While the Buffalo Bills are still preparing for Saturday's preseason opener, there are experts around the NFL already tracking their success in the regular season. For one, former coach and current NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci sees the Bills on another collision course with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
"The Bills think they can win the Super Bowl and I agree," Mariucci said this week on The Rich Eisen Show. "That's a talented team."
For now, the Bills are focused on launching their preseason against rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts. By December, however, Mariucci believes they will be raising another AFC East championship banner and preparing for another post-season showdown with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
"They've just gotta finish strong," he said. "They're right there. Just a play or two away."
Like the Bills, Mariucci knows about talented teams failing in the playoffs. His San Francisco 49ers made the postseason four times from 1997-2002 but lost a Wild Card game, two Divisional games and an NFC Championship in their own stadium. The 1997 team, led by Hall of Famers Steve Young and Terrell Owens, went 13-3 but lost the conference title game to Brett Favre's Green Bay Packers.
"The Bills were 13-3 and lost to the Bengals," Mariucci said, "But they've added pieces and they have lots of people coming back."
He pointed to the addition rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid on offense, giving "animal" Josh Allen another weapon.
"They had one of the best defenses and they've got important guys returning," Mariucci said. "Von Miller missed games. Micah Hyde missed the season. Tre'Davious White missed a lot of time. Damar Hamlin's coming back, thank God."
First things first, Mariucci sees the Bills winning their fourth consecutive AFC East title.
"The Jets and Dolphins will be better," he said, "but it should be the Bills division to win."
Follow Richie Whitt on Twitter
More must-reads: