Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 1PM EST

It's time once again to check out the latest history between our Buffalo Bills and this week's opponent, the Oakland Raiders. If you like good memories, you will love the fact that I do these in reverse order. Feel free to read the first one and skip the rest if you're looking to preserve good mojo.

December 13, 1998: Bills 44, Raiders 21
Late in the '98 season the Bills were in need of a win and they got it. Using two defensive scores (a 13 yard fumble recovery for a TD by Phil Hansen and a 40 yard Gabe Northern int for a TD), the Bills rolled over the Raiders to help propel them to the playoffs. After starting 0-3 the Bills go 10-3 down the stretch to make the playoffs, where they lost to the Dolphins 24-17 in the first round. The Raiders finished 8-8.

October 17, 1999: Raiders 20, Bills 14
Antowain Smith rumbles for a 52 yard TD run 5:44 into the game but does little else after that, finishing with 5 carries for 57 yards. Doug Flutie had a rough game going 19 of 41 for 210 yards with 3 picks. Despite the loss the Bills still made the playoffs finishing 11-5; those playoffs ended for Buffalo with the Music City... well, you know. The Raiders finished 8-8 for the second straight year.

October 6, 2002: Raiders 49, Bills 31
Eric Moulds (8 receptions, 112 yards) and Peerless Price (7 for 126 and a score) both have huge days, but a Phillip Buchanon 81 yard INT for a TD seals it late for the Raiders. The Bills finish another mediocre season going 8-8, while the Raiders finished 11-5  and made it to the Super Bowl, where they got thumped by the Bucs 48-21.

September 19, 2004: Raiders 13, Bills 10
The Bills start the season with two straight 13-10 losses, after dropping the opener to the Jags by the very same 13-10 score. There really wasn't anything good to say about this one other then the fact that Brian Moorman had a 24 yard pass... whoo. The Bills did rebound after an 0-4 start to finish 9-7, and of course lost to Steelers scrubs on the last day of the regular season to miss out on the playoffs. The Raiders finished 5-11.

October 23, 2005: Raiders 38, Bills 17
LaMont Jordan almost single-handedly beats the Bills by finishing the day with 122 yards on 28 carries, including 3 scores. As bad as the Raiders were that year (they finished 4-12) they still were able to dominate the Bills who finished 5-11.

Evans should benefit from new rookie running mate (Photo Source)

During the 2007 NFL season, when the Buffalo Bills had plenty of trouble scoring through the air, we knew it.  We knew it early in the off-season when the Bills released veteran wideout Peerless Price.  We even probably knew it before the '07 season started: the Bills really needed an upgrade at wide receiver.

Heading into the free agent signing period, pundits everywhere knew that the Bills could and would be targeting a wide receiver.  Instead, the team focused on beefing up its defensive front seven, acquiring three big men - tackles Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson, as well as linebacker Kawika Mitchell - in the first two days of free agency.  Good, logical strategy - still bad receivers.

By that point in free agency, the wide receiver pool had thinned.  Probably the best fit for the team in terms of their size wishes, Ernest Wilford, had already been gobbled up by the talent-starved Dolphins.  Ditto for Vikings WR Bernard Berrian, who would not have been a good fit as a Bill at any rate.  Even veteran guys like Marty Booker, who signed with the Bears, were nearly off the market.  That left one "big" name, and the Bills went after him hard - Bryant "Panda" Johnson.

We can't fault the Bills for playing their cards the way they did.  Johnson was their top free agent target at the position, and it's become clear that before Johnson signed with the 49ers, he had one multi-year offer on his table - it was from the Buffalo Bills.  This team could not afford to sign Johnson to a one-year deal and risk losing him and Lee Evans the following off-season.  When Johnson chose the one-year route with a lesser team, it was disappointing - but there was still the draft to consider.

Enter the 6'5+" Rookie, James Hardy
After missing out on their top free agent target, as well as several others, it was clear that the Bills would be looking to draft a starting receiver early.  The only question was how early.  Once again, the Bills played their cards correctly (and proved experts, and myself, wrong) by passing on a receiver in the first round, instead selecting CB Leodis McKelvin.  That gamble would pay off, as the team was able to land their favorite "big" receiver in the draft, Indiana's James Hardy.

I admit - I fell to the logic that the team needed to bring in a veteran receiver to start next to Evans.  That argument, in my mind, still holds some water.  However, looking back on the entire wideout situation in retrospect, the Bills did the right thing.  They clearly felt similarly to what I (and most of you) felt in that a veteran receiver would help most; hence their courting of Johnson.  It's a shame that fell through, but the team recovered nicely.

Ironically, adding Hardy as opposed to Johnson may ultimately be a better situation for Buffalo's offense.  It's still unclear whether either of these players are starting-caliber at the NFL level (Johnson has never been more than a slot receiver behind Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona).  Johnson clearly holds the edge in game experience at the NFL level, but Hardy and his red zone prowess may ultimately be a better fit for Buffalo's offense this year.  Yes, this year.  Johnson would have given the Bills predominantly a between-the-twenties presence with some red zone potential; Hardy's specialty is scoring.  The Bills, in reality, need the latter more.

Well played, Buffalo.  You may have lost out on your top target (Johnson), but in a mediocre off season of wide receiver talent, you may have just acquired the guy who'll make the biggest impact right away.

Mitchell adds size, versatility to LB corps (Photo Source)

Last season, despite a rash of injuries, rookies at quarterback and running back, and incredibly long odds, the Buffalo Bills were playing for their playoff lives in Week 15.  In that game, which took place in Cleveland, the Bills were shut out in a winter storm.  That day, the rather large Browns pushed the Bills around the field of play like blocking sleds.

The following week, history repeated itself.  After taking a 14-0 lead on the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the aptly named champions used their size and toughness to overpower the Bills after heavy rains and wind infiltrated Ralph Wilson Stadium.  Take away those 14 points - which were scored before the harsh weather hit Buffalo that day - and in two successive weeks, the tiny Bills had been outscored 46-7 in weather that was supposed to be to their advantage, not their undoing.

Simply put, the Bills weren't big enough.  Playing a Cover 2 defense, the Bills for two years focused on bringing in small, quick athletes.  This off-season, that changed.  For two years, Buffalo watched opposing defensive coordinators blanket Lee Evans and dare one of the team's other sub-6'0" receivers to beat them.  This off-season, that changed.  The Bills have gotten bigger in five key areas this off-season:

WIDE RECEIVER
At no other position was it as important for the Bills to get bigger than it was at wideout.  Gone is veteran Peerless Price, whose 5'11" frame made no one consider him on game day.  Enter rookie James Hardy, an imposing 6'5" red zone threat whose mere presence will need to be game-planned for.  Seventh-round draft pick Steve Johnson (6'2") also has nice size, which could allow him to stick even considering his low draft status.

TIGHT END
Last season, the Bills' biggest tight end was current starter Robert Royal (6'4", 255).  Royal is very average-sized when it comes to NFL tight ends, and he's not an ideal red zone threat.  6'4", 245 pound Ryan Neufeld and 6'3", 277 pound Michael Gaines are gone; they've been replaced by two 6'6" giants in Courtney Anderson and Teyo Johnson.  Neither of the two imports are world-beaters as receivers, but they do give the Bills taller red zone options than they had last year.  They will be assets in the red zone if one or both makes the team.  Rookie TE Derek Fine (6'3", 255) will be the between-the-twenties receiving tight end.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Buffalo's biggest off-season addition - literally and figuratively - came at defensive tackle, where 6'6", 310-pound Marcus Stroud replaces Larry Tripplett, whose 6'2", 293-pound frame made him a great liability defending the run.  Buffalo's top three defensive tackles now average 308 pounds between them (as opposed to 302 last year), and the fact that Stroud is a much more stout defender that plays with outstanding leverage increases the effects of the size gain up front.

LINEBACKER
We'll set aside the fact that the Bills will be gaining 10 pounds at inside linebacker when Paul Posluszny re-takes his starting job from the very active John DiGiorgio.  The big change comes at weak side linebacker, where 6'1", 253-pound free agent signing Kawika Mitchell replaces the passive, 229-pound Keith Ellison.  Last season, Buffalo's starting linebackers weighed in at an average of 238 pounds.  They've added 7 to that number this off-season.  Weighing in at 245 across the board, Buffalo's linebackers are now much more equipped to shed blocks in this Cover 2 scheme.

CORNERBACK
After watching the New England Patriots score nine aerial touchdowns in just two meeting last year, the Bills needed bigger corners to match up with the likes of Randy Moss.  First-round draft pick Leodis McKelvin isn't huge, but at a shade under 5'11", he's already taller than Buffalo's two starting corners from last year.  Free agent addition William James gives the Bills a large, physical slot presence as well, as his 6'0", 200-pound frame is ideal for redirecting small slot receivers (like New England's Wes Welker) from their intended course.  These size changes are subtle, but should help.