The pretend season is now over so let's assess the Bills' beginning in the Chan Gailey coaching era.

In their last three preseason games they looked like an actual NFL team if not a full-shot contender. That is a major improvement. Watching touchdowns being scored by the home team is a major improvement by itself.

Just muting the whiners among the team's fan base is a major comfort. Losing is bad enough, but being bored for three hours, sometimes in terrible weather, can be torture. Maybe the Bills won't get beyond the five-victory season so many predict for them, but from what we have seen this summer they will be competitive enough to give the ticket-buying public its money's worth.

Under Gailey's guidance, quarterback Trent Edwards has a chance to turn around his career. This will be, essentially, a running offense. There shouldn't be too many games in which the quarterback is asked to win the game himself.

Remember that their fourth season is often the breakout year for young quarterbacks.

Since Edwards still carries a "fragile" label, I would have been be surprised if Brian Brohm didn't survived the cutdown. He showed some important skills in his time on the field, not the least of which is his quick passing release. That's vitally important in Gailey's passing schemes.

Which brings us to the offensive line, the vital factor in keeping Edwards on the field. In 2009, Buffalo played with two-fifths of an offensive line. Sometimes it was less after guard Eric Woods' horrific injury. Demetrius Bell may be the answer at left tackle if he can stay healthy. Right tackle is still a mystery.

The coach was also correct before the games began when he spotlighted his defense as the strongest beginning component of the team. The Bills won't be averaging a touchdown interception a game in the regular season but their squad of deep defenders -- with Jairus Byrd, their big-play man, not even participating for a down in the preseason games -- demonstrated it has the confidence to make big plays.

The secondary is alive with talent and the starting line in the new 3-4 defense -- with Kyle Williams at nose tackle and Marcus Stroud and Dwan Edwards at the ends -- looks stable. Linebacking remains a project, especially in pass coverage, which is new to most of them.

Holes remain elsewhere. They don't possess a big-league tight end. Who knows what Shawn Nelson will look like when he finishes his four-game suspension? Lee Evans' partner at wide receiver may turn out to be a free-agent rookie.

No, the Bills aren't likely to be a contender but for a while at least they should make it interesting in at least a dozen of their games.

Larry Felser, former News columnist, appears in Sunday's editions.