous this year with the addition of quarterback Pat White to run their Wildcat formation.

The Patriots went 11-5, and that was without the league's best quarterback. Expect Tom Brady's return to energize a team that fell just shy of the playoffs last season. With a number of excellent players added to their roster in the offseason, it is not unrealistic to expect the Patriots to make another run at an undefeated season.

And if the Jets' Mark Sanchez can come in and manage their offense like head coach Rex Ryan hopes he can, New York could be a very dangerous team.

Add in having to play the AFC South and NFC South, and the Bills are looking at many more challenges than they saw on the schedule in 2008. One thing the Bills have on their side is a coaching staff that knows full well that another season without the playoffs will spell the end of their time in Buffalo.

So unless the Bills can somehow win the division, don't expect to see Dick and the boys around in 2010. Unless it's on the opposite sideline.