I’ve begun to realize that a sign of dating yourself with the younger crowd is that you remember, in vivid detail, the last time the Buffalo Bills were really good. Those of us 40-and-up can remember pretty clearly this organization’s halcyon days of 1990-93 and the unprecedented four straight AFC titles…and yes, the four straight Super Bowl losses.
It’s been 1999 since the Buffalo Bills last made the playoffs and it’s been 2004 since they last had a winning season. It looked like last year might finally be Buffalo’s time after a good start, but before long quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was getting beat up, the losses were piling up and the loyal fans at Rich Stadium were staring up at a 6-10 finish. Cautious optimism surrounds the Bills as we get set for 2012. TheSportsNotebook breaks the team down to see if this is finally a breakout year…