Since Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was hitting wide out Andre Reed on deep routes, it has been a struggle to be a Bills fan. Aficionados have endured two straight decades of only two playoff appearances and no wins. Coaches and quarterbacks have cycled through Buffalo with none finding much success, but the losing culture for the Bills appears to be coming to an end.
Buffalo showed promise in 2019 finishing the regular season with a 10-6 record. The Bills picked up wins against powerhouse teams like the Cowboys and Steelers, which are teams that have continually given Buffalo beatdowns in past years.
Despite losing to the Texans last Saturday, the Bills showed they have a strong franchise. Buffalo led by as many as 16 points in their playoff game. The Bills have a bright future due to three main reasons: defense, a franchise quarterback and the end to the Patriots Dynasty.
Defense Wins Championships
The Bills have established themselves as one of the best defenses in the NFL allowing only 14.8 points per game in the season. The Bills defense also allowed the fifth fewest yards per game in the NFL at 360.
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Buffalo’s defense begins with their strong defensive line consisting of Jordan Phillips, Ed Oliver, Trent Murphey and Jerry Hughes. Phillips leads the Bills with 9.5 sacks on the season.
The Bills also have skilled defensive backs in Tre’Davious White and Levi Wallace, and White lead Buffalo with 6 interception. The Bills’ young defense core can give Buffalo a top NFL defense for years to come.
Franchise Quarterback
Josh Allen does it all.
Top #BUFvsHOU photos: https://t.co/A3EOEFbilI pic.twitter.com/AyOHxXlJVd
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 4, 2020
After years of searching for a franchise quarterback, the New Your team seems to have finally found their star in Josh Allen. The Californian is currently in his second year in the NFL out of Wyoming, having taken tremendous strides in the 2019 season to establish himself as a premier NFL quarterback.
Allen passed for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in the 2019 NFL season, which is almost double the numbers Allen posted in his rookie year. The Bills quarterback also maintained a completion percentage of 58.8%. Where Allen truly separates himself though is on the ground having rushed for over 500 yards and 9 touchdowns this past season.
Allen showed he was truly ready to be the Bills franchise quarterback this postseason. He lead Buffalo on a fourth quarter game-tying field goal drive in the playoffs to force overtime against the Texans.
Bye Bye Brady
The Patriots have owned the AFC East over the past twenty years. New England has curently won 11 division titles in a row. The Patriots early playoff loss to the Titans has the world wandering if Brady and the Patriot’s dynasty is over. Will the Bills have a chance to emerge as the top team in the AFC East?
Brady is now 42 years old and is clearly declining in play. The Patriots lack a strong receiving core and need a tight end following Rob Gronkowski’s retirement. With all the questions surrounding the Patriots, the Bills appear to be the next team up in the AFC East to take control of the division.