When the Lions made this postseason, it left the Bills alone as the NFL team with the longest playoff drought. The last time Buffalo was in the playoffs was after the 1999 season, when Wade Phillips benched Doug Flutie for Rob Johnson, and the Bills lost on the Music City Miracle.
But can 2012 be the season the Bills finally end their playoff drought? That’s what G.M. Buddy Nix was asked during his press conference on Monday, and he said that’s what he expects to see.
“My expectations are that we’ll take a big step,” Nix said. “If we get these guys back who are injured, and we add to this mix, we should take a big step next year.”
This year the Bills looked in September like they were ready to take a big step, but it didn’t end up that way: After starting the season 5-2, the Bills lost eight of their last nine games. Nix said he sees the areas of the team that need to be corrected.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t take more strides,” he said. “I think there are reasons for that and I think a lot of it is personnel.”
So Nix has this offseason to acquire the personnel necessary for the Bills to do what they haven’t done in more than a decade, and make the playoffs.