30dive Posted July 22, 2005 Posted July 22, 2005 Don Banks must think we'll be alright with Willis, JP, the "D" and Roscoe From CNN/SI 3. Who's the most exciting running back in the division? New York's Curtis Martin had a career year last season and led the NFL in rushing at age 31. New England's Corey Dillon proved to be the perfect teammate, won a ring and finished third among league ground gainers. But neither one generated the buzz Buffalo's Willis McGahee did in his first taste of NFL action. Despite starting just 11 games after bumping Travis Henry to the bench, McGahee rolled to 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns, with seven 100-yard games, including six in his first eight starts. Henry, a pretty good back himself, was traded to the Titans. 'Nuff said. 5. Is second-year QB J.P. Losman ready to lead Buffalo's offense? It takes nerve to hand over the starting job to a guy who has thrown five regular-season passes, but the Bills correctly reasoned that they can't take the next step into the playoffs until they improve at quarterback. And Drew Bledsoe's skills are heading in the wrong direction at this point in his career. In Losman, the Bills believe they have a player who has the right combination of moxie, mobility and play-making ability, even though they realize errors of both inexperience and exuberance will occur. If nothing else, Losman should be fun to watch. 9. Is Buffalo's defense the best-kept secret in the NFL the past two years? The Bills fell one win shy in 2004 of getting to showcase their better-than-you-think defense in the playoffs, but coordinator Jerry Gray's guys are good. Buffalo finished second overall in league defense (264.3 yards per game), and was third against the pass (164.0) and seventh against the rush (100.3) in 2004. The Bills held 11 of their 16 opponents to 17 points or fewer, and only Buffalo's early-season offensive problems kept it out of the playoffs. Led by Takeo Spikes, Aaron Schobel and Nate Clements, the Bills' D is for real. 10. Who will be the division's impact rookies? In Miami, where the memory of last season's 31st-ranked running game remains painful, the Dolphins are expecting early impact from Brown. But the same could be said in New York, which made the bold move of selecting Ohio State kicker Mike Nugent in the second round. After all, it was a pair of Doug Brien misses that kept the Jets out of the AFC title game. In Buffalo, speedy second-round receiver Roscoe Parrish wowed them in minicamp, and though tiny (5-foot-9, 168 pounds, maybe), he's going to have a big role from Day 1.
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