By FantasyBoyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen
With three preseason games in the books there appears to be
panic building in Bills-nation. Three
straight lackluster performances, all resulting in losses has Bills fans
wondering if they are in store for yet another losing season. After 12 years of futility no one could blame
them. While the losses don’t install
great confidence my strong outlook for this team and this season is unwavering. Below
are the reasons why I feel this team makes the playoffs.
Dominating
Defensive line:
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| The view looks good from here |
The Defensive line underwent a massive transition this off season with the additions of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, not to
mention getting Kyle Williams back from injury.
It is clear even in limited action this preseason that unit will be
dominate. Marcel Dareus has been like a bull in a China
shop and will be tough to block one on one.
The key here is that all 4 starters are players that warrant extra
attention. Since there is no way an
Oline can double team all of them there are going to be match-up advantages on
every play. This bodes well for a young
Linebacking and Cornerback core.
Ability to run the
ball:
What is the perfect complement to a shutdown Defense you ask….
A strong running game. The Bills proved
they were more than capable of running the ball at a very high yard per carry
rate. The roster also contains two high
end backs in Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller.
The best part is they both can do it all in both the running and passing
game. Add in Tashard Choice as a competent
third back and it is clear the Bills will have no problem moving the ball on
the ground.
Solid Offensive
Line:
Looking at the names that man the Bills offensive line and
probably none of them jump off the page at you.
The good news is the roster is filled with talented and very versatile
linemen, which is not something that could be said about Bills teams of most of
the last 10 plus seasons. The line is
anchored by Center Eric Wood who when healthy is Pro Bowl Caliber. Andy Levitre
and Craig Urbick are solid guards who themselves can play multiple line
positions. Left tackle is now manned but
stud second round pick Cordy Glenn. In
preseason Glenn has not looked out of place and won the LT position outright. The Right tackle is still up for grabs
between last year’s starter Eric Pears and last years starting LT Chris
Hairston. Either way the winner of that
battle will be solid as will the line as a whole.
Strength of
Schedule:
The Bills 2012 schedule is littered with very winnable
games. 12 of the 16 games are against
teams with either a losing schedule or an unsettled QB situation (7 of which
with rookie or 1st year starter).
This bodes well for a team in the Bills that will most certainly bring
pressure to the QB.
All in all the offseason upgrades and schedule
filled with winnable games I see the Bills as a clear bet to finally break that
12 year playoff hiatus and bring some excitement back to Western New York in
December. Nothing is a given of course
but the people out there with a sky is falling mentality due to preseason need
to take a step back and a couple deep breaths.
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