Now that the draft has ended, and rookie camps have begun, let’s take a look at what to expect out of the Buffalo Bills in 2016. The Buffalo Bills fell below expectations last season, finishing a disappointing 8-8, and missing the playoffs for the 16th season in a row. 2016 brings a new season, and with it, new expectations. Though the Bills missed the playoffs, there were some positives to take away from 2015. The Bills finished 4-2 in their division, with their only two losses coming to the Patriots. They managed to beat the Jets in the last game of the season to end their playoff chances, a small condolence for a largely unsatisfying season. The Bills sent four offensive players to the Pro Bowl: LeSean McCoy, Tyrod Taylor, Eric Wood, and Ritchie Incognito. Those four players helped lead the Bills to the number one rushing offense in the league.
Buffalo Bills 2016 Season Preview
Roster Changes
The Bills defense is going to look quite different this coming season. Defenders Nigel Bradham and Leodis McKelvin have left a struggling Rex Ryan defense to join Jim Schwartz in Philadelphia. Mario Williams, who was never happy in Rex’s system, left for the warmer weather of Miami to play with the Dolphins. Linebacker Tony Steward was released in April, and A.J. Tarpley retired from football that same month due to concussion issues. This month the team also released cornerback Merrill Noel and defensive end Jarius Wynn.
During the draft the Bills quickly addressed the loss of Mario Williams with the addition of Shaq Lawson at pick nineteen in the first round. Lawson is scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder May 17th, and the recovery time for his surgery could keep him off the field until November. With the questions surrounding safety Aaron Williams and his neck injury, the Bills signed Colt Anderson and Robert Blanton this off-season. Zac Brown and Erik Striker were added to the roster at linebacker to help add depth to that position, and the Bills scored big landing Reggie Ragland out of Alabama in the second round of the draft. Barring injury, Ragland should be a contributor on defense right away and start from week one against the Jets.
Hopefully the number one rushing offense from last year can pick up where it left off at the end of last season. Re-signing guard Ritchie Incognito and tackle Cordy Glenn should go a long way in assuring the running game stays strong. The Bills did lose receiver Chris Hogan to the Patriots, but still have a strong corps of receivers. Sixth-round pick Kolby Listenbee was an NCAA track star that should be able to spread the field and open up intermediate routes for Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. Tyrod Taylor should be more confident going into this coming season. Taylor does not have to fight for a job as the starter like he did last year in training camp. He has built a rapport with his receivers and earned the team’s trust.
Schedule
9/11 – @ Baltimore Ravens
9/15 – vs. New York Jets
9/25 – vs. Arizona Cardinals
10/2 – @ New England Patriots
10/9 – @ Los Angeles Rams
10/16 – vs. San Francisco 49ers
10/23 – @ Miami Dolphins
10/30 – vs. New England Patriots
11/7 – @ Seattle Seahawks
Bye Week
11/20 – @ Cincinnati Bengals
11/27 – vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
12/4 – @ Oakland Raiders
12/11 – vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
12/18 – vs. Cleveland Browns
12-24 – vs. Miami Dolphins
1/1/17 – @ New York Jets
Key Games
The first quarter of the season looks like it is going to be tough on the Bills. They start off the year taking on the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals, and Patriots. Though the Ravens have questions surrounding their defense, they did improve their pass rush during the draft. The Ravens will always play tough regardless of whom they play, and this will be a harsh test for the Bills in their season opener.
The New York Jets have a bitter taste in their mouth from how the 2015 season ended, and would love nothing more than to hand the Bills and Rex Ryan a loss the next time they play. Needless to say, the Jets will be motivated. It will be interesting to see who the Jets have at quarterback, but odds are Ryan Fitzpatrick will re-sign with the team before training camp. This is also the Bills first home game, so the atmosphere should be electric.
The Arizona Cardinals come to Buffalo on September 25th. Carson Palmer should be back and healthy. The Cardinals are going to be hungry this year, and with Larry Fitzgerald’s career winding down, so will he. It will be interesting to see the matchup at corner between Patrick Peterson and Sammy Watkins. Arizona’s secondary is very strong now with a healthy Tyrann Mathieu.
Game four of the season for Buffalo really depends on if Tom Brady’s four-game suspension is upheld. Brady being on the field changes the entire identity and mentality of the Patriots offense, and him not being there tips the scale slightly in Buffalo’s favor. Still, the game is in New England, and the Pats still have Bill Belichick.
Weeks seven and eight will be two crucial divisional tests for Buffalo. Miami Dolphins new head coach Adam Gase has taken complete control over the offense, and he has a history of successfully molding quarterbacks. Hopefully the Bills do not expect to run over the Dolphins the way they did last season. Gase has hired defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who plans to bring a speed and attack style defense to the team. The Bills should not sleep on this game.
Not getting any easier, the Patriots come to Orchard Park the following week. Tom Brady will be playing in this game. Along with receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, the Pats added Martellus Bennett and Chris Hogan to the list of Brady’s arsenal. For a Bills defense that will have a few new faces this season, and will just be getting into rhythm with each other, this game could prove to be a huge challenge.
The first game coming off of the Bills bye week will be away at the Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals came into Buffalo and embarrassed the Bills defense last year. Though the Bengals still need to find a top caliber defensive end, the team did solidify the safety position by extending Shawn Williams’ contract. If the season does not go the way Buffalo wants in the games leading up to their bye week, it will be a must-win situation against the Bengals to keep their playoff aspirations alive.
To finish up the season the Bills will have to play the Dolphins at home in Week 16 and away at the Jets in Week 17. Two divisional games to end the year is normal practice for the NFL. Odds are both games will have huge playoff implications in the AFC East. Last season, the Bills crushed the playoff hopes of the Jets by beating them 22-17 in Week 17. Could it be possible that the Jets get to enact revenge on Rex Ryan and the Bills for a playoff ending loss in the final week of the 2015 season?
Predictions
If the rumors from last season are in any way true, this is a make or break year for Rex Ryan and his coaching staff. Draft picks Reggie Ragland and Adolphus Washington should be impact players on defense and play right away. As long as Shaq Lawson can fully recover from his shoulder surgery, he will be a heavy contributor eventually. Ryan needs to have his players buy into his system this year, and with most of the unhappy players elsewhere, obtaining the acceptance of a few fresh faces shouldn’t be very difficult. The Bills defense should have enough talent to make its way back to being one of the top ten defenses in the league.
Re-signing Ritchie Incognito and Cordy Glenn was critical because of the confidence Tyrod Taylor will need in the pocket. Both linemen are also key pieces of the Bills rushing attack. As long as Sammy Watkins is ready to go for the season, the Bills offense should be able to take the next step forward, and become a formidable offense for defenses to handle. One final piece of the puzzle the Bills need to accomplish is beating the Patriots. The Pats have owned that division, and Buffalo, for the past sixteen years. In order to prove that they are for real, the Bills will have to at least split their series with New England to have a real chance at the playoffs. Chances are the Bills will not be able to sweep the Dolphins and Jets again, so a win versus the Patriots will be crucial to keep pace in the division.
All this being said, the Buffalo Bills look to be heading for another nail biting season where their playoff hopes constantly hang in the balance and come down to the last few games of the year. This may not be what Bills fans are hoping to hear, but it’s realistic. The Bills should finish either 9-7 or 10-6 and either barely make or miss the postseason. If the Bills can break the playoff curse for the first time in sixteen seasons, it could lead to an extension for general manager Doug Whaley, a promise fulfilled for Rex Ryan, and a nightmare ended for Buffalo Bills fans.
Main Photo:
