https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/...l-nfl-teams/z8IDOKaMSjsMNeoVER8RIJ/story.html
BILLS
• Best case: Receiver Sammy Watkins heats up the Bills offense and leads them to a Week 17 win at Gillette Stadium (first in franchise history) to claim the final wild card and their first playoff spot since 1999.
• Worst case: Watkins is hurt and misses a significant chunk of the season. QB E.J. Manuel is benched for ineffectiveness. And coach Doug Marrone’s fate is uncertain after two losing seasons.
• Realistic case: Watkins’s talents go underutilized because of the erratic and injury-prone Manuel and his ineffective backups. The NFL’s longest playoff drought continues.
Projection: 4-12
BILLS
• Best case: Receiver Sammy Watkins heats up the Bills offense and leads them to a Week 17 win at Gillette Stadium (first in franchise history) to claim the final wild card and their first playoff spot since 1999.
• Worst case: Watkins is hurt and misses a significant chunk of the season. QB E.J. Manuel is benched for ineffectiveness. And coach Doug Marrone’s fate is uncertain after two losing seasons.
• Realistic case: Watkins’s talents go underutilized because of the erratic and injury-prone Manuel and his ineffective backups. The NFL’s longest playoff drought continues.
Projection: 4-12
3-2
http://buckyandsully.buffalonews.com/2014/10/06/full-bills-beer-mug/
How full is your Bills' beer mug?
By Bucky Gleason | News Sports Reporter | @TBNbucky |
on Monday, October 6, 2014 3:16 PM, updated: October 6, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Mention beer and Bills in a headline, and it's too much to resist.
Now that I have your attention, answer this question: Is your Bills beer mug half-full or half-empty?
Western New Yorkers for 25 years have proceeded with cautious optimism when it comes to their professional teams. It comes mostly from the Bills reaching -- and losing -- four straight Super Bowls and the Sabres losing in the Stanley Cup finals and twice in the conference finals.
There's a Made in Buffalo defense mechanism that cannot be clearly defined but definitely exists and is generally understood. Bills and Sabres fans are incredibly loyal considering all the losing, but they're usually either A) slow to fully invest their emotions or B) find reasons to criticize them so it dulls the pain when their teams inevitably fail.
You know them. I know them. Does either one define you? Many people are both, conflicted fans who find themselves being teased, are reluctant to believe, eventually cave and wind up suffering in the end.
The answer may come when we examine he Bills from different perspectives.
Half-full: The Bills are 3-2, which puts them on pace for nine or 10 wins this season. It would certainly keep them in playoff contention and may be enough to win the division and reach the postseason for the first time since 1999. They already have beaten two NFC opponents on the road and handled the Dolphins with ease in their only division game.
Kyle Orton proved to be a major upgrade over EJ Manuel after throwing for 308 yards and leading the Bills on a game-tying drive before hitting Sammy Watkins for a critical pass that set up Dan Carpenter's 58-yard field goal for the win. Orton showed command in the huddle. He overcame early signs of rust and grew better and more confident as the game carried along.
And the Bills have a top-notch defense. Buffalo has allowed only 89 points in five games, a 17.8 points-per-game average that falls to 15 ppg allowed by the defense when two pick-sixes are included. The Bills' defense is first against the run, fifth in points-per-game allowed, eighth in yards against and tied for first in sacks with 17. If it continues, the Bills should remain in contention.
Buffalo also showed some toughness after being down against the Bears and Lions but came back. Buffalo also has the best backfield in the AFC East with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller.
Plus, the Patriots don't appear to be the same team that dominated the division for most of the past 12 years. New England beat Cincinnati, but that was predictable. The Pats were reeling after getting embarrassed last Monday night in Kansas City. They played the Bengals at home and were actually favored to win the game.
Half-empty: The Bills are lucky to be 3-2, darned lucky because they could easily be 1-4. They beat the Bears in overtime after Jay Cutler diced the secondary for 349 yards and two TDs. The Bills allowed 13 points in the final 20 minutes, including a late field goal, and still won.
Buffalo beat Chicago after Cutler threw an interception to Kyle Williams, of all people. Detroit kicker Alex Henery missed field goals from 44, 47 and 50 yards. His final miss gave the Bills the ball at their own 40. Watkins made an incredible catch for a 20-yard gain, and Carpenter converted.
If Henery makes from 50 yards, the Lions take the lead with the clock winding down. Who would determine the strength of a team based on a single kicker or, in this case, a single kick?
Buffalo's running game has been inconsistent at best, another sign of trouble. They're in the bottom third in rushing and were held to less than 100 yards in their past three games. They can't expect Orton to carry them with his arm, especially after teams get a better handle on his tendencies and how the Bills run their offense. The Bills had 49 measly yards on the ground against Detroit. Spiller, who was held to eight yards on 10 carries against the Lions, continues running outside no matter how many times he's caught.
The Bills' defense has been sound, but Jets and Dolphins are ahead of them in yards against. The Jets were fifth, and that's after Branden Oliver and the Chargers torched them for 31 points Sunday. Tom Brady and the Patriots looked like a championship team Sunday. It's possible New England, after a rough start, is back on track going into Sunday's game at the Ralph.
Uh oh.
My glass: Before the season, I had the Bills winning eight games or, if enough breaks turned their way, nine. They're fortunate to win two games already, but they've also shown the resilience needed to stay in games and give themselves an opportunity. They need to be right about the quarterback and straighten out the running game. For all of their problems, the Patriots are the standard until further notice.
We'll find out more Sunday.
http://buckyandsully.buffalonews.com/2014/10/06/full-bills-beer-mug/
How full is your Bills' beer mug?
By Bucky Gleason | News Sports Reporter | @TBNbucky |
on Monday, October 6, 2014 3:16 PM, updated: October 6, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Mention beer and Bills in a headline, and it's too much to resist.
Now that I have your attention, answer this question: Is your Bills beer mug half-full or half-empty?
Western New Yorkers for 25 years have proceeded with cautious optimism when it comes to their professional teams. It comes mostly from the Bills reaching -- and losing -- four straight Super Bowls and the Sabres losing in the Stanley Cup finals and twice in the conference finals.
There's a Made in Buffalo defense mechanism that cannot be clearly defined but definitely exists and is generally understood. Bills and Sabres fans are incredibly loyal considering all the losing, but they're usually either A) slow to fully invest their emotions or B) find reasons to criticize them so it dulls the pain when their teams inevitably fail.
You know them. I know them. Does either one define you? Many people are both, conflicted fans who find themselves being teased, are reluctant to believe, eventually cave and wind up suffering in the end.
The answer may come when we examine he Bills from different perspectives.
Half-full: The Bills are 3-2, which puts them on pace for nine or 10 wins this season. It would certainly keep them in playoff contention and may be enough to win the division and reach the postseason for the first time since 1999. They already have beaten two NFC opponents on the road and handled the Dolphins with ease in their only division game.
Kyle Orton proved to be a major upgrade over EJ Manuel after throwing for 308 yards and leading the Bills on a game-tying drive before hitting Sammy Watkins for a critical pass that set up Dan Carpenter's 58-yard field goal for the win. Orton showed command in the huddle. He overcame early signs of rust and grew better and more confident as the game carried along.
And the Bills have a top-notch defense. Buffalo has allowed only 89 points in five games, a 17.8 points-per-game average that falls to 15 ppg allowed by the defense when two pick-sixes are included. The Bills' defense is first against the run, fifth in points-per-game allowed, eighth in yards against and tied for first in sacks with 17. If it continues, the Bills should remain in contention.
Buffalo also showed some toughness after being down against the Bears and Lions but came back. Buffalo also has the best backfield in the AFC East with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller.
Plus, the Patriots don't appear to be the same team that dominated the division for most of the past 12 years. New England beat Cincinnati, but that was predictable. The Pats were reeling after getting embarrassed last Monday night in Kansas City. They played the Bengals at home and were actually favored to win the game.
Half-empty: The Bills are lucky to be 3-2, darned lucky because they could easily be 1-4. They beat the Bears in overtime after Jay Cutler diced the secondary for 349 yards and two TDs. The Bills allowed 13 points in the final 20 minutes, including a late field goal, and still won.
Buffalo beat Chicago after Cutler threw an interception to Kyle Williams, of all people. Detroit kicker Alex Henery missed field goals from 44, 47 and 50 yards. His final miss gave the Bills the ball at their own 40. Watkins made an incredible catch for a 20-yard gain, and Carpenter converted.
If Henery makes from 50 yards, the Lions take the lead with the clock winding down. Who would determine the strength of a team based on a single kicker or, in this case, a single kick?
Buffalo's running game has been inconsistent at best, another sign of trouble. They're in the bottom third in rushing and were held to less than 100 yards in their past three games. They can't expect Orton to carry them with his arm, especially after teams get a better handle on his tendencies and how the Bills run their offense. The Bills had 49 measly yards on the ground against Detroit. Spiller, who was held to eight yards on 10 carries against the Lions, continues running outside no matter how many times he's caught.
The Bills' defense has been sound, but Jets and Dolphins are ahead of them in yards against. The Jets were fifth, and that's after Branden Oliver and the Chargers torched them for 31 points Sunday. Tom Brady and the Patriots looked like a championship team Sunday. It's possible New England, after a rough start, is back on track going into Sunday's game at the Ralph.
Uh oh.
My glass: Before the season, I had the Bills winning eight games or, if enough breaks turned their way, nine. They're fortunate to win two games already, but they've also shown the resilience needed to stay in games and give themselves an opportunity. They need to be right about the quarterback and straighten out the running game. For all of their problems, the Patriots are the standard until further notice.
We'll find out more Sunday.
