Getty Josh Allen walks off the field after a Buffalo Bills loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Buffalo Bills entered the 2022 season as a popular pick to win the Super Bowl, largely unfamiliar territory for the franchise that had spent the two decades before Josh Allen’s arrival struggling for relevancy.
Those expectations may be tempered for the coming year, with one analyst declaring that the team’s Super Bowl window is officially closed after three straight years ending in heartbreak. Filling in for host Colin Cowherd on The Herd, analyst Jason McIntyre said that the team’s best chance for getting over the hump may be left in the past as the Bills have suffered some key losses and now rely on an aging defense.
Bills’ Window ‘Closed, It’s Shut, It’s Over’
McIntyre had a pessimistic outlook for the Bills, noting that the team’s heartbreaking finishes over the past two seasons brought a sad conclusion to what was likely their best chance of winning a Super Bowl.
“The Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl window is closed, it’s shut, it’s over. Three straight incredible years, double-digit wins, Josh Allen on the rookie contract, came so close against Kansas City in that overtime loss—one of the most gut-wrenching losses,” he said. “Last year they had the off-field chaos [Damar Hamlin] that really made it difficult, 13 wins and then they lose in the playoffs. Folks, there is some stuff going on in Buffalo.”
“The winner of the NFC will be the New Orleans Saints.”
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McIntyre added that the Bills suffered a key loss with the departure of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and top linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who left in free agency. The Bills’ defense is now on shaky ground, he added, relying on two safeties who are 32 and a top edge rusher in Von Miller who is coming back from a torn ACL. He added that the uncertainty surrounding Stefon Diggs has also cast a dark cloud over the upcoming season.
To add to their internal turmoil, the Bills will have to face three divisional opponents on the rise, McIntryre added.
“I see the AFC East taking a big leap and I see the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl window closing shut,” he said.
Bills Still Seen as Top Contender
While they may no longer be the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl, the Bills are still seen as a top contender and Allen is considered a strong MVP candidate. As Fox Sports noted, Allen had the best odds to win MVP through much of the offseason, though Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes moved briefly into the lead after the NFL Draft. The two had equal odds through June.
Others still have faith that the team’s Super Bowl window remains wide open. In a May 24 appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, analyst Dan Orlovsky said the Bills and New York Jets are still the top contenders to unseat Mahomes and the Chiefs.
“There’s two teams that I think are the most equipped to beat Kansas City because that’s what the season is about,” Orlovsky said. “One is Buffalo — everyone keeps sleeping on Buffalo — and then the two are the New York Jets. Those are one-two to go knock off Kansas City and get back to the Super Bowl.”