The Buffalo Bills shocked the NFL world when they said goodbye to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. The turnover at wide receiver has lowered some expectations for fans, but perhaps none lower than NFL analyst Craig Carton.
Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of “The Carton Show,” Carton braced for a return of the moribund version of the franchise that struggled throughout the Tom Brady era.
“I can’t figure out how anybody thinks the Buffalo Bills are going to be an above .500 team this year,” Carton said.
Many believe that the Bills are set for a long season this year without Diggs and Davis.
The playoffs might be a dream for Buffalo if Carton’s expectations come true. The vast majority of teams that make the playoffs do so after an above .500 campaign. If the Bills fall even one game lower, they will be in trouble.
2024 marks make-or-break season for Josh Allen
Patrick Mahomes saw his greatest weapon taken away in the form of Tyreek Hill. The Super Bowl winner appears to be doing more than just fine. Now, with Josh Allen also no longer able to use Diggs or Davis, the operation will fall even more on Allen’s shoulders, much like it did Mahomes after the Kansas City Chiefs traded Hill.
Allen has had his fair share of struggles in the past, so it remains to be seen how he manages without Diggs and Davis in 2024.
Allen’s performance without his two top receivers will reveal a lot. If he succeeds without his two biggest targets, it will prove himself as the driver of the team’s success to this point. That said, if the team hits a wall this season, it will be clear that he has been propped up with his surrounding talent.
Whatever happens this season could set an expiration date on the quarterback’s future. It could come on the doorstep of the 2040s or as soon as his current contract expires.
Even if Allen bounces back in 2025, the quarterback will have played his hand as rookie Keon Coleman and the other young players could be credited for his success.
When they don’t receive support, the best quarterbacks manage to tread water.
Will Allen prove to be the beating heart of the team or merely the representative of it?
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