Can the Bills be the ’09 Cardinals?
By Tim Redinger
The Bills have the ability to make a surprising run at being the 2009 Cardinals, going from a 7-9 season to playoff whiz kids. At least thats what Charles Robinson from Yahoo Sports thinks:
The Buffalo Bills
Offense: Quarterback Trent Edwards is entering that pivotal third year of growth, and the franchise took a tremendous chemistry gamble by bringing in wideout Terrell Owens to help maximize those strides. Make no mistake: Even with the relatively safe one-year financial commitment, Owens is now more dangerous than ever. As his skills continue to diminish, he will continue to seek that No. 1 role in an offense. And if he struggles to maintain the stature that role requires, he’ll look for someone to blame. The fact is, he has dropped more passes since the start of the 2007 season than any other player in the NFL. That’s nobody’s fault but his. That said, putting him alongside Lee Evans undoubtedly opens up the offense more for offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, and should create more breathing room for running back Marshawn Lynch. The offense is more diverse but still in an embryonic stage that is now mortgaged on Owens. It’s an unstable position to be in, especially with a quarterback who has 24 games under his belt.
Defense: An upgrade is needed at defensive end, and the coaching staff has got to find a way to get Aaron Schobel back on track. This is simply a different defense when Schobel is playing well. There are still some bargains on the free-agent market who would provide a solid veteran presence at end, but barring a trade for Julius Peppers (not going to happen) an earth-shattering move isn’t likely. Despite playing 16 games last season, Marcus Stroud still wasn’t 100 percent back mentally from his injuries the previous season in Jacksonville. With a little help, this is the season Stroud could approach dominance again. But there are developmental needs from some of the younger players, namely cornerback Leodis McKelvin and defensive end Chris Ellis. It’s time for McKelvin to move into a starting role, and for Ellis to provide something – anything – for depth purposes.
Work to be done: Getting Edwards, Evans and Owens extensive offseason work is a must. This could very well be a one-shot deal for Owens, so that trio has to hit the ground running to maximize the team’s return and minimize the risk of Owens going AWOL if they aren’t on the same page early on. The team also has to wait and see where the league is going on the latest off-field gun issues with running back Marshawn Lynch. He’s likely to face some manner of a suspension next season. That means expanding the role of Fred Jackson, a talented backup who has already shown he is worthy of more touches in Schonert’s scheme. Finding an impact pass rusher at the No. 11 overall pick should be a top priority, too.
Bottom line: There are a lot of moving parts which need to fit together for Buffalo to piece together a dream season. Getting the pass rush figured out is absolutely vital. But really, this season is going to begin and end with the development of Edwards and the successful integration of Owens into Schonert’s scheme, not to mention the locker room. That’s a dicey bet at best.
Here is why I don’t think the Bills will even touch a Cinderella story like the 2008 Cardinals:
1. The AFC East is probably one of the hardest, if not the hardest division in football. The Cardinals play in probably the weakest. The Bills would need to be at least 10-6 to even have a look at an AFC wild card spot, and would probably need 11-5 or 12-4 to see a title win.
2. The Bills don’t have an established winning quarterback. As eager as Trent Edwards is to win, he hasn’t proven that he can do it consistently.
3. The Bills coaching staff, with the exception of Bobby April, are not aggressive play callers. They fail to manage game time properly. Head Coach Dick Jauron has yet to figure out what that little red flag in his pocket is for, let alone how far he has to throw it, especially on game changing plays.
Charles Robinson listed off four other teams that were 7-9 or worse that are in place to make a Cinderella style comeback from 7-9, Houston, Green Bay, Washington, and Kansas City. If I had to bet on these teams I would takek Washington or Kansas City over the others. Sorry Buffalo, its just not in the ‘cards’.