It will be interesting to see if the Bills can get off to another hot start. And there was reason to think they might until seeing how they sputtered in preseason.

The addition of Terrell Owens can open the passing game, which was one of our big concerns for the Bills coming into last season. Teams should no longer be able to double Lee Evans on every down. However, left tackle Jason Peters was traded to Philadelphia, and the Bills probably will start two rookies at guard...

Can their offensive line offer enough pass protection for Owens and Evans to stretch the field?

If so, Buffalo's offense will surely erupt.

If not, quarterback Trent Edwards may have to resort to the short passing game, which he is quite adept at given his high completion rate.

But a short game could frustrate T.O. causing him to throw his QB under the bus just like he did to Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Drew Bledsoe, and Tony Romo.

Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how Owens reacts to Buffalo's strong winds which can negatively affect the passing game.

Finally, Owens is battling a sprained toe.

Of course everyone knows Marshawn Lynch will miss the first three games due to suspension. But with the promising Fred Jackson (sprained wrist) and Dominick Rhodes backing him up, the running game could be comparable. The bigger issue once again is the inexperienced offensive line.

On the other side of the ball, Buffalo's defensive line is solid, led by Marcus Stroud. What was Jacksonville thinking letting this player get away?

The line gets a huge boost with the return of Aaron Schobel. And rookie Aaron Maybin may provide an additional spark in the pass rush department. The outlook is rosy.

Buffalo's linebacking crew is solid with Posluszny and Mitchell-- as is their secondary led by McGee and McKelvin.

Schedule Analysis:
The Bills play what I would consider to be 7 difficult games on paper this season... I'm now adjusting this before the season starts to include the road game against the Jets-- call it 8 difficult games on paper;

• @New England - Week 1


• @Miami - Week 4


• @NY Jets - Week 6


• @Carolina - Week 7


• @Tennessee - Week 10


• New England - Week 15


• @Atlanta - Week 16


• Indianapolis - Week 17

There's always a chance the Colts will have a playoff spot cemented by week 17, so won't play their starters in the cold, risking injuries.

The Bills are also scheduled to play what I forecast to be 3 borderline tough games;

• New Orleans - Week 3


• Houston - Week 8


• Miami - Week 12

To have a shot at the postseason the Bills probably need to win at least 2 of these 3 games, as well as a minimum of 4 of the 8 more difficult games above.

Record Projection:
We do like the Bills' prospects on defense this season. We think their defense may play a larger role than the offense in contributing to wins in '09.

Yes, Terrell Owens brings a lot of promise to their offense. But the Bills' offensive line may not be able to hold up its end of the bargain. So far in preseason, the line has been a weakness.

Overall we're now predicting a record of (7-9) for the Bills. A third downgrade from our opening preseason forecast, based on poor O-line play, which is destroying the offense.

Revisit this prediction page for any potential upgrades or downgrades to the 2009 Buffalo Bills season forecast & outlook. This projection will be "frozen" before the '09 season officially kicks off... Once the regular season begins, you can track rolling standings projections here.

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