Biggest Questions Facing Buffalo Bills This Offseason

If we told you the Buffalo Bills held Peyton Manning to 173 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, you would think they won right? Most times, that would be enough to beat Manning and the Denver Broncos.

But Sunday in Denver, questionable coaching, penalties and poor quarterback play (not necessarily in that order) led to a 24-17 loss for the Bills. The Bills defense again gave a heroic effort, this time to thwart a future Hall of Famer, but the offense wasn't good enough to make the most of it.

The loss drops the Bills to 7-6 and leaves them on the outermost edge of the AFC playoff picture. Even if the Bills were to win out, they would need a lot of help to break the league's longest playoff drought.

So since the Bills are likely to again be watching the postseason from their couches, let's look ahead a little. Let's explore the biggest questions facing the Bills this offseason. We will rank the questions based on their importance to the team and how much each one can affect the team down the road.

4. Who Will the Bills Target in Free Agency?

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One way teams can improve is by signing players in free agency.

Even though the Bills are better than they used to be, they still need help in a few areas. So how active will the Bills be in free agency, and which players will they go after.

Aside from a few in-house free agents whom the Bills should bring back (Jerry Hughes, Brandon Spikes, Da'Norris Searcy), there are players from other teams who could improve certain units, give more depth at a position or provide another weapon on offense.

One key area the Bills need to improve is the offensive line. General manager Doug Whaley tried to address the issue last year with the signing of Chris Williams, but that hasn't worked out to this point. Orlando Franklin of the Broncos and Mike Iupati of the San Francisco 49ers are both free-agents-to-be whom the Bills could consider.

And if the Bills wanted to make a big splash, they could go after someone like tight end Julius Thomas. The Broncos tight end has turned into one of Peyton Manning's favorite weapons, and the former basketball player has caught 24 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Tight end isn't necessarily a "need" position for the Bills, but having a more athletic player at that position would give the Bills offense another dimension. If Whaley doesn't want to break the bank on Thomas, someone such as Charles Clay of the Miami Dolphins would be a cheaper option.

There are a lot of quality players who will be free agents after this season. After the Bills retain their own, they should look to bring in a few from outside the organization to further bolster their depth chart.

3. Will Jerry Hughes Be Re-Signed?

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Before the Bills can look at players from other teams, they will have to make decisions on a few of their own impending free agents. Players such as Brandon Spikes and C.J. Spiller will be eligible for free agency so the Bills will have to decide whether those players are worth investing in going forward.

But one Bills player should be prioritized over all the rest: Jerry Hughes. The 26-year-old former first-round pick has been an absolute stud for the Bills at defensive end opposite Mario Williams. Hughes, whom the Bills acquired from the Indianapolis Colts, has accumulated 19.5 sacks in 29 games since joining the Bills.

Hughes will likely have a big price tag, but the Bills need to pay it. Their defensive line is the foundation of one of the league's best defenses, and losing Hughes would weaken the front four considerably. Even though the Bills already have big money invested in Williams, they need to set some aside for Hughes as well.

In an increasingly pass-happy NFL, pass-rushers are more important than ever. The Bills opted to not pay Jairus Byrd last season, and it turned out to be the right decision. However, letting Hughes walk would be a mistake the Bills can't afford to make.

2. Will Doug Marrone Be the Coach?

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After the Bills' loss to the Broncos, Doug Marrone's seat is as hot as ever.

Punting on 4th-and-2, down two scores, with six minutes to go, is a debatable decision. But another issue that cropped up in Denver is far more concerning.

After taking an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty in the second quarter, the aforementioned Jerry Hughes found himself on the sidelines for much of the second half. According to Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com, Hughes played only 12 of the Bills' last 36 defensive snaps.

Giving a player some time to clear his head after a penalty is one thing as long as all the coaches are on board with it. But that apparently wasn't the case. As Fairburn reports, defensive line coach Pepper Johnson was the one who made the decision to keep Hughes on the sideline for such an extended stretch.

As Marrone said via Fairburn, "that's a decision that needed to be brought to my attention which wasn't and that falls on me as the head coach, our communication."

It's hard to imagine how Marrone wouldn't notice Hughes' absence on the field. Hughes is one of the team's best defenders, and to keep him on the sideline against Manning in a game the Bills ultimately lost by a touchdown is unconscionable.

That gaffe alone probably shouldn't cost Marrone his job. However, his team is still underachieving at this point. The Bills, blessed with a defense that just about any other team would trade for in a heartbeat, are 7-6 and are the longest of long shots to get into the playoffs.

On the other hand, there is no debating this is the best Bills team in at least a decade. They are essentially a quarterback away (more on that in a moment) from being serious playoff contenders. And team president Russ Brandon said after Terry Pegula took over as owner that the team "needs continuity." Overhauling the coaching staff again might set the team back instead of moving it forward.

Either way, it will be interesting to monitor the Bills' coaching situation as the offseason approaches.

1. What Will the Bills Do at Quarterback?

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The one question to rule them all. Where do the Bills go at quarterback? If you want to play January football, you better have an above-average player under center.

While Kyle Orton has had his moments, he simply hasn't been good enough to put the Bills in position to win. The Bills defense held one of the best quarterbacks ever in check, and yet Orton could only get his team 17 points. He played one of his worst games of the season.

Orton's ratings from Pro Football Focus (linked above, via Fairburn) are one thing. But one play from Sunday perfectly encapsulates why the Bills need to explore other quarterback options.

For those who missed the game, we'll set the scene for you. With around 12 minutes to go in the second quarter, the Bills faced a 3rd-and-1 from the Broncos' 24-yard-line down 7-0. Orton was forced out of the pocket, and instead of going for what appeared to be an easy first down, Orton slid for a one-yard loss. Instead of keeping the drive alive and possibly scoring a touchdown, the Bills had to kick a field goal.

If that sounds hard to believe, here's video evidence.

There is simply no excuse for a play like that. Either Orton wasn't aware of the situation or he wanted to avoid taking a hit. This was a game where the Bills needed touchdowns to win. That play took away an opportunity for one. One thing is almost certain: EJ Manuel would have picked up that first down.

But we saw Manuel earlier in the season, and he wasn't any better than Orton. But we still don't know what Manuel will become because he's only played 15 games. 

Either way, the Bills need to find help at quarterback. Whether it be through free agency or the draft, they must do something. This team is playoff-ready; it just needs a quarterback to get it over the hump.