The purpose of this post is to find the single best team the Buffalo Bills fielded in the last ten years. While none of the Bills teams made the playoffs, several showed flashes of great play, and had great players on them.
2000 Buffalo Bills
The 2000 team was led by All-Decade coach Wade Phillips. They ended 8-8 after finishing ninth in yards on offense and third in yards against on defense. The success in yardage didn't stop the team from being in the bottom ten in points allowed and points scored. Rob Johnson was passing to Eric Moulds, with Shawn Bryson leading the rushing attack. Ted Washington and Sam Cowart led the defense and joined Moulds on the Pro Bowl squad. The team was 7-4 before a four-game losing streak dropped them from playoff contention.
2002 Buffalo Bills
Drew Bledsoe's first year in Buffalo was Gregg Williams' closest look at the playoffs as a head coach. This team also finished 8-8 after alternating wins and losses most of the season around a three-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak. Bledsoe had the greatest season by a QB in team history, breaking virtually every passing record on the books, while both the offense and defense finished in the top six in passing. Unfortunately, they were also in the bottom ten in rushing yards, despite Travis Henry's 1,438 yards and 13 touchdowns. Henry and Bledsoe were joined by teammates Ruben Brown and Eric Moulds in the Pro Bowl that season, while London Fletcher paced the defense with 98 tackles.
2004 Buffalo Bills
After Williams' team folded in 2003, the Bills hired Mike Mularkey. In Mularkey's first season, the Bills came closer to the playoffs than they have been since. Bledsoe once again commanded the passing attack, with Willis McGahee leading the way on the ground by rushing for 13 touchdowns. Nate Clements and Terrence McGee made the Pro Bowl and were joined by Sam Adams and All-Pro linebacker Takeo Spikes. The defense was eighth in points allowed, second in yards allowed, third against the pass, and seventh against the run. The offense was seventh in points. How did this team not make the playoffs? The Bills lost their first four games and five of their first six before winning eight of nine to get back in the playoff race. A win in the final regular season game would have secured their spot, but the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had already clinched their playoff seed, beat the Bills in Week 17 to drop the Bills to 9-7. They were the only team of the decade to score more points than they allowed. The scoring differential of 111 was the most for a Bills team since 1991.
2008 Buffalo Bills
In 2008, head coach Dick Jauron's Bills, led by QB Trent Edwards, started the season hot going 4-0 and 5-1. Then the team lost four in a row and eight of ten to finish 7-9. The defense was fourteenth in points and yards allowed, while finishing No. 13 against the pass. Marshawn Lynch made the Pro Bowl, joined by Jason Peters, after his second 1,000-yard season and eight rushing touchdowns. Paul Posluszny paced the defense with 87 tackles. The team's plus/minus was negative six points, second highest in the decade.
Leave your voting rationale in the comments section. Our final vote will be for the player of the decade before we recap the entire series.
Previous Installments: QB, RB 1, RB 2, WR 1, WR 2, TE, OT 1, OT 2, OG 1, OG 2, OC, P/K, DT 1, DT 2, DE 1, DE 2, OLB 1, OLB 2, MLB, CB 1, CB 2, SS, FS, PR, KR, HC