Buffalo Bills: Fantasy Football Notes

The Buffalo Bills finished the season last year 7-9, which happened to be the exact same record they had in 2007. However, after notching a 5-1 start, the 7-9 record posted in 2008 can be seen as nothing other than a disappointment.

This year, it will be tougher for Buffalo to get off to a fast start as star running back Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first three games of the season.

Lynch struggled to break out last season as he compiled 1,036 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games, which is a step in the wrong direction seeing as he missed three games in his rookie year but still netted 80 more yards rushing.

Fred Jackson did a nice job complementing Lynch a year ago, rushing for 571 yards and 3 touchdowns.

In 2009, though, with Lynch set to miss time early, Jackson will be asked to shoulder the load early, along with newly signed veteran running back Dominic Rhodes.

Quarterback, Trent Edwards, did well in the beginning of the year in 2008, but struggled late with his completion percentage dropping

Injuries might have affected his game.

Edwards ended the season with 2,699 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 1,725 of those yards came in the first 8 games of the season (including the Arizona game in which he attempted just 3 passes).

As the season prolonged Edwards went on to play in only three of the team’s final five games due to injury and never exceeded 200 yards in any of those games.

Finally, wide receiver Lee Evans barely got over 1,000 yards on the season, finishing with 1,017 yards on 63 catches and 3 touchdowns.

The next highest yardage total for a receiver on the Bills’ roster was Josh Reed with 597, one of the reasons the team decided to give Terrell Owens his umpteenth chance.

KEY ADDITIONS

Terrell Owens (WR)—Owens comes from Dallas, where he has recently seen his numbers drop from his career averages, only totaling 1,052 yards in 2008.

One area, though, that he will no doubt help the Bills with is the red zone, where he totaled 10 touchdowns a year ago and 139 touchdowns in his 13 seasons in the NFL.

Owens tends to be on his best behavior in the first year with a new team, which means we may see one last push of the T.O. of old, especially since he has just a one-year contract.

Owens will open things up for the running game and will give quarterback Trent Edwards another reliable target to go along with Lee Evans. His mere presence should help out a Bills offense that took a step back in the second half of 2008.

Dominic Rhodes (RB)—Rhodes still has talent. as evidence by his production as a Colt last season, but he simply is not the player he once was in Indianapolis. 

He seems to have lost a step and will struggle to play a key role with the Bills. 

Rhodes should serve as an adequate complimentary back to Fred Jackson while Marshawn Lynch serves his three game suspension, but he will not steal many carries from the duo of Lynch and Jackson that worked very well a year ago.

KEY DEPARTURES

Derrick Dockery & Jason Peters (OL)—Dockery did not quite live up to the contract the Bills gave him a year ago, leading Buffalo to part ways with the lineman. The Bills, then, traded two time Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters right before the draft as they couldn’t come to terms on a long-term contract.

While the Bills did get linemen, Eric Wood and Andrew Levitre, in the draft, it will be hard for them to replace Dockery and Peters right away. The Bills’ offensive line was never a big time strength and with the loss of these two linemen, it may struggle early on.

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Marshawn Lynch (RB)—After rushing for 1,115 yards and 7 touchdowns in 13 games during his rookie year, many people expected Lynch to exceed those numbers in his sophomore campaign. Lynch struggled, though, as he rushed for just 1,036 yards and 8 touchdowns while adding another 186 receiving yards in 15 games in 2008.

Totaling over 100 yards just three times, Lynch could never quite get into a rhythm. A problem that may plague him again in 2009 as he will be forced to miss the first three games of the year for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Add to that the fact that the Bills’ offensive line lost two key parts in Derrick Dockery and Jason Peters, and Lynch becomes a high-risk pick.

However, if you can get through the first three weeks of the season without him, then you may be able to get him at a cheaper price and reap the rewards for the rest of the season.     

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Aaron Maybin (DE)—Maybin, a defensive end out of Penn State, is a solid edge rusher who can put pressure on opposing offenses. He has great athleticism and a strong burst when closing in on a hit. If he can translate his skills into the NFL, he could turn things around for the Bills defense, which has been less than stellar over the past few seasons. With only 24 sacks in 16 games, this team was in desperate need of a player who can get to the quarterback, and in Maybin, they have found that.

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