Bills Year in Review

Bills Year in Review

                Much like their hometown NHL team, the Buffalo Bills showed unsustained signs of life at points in their season, however their high point came at the start of the season. After starting the season off going 3-0, there was reason to believe that this team was for real, and that the playoff drought had finally come to an end. Although the team wasn’t dominant, they were good enough, and beet quality teams like the Raiders, Chiefs, and longtime division foe, New England Patriots. After dropping a game on the road in Cincinnati, the Bills rebounded with a win at the Ralph against the “dream team” Philadelphia Eagles. Going into the bye were sitting at a respectable record of 4-2, and were playing with confidence. However, this only lasted until after their post bye game against the Redskins. After shutting out Washington 23-0 in Toronto, Buffalo went on to drop 8 of their final 9 games, finishing their season at an all too familiar record of 6-10, and out of the playoffs yet again, adding to their league leading playoff absence.

                Although the season ended abruptly after the midseason collapse, there were still a number of positives to take away from the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. First of all is the emergence of Chan Gailey’s offense. With a healthy starting offensive lineup, the Bills showed what they were capable of accomplishing through the first 6 games of the year. With names like Fred Jackson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Stevie Johnson leading the league in their respective positions, Buffalo had one of the most potent offenses in the league. However, after Jackson, Johnson, and Fitzpatrick all went down with different injuries, the entire offense followed suit. Therefore, in my opinion, if the Bills offense can stay healthy in 2012, they will pose ma serious threat to any opposing defense.