Bills look like a contender for wild-card

[Jay]

The 2008 Buffalo Bills appear to be on the upgrade and they have a favorable schedule.

But are they good enough to end their eight-year playoff drought?

Here's my annual pre-draft, early-bird projected record for the 2008 Buffalo Bills (probable record in bold face; optimistic scenario in parentheses):

Week 1, Sept.7, host Seattle — The Seahawks are the best team in the lousy NFC West division. I give the Bills a 45-55 chance to win the game. 0-1 (1-0).

Week 2, Sept. 14, at Jacksonville. A tall order. The Jaguars are very good and will probably handle the hot weather better. 0-2 (1-1).

Week 3, Sept. 21, host Oakland. No problem. The Raiders are lousy and second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell should have a difficult afternoon. 1-2 (2-1).

Week 4, Sept. 28, at St. Louis.

Week 5, Oct. 5, at Arizona. A split against the Rams and Cardinals, though far from a sure thing, is a reasonable goal. Either game could go either way. 2-3 (3-2).

Week 6, Oct. 12. Bye week.

Week 7, Oct. 19, host San Diego. The extra week to prepare for the Chargers will help, but not enough. 2-4 (3-3).

Week 8, Oct. 26, at Miami. No sweat. Bill Parcells will turn the Dolphins around sooner or later, but not this soon. 3-4 (4-3).

Week 9, Nov. 2, host the New York Jets. The Bills are capable of sweeping the Jets. 4-4 (5-3).

Week 10, Nov. 9, at New England. No way. 4-5 (5-4).

Week 11, Nov. 17, host Cleveland. The Bills should be fired up for a top effort in their only Monday Night Football and prime-time appearance of the season, but the Browns will be ready, too, and they're probably the better team. 4-6 (6-4).

Week 12, Nov. 23, at Kansas City. No longer an impossible task. 5-6 (7-4).

Week 13, Nov. 30, host San Francisco. The 49ers are improving but I give the Bills a 70-30 chance to win at home. 6-6 (8-4).

Week 14, Dec. 7, play Miami at Toronto. If the Bills need snow, wind and a cold day to beat the Dolphins, they don't deserve to make the playoffs. 7-6 (9-4).

Week 15, Dec. 14, at the New York Jets. Almost every team loses a game it should win. This could be it for Buffalo. 7-7 (10-4).

Week 16, Dec. 21, at Denver. The Broncos don't lose many home games in December. 7-8 (10-5).

Week 17, Dec. 28, host New England. The best hope for the Bills is that the Patriots will have clinched their playoff spot and will give several regulars the day off. 7-9 (11-5).

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...804200331/tbd/

[calr]

I can't believe a legit media outlet like the RD&C would go to the hackish lengths of trying to predict games months in advance; most of the time, it's hard enough to forecast a game the day before, let alone hundreds ahead of time. For shame.

[Jay]

This schedule looks better every time I look at it.

[Jay]

Ya, trying to predict their record before the draft is pretty goofy.

[Officer Joseph J Whitestick]

I'm expecting playoffs. If we don't get there DJ has to go.

[Jay]

Hire Cowher.

[ICRockets]

I'm trying to figure out how splitting games against 2 crappy NFC West teams could ever be a tall order. Right now I personally have no doubt we're beating BOTH the Rams and Cards.

[slowpokemcgee]

The Cards are a very underrated team. But we're still better than them. I don't have "no doubt" that we'll be beating them, but I'll hold my judgement on this schedule until at least the preseason.

[Jay]

The Rams were a very injured team last year. I think they will definitely be better.

[slowpokemcgee]

I can't believe a legit media outlet like the RD&C would go to the hackish lengths of trying to predict games months in advance; most of the time, it's hard enough to forecast a game the day before, let alone hundreds ahead of time. For shame.

I wouldn't expect anything else from Bob Matthews. Just be happy he didn't predict the Bills to go 2-14 like normal.

[get him off the field]

If he can predict that we will lose one game that we should win, why can't he predict we'll win one game we shouldn't?

[Wiener Knife]

that schedule screams 10-6 and a playoff berth, now that presupposes that tred, and his new wr2 devin thomas or wheomever can actually get on time and produce, and stroud stays helathy and mitchell plays the way he's capable of playing.

shit what happens if tred and stroud go down for the season in teh preseason or they lose mcgee, or peters. Injuries happen and we got lucky in not losing a key cog in the machine

[Smashingt]

I cant wait for football to start, i'm probably getting season tickets this year, and really think we have a chance this year. Well for the playoffs.

[Sabres244]

I'm pretty excited. I really want the boys to do well.