AFC East

Sporting News, The, Jan 14, 2002

Buffalo Bills www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/bills

DETERMINING FACTOR: MLB Sam Cowart's absence severely hindered the team's ability to stop the run. Cowart suffered a season-ending Achilles' tendon injury in the opener. The Bills struggled to stop teams on third down because opponents were in advantageous yardage situations after running the ball successfully on first and/or second down. DT Pat Williams had a Pro Bowl-type season, but the Bills had no one to pick up the slack when he was double-teamed, which was often.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Great cornerbacks who can shut down receivers in man coverage are rare, and the Bills seemed to have struck gold with CB Nate Clements. Clements, 5-11, 204, is strong enough to fight for the ball in the air. His recovery speed makes up for a tendency to bite on double moves. Injuries prevented rookie RT Jonas Jennings from realizing his full potential. But he was a bargain in the third round of the draft. Jennings is strong and nimble-footed. His pass-blocking technique needs polish, but he is dominant at times in the running game.

OFFSEASON GAME PLAN: QB Rob Johnson probably won't be back. The team appears ready to commit to Alex Van Pelt, who displayed a better command of the offense and made quicker decisions than Johnson. Next on the agenda is re-signing Cowart, who will be a free agent. The Bills want a contract with incentives based on his ability to stay on the field. In the draft, the Bills' most pressing needs are offensive and defensive linemen. If LT John Fina gets cut to free salary-cap space, the Bills may use the No. 4 overall pick on Miami (Fla.) OT Bryant McKinnie--if he's available. Team president/G.M. Tom Donahoe hinted he might trade down, but it's hard to imagine him passing on a player of McKinnie's caliber. It is possible the Bills will draft defense first, taking an impact pass-rushing end, such as North Carolina's Julius Peppers, or a run-stuffing tackle, such as Tennessee's John Henderson, Wisconsin's Wendell Bryant or North Carolina's Ryan Sims. The Bills will draft a quarterback, especially if Johnson is gone. They like their No. 3 quarterback, Travis Brown, but it's not certain that he could replace Van Pelt in the No. 2 spot because he hasn't played. --Allen Wilson

FINAL GRADES Regular season

OFFENSE: C Moulds wasn't involved enough. Injuries hurt line.

DEFENSE: D Couldn't stop the run without Cowart.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D Promising punting. Erratic kicking.

COACHING: C The team was more competitive than record indicates.

PASSING    Att.   Comp.   Pct.   Yds.   Long

Van Pelt    307     178   58.0   2056    80t
Johnson     216     134   62.0   1465    61t

PASSING    TD   Int.   Rating   Sacked

Van Pelt   12     11     76.4       14
Johnson     5      7     76.3       31

RUSHING     Att.   Yds.   Avg.   TD

Henry        213    729    3.4    4
Bryson        80    341    4.3    2
Johnson       36    241    6.7    1

RECEIVING    No.   Yds.   Avg.   TD

Centers       80    620    7.8    2
Moulds        67    904   13.5    5
P. Price      55    895   16.3    7

SCORING   XPM   XPA   FGM   FGA   Pts.

Graham      7     7     6     8     25

PUNTING        No.   Yds.   Avg.   Blk.

Moorman         80   3262   40.8      0

KO RETURNS     No.   Yds.   Avg.     TD

Clements        30    628   20.9      0

PUNT RETURNS   No.   Yds.   Avg.     TD

P. Price        19    110    5.8      0

SACKS: Schobel 6.5, Newman 3.5,
Hansen 3.0, Fisher 3.0, Office 3.0.

INTERCEPTIONS: Clements 3,
Winfield 2, Spoon 2.

Indianapolis Colts www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/colts

DETERMINING FACTOR: The team acknowledged it needed to upgrade a defense that ranked 21st in the league in 2000. It attempted to get better by relying on youth, which led to coordinator Vic Fangio relying on five first-time starters. But the growing pains proved to be more severe than anyone anticipated, and the defense ranked among the league's worst all season, allowing an average of 357.2 yards per game. Points and yardage were yielded at unacceptable rates, and there were too few difference-making plays (interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles) created.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: In his second season, Marcus Washington replaced departed veteran Cornelius Bennett at strongside linebacker and grew into the position with active and aggressive play. The team made the most of his athleticism by frequently lining him up as an outside pass rusher in its dime alignment. He responded by leading the team in sacks. On offense, fourth-rounder Ryan Diem replaced incumbent RG Larry Moore in the starting lineup in seven of the last eight games. Diem, a right tackle in college, still is learning the guard position, but he's smart and has the size and athleticism to be a lasting force.

OFFSEASON GAME PLAN: The team first must decide which of its free agents to retain. Most of the prominent ones are offensive fixtures: LT Tarik Glenn, LG Steve McKinney, WR Jerome Pathon and Moore. The return of Glenn, who has protected QB Peyton Manning's blind side since 1998, is a must. It also will be the most expensive, which might lessen the team's ability to resign McKinney and Moore. The presence of Diem and fellow rookie G Rick DeMulling would help minimize the damage done if McKinney and/or Moore depart. Don't rule out Pathon returning. He missed 12 games with a foot injury, but his likely replacement, first-rounder Reggie Wayne, remains something of a question mark. Defensively, the priorities are a pass-rushing end to complement E Chad Bratzke, a corner, a run-stuffing tackle and depth at linebacker. The team will have a high draft pick, but it would be foolish to believe another influx of young talent will fix what's wrong. The team must find the means to acquire from the free-agent market a couple of veterans who can step in and immediately make a difference. --Mike Chappell