Bills vs. Broncos Preview

On Saturday night the Bills will face the Denver Broncos in their second exhibition matchup of the season. Their first game ended with a loss but they did show some great signs on defense. The defensive side of the ball racked up 9 sacks and held the Chicago Offense to only 10 points, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and company could not muster enough points to win the game. The Bills will be looking to improve on their offensive shortcomings against the Bears and continue to improve their defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in 2010.

Players to Watch:

Shawne Merriman-Merriman was one of the NFL's most feared defenders until injuries kept him out just a few years ago. His first action since his calf and Achilles injuries he recorded 2.5 sacks in just three series on the field. Will he continue this domination against Kyle Orton and Knowshon Moreno?

Marcell Dareus-The #3 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft impressed Bills fans in his first start with the team last week. He had 1 sack and seemed to dominate a rather weak Bears offensive line. Dareus was quoted as saying; "I'm going to make it hell for them (Denver and Carolina) every time I play against them" after being asked how it felt being passed up by the Panthers and Broncos in last April's Draft. Will he be able to "make it hell" for Denver's Offense?

Ryan Fitzpatrick-The success of any NFL Offense rests mostly on the shoulder of the starting QB. This is the case in Buffalo as Ryan Fitzpatrick is the main question mark in a young offense. Fitzpatrick has only started 36 career NFL games and last year was his first season as the clear #1 on the depth chart. He produced a solid season racking up 3,000 yards passing and 23 TD's in just 13 starts. If he produces as well as he did in 2010 the Bills offense will surprise some people. Look out Fitzpatrick today in his 3 or so drives and how he gels with his very young and in-experienced offensive line and wide receivers.

Matchup to Watch:

Bills Pass Rush vs. Broncos Offensive Line

The Bills DL will look to prove that last week was not a one time thing and that with the additions of Merriman and Dareus the Bills pass rush will be able to improve on their 27 sacks from 2010, which ranked 27th in the league. The Broncos OL is not one of the better ones in the league but LT Ryan Clady is a perennial Pro Bowler and will be a great test for Dareus if he lines up on the right side of the Bills defensive line.

My Prediction:

Bills 27 Broncos 17

I see the Bills starting Offense producing more against the Broncos than they did against the Bears and put up 10 points in 3 drives. The Bills starting Defense will not be as efficient as they were versus Chicago but will have a solid performance allowing just 7 points in 3 series including a sack or two from the pass rush.

Today's outcome does not matter like it will when the September 11th opener comes around but it would be nice for this young bunch to get a win under the belts even though nobody will remember this game in a few months.