Jets, Bills still won’t make NFL playoffs
8. Chemistry
Every year, some team goes out in free agency and gets crazy. In recent years, the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins taking turns wearing this crown. You might have also noticed that those teams always seem to be in cap trouble and without a whole lot of wins to show for it.
Buffalo and New York both went all-in with a bevy of moves. The problem is getting all of those players to come together in a few short months before the regular season. When teams draft players and develop them, they only know one system if the coach remains in place. When you bring in free agents, everything must be re-taught from the ground up. It’s a long journey.
7. Offensive lines
This position always gets overlooked by fans, who somehow forget that without a good line, you have no chance. The Jets do have D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, but the other spots are questionable. Willie Colon is a veteran but suspect, while Breno Giacomini is average. It’s not a terrible line, but it won’t be blasting holes open either.
Buffalo has a bigger problem along its front. Eric Wood is a terrific player, but the rest of the line remains a question mark. Cordy Glenn is a mediocre starter at left tackle, checking in 16th on Pro Football Focus’ left tackle grades. On the right side, Seantrel Henderson is a disaster. Henderson ranked as the worst right tackle in the NFL last season, garnering a grade of -29.9 by PFF.
6. Daunting schedules
From Nov. 12 through Dec. 20, the Bills play six games. Five of them are on the road, with three coming against teams that had winning records last year. Buffalo travels to play the Jets, Patriots and Chiefs in consecutive weeks before returning home for the Houston Texans. Then, it’s back on the road for the Eagles and Washington Redskins. That’s the time to be making a run for the playoffs. Good luck.
New York only faces six teams that had a losing record in 2014. The Jets, like the Bills, have a rough schedule simple because they are playing the AFC and NFC East divisions. Additionally, New York has a challenging docket the last three games of the year when it faces the Patriots, Cowboys and Bills, with only New England coming to MetLife Stadium.
5. Buffalo’s defensive scheme
What is the best thing going for Buffalo over the past few years? It’s nasty defensive line. With Ryan coming aboard, that group is being broken up to switch from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4. This is a massive deal. Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus went from being penetrating tackles against guards to being put between the guard-tackle gap. Their responsibilities are also different, now having to hold the edge.
Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes are converting to outside linebackers, something that both have done before. However, both are more productive with their hands in the dirt. Before, the Bills only needed to bring four rushers to get to the quarterback. This year, Buffalo will be bringing five or dropping one of the outside linebackers into coverage.
Next: The AFC East is very, very tough...