Three reasons to be optimistic about the Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills were the class of the AFC for much of the 2022 season. But after an uncharacteristically off game from quarterback Josh Allen, Buffalo had an early exit in the playoffs and an unexpected jump on the offseason.

The Bills, who return most of their starters from last season and don’t need any huge upgrades at many positions, will likely be a Super Bowl threat again next season.

Below are three reasons for the Bills to be optimistic heading into 2023:

1. The team is on the cusp of being a Super Bowl contender

The Bills have made it to the divisional round of the playoffs three straight years and made it to the AFC Championship game in 2020, so the pieces are clearly there.

However, if there was one thing that stood out above all else in Buffalo’s 27-10 playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals this season, it’s the lack of a run game. Devin Singletary had six carries for 25 yards, James Cook added five carries for 13 yards, and the offense became one-dimensional.

Conversely, Cincinnati ran up 172 rushing yards including 105 from Joe Mixon and 33 from Samaje Perine. Had Josh Allen had a bell cow back to hand the ball off to, or a grinding runner capable of eating up time in the fourth quarter, that game might have had a different ending.

With several top backs available in free agency — Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Kareem Hunt, Jamaal Williams — and a few more in the draft — Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Zach Charbonnet — Buffalo should be able to find its missing piece.

2. Josh Allen is still the quarterback

For the first half of the season, Allen was in the MVP discussion. And it’s not like he regressed in the second half either; he finished second in touchdown passes (35), seventh in passing yards (4,283) and eight in passer rating (96.6).

Since 2019, only three quarterbacks have more touchdown passes than Allen (Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady) and four have more passing yards (Mahomes, Brady, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr).

The 26-year-old Allen is arguably one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, and as long as he’s under center, Buffalo is going to be a tough out for anyone.

3. A healthy Von Miller

Miller’s 2022 season couldn’t have started any better. Through 11 games, he totaled eight sacks, 45 pressures and 33 hurries. He was consistently terrorizing opposing teams' quarterbacks, disrupting the pocket and drawing enough attention that the likes of Gregory Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and Ed Oliver racked up sacks made possible by Miller.

But a torn ACL ended his season in Week 11 and the Bills pass rush struggled to find the same consistency it had early on, and it showed in Buffalo’s playoff loss to the Bengals. Joe Burrow was pressured on less than half of his drop backs, and despite generating 16 pressures and 14 hits, he was sacked just one time.

A healthy Miller is a difference maker and the Bills need him if they hope to get past either Burrow or Mahomes.