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The final week of the NFL regular season was unpredictable as expected, and once again my record was a mediocre 8-8, which means I fell short of my goal to keep the “wrong” side of the ledger out of triple digits. The final record was a respectable 152 right and 103 wrong. Here are the picks for this weekend’s Wild Card playoff games:

New York Jets at Indianapolis – traditionally, the Colts do better in the postseason when they struggle to get in than they do when they wrap up their spot early, but on a hunch I’m going to pick the Jets to pull an upset and avenge last year’s AFC Championship game loss to the Colts.

New Orleans at Seattle – the Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record, winning the pathetic NFC West crown at 7-9. They should be defeated soundly by the defending Super Bowl champion Saints, but with nothing to lose and playing at home, will probably keep the game close. The Saints should pull out a win eventually though.

Baltimore at Kansas City – the Chiefs have home field advantage, but not much playoff experience, while the Ravens are playoff tested and have a track record of being playoff road warriors. I’ll go with Baltimore to win a close, low-scoring game.

Green Bay at Philadelphia – Mike Vick was the comeback player of the year this season, but teams began figuring out how to stop him late in the year – by pressuring him. Green Bay has the horses on defense, led by Clay Matthews, to force him into mistakes. I have a hunch that Aaron Rodgers is going to outplay him, and that the Packers will win a tough road game.

The Buffalo Bills have now completed another dismal losing season, and it’s time to grade them as an organization, from top to bottom. The grade has to be a failing one when a team wins just 4 of 16 games, but we’ll also take into account how the team has progressed in certain areas and how well, if at all, they’ve positioned themselves to further progress next year.

Front Office

The 2010 college draft was the first for the current front office, and it produced no major impact contributors for this season. C.J. Spiller shows some promise, but overall was a disappointment. He has the talent to be a star player in the NFL, but has a lot to learn to get there. The same can be said for Torell Troup and Alex Carrington, future defensive line hopefuls. Linebacker Arthur Moats, by season’s end, was the team’s most productive draft choice. Marcus Easley, Ed Wang and Danny Batten weren’t able to contribute anything, due to injuries. The team got a lot of mileage out of their crop of undrafted free agents, mainly receivers David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt. General manager Buddy Nix gets kudos for not being shy about shaking the bushes to try to find useful players, as the club added new players almost every week during the season, and took a long shot by signing Shawne Merriman as a possible future playmaker for the defense. That has to be the top priority for the front office this off-season – finding impact defensive front seven players to improve the pass rush and stop the run. The club will have the third overall pick of the college draft, and the second pick of the second round (34th overall), as well as an extra 4th round pick from the Marshawn Lynch trade. They have to get all those picks right in order for this team to climb to new heights next season, and perhaps add a couple of playmaking free agents as well.

Coaching Staff

Despite the dismal won/loss record, the coaching staff, after some early miscalculations, managed to get the team playing competitive football the second half of the season. Head coach Chan Gailey opened the season with Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch in the starting lineup, despite the fact both had lost their jobs the previous year. The team also attempted to switch the defense to a 3-4 scheme, with disastrous results. By season’s end, the Bills were playing as a “multiple front” defense, according to Gailey. Overall, despite the 4-12 record, the Bills’ coaching staff enters next season as stable and experienced as it has been in a decade, and appears to have a clear plan as to where it wants to take this team.

Here is a player-by-player evaluation, by position, of the Bills’ roster:

Quarterback

Ryan Fitzpatrick – in my opinion, Fitzpatrick, after taking over as starter, showed enough promise to give the coaches and front office confidence that he can lead the team into the future. He has plenty to improve upon, mostly revolving around ball security issues, but clearly showed he can run a competent offense. Although plenty of Bills’ fans still seem to think the team needs to find that elusive “franchise” quarterback, I think they can do fine sticking with Fitzpatrick, who is only 28. To use Bills’ historical references to make a point, he is never going to be another Jim Kelly, but he could be another Jack Kemp.

Brian Brohm – his play in the season finale was extremely disappointing. He looked indecisive and slow to react to pressure, a lot like Trent Edwards looked when he played here. If the Bills decide to hitch their wagon to Fitzpatrick, Brohm may be the wrong guy to keep as a backup. They might be better off trying to sign a veteran, a short-term guy like a Todd Collins.

Levi Brown – he has the physical tools to be the “young” QB to keep on the roster to develop for the future, but made a lot of mistakes in the few chances he got to play, in preseason and the finale. The coaches, who see and analyze his development in practice each day, should have an idea how much of a future he has, and that answer will come next year, when he either makes the roster again or is cut.

Running Backs

Fred Jackson – he is the best back on the roster right now, but with the team likely to want to expand Spiller’s role next season, he likely will have to prove himself again when the season rolls around. I see him remaining as the team’s lead back, with Spiller making more contributions in the passing game.

C.J. Spiller – he had a few dynamic moments but still has to learn the ropes of what it takes to be a dominating player in the league. He should have a much greater impact in the offense next season.

Quinton Ganther – if he is on the final roster next year, it’ll be strictly to contribute on special teams.

Corey McIntyre – a leader on the offense and in the locker room, he has already signed an extension and should be the starting FB next year again.

Jehuu Caulcrick – the local product was a roster fill-up signing late in the season, and probably doesn’t figure in their future plans.

Wide Receiver

Lee Evans – there is talk that he may be let go as the team rebuilds with younger players. Hopefully that won’t be the case as the offense is better with him on it. Evans is a quality veteran who opponents have to account for, and his lack of huge numbers means next to nothing, as Evans has never been about statistics.

Stevie Johnson – he was without a doubt the breakthrough player of the season for Buffalo. That being said, he still has plenty to improve on – mostly, as with Fitzpatrick, ball security issues. Hopefully his stellar season doesn’t lead to a prolonged contract holdout next year, which happens a lot with low-round players who emerge like Johnson.

Roscoe Parrish – a dynamic player whose career was resurrected when Gailey was hired. He was having a great year prior to being injured and lost for the season.

David Nelson – he was probably the most productive rookie on the roster this year, and seems to have the attitude that will lead to continued improvement in his game, and even more responsibility in the offense next year.

Donald Jones – another undrafted free agent, Jones became a valuable member of the offense when injuries got him lots of playing time this season.

Naaman Roosevelt – got his opportunity to play at the end of the year, also due to injuries to receivers, and like Jones, showed some promise. He should enter training camp next year confident that he can expand his role in the offense also.

Paul Hubbard – practice squad player who was activated for the final game, and probably has no chance to make the team next year.

Marcus Easley – he was injured in training camp and never got a chance to show off his game. He will be a “wild card” in camp next year among the receivers, and adds even more depth to a corps that was surprisingly deep this year.

Tight Ends

Jonathan Stupar – he was the starter most of the season, pretty much by default rather than performance. He did make a few plays along the way when he was involved in the offense, but the team could upgrade this position.

Shawn Nelson – this was a lost season for him, between his four game suspension and his battle with migraines. Unless the coaching staff sees some kind of potential in him, he may not survive on the roster going into training camp. If they do keep him, 2011 will be a make or break year.

Scott Chandler – he was a late season roster addition who excels at blocking in the run game, and should get a long look in the 2011 preseason.

David Martin – a stop-gap signing for this season, he probably won’t be back next year.

Scott Caussin – another guy signed off the street who is a long shot to make next season’s roster.

Offensive Line

Eric Wood – one of the few Bills first round draft picks of recent years who isn’t a bust. He played well at his natural college position – center – to end the season and the coaches may decide to move him there next year.

Andy Levitre – he has settled in nicely at one of the starting guard spots and played pretty well, although he had some penalty problems toward the end of the season.

Demetrius Bell – according to Gailey, Bell played through an injury all year and wasn’t able to practice all the time, and also couldn’t work out in the offseason. He should be solid at left tackle for years to come once he’s healthy enough to begin strength training.

Geoff Hangartner – he was doing a decent job as the starting center before winding up on injured reserve, and should be a starter somewhere on the line when the dust settles in training camp next year.

Erik Pears – he was a late season pickup and Gailey claims he was playing well at right tackle when he got his chances.

Cordaro Howard – an undrafted rookie who played under Gailey in college, Howard looks to be a backup at best.

Mansfield Wrotto – he moved into the starting spot at right tackle after being signed during the season, and played pretty well also before getting hurt.

Kraig Urbik – he was plucked from the Steelers’ practice squad and showed some signs of possibly being a guy who could develop into a servicable player also.

Ed Wang – he never got a chance to show what he could do in his rookie year this season due to injuries, but should be one of the candidates to earn a starting job at either guard or tackle next preseason.

Chad Rinehart and Colin Brown are 2 more linemen signed by the front office as they combed the bushes all season looking for useful players who can help the team improve. There are plenty of candidates on the roster now to be able to build a consistent, strong line even if they don’t add more prospects in the draft.

Kickers

Rian Lindell – he was his usual consistent self, and the Bills will most likely stick with him next season.

Brian Moorman – he did not have his usual stellar season this year, and although he’s still a solid punter the club could bring in some competition for him in training camp next year.

Defensive Line

Kyle Williams – he played at a Pro Bowl level all season. The Bills are solid with him at the nose tackle position going into next year.

Marcus Stroud – he has probably played his last game as a Bill. The one lasting memory I have of him is chasing Ben Roethlisberger, not the most fleet QB around, on a scramble and looking very old and slow while doing it.

Dwan Edwards – he was the big free agent signing of 2010, and played solidly although he certainly isn’t a dominant player. The Bills would do well to keep him at a starting end spot on next year’s defense. He would probably be more of a playmaker if the club’s linebacking corps were improved.

Torell Troup – he earned some playing time in his rookie year and showed some flashes, but still has a long way to go to become an impact player.

Alex Carrington – pretty much the same story as Troup. He showed flashes of talent at times, but didn’t play his way into the lineup until injuries forced the team to use him.

Spencer Johnson – he is a useful front line rotation player who was a good free agent signing when he was brought here from Minnesota.

John McCargo – he becomes an unrestricted free agent and the Bills can’t be rid of him soon enough. He was another first round draft bust.

Kellen Heard – a late season signing that the front office must see some potential in. He was obviously signed with an eye toward helping the team in 2011.

Linebackers

Paul Posluszny – he is a free agent, and it’ll be interesting to see how hard the team works to re-sign him. He is probably the only veteran linebacker on the roster who resembles a starting lineup caliber player.

Akin Ayodele – he is one of a number of backup type players on the roster at the position, even though he started for half the season. His play was good enough that he should be considered as a guy who can be a useful backup next year.

Chris Kelsay – he never looked comfortable at linebacker all year, often over-running the play or missing tackles or just generally looking lost on the field. The front office gave him a contract extension so they must see something in him, but in my mind he is nothing more than a backup, and a backup at defensive end at that, where he seems to be more comfortable.

Aaron Maybin – he is looking more and more like yet another first round bust. In his post-season press conference, Gailey described his position with the team as “on the outside looking in” which doesn’t bode well for him going into next season.

Arthur Moats – by season’s end, he looked like the most polished rookie on the defensive side of the ball, earning his way onto the field and making impact plays each week. If he continues to develop at his current pace, Moats should be penciled in at one of 4 LB spots going into training camp next year.

Pierre Woods – a 5 year veteran signed late in the year after being released by New England, he was a stop-gap guy due to a heavy amount of injuries at the linebacker position, and probably won’t be back next year.

Danny Batten – one of 7 LBs to wind up on injured reserve, Batten is a guy who, like Marcus Easley, never got a chance to show what he brings to the table. He should get every chance to do that in training camp next year.

Antonio Coleman – an undrafted rookie, he showed some promise before getting hurt. The fact that he earned his way onto the field as an undrafted rookie, while Maybin could not, speaks volumes about what the coaching staff thinks of him.

Andra Davis – a veteran brought in who didn’t do much on the field before getting hurt. He probably won’t make the final roster next year.

Keith Ellison – he is a free agent and in his time here has been a useful backup and special teams player, but it won’t be a big loss if he doesn’t return.

Shawne Merriman – this is a big gamble by the front office, but really if he doesn’t pan out they can just cut their losses. If he returns to his Pro Bowl form the team will have added a much needed playmaker to their defense.

Reggie Torbor – he fits the same category as Ayodele and Davis – they are all stop-gap type of players, and the team should be looking to find better options for next year.

Defensive Backs

Jairus Byrd – he had a bad case of the sophomore jinx this year after an outstanding rookie season, and hopefully the interception he had in the finale is a sign of better things to come next year. The defensive staff needs to find ways to put Byrd, a ball-hawking safety, in better positions to make plays next year.

Donte Whitner – he is a free agent who appears to have played his last game for the Bills. Gailey called his status “tenuous”. Whitner never played to the caliber of player he should have been, being a top 10 draft pick, and although he wasn’t a total bust, the team could replace him and wind up with a better defense.

George Wilson – also a free agent, the Bills would be well-served to re-sign him and insert him into Whitner’s spot. Wilson played the position well during his time here, and has made many more plays in limited playing time than Whitner.

Bryan Scott – he is a versatile and valuable member of the defense and special teams, and another reason why it shouldn’t be a big priority to re-sign Whitner.

Terrence McGee – he has to find a way to avoid nagging injuries and stay on the field. If he can do that, he can be a solid fixture on the defense as a starting cornerback.

Drayton Florence – another free agent, and although the team should try to sign him, it won’t be a big loss if he walks. They should definitely not overpay to bring him back.

Reggie Corner – a good backup who, like a lot of the other young secondary players on the roster, would look a lot better if the team could somehow develop a better pass rush.

Ashton Youboty – another good young backup who has had trouble avoiding nagging injuries. I believe the fact that the Bills’ secondary players keep getting banged up is because the front seven has been so weak, especially stopping the run, that the smaller DBs wind up having to make an inordinant amount of tackles.

Leodis McKelvin – like Whitner, he was a high first round draft pick, and hasn’t played like one. Although he’s not a total bust, he is one of those guys who makes 2 bad plays for every good one. Next year should be a make or break season for him also.

Jon Corto – listed as a defensive back on the roster, the local product is strictly a special teams player, and contributed mostly penalties and negative plays on those special teams this year. He is a long shot to be on the final roster next season.

When it was announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick’s injured knee would keep him out of Buffalo’s season finale against the New York Jets, the game, for all intents and purposes, became the opening preseason exhibition game for the 2011 season, a game for player evaluation rather than winning or losing. With that being the case, a number of players – Brian Brohm, Leodis McKelvin, Aaron Maybin, and, by virtue of being inactive once again John McCargo, have taken their first steps toward being moved off the roster. It’s probably a good thing that the Bills wrapped up the season with 2 pathetic losses against division rivals, not only for better draft positioning but also because there should be no false hopes or sugar-coating of how much help is needed to dramatically improve the team’s roster, especially on defense. The Jets opened the game with starter Mark Sanchez at quarterback, but obviously with no intention of letting him throw a pass. They brought in “wildcat” quarterback Brad Smith to run an option offense on third downs, with the idea of also running the ball. Even knowing that the only thing they had to worry about was the run, the Bills couldn’t even slow the Jets down, let alone stop them. Smith ran option sweeps on third down and long twice on the Jets’ first drive, and gained 40 and 20 yards. For the second straight game, the Bills’ defense, as shoddy as it played, got zero help from the offense, which turned the ball over 6 more times, for a total of 13 in the last 2 games. Brohm’s play was particularly disappointing, as he brought back early season memories of Trent Edwards with poor decisions and extremely slow reactions to the Jets’ pass rush. It was interesting to hear post-game talk of Brohm “getting no help” from his offensive line. I’m sorry, but it was the same line that Fitzpatrick has been playing behind, that has been much improved. Fitzpatrick had 5 turnovers last week, but they were all “unforced” errors, rather than the result of any intense pressure. Brohm seemed to be playing in slow motion, and had little or no feel for handling the pass rush pressure, much like Edwards. The ugly season-ending losses by the Bills mean the team will have the third overall pick in the college draft, and they have to look at finding an impact defensive player, either a pass-rushing lineman or a stud linebacker, with that pick.

For the second straight week, rayonsports.com was at the .500 mark in picking games, going 8-8. The season record is now 144 right and 95 wrong. The goal going into the final week of the regular season is to try to keep the “loss” column out of triple figures, but that’ll be difficult since the last week is always the hardest to predict, with losing teams either running for the bus or rising to the occasion, and winning teams resting players for the playoffs. Here are the week 17 choices:

Buffalo at New York Jets – my gut feeling is the Jets will be playing to not get anybody hurt, and the Bills want to get rid of the bad taste of their turnoverfest against New England last week. Buffalo wins in their first game at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

Carolina at Atlanta – there’s no way the Falcons blow the top seed in the conference against the lowly Panthers at home. They’ll be fired up after losing a game they could’ve won against the Saints last week and will win in a rout.

Cincinnati at Baltimore – to their credit, the Bengals, with their season down the tubes, gave a great effort in upsetting San Diego last week. They won’t do the same on the road in a hostile environment against a team with a lot to play for. The Ravens win this game.

Pittsburgh at Cleveland – the Browns have been giant killers and this game, with a chance to be spoilers against a bitter division rival, will be their Super Bowl. I believe the veteran Steelers will weather the storm and pull out a close win to wrap up the AFC North crown and a playoff bye.

Minnesota at Detroit – the Vikings were very impressive in upsetting Philly on Tuesday night. I say they will win this game also, and continue to build a case for interim coach Leslie Frazier to keep the job full time going into next season.

Oakland at Kansas City – the Chiefs have a lot to play for in this game. A win gives them the #3 seed, and they avoid having to play at New England if they survive the wild card round. The Raiders will put up a fight but I’ll go with KC at home.

Miami at New England – Pats have the top seed wrapped up, but Bill Belichick is the type of coach who will want to keep his team’s momentum high, and Tom Brady is the type of player who will fight being rested in any game. The Patriots win at home.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans – the young Bucs have had a great year, but they haven’t risen to the occasion in games against quality opponents, so I’ll take the Saints at home.

San Diego at Denver –  the Broncos are fighting hard for interim coach Eric Studesville, and the Chargers just don’t strike me as a team that will give it all they have in a meaningless game for coach Norv Turner. Denver wins at home.

Chicago at Green Bay – the Bears are a threat to go all the way to the Super Bowl, but Green Bay needs this game badly and will win at home to secure a playoff spot.

Jacksonville at Houston – the Jags can still get into the playoffs with a win, so they’ll be motivated, and the Texans have apparently already quit on the season, so Jacksonville seems like the choice. But the wild card is that Trent Edwards will most likely start at QB for injured David Garrard, so I’ll pick Houston to win.

Tennessee at Indianapolis – the Titans are another team whose season has fallen apart, and coach Jeff Fisher may have lost the locker room. The Colts need to win and Peyton Manning will make sure they do. Colts win at home to lock up the AFC South crown and a playoff spot.

Dallas at Philadelphia – neither team has anything to play for, and Michael Vick probably won’t play. Still, I like the Eagles to be more motivated and pull out a win, after being embarrassed by the Vikings on Tuesday.

Arizona at San Francisco – two of 2010’s most disappointing teams. The Cardinals are playing better at this point, and will win on the road.

New York Giants at Washington – Giants could still sneak into the playoffs, and I believe they’ll win this game and give themselves a chance.

St. Louis at Seattle – the Mediocrity Bowl, with the winner winning the NFC West title and a playoff spot. I’ll take the Rams to win a big road game, and win the crown with an 8-8 record.

Sunday’s Bills’ game against New England falls into the “burn the films” category of games, as the team handed the Patriots an easy 34-3 win by turning the ball over seven times. It’s unfortunate that they made so many errors, because they showed that they could move the ball offensively against the best team in the AFC early in the game, and did lots of good things in the passing game during the contest, but for this game, the “bad” Ryan Fitzpatrick showed up. Fitz was personally responsible for 5 of the turnovers, with 3 awful interceptions and a pair of fumbles. His QB rating for the day was 37.1. I have no idea how the quarterback rating system in the NFL operates, but I know a 37.1 rating is not good. Still, he managed to throw for 250 yards and spread the ball around well among his undermanned corps of receivers, with Stevie Johnson, Naaman Roosevelt, Donald Jones and C.J. Spiller all making plays. Fred Jackson was running well early in the game and seemed primed for a huge day on the ground (he had 81 yards for the day as it was), but the turnovers put the team in a huge hole and eliminated the running game from the game plan. Spiller showed he still has a long way to go to be an NFL-caliber star player, contributing 2 more fumbles. The Bills’ defense, which had been gradually improving, played one of its’ worst games of the year. Tom Brady & Co. moved the ball at will and took advantage of the turnovers to score 21 easy points. The Pats, who don’t have a dominant running game, became the latest Bills’ opponent to rush for over 200 yards. Brady’s stats weren’t great, but he threw 3 touchdown passes, all to tight ends. All the ghosts that haunted Buffalo’s defense earlier in the year – no pass rush, no run defense, no clue as to how to cover tight ends, poor tackling, etc. – were all on display in this game. It was without a doubt a regression game by the defense, but the fact that the offense put them in bad spots all day also didn’t help. One thing about Fitzpatrick’s play that the coaches can consider when evaluating his future as the team’s starting QB is that as awful as he was, all the mistakes he made are easily correctable.

There were lots of upsets on the NFL’s week 15 schedule, and the Rayonsports prediction total reflected that, with a mediocre 8-8 record for the week. That brings the season totals to 136 correct and 87 wrong. Here are the picks for week 16:

Carolina at Pittsburgh – big win for the Steelers here, as they will take no prisoners after losing to the Jets last week.

Dallas at Arizona – the Cardinals have the worst quarterbacking in the NFL these days, and if they can’t even beat Carolina they won’t beat the Cowboys either. I’ll go with Dallas to win on the road.

New England at Buffalo – the Bills are vastly improved since they gave the Pats a tough game in Foxborough earlier in the year, so the temptation is to pick Buffalo in an upset, but New England is also improved since that game and needs the win more for playoff seeding considerations. I’ll pick New England in a close game.

New York Jets at Chicago – Jets earned a tough road win in Pittsburgh last week, which should boost their confidence, and I believe they’re a better team than the Bears anyway, so I’ll go with New York to grab another road win.

Baltimore at Cleveland – too much at stake for the “old” Browns franchise to slip up against the “new” Browns. Baltimore wins on the road.

San Francisco at St. Louis – somebody has to win the weak NFC West, and the Rams still have a shot, so I’ll pick them at home against a fading 49er team.

Tennessee at Kansas City – at this time of year, the teams with real playoff aspirations seem to find ways to win when they have to, so I’ll go with the Chiefs to win at home.

Detroit at Miami – the Dolphins are really struggling offensively, but despite being eliminated from the playoffs I believe they still have enough left in the tank to beat the Lions, a weak road team.

Washington at Jacksonville – I really admire the job Jack Del Rio has done in reviving the Jaguars this year, and I’m not impressed with what supposed “genius” Mike Shanahan has done to the Redskins’ franchise so far. I’ll pick Jacksonville to win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Houston at Denver – there’s talk that if the Texans fire Gary Kubiak, he may wind up getting the Denver head coaching position. My question is – why? If Kubiak can’t win with the talent he has in Houston, he won’t do anything to help Denver. I have to go with the Texans in this game based on having a better team, at least on paper.

San Diego at Cincinnati – Phillip Rivers should have a field day here, and when he does the Bengals will pack it in early and San Diego will win easily.

Indianapolis at Oakland – the Colts won’t blow this after grabbing a big win over the Jags last week to take control over their division, although the Raiders are an extremely dangerous opponent. Peyton Manning will make sure his club wins.

Seattle at Tampa Bay – the young Bucs were brought back down to earth by Detroit last week, and I believe their bubble has burst. I’ll go with the Seahawks in a mild upset.

New York Giants at Green Bay – loser of this game probably won’t make the playoffs. The Giants may be reeling from blowing that big game to the Eagles last week, and I’m going with the Packers to win at home.

Minnesota at Philadelphia – this won’t even be close. The Eagles win a game that will be decided by halftime.

New Orleans at Atlanta – biggest Monday Night Football matchup of the year. Atlanta has been great this year, but I’ll pick the Saints because they need it more.

The Buffalo Bills’ 17-14 win in Miami on Sunday wasn’t a spectacular effort by any means, but it was another win for the improving Bills, who are now 4-10 for the year. When you figure this team had wins practically in the bank against Baltimore, Kansas City and Pittsburgh this year, there’s no doubting how much progress they’ve made. They have gone 4-2 in their last 6 games after starting 0-8, and are beginning to establish an identity. That identity is a roster full of over-achieving players, the NFL’s “Little Engine That Could”. Look at the roll call of impact players on both sides of the ball – on offense, there’s QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, a 7th round draft pick of the Rams who has found a home, RB Fred Jackson, an undrafted free agent from Coe College (Marv Levy’s alma mater), WR Stevie Johnson, also a 7th round pick, undrafted free agents David Nelson, Donald Jones and now Naaman Roosevelt. On defense, some of the biggest playmakers are tackle Kyle Williams, a 5th round draft pick, undrafted free agent safety George Wilson and recently LB Arthur Moats, a 6th round pick. The Bills’ front office has spent this season shaking the free agent bushes for useful players, and guys like offensive linemen Kraig Urbik, Mansfield Wrotto and Chad Rinehart, tight end Scott Chandler and defensive lineman Kellen Heard have to love one thing about being brought into this organization – they will surely get every opportunity to earn roster spots and make positive  contributions to the team. For “fringe” players like them, Buffalo is the best place to be, since the club has developed a track record of finding diamonds in the rough and allowing those players to earn key roles for the future. As for Sunday’s game, as I said earlier, it wasn’t a magnificant display of football, but it was a hard-earned “team” win by an undermanned Bills’ squad that looks to finally be “learning” how to win.

After picking 12 winners out of 14 games in week 14, the Rayonsports.com tally for the season now stands at 128 right and 79 wrong. Here are the picks for week 15:

San Francisco at San Diego – a West Coast matchup for this week’s Thursday night game. The Chargers took a big step toward the playoffs by pounding Kansas City last week, and they will win this game at home and all but eliminate the 49ers from their division race.

Buffalo at Miami – the Bills have run into a rash of injuries recently, and will miss Lee Evans’ veteran leadership the rest of the way, while the Dolphins still have hopes for the postseason. I see Miami winning this game against an improving but undermanned Bills’ team.

New Orleans at Baltimore – this is a matchup of two of the NFL’s current elite teams. I’m going to pick the Saints to pull out a close win on the road.

Arizona at Carolina – will there be any fans attending this game? I’ll go with Cards’ rookie QB John Skelton to engineer a win on the road.

Cleveland at Cincinnati – hoping that Colt McCoy returns at QB, I’m going to pick the Browns to win the battle of Ohio.

Washington at Dallas – these were once 2 of the proudest franchises in the NFL, but both are struggling this year. Dallas has looked a lot better since firing Wade Phillips and talent-wise is head and shoulders above the Redskins and will win this game big at home.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis – it’s a credit to Jaguars’ coach Jack Del Rio that this game is basically going to decide who wins the AFC South division. Neither the Titans or Texans have been able to overcome the Colts in this division, so can the Jags get it done? I just can’t see David Garrard outdueling Peyton Manning at this point, so I’ll pick the Colts to win.

Philadelphia at New York Giants – Eagles’ QB Mike Vick is the story of the year in the NFL this season, but on a hunch I’m going to pick Eli Manning and the Giants to win at home, and put themselves in great shape to win the NFC East.

Kansas City at St. Louis – the winner of this game, in my opinion, will make the playoffs this year. I’m going to pick the Rams to pull a mild upset at home.

Detroit at Tampa Bay – I’ll go with the Bucs at home against a game Lions squad that is still a year away.

Houston at Tennessee – on paper the Texans should win this game, but they have been a major disappointment this year. I’ll pick the Titans to win at home.

Atlanta at Seattle – the Falcons are for real and will dominate this game and win big.

Denver at Oakland – the Raiders’ playoff hopes took a big hit with their loss at Jacksonville last week, but I see them beating the Broncos easily.

New York Jets at Pittsburgh – the cocky Jets are reeling right now, and there’s no way they win over the Steelers on the road. Pittsburgh wins with a ball-control game plan behind Rashard Mendenhall.

Green Bay at New England – it looks like Aaron Rodgers may not be able to play in this game due to a concussion, but regardless, the Patriots will win at home.

Chicago at Minnesota – stick a fork in the Vikings – they are now officially done. The Bears will win this game easily no matter it is finally played.

The Buffalo Bills put together a workmanlike effort to earn their third win of the season on Sunday, defeating the Cleveland Browns 13-6 in a game played in a steady rain. Coach Chan Gailey’s offense featured a heavy dose of the running game, with Fred Jackson gaining 112 yards, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick picking up key first downs on scrambles and C.J. Spiller getting a chance to make a significant contribution also. The Bills’ defense allowed Cleveland’s power runner, Peyton Hillis, to run wild on the game’s opening drive, but to their credit held the Browns to a field goal on that drive and held Hillis in check for most of the rest of the game. Buffalo had a 12 minute advantage in time of possession, and were able to control the ball with the run game and run out the clock at the end. There was some bad news for the Bills as wide receiver Lee Evans left the game with an ankle injury, and there is speculation that he might be done for the season. Then again, at this point with a 3-10 record, it would allow team management to get good looks at Donald Jones, David Nelson and Naaman Roosevelt as they look ahead to next season. The Bills have division rivals Miami, New England and the New York Jets left on the schedule and can play spoilers in the AFC playoff race by pulling an upset or two. One thing is for sure – the team has shown that it will compete to the bitter end, so those final 3 games should be interesting.

After consecutive weeks of successful predicting of NFL games, the tally slipped a bit last week to 10 correct and 6 wrong. This takes the season record to 116 right and 75 incorrect. Here are the week 13 picks:

Indianapolis at Tennessee – the Colts are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in years, having lost 3 straight games. Injuries have been the biggest factor in Indy’s struggles. In this week’s Thursday Night encounter, I’ll go with the Colts to rebound and defeat a reeling Titan team that appears to be packing it in.

Cleveland at Buffalo –  the Browns’ Peyton Hillis is in line to be this week’s recipient of the weekly 100+ yard rushing day that the Bills’ defense gives up. Buffalo played it’s worst game of the year last week in Minnesota, but I’ll pick them to win at home.

Atlanta at Carolina – the Falcons are making believers out of a lot of people as the season goes on, and I can’t see them slipping up here as they continue on toward a huge division matchup with the Saints later in the year. Atlanta wins handily.

Green Bay at Detroit – the Lions, like Buffalo, have been playing most of their opponents tough. This is the time of the year, however, when the real playoff contenders have to step it up, and I believe the Packers are for real. They’ll squeeze out a close win on the road.

Oakland at Jacksonville – at the beginning of the season, nobody expected this to be a matchup of teams contending for playoff spots. I’ll go with the Jaguars to win, since they’ve been more consistent overall and are at home.

New York Giants at Minnesota – Vikings are back playing at last year’s level, but I’ll pick the Giants to win at home, regardless of who Minnesota’s QB is.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh – Steelers put themselves in the driver’s seat in the AFC North by beating the Ravens last week, and I can’t see them slipping up here against a team that will quit if they get behind early. Pittsburgh will win big at home.

Tampa Bay at Washington – I don’t believe either of these teams will qualify for the playoffs when all is said and done, but Tampa Bay is a much better team and will get a road win here behind a big day from Josh Freeman.

St.Louis at New Orleans – the young Rams have a realistic shot at the playoffs, but this is too big a stage for them at this point of their maturation. The Saints will stay on the heels of Atlanta in their division by coming up with a big win at home.

Seattle at San Francisco – the Seahawks can take a big step in the NFC West race by winning this game, but I don’t believe they will. San Francisco’s playoff chances are basically dead, but they’ll win this game to stay mathematically alive.

Denver at Arizona – this is basically the Outhouse To The Penthouse Bowl, with Denver, having started last year 6-0 before folding, visiting Arizona, 2 years removed from playing in the Super Bowl and now struggling. The Broncos are getting better play at the QB position and will win one for interim coach Eric Studesville.

New England at Chicago – the Bears’ defense may be the toughest that New England faces this year. Chicago can win this game if they don’t turn the ball over, and my pick is that they will.

Miami at New York Jets – the Jets will be chomping at the bit to avenge their Monday Night Massacre at the hands of the Patriots, but Miami won’t go down easy. I’ll pick the Jets in a close, low scoring game.

Kansas City at San Diego – this is a chance for the Chiefs to make a statement. They beat the Chargers handily earlier this year, and can put some distance between themselves and the Bolts by winning. My pick is that they won’t, as San Diego wins a shootout.

Philadelphia at Dallas – the Cowboys have regained their bearings, and should be flying high after a big win over the Colts last week. Unfortunately, Michael Vick will succeed where Peyton Manning failed and the Eagles will win.

Baltimore at Houston – the Ravens’ defense will be the difference in this one. I see this game staying close and low scoring early, with Joe Flacco breaking loose in the second half to lead Baltimore to an important win.