Game-by-Game Predictions for the Buffalo Bills
Poor Buffalo.
They finished with the third-worst record in the NFL, and now they have the second-hardest schedule in the NFL for the 2011 season.
The team played tough in 2010 despite the poor record, but they just don't have the talent on the roster to be a cause for concern week to week.
Do the additions of Marcell Dareus, Aaron Williams and more improve this team from a 4-12 record this season? Let's find out.
Week 1: At the Kansas City Chiefs
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The Bills take their 32nd-ranked run defense to Kansas City to go against the No. 1 rushing attack in the league.
This spells disaster.
How you start a year can mean a lot for a team, especially a young team like the Bills. I personally believe the Chiefs' defense will step up, and Charles and Jones will run all over Buffalo.
Score: 31-13, KC
MVP: Jamaal Charles (23 rushes, 182 rushing yards, 2 TD, 5 receptions, 43 receiving yards)
Bills' Record: 0-1
Week 2: Oakland Raiders
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A week after dealing with the No. 1 rushing attack, the Bills face the No. 2 rushing attack in the Oakland Raiders.
Buffalo will put up a better fight against the Raiders, but ultimately, I believe they will fall short again; this time at the hands of Darren McFadden.
Score: 24-20, Oakland
MVP: Darren McFadden (28 rushes, 138 yards, 3 TD, 1 fumble)
Bills' Record: 0-2
Week 3: New England Patriots
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The Bills never beat the Patriots. They just don't.
They have a very hard time matching up with the talent the Patriots put on the field year after year, and the QB play is so drastically different that these teams are often on opposite ends of the spectrum in the standings.
The Bills could play them tough, but after two physical losses to start the year, I think the Bills lose this game by a handful of points.
Score: 34-10, NE
MVP: Tom Brady (22-for-29, 311 Yards, 3 TD)
Bills' Record: 0-3
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Week 4: At the Cincinnati Bengals
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The Bills' first real chance to win a game, and they pounce all over it.
The Bengals are in a complete overhaul, drafting a new WR and a new QB to throw the ball to him. The Bills are a young team in their own right, but this will be the week Buffalo grabs the first win of the 2011 season.
Score: 20-10, Buffalo
MVP: C.J. Spiller (11 Rushes, 88 Yards, 1 TD)
Bills' Record: 1-3
Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles
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The Bills will shock the Eagles with their play.
After coming home to a supportive crowd following their first win, the Bills will play fast, smart and hard. Both teams will exhaust all they have to pull away a win, but ultimately, the lack of talent will catch up to the Bills, as they will fall to the hands (or wings) of Michael Vick and the Eagles.
Score: 37-28, Philadelphia
MVP: Michael Vick (22-for-36, 230 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 9 rushes, 78 yards)
Bills' Record: 1-4
Week 6: At the New York Giants
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A heavy dosage of Bradshaw and Jacobs will be too much for the Bills to handle, but a slew of Eli Manning mistakes will keep this game close.
They will go back and forth in a low-scoring game, but Tuck and New York's other defensive ends will smother Ryan Fitzpatrick, never allowing the Bills to gain momentum.
Score: 14-6, NYG
MVP: Justin Tuck (5 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble)
Bills' Record: 1-5
Week 7: Bye Week
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Yikes.
A 1-5 start definitely has this team down on their luck, but a winnable home game against Washington follows the week of rest.
Coach Chan Gailey spends this week making adjustments, and with the season already down the drain, I believe he will play rookies a lot more. I also believe Spiller takes over as the No. 1 back, Sheppard starts next to Poz, Aaron Williams starts over Terrence McGee, Alex Carrington over Dwan Edwards and so on.
Let's see if the youth can bring some hope to Buffalo.
Week 8: Washington Redskins
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A close game that will come down to the wire. The Bills will come up one or two plays short for their second win of the year, but the youth on the roster will provide them with hope for the remaining portion of the season.
Score: 21-17, Washington
MVP: O.J. Atogwe (6 Tackles, 1 INT)
Bills' Record: 1-6
Week 9: New York Jets
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The Bills will give it all they have against the rival Jets, but the lack of an offensive line will hurt them yet again.
The talent just isn't there in Buffalo, and they are overmatched by most of the opponents on their schedule. The pass-rush will have Fitzpatrick forcing passes early and taking sacks often. He will do all he can to make plays, but he isn't good enough to make those around him better, and those around him aren't good enough to make up for his faults.
Score: 24-6, NYJ
MVP: Darrelle Revis (4 Tackles, 2 INT)
Bills' Record: 1-7
Week 10: At the Dallas Cowboys
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Another team ready to run the ball down the throat of the Bills.
The three-headed monster the Cowboys have in the backfield will wear a downtrodden Bills team down for four quarters. Also a bitter reminder of the Super Bowl losses, I don't believe this will be close. Ware will wreak havoc off the edge, again forcing Fitzpatrick to try to make plays.
Score: 17-3, Dallas
MVP: Felix Jones (16 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD)
Bills' Record: 1-8
Week 11: At the Miami Dolphins
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Aside from the Redskins, the Dolphins are probably the only team on this list that don't have a running game to power down the Bills.
The team will play their hearts out, and they will win; 1 - 9 is not an option. C.J. Spiller will break containment on the blitzing Dolphins' 3-4 defense, and Dareus will push the offensive line back throughout the game.
The Bills grab their first division win, and their second win on the road.
Score: 31-14, Miami
MVP: Marcell Dareus (7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles)
Bills' Record: 2-8
Week 12: At the New York Jets
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Back to reality.
An overmatched Bills team started the season off on a bad foot (or, three bad feet), and the trend continues. The Jets will overpower the Bills, as the team fails to put up back-to-back wins yet again.
Score: 17-3, NYJ
MVP: Mark Sanchez (19-for-24, 198 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT)
Bills' Record: 2-9
Week 13: Tennessee Titans
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Another stud running game, but this time the Bills have the luxury of stacking the box against Chris Johnson. The speed of Merriman, Moats, Sheppard and Poz will allow them to keep containment so he can't break the run outside, and the Bills will sneak by with a win behind the legs of their own speed back, C.J. Spiller.
Score: 24-21, Buffalo
MVP: C.J. Spiller (22 rushes, 121 yards, 2 TD, 3 receptions, 24 yards)
Bills' Record: 3-9
Week 14: At the San Diego Chargers
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Shawne Merriman will do everything he can do to make the Chargers' life a living Hell, but the lack of overall talent yet again kills the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills aren't underachieving, they are just playing to where their talent level is. They had to suffer through years of Dick Jauron and bad roster moves, so they are digging themselves out of the hole now.
But heart won't stop Philip Rivers from picking apart the Bills' defense off the play-action.
Score: 42-14, SD
MVP: Philip Rivers (32-for-40, 328 yards, 4 TD)
Bills' Record: 3-10
Week 15: Miami Dolphins
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Fool them once, shame on you. Fool them twice, shame on them.
Henne appears to be the guy going forward, and his job is on the line. I believe he'll come out cut-throat and slinging the rock with everything to lose.
The Bills' CB's are the most inconsistent part of the entire roster, so I look for Brandon Marshall to light it up against McGee/McKelvin/Williams, whoever it is the Bills put across from him.
Score: 24-9, Miami
MVP: Brandon Marshall (13 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD)
Bills' Record: 3-11
Week 16: Denver Broncos
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This is, on paper, the Bills' most winnable game of the entire year.
Unfortunately for them, the game isn't played on paper.
Knowshon Moreno and Tim Tebow are both very capable runners. I believe Tebow is a franchise quarterback and at the very least, a great leader. He will lead the Broncos to a meaningless late-season victory for two teams in rebuilding mode.
Score: 17-14, Denver
MVP: Tim Tebow (11-for-20, 139 yards, 1 TD, 13 rushes, 98 yards, 1 rushing TD)
Bills' Record: 3-12
Week 17: At the New England Patriots
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Unfortunately for Buffalo, the Patriots don't rest their players.
The Bills though will allow Levi Brown to sling the ball around the field all game and see if he can be part of the team's plans moving forward.
The Patriots could easily take the ball out of Brady's hand and just run the clock, but that would stunt rhythm. Brady will pick apart the defense up and down the field for a second time this year.
Score: 45-24, NE
MVP: Tom Brady (34-for-39, 388 yards, 4 TD)
Bills' Record: 3-13
Recap
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The only (true) New York football team failed to improve on a 4-12 record, falling back to 3-13 and landing themselves with a top-two pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
So where do we stand? What do we know?
- C.J. Spiller has home run ability, but needs to be complemented with a between-the-tackles back.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the future of the franchise.
- Playmakers on both sides of the ball are needed, as the core is solid, but lacks luxuries.
- Veterans need to be added through free agency for this team to compete in 2012.
Of course there will be surprise players, surprise moves, trades and injuries, but as it stands, the Bills' season doesn't look bright record-wise. Promise is shown though, and Chan Gailey will get one more year to try to turn this ship around.
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