The Buffalo Bills are considered Super Bowl contenders for the first time in a long time. It is certainly an exciting time to be a Bills fan. However, with high expectations, major disappointment looms large. Many people across the NFL believe that this Buffalo Bills roster is capable of appearing in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in franchise history.
Buffalo made the AFC Championship Game last season, where they were outclassed by the Kansas City Chiefs. Naturally, the next step for the Bills would be to win the AFC Championship Game, regardless of opponent, and play in Super Bowl LVI. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, especially in the NFL.
So what happens if the Buffalo Bills don’t reach the Super Bowl? Well, it depends on how it all goes down.
Buffalo Bills Miss the Playoffs
The fashion in which the Bills falter would play a huge part in what happens in the aftermath. If the Bills miss the playoffs entirely, then many questions would need to be asked all across the board. Whether it be a health issue or a performance issue, questions would have to be asked. It would be shocking if they miss the playoffs, but anything is possible in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills suffer a Playoff Loss
If they lose in the Wild Card Round or the Divisional Round, their big game ability should certainly be questioned, given that Sean McDermott would still be below .500 in the playoffs with a loss in either of those rounds.
A Divisional Round loss should not concern those who believe that history repeats itself; the Bills lost to the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional Round in 1989 after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game in 1988.
A loss in the AFC Championship Game should be taken the same as it was in 2020; No panicking, just looking forward to the 2022 season.
The Window is Still Wide Open
The only significant names that have expiring contracts after the 2021 season are cornerback Taron Johnson, defensive tackle Vernon Butler, and defensive end Jerry Hughes. Although the Bills need to focus on extending star quarterback Josh Allen and middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, they should be able to at least bring back Johnson, and fill the roles of Hughes and Butler with younger players.
At the end of the day, Buffalo Bills fans should not feel like failing to reach Super Bowl LVI represents the closing of Buffalo’s Super Bowl window, but they should start asking questions as to what needs to be done to get the Bills to the promised land.