Two Weeks Ago This Was a 3-6 Win Team

[Mr. Pink]

You really think Matthews and Jones on their own can essentially match last season's production of Watkins-Woods-Goodwin?

They are the teams top two receivers, right now, and expecting 6-8 catches between the two of them per game shouldn't be unreasonable.

So why is it unreasonable to think they can't put up 105 catches between the two of them? Woods and Watkins combined for 107 in 2015.

[jamze132]

Not only is Tyrod throwing to rookies and castoffs, he's going to try and do it behind an O-line that could potentially be without their star LT. Tyrod is going to get killed and Shady will be boxed in since defenses know just a little bit of pressure and he'll have to try an escape the pocket to make a play on his feet. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if we don't have a single WR/TE with 50 catches.

We can argue about the productivity of Sammy all day but one thing he did do when he was on the field was make the defense account for him and even double-team him. Defenses won't have to worry about that this year, they can just put 9 guys in the box and make us look inept.

[Historian]

No one will get past the Jets or the ever tanking Browns.

I dunno, Cleveland looked pretty good last night.

[HHURRICANE]

I think this team wins 7-10 games.

These guys will play hard as long as they are mathematically alive.

[DraftBoy]

Actually you're trying to replace 79 catches between the two, make it 108 if you wanna include Goodwin. Woods had 51, Watkins had 28, Goodwin with 29.

I was working off averages because that's how the original point was raised when awarding Watkins 50 catches which is about his career average.

[DraftBoy]

They are the teams top two receivers, right now, and expecting 6-8 catches between the two of them per game shouldn't be unreasonable.

So why is it unreasonable to think they can't put up 105 catches between the two of them? Woods and Watkins combined for 107 in 2015.

One has struggled his entire career on the outside and one is a rookie. Those would be two rather large reasons to assume they can't duplicate the production.

Since 2010, there has been an average of 5.1 rookie WR's to eclipse the 50 catch mark in their first season. It's not impossible that Jones could do it, but it's far from an assumed accomplishment.

I honestly have no idea what to expect from Matthews right now. We don't even know where he is health wise coming into the year.

[Arm of Harm]

I don't see how anyone was optimistic about this teams chances with that QB and that schedule. This was a 4 win team when the opponents for this season were released and it's still a 4 win team now.

I also don't understand how a team who is run oriented and a bottom feeder passing wise losing a receiver who doesn't even play all 16 weeks anyway makes any difference. This team was 32nd in attempts last year and 30th in yardage. How will they ever replace his 28 catches?!? The funny part, Marquise Goodwin actually had more production last year than Watkins. Charles Clay will still lead the team in catches and McCoy will get about 50 catches out of the backfield.

Too many people are hung up on the "potential" Watkins could have not what he actually has accomplished. Just because you have this "potential" people think you have doesn't mean you actually do nor does it mean you'll ever reach it.

Last year's team was run-oriented, and in the bottom three in both passing attempts and passing yards. It was an absolutely outstanding running game, which did a lot to make up for a mediocre passing attack.

This year's team? We have a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator. Will we be nearly as run-oriented as we were last season? When the Bills do run the ball, will they be nearly as effective as they were last season?

A WR like Watkins may not mean much, in a run-oriented offense with a QB who doesn't read the field fast enough to see open targets. Okay, so we still have the same QB. But if our offensive becomes more pass-oriented--as could well happen--then that increases the value of the guy we traded away (Watkins), while decreasing the value of the guy we kept (McCoy).

[Ingtar33]

I honestly have no idea what to expect from Matthews right now. We don't even know where he is health wise coming into the year.

I'm not getting my hopes up, Matthews has had stone hands his whole career, I'm expecting plenty of balls hitting him in the hands then bouncing into the hands of safeties behind him. There is a reason why philly traded him.

[DraftBoy]

Matthews hands are an even bigger concern than his issues with working on the outside and against press coverage.