Bills "surprise playoff team"

[SyraBillsLican]

2. I think mid-May is the right time to start jotting down potential playoff teams for an upcoming season, right after free agency, the draft and rookie minicamps. It's a fun time to search for a potential playoff shocker.

As of right now, I believe the Buffalo Bills will be the surprise postseason team in the AFC.

Trent Edwards has experience under his belt. Marshawn Lynch is a budding star. The offensive line is very strong. The defense is supremely coached under the vastly underrated Dick Jauron. The special teams are incredibly strong.

And I think Buffalo, in relatively quiet fashion, cleaned up this offseason. The Bills had needs at cornerback, linebacker, defensive tackle and wide receiver. They filled them all.
Jauron was borderline giddy when I talked to the Buffalo coach after the Bills smartly plucked cornerback/return specialist Leodis McKelvin in the first round. He will make an immediate impact in both phases. Trading for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud was the savviest deal of the offseason. Stroud, teamed with John McCargo inside and Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel on the outside, will form a dominant defensive line. While Buffalo overpaid for Kawika Mitchell, he is an upgrade at linebacker. And Paul Posluszny is back at linebacker, returning from his injury that curtailed his rookie season. Plus, Jauron and the Bills stole James Hardy in Round 2. The tall receiver with fly-paper hands has a great knack for scoring touchdowns and compliments Lee Evans incredibly well.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8127462/Nine-nuggets-for-the-NFL-offseason

i, of course, agree

[Philagape]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

While what actually happens this season remains a mystery, one thing is certain: the bar is set high. Anything less than 10 wins is a disappointment, and anything less than nine is the failure of the Jauron administration deserving of firing.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

lets hope so. Dicks had 3 years and unlike when he was in Chicago, he's had complete backing from the owner to GM . Time to put up or shut up.

[The Answer]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

2. I think mid-May is the right time to start jotting down potential playoff teams for an upcoming season, right after free agency, the draft and rookie minicamps. It's a fun time to search for a potential playoff shocker.

As of right now, I believe the Buffalo Bills will be the surprise postseason team in the AFC.

Trent Edwards has experience under his belt. Marshawn Lynch is a budding star. The offensive line is very strong. The defense is supremely coached under the vastly underrated Dick Jauron. The special teams are incredibly strong.

And I think Buffalo, in relatively quiet fashion, cleaned up this offseason. The Bills had needs at cornerback, linebacker, defensive tackle and wide receiver. They filled them all.
Jauron was borderline giddy when I talked to the Buffalo coach after the Bills smartly plucked cornerback/return specialist Leodis McKelvin in the first round. He will make an immediate impact in both phases. Trading for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud was the savviest deal of the offseason. Stroud, teamed with John McCargo inside and Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel on the outside, will form a dominant defensive line. While Buffalo overpaid for Kawika Mitchell, he is an upgrade at linebacker. And Paul Posluszny is back at linebacker, returning from his injury that curtailed his rookie season. Plus, Jauron and the Bills stole James Hardy in Round 2. The tall receiver with fly-paper hands has a great knack for scoring touchdowns and compliments Lee Evans incredibly well.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8127462/Nine-nuggets-for-the-NFL-offseason

i, of course, agree

I'm not sure you can overpay for a player that you can argue was the mvp of the giants defense during their postseason run.

Mitchell was all over the place in the superbowl making plays as well.

~The Answer

[jamze132]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

While I will agree that in year 3 of jauron's tenure, we should be extremely close to the playoffs, I don't think I will be ready to fire him and start over if we do miss the playoffs. He did inherit a huge mess from Donahoe. I am unsure if even the best coach/gm duo in the league could get the team he recieved to the playoffs in 2-3 years.

[trapezeus]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

if they miss the playoffs, but they played well, i could be sold on another year. if the team really shows no imagination on offense, and with the upgrades in defense the team still is a 30th ranked defense that consistantly can't get off the field late in games, then i'll have seen enough to know that he isn't going to get the job done here in Buffalo.

Good thing is that the Bills are young and moldable for a different coach. its not like a bunch of talented veterans who are sold on the coach.

[The Answer]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

if they miss the playoffs, but they played well, i could be sold on another year. if the team really shows no imagination on offense, and with the upgrades in defense the team still is a 30th ranked defense that consistantly can't get off the field late in games, then i'll have seen enough to know that he isn't going to get the job done here in Buffalo.

Good thing is that the Bills are young and moldable for a different coach. its not like a bunch of talented veterans who are sold on the coach.

The Corpse is most certainly on the hotseat in 2008. Two back to back 7-9 seasons are respectable given the fact we were rebuilding and play in the AFC but it's time to deliver now.

He has all the pieces in place on the defensive side of the ball and that is his pedigree - so regardless of whether or not we are an offensive juggernaut, anything short of a wildcard appearance and he will be gone IMO.

~The Answer

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

Bills need to watch out for this kind of talk. Afterall, how can we be the surprise team if everybody knows?

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

I would say that this is looking at everything through rose colored glasses, which I normally will end up doing as the season gets closer.

[yordad]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

I disagree with one thing..... I think the Bills got a fair deal for Mitchell.

[raphael120]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

I'm still not sold on Jauron being a great gameday coach...coaching blunders cost us 2 games last year and 2 games is the difference between a losing record and playoffs sometimes.

[raphael120]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

WEEK	OPP	RESULT	TOT	SOLO	AST	SACK	STF	STFY	FF	BK	INT	YDS	LNG	TD	PD
WC	@TB	W 24-14	3	2	1	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DIV	@DAL	W 21-17	6	4	2	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CONF	@GNB	W 23-20 (OT)	3	3	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
SB	@NE	W 17-14	8	3	5	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Dude played pretty damn good in the playoffs, he's a solid player for the Giants...I just hope he translates that here and isn't the return of jeff posey.

[The Answer]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

WEEK	OPP	RESULT	TOT	SOLO	AST	SACK	STF	STFY	FF	BK	INT	YDS	LNG	TD	PD
WC	@TB	W 24-14	3	2	1	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DIV	@DAL	W 21-17	6	4	2	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CONF	@GNB	W 23-20 (OT)	3	3	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
SB	@NE	W 17-14	8	3	5	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Dude played pretty damn good in the playoffs, he's a solid player for the Giants...I just hope he translates that here and isn't the return of jeff posey.

The only concern with Mitchell is that he's going to become a 'fatcat'. And hopefully he is motivated more than ever despite winning a coveted lombardi trophy already in his career.

I want to see him harass Tom Brady twice a year like he did with the Giants.

~The Answer

[Philagape]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

Not only was Mitchell pretty good, but he brings a fiery attitude and championship experience. He should be great in the locker room.

[Luisito23]

Re: Bills "surprise playoff team"

No way in hell that we overpaid for Kawika!