What Does the 2009 Season Have in Store for the Buffalo Bills?

Hope springs eternal...in July at least. 

As we Buffalo Bills fans gear up for another year of the path towards destiny, i.e. a Super Bowl Championship, it serves as a good time to take a look into the crystal ball and see what our fortunes hold.

This year should be different than any year in the last few, if for no other reason than the fact that a certain Terrell Owens will be wearing the Bills' jersey this time around. Add to that the promise of a good draft, and once again the WNY faithful are definitely firmly grasping the rose colored glasses they tend to adorn every summer.

Now admittedly, I am a passionate and die hard fan of this team. However, I feel I can offer an objective analysis of what the season will look like, if for no other reason than the fact that I have suffered the January (or December) letdown so many times before. With that being said, let's take a look at how things should go with the team that resides at One Bills Drive.

On offense, there are definitely more weapons, along with new question marks that are tough to project. It all starts and most likely ends with the play of Trent Edwards. He will undoubtedly be the catalyst of the season, for better or worse. The judgement of both the line and the "skill" positions will rest heavily on how Edwards develops in his third season as the regular starter for the Bills.

To break the tipping point down further, it will be Edwards' poise in game situations that should determine the success of the offense this year.

Edwards has shown to be an accurate passer with average arm strength—by no means dominant, but adequate thus far. His decision making and ability to keep everyone involved in the heat of the moment should be the key to how well the team performs. He has given strong indication that he will be able to handle the pressure adequately, and as long as he stays healthy, I can foresee a season of 20-25 TDs, 10-15 INTs, and 3,500 yards with single digit sacks as a reality. 

Edwards' fate will have a lot to do with his ability to deal with pressure, as both starters at tackle are playing their respective positions for the first time on a consistent basis in quite a while. Add to that the strong possibility of two rookies starting on the interior of the line and it's obvious that Edwards will have to make good decisions on the fly in order to be successful. Even the most optimistic outlook for this line leaves Edwards scrambling from time to time.

Keeping both TO and Lee Evans happy by getting them enough touches will undoubtedly be a challenge for Edwards as well. Assuming that OC Schonert and HC Jauron are able to call a decent game from the sidelines, and that is a bit of an assumption at this point, Edwards will have to be sure to keep his top two targets happily fed throughout the season. 

The RB corps should help keep defenses honest, with Lynch, Jackson, and Rhodes all being threats from the backfield both between the tackles and as receivers. This should be enough to give Edwards the climate he needs to be successful on the field.

If the offense is clicking, then the defense will have a lot of pressure taken off of it, which will be needed. The cover-two Buffalo has built over the years is definitely designed to have a lot of points scored from the offense, to keep them in the optimal position to do their job.  In other words, they are not built to win games, and the additions the front office made this past offseason does little to change that fact. 

That being said, I do think this defense has the chance to be the best one that Jauron and Fewell have fielded. The biggest improvement must come in the number of big plays the defense makes per game. By that, I mean interceptions, sacks, and fumble recoveries. Winning the turnover battle isn't just a priority for this team, it's a necessity.

I expect the offense to outperform the defense this year, but I see the defense doing enough to keep us competitive into December and possibly beyond. 

Anything is possible in the AFC East this year—no team looks to be a sure thing, and the Bills could very likely sneak into second and grab a Wild Card.

Although I would consider that the mark of a successful season, I could see us winning the WC game if we were to draw a favorable matchup. Any more than that would be...well, let's just say I can't seem to find my glasses these days.