The Buffalo Bills are a wagon, and have been for quite some time, but there are pebbles on the path to victory.
One such pebble was the 2025 New England Patriots, who not only re-took the AFC East from the Bills last season, but also went on to provide one of the most lacklustre Super Bowl performances of all time. For many, it's the beginning of the Drake Maye era...but not so fast.
As a writer for Sports Illustrated, Connor Orr created a list of 100 predictions for the 2026 NFL season. Whilst some were a little farfetched, others are as grounded as grass. For all the smoke of New England's grand 2025 season, and their appearance in the Super Bowl, they have major asterisks across their recent success.
From their indisputable ease of schedule- both during the season and across the entire postseason- to the relatively pedestrian nature of Drake Maye's failed 2025 MVP campaign, the New England Patriots simply haven't impressed many people.
For that reason, Connor Orr's #12 prediction has them finishing the season with under 10 total wins; In the 17-game format, that's not good enough for the playoffs. He compares them to the 2024 Detroit Lions, who coasted through the season winning 15 games before dropping off a clip into a 9-win season the year after despite roster improvements.
Whilst it's true the Patriots got a once-in-a-generation schedule run to escort them into the Super Bowl, they're still a good team. Even with the addition of A.J. Brown though, Orr thinks they're falling far short. He has some good points.
Bills winning back AFC East is exactly what fans want to see
The natural progression of that topic takes us to the big question: Who sits on top of the AFC East when the smoke clears? Considering the state of the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, the answer is an obvious one. With prediction #54 on Orr's list, the Buffalo Bills return to the playoffs for at least one home game, by winning the AFC East.
Orr concludes that Josh Allen is the best quarterback, and has him "winning out" to create a comfortable 2-win margin over the Patriots. With a prediction like that, the Bills could be resting by Week 17, and preparing for a fateful Super Bowl run of their own.
"With half of the division in rebuilding mode and the Patriots in regression mode, the most talented quarterback will win out and lead the Bills to another division title with a comfortable two-game margin over New England." said Orr.
It remains to be seen if the Buffalo Bills can truly pull it off. The team has a new head coach, many offensive changes, and an entirely new defensive scheme. If they can turn those trenches into wrinkles, they'll find themselves not just atop the AFC East, but the entire NFL.
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