The Rex Ryan regime is done in the birth place of one of my favorite guilty pleasure foods, wings. The Buffalo Bills haven’t been a force to be reckoned with in the AFC East since Jim Kelly and Andre Reed lost four straight Super Bowls. The Bills haven’t won 10 games in over a decade or been to the playoffs in 17 years. Their season win total currently resides at 6.5 and their odds to win the Super Bowl check in at +10,000. The New England Patriots have owned this division throughout the Belichick/Brady era, so it hardly comes as a shock to see them installed 16-1 underdogs to pull the trick this season.
AFC East Odds at BookMaker.eu
Buffalo Bills +1600
Miami Dolphins +900
New England Patriots -1400
New York Jets +10000
Why the Buffalo Bills Will Win the AFC East
Ryan didn’t do many things well in his two seasons as the head coach of this franchise, but he did instill a sound running game that carries over with new defensive minded head coach Sean McDermott taking over the controls. Buffalo led the league in rushing yards ( 164.4 ) and yards per carry ( 5.3 ) last season. While the ground attack’s depth was picked apart this past offseason, the lone constant in the backfield returns in the form of LeSean McCoy.
Shady topped the 1,200-yard mark for the fourth time in his career last season. He gouged opposing defenses for 1,267 yards and a 5.4 yard per carry average. Now in his ninth season, he will once again be the focal point of an offense that figures to once again pepper defenses with an unforgiving ground game. But if the Bills are to actually compete for the division title this season, McCoy must step up in those games. He only scored one touchdown on the ground in his five played AFC East games.
Adding to what’s likely to be a potent Bills ground attack will be dual-threat quarterback Tyrod Taylor. He didn’t do much of anything last season to get Buffalo fans excited about his play on the field, but a change in offensive philosophy might just get him going once again. Taylor worked with new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison from his days in Baltimore, so he should only add to his rushing prowess ( 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns in Buffalo ). He’s not much of a passer, but he is the NFL’s top rushing quarterback. He and McCoy are the keys to the offense’s success in 2017-18.
Why the Buffalo Bills Won't Win the AFC East
The wide receiver corps has been completely retooled. With Sammy Watkins now suiting up on the west coast, the keys to the No. 1 wide receiver role are up for grabs. Jordan Matthews disappointed throughout his stay in Philadelphia, so he was brought in in a swap of team needs. Rounding out the pass catchers are rookie Zay Jones and veteran free agent Philly Brown. With the star power sorely lacking at this position, it’s highly unlikely Buffalo’s passing game takes much of any pressure off a running game that will likely need it as the schedule gets deeper into the season.
Sexy Rexy was supposed to take the Bills defense to the next level. That unfortunately didn’t occur with the unit ranked No. 19 in yards allowed his two years at the helm. McDermott and new defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier decided to scrap Ryan’s complex hybrid defense for a pure 4-3 scheme. That means this maligned stop unit will be forced to take on a new identity and test if it works against the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins twice. You’ll notice I didn’t mention the Jets there. There’s a reason for that.
The front wall is anchored by the quadrant of Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, Marcell Dareus and veteran tackle Kyle Williams. It’s a formidable defensive line no doubt, but there are way too many untested and questionable players lining up behind them in the back seven. Buffalo simply just doesn’t have the manpower or experience to compete with the best of the best in the division defensively. With the offense a one trick pony, there’s too many red flags preventing me from believing the Bills are at a point where they could seriously contend for division honors.
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