MNF Write Up: +12 U for Week 1:

Therefore, Buffalo’s potential season-long question might be — along with the usual questions of T.O. co-existing with his quarterback — will Edwards prosper even with Owens when he still has very little time to throw?

And will Owens “accept” a team that can’t produce consistently on offense?

Oh, and mixed into all this uncertaintly, how will budding star Lee Evans accept being relegated to a secondary role?

To compound that, the team has other self-inflicted hurdles: their offensive coordinator Turk Schoenert was fired during the pre-season; Owens’ toe is nicked up; and, 1,000-yard running back Marshawn Lynch is suspended through the end of September.

So, while the Bills may prove decent as the season moves along, a prime-time game versus Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and a Patriot team juiced up after a playoff-less season is not the ideal opener.

Something that could help out the Bills would be the Patriots missing a key ingredient in their impressive aerial assault. Tom Brady may be back, but he could be without his most reliable possession receiver Wes Welker (knee probable) Obviously the loss of Welker would hurt the Patriots, but did I mention that Tom Brady is back? More to follow

(Some more thoughts on this game)

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s combined focus on returning to the top of the league aren’t the only reasons Pat fans are excited this season. Brady not only returns to an offense that re-wrote the record books in 2007 but he returns to an offense that has acquired new weapons like running back Fred Taylor, wide receivers Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis and tight end Chris Baker.

Defensively, a major overhaul has taken place in the back end that so badly let the team down last fall. The Pats are hoping that they’ll be able to improve on a pass defense that gave up too many big plays, too many third-down conversions and too many touchdowns.

The defense remains anchored by a front line that includes Ty Warren as well as linebacker Adalius Thomas. Young players like defensive rookie of the year Jerrod Mayo now have a year under their belt and should be able to help that defense now with Richard Seymour gone.

Add in free agents Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs, newly acquired Derrick Burgess and draft picks Patrick Chung (safety), Darius Butler (corner) and Ron Brace (defensive line), and you have a re-tooled group of defenders ready to play the type of defense New England’s teams have been known for in the past.

For the Buffs young quarterback Trent Edwards did not regain the confidence he displayed during last season’s 5-1 start, and failing to lead the offense to a single touchdown in four preseason starts led to the firing of offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.

The Bills wanted to use training camp to adjust to the carnival sideshow that is TO but unfortunately, T.O. (Timed OUT) couldn’t be found for weeks as he was recovering from a sprained toe.

The Bills were expected to show signs of being a legitimate threat and snap a playoff drought that now extends at nine seasons. Unfortunately, they remain anything but and head into the Monday night opener at New England reeling from the firing of Schonert.

It won’t be pretty in Foxboro for these Bills, that’s for sure.