Chan Gailey wasn't an exciting hire on paper. The Buffalo Bills could have pursued a flashier name, but they went after a coach with a track record for tutoring quarterbacks and playing dynamic offense.
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We saw flashes of that last season. Behind quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the offense posted 31.3 points per game over the first six weeks. That included a stunning win over the New England Patriots.
It didn't last. Buffalo crumbled down the stretch, suffering key injuries on both sides of the ball. Depth was an issue as the team lost nine of its last 11, but Gailey says this year's roster is his deepest yet.
"Not even close," Gailey told The Buffalo News, comparing his roster to the 2010 squad. "(General manager) Buddy (Nix) and I laugh from time to time. It's a good laugh.
"We were trying to find 53 players that we thought could help us win that first year. This year we may have to let some good football players go that we wouldn't even have thought about (releasing) two years ago."
The Bills are better on paper, but we still have questions about Fitzpatrick after his plane-crash finish to 2011. He's healthy again, and there's a lot of excitement bubbling up in Buffalo -- and the defensive line alone is reason for that -- but with 10 wins in two seasons, the Gailey-Nix Project is on the hook to produce a winner in 2012.