For the entire off-season, the team everyone focused on from the AFC East was the New England Patriots and how they were destined to reach the Superbowl. As a result, most people are going to be surprised the Buffalo Bills improve on last year’s record and sneak into the playoffs as a wildcard. Here are a few key factors to the success of the Buffalo Bills for the 2007 season.
The Second Coming of Thurman Thomas Recently Thurman Thomas was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but if you talk with most Bills fans, they will say that they have finally found Thomas’s equal. And that man is Marshawn Lynch. They believe he will emerge as a top tier running back in the NFL, who can catch and run the ball. Though if you watched any of the preseason games, you would see a running back struggling to gain decent yardage every time he touched the ball. The success of this young man will depend on how effective the passing game. Lynch is a name we should hear about in the future, though it is doubtful he will make much of an impact in 2007.
Surviving the First 8 weeks The Bills have one of the toughest schedules to start the 2007 NFL Season. Seven of their first eight opponents were playoff caliber teams in 2006. Luckily for them, only three of the games are played away from the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium. If the Bills can win finish at .500 by the end of this eight game stretch, look for them to lockup one of the wildcard spots in the AFC playoffs.
Air Losman Last year Bills fans had the chance to see their quarterback, JP Losman, turn into a bona fide NFL quarterback. He was eleventh in the league with 19 touchdown passes and finished with a respectable 84.9 passer rating. Wide receiver Lee Evans reaped the benefits with Losman’s emergence and set career highs for catches and yards. So you can be sure Losman will be looking for his favorite target in 2007. If Losman can continue to produce like he did towards the end of the 2006 NFL season, look for him to put up big numbers this year and help lead the push for the playoffs.
By the time the regular season is done for 2007, the Bills will have improved upon their record and sneak into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Their first eight games will set the tone and help strengthen the defense into a solid unit as the season progresses. Losman will pick up where he left off in 2006 and by the end will be ranked as a top ten quarterback. Who knows, if the team is clicking on all cylinders when the playoffs come, they may even win a game or two.
