The 2012 NFL season was disappointing for the Buffalo Bills. Like every team in the NFL, prior to the start of the season, Buffalo had hopes of reaching the playoffs. They fell short. Buffalo finished with a 6-10 record. They finished third in the AFC East, only ahead of the butt fumbling New York Jets. Sorry for that.
Despite the bright outlook at the beginning of the season, Buffalo ended the season ranked in the lower half of the league in several statistical categories. Perhaps the most glaring was the whopping 145.8 rushing yards allowed per game. Only the New Orleans Saints had a worse rush defense. The hype of the Mario Williams signing only magnified the end result. In the end, head coach Chan Gailey paid the price, he was quickly fired at the end of the season to bring in new head coach Doug Marrone. The 2012 season was a tumultuous one for the Bills. The new regime brings along a new set of coaches and possibly a new roster to boot.
So what happened? Why did Buffalo fail so miserably? It starts at the top. Subpar head coaching leads to subpar football on the field. The next one to take the fall is quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The quarterback is by far the most important position in the game. Fitzpatrick’s inconsistent play largely attributed to the Bill’s woes. Buffalo needs to cut ties with Fitzpatrick and move forward. New head coach Marrone has a lot of decisions to make in the up coming months and perhaps the most important one will be the one at quarterback.
All of the blame can’t be placed solely on Fitzpatrick. Many other positions failed to live up to expectations as well. The play of former first round pick Leodis McKelvin has also come into question. McKelvin was the 11th overall pick for the Bills in 2008. While he hasn’t been a total bust, he has certainly failed to live up to expectations. McKelvin provides more value for Buffalo on special teams. He has averaged 28.3 yards per kick return in the 2012 season and had two touchdowns. He is a free agent this year and may be seeking a bigger payday elsewhere. It will be interesting to see if Buffalo holds on to him. If they do, it will be for his return skills and nothing more.
Not all of Buffalo’s 2012 season was disappointing. The play of safety Jairus Byrd was one of the few bright spots for Buffalo. Byrd was a second round pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Ever since he entered the league he has dominated his position. Byrd was selected to two Pro Bowls and has cemented his position on the Buffalo defense. Byrd is a free agent and may test the open market. For a player of his caliber teams will be willing to pay top dollar for his services.
Despite the disappointing season, Buffalo fans are in for a wild ride this offseason. The hiring of the new coaching staff will make things even more interesting. Buffalo must decide whether to keep or let go their top free agents. Who will be their quarterback next year? This along with many other questions will be answered in a few short months.