The Buffalo Bills have the same goal the team has had for 16 years: Make the playoffs. This is Rex Ryan's second year as the team's head coach and a lot more is expected of him than his Bills coaching debut record of 8 – 8 last season. Rex will have his brother Rob Ryan and former NFL defensive superstar Ed Reed to help revive the Buffalo defense. On the offensive side, the Bills finally have a franchise quarterback in Tyrod Taylor after signing him to a long-term contract.

2015 Overview

Buffalo hopes to erase some of the disappointments from last year, most obvious is the problems on defense. Instead of being a “bully” as Rex said the team would be in 2015, the team was more of a bust. Mario Williams, a former powerhouse for the Bills defense, was practically absent most of the year. The Bills had just 21 sacks in 2015 compared to 54 in 2014.

On the offensive side in 2015, Tyrod Taylor, in his first year as the Bills' starter, had more than 3,000 yards passing and 568 yards rushing. His completion rate of 63.7% was one of the best in the NFL in last year.

LeSean McCoy made his debut as a Bill at running back. With his addition came fan favorite Fred Jackson's exit from the team. McCoy performed well in his first year with the Bills rushing for almost 900 yards in only 12 games. He missed four games due to injury. Sammy Watkins, despite missing three games because of injury, had more than 1,000 yards receiving.

Penalties plagued the Bills last year both on offensive and defense. The team had a whopping 143 total penalties for 1,249 yards, the most in the NFL. The lack of discipline ultimately cost the team several wins during the regular season.

2016 Off Season

The Buffalo Bills' didn't waste time in the offseason. The team made several transactions including (as mentioned above) the addition of coaches Rob Ryan and Ed Reed. Doug Whaley, the Bills General Manager, received a contract extension and many players were signed to contract extensions. Among the contract extensions was a three-year extension for Richie Incognito. The Bills released DE Mario Williams, CB Leodis McKelvin, WR Chris Hogan and fan favorite running back Boobie Dixon and running back Karlos Williams.

The 2016 draft ended up with two of the biggest signees DE Shaq Lawson from Clemson and LB Reggie Ragland from Alabama both being unable to play due to injuries. The Bills placed Lawson on the PUP list after he had shoulder surgery from an injury he sustained in college and Ragland on IR after he tore his ACL in training camp.

Another key injury for the Bills was one to TE Chris Gragg. The tight end tore his ACL in a preseason game against Washington.

Also, there were legal issues for the Bills. The NFL suspended the now released Karlos Williams for four games due to his violation of the substance abuse policy. DT Marcell Dareus will also serve a four-game suspension for testing positive for marijuana. He has since entered rehab and can't play until after the Bills face the Patriots for the first time.

2016 Team Outlook

The Buffalo Bills should be a changed team on defense. With the addition of another Ryan and Reed, the Bills are looking to recreate the success they had in 2014. The team made plenty of roster moves to be the “bully” Rex promised last year including releasing Mario Williams in March and Manny Lawson last week to name a few. Despite injuries to key rookies, the Bills have made a concerted effort to plug the holes that exist. No one knows for sure how it will turn out until the season starts.

As far as the secondary, the Bills still have Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby. Both are assets and have had success against big name receivers.

Strengths

One strength the Bills have built upon is the running game. Despite the release of Karlos Williams, the Bills still have Michael Gillislee who had a productive year in 2015 and the biggest addition to the running back core is veteran Reggie Bush. With the Bush addition and McCoy still leading the backfield, look for the team to keep with a “ground and pound” strategy.

Another strength the Bills have is the consistency at quarterback with Tyrod Taylor. If he stays healthy, he will continue to put up big number rushing and passing. His passing numbers should improve with the expected stellar play of now veteran Sammy Watkins as well as Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin.

Weaknesses

Penalties may prove to be a weakness for the Bills again this year. Judging by training camp and the preseason, it still seems to be a problem. Injuries too will be a literal weakness for the Bills. Last year several key players were out multiple games so staying healthy could again be a challenge.

Key Matchups

The Bills' schedule this year is interesting. Week 1 the Bills travel to Baltimore and four days later play at home versus the Jets. The four-day turnaround might be tough for the Bills but being it is a home game should make it easier to take.

As with each year, all the AFC East games are games to watch. The Bills play the Patriots on October 2nd and again just four games later. The key to the first of those two match-ups is the absence of Tom Brady due to his suspension. Also in October the Bills had to Miami to take on the Dolphins. By the end of the month, the AFC East standings should be pretty clear.

November and December the Bills' schedule is all AFC games. Depending on how the earlier games go, it could prove to be a very crucial stretch for the Bills especially if they find themselves in a wild-card race.

Expectations are high again for the Bills and the fans and the Western New York Community have high hopes this year is the year the longest active playoff drought in major professional sports comes to an end. Maybe the stadium's new name, New Era Field really signifies what it states: A New Era of Greatness.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Veronica Chiesi Brown
I am an avid sports fan with a deep love for the Buffalo Bills as well as the Buffalo Sabres, New York Yankees and Notre Dame. With more than 15 years of experience in media and communications, it is my passion to write.