The Good, the bad & the ugly

This season has brought on more emotions about this team than I care to admit.  There have been pleasant surprises, some unfortunate demises and a lot of questions being answered so far this year. Through 9 games it is pretty evident what works and what doesn't. However, moreso than any other season in the past 10 years, I have felt that this team is heading in an upward direction.

 I can't remember a year where I can narrow down the primary needs to two things. Usually everyone is clamoring for 4 or 5 different primary needs. While it certainly will take at least two more offseasons to sure up the team as a whole and create the depth needed to make a deep playoff run, this team is only a couple of players and moves away. A couple upgrades and a couple moves will take this team from "feel good surprise team" to "team on the rise and looks to be for a while"

By no means am I an in depth analyzer like some of our exceptional staff on the site, so I claim to not be an authority on all things schematic or personell. However, this year, some things need to be said about this team. And I shall categorize them via one of my favorite westerns.

The Good

These are obvious and I won't spend time elaborating:

Fred Jackson, Marcell Dareus, Nick Barnett, Overall team attitude

Surprisingly pleasant:

Is it me or is Jairus Byrd exceptionally good? For someone that people questioned his ability to tackle, all I see is excellent run support and ability to tackle. Not to mention his ability in coverage and a threat to QBs. I hope he continues to grow and stays a Bill a very long time.

David Nelson - I thought last year showed promise. This year he has proved to be a solid player and a red zone threat. Tall young player that hopefully can continue to grow to become a force on offense.

Chan Gailey has shown that you can take a bunch of mid level players and turn them into a good group with the right scheme. Now if only he had a group of guys who are highly athletic as well as skilled....

The Bad

This team's pass rush is so incredibly bad that drastic measures should be taken. I know this will come under heavy fire, but if the 3-4 is to remain the base defense then trading Kyle Williams for a pass rusher should be considered. KW is out of place in a 3-4 and a player that comes in and picks up 10-12 sacks a year will negate the loss of our beloved Meatball. I would consider Mathias Kiwanuka from the Giants. Super athletic, young, smart and versatile. Would be an every down player and Fewell knows what he gets with KW. Win-Win in my eyes

A #2 receiver is of importance for this team in order to let the rest of the offense shine. A guy with deep speed will do wonders for this team. I mentioned in a previous post, but Robert Meachem is a FA at the end of the year and would be a fine addition to this offense. Deep speed with good hands will allow Chan to play around more with the scheme and open everyone up to play to max production.

The Ugly

Drayton Florence is has more ups and downs than a Shawne Merriman achilles tendon. I suppose you have to take the good (Pats game) with the bad (Giants game), but it sure is ugly.

Lack of consistency: This team needs to come into every game just as amped as they were for the Patriots game. The Jets game felt flat and unmotivated. And the first drive absolutely killed the mood in last week's game. The Ravens and Steelers always, always, always come into every game with an energy and confidence that that day is theirs. The Bills need to maintain the confidence from the beginning of the year and plow forward if they want to be recognized as a worthy opponent

My face if the Dolphins land Andrew Luck.