5 strengths and weaknesses for the Buffalo Bills heading into the 2021-22 season
The Buffalo Bills are entering a Super Bowl window. Their offense is one of the best in the league and they have a young quarterback with playoff experience at the helm.
On paper, the Buffalo Bills roster has plenty of strengths. This is not the Buffalo Bills side of yesteryear. That said, no NFL team is complete. Here are five strengths and weaknesses for the Buffalo Bills heading into 2021.
Buffalo Bills strengths
#1 - Josh Allen
Josh Allen's career got off to a shaky start, but since then, he has only gotten better. In 2018, Allen threw for ten touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In 2019, Allen threw for 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In 2020, Allen exploded for 37 touchdowns and ten interceptions. If he continues to get better, he could make a case for entering the elite eight in the NFL.
#2 - Backup quarterback
Josh Allen is clearly the beating heart of the team right now. However, should injury strike, the Bills have one of the best backups in the league heading into 2021 in trubisky' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>trubisky" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mitchell Trubisky.
While Trubisky isn't an amazing starting quarterback, he has great numbers for a backup. In his career, he has thrown for 64 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. He also has playoff experience, marginal as it may be. As far as backup quarterbacks go, Trubisky is as solid as they come.
#3 - Stefon Diggs
The addition of Stefon Diggs was the catalyst for the rise of the Bills. In his first season in Buffalo, he earned a career-high 1,535 yards and eight touchdowns. Before the addition of Diggs, the Buffalo Bills ranked 24th in total offense. After his addition, the Bills were second overall. Of course, some of that has to do with Allen's development, but Diggs gets much of the credit.
#4 - Isaiah McKenzie
Isaiah McKenzie is a secret weapon for the Buffalo Bills. He is a sneaky speed option who can run past lower-tier cornerbacks and score touchdowns on "Fly" routes. McKenzie had five touchdowns on 30 receptions in 2020.
#5 - Plenty of playoff experience
In the last four seasons, the Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs three times. At this point, most of the roster has playoff experience, which will come in handy. Put simply, they should be mature enough to win a Super Bowl if the chips fall in their favor.
Weaknesses on the Buffalo Bills roster
#1 - Tight end
While the offense as a whole is explosive, the tight end spotleaves something to be desired. The leader of the group is expected to be Dawson Knox. Last season, he had 24 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns. The Bills would ideally like to see their top tight end earn around 800 yards or better to further open up the offense.
#2 - Sharing a conference with the Kansas City Chiefs
The Bills are past focusing on their division. Their biggest opponents lie in the conference. Unfortunately for the Bills, they will likely need to get through the Kansas City Chiefs to make the Super Bowl. Put simply, matching up to the Chiefs in the AFC is a tall order, since they've made the AFC Championship game or better in each of the last three seasons.
#3 - The AFC East will get tougher in 2021
While the Bills are still the favorites to win the division, the competition is catching up.
The New England Patriots overhauled their offensive roster and should improve in 2021 with Bill Belichick still at the helm. The Miami Dolphins are hoping Tua Tagovailoa has an Allen-like growth spurt in playing ability. The New York Jets took another shot at a top draft prospect after offloading Darnold.
Put simply, while the Bills have their ducks in a row, the rest of the division is slowly getting theirs together as well.
#4 - An aging wide receiver corps
The Buffalo Bills have amazing talent at wide receiver. However, the top-end talent is near the cliff of their prime. This could result in injuries or natural regression that hampers the offense in 2021. Cole Beasley is 32 years old. Emmanuel Sanders is also getting up there at 34.
Stefon Diggs is still in the prime of his career, as he is 27 years old but he will turn 28 this season. Will the receiving corps stay intact for all of 2021?
#5 - The defense is not Super Bowl-caliber
While the Buffalo Bills had the third-best defense in 2019, they regressed the following season. In 2020, the Bills were ranked 14th overall. If they continue to regress, the team as a whole may take a step back in 2021. Offense wins games. Defense wins championships.