2. Buffalo Bills
Courtesy of USA Today Sports: Rex Ryan’s Bills have the necessary talent on defense to become elite.
This past season saw Buffalo finish fourth in the NFL in total defense at just over 312 yards per game. It also finished fourth in scoring defense. That latter statistic is simply amazing considering the Bills’ offense was downright dreadful in 2014. Usually in cases like that, good defenses finish near the top in yards allowed but give up more points due to short field and a time of possession disadvantage. This is a representation of just how good Buffalo’s defense was last year.
With one of the best defensive-minded head coaches in Rex Ryan now in the fold, the Bills’ defense should take that step towards elite status. This is only magnified by what promises to be a much better offense after the additions of LeSean McCoy, Charles Clay and Percy Harvin in the offseason.
In fact, Buffalo has a chance to surpass Seattle in terms of overall defensive performance. If McCoy can help the offense move the ball more consistently, it will enable one of the league’s top defensive lines to remain fresh throughout the game—a line that helped Buffalo’s defense rank first in the NFL with 54 sacks last season.
As with Seattle, there are Pro Bowl caliber players at all tiers here. Kyle Williams, Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus form one of the best defensive lines in the game. Meanwhile, the likes of Stephon Gilmore and Aaron Williams head a vastly underrated secondary.
If Buffalo can find a way to get above-average play from an unknown linebacker group, it will finish the 2015 season as one of the top defenses in the NFL. If that happens, the Bills could be looking at their first trip to the postseason since the Bill Clinton Administration.