2011 Buffalo Bills: Can the Bills Be a .500 Team in 2011?
Another season is approaching, full of new hopes and dreams. A new talented draft crop is ready to join the team as soon as the NFL lockout is lifted.
The Buffalo Bills finished the 2010 season at 4-12 under first year head coach Chan Gailey. The Bills made some positive strides during the second half of the season, but have they come far enough that we can expect to see a .500 record in 2011?
This presentation will address what the Bills need to do to reach .500 this year.
Score Seven More Points a Game
1 of 11
In 2010, the Bills averaged 17.7 points a game. That just isn't good enough in the current NFL to compete. Chan Gailey needs to find enough ways to crank out an additional seven points a game. If he can do that, that brings the Bills average to 24.7 points per game.
In the 2010 season, these were the average points per game of five playoff teams: Green Bay (24.3), New Orleans (24.0), Pittsburgh (23.4), New York Jets (22.9) and Kansas City (22.9).
The right scoring average only means so much, however. The Houston Texans averaged 24.4 points per game, but they didn't have any kind of strong secondary coverage, so had a poor season as a result.
The Bills should be better on defense this year, but can Gailey find a way to incorporate C.J. Spiller, Marcus Easley and Johnny White into the offense more to score the extra seven points they need to compete?
Must Not Be Swept by Any AFC East Teams
2 of 11
The Bills have been battered around by the New England Patriots and New York Jets too often in the past decade. If the Bills can find a way to win at least one game against each of their AFC East foes, that would go a long way towards becoming a .500 team.
The Oakland Raiders didn't make the playoffs in 2010, but they rose up to sweep their entire AFC West schedule last year (6-0), so it can be done. The Bills don't necessarily have to sweep, but going at least 3-3 would be a good starting point.
Keep Ryan Fitzpatrick Protected
3 of 11
It is one thing when Ryan Fitzpatrick lowers his helmet to deliver a blow to the defender that he is going to be colliding with. It is another thing to let him get creamed, as was the case when Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison laid Fitzpatrick out in 2010.
In 2010, the Bills were roughly in the middle of the pack, giving up 34 sacks. That number would have been much higher if Fitzpatrick didn't possess the mobility he has, or if Trent Edwards was allowed to start more than two games.
We won't have to see Cornell Green getting burnt at right tackle in 2011, but there still remains the task of naming a starting right tackle and possibly a new right guard if Eric Wood is moved to center. The team simply has to give Fitzpatrick more time to find his other receivers if his first option is not covered.
With the talented receiver corps in full developmental mode, the Bills will be looking for mismatches all over the field. The only way they won't be able to take advantage of those mismatches is if Fitzpatrick has to be running around to save his life every Sunday.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Defense Has to Increase Sacks from 28 to 40
4 of 11
With Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams helping to control the line of scrimmage, the path to the quarterback should be easier for Bills that are designated to be blitzing in 2011. From Shawne Merriman, to Arthur Moats, Chris Kelsay, Danny Batten, Kelvin Sheppard, Paul Posluszny and Aaron Maybin, the defense has to find a way to increase their sack totals from the mid-20's to at least 40.
If the Bills can increase the pressure on the quarterback that much, a number of other good things will happen as well. For starters, that means less time for the opposing quarterbacks to pick apart our secondary (read: Tom Brady). It also means that with additional sacks, means loss of yardage and more third and long distance scenarios, where the Bills have a better chance to create a turnover.
Speaking of turnovers, trying to throw the ball while you are being hit is another sure fire way to see the interceptions totals go back up to where they were in 2009.
Have Fred Jackson Reach 1,000 Yards Again
5 of 11
One way to keep defenses honest is to have a strong running game. The Bills seemed to drift away from that too often in 2010, and as a result, Fred Jackson failed to repeat as a 1,000 yard rusher.
Making sure that Jackson gets enough touches each week to hit the 1,000 yard mark means that the offensive linemen are given enough plays where they can really lay out some defenders in the run game to help wear them out. The more you give Fred the ball, the better he runs. He needs more touches, not less.
The defense figures to be on the field less in 2011, so if the offense is on the field more, that means that Fitzpatrick and Gailey should have the ball in their control enough to make Jackson, Spiller and the receiving corps happy. But, let's start with Jackson first. If he gets that milestone, other good things will follow.
Isolate C.J. Spiller More on Linebackers
6 of 11
Whether it is on short routes or long ones, the Bills need to find ways to isolate C.J. Spiller against a linebacker and let him exploit those mismatches for all they are worth.
The rookie season is now behind him, so Spiller should have a better idea of what is needed from him this year. Chan Gailey also has more time now in the offseason to reflect on what he needs to create in his offensive sets that allows Spiller to be covered by linebackers and then take those situations and turn them in to long gainers for the Bills offense.
Let's See What the Injured Rookies from 2009 Can Do
7 of 11
This is a picture of the Bills holding informal workouts during the lockout. The big guy on the far right side is wide receiver Marcus Easley, the Bills fourth round pick from 2010 that never played last year due to injury.
The Bills have a number of players from 2010 just like Easley, in that they never really got much of a chance to demonstrate what they can do.This would ideally happen in training camp and then additionally in exhibition games, so unless the lockout is lifted soon, this plan may have to be scrapped for now.
The list includes Danny Batten (linebacker), Antonio Coleman (linebacker), Ed Wang (offensive lineman), Naaman Roosevelt (wide receiver), Levi Brown (quarterback) and Alex Carrington (defensive end).
Have a Positive Turnover Ratio
8 of 11
One of the best things the Bills could do in 2011 to give them a righteous chance at reaching the .500 level is to create a positive turnover margin.
In 2010, the Bills wound up with a minus-17 takeover ratio, which was easily the worst ratio in the NFL. That has to change. Too many NFL games can be decided by three points or less, and all it takes is one turnover to turn a game around.
That mentality to protect the ball starts with Chan Gailey and is then passed on to the defense to create a sense of urgency in getting the ball back for the offense. Both of those areas have to improve for the Bills to be a .500 team or better.
Add Some Key Free Agents When the Ban Is Lifted
9 of 11
Adding a free agent tackle like Jared Gaither would do wonders for the Bills offensive line. Buddy Nix will have to improve on his free agency haul of 2010, as Cornell Green was not the type of quality that the team needs.
There may still be the possibility of free agent linebackers and a tight end to sign. We all know that the Bills need a veteran backup quarterback to add to the fold, so that is something that should happen in the first week to two of free agency.
Nix will have to find a way to bring in a better caliber of free agents to the team. That also includes trying to get our fair share of the undrafted rookie free agents, where some talent also can be found with the likes of Mark Herzlich and many more.
Utilize Greater Depth to Keep Older Players Fresh During Season
10 of 11
Part of the reason for increasing the quality of your depth chart is so that you can keep your veterans players fresher for the long haul of an NFL season. You can see the depth forming in the Bills defensive line now, thanks to the past two draft classes.
The depth is also there at the wide receiver position, in addition to the running backs.
Where we are still lacking is at linebacker, offensive line, tight end and at quarterback.
Sign Paul Posluszny and Drayton Florence
11 of 11
Another key would be to bring back Paul Posluszny and Drayton Florence to new contracts. Both players are key members that can help the defense to become better.
With the right players around them, both of them have shown plenty of promise in the past and should continue to be solid contributors going forward.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")