2012 NFL Team Preview: Buffalo Bills

At one point in 2011, the Bills were 5-2 and looked like a surprise playoff team. They finished the season by dropping eight of their last nine games. A 6-10 record was beside their name at the end of the year. What happened?

During the last nine games of the season, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a TD/INT ratio of 10/16. They couldn't keep the ball and their defense gave up 32 points per game. The loss of Fred Jackson due to injury made their offense look even worse.

Is Jackson and C.J. Spiller ready to be a top-tier rushing attack? Can Fitzpatrick rebound from a poor second-half?

Here's our 2012 NFL team preview for the Buffalo Bills.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 6-10

Key Additions: DE Mario Williams, DE Mark Anderson, QB Vince Young, WR Stephon Gilmore, OT Cordy Glenn and WR T.J. Graham.

Key Losses: WR Roscoe Parrish, CB Drayton Florence, OT Demetress Bell, CB Reggie Corner and K Brandon Coutu.

Non-Divison Schedule: AFC South and NFC West

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Naaman Roosevelt - Buffalo's wide receiver corps is an improved group. Stevie Johnson and David Nelson are the leaders, but after them it is unknown who the #3 or #4 receivers will be when the season begins. Naaman Roosevelt, Brad Smith, Stephon Gilmore and Ruvell Martin will battle for those two spots. Roosevelt is a local fan favorite since he was born in Buffalo and went to college there. Fitzpatrick has the green light to air it out and he will spread the ball around.

Team Analysis: Fitzpatrick has an entire off-season to work with his receiving corps (something he didn't have last season), it will make a difference. He had some new faces last year and when the defenses started to catch up to their passing attack, they didn't have any answers. Jackson and Spiller will be a dynamic rushing attack this year. Both running backs have excellent hands, so Fitzpatrick will have two safety nets during his check-downs. Buffalo's Mario Williams signing was the biggest surprise this off-season. They struggled getting to the quarterback last year and with Williams and Mark Anderson coming in, that facet will improve drastically. They lost Parrish on special teams, but rookie Gilmore could be a punt/kickoff return star. The Bills learned a lot last season from the ups and downs. They will flip their 6-10 record and be a playoff contender in 2012.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 7.5 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 10-6

Why Buffalo Is the Worst Team In The NFL

I'm sorry St. Louis Rams fans, your team is not the worst in the league. The Buffalo Bills took that spot when the Browns beat them 6-3 on Sunday. Derek Anderson went 2-17 for 23 yards and still managed to beat the Bills. Why are the Bills so bad? We look at the signings and the overall management of this team to find out what went wrong.

Two seasons ago, the Bills was thought to have a coming out party against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. They made Tony Romo look like Ryan Leaf and the team looked like a team on the rise. Buffalo went out and signed some free-agents and wasted some draft picks since then. Dick Jauron hasn't exactly gotten the most out of the talent either. Here are a list of some of the players on the team and why they haven't lived up to their potential.

Trent Edwards - I don't know why the weight of the franchise was ever on him. Didn't anyone watch him at Stanford? He was only 10-20 as a starting quarterback and was injury-prone. He has kept up the injuries, but why draft this guy in the 3rd-round and tag him as the franchise quarterback? It was a horrible draft class for quarterbacks, you should just picked up Jeff Garcia and bought yourself a year and got a QB from the 2008 class.

Marcus Stroud - He was a beast in Jacksonville, but once he arrived in Buffalo, he was a shall of himself. He has done a decent job so far this year (27 tackles), but he is not the game-changer that you thought he was.

Marshawn Lynch - He had a nice year and a half with Buffalo, then some of the off-the-field problems started to happen. He's still a nice back, but if he keeps it up, you'll have to deal him. The Bills should probably try to get what they can for him this off-season why they can. If he gets in trouble again, it's a bigger suspension and you'll only get 20 cents on the dollar for him. Fred Jackson looks like a nice back, pay him and get rid of Lynch.

Terrell Owens - Really Buffalo? C'mon! You saw what he did to McNabb, Garcia, and Romo, right? He's only useful when your team is winning. Buffalo couldn't have expected to win the AFC East this year, so why even bother? I know you need to sell tickets or try to get Canada to all pinch in their maple leafs in and just buy the team, but this was just a publicity stunt. He's going to have his worst professional year, he'll latch on to some team next year and completely rip the Bills.

Josh Reed - This guy has the hands of Marvin Harrison, but probably the speed of Harrison Ford. He's a very good possession receiver, why can't you use him as a Wes Welker slot option? It seems like he could be a 60-70 catch guy in the right system. Buffalo is not the right system for him.

James Hardy - This guy should be your future at wide receiver. I'm not saying that just because he's from my old stomping grounds of Fort Wayne. I watched him play at Indiana most weeks and he is a game-changer at that position. He took some of the best Big Ten secondaries to task. He has two touchdown receptions so far this season for Buffalo. The way things look, two might be enough to be the team lead for the season.

Jason Peters - You trade your starting left tackle to Philadelphia for a sixth-round pick? I know he gave up 11 1/2 sacks last year, but he's better than anything you have. What is your thinking? Trent Edwards doesn't need that much time to hand off to Marshawn Lynch? You sign T.O. and you leave your quarterback's blind side vulnerable, a brilliant move there Buffalo.

Donte Whitner - He's a great safety, but unfortunately he's on a very bad defense. He has lived up to his potential, but he has to be counting the seasons left on his contract so he can get out of Buffalo.

Turk Schonert - You fired your offensive coordinator, Turk Schonert, right before the season begins. Was this a scape goat move by the higher up management or coach? You know the team is bad and you just need an excuse. "Hey, it's not my fault we are losing, we had to fire the offensive coordinator right before the season." That could usually buy you another year if your head coach wasn't already on the hot seat. Oh yeah, you promote former back-up quarterback, Alex Van Pelt, as your offensive coordinator when you fired Schonert. He has only been out of the league for maybe three seasons, but now looks like a former offensive lineman. He probably gets winded just calling in plays to Edwards.

Dick Jauron - Finally, the head coach of the Buffalo Bills. I go against the common NFL fan laws and I am a fan of the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears. I can usually get away with it, since they are in different conferences, but when they met in the Super Bowl, it was a rough one. Now to my point, I watch Jauron sink potentially great Chicago Bears teams into the ground. Some guys aren't great coaches, they may look like one when the team's talent surpasses the coach's inabilities, but eventually Jauron gets hold of the team and just strangles it to death. I think after the third-straight season of going 7-9, the Bills would understand that they don't have another Marv Levy as their head coach. I think Jauron needs to resign or the Bills should fire him. I don't know who on their staff would step in, maybe defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell?

The Buffalo Bills has gone the entire decade of the 00's without a single playoff appearance. The franchise used to be so revered and respected, but hasn't had any success since Bill Polian left for Indianapolis. I used to like watching the Bills when Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Cornelius Bennett made playing in Ralph Wilson stadium one of the toughest places to play. The team needs a complete overhaul in management and at a few main positions if they want to sniff the playoffs anytime soon. Could they possibly coax Jim Kelly out of retirement?

NFL Week 2: Fantasy Football Sit/Start

I wanted to wait until Week 2 to do a fantasy football post about who to sit and who to start, because after a draft, you already know who you are going to start. The NFL odds are in my favor this week, with a better understanding of the teams. After one week of play and a handful of injuries, some things have changed and there are a few gems out there that you can pick up on the waiver wire and many in deep leagues, so use your waiver pick-up wisely. Here are some Sit/Starts for Week 2 of the NFL.

These are some picks that people might be on the borderline on whether or not to start them. They are not no-brainers like "Should I start Adrian Peterson?", if you ask yourself that question, you should just remove yourself from your fantasy football league.

START'EM

Fred Jackson - With Marshawn Lynch out because of suspension, Jackson is the featured back in Buffalo. He has pass catching ability and Trent Edwards is looking for him. He didn't impress anyone with his rushing yards, but his receiving yards and touchdown made him a surprise pick. Get this guy if he's out there on your league, but he may only be great for three more weeks.

Cadillac Williams/Derrick Ward - I like both of these backs against Buffalo. They will each get some action and will most likely be a nice flex option if you have a RB/WR option in your league. Williams is the starter, but Ward is going to put up as many numbers as he did with the Giants last year.

Darren Sproles - LaDanian Tomlinson is injured and he may not practice all week, so expect Sproles to see a lot of action against Baltimore. He may not get many carries, but he should see a lot of dump passes and screen action when the Ravens blitz.

Roy Williams - Tony Romo is looking for him and he's on fire. An off-season in their offense has helped him and he's a great option at wide-receiver.

Michael Bush - Darren McFadden looks to be a Reggie Bush-like option in Oakland, since Michael Bush looks like the man for the Raiders. He saw the bulk of the carries and punished San Diego last week. He will run all over Kansas City in Week 2.

Nate Burleson - He's the #1 receiver in Seattle and saw the most looks from Hasselbeck. Deon Butler was my fantasy sleeper of the year, but he disappointed me last week. Deion Branch and T.J. Houshmandzadeh didn't impress me and are 2nd and 3rd options in Seattle.

Ray Rice - San Diego is banged up and Oakland ran all over them. I think Rice will have a big game and he's such a punishing back that he can carry Baltimore in this game.

Dallas Clark - Anthony Gonzalez is out and Indianapolis doesn't have many receiving options. Dallas Clark will have a big game monday night against Miami. Manning will be looking for him all game.

Jeremy Shockey - Drew Brees will be throwing the ball all game against the Eagles. His wide-receivers have see the most looks of any NFL team, but Shockey is healthy and will be seeing a lot of TDs this year. I like him this week.

Brett Favre - He just handed the ball off all week in Week 1, but he'll be playing the Lions in Week 2. It's a good week to test out his arm and he will be airing it out to Bernard Berrian in this game.

Kyle Orton - If you take away the Brandon Stokely miracle catch, Orton had a tough game last week. He faces Cleveland this week and they secondary is very weak and Orton will be able to slice them up.

Marion Barber - Felix Jones has an injury and may not play at all this weekend. He will see almost all of the carries, especially goal line action. Tashard Choice could see some carries, but nothing like Jones would have received.

Pierre Garcon - DEEP LEAGUE START - Anthony Gonzalez is out and Austin Collie is a rookie and hasn't had as much time in the offense as Garcon. He could be a nice option in a deep league or if you had Anthony Gonzalez and looking for an option better than Amani Toomer or Johnnie Lee Higgins.


SIT'EM

Anquan Boldin - He's still injured, but he's going to play. I would wait a week or two before he's in your line-up. There are a few quality WR options on the waiver wire that you should pick up.

Carson Palmer - Green Bay looked amazing against Chicago and they play the Bengals in Week 2. Palmer will be seeing a lot of different coverages and will have a weak game.

Patrick Crayton - I wouldn't go crazy over him this week. If he's out there, pick him up, 'cause he could be good later, but Week 1 was a lucky week for him. Roy Williams is going to see a lot of balls and so will Jason Witten, leave Crayton on your bench.

Jay Cutler - This is a no-brainer sit against Pittsburgh. He has no receivers to throw to and he looked really bad against Green Bay. He needs at least two good weeks in a row for me to recommend him.

Matt Forte - He's not going to catch as many balls as last season and he wasn't a factor in Green Bay. I know you probably used your #1 pick this year on him, but I like Fred Jackson, who you could pick up, he'll outscore Forte by double.

Reggie Bush - He barely sniffed the football last week and Mike Bell looked amazing. With a viable option at tight-end, Bush isn't seeing as many short passes this season.

Joseph Addai - Donald Brown saw much more action last week than expected, so expect Addai's production to take a hit in 2009. I see Brown taking about 60% of the carries this week against Miami.

Devin Hester - His points last week was swelled up because of a broken coverage touchdown. Pittsburgh will not break any coverage and Hester will be shutdown this week.

Philadelphia Defense - I know they put up a ton of numbers last week, but they are playing New Orleans in Week 2. They will be tested by Drew Brees and their corners will be busy. The Eagles may win the game, but Brees will put up yards, even in a loss.

Joe Flacco - He has a great Week 1, but he faces San Diego and their corners can get interceptions better than any team in the league. Flacco is still young and he'll make mistakes.

Kevin Smith - Smith had a good game against New Orleans, but Minnesota is in town this weekend and it could get ugly. The Williams twins will stop him and Detroit will have a hard time getting any yards this weekend, on the ground or the air.

2009 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Team By Team)

It's about that time of year that you are preparing for your annual fantasy football drafts. Everyone has a good idea of who they want with their first-round picks, but what about the later rounds? Those who are in deeper leagues or "Man's Leagues" with 20 teams, they need to be aware of sleepers of players that you can pick up later in the draft that may have some fantasy value. A few of the players that I'm about to list should be picked higher than where they are going and a few are possibly injury replacements that you should keep your eyes on.

Arizona Cardinals - Tim Hightower RB - The Cardinals drafted Beanie Wells out of Ohio State, but he has dealt with the injury bug in college and could keep that trend in the NFL. Hightower wasn't happy when Arizona drafted Wells and worked hard in the off-season.

Atlanta Falcons - Brian Finneran WR - Finneran adds veteran leadership to the wider receiver squad. He should help with the catches if any other receiver goes down with an injury. (I had Harry Douglas here earlier, but I was informed that he tore his ACL a few days ago. Thanks to theGNC for giving me the heads up on this one)

Baltimore Ravens - Ray Rice RB - Even with LeRon McClain and Willis McGahee in the backfield, Rice will get some carries. He has had a great training camp so far and a lot of people are saying good things about his work ethic. He was a beat at Rutgers, where he played top talent, I bet Rice will be a force in the NFL very soon.

Buffalo Bills - Fred Jackson RB - Marshawn Lynch starts the season suspended and they sign Dominic Rhodes, but Jackson has the upper hand in the battle between himself and Rhodes. He will slip into the later rounds and it would be a nice pick in the mid-rounds to secure some #1 running back totals the first few weeks of the season.

Carolina Panthers - Josh McCown - QB - I'm not sold on Jake Delhomme, Carolina should have signed Byron Leftwich when they had the chance, but Josh McCown is their #2 QB right now. McCown will see action this season, so if you are ballsy and pick Delhomme, make sure you snag McCown as insurance.

Chicago Bears - Juaquin Iglesias WR - The Bears have Jay Cutler as QB and he loves speedy and tall receivers, Iglesias is your man. He will not be drafted in most leagues, but he needs to be. Cutler will be throwing the ball all over the place this season, get in early on Iglesias.

Cincinnati Bengals - Chase Coffman TE - Reggie Kelly is out for the year and Coffman will step into the starting role for the Bengals. He was drafted in the third round from Missouri and he was considered one of the best receiving tight ends in the draft. Carson Palmer is back and he needs a short option, since Cedric Benson can't catch well, Coffman should receive a lot of looks.

Cleveland Browns - Steve Heiden - TE - Brady Quinn looks to be the starter in Cleveland and he loves his tight ends. When Quinn played last season, Kellen Winslow had nice games. Heiden has had a lot of injuries over his career, but he has good hands and will see the end zone this season.

Dallas Cowboys - Sam Hurd - WR - Hurd has been a "player to watch" the last few seasons, but he has dealt with injuries. Terrell Owens is in Buffalo now and Roy Williams is still getting used to Tony Romo, so Hurd may have a chance to gain some playing time this season. He would be an option in deep, deep leagues that need a receiver in later rounds.

Denver Broncos - Jabar Gaffney - WR - Josh McDaniels is the new coach in Denver and he has brought over some of his old New England Patriots receivers. Whomever the starting quarterback will be in Denver, Kyle Orton or Chris Simms, they will need a reliable possession receiver. Gaffney can get open and will receive a good number of chances to earn fantasy points.

Detroit Lions - Bryant Johnson - WR - The Lions need offense to win games this year, since their defense is made of swiss cheese. Calvin Johnson will be doubled often and Bryant Johnson is a capable receiver. Matthew Stafford or Daunte Culpepper will learn to love Bryant Johnson.

Green Bay Packers - Jordy Nelson WR - Nelson had a few flashes last season. Aaron Rodgers makes sure to keep an eye out for him. He could turn into a very good 3rd receiver for Green Bay. If Driver or Jennings goes down, he can pick up the slack.

Houston Texans - Rex Grossman QB - Matt Schaub is a good QB in the NFL, but he misses a few games every year. Dan Orlovsky is the other QB in Houston, but if Grossman can beat him out for the 2nd-string position, he could re-gain some value in the NFL. If only he could grow a few inches...

Indianapolis Colts - Austin Collie WR - Marvin Harrison isn't in Indianapolis anymore, so all the receivers will be bumped up a spot, which leaves the 3rd receiver open to competition. Collie was a good receiver at BYU and is a much better long-term option than Roy Hall. Expect Collie to see some action early this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Chauncey Washington RB - Fred Taylor is in New England and Jacksonville is expecting that Maurice Jones-Drew to be their lone back this year. MJD is a good running back, but it's a lofty goal for a back that small to last an entire season without missing some action. Washington could get some action when Jones-Drew needs a breather.

Kansas City Chiefs - Bobby Engram WR - Engram has had success wherever he has player and should have a decent year in KC. Matt Cassel proved himself last year and even if he falters, Tyler Thigpen did a good job last season. The ball should be in the air more with Cassel under center and Engram can rack up catches in a hurry.

Miami Dolphins - Patrick Turner WR - Miami's receiving corps is average at best. Camarillo, Ginn, and Bess will not win any awards, so Turner could see some playing time this year. He's a big target and Pennington could see a receiver with size.

Minnesota Vikings - Sidney Rice WR - Everyone has been waiting for Rice to have a big year, he probably won't have one this season, but he's worth a late-round gamble. The QB situation in Minnesota is bad, but if Sage Rosenfels wins the job, look for the Vikings to throw the ball more. Rice could be the winner in that case, but it is still to be determined.

New England Patriots - Laurence Maroney RB - Maroney was a first-round pick just two seasons ago, but his draft stock took a tumble with injuries and sharing carries with Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk. Don't count on Fred Taylor doing much, he's old and fragile. Tom Brady is back and they should be throwing the ball more this year, but Maroney is too good of a back to be wasted. I expect him to see the end zone at least 6 or 7 times this year.

New Orleans Saints - P.J. Hill RB - Reggie Bush is not an every-down back and Pierre Thomas is still unknown. Hill was a great, punishing back at Wisconsin and should add some power in the backfield. He could vulture some touchdowns away at the very least.

New York Giants - Mario Manningham WR - Plaxico Burress was dumb and shot himself in the leg last year and he's no longer on the Giants. Eli Manning needs a tall, deep threat to spread the defense out for Brandon Jacobs. Manningham can be the receiver they need, since the rest of the receiving corps are smaller possession receivers, Manningham could become a great asset for the Giants.

New York Jets - Brad Smith - WR - Chansi Stuckey and Jericho Cotchery will be catching most of the passes from Mark Sanchez this year, but this team lacks a 3rd receiver. Brad Smith has had limited success as a receiver, but this year could be his breakout season for the Jets.

Oakland Raiders - Johnnie Lee Higgins - WR - Higgins had some highlights last year and he's very speedy. He could be the recipient of some deep balls from JaMarcus Russell. If Russell gets beat out by Jeff Garcia at any point this season, Higgins value could be hurt, since he doesn't throw the deep ball much.

Philadelphia Eagles - LeSean McCoy - RB - Correll Buckhalter is no longer with the team and someone has to be there when Bryan Westbrook goes down at some point this year. The NFC East is too tough of a defensive division to think that he can stay healthy all year. McCoy was a stand-out in college and can be a difference maker in the NFL. He could see significant action this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashard Mendenhall - RB - Mendenhall is the heir apparent to Willie Paker, but he needs a healthy season under his belt before he can become a first or second round fantasy pick. Mendenhall could be a nice insurance pick if you own Parker. Look for him to at least get some scrub time at the end of the season if they are already locked into a playoff spot.

San Diego Chargers - Malcolm Floyd - WR - There aren't too many fantasy sleeper option in San Diego. They are loaded with guys that deliver every year. Floyd could be a nice third or fourth option for Phillip Rivers. He's tall and speedy, kind of like Chris Chambers.

San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith - QB - I know what you're thinking, c'mon man, Alex Smith?! He needed a change of scenery, he didn't get it, but now he has Mike Singletary as his head coach. Mike Nolan didn't have any clue how to groom Smith in his offense. If anyone is going to get through to Smith, Singletary will be the guy. Shaun Hill could end up with the starting job, but it's a close race right now.

Seattle Seahawks - Seneca Wallace - QB - I think it's the area of this post where I like back-up quarterback, due to starting QB injury concerns. Hasselbeck has had a good NFL career, but he is nearing the end. A smart bet would to have sign Michael Vick, but I doubt Jim Mora Jr. would have wanted him again. Wallace did a nice job filling in for Hasselbeck over the last few seasons.

St. Louis Rams - Kyle Boller - QB - I'm not sold on Marc Bulger anymore. He had two good seasons and he has hit a wall. Steve Spagnuolo will preach defense and ball-control, so the Rams offense should see better starting field position this year. Boller has been known to throw interceptions, but Bulger has been just as bad.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Michael Clayton - WR - Clayton isn't really a traditional "sleeper," but I expect him to have a great season this year. If Josh Freeman is the QB in Tampa Bay, Clayton will see a lot of looks. I predict a 1,000 yard receiving season for Clayton. Make sure you draft him in the mid-late rounds, if he's still there.

Tenneessee Titans - Nate Washington - WR - All Tennessee needed last year was a dynamic receiver, Washington could be that player. He can stretch defenses with his deep threat ability, something they missed last year. Kerry Collins could fall in love with him by mid-season.

Washington Redskins - D.J. Hackett - WR - Santana Moss and Antwan Randle-EL are speed guys, but Hackett has both speed and better hands than either of them. He did a great job in Seattle and could end up being a nice pick up for Washington.