Going into the season, the Buffalo Bills are getting quite a bit of attention as a potential playoff and even Super Bowl contender if things fall into place. By now, Bills’ fans are too smart to buy into all of the hype right away. After all, last season started out extremely promising, only to fizzle out at the end.
With a slew of offseason pickups and trades, the Bills do believe they have the team together that can help snap the 12-year playoff drought. If you are still one of those pessimistic Bills’ fans though, here are three items that could make or break the season.
Quarterback
Early last season, it seemed as though Ryan Fitzpatrick could do no wrong. He was signed to an long contract after a 5-2 start, and his results up to that point in the season were hard to argue with. Since then, he has come back down to earth a bit. Whether that was due to injuries, teams figuring him out or the lack of the right personnel remains to be seen.
The Bills can get to the playoffs with Fitzpatrick though. He is a good enough quarterback that makes smart decisions. Those expecting the next top tier quarterback though will be disappointed.
Linebackers
The defensive line for the Buffalo Bills is arguably one of the best in the NFL. Their linebackers are anything but. They are not terrible, but it is obvious that while the line and secondary was upgraded in the offseason, the linebackers were ignored. Kelvin Sheppard, Kirk Morrison, Nick Barnett and the rest of the linebacker group are not exactly striking the fear in defenses right now. They do not have to be great, but they can’t be a huge hole in an otherwise solid defense. Teams will exploit them like crazy if they do.
Inside/Outside Running Game
The issue with the running game is more about staying healthy than anything. Fred Jackson was a solid running back last season until he went down with a broken leg. Big things are still expected out of CJ Spiller as well despite his rough rookie campaign. If the two can become a strong inside-outside duo (Jackson inside, Spiller outside), the Bills could be a very dangerous team with multiple weapons on offense.
Thanks to Fanduel.com, the awesome daily fantasy football game, for this guest article.
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