What are you're expectations for this season?

[Bills Fan888]

So now that the draft is over I just wanted to see what everyone's expecting for this upcoming season. I see us either competing with the Pats for the division if things go well or finishing 7-9, 8-8 if not.

[Virgil]

Honestly, 6-10. I think we may have a 2-3 game winning streak in there. But we are asking a lot out of a fairly new offense

[vincec]

Between 6 and 8 wins. Growing pains on offense with new scheme and a lot of raw, inexperienced players. Kolb probably starts and gives way half way through the season to Manuel due to injury. Probably some improvement on defense with new scheme, but again growing pains learning a complex scheme and the Bills are still pretty weak at LB.

 

Bills are not close to being ready to compete with the Pats. Probably the third best team in the division after NE and Miami.

Edited April 28, 2013 by vincec

[NoSaint]

Between 6 and 8 wins. Growing pains on offense with new scheme and a lot of raw, inexperienced players. Kolb probably starts and gives way half way through the season to Manuel due to injury. Probably some improvement on defense with new scheme, but again growing pains learning a complex scheme and the Bills are still pretty weak at LB.

 

Bills are not close to being ready to compete with the Pats. Probably the third best team in the division after NE and Miami.

 

If healthy, and no wild surprises - 6 or 7 wins. Defense looks much improved but still struggling in the back 7, better pass rush though. Add a corner next year early/FA. Offense runs hot and cold all year with young guys. Defenses catching up to them, then adding some new wrinkles as they learn, defenses catch back up, etc... First major adversity they probably crack though, with all the youngsters. No shame in that, take lumps and come back stronger.

[Virgil]

Like many of you, I am very excited about some of the picks from this years draft. However, when I look at the competition in the league and who we will be rolling out there, it's hard for me to expect much of anything out of this upcoming season.

 

Offensively alone, we do not have a proven QB and are asking him to run an unproven offensive system. Also, we are throwing to a brand new WR group and rookies WR's rarely make a huge first year impact. Yes, there are the AJ Green and Julio Jones exceptions, but those are top 10 picks and no one is confusing our guys for them. Also, just because they are all speed guys doesn't mean they are great route runners, can find space in the zone, or can take a hit.

 

People seem to forget how different the speed is in the NFL and how much of an impact the hash mark placement makes for speed guys in the transition. The room to run is very different and the ability to bounce to the outside is much tougher. Welker seems to keep getting mentioned, but that guy is great at finding open spaces and took a few years to develop that talent. If speed was such a direct translation, TJ would have been a stud and more teams would draft based off of this. And yes, I'm calling for Austin out of WV to not be as great as people are predicting.

 

Another example is McCluster or Hester. Speed guys who teams who tried to find ways to get them the ball and it rarely worked out consistently and hurt the rhythm of the offense.

 

Yes, we still have Spiller. I want to believe that we have an in-house replacement for Levitre. However, even if we do, I feel like we are only 1 injury away from being in big trouble as our depth is terrible.

 

Defensively, I do think we made some good additions within the draft and FA. I am very concerned about our #2 CB. In a league where most teams have two viable starters and we are also up against TE savy teams like the Pats, sure we can blitz but a quick release QB will shred that. I feel that, when we go up against a team with a good pass protection scheme, we are going to be trying to cover guys with safeties downfield and that only lasts but so long.

 

Now, I will say this. The one thought that has crawled into my mind since the draft are two coaching styles that I think they may be going after and may very well work.

 

1 - Saints Offense where they have 5 middle-talent receivers and focus on a different one each game. Between Colston, Moore, Henderson, Graham, and Meachem, these guys would rotate pro-bowl games and defenses never knew where the focus was. Also, Brees was more of a West Coast offense when that regime began in New Orleans and grew into what they are now. I think Kolb can run that and EJ can lead into it.

 

2 - Jet/Pats 8 Standing Defense - With the addition of all the Safeties and Branch from DL. Run big on the front line with 3 or 4, and the other 8 stand. With that, you don't know who is rushing, who is in coverage, and how is waiting on the run. It's a greatly confusing offense that requires a strong rotation of players and mixed talent. You technically are running a hybrid because players will transition formations from play to play without substitutions.

 

Listen, I want nothing more than to see EJ come in and handle business. Spiller getting 30 carries and Woods and the slots making Stevie take advantage of grown me. I also want to see the D we paid for last year show some return. I just look at trends and how quickly teams adjust to new schemes and I find my self less than optimistic.

 

Everyone, WEO, feel free to attack

Edited April 28, 2013 by Derek in Va

[RealityCheck]

Optimism and pessimism are choices. To each his own.

[Bronc24]

I am ecstatic about this season. No Pickspatrick, more speed on offense, some attitude on defense. I haven't felt this great about us for a long time.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Marauder24

[Thurmal34]

13-3

[Chris in Syracuse]

I think 4-12 but we will be more competitive. I can't see us winning any games in our division unless NYJ start Smith.

There is a lot of false optimism but the reality is everyone got better but us. We have a lot of unpolished talent but it will be

a while before that equals wins. I hope I am wrong. I am a huge fan and want the best but I am also a realist. I am not ready to drink the cool aid yet.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I don't want to rain on the pessimism tread-- but the thing you really have to consider is the addition of Pettine.

 

We poured a ton of money and talent into our defense last offseason, but it was squandered by Wanny's lame defensive schemes.

 

I think Pettine can take that same, frankly top-10, talent, and turn the defense into a top-10 unit.

 

With a good defense, all they need to do on offense is run the ball and not turn it over, and this team has the potential to turn out 10 wins.

[NickelCity]

I honestly expect us to have a good defense, top 12. Our record all depends on QB play.

[B Rob]

i go into every season expecting to win the super bowl until proven wrong. Usally doesn't take long to be proven wrong but what the heck I'm a fan . Why waste time not being optimistic you can't do anything to change the outcome of the game so just have fun rooting for your team.

[PromoTheRobot]

We're all going to die eventually.

 

PTR

[John from Riverside]

I am in total show me the baby mode after last season.....that said

 

- I disagree that we don't have a proven QB.....I don't care what anybody says Kevin Kolb IS better then Ryan Fitzpatrick....he is accurate and perfectly suited for this offense....the reason why say this is even though EJ Manuel has every tool you could possibly want he is STILL a rookie and Kolb gives EJ the opportunity to not have to start immediately and ease into the offense. Now for all the strengths of Kevin Kolb his weakness is what will eventually give EJ his "in" as the starting QB of the team at some point....his inability to stay healthy will force him to give way to EJ Manuel who will then have the reins from that point forward.......which actually is a good scenario. We also have Taveris Jackson so we have a nice mix of QB experience and future potential.

 

- People act like we are starting from scratch at wide out.....were not.....Stevie Johnson is still the number 1 of this team with multiple 1000 yard seasons......what we are trying to do is find him a running mate (or mates) that can take pressure off of him and we did that with the all time leading receiver of USC Robert Woods.....at the very least Robert takes pressure off Stevie and at the very best you have a Eric Moulds/Peerless Price situation here

 

- Lets also keep in mind that we come into this season with what were the strengths of the team on offense....the running game and the offensive line.....with only the LG spot in question. We have had years where our whole OL has been in question. Glenn was solid last year as the blind side protector and he is only going to get better.

 

I truly think that the REAL problem of this team last year (I know the whole thing looked like a hot mess but it all stemmed from this one thing).....our DEFENSE.....and particularly our DEFENSIVE COACHING

 

If Pettine can fix this (and there is no reason to believe that he cant....he has done it on 2 different other teams RECENTLY) then that affects the whole team......because the offense will have the ball more.....and not be playing from behind.

[KeisterHollow]

No one can say for certain how many games we'll win. My reasoning on the subject, though, is as follows:

 

If our offensive line plays good - gives whoever is at QB time, and opens good running lanes, then our running game will flourish. I, for one, don't think Spiller is going to regress. And, if Jackson is healthy, he is very consistently a 4.5 yard per attempt runner. Now, you factor in some electric quick players, and some good possession guys (Stevie, Rogers, Woods) - who aren't slow, btw - and I think our offense is going to, at the very least, be middle of the pack. But, if either Kolb or Manuel plays good, and we could be looking at a top 10 offense.

 

On the flip side, I think the most dramatic improvements we'll see is on defense. I think we have a lot of talent that has lay dormant with the old regime - guys like Dareus, Mario, now Kiko, Lawson, Byrd, Gilmore, and Kyle Williams - will play better, and harder, this year. I think this defense is going to gain a fast reputation for being tough.

 

You add all that up and you get a team that is no longer an easy win for opponents. Yeah, we'll have moments of struggle, injuries, growing pains with the young guys - but, I think we should expect to win between 8-10 games this year, and be in the wild card race up to the end. This team is not the team of last year, of this past decade. This team is a new Bills team, and I think for the first time since Levy and Co., this coaching staff is good enough to compete with anyone. I expect us to be able to play with anyone.

[swnybillsfan]

i expect to see an identity being formed by this young team and fresh coaching staff. i expect to see improvements through the season. and i damn sure expect the fans to be supportive of this team and have the ralph back to being a miserable place for opponants to play.

[Fires]

I think we'll see better play calling on both sides of the ball. We had too many Pass on 3rd an 1's, poor clock management, and too many 3 and outs past couple seasons on Offense. Wrong schemes on Defense, and years of horrible run stopping. New coaching staff will tweak that and move players into positions they are most effective in. Definitely more wins than last year. one things for sure this team will be exciting to watch.

[CardinalScotts]

its all about the defense for me- if we can get an aggressive defense that makes plays creates turnovers we could be pretty competitive. The offense I think will be good but not great, ball control- run game with Kolb running the show. Win like normal teams do 23-17 type stuff not give up 50 and expect the offense to put up 60 and cry about the QB when they don't. Wins and losses guessing around 500 which for me means anywhere from 7-9. 8-8. 9-7, 10-6

[Hapless Bills Fan]

So now that the draft is over I just wanted to see what everyone's expecting for this upcoming season. I see us either competing with the Pats for the division if things go well or finishing 7-9, 8-8 if not.

 

I want to see competence and improvement, especially on defense. We will have rookies, they will make mistakes, but I don't want to see a f*cking sieve of a D setting records for yards given up.

 

I want to see some fire and excitement on offense. Again, rookies, rookies make mistakes, I don't want to see a f*cking joke of an impotent offense that ranks poorly for fundamentals, like converting 3rd downs. I don't EVER want to see an empty backfield on 3rd down again, unless it's the set-up for a Goodwin reverse.

[Dr. K]

I can't say whether this is a good draft or not--Manuel looks intriguing and I think in general the picks make some sense on paper.

 

But I do not see Marone getting 24 TDs out of the quarterback this season no matter who is playing back there. If the defense shapes up (its total failure last season was the reason the team failed and Gailey got fired, in my opinion) then maybe Marone won't need to get 24 TDs out of anyone. And whoever is back there won't have to play catch up late in games and risk so many picks.

 

Still, there are holes on this team, and rookies aren't going to fill them in their first season. We'll see how the Bills look coming out of training camp, but right now I'm expecting 5 or 6 wins tops, and maybe less.