So

[northernbillfan]

I'm somewhat optimistic, but deep down I know I need to be real. With the season ending run the Bills had in 2004, my expectations are somewhat higher than they truely should, or deserve to be, as I'm sure yours are.

The Buffalo Bills do enter the 2005 campaign with 20 of the starters they had last season, somewhat of an anomaly in modern day football, so they have a cohesive unit the get the ball rolling. These guys are hungry together knowing the weapons they have collectively. Reed and Moulds. Adams and Bannan. McGee and Clements. The list goes on with names and teammates who have been together for a few years.

One of the starters the Bills did lose was a number which shall never again pass my lips as a Buffalo Bills fan. Which leads to my trepidation. Does Losman have what it takes to be a starting QB in the NFL? Does he posses the chutzpah to get it done? I do take solace in knowing the team has Holcomb sitting on the bench. The front five should give Losman enough time. Hopefully.

I have no fears about our running game, just qualms about the QB.

What worries you about 2005?

[Tinboy]

Losman consistency, he need to make a good read and throw accurate most of the time. Willis will be carrying the off but 3-4 times in the game Losman needs to step up and deliver.

3rd WR, see above. Losman need three good recievers to throw to, when it's 3rd and long do you trust Reed?

Frustration, if we have a couple of close game and lose them, will the guys be able to keep the cool and rember last season or will they start to slide.

The start of the season, we got Texans, Bucs, Falcons and Saints. That's 3-1 but what happens if we go 2-2 or 1-3

[Historian]

This is a good football team. I think they will go deep into the playoffs. And I don't give those compliments out casually...especially after three years of Gregg Williams.

My only concern is the kicking game. We may have to punt if its a long field goal, due to Lindell's lack of leg strength. That could cost us in a close game.

This team is going to surprise some of the 'experts'.

[Shasta McNasty]

7-9

[EDS]

I am feeling 10-6 or 11-5, but really alot will depend on Losman's development (he is the only really big question mark on the team in my opinion, with the possible exception of left tackle) and injuries.

I just feel it is a better team then last year. The good thing with Losman is he only has to be mediocre to replace what Bledsoe gave the Bills last year. Otherwise, I feel:

- the defense should be at least as good as last year if not better due to an improved secondary (health and experience);
- special teams are solid, running game should only get better; and
- receivers, especially if Parrish gets healthy and Evans continues to develop should be better.

[Philagape]

Cautiously optimistic.

Like Losman, love Willis, love the receivers (once Roscoe is back), love the D, love the ST, nervous about the O-line

[Gunzlingr]

I say we do as well as last year, so 9-7

[Captain Obvious]

What concerns me is Rian Lindell.He's never attempted what I consider to be a "clutch" kick to win a game in his tenure here. How is he going to do if that situation presnts itself this season(and that situation will come up:close games throughout the season.)

[justasportsfan]

I expect playoffs. I'd b happy with wildcard.

[HHURRICANE]

The OL will be fine. Our biggest question mark was LT and between Gandy and Peters it sounds like we are in pretty good shape. Quite frankly, we would not be talking contract extension with Clements if it wasn't.

The team is better than a year ago but are season is riding on one thing and one thing only. LOSMAN. It is that simple.

I am a huge Losman fan and wanted Bledsoe gone as soon as we drafted Losman. But to think that he couldn't do worse than Bledsoe is somewhat ridiculous. Losman's mobility is a strength and a curse. If he is not patient he will have receivers having to adjust all the time. This is going to throw off everyone's timing, especially Moulds. Scrambling QB's do much better with athletic receivers. Why do you think Losman liked Parish so much? He makes Losman look good because he catchs alot of junk. Our TEs are not going to make spectacular grabs so Losman has to be patient and put the ball where it needs to be.

Losman has admitted that he has to keep his high energy in check. I love this team and Losman. I really want a playoff run this year. It is all on LOSMAN!!

[Philagape]

The team is better than a year ago but are season is riding on one thing and one thing only. LOSMAN. It is that simple.

It's simply wrong. This team is about D and running game and ST, like it was last year. All Losman has to do is not lose games, and he'll make plays here and there that Drew couldn't.

[SoCalBillsFan]

I don't see us winning more than 9 games with essentially a rookie QB and no left tackle. If we get a few breaks it could happen, but I'm expecting 9-7.

[LtBillsFan66]

I think the D is going to carry us. I think the O will be improved from last year. I'm confident that Losman will do what it takes. I don't think he'll light up the league, but I think he'll outperform Bledsoe (not as many costly sacks especially). McGahee will be firing on all pistons. Overall the O will be more effective. Put both together and it's the difference between 9-7 and 11-5. Also Mularkey has a year under his belt. I'm looking forward to the season.

My question marks are 3rd WR and TE. If Roscoe and Everett weren't injured, I'd have no worries at all.

[LtBillsFan66]

Oh add K to my question marks.

I had a dream last night of watching a game and watching our kicker (it wasn't Lindell - yeah dreams are weird) miss kick after kick after kick. I hope it's not prophetic.

[DraftBoy]

Im probably overly pessimistic just for the reasons that alot are optimistic. I dont see what alot of you guys see in this team. I see a QB who I fully expect to struggle early and often, till prolly around weeks 8-10 and then it should start clicking. An OL that still has issues with LT, C, and we gotta see if Andersen is gonna do what alot of people are assuming. I still dont like our DL as much as some. Schoebel and Adams I like, but the other two spots scare the crap out of me to be honest. We need more pass rush generated by our front 4. LB and CB Im sold on, although one has to wonder how much McGee has improved his coverage skills this offseason. SS and FS should be one of our strongest posistions but like fans from other teams I see myself just waiting for the other shoe to drop on those guys due to their age, but of course I hope it doesnt happen. K is an obvious warning bc Lindell blows, McGee should be solid as the KR, although to be honest I expect him to not repeat last years preformance. PR is still up in the air but I have confidence that Roscoe will take care of that upon his return. We still dont have a capable #3 receiver, Lee Evans may hit a sophmore slump which is common in the NFL, we also all know that Moulds is consistently inconsistent, with one good year, and one sub-par year. He HAS to break that trend this season. RB's I have no issue with as I love Willis and our depth there. So that leaves me to our record....

I hope for 9-7 Wildcard,

But

I see 6-10 and a productive 2nd half of the season

[justasportsfan]

I don't see us winning more than 9 games with essentially a rookie QB and no left tackle. If we get a few breaks it could happen, but I'm expecting 9-7.I'm pretty confident the coaches will make the proper adjustments. They did last year.

[TheBrownBear]

Losman scares the crap out of me. If he can just play decently we could be really good. But I'm expecting big time growing pains from JP, and thus, a 7-9 record.

[HHURRICANE]

It's simply wrong. This team is about D and running game and ST, like it was last year. All Losman has to do is not lose games, and he'll make plays here and there that Drew couldn't.
Did you read my whole post? Not to rip you here but what's the difference between this year and last? Answer: QB. Everything, like you wrote above, is like last year. Even if the D goes from #2 in the league to #1 it's not going to dramatically change anything. Our special teams were great. So that leaves us with the Offense and we know McGahee is going to play well. LOSMAN is the ???

[FlyingDutchman]

I'm somewhat optimistic, but deep down I know I need to be real. With the season ending run the Bills had in 2004, my expectations are somewhat higher than they truely should, or deserve to be, as I'm sure yours are.

The Buffalo Bills do enter the 2005 campaign with 20 of the starters they had last season, somewhat of an anomaly in modern day football, so they have a cohesive unit the get the ball rolling. These guys are hungry together knowing the weapons they have collectively. Reed and Moulds. Adams and Bannan. McGee and Clements. The list goes on with names and teammates who have been together for a few years.

One of the starters the Bills did lose was a number which shall never again pass my lips as a Buffalo Bills fan. Which leads to my trepidation. Does Losman have what it takes to be a starting QB in the NFL? Does he posses the chutzpah to get it done? I do take solace in knowing the team has Holcomb sitting on the bench. The front five should give Losman enough time. Hopefully.

I have no fears about our running game, just qualms about the QB.

What worries you about 2005?
(19* starters)..I very optimistic as well. Nasty defense with a nasty ST always has a chance even if the offense is not so good (ex..Balitmore)....But I just really fail to see why the offense will drop off so bad that we regress from last year..no way...:refuse: ...we'll just have to prove everyone wrong...

[McGahee420]

(19* starters)..I very optimistic as well. Nasty defense with a nasty ST always has a chance even if the offense is not so good (ex..Balitmore)....But I just really fail to see why the offense will drop off so bad that we regress from last year..no way...:refuse: ...we'll just have to prove everyone wrong...
Exactly, we are not any worse with JP. Drew was a liability, and without our stellar play last year from the D and ST, Bledsoe would have won 4 games. The defense scored 5 TD's along with the special teams. Thats a lot of other points. JP will struggle, but are we not all use to are QB struggling. At least JP has feet that move. I see us going 10-6 and making a strong run at the playoffs. :xtreme:

[Dannyboy]

As long as the Defense stays strong and persistent like last year, the Bills can stay in every game where the offense struggles. Makes a big difference and gives confidence to the whole team. Another good ST year and the fear factor is on for the opponent :cloud9:

[The_Philster]

9-7 or 10-6 with a wildcard..I can envision 11-5 but Losman will have to play like a veteran for that to happen.

That being said, I'll still predict a 19-0 record :D

[TigerJ]

I'm pretty optimistic, though I realize a lot hinges on Losman. If he plays like a typical rookie (even though he isn't one) 7-9 is a realistic record. I'm hoping he's better than a typical rookie or first time starting QB and the Bills sneak into the wild card picture with a 10-6 record.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I don't know whether you would consider me optimistic or pessimistic: I see the Bills ultimately being a better team than last season, but finishing with very close to the same record as last year, plus or minus one game.

My biggest concerns are JP, Lindell and something no one has mentioned thus far: a tougher schedule.

As far as JP is concerned, I expect him to perform close to the way that C.Palmer did with Cincy last season. If JP can do that, the Bills will be better offensively than last season. If JP struggles more than Palmer did, but matches what D.Bledsoe did last season (which was to lead the 25th ranked offense in the NFL and worse in the red zone), the Bills can still match their record last season, but it will be hard to do. If JP is worse than Bledsoe, the defense and STs should still be good enough to get them to 8-8 or 7-9.

What concerns me the most is that the teams the Bills play this season look to be much stronger than their schedule last season: Carolina and Atlanta are going to be tough; if the Saints play up to their potential finally, they could be, too; and Tampa Bay should be better than they were last year, even though they are still rebuilding; SD is solid on defense and LT2 is the best RB in the game; KC's offense is great and they now have some defense to go with it; Denver is good enough to contend for a playoff berth; and the Bills play an Oakland team that has a much better offense than last year in Oakland again; and both Cincy and Houston should be better than they were last season. And, that's not saying anything about the AFC East teams who are always going to be tough to play against. There are very few soft touches on this schedule--and no teams as bad as the 49ers and Browns.

The Bills are going to have to be better than they were last season to get to the same number of wins that they had last year. Now, I think that they are for the most part, but the question is, in my mind, whether JP can match C.Palmer and give them that little bit extra out of the QB spot compared to what they got from D.Bledsoe last season. If JP can do that, especially early in the season, the Bills should have a shot at winning enough games to match or surpass their record last season.....if Lindell can hit one or two clutch FGs.

I see the Bills being in a number of close games this season with JP at QB because their D and STs are good enough to keep a lot of games close--games where a win or loss will ride on the leg of Lindell and his ability to come through with a kick in the clutch. As has been pointed out, Lindell has never been called on to make a truly big kick before and his performace to date does not inspire confidence in his ability to make any kick over 40 yards or in a big situation. So, that concerns me because I think that he will have to make a couple of clutch FGs this season for the Bills to match their record last season. If he makes 2 out of 3, that should do it, but IMHO a lot will be riding on his performance this season.

The offensive line is a bit of a concern, but, if they can avoid injuries, I think they will be alright. So, too, is the ability of the defensive front 7 to stand up to and stuff a power-running game designed to wear them down: there were times last season when they weren't quite as good in run D as they should have been and with LT2, P.Holmes, McAllister and D.Davis joining Dillon and C.Martin pounding the ball at them, they won't be able to afford to have any "off" days. The problem at the # 3 WR spot should be solved by Parrish, so that doesn't worry me that much. As I see it, though, these are minor concerns in comparison to the first three that I have listed.

[northernbillfan]

I don't know whether you would consider me optimistic or pessimistic: I see the Bills ultimately being a better team than last season, but finishing with very close to the same record as last year, plus or minus one game.

My biggest concerns are JP, Lindell and something no one has mentioned thus far: a tougher schedule.

As far as JP is concerned, I expect him to perform close to the way that C.Palmer did with Cincy last season. If JP can do that, the Bills will be better offensively than last season. If JP struggles more than Palmer did, but matches what D.Bledsoe did last season (which was to lead the 25th ranked offense in the NFL and worse in the red zone), the Bills can still match their record last season, but it will be hard to do. If JP is worse than Bledsoe, the defense and STs should still be good enough to get them to 8-8 or 7-9.

What concerns me the most is that the teams the Bills play this season look to be much stronger than their schedule last season: Carolina and Atlanta are going to be tough; if the Saints play up to their potential finally, they could be, too; and Tampa Bay should be better than they were last year, even though they are still rebuilding; SD is solid on defense and LT2 is the best RB in the game; KC's offense is great and they now have some defense to go with it; Denver is good enough to contend for a playoff berth; and the Bills play an Oakland team that has a much better offense than last year in Oakland again; and both Cincy and Houston should be better than they were last season. And, that's not saying anything about the AFC East teams who are always going to be tough to play against. There are very few soft touches on this schedule--and no teams as bad as the 49ers and Browns.

The Bills are going to have to be better than they were last season to get to the same number of wins that they had last year. Now, I think that they are for the most part, but the question is, in my mind, whether JP can match C.Palmer and give them that little bit extra out of the QB spot compared to what they got from D.Bledsoe last season. If JP can do that, especially early in the season, the Bills should have a shot at winning enough games to match or surpass their record last season.....if Lindell can hit one or two clutch FGs.

I see the Bills being in a number of close games this season with JP at QB because their D and STs are good enough to keep a lot of games close--games where a win or loss will ride on the leg of Lindell and his ability to come through with a kick in the clutch. As has been pointed out, Lindell has never been called on to make a truly big kick before and his performace to date does not inspire confidence in his ability to make any kick over 40 yards or in a big situation. So, that concerns me because I think that he will have to make a couple of clutch FGs this season for the Bills to match their record last season. If he makes 2 out of 3, that should do it, but IMHO a lot will be riding on his performance this season.

The offensive line is a bit of a concern, but, if they can avoid injuries, I think they will be alright. So, too, is the ability of the defensive front 7 to stand up to and stuff a power-running game designed to wear them down: there were times last season when they weren't quite as good in run D as they should have been and with LT2, P.Holmes, McAllister and D.Davis joining Dillon and C.Martin pounding the ball at them, they won't be able to afford to have any "off" days. The problem at the # 3 WR spot should be solved by Parrish, so that doesn't worry me that much. As I see it, though, these are minor concerns in comparison to the first three that I have listed.
The post that started it all. Welcome aboard.

[Bill Brasky]

this is a 9 win team. no need to elaborate since i've posted this millions of times already.

[SABURZFAN]

I'm somewhat optimistic, but deep down I know I need to be real. With the season ending run the Bills had in 2004, my expectations are somewhat higher than they truely should, or deserve to be, as I'm sure yours are.

The Buffalo Bills do enter the 2005 campaign with 20 of the starters they had last season, somewhat of an anomaly in modern day football, so they have a cohesive unit the get the ball rolling. These guys are hungry together knowing the weapons they have collectively. Reed and Moulds. Adams and Bannan. McGee and Clements. The list goes on with names and teammates who have been together for a few years.

One of the starters the Bills did lose was a number which shall never again pass my lips as a Buffalo Bills fan. Which leads to my trepidation. Does Losman have what it takes to be a starting QB in the NFL? Does he posses the chutzpah to get it done? I do take solace in knowing the team has Holcomb sitting on the bench. The front five should give Losman enough time. Hopefully.

I have no fears about our running game, just qualms about the QB.

What worries you about 2005?


like EVERY year,the OL.we need to establish a running game early and often.chew up some clock,score a few points,and let the defense do the rest.