This is my first piece in a series of off-season reviews of the Buffalo Bills. I start with an analysis of the last two seasons and how they impact the upcoming one.

The last two seasons for the Buffalo Bills could not have been more different or more lopsided. In 2002, the arrival of Drew Bledsoe followed with one of the NFL's top ranked offenses. Travis Henry and Peerless Price emerged as stars and the Bills suddenly had too many weapons to be contained. The defense was a different story. Although they had a young nucleus of defenders, they were too young and lacked any veteran leadership. Head Coach Greg Williams and coordinator Jerry Gray were not able to form the same staunch defense that earned them high acclaim in Tennessee. The linebackers lacked speed and the non-existent pass rush from the defensive line rendered the above-average secondary useless.

Last year was the exact opposite. The offense struggled as Drew Bledsoe sorely missed Peerless Price who the Bills sent to Atlanta. The lack of a deep threat clearly exposed the biggest weakness on offense - the offensive line. However, the defense was among the NFL's best. The addition of Takeo Spikes, Sam Adams, and Lawyer Milloy bolstered the Bills in speed, size on the defensive line and leadership respectively.

As different as the two seasons were, there was one strong similarity. The line play - both offensive and defensive - was below average. In 2002, the offensive line did enough to spring Travis Henry a few holes, but allowed Bledsoe to be sacked 54 times - that's over 3 times a game. In 2003, with no Peerless Price, Bledsoe simply did not have enough time to find an open receiver. Let's put this in perspective. Drew Bledsoe was sacked as many times in the last 2 years (103) almost as many times as Peyton Manning has been sacked in his entire 6 year career (126). Bledsoe has shown that he can still lead a high-scoring offense while taking a lot of sacks, but he needs a plethora of talent around him. A team with a strong offensive line can overcome injuries and diversity with much greater ease than one that prioritizes the "skill" positions. This year the Bills are relying on offensive-line guru Jim McNally who is known for extracting maximum productivity from the talent he has. If he isn't able to coach the unit into a shield around Bledsoe, the Bills better hope for no major injuries on offense.

The same is true of the defensive side. In 2003, the Bills had added the bulk and size to improve against the run, but there was still no consistent pass rush -- a total of 69 sacks over two years. This was masked by the speed added at linebacker position as well as a stronger secondary. There was no major injury and the Bills made it through the season without being exploited too often. The defense returns this year with very similar talent with Troy Vincent replacing Antoine Winfield at starting cornerback. The defensive line is expected to improve only through an additional year of experience. This is by far the biggest weakness of the upcoming season.

The rest of the NFL is trying to mimic the success of the New England Patriots by stockpiling depth on both lines. The Bills are confident that the talent they already have is enough to coach into two formidable units. Even if they do, they are still in a very unstable situation without the depth. Their skill players at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback make them a contender, but a few key injuries will prevent the team from making the playoffs in the perennially fierce AFC East.

The great teams build from the lines and work their way out in order to be less reliant on the skill positions. The Denver Broncos have proven that they can achieve an efficient running game no matter who is carrying the ball because they have had tremendous depth at offensive line. A consistent pass-rush has proven to be the most effective way to stop a good offensive team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the NFL and the top-ranked offense of the Raiders with their superior defensive line.

The Patriots are perhaps the finest example of what great defensive and offensive lines can do for you. Look at how the Patriots destroyed the then-unstoppable Peyton Manning by getting after him all day in last years AFC Championship game. A few years ago they dismantled the prolific offense of Kurt Warner's Rams in the Superbowl. On offense, Tom Brady often has more than enough of time to find an open receiver. The Patriots have below average talent at wide receiver and running back. Their consistent line allows them to manufacture a ground game with below average runners.

The Bills have watched the Patriots win the Superbowl 2 out of the last 3 years through their blueprint of success which relies heavily on exceptional line play and talent. The Bills are attempting to replicate that success via a fundamentally opposite strategy. Let's hope they don't have opposite results.