Buffalo Bills' Busy Offseason Raising Expectations Dangerously High

The last time the Buffalo Bills reached the playoffs was 1999. Prior to their 9-7 campaign in 2014, they had not posted a winning record since 2004.

It is understandably thrilling, then, for Bills fans to see their team working aggressively to improve, and to see new owner Terry Pegula support those efforts.

Buffalo has made a slew of moves this offseason to address areas of need. The Bills traded for running back LeSean McCoy, signed offensive lineman Richie Incognito, acquired tight end Charles Clay, added wide receiver Percy Harvin, re-signed defensive end Jerry Hughes and a whole bunch more.

With an upgraded offensive line, the return of a monster defensive line and the guidance of a new coaching staff led by defensive-minded Rex Ryan, the Bills have every reason to believe that 2015 is the year they will reach the postseason for the first time this century.

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But while the team made great strides in 2014, and while now is certainly the time for expectations to be raised, one must ask: How high is too high? And in particular: Can too-high expectations have negative consequences, both for a team's psyche and on its ability to make sound decisions early in the season? 

Bills fans have every right and every reason to root for nothing less than an AFC East title in 2015. That is now firmly within the realm of possibility. However, the Bills themselves must make sure not to get swept up in the hype. They have a coaching staff entering its first year as a unit. They have a wave of new players who will need to learn to jell. And, of course, they have a young quarterback in EJ Manuel who is trying to prove he is Buffalo's QB of the future.

If Manuel wins the starting job but plays terribly over the first three games, then sure, hand the job over to Matt Cassel, the journeyman QB the Bills signed to put pressure on their 2013 first-round draft pick. But if Manuel has a bad first series of the season opener, a little patience will become paramount.

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The same goes for a Game 1 loss. One early hiccup does not warrant pressing the panic button, even though a 16-game schedule tends to lend itself to extreme reactions from week to week. 

Bucky Brooks of BuffaloBills.com writes that the Bills have added enough to their offense to make a "legitimate playoff run." He predicts three things from their offensive attack:

"

1) The Bills will pummel opponents behind a ground and pound attack.

2) The Bills could have the most explosive receiving corps in the NFL.

3) [Greg] Roman will help the Bills' starting quarterback thrive in 2015.

"

These three notions are all conceivable. But all three require a combination of cohesiveness and performance that the Bills have not seen in quite some time. 

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To carry out a successful ground-and-pound attack, the Bills need major improvements from an offensive line that was awful in 2014 and that still has major question marks entering 2015. To have the most explosive receiving corps in the league, they need Sammy Watkins to make big strides in his second season as well as continued improvement from third-year receiver Robert Woods. To have a thriving starting quarterback, they will need to implement a system that works to the strengths of Manuel (or Cassel). 

All of these things may take time, and not just during training camp. The Bills may not look like a playoff team in Week 1. But if the team keeps expectations realistic at first, all the pieces will eventually fall into place. And the Bills will indeed have the talent to make a serious postseason push. 

For a franchise itching to finally return to the playoffs, it can be easy to think too far ahead, or to freak out when not everything goes exactly as planned. In this case, though, all the classic sports cliches apply: Take it one day at a time. Don't worry about chatter from fans and media. Focus on the task at hand and let your performance speak for itself.

And then go make the playoffs. Simple, right?