Is the Josh Allen's Bills' playoff hopes over? Dissecting Buffalo's concerning future
The 2023 Buffalo Bills are the textbook detention of stuck in the mud. An awesome performance against the best record in the league, the Philadelphia Eagles, was for naught, as Jalen Hurts scrambled for a game-winning touchdown. Josh Allen accounted for five touchdowns. two of which were rushing, and Allen had 400+ combined yards vs the Eagles and still lost.
All six Buffalo losses have been one-score ones, it's been one weird year. If Josh Allen's pass in overtime connected with Gabe Davis, the team would have moved to 7-5 and primed for an AFC playoff spot and in the run for the division title. Miami now has a two-game led after their Black Friday win and has a game in hand as Buffalo hit their bye week.
Two big pieces of the defense, Tre'Davious White and Matt Milano, are done for the season. The second-best defense in 2022 is now unrecognizable a year later. It was a valiant first-half defensive performance in the first half vs the Eagles, but it quickly became very one-sided.
The Buffalo Bills return from their bye week to face the task of facing the current Super Bowl champions in Arrowhead. The Bills have won in Arrowhead in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different story. Somehow Buffalo has to win in Patrick Mahomes' home three straight seasons, or the story is all but a wrap.
The dominant Dallas Cowboys come after the Chiefs, and the Chargers, Patriots, and Dolphins are the final three games. Ten wins is a must if you have any chance of making the AFC wildcard spots, and with these five remaining games, it's tough to see Buffalo going 4-1.
The Buffalo Bills could easily end up 6-8 if they are not flawless against the Chiefs and Cowboys, and then it will be all over, and questions will need to be asked.
The Buffalo Bills future roster is very uncertain
Josh Allen had to be given a big deal to keep him around for years; that was a no-brainer.
Allen is receiving over $250 million over six years and eats most of the team's cap room. Steffon Diggs is under contract until 2028, but there's a lot of unease, as Travon Diggs, the brother of the Bills WR, has hinted at a potential move for Steffon.
Von Miller was given a hefty contract by Buffalo, but injuries have dominated his tenure in Buffalo, and he does not have a sack this season. He's simply too expensive to cut, and with all due respect they may be hoping for him to retire to get out of this deal.
A new temporary offensive coordinator is in place after Ken Dorsey's firing, and there's uncertainty about where this offense is headed and with what personnel.
Sean McDermott is calling the defense this year, but it's not working, so even more questions await. The NFL Super Bowl is not open forever, and the window is nearing its end.