Buffalo Bills vs Indianapolis Colts: Behind enemy lines

As the Buffalo Bills prepare for their home opener, we take an in-depth look at the Indianapolis Colts

Well Buffalo Bills fans, we’re nearly there – the start of the regular season! To say the people of Western New York are excited, would be considered somewhat of an understatement.

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The Bills are in the fortunate position, of starting their campaign at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Not that it will be easy, with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts coming into town. (The Bills are currently 2.5-point underdogs.)

With that being said, what do Rex Ryan and the Bills have to look out for on Sunday? We sat down with Horseshoe Heroes editor Evan Reller, to get the inside scoop on the Colts:

1) With the regular season set to start, what has you most excited about the new season?

The offense, easily. Frank Gore and Andre Johnson with Andrew Luck? It doesn’t seem real. We only saw Gore get two carries in the preseason (for 10 yards) and it was already an improvement on last year’s run game.

Johnson? Well this could be the third Hall of Fame caliber receiver we’ve seen in Indy in the past 15 years. Colts fans are spoiled.

This offense has too many weapons and the only thing holding the Colts back from having the highest scoring output in the league will be the offensive line. The little bits we saw in the preseason were very encouraging, and fans can’t wait to see a full game with this team.

2) Were there any surprises during the preseason, whether it be from a positive or negative standpoint?

The Colts seemed to be getting through the preseason without any injuries – rare for them – until DT Art Jones went down for the season with an ankle injury.

Sep 3, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano coaches on the sidelines against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest surprise after that would be the Colts opting to go with a painfully inexperienced defensive line. That said, all of the players the Colts kept performed really well in the preseason and do look like upgrades over the veterans the team cut.

Another surprise would be the poor performance of rookie WR Duron Carter (son of Hall of Famer Cris Carter). He was a stud in camp, but it didn’t translate to the games. Luckily they were able to stash him away on the practice squad.

It was also shocking to see the backup running back returning kickoffs in the fourth preseason game. He injured his shoulder and was waived-injured. It was a dumb coaching move and hurt the team.

3) We’re now into year four of the Andrew Luck era. How much more can he improve and are we anywhere near his ceiling yet?!?!

A lot and no. Luck has made significant improvements to his game each season so far.

This year, he’ll need to be more patient and cut down on turnovers. I expect to see Luck making more adjustments at the line of scrimmage and just be sharper in general.

There are still games where he is simply off on his passes, but with so many targets he’s sure to have someone running free on every pass. The players on offense will inflate his stats, but he also makes a few passes per game that are just jaw dropping.

Colts fans are completely spoiled with wide receivers and great quarterbacking.

4) With the exception of your first round selection, which 2015 draft pick or picks are you most intrigued by, and why?

Defensive linemen Henry Anderson and David Parry, both Stanford products. According to the team’s official depth chart, they are the starters at defensive tackle and nose tackle, respectively.

They played well in the preseason, but they’re starting at a tough position. There are times where they will surely be a liability, but I’d wager on them making a number of big plays too.

I’m also intrigued by safety Clayton Geathers, out of USF. He’s not starting, but the team put in a number of packages where he’ll be playing the role of nickel or dime linebacker, giving the Colts a better coverage option. There is a chance he’ll start before the end of the year, and he made a number of good plays in the preseason.

5) Most media experts expect the Colts to make the playoffs again in 2015. What’s your prediction for this season?

They will absolutely make the playoffs (barring injury of course) as the AFC South hasn’t gotten much better. The Colts have a fairly easy schedule as well. What they really need to do is improve on the 11-5 record from last year and get a first round Bye in the postseason.

Home field advantage is huge, but they have to figure out how to finally beat the Patriots if they’re going to reach the Super Bowl. If they don’t, heads will roll in the coaching staff and possibly front office.

6) Finally, let’s get down to the important business of Sunday’s game between the Colts and Bills. Who’s going to win, and why?

The Colts should win this game, but I think it will be closer than fans will want. The Bills have such a good defense and it will be a great stress test for the offense.

However, last season the Colts feasted on teams with average or below QBs and I believe Tyrod Taylor falls into that category. Couple that with Vontae Davis locking down Sammy Watkins and with LeSean McCoy not 100%, the Colts will put pressure on Taylor and stack the box to stop the run.

Next: Bills secondary undaunted by Andrew Luck

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