Josh Allen would be the first to tell you that what the Bills actually do on the field will matter the most when they end their 2021 campaign, but that won't stop the prognosticators from believing in the Bills this fall.
In pulling together several NFL power rankings from national media outlets, one thing is consistent. They all believe head coach Sean McDermott's team belongs in the upper echelon of the league.
Josh Allen took a major leap last season, and now expectations in Buffalo are higher than they've been since fans wore Starter jackets to the games. This team is good enough to beat anyone its path.
The offensive weapons are certainly there in Buffalo; the team led the AFC in scoring last year at 31.3 points per game. The defense isn't elite, but it's not porous either.
The Chiefs may be the kings of the AFC. But Allen and the Bills aren't far behind.
FOX Sports Colin Cowherd ranked the Bills third in his 'Herd Hierarchy.'
"They return all 11 starters on defense and they went and drafted two rush ends in college," said Cowherd of the Bills. "That's my issue with them. Can they get pressure on the quarterback? They addressed it in the draft. They return 21 of 22 starters from last year. This is a very formidable, well run organization and they have so many young players that are ascending. The Bills could be one of the two or three best teams in the AFC for a long time."
Around the NFL writer, Dan Hanzus had the following take on the Bills.
Next offseason might represent something of a passing of the torch along the defensive line, when several veteran stalwarts could move on to make room for the young guys. But in the here and now, the Bills have a varied and talented group of D-linemen, allowing coordinator Leslie Frazier to mix and match in order to maximize havoc in the trenches. Buffalo is hoping for an instant impact from rookies Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham, but keep an eye on A.J. Epenesa, a second-year pass rusher who received plenty of buzz this summer.
CBS Sports Pete Prisco has the Bills winning the whole thing.
The Buffalo Bills will win it all. This is the year Bills quarterback Josh Allen cements himself as one of the best in the NFL by leading the Bills to their first Super Bowl victory. Allen still has doubters, despite his MVP-like season in 2020.
There is a big part of me that thinks Allen is only scratching the surface of what he can be as a passer, which is why I am bullish on the Bills. Coach Sean McDermott and coordinator Leslie Frazier will have the defense improved over last season -- they have to be better rushing the passer -- and that will prove to be the impetus to get this team to the Super Bowl and win it.
