2008 Buffalo Bills Preview
Peter Stein |Aug 24,2008
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 2008 Buffalo Bills Preview
2007 Record - 7-9 (2nd AFC East)
Head Coach - Dick Jauron
2007 Review
The season had a miserable start. Tight end Kevin Everett suffered a devastating spinal cord injury in the opening game, and the Bills staggered to an 0-3 record, a stretch where they were outscored 79-24. But the team won five of its next six games, and seven of its next 10. In mid-December, the Bills were 7-6 and still alive in the postseason chase.
The playoffs, however, were not to be. The Bills' season finished as it had begun - with three straight losses - but their mid-season turnaround and respectable 7-9 mark had them thinking contention was possible for 2008.
OFFENSE
J.P. Losman, one of the Bills' two first-round picks in 2004, has never made the starting quarterback position his own, due to ineffectiveness and injuries. Stanford's Trent Edwards, a third-round selection in 2007, was the beneficiary of Losman's woes last year, becoming the first '07 rookie quarterback to play in the NFL when he replaced the injured Losman in a Week Three road game against the New England Patriots. Edwards had decent numbers - 1,630 yards, seven touchdown passes, eight interceptions - and he enters this year as the starter. In preseason, he has had to deal with a thigh contusion which kept him out of several practices and Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, but he should be ready to go when the team opens the regular season on September 7th.
A hit and run incident in June made the status of running back Marshawn Lynch unclear for a while. But an agreement was reached with the Erie County District Attorney's Office reducing Lynch's transgression to a mere traffic violation, so NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not order any disciplinary action. Lynch's driver's license was suspended indefinitely and he had to pay a $150 fine, but his career was allowed to continue uninterrupted.
That is good news for the Bills. After making Lynch their No. 1 draft choice in 2007, he had a solid rookie season, rushing for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns last fall. Considering the team's second-leading rusher Fred Jackson gained only 300 yards and no touchdowns on the ground, Buffalo is fortunate to have Lynch back again this year. In Jackson's defense, his rushing yardage came on only 58 carries, giving him an impressive average of 5.2 yards per carry.
Former New York Jet Darian Barnes is slated for starting fullback duty, with Jonathan Evans in reserve.
After catching 82 passes for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns in 2006, Lee Evans' numbers tailed off to 55 catches for 849 yards and five touchdowns last year. He is still the Bills' top receiver, and will need to return to his '06 form if Buffalo is to seriously contend for a playoff spot.
Seventh-year receiver Josh Reed is a nice complement to Evans. Reed's 51 catches and 578 receiving yards were second to Evans last year, but Reed didn't have any touchdown receptions. James Hardy and Roscoe Parrish are being counted on to provide quality depth, because Peerless Price is gone from the team ... again.
Starting tight end Robert Royal caught only 25 passes last year, but three were for touchdowns. Derek Schouman, Courtney Anderson, Tim Massaquoi and Derek Fine are all tight ends battling for roster spots.
Left tackle Jason Peters is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, and has emerged as a first-class offensive lineman. He will play opposite right tackle Langston Walker, who at 6-foot-8 and 366 pounds, will be tough to move from his right tackle spot. Derrick Dockery (6-6, 330) and Brad Butler (6-7, 315) are two hulking guards who will line up next to center Melvin Fowler.
DEFENSE
Marcus Stroud was acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars' vaunted defense, and he will now man a starting tackle spot in the Bills' 4-3 scheme. In the spring, Kyle Williams had been slated to back up Stroud, but Williams has now emerged as the other starting tackle ahead of John McCargo. Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel are the starting ends.
The Bills signed linebacker Kawika Mitchell away from the Superbowl champion New York Giants, and Mitchell will be the Bills' weakside starter. Paul Posluszny will start in the middle, next to strongside linebacker Angelo Crowell.
Terrence McGee is the starting left cornerback, with Jabari Greer pencilled in to start on the right side ahead of free agent signee Will James. Donte Whitner brings good speed to the strong safety position; Ko Simpson has rebounded from a broken ankle and will start at free safety.
Special Teams
Two-time Pro Bowler Brian Moorman is one of the league's best punters, and Rian Lindell is a reliable placekicker. Ryan Neill is the long snapper.
Parrish was the NFL's best punt returner last year, averaging 16.3 yards per return. McGee handles the kickoff returns, and has the distinction of being one of only 10 players in league history who have returned five kickoffs for touchdowns.
Outlook
The Bills see themselves as a playoff caliber team, and they are indeed solid up and down the roster. But the Patriots will always be dominant as long as Tom Brady is healthy, the Jets acquired Brett Favre, and even the Dolphins should be improved with the acquisition of Chad Pennington and the resurgence of Ricky Williams. It's a tough division for sure, but as long as the Bills can avoid major injuries, they should be able to compete for a wildcard berth.
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