In some ways, the early 1990s was a golden period for the Buffalo Bills. They appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls. The law of averages says that one of those ends in victory. In reality, competitive sport is crueler than that. Ask Scott Norwood, who missed the most famous 47-yard field goal in history against the Giants in 1991. If that goes over, the Bills could win all four of their finals.
Fifth Time Lucky For Bills?
So it comes to pass that 2024 is the year of the next huge opportunity for the Bills to strike gold. Thirty years of hurt could end because Sean McDermott’s team has flown out of the blocks. The only worry is that they may have peaked too early. CNN boldly predicts that this is the year they can go. The Bills’ Super Bowl odds are undoubtedly worth a look.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is not interested in figures and stats, saying they are “for losers.” It’s good that he is not reading much into Buffalo’s past. Allen has been a central figure in the charge, becoming the first-ever quarterback to have a touchdown catch, pass, and run all in the same game during the victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the snow during early December. He is indeed coming into his prime, having been in the top 3 MVP voting in two out of the last three seasons.
Bills Won AFC East In Record Time
The Bills won their fifth consecutive AFC East title with five match weeks left to play. Their playoff place is guaranteed, and perhaps that fact fed into their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in a high-scoring encounter the following week.
That defeat has potentially huge ramifications, however. It means that the Bills’ chances of topping Kansas for the top playoff seed are significantly reduced. Beating the Chiefs on the road is a different ball game.
Bills Beat Chiefs In November
However, the Bills handed the Chiefs their first loss off the season in mid-November. Kansas is the team that can win on the edge virtually every single time, given that it has won three out of the last four Super Bowls and has Patrick Mahomes, a man who doesn’t press the panic button. That psychological hold could be significant.
There are some flaws to the Bills team, which could also unseat them after the regular season. Their run defense in that crazy 86-point game against the Rams struggled considerably, giving away numerous third and short situations that leaked points. How can it be that Allen scored six touchdowns, yet the team that he was directing lost? Such fast and loose play won’t win the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
One of the criticisms of the Bills is that their defensive line is flat track bullies to weaker opponents and then struggles against more considerable opposition. Coach McDermott is also not particularly adept at game management, which is an absolute prerequisite for any close game, let alone the Super Bowl. It’s just that the Chiefs have generally had life relatively easy in the margins of victory during this campaign. Kicker Tyler Bass will need a large cushion because he won’t consistently deliver if games get tight.
Buffalo Offense Averages A Mixed Bag
The offense averages are a mixed bag. They are outside the top ten for total offense, passing offense, and rushing offense but featured in the top four for red zone and scoring. These areas matter, but the heat map needs to improve. James Cook is a top running back, while wide receiver Khalil Shakir took in five catches for 106 yards, even during the loss to the Rams. Tom Brady said: “You can’t lose track of him,” and that is one quarterback who knows a thing or two about winning the Super Bowl.
The Bills’ path to the Super Bowl is not easy, given that they are now in a compromised position, ranking behind the Lions, the Chiefs, and the Eagles.
The Bills score points very quickly, and that is fun during the regular season. However, such an approach rarely gets over the line when everything is on that line. Everyone needs clutch performances. It is worrying that the coach has struggled when under the pump in tight games. There have been signs that decision-making can suffer outside of Allen’s historic campaign when things get tight.
The Bills’ most compelling reason is to put their name on that Super Bowl for the very first time. They need to give themselves a chance by making it to the Caesars Superdrome.