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10 Things we learned about the Bills in 2013-2014
A rollercoaster year for the red and blue
posted by swaygodeus on May 24, 2011
Tyree Rush showed nay sayers he is the real deal
10 Things we learned about the Bills this year
10) Jamal Bonner is a big play WR
The Bills looked for a threat opposite Lee Evans to truly get the Bills air attack going. Despite going 32nd in the league in passing yards, mainly because of the success of the ground game, the rookie out of Wake Forest showed some great production in his first year. Despite 20 less catches, Bonner’s numbers weren’t too far off Evans; 22 catches for 604 yards for a 27.5 yard average. His 5 receiving TD’s was tied for the team lead. His best performance was a 3 catch, 135 yard game against the Bucs in a Week 8 win. Bonner has sure hands and can make plays on the ball, taking it away from the preying CB on more than a few occasions. The future is bright for Bonner.
9) Wilson Jordan is a top tier DE
His stats may not be out of this world, but the Bills like what they’re seeing with their 2nd year DE. Jordan recorded 5 sacks but was also instrumental in keeping the opponents outside run game in check. The Bills improved their ground game and ranked 18th in the league in rush yards allowed. The sky is the limit for this 6’5 261lb monster.
8) Aaron Maybin was not a bust
At one point in UFL 2.0 Aaron Maybin was riding pine behind Wilson Jordan and Shawne Merriman. Lucky for his Merriman would get injured early on in the season and Maybin would get his shot, and did he ever produce. At one point through 6 games he had registered 7 sacks and was tied for the league lead. Not bad for someone who wasn’t even active to start the season. Maybin will surely be back so the fans at the Ralph can once again yell post sack; “Maybe you’re born with it…or MAYBE IT’S MAYBIN!!”
7) This team can run the ball!
The Bills ranked 2nd in the league in rushing with 145.8 yards per game. That was just off Denver’s #1 rank of 146.9. It was the deadly combination of the speedy CJ Spiller and the bruiser Sean Loften that lead the Bills to dominate on the ground. No 1-2 punch in the UFL came close to the production these two backs had as they carried the Bills to a 9 win season.
6) Regan Newton needs to be respected
The Bills knew they were getting a steal when they selected Newton late in the 2010-2011 draft. Newton had the most productive season in his 3 UFL seasons, and led AFC CB’s with 6 sacks to go along with 5 picks, 2 forced fumbles and 43 tackles. With the introduction of CB Kevin Leopard, Newton looked much more comfortable in the Nickel spot and was able to attack the QB off the edge using his deadly speed. Newton was selected to his first UFL Pro Bowl because of his great season.
5) Jeremy Shockey can still make plays
There were many times in the 2013-2014 season the Bills won games because of clutch plays made by Jeremy Shockey. The wily veteran has a knack for getting open, and he holds the ball well. While his production dropped off with the Bills throwing less, Shockey was still the man in the middle, and showed up when the team needed him. Shockey also performed very well in the Bills wildcard loss to the Raiders, catching 6 balls for 109 yards and 2 TD catches. Jeremy was definitely an integral part of the Bills productive season.
4) HB Sean Loften is a beast
Don’t think so? Just ask the teams who tried to go up against this kid. Despite splitting carries with Pro Bowler CJ Spiller, Loften managed to rush for 796 yards and 8 TD’s on just 139 carries, or 5.7 a carry. That 5.7 is staggering for a guy who almost strictly runs between the tackles, pounding his way towards the opponents end zone. There were many times this season Loften’s extra effort got the Bills needed first downs, which is an important stat that isn’t always highlighted. Loften was so productive in fact many fans questioned who the actual starter was. The Bills look forward to Loften’s progress in 2014.
3) Tyree Rush is a superstar LB
Tyree “Big Time” Rush was the Bills first selection in UFL 2.0. They truly believed he had the skill set to be a superstar LB in this league, and this season he blossomed in to the do everything LB the Bills saw when they drafted him. Rush lead the team in tackles (67), sacks (8.0) , and forced fumbles (5). His speed was paramount in stopping speedy HB’s and he showed great instincts. The Bills know they’ve yet to see what this monster can do for the defense.
2) Levi Brown IS the answer for the Bills at QB
Every year the analysts have the same questions, will the Bills draft a QB, when will they smarten up and address the QB situation. The Bills did take QB Kenneth Quigley, and at one point even named him the starter, but the Bills learned a valuable lesson; sometimes what you’re looking for is already right in front of you. Brown’s production was way off 2012’s mark, but he made the plays to put the Bills in position to win, and they did. Levi’s season ended in a Week 13 win against division rival New York, putting the club at 8-4 and in control of the AFC East. Without Brown, the Bills went 1-3 and nearly missed the playoffs because of it. He may not have the bomb but this guy’s money from 0-30 yards. Best BILL-IEVE DAT! And for the record the Bills will NOT be drafting a QB in Season 5.
1) CJ Spiller is the Bills’ MVP
For the Bills to get over the hump, they would need a spark, and CJ Spiller would provide that and then some. Spiller’s 1429 yards was impressive, good for 5th overall in the UFL, despite splitting carries with Sean Loften, but it was his knack for finding the end zone that really catapulted CJ to the top. 23 times he would score on the ground, equal to his rushing TD’s from 2011 and 2012 and 3 more than any back in the league. He had 7 100+ yard games, up from 3 the season before. Spiller was also an integral part of the passing game, leading the team with 45 receptions and adding 4 TD’s while adding 570 yards. CJ Spiller is definitely the Bills’ MVP, is he the league’s? Only time will tell….
A rollercoaster year for the red and blue
posted by swaygodeus on May 24, 2011
Tyree Rush showed nay sayers he is the real deal
10 Things we learned about the Bills this year
10) Jamal Bonner is a big play WR
The Bills looked for a threat opposite Lee Evans to truly get the Bills air attack going. Despite going 32nd in the league in passing yards, mainly because of the success of the ground game, the rookie out of Wake Forest showed some great production in his first year. Despite 20 less catches, Bonner’s numbers weren’t too far off Evans; 22 catches for 604 yards for a 27.5 yard average. His 5 receiving TD’s was tied for the team lead. His best performance was a 3 catch, 135 yard game against the Bucs in a Week 8 win. Bonner has sure hands and can make plays on the ball, taking it away from the preying CB on more than a few occasions. The future is bright for Bonner.
9) Wilson Jordan is a top tier DE
His stats may not be out of this world, but the Bills like what they’re seeing with their 2nd year DE. Jordan recorded 5 sacks but was also instrumental in keeping the opponents outside run game in check. The Bills improved their ground game and ranked 18th in the league in rush yards allowed. The sky is the limit for this 6’5 261lb monster.
8) Aaron Maybin was not a bust
At one point in UFL 2.0 Aaron Maybin was riding pine behind Wilson Jordan and Shawne Merriman. Lucky for his Merriman would get injured early on in the season and Maybin would get his shot, and did he ever produce. At one point through 6 games he had registered 7 sacks and was tied for the league lead. Not bad for someone who wasn’t even active to start the season. Maybin will surely be back so the fans at the Ralph can once again yell post sack; “Maybe you’re born with it…or MAYBE IT’S MAYBIN!!”
7) This team can run the ball!
The Bills ranked 2nd in the league in rushing with 145.8 yards per game. That was just off Denver’s #1 rank of 146.9. It was the deadly combination of the speedy CJ Spiller and the bruiser Sean Loften that lead the Bills to dominate on the ground. No 1-2 punch in the UFL came close to the production these two backs had as they carried the Bills to a 9 win season.
6) Regan Newton needs to be respected
The Bills knew they were getting a steal when they selected Newton late in the 2010-2011 draft. Newton had the most productive season in his 3 UFL seasons, and led AFC CB’s with 6 sacks to go along with 5 picks, 2 forced fumbles and 43 tackles. With the introduction of CB Kevin Leopard, Newton looked much more comfortable in the Nickel spot and was able to attack the QB off the edge using his deadly speed. Newton was selected to his first UFL Pro Bowl because of his great season.
5) Jeremy Shockey can still make plays
There were many times in the 2013-2014 season the Bills won games because of clutch plays made by Jeremy Shockey. The wily veteran has a knack for getting open, and he holds the ball well. While his production dropped off with the Bills throwing less, Shockey was still the man in the middle, and showed up when the team needed him. Shockey also performed very well in the Bills wildcard loss to the Raiders, catching 6 balls for 109 yards and 2 TD catches. Jeremy was definitely an integral part of the Bills productive season.
4) HB Sean Loften is a beast
Don’t think so? Just ask the teams who tried to go up against this kid. Despite splitting carries with Pro Bowler CJ Spiller, Loften managed to rush for 796 yards and 8 TD’s on just 139 carries, or 5.7 a carry. That 5.7 is staggering for a guy who almost strictly runs between the tackles, pounding his way towards the opponents end zone. There were many times this season Loften’s extra effort got the Bills needed first downs, which is an important stat that isn’t always highlighted. Loften was so productive in fact many fans questioned who the actual starter was. The Bills look forward to Loften’s progress in 2014.
3) Tyree Rush is a superstar LB
Tyree “Big Time” Rush was the Bills first selection in UFL 2.0. They truly believed he had the skill set to be a superstar LB in this league, and this season he blossomed in to the do everything LB the Bills saw when they drafted him. Rush lead the team in tackles (67), sacks (8.0) , and forced fumbles (5). His speed was paramount in stopping speedy HB’s and he showed great instincts. The Bills know they’ve yet to see what this monster can do for the defense.
2) Levi Brown IS the answer for the Bills at QB
Every year the analysts have the same questions, will the Bills draft a QB, when will they smarten up and address the QB situation. The Bills did take QB Kenneth Quigley, and at one point even named him the starter, but the Bills learned a valuable lesson; sometimes what you’re looking for is already right in front of you. Brown’s production was way off 2012’s mark, but he made the plays to put the Bills in position to win, and they did. Levi’s season ended in a Week 13 win against division rival New York, putting the club at 8-4 and in control of the AFC East. Without Brown, the Bills went 1-3 and nearly missed the playoffs because of it. He may not have the bomb but this guy’s money from 0-30 yards. Best BILL-IEVE DAT! And for the record the Bills will NOT be drafting a QB in Season 5.
1) CJ Spiller is the Bills’ MVP
For the Bills to get over the hump, they would need a spark, and CJ Spiller would provide that and then some. Spiller’s 1429 yards was impressive, good for 5th overall in the UFL, despite splitting carries with Sean Loften, but it was his knack for finding the end zone that really catapulted CJ to the top. 23 times he would score on the ground, equal to his rushing TD’s from 2011 and 2012 and 3 more than any back in the league. He had 7 100+ yard games, up from 3 the season before. Spiller was also an integral part of the passing game, leading the team with 45 receptions and adding 4 TD’s while adding 570 yards. CJ Spiller is definitely the Bills’ MVP, is he the league’s? Only time will tell….
