The Bills have been one of the premiere teams in the NFL that… really hasn’t earned anything.

Why is that? Ever since they have hired HC Sean McDermott back in 2017, after a disastrous season under Rex Ryan the year prior, the team has seen more success than what they had in the last quarter century.

With 5 playoff appearances in his 6 seasons as Head Coach. That’s the sign of a contender and showing some fight in them to be in the playoff picture.

They made the playoffs in McDermott’s 1st year as HC but the real progress began when they drafted Wyoming QB, Josh Allen, in the 2018 NFL Draft. A rough start but the wait for him to develop into a franchise QB was worth it.

Allen had strong traits with a massive arm, great mobility & toughness in and out of the pocket. Accuracy was his massive flaw going into that draft but once the team traded for Stefon Diggs from the Vikings in 2020, that allowed his ability to be unleashed, allowing him to throw the ball more accurately.

Earlier, I mentioned about they haven’t earned anything. Well, it’s the fact they look at themselves as the Chiefs, with their sudden emergence in the AFC Championship Game, where they played those said Chiefs where they were picked apart in that game.

The game was over by the time KC scored the 1st TD.

The following year, they would hope to get back to the title game again and win it this time. It was shaky year for them but they still won that terrible division in the AFC East, convincingly, and even won against the Pats in brutal fashion. The AFC Divisional Round had a familiar foe in the Chiefs at Arrowhead where it was tightly contested.

Unfortunately, it was more heartbreaking than the AFC Championship Game, as in OT where the Chiefs scored on the 1st drive where Buffalo didn’t get the ball to try scoring a TD as well. It sparked the rule of both teams should possess the ball, in overtime, regardless if the opposing team scores first or not.

2022 was a better year for the Bills as they got themselves a gold mine in Von Miller, to help the pass rush of the team, but unfortunately he suffered a Torn ACL in November & all hope was lost.

Buffalo won their division for the 3rd straight year but struggled against the Dolphins with a 7th Round QB in the Wild Card, in which they lost in the Divisional Round, against Joe Burrow & the Cincinnati Bengals.

The team that was in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs & made the Super Bowl in Joe Burrow’s 2nd season in 2021.

The Bills have small flaws that haven’t been fully fixed.

– The 1st one has been their defensive line in which has been struggling to create consistent pressure on opposing QBs, since McDermott’s hire, and even before he arrived. Von Miller had a solid showing for the Bills in his 1st season but he’s 34 with another leg injury. He’s not getting any younger.

– The 2nd has been their run game. If his name isn’t Josh Allen, then he’s not going to do much. Ever since they released LeSean McCoy, the RB room has been ok at best.

– The 3rd has been their bully mentality where they like to crush teams in a heartbeat with quick strikes for touchdowns but when a team fights back, they looked shocked, and just act like they were supposed to give up already.

Similar to losing against a one win Jaguars team in 2021 as an example.

What are your thoughts on the future for the Buffalo Bills in the AFC? Let us know on Twitter @WeLikeSportzPC.

– Jonathan Misak

*Photo courtesy of Palm Beach Post*