2001-02: New England wins the Super Bowl after compiling an 11-5 record, good for first in the AFC East. Just one year before, New England finished dead last in the division with a 5-11 mark.

2000-01: The Baltimore Ravens get their hands raised in Super Bowl victory after compiling a 12-4 regular season record and getting into the playoffs as a top wild-card seed. However, the year before, the Ravens struggled to an 8-8 record.

1999-00: The St. Louis Rams literally come out of nowhere, dominated the NFL with a 13-3 record en route to their Super Bowl victory over Tennessee. Just one short season prior, the Rams were among the laughing stock of the NFL with a 4-12 record.

Trend? Yes. None of the past three Super Bowl winners had so much a winning record the year before, let alone being playoff contenders. Two of the three (Baltimore the exception) finished dead last in their division.

It's very possible that the Buffalo Bills are primed to be this year's version of the Cinderella story. And it all starts with the man under center.

Acquiring Drew Bledsoe for a first-round pick in next year's draft was an absolute steal for the Bills' and is a testament to the genius maneuvering of GM Tom Donahoe. New England desperately wanted the Bill's fourth overall pick in this year's draft, but Donahoe did the right thing by refusing.

Drafting Mike Williams to anchor a revamped offensive line was far too important. Donahoe knew that New England had no other serious suitors for Bledsoe. He was patient to the point that New England was forced to amend their demands for the 30-year-old gunslinger.

By holding out for Bledsoe and using their fourth overall pick on Williams, Donahoe put Buffalo in a position to drastically improve their offense now. What are the odds that next year's first-round pick going to the Patriots will be a top-ten pick? I'd take a proven quarterback like Bledsoe over an 18th-26th overall draft choice anyday.

The fact of the matter is that Buffalo has significantly improved their club from last year through the big trade, free agency, and the draft. Here's a closer look at just how improved this team should be this year as opposed to 2001.

Quarterback: No comparison here. Bledsoe is ten times the quarterback Rob Johnson will ever be. Not only does he possess the same, if not better, arm strength that Johnson has; Bledsoe has a proven track record. Drew is a leader in the huddle, something Buffalo has lacked with Johnson at the helm. He's an in-your-face type of guy that brings a winning attitude to a ballclub that badly needs a leader on this side of the ball.

Despite having thrown for nearly 30,000 yards in his career, Bledsoe will feel like a rookie again in this organization, feeling he has something left to prove. Not only is Bledsoe out to haunt his old team, he wants to let teams around the league know they made a big mistake by not pursuing him. If he stays healthy, and he has for his entire career minus last season, Bledsoe still has a good five to six years left in him.

Alex Van Pelt proved to be a decent quarterback, but he's not a 16-game starter. He is however a very capable backup and Buffalo now has some depth at this position.

Running Back: Despite no roster changes at this spot, Travis Henry is a year older and wiser. Henry was banged up last year and had to run behind an offensive line that was among the worst in NFL history. Henry should be a lot better this year and has the ability to be the power type runner Buffalo is looking for. Shawn Bryson also proved last year that he's capable of shouldering some of the load.

Wide Receiver: Get used to hearing "Bledsoe to Eric Moulds" a lot. The team, mainly Johnson, just couldn't get Moulds the ball enough last season. That will change significantly with Bledsoe. Drafting Josh Reed early in the second round was smart for two reasons, also. It gives Buffalo another excellent wideout who is being compared to Andre Reed, and it sends a message to Peerless Price to get his act together or he'll be playing elsewhere in 2003. Donahoe was so high on Reed that he bypassed some good prospects on the defensive line to take him.

Tight End: Won't improve on the receiving end here if Jay Reimermsa is cut, but signing free agent David Moore was a great move. Moore is a much better power blocking tight end and the Bills' plan on playing some smashmouth football. Moore also caught 35 passes last year with Tampa Bay, so it's not like he's incapable of making catches. Plus, it's not as of yet set in stone that Reimersma will be cut if he's willing to restructure his contract.

Offensive Line: Far and away, the biggest and most significant improvements were made at this position. Drafting Mike Williams at number four over the top-notch defensive tackles available in the draft shows how highly the Bills' brass think of his run blocking ability. Williams is massive at 373 pounds, and he's not fat. Buffalo didn't trade down as expected because they wanted Williams to solidify the right side of the line along with perennial Pro Bowler Rueben Brown.

The free agent signing of Trey Teague was also a great move. Teague could wind up playing left tackle, guard or even center (which he played in college). He started all 16 games last season at tackle for Denver. Jonas Jennings shook off rookie rust late season and is blooming into a solid player. Signing free agent Marcus Price from New Orleans gives the line some valuable depth and flexibility. Jerry Ostroski is back healthy this year and the team drafted Mike Pucillo late, who could be a backup guard.

Defensive Line: Used two draft picks to take defensive end Ryan Denney in the second round and tackle Justin Bannon in the fifth. The Bill's like Denney a lot, enough that they orchestrated a draft-day trade with San Francisco to move up seven spots to take him. Many think that he can become a Phil Hansen type of player. Bannon is a two-gap run stuffer, something Pat Williams desperately needs next to him. If Buffalo has the cap room after June 1st, they still might address this position more. Another solid defensive lineman is now their biggest need.

Linebacker: Replaced youth and inexperience with veteran leadership. Losing Sam Cowart to the Jets hurt, but Buffalo quickly responded by napping Rams' free agent London Fletcher. Fletcher is a proven winner who has played in two Super Bowls. He'll provide winning and leadership to a young defense.

Buffalo also upgraded at outside linebacker after trading Jay Foreman and signing free agent Eddie Robinson. Robinson is like a coach on the field and is very familiar with head coach Greg Williams and coordinator Jeff Gray's defense, having played for them in Tennessee. Keith Newman rounds out one of the conference's better linebacking tandems. Brandon Spoon had great moments as a rookie last season and provides depth.

Secondary: Signing free agent Billy Jenkins is a major upgrade over last year's starting strong safety, Raion Hill. Jenkins is a good run stuffer in the box. He'll start at strong safety. The team also used a third-round draft choice on Coy Wire from Stanford. Wire is a hard-hitter who is a converted linebacker. Nate Clements is no longer a rookie at corner and is expected to be an elite cornerback. Antoine Winfield is also a year wiser and should be more consistent. Buffalo has a lot of good young talent in the secondary that took their bumps last season and should be much improved this year.

Special Teams: Hmm, Mike Hollis at kicker versus Shayne Graham. Enough said there. Buffalo also got a great kick returner after trading Jay Foreman to Houston for Carlos Rogers. Rogers led the AFC in punt returns in 1999 and will be a significant upgrade. He'll also likely be the team's fifth receiver, as Buffalo likes his playmaking ability.

Coaching Staff: Greg Williams now has a year under his belt, and should have learned from many of his rookie mistakes. Buffalo also now has a veteran offensive coordinator in Kevin Gillbride. He'll do a better job at keeping the offense consistent, mapping out a power running game, and most importantly, find ways to reinsert Moulds as one of the games most dangerous wide receivers.

So as you can see, the Buffalo Bills on paper should be a much better team then last season's 3-13 edition. Just how far they will go, nobody really knows. Injuries always play a key role in any teams rise/fall in the standings. But without a doubt, Buffalo now has the ability to play with the better teams in the league.

If they can get off to a good start, it's not a pipe dream that Buffalo could be playing in the Super Bowl in late January. They're playoff contenders, for sure.

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