NFL TEAM PREVIEW: 2020 BUFFALO BILLS

BY ADAM GREENE

Key Additions: CB Josh Norma (free agent), WR Stefon Diggs (trade), Star Lotutelei (free agent), OLB Mario Addison (free agent), OG Daryl Williams (free agent), OLB A.J. Klein (free agent), DE Vernon Butler (free agent), DE Quinton Jefferson (free agent), C Evan Boehm (free agent), RB Taiwan Jons (free agent), DE Bryan Cox Jr. (free agent), ILB Tyler Matakevich (free agent), OT Garrett McGhin (free agent).

2020 NFL Draft: DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa (round 2), RB Zach Moss, Utah (round 3), WR Gabriel Davis, UCF (round 4), QB Jake Fromm, Georgia (round 5), K Tyler Bass, Georgia Southern (round 6), WR Isaiah Hodgins (round 6), CB Dane Jackson (round 7)

Projected Offensive Starters: QB Josh Allen, RB Devin Singletary, WR Stefon Diggs, WR John Bronw, WR Cole Beasley, TE Dawson Knox, LT Dion Dawkins, LG Quinton Spain, C Mitch Morse, RG Jon Feliciano, RT Cody Ford

Projected Defensive Starters: LDE Trent Murphy, LDT Sat Lotulelei, RDT Ed Oliver, RDE Jerry Hughes, WLB Matt Milano, MLB Tremaine Edmunds, SLB A.J. Klein, LCB Tre’Davious White, RCB Levi Wallace, SS Jordan Poyer, FS Micah Hyde

K: Stephen Houschka

P: Corey Bojorquez

Head Coach: Sean McDermott

2019 Record: 10-6, 2nd place AFC East

A Look Back: The 2019 Bills didn’t come out of nowhere, regardless of how surprised anyone was to see them post double digit wins and make the postseason. This squad has now made the playoffs in two of Sean McDermott’s three seasons as head coach and he’s quietly built a solid unit the only way he could, through the draft and by overpaying free agents. No one wants to play in Buffalo without proper compensation and this regime led by general manager Brandon Beane knows it.

On their way to their January playdate, they stacked up some solid wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers and dropped games to the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots by a single score. Their final week loss to the New York Jets doesn’t count as they’d already secured their playoff spot.

Now, once they got into the playoffs they hit a Houston Texans roadblock after both Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt decided to single-handily in the game in spite of their head coach Bill O’Brien’s ineptitude. Since both guys were actually in possession of four hands, it didn’t work out well for Buffalo and they lost in overtime, 22-19.

2020 Projection: But that loss, as close as it was, should show exactly what that which this Bills team is capable. They were overmatched at nearly every position by a loaded Texans team and were a field goal away from beating them.

This year’s squad should be considerably better, with more talent on defense. That, along with a significantly weakened AFC East could easily end up with one, if not more, home playoff games.

Is this a Super Bowl team? I don’t think so. Is it an AFC Championship Game team? Maybe.

Projected 2020 Final Record:  12-4. Currently the odds pay at -140 for over 9 wins and +110 at 10-14 victories. Considering they went 10-6 last year with Tom Brady still in the division, that looks like easy money to me.

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