The Buffalo Bills will enter the 2018 NFL season as underdogs. That is reflected in FanSided’s recent NFL power rankings.
Whenever I browse the web for Buffalo Bills news, I consistently find takes that I know will rile up Bills Mafia. The most recent article I found should do just that.
FanSided’s Matt Verderame recently published some NFL power rankings. I think you can guess how the Bills did.
He has the Bills in the No. 30 overall spot, just ahead of the Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland Browns. Here is what he wrote for the Bills:
"This isn’t fun putting Buffalo here. The Bills were a great story last year, finally reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Still, they have major quarterback issues, and the line is awful. Could be a long season."
This take resembles what most national media members are predicting for the Bills in 2018. The postseason appearance last season is seen as a bit of luck by many, but not to most of Bills Mafia.
If the Bills had kept Tyrod Taylor, I doubt the ranking would be this low. However, just because Josh Allen and AJ McCarron are unproven doesn’t mean the Bills are doomed. It just means we all have to wait and see who ends up as the best option.
Given the defense continues to improve, or even plays at a similar level as to what we saw last season, there is no reason to expect a major decline. Especially not to the basement of the entire NFL standings.
Bills fans don’t need any extra motivation. Instead, rankings like this just cause fans to go: “You’ll see.”
I’m interested to see how the power rankings change once the Bills announce a Week 1 starting quarterback. If it is McCarron, there may not be much movement until he proves himself on the field. But if Allen lights it up in the preseason and is named the starter, the hype that comes with a top rookie quarterback could lead to a move up in the rankings.
Next: Tyrod Taylor remains civil after his trade
I can’t believe it’s still only June.