Tweet
What they need to do
Starting fast is a concept that is brought up each and every September. Coming out of the first month of the season on the winning side of the ledger doesn't always mean a team is destined for the playoffs, but it does provide valuable margin for error when that unexpected loss pops up later in the season.
Unfortunately Buffalo has been unable to manage a winning record in the season's first month for a long time. The Bills have not posted a record of better than 2-2 after the first four games of a season in nine years. Not surprisingly, 1999 was the last year in which Buffalo finished the first four weeks with a 3-1 mark en route to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.
Staying healthy will be another prerequisite. Buffalo was bit by the injury bug early and there was never any let up. Whether it was Ryan Denney in the preseason, Ko Simpson in week one or Paul Posluszny in week three, the list just kept on growing severely thinning out Buffalo's roster with 17 players on injured reserve by the time the season was over.
On offense Schonert has widespread plans to diversify the attack. Hopefully it improves the team's third down conversion percentage. Buffalo was 30th in that category a year ago making good on just a third of their 195 attempts. It's why their time of possession in 2007 was only marginally better (45 seconds) than it was the year before.
But the number one requirement is points.
"We've got to score," said Jauron. "Get the ball in the end zone. I don't care how, just score points and stay on the field. The way you do that is to be consistent. We don't want to turn the ball over. We want to be precise and we want to be aggressive in our attack and in our attitude with everything we do."
Dramatically improving the run defense will fall to the revamped front seven led by the newly acquired Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell. Giving up better than 110 yards rushing per game usually reduces a team's chances in securing a playoff berth. But Buffalo is confident many of these necessary improvements can be accomplished this season.
Starting fast is a concept that is brought up each and every September. Coming out of the first month of the season on the winning side of the ledger doesn't always mean a team is destined for the playoffs, but it does provide valuable margin for error when that unexpected loss pops up later in the season.
Unfortunately Buffalo has been unable to manage a winning record in the season's first month for a long time. The Bills have not posted a record of better than 2-2 after the first four games of a season in nine years. Not surprisingly, 1999 was the last year in which Buffalo finished the first four weeks with a 3-1 mark en route to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.
Staying healthy will be another prerequisite. Buffalo was bit by the injury bug early and there was never any let up. Whether it was Ryan Denney in the preseason, Ko Simpson in week one or Paul Posluszny in week three, the list just kept on growing severely thinning out Buffalo's roster with 17 players on injured reserve by the time the season was over.
On offense Schonert has widespread plans to diversify the attack. Hopefully it improves the team's third down conversion percentage. Buffalo was 30th in that category a year ago making good on just a third of their 195 attempts. It's why their time of possession in 2007 was only marginally better (45 seconds) than it was the year before.
But the number one requirement is points.
"We've got to score," said Jauron. "Get the ball in the end zone. I don't care how, just score points and stay on the field. The way you do that is to be consistent. We don't want to turn the ball over. We want to be precise and we want to be aggressive in our attack and in our attitude with everything we do."
Dramatically improving the run defense will fall to the revamped front seven led by the newly acquired Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell. Giving up better than 110 yards rushing per game usually reduces a team's chances in securing a playoff berth. But Buffalo is confident many of these necessary improvements can be accomplished this season.
" ~ yordad
:
Comment