07/13 — If the correspondents to the Buffalobills.com message boards these days are indicative of Buffalo fans at large, not to mention head coach Dick Jauron, his staff and his players, the Bills need to address some recent downward offensive trends.

Buffalo's 234 first downs were the fewest in the NFL last season and the fewest by a Bills team since 1974. That led to much punting: Unofficially, the Bills went three-and-out on 31.7 percent of their drives, the highest rate in the league.

And for the last two seasons combined, the Bills had the lowest red zone touchdown percentage in the AFC and the second-lowest in the league. Here are the four lowest inside-the-20 TD rates in 2005-06:

But there are reasons Buffalo could fare better in the red zone and in general on offense. They rebuilt their O-line with a new pair of unrestricted pillars, guard Derrick Dockery from the Redskins and tackle Langston Walker from the Raiders. They drafted Cal RB Marshawn Lynch to replace Willis McGahee.

And J.P. Losman showed steady improvement in his first season as the Bills starting QB. One doesn't have to look any farther than the two games against the Jets to see that. In Game 3 in "The Ralph," Losman committed three turnovers in the Jets' 28-20 win. Eleven weeks later, he had no TOs and engineered three TD drives in Buffalo's 31-13 payback in the Meadowlands.

So the Bills may have some answers for the offensive inconsistencies that have ailed them. It won't take the Green & White long to find out: The original AFL rivals meet in Week 4 in Orchard Park.