Buffalo Bills Team Report by Chris Smith
| Buf Projections (9/3) | Passing Stats | Rush Stats | Receiving Stats | Fantasy | |||||||||||
| Change | Name | Pos | Att | Comp | % | Yds | TD | Int | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | Pts |
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#fname# #lname# | #pos# | #NumberFormat("#pts#", '__,_____')# | ||||||||||||
| Totals | #NumberFormat("#tot_patt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pcmp#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#evaluate(100*tot_pcmp/tot_patt)#", '_____._')#% | #NumberFormat("#tot_pyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ptds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_int#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ratt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ryds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rtds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rec#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_cyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ctds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pts#", '__,_____')# | ||
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Quarterbacks Starter - Drew Bledsoe Backups - Alex Van Pelt, Travis Brown Starting Quarterback: The Bills were very happy to sign Drew Bledsoe away from the Patriots in the off-season. He brings talent, experience and leadership to an offense that was in desperate need of all three. The Bills have great receivers, an emerging running back and only needed an experienced quarterback to help all the pieces fit together. Bledsoe will get to work with his best receiving core ever and the result will be a passing attack that will have teeth and attack defenses down the field. We have Bledsoe throwing for more than 3600 yards with a solid 21 touchdowns. He is a decent option as a starting fantasy quarterback and an outstanding backup. Backup Quarterback(s): Alex Van Pelt is a wonderful security blanket for the Bills. He proved last year that he could step in and get the job done on a part time basis. If something does happen to Bledsoe, the team has faith in Van Pelt and would not be forced to panic. He gives the team great insurance and is one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league. Running Backs Starter - Travis Henry (Larry Centers) Backups - Richard Huntley, Shawn Bryson Starting Running Back: Travis Henry is a workhorse in the true sense of the word. He gets better as the game goes on and is a powerful running back. He is only 5 ft 9 inches tall but weighs in at an impressive 222 pounds. Last season, he showed flashes of brilliance but too often the blocking up front was weak. Henry has been working hard all off-season and is looking forward to a lot of carries this year. Before you get too excited about him though, he is facing some stiff competition with too decent players in Richard Huntley and Shawn Bryson. However the competition will ultimately make Henry a better player in the long run. Backup Running Back(s): While both Huntley and Bryson have a chance to win the starting running back job with the team, both will likely be slotted in as effective backups and change of pace players during the season. Hopefully it won't turn into the dreaded RBBC but it is up to Henry to dominate or that may just happen. Huntley has potential and many folks thought he would reach it with the Carolina Panthers but it wasn't meant to be. Bryson has displayed awesome talent at times but has been too inconsistent for the team to rely on. Fullback(s): Larry Centers will continue his dominance as the best third down running back of all-time. He is a lock to grab lots of passes and should get a few touchdowns as well. If your fantasy league rewards a running back bonus points for catching passes, Centers value goes up quite a bit. Wide Receivers / Tight Ends Starters- Eric Moulds, Peerless Price Backups - Josh Reed [r], Jeremy McDaniel Starting Receiver(s): Eric Moulds and Peerless Price are amongst the top tandems at receiver in the NFL. Both must be salivating with the opportunity to play alongside of Drew Bledsoe who has a cannon for an arm. Moulds especially, who was down in the dumps all year in 2001 appears to be revitalized and ready to make this his best season yet. Moulds is a big target with excellent speed and soft hands. He could approach the century mark in receptions this campaign. Price is the perfect compliment to Moulds. He needs to focus on every game as he tends to flake out at times during the season but when his head is in the game, he is one of the top deep threats in the NFL. Last year he caught 55 passes and should be right around there in 2002. These two players will both benefit from the poise and composure of Bledsoe in the pocket. He will get the ball to both of them on a regular basis. Backup Receiver(s): Josh Reed will likely emerge as the third receiver at some point in the season. He is a converted running back and is very tough to bring down once the ball is in his hands. In addition he runs pass routes that are poetry in motion. He cuts on a dime and creates separation that contradicts his slow forty time. He reminds me a lot of ex-Seahawk, Steve Largeant who also had the uncanny ability to get open despite a serious lack of speed. Reed is an impressive talent and makes a good receiving core even stronger. The fourth option in the offense is Jeremy McDaniel who has some talent but has yet to put it all together on the field. Tight End(s): Jay Riemersma, Dave Moore - The addition of Dave Moore gives the Bills two proven tight ends and either one of them can get the job done in Buffalo. With Riemersma having contract problems, perhaps Moore will emerge as the go to guy in the offense. Riemersma is the more talented of the two though and we are betting that he will be ready to go come week one. Both are more suited to be a good backup for a fantasy team than a starter, as they will vulture touches away from each other. Place Kicker Mike Hollis: The Bills significantly upgraded their kicker position with the free-agent acquisition of Mike Hollis, formerly of the Jaguars. Hollis is a consistent kicker who gets the job done whenever he gets the chance. He was at one time considered amongst the top kickers in the game and only needs chances to regain a top billing. We have him kicking at an 82 % clip for the upcoming season. Defense The Bills defense will be better than last year but still has a way to go before they can be considered a solid unit. The defensive line needs improvement from young players such as Aaron Schobel and Eric Flowers and the safety position needs better play. They are set at linebacker though with three excellent playmakers (Keith Newman, Eddie Robinson and London Fletcher) taking care of business. Marginal worth as a backup option in fantasy football Coaching Gregg Williams is not up there with the top coaches in the NFL but he also is not one of the worst. He knows his football and has the Bills headed in the right direction. The Bills should at least double last season's win total of three but if they don't it could cost Williams his job. Look for 7 to 8 wins from the Bills in 2002 and another kick at the can for Williams. Intangibles The biggest motivation on the Bills is in regards to Drew Bledsoe. He will want to prove to his ex-team that they made a big mistake in not keeping him and an even bigger one trading him away to a divisional rival. Bledsoe and the Bills will want to finish ahead of the Patriots in the standings and that will drive them on all season. |