NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
It has been a roller coaster of emotions listening to Buffalo Bills fans this year. Some have cried out from “this is our year” to “Fire Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott.” Bills fans are all over the map this season and rightfully so. The window of star players in their prime is closing, and free agency picks apart their roster as each year goes by. With that being said, Buffalo has clinched their playoff birth, and the two remaining games will determine its route towards the Super Bowl. Some say this is their year, but not so fast.
The Bills might have a real good shot at the Super Bowl. Yet, don’t let the experts fool you, it won’t be a cake walk. On paper, you can see how it might be their easiest path since their last Super Bowl appearance. They won’t have to face the stacked NFC East, which all but one beat the Bills in the Super Bowl in the 90s. It’ll be the first year that they won’t have to go through a Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, or (likely) Lamar Jackson. Bills fans should be jumping for joy, but let’s pump the brakes on that mentality from everyone over at ESPN. The road to a Super Bowl championship won’t be an easy one.
This might not be the most explosive team the Buffalo Bills have had, but it’s better than some are giving credit for. Josh Allen’s passing yards might be down this season, as it might be the second year in a row he’s thrown for less than 4,000 yards. Other “experts” could say that his touchdowns have been down the past few seasons, going from the mid-30s to the high twenties. The sky might be falling to some, but those people obviously aren’t paying enough attention.
What these people fail to see is Buffalo relying less on one aspect of their offense. Stats might be down for Allen, but their offense is not in decline. His rushing yards continue to be the same, and his average per pass has only increased over the last few seasons to the point it might be a career high this season. Where the offense has shifted is reliance solely on Josh Allen. If you go back to 2023, their leader for rushing touchdowns was, yep, you guessed it, Josh Allen. The past few seasons, they’ve made a shift to a more complete offense where James Cook can take over the lead role. This offense is still a championship caliber despite not seeing as many flashy plays.
So what does that have to do with their chances at a Super Bowl and how easy it will be? Nothing, except for their path, isn’t going to be controlled by Josh Allen. Despite an offense that is just as productive as the years prior, when people thought they’d win it all, it’s again their defense that needs to be at their best. While the rest of the NFL might not see as much star power in the AFC on the road to the top, it still won’t come easy. Just because the Bills aren’t facing elite quarterbacks doesn’t mean they can afford to take it easy.
On their path, so far, they have the Patriots (12-3), the Jags (11-4), the Broncos (12-3), the Chargers (11-5), the Texans (10-5), and the Steelers (9-6). The Bills might have the best QB in his prime out of that bunch, but it’s not a cakewalk. The Bills still have to go through playoff-caliber teams coached by Mike Vrabel, Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, and Mike Tomlin, with the newcomers being Demeco Ryans and Liam Coen. The least experienced coaches in the playoffs have their teams at 10-5 (Ryans) and 11-4 (Coen). For anyone saying this will be their easiest year, clearly they’re not watching enough football this year.
With that being said, lack of star power in the playoffs won’t be a free pass to the Super Bowl. Josh Allen and the offense have done their part in the past. If this truly is the year that the Buffalo Bills win it all, their defense and coaches need to step up to the plate and swing their best stuff out there. Just because there’s no Mahomes, Brady, or Manning doesn’t mean the AFC is theirs for the taking. Anyone who thinks so is grossly misinformed.
