The Saints follow up their game in Philadelphia with another trip to the Northeast to take on Buffalo in a week three late game. The Bills finished 2008 with a less-than-mediocre 7-9 record and hope to get over that .500 hump this season. It's been a while, four years to be precise, since these two teams last met in the regular season. The Saints have the misfortune of playing in frigid Buffalo but the fortune to have it scheduled during the mild-weather month of September when it shouldn't be an issue. Let's take a look at what fans can expect against the Saints first AFC East opponent of the year.
Bills Offense
Buffalo has had a pretty action-packed off-season this year and much of that excitement has been on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, the signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens has contributed most to that excitement. Owens is a game changer and inevitable Hall of Famer who always seems to play well in his first year with a new team. T.O. will play opposite wideout Lee Evans, teaming up to create a formidable aerial threat. With former Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman now out of the picture, it will be the responsibility of Trent Edwards to get Evans and Owens the ball, making sure to keep the latter happy on the field. Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in this year to provide a little competition in camp but the job is Edwards' to lose.
The other big story of the Bills off-season was the trade of offensive tackle Jason Peters to the Eagles. It is that loss of Peters as well as guard Derrick Dockery combined with a lot of other offensive line tinkering that has Bills fans worried about the state of their quarterback protection. Last years team ranked poorly in sacks per pass attempt and this year, things could get worse before they get better.
On the ground the Bills remain strong. Marshawn Lynch continues his duties as the number one back with Fred Jackson and newly acquired Dominic Rhodes taking on backup roles.
This could be a good, early test. If Gregg Williams does suceed in building that blitzing, attack-style defense we've all been promised then they should have no problem exploiting Buffalo's weak offensive line and rattling unproven quarterback Edwards. Allowing him time to throw to Owens and Evans could be damaging to our secondary. Advantage: Saints.
Bills Defense
First round draft pick Aaron Maybin has been tapped to hopefully play alongside veteran Aaron Schobel and be the defensive end of the future, adding talent and depth to a pass rush that has been lacking. Getting the most out of this unit will be a deciding factor in the overall success of the Bills defense for 2009. In the linebacking department, Keith Ellison, Pat Thomas and John DiGiorgio were all signed in the off-season with the hopes of shoring up the middle of the field and offsetting the loss of several players.
One of the bigger hits to the Bills defense this off-season was the loss of cornerback Jabari Greer to our very own New Orleans Saints. Decent against the pass last year, the Bills should still have a solid secondary with Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Drayton Florence as well as newly drafted and versatile Jairus Byrd. The secondary is rounded out by aptly named Reggie Corner.
Though the Bills may match up well against Saints receivers, their lack of a pass rush should give Brees time to find the right guy. This will also be a good game to establish a ground attack.
Bills 2008 Season
7-9 Record
Last Meeting
October 2, 2005
| Week 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final |
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 7 |
| Saints | 0 | 13 | 0 | 6 | -- | 19 |
Why the Saints Can Win
Brees should have all day to do his damage.
Why the Saints Can Lose
T.O. or Evans could have a great game.
Prediction
Saints 27 - Bills 17
Newly Acquired
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
RB Dominic Rhodes
WR Terrell Owens
G Seth McKinney
C Geoff Hangartner
ILB Pat Thomas
CB Drayton Florence
CB Ellis Lankster
CB Cary Harris
RB Bruce Hall
LB Keith Ellison
OL Kirk Chambers
FB Corey McIntyre
CB Dustin Fox
DE Marcus Smith
LB John DiGiorgio
WR Justin Jenkins
WR Felton Higgins
OL Chris Denman
WR C.J. Hawthorne
2009 Draft Picks
DE Aaron Maybin
C Eric Wood
CB/S Jairus Byrd
G Andy Levitre
TE Shawn Nelson
SS/OLB Nic Harris
CB Cary Harris
CB Ellis Lankster
Key Losses
QB J.P. Losman
TE Robert Royal
G Derrick Dockery
G Jason Whittle
C Duke Preston
C Melvin Fowler
OLB Angelo Crowell
OLB Blake Costanzo
ILB Teddy Lehman
CB Jabari Greer
OT Jason Peters