With the Buffalo Bills season right around the corner, we ask ourselves what will it take for the Bills to get to the playoffs. Great quarterback play? A dominant offensive line? A defense that’s even better than last year? How about all of the above!
Bills fans are sick of finishing at the bottom of the AFC East. This season’s way up lies with Bills pivot EJ Manuel. This year should be like a five month Christmas vacation for him since he has all the toys in the world to play with.
Fan favorite and team captain “Fast” Freddie Jackson signed an extension recently, and all of Bills Nation was buzzing with jubilation with the news. It was enough to spark the question: which of the running backs will get cut after training camp? Will Anthony Dixon be the odd man out?
The front office sees a lot of, perhaps too much, promise in Bryce Brown. Brown will be the future number two running back behind CJ Spiller as time goes on. That’s if Spiller is re-signed. It will be very interesting to see what unfolds in future seasons at that position.
Buffalo Bills training camp is smitten over first round pick Sammy Watkins. At twenty-one years of age, Sammy Watkins is making all of the catches and showing off his tremendous speed. I would have to say this is one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory for Bills fans. Imagine this if you can, folks: EJ Manuel, a year older and wiser, CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson at running back, Sammy Watkins, Mike Williams, Robert Woods, and Marquis Goodwin at wide receiver, and Scott Chandler at tight end. I know a lot of fans were not high on Chandler the last few seasons, but with the recent additions at wide receiver, Chandler should have one of his best and most productive seasons ever.
I will give respect to the Patriots and say they will most likely win the AFC East this year–again. But I will also say that a wild card spot for the Bills is not at all out of the question, though many pundits would have you believe otherwise.
It’s very interesting that the national media is giving the Bills props little by little. The unknown always shoots anxiety through my veins. Over the past fourteen years, “what if” is a very popular question with Buffalo Bills fans. It feels something like this: living out of state with no real access to Mighty Taco and therefore have not had a Super for a bunch of months. Well imagine that, but a million times greater!
I truly believe that this is the year the Bills will make some noise. General Manager Doug Whaley has given the team all the tools to turn the team into a playoff caliber team. Even lifelong fans are optimistic. My father, John Brockenshire, grew up watching the glory year teams admitted that this year’s team has the best skill position players that he has seen in years. That is really saying something, especially coming from someone with season tickets for 27 years having seen all the greats of the Golden Era of Bills Football: Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, James Lofton, Thurman Thomas, and many more.
The Bills are destined for glory and that will begin and end with EJ Manuel. He will be the deciding factor in the team’s ability to make a dent in the AFC East and, dare I say it, a playoff birth.
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