2020 Season
Okay, we have cast our big money lot with three long term guys and one short term – and they are all still here to play, probably for this one last year (Cassidy will get too expensive and risky very soon, I figure). So, after three missed chances, this ought to be it.
Season Preview and Goals
Roster Strength: 78 (t4th behind NO, NE, IND)
Cohesion Ratings: 93-89-98-100(92)
Affinity Index: 42
Last Year's Results: 15-1, #1 seed, one and out in playoffs
Predicted Results: 12-4, bye week
Keys to Success: Play to our potential in general
Nice twist from preseason – we will get to play 3 or 4 games without QB Brady, with Dustin Allen getting the call. (that make Allen tough to re-sign next year also, by the way)
Allen is shaky in our opener, but we win in New England, a big start. We get to 3-0, and Allen is feeling fine with a 105 rating. We do lose one game with Brady in the saddle, but get to the midpoint looking sharp at 7-1, and WR Spikes threatening 1,000 yards already.
Brady gets dinged a week later, and will miss another month. But we keep chugging along with Allen, who will now sport a career W/L record of 7-0-0, not bad. In week 16, Brady is down again – and we have to be worried not just for this season (he's definitely out for the playoffs) but beyond. We have a **lot** of cash tied up in that guy to have him pulling hammies every couple of weeks. Anyhow, Allen is our guy now. Would be awfully weird to see this team finally get it done with a stand-in taking the snaps.
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2020 Summary for Buffalo Bills
Year 2020
Record 15-1
Winning Pct. .937
All-Time 112-64
Winning Pct. .636
Playoffs 3-5
Playoff Visits 6
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Morris Weeks
Record 87-33
Winning Pct. .725
Off. Coord. J. Castillo
Def. Coord. B. Nazareno
Buffalo Bills Team Rank
Rushes per Game 32.4 2
Rushing Yards 135.8 2
Yards Per Carry 4.18 18
Pass Attempts 28.4 31
Completions 18.8 29
Completion Pct. 66.1 2
Passing Yards 293.9 2
Yards Per Attempt 10.36 1
Yards Per Catch 15.67 1
Total Yardage Gained 420.7 1
3rd Down Conversions 49.8 1
Points Per Game 32.5 1
Pass Rush Pct. 21.9 2
Pass Defense Pct. 68.6 1
Turnovers 18 2
Turnover Margin +11 2 (T)
Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.8 7
Rushing Yards 108.6 19
Yards Per Carry 4.57 30
Pass Attempts 34.3 10 (T)
Completions 19.1 2
Completion Pct. 55.8 1
Passing Yards 190.2 1
Yards Per Attempt 5.55 1
Yards Per Catch 9.94 4
Total Yardage Gained 287.2 1
3rd Down Conversions 33.0 5
Points Per Game 15.1 2
Pass Rush Pct. 16.4 4
Pass Defense Pct. 42.3 6
Turnovers 29 10 (T)
Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 19 at NED 16
2 20 ARI 16
3 45 at HOU 23
4 38 at MIA 13
5 6 at DEN 30
6 33 at OAK 7
8 43 SDO 16
9 42 at NYJ 18
10 44 KCY 21
11 35 NED 9
12 31 at STL 30
13 27 PIT 7
14 27 SEA 7
15 41 MIA 3
16 31 at SFO 17
17 38 NYJ 9
Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 D. Allen QB 272 173 2734 10.05 23 7 114.4
12 V. Brady QB 182 127 1968 10.81 18 4 129.1
**Team --- 454 300 4702 10.36 41 11 120.3
$$Opp --- 548 306 3043 5.55 14 18 66.6
Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
39 R. Acuna RB 295 1265 4.29 5 7
47 R. Tatum RB 184 709 3.85 7 1
**Team --- 519 2172 4.18 15 25
$$Opp --- 380 1738 4.57 6 21
Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
1 K. Spikes WR 163 114 2001 17.55 12.28 7 20
84 M. Cassidy WR 110 71 1115 15.70 10.14 7 7
80 T. Beard WR 58 33 508 15.39 8.76 7 5
82 M. Lyght TE 29 18 235 13.06 8.10 3 3
88 B. Turner TE 25 16 214 13.38 8.56 0 3
Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
41 C. Wiggins S 68 30 0.0 0 2 4 77.4
48 D. Borders CB 63 14 0.0 0 5 8 82.1
29 D. Kirk S 58 11 0.0 0 3 11 82.7
22 R. Francis CB 55 14 0.0 0 4 10 83.6
38 R. Harper CB 48 12 0.0 0 0 6 74.1
52 G. Boles ILB 44 12 1.0 4 0 1 77.6
59 F. Preston OLB 43 19 1.0 1 0 7 78.2
31 J. Byrd S 41 18 0.0 0 1 14 86.7
5 R. Ozga ILB 32 8 0.5 0 0 1 79.4
94 S. Marchion DE 31 14 3.0 11 0 0 81.0
93 B. McKinney DE 27 12 10.5 27 0 1 81.7
33 K. Bixler CB 26 10 1.0 0 0 9 82.3
34 C. Writer CB 24 4 0.0 0 2 0 76.8
53 N. Martin OLB 24 9 1.0 0 0 5 78.6
90 H. Hughes DE 23 9 4.5 9 0 1 82.8
35 J. Halton OLB 22 6 0.0 0 0 2 73.8
95 K. Aufedenkampe DT 20 8 1.5 6 0 0 80.9
So, we once again look like a power team on the surface. Things I don't like a ton underneath the surface, I'll admit – we didn't get a huge pass rush this year, and our running game is not really an asset at all. We clearly don't give a damn about stopping the run, and that has its downside, too.
But on the upside. Our pass attack is seemingly unstoppable, as is Spikes in particular – 2,000 yards receiving on a non-gadget team (with a backup QB mostly) is pretty damned impressive. I think there's a case to just keep tagging WR Cassidy – hard to argue that we ought to break this group up, in any way. And that's really the big story here.
Anyhow – we're in. But this time, we are very banged up.
Divisional Playoff: Cleveland (9-8) at Buffalo (15-1) – We have three key absences in QB Brady, TE Turner, and S Byrd, but we still figure to dominate this game. Yes, I say that knowing we don't have a great track record of this situation. Anyway, we execute perfectly – Allen has 5 TD passes in the first half, and we cruise to a 38-13 win, even despite a terrible second half effort.
Conference Championship: Indianapolis (14-3) at Buffalo (16-1) – This is the real test. Stud rookie QB and a very good defense make the Colts a very tough out. We get out to a good start with a score early, and hold that edge all through the first half, driving for a FG to lead 17-0 at the break. The D is strong, the passing game solid, and we have this one well in hand throughout, winning 27-8 in the end, with three receivers approaching 100 yards on the day while we only had 440 total yards teamwide.
Superbowl: Buffalo (17-1) vs San Francisco (16-2) – Chris Berman is probably loving this! The top seeds get to battle it out, as it ought to be. Glad we finally live up to the hype, at least this far. S Byrd will be back in action, but our injury list remains long and intimidating. WR Cassidy is hurt but will play. Cassidy has been a hot knife through these playoffs, and keep sit up with a TD on the opening drive. An Allen pick sets up SF for a short TD drive to tie in the early 2nd, and we blow a gift of our own with another pick deep in SF territory as the half winds up tied at 7. We finally overcome our penalties (two big pass plays called back already) to get Cassidy in again for a 14-7 lead in the late 3rd. Our D is playing well enough, that might be all we need – but you can't be comfy at all. But another stop followed by a 33-yard TD to Spikes, and now we are feeling it. With 5 minutes left, SF is driving – but S Calvin Wiggins comes up with a pick and a 40+ yard return to midfield. Big play in the big game, son. SF drives for a late TD, but it's at about 12 seconds on the clock, so they need two gifts to get back even. We cover the onside kick, and that's all she wrote. Wow.
Buffalo 21, San Francisco 14
Interesting twist in the in-game awards... the MVP of the Superbowl is awarded to... Center Luke Robertson. Allen's 2 picks must have cost him the honors, and somehow WR Cassidy's 117/2 wasn't enough, either. Nope, history will record Luke Robertson and his 6-of-10 “key run blocks” (zero pancakes) as the main element in the game, it seems – even as the team posted only 6 rushing first downs, on lower than 3.5 yards per carry. Okay, then, we're fine with that I suppose.
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2020 Awards List
Award Player Team
Player of the Year Matt Ryan ATL
**Front Office Bowl MVP Luke Robertson BUF
Coach of the Year Not Yet Awarded
Legend of the Game Not Yet Awarded
Offensive Player of the Year Matt Ryan ATL
Defensive Player of the Year Dustin Hicks SDO
Offensive Rookie of the Year Renaldo Cheuse IND
Defensive Rookie of the Year Kenny Garner NED
All-League First Team Quarterback Matt Ryan ATL
All-League First Team Running Back Leo McWilliams NYK
All-League First Team Fullback Kenny Thompson NOS
All-League First Team Tight End Lee Rose JAX
**All-League First Team Wide Receiver Korey Spikes BUF
All-League First Team Wide Receiver Craig Mallow ATL
All-League First Team Center Donny Fincher NYJ
All-League First Team Offensive Guard Marshall Dotson CIN
All-League First Team Offensive Guard Jerald Farr STL
**All-League First Team Offensive Tackle Drew Bernstein BUF
All-League First Team Offensive Tackle Dave Gossett CIN
All-League First Team Punter Matt Dodge NYK
All-League First Team Kicker Horace Frimodt IND
All-League First Team Defensive End Shane Poole HOU
All-League First Team Defensive End Charlie Swift IND
All-League First Team Defensive Tackle Josh Siragusa IND
All-League First Team Defensive Tackle Ian Blackwell TEN
All-League First Team Inside Linebacker Walt Dutton WAS
All-League First Team Outside Linebacker Max Starks CLE
All-League First Team Outside Linebacker Ron Voncannon ARI
**All-League First Team Cornerback Donnie Borders BUF
All-League First Team Cornerback Patrick Robinson NOS
All-League First Team Safety Dustin Hicks SDO
All-League First Team Safety Luther Farmer ARI
All-League Second Team Quarterback Renaldo Cheuse IND
All-League Second Team Running Back Leland Hinman CIN
All-League Second Team Fullback J.B. Robak NED
All-League Second Team Tight End Grant Palmer CHI
All-League Second Team Wide Receiver Van Guymon SEA
All-League Second Team Wide Receiver Zack Glover TBY
All-League Second Team Center Nathan Fisher CLE
All-League Second Team Offensive Guard Gilbert Han BAL
All-League Second Team Offensive Guard Nicky Castine ARI
All-League Second Team Offensive Tackle Lionel Capodaglio JAX
All-League Second Team Offensive Tackle Preston Garner CAR
All-League Second Team Punter Christian Tucker TEN
All-League Second Team Kicker Jerry Ickes NYK
All-League Second Team Defensive End Calvin Spencer BAL
All-League Second Team Defensive End Brandon Graham PHI
All-League Second Team Defensive Tackle D.J. Hopper GBY
All-League Second Team Defensive Tackle K.C. Long SFO
All-League Second Team Inside Linebacker John Devine CIN
All-League Second Team Outside Linebacker Neal Wheat NYJ
All-League Second Team Outside Linebacker Dana Buckley KCY
All-League Second Team Cornerback Vince Zlotnik IND
All-League Second Team Cornerback Floyd Westbrook DAL
All-League Second Team Safety Kenny Garner NED
All-League Second Team Safety Deion Swift DET
League's Fastest Man Joel Burgo KCY
League's Strongest Man Jimmy La Rosa WAS
Well, I guess that was the point of all this. Good on ya, men.