2015 Season Predictions: AFC East Preview

Mar 10, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back

holds up his new jersey after a press conference at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills: 

Key Additions: RB LeSean McCoy, TE Charles Clay, WR Percy Harvin, FB Jerome Felton, QB Tyrod Taylor, QB Matt Cassel, G Richie Incognito 

While the quantity of additions may not be that large, the quality sure was very good. Though he had a down year, McCoy is still one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL and will hope to prove that in Buffalo. The Bills really made a splash there but they also gave up a very good linebacker for him, so it will have to pay off. Clay gives them a Top 10 tight end, but they also had to pay a pretty hefty price for him, but another plus is that they got him from a division rival. Adding Jerome Felton will help McCoy get into space as Felton is a very capable fullback who was played the same spot for the Vikings when Adrian Peterson almost broke the single-season NFL rushing record in 2012.

Harvin seems to have the capabilities of being an electrifying and game changing player when he sets his mind to it, and it will be Rex Ryan’s job to help him. Now since they have added two quality targets to their receiving corps it will all come down to the quarterback. They added two of those this offseason. Taylor is terrible quarterback who nobody thought would have a chance to start when signed. A lot of people thought Cassel would be the starting quarterback, but the news from Camp was that Cassel was actually looking terrible, so he might not be around long. These two additions may turn out to be key ones, but probably not in a good way.

Dec 22, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills middle linebacker

(50) against the Miami Dolphins at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beats Miami 19 to 0. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Key Losses: MLB Kiko Alonso, MLB Brandon Spikes, TE Scott Chandler, SS Da’Norris Searcy, RB C.J. Spiller, QB Kyle Orton

Losing Kiko Alonso won’t change much in comparison to last season as he was injured all of last season anyways and Brandon Spikes was a two down player at best. So though one would think there would be a big hole here, it really doesn’t change much for them at this position this year. The Bills will miss Chandler against the Patriots, but Charles Clay is better than Chandler so they upgraded at the tight end position, but losing him to the Pats could still come back to haunt them. Searcy was a quality safety who they lost to the Titans, but thanks to great roster depth, Aaron Williams won’t have any issues filling his shoes.

C.J. Spiller is another player who they basically just replaced with a better player, so he will likely not be missed much in Buffalo, and especially not his injuries. Kyle Orton will probably be missed most out of all these players simply because his replacements are all terrible. By no means is Orton a good NFL quarterback, but he didn’t turn over the ball much and gave them a chance to win. My guess would be that Rex wishes that Orton would have stayed another year, but he decided to retire and will be dearly missed.

Dec 28, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver

(14) runs the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Verdict: 

Buffalo either stayed the same or got better at almost every position in comparison to last year. Kiko Alonso could have made this defense even better if he would have returned, but adding McCoy on offense will likely add a spark to the offense. The defense will most likely be just as dominant as it was last year. The front seven is very good and Rex Ryan should have a lot of fun with this defense. The offense will be the problem area once again. The line is okay, but definitely not something special. They added some good targets and now have a receiving corps of Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Percy Harvin and Charles Clay which is very good.

The quarterback situation will haunt them the entire season though. If you think the Jets have it bad at the position, this team has it worse. Ironically, it seems like Ryan is taking over the exact same team he just left. Again he will not have a capable quarterback. If the reports about Cassel’s poor play are true, than Manuel will likely end up being the starter. That could be a somewhat scary realization for Bills fans, especially when having to face the Jets secondary twice. Without a decent quarterback, I simply can’t imagine this team making it over the hump and making the playoffs.

Aug 3, 2014; Canton, OH, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback E.J. Manuel (3) gestures during the 2014 Hall of Fame game against the New York Giants at Fawcett Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Predictions:

Best Case Record: 10-6

Worst Case Record: 5-11

Prediction: 7-9

Team’s Offensive MVP: WR Sammy Watkins

Team’s Defensive MVP: DT Marcell Dareus

Rookie Standout: G John Miller

It really is a shame to see such a good team fail because they will have a terrible quarterback, but that is precisely what I think will happen. No matter who wins the QB battle, they won’t be very good. I think the Bills will struggle especially against its own division and the NFC East. In its own division it faces two teams that also have good or very good defenses, but both of those teams also have a better quarterback, though Geno Smith isn’t much better. The only hope I see for the Bills is that Manuel really surprises everyone and can actually play on an Andy Dalton level or even better. They still have a quite difficult schedule, but there would be hope for a playoff birth.

Next: 3rd Place?