The Buffalo Bills ascent over the years currently has them in territory that they only dreamt of at the start of Sean McDermott’s tenure. With three playoff berths in the past four years, a trip to the AFC Championship game for the first time in 25 years, and a postseason win for the first time in the same time period, the Bills are in the Super Bowl conversation for the first time since the great Buffalo teams of the 1990s.
The Bills are in prime position for another deep run into the playoffs, as most of their core pieces are under contract for the 2021 campaign. ESPN has placed the Bills in elite territory, labeling Buffalo as a “clear-cut contender right now” recently, as the world-wide leader analyzed the postseason status of each NFL team. The Bills are one of four teams named in this tier.
Buffalo’s strategy to move into the top-tier of NFL teams has been straightforward. The team’s vision has been executed perfectly, as general manager Brandon Beane has been aggressive in adding pieces to enhance the roster. For the first time in years, Buffalo has a roster with bonafide superstars. ESPN examined how the Bills got to this point:
Draft, develop, re-sign. That’s always been the plan at One Bills Drive, and general manager Brandon Beane said there will be an even greater emphasis on it this offseason as the Bills prepare for a drastic decrease in the salary cap. They agreed to multiple multiyear extensions with some franchise cornerstones last offseason, and that likely will be the case again.
Biggest X factor: Josh Allen’s continued elite play. The third-year quarterback was an MVP candidate in 2020, and Buffalo will need him to keep ascending toward superstardom as it continues its transformation into an offensive powerhouse. If Allen is good, the Bills will be as well. If 2020 was his ceiling, perhaps so is the AFC Championship Game for Buffalo.
The core of the Bills roster is returning for the 2021 season. Allen, along with wide receiver Stefon Diggs, will most likely be paired together for as long as they have success. The longer they are together, the more likely that Buffalo’s offense is humming along seamlessly.
The Bills will need to fill some holes this offseason, with pending free agents Matt Milano, Andre Roberts, Jon Feliciano, Isaiah McKenzie, Trent Murphy, Tyler Kroft, Ty Nsekhe, and Daryl Williams set to test the market.
Even so, the Bills are in unfamiliar territory: entering a season as a contender not only for the playoffs, but the Super Bowl. This is a land that they can enjoy the time being, but their ultimate goal is to move beyond contender status and into the realm of championship talk.
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