Rebirth of the Buffalo Bills

Courtesy of Adrian Kraus

"We will be back." 

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen insisted to the media in a post-game press conference following a 38-24 defeat in the 2020 AFC Championship that the Bills aren't going anywhere. The Bills were on the doorstep of playing in their first Super Bowl since 1993, and marched into the AFC Championship riding their best season in a quarter-century. They finished the 2020 campaign at 13-3, winning the AFC East for the first time since 1995, and winning a pair of playoff games. Above the record setting numbers, an all-time win-loss record, and the most talented Bills team in a generation, the 2020 season embodied a culmination of 2 decades rotting in the underbelly of professional North American sports, and a renaissance for the franchise. 

The wait for Bills fans to watch their team reclimb to the elite tier of the NFL was agonizing, with excruciating miseries of the likes Bills Mafia needs no reminding. Everyone remembers the 4 Super Bowl defeats on the trot in the 90s, but after the Music City Miracle in 1999, the Bills failed to return to the playoffs for the following 17 years. The drought, just one year shy of legal voting age, was the longest playoff drought across all 4 professional sports leagues in the United States, and they hardly came close once to severing it. The last time the Bills won a playoff game before their 2020 postseason run, the original Pixar film Toy Story released, Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett performed the Super Bowl halftime show, Denis Rodman and Madonna were dating, and Starbucks launched the Frappuccino. The wait was long and painful in upstate New York. 

In the span of the past 4 seasons, the winning culture of the Bills has been completely reborn, thanks to a group of unlikely stars. As the Bills reassert themselves as one of the NFL's most formidable outs and set their sights on Super Bowl LVI, it's appropriate to turn back the page to January 2017, a darker period in Buffalo, and recollect the rebirth of a long-suffering NFL franchise.

Beginning of the Sean McDermott era

The morning of December 27th 2016, the Bills announced the firing of former head coach Rex Ryan. The touted defensive mastermind guided the Bills to a 7-9 finish, and extended Buffalo's playoff drought to 17 straight years. Limited quarterbacking and disjointed defensive schematics foiled Ryan's tenure, plunging the Bills into a full rebuild, and their 7th head coaching search since 2000.

While any NFL head coaching vacancy is a desirable one for aspiring first-time coaches, the Bills opening was less than scintillating. The likes of Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone, and Rex Ryan each failed to buck the drought in Buffalo, with the weight of overcoming it higher than ever for the next man up. Factored along with the consistent turnover at coaching and the overcoming pressure to end the longest playoff drought in North America was the adjacency to the championship heavy Patriots within the division, who owned a dominant 35-5 record over the Bills since 2000, and the widely undesirable transition of packing up and moving to Buffalo, New York. A high maintenance job with seemingly slim margin for error, insurmountable expectations, and unenviable residency in an NFL wasteland. 

On January 11th 2017, the Bills announced former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott as the 19th head coach of the franchise. McDermott, a product of the Andy Reid coaching tree, was not afraid of a rebuild, or the challenge of reconstructing a franchise from scratch in his vision. Plenty of challenges welcomed him at his arrival, including searching for Buffalo's franchise quarterback, dethroning the New England Patriots, and ending the drought.

Sean McDermott is introduced as head coach of the Buffalo Bills for the first time in 2017 (Courtesy of USA Today).

McDermott and former Bills general manager Doug Whaley entered the 2017 NFL Draft looking to remain competitive, and declined the opportunity to draft a young quarterback with veteran Tyrod Taylor in the building. At pick 10, the Bills traded down with the Chiefs, where future MVP Patrick Mahomes would be selected, to acquire draft pick capital for the coming years. The Bills used their picks to take cornerstones of the McDermott era, including Tre'Davious White, Dion Dawkins, and Matt Milano in the 2017 draft. All 3 players have since resigned to second contracts with the team at the end of their rookie deals.

Just one day after the end of the draft, the Bills fired Whaley and the entire scouting staff. He was replaced by another former Panthers administrator, Brandon Beane. McDermott and Beane would pair up to build a championship caliber roster and culture in their joint vision, from their shared Carolina roots. After the hire, Beane did not hesitate to reshape the roster. Team stalwarts and fan favorites were quickly sent packing, beginning with Corey Graham and Reggie Ragland. Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby were traded before reaching their second contracts. Free agents Robert Woods and Stephon Gilmore walked without being resigned. Beane alongside McDermott were unafraid of rolling heads out of the gate, or part ways with players who did not buy into the staff's vision. 

Running back LeSean McCoy led the Bills to a playoff appearance in the 2017 season (Courtesy of Adrian Kraus).

In year one, the playoff drought was expected to continue, after such a drastic roster upheaval. But in an expected rebuilding year, the Bills finished 9-7 and clinched a playoff spot. Thanks to a miracle Week 17 tiebreaker finish, the Bills snuck into the playoffs and ended their 17 year playoff drought in McDermott's first year at One Bills Drive. The 2017 Bills played scrappy and gritty football, finishing with a -57 point differential, and even featured the infamous 5 interception game by Nathan Peterman. But the veteran presence of Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy on offense, and a young, opportunistic defense led by rookie Tre'Davious White and a talented safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer played Buffalo's way into a postseason appearance, and laying the groundwork. The roster was deficient, but hungry, and well-coached. And despite losing in the Wild Card to the Jaguars, the foundation was laid, and the culture was already changing.

Building through the draft

McDermott understood that his legacy as a head coach in the NFL would be defined by the development of a franchise quarterback, and Beane's would be spotting him in the draft. The only way to unseat the Patriots at the top of the AFC East would be to find a heavyweight fighter capable of going punch for punch with Tom Brady. Prior to the McDermott-Beane regime, the Bills quarterback carousel swirled relentlessly, as the next franchise quarterback after Hall of Famer Jim Kelly continued to elude them. The Bills started 16 different quarterbacks from 2000 to 2017, and none seemed to pan out. Not JP Losman, not Ryan Fitzpatrick, not EJ Manuel, and no, not even Thad Lewis. But the Bills would draft an unlikely prospect to lead the Bills into the limelight.

The Bills traded up to the 7th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to acquire former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. In a draft rich with pro-ready prospects including Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Rosen, the Bills drafted who scouts essentially pegged as a raw, inaccurate flamethrower. Allen's arm strength and athleticism to throw outside the pocket was palpable, but scouts were afraid his quarterback mechanics were not malleable enough to coach at the pro level. A talent so raw, he was terrifying. But Beane was confident in Allen's upside, which was the highest of all the quarterbacks in the draft. 

The Bills selected Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL Draft (Courtesy of Mark Alberti).

Allen's road to the NFL stood on its own, and intrigued Beane in every way. He grew up on a cotton farm in a town of just 7,600 people in Firebaugh, California. Out of high school, Allen did not receive a single Division 1 scholarship offer. He played multiple sports in high school and continued to work on the family farm, hurting his stock in the eyes of many Division 1 programs. Allen decided to attend Reedley Community College for one year before transferring to the University of Wyoming, and playing there for 3 years. His build contrasted to the prototypical build of an NFL quarterback as well. Allen measured at 6'5" and 240 pounds, a rare framework for any human, especially for an athlete who can move like he can, and can throw the football nearly 50 yards downfield with both feet off the ground. But he completed only 56.2 percent of his passes in college despite his planetary arm strength. Beane was one of few general managers who did not fear Allen's inaccuracy out of college. Where other scouts steered clear, Beane considered the possibilities of what Allen could be coached into. If an offensive mind could unlock and maximize his physical tools, the Bills could create something special.

The Bills later traded back up into the first round to select the quarterback of the defense, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and cornerback Taron Johnson, who went on to become a Buffalo Bills playoff hero. 

Josh Allen's development

After scraping into the 2017 playoffs, the Bills moved on from their quarterback-offensive coordinator pairing of Tyrod Taylor and Rick Dennison. The Bills paired rookie Josh Allen with newly hired offensive coordinator Brian Daboll prior to the 2018 season. 

Daboll, a Rochester graduate, arrived in Buffalo after one year at Alabama, and previous experience with the Patriots and Chiefs as offensive coordinator and positional coach. The Daboll hire was perceived to be outside the box, but in a discouraging tone. Daboll served as a coordinator in 4 different NFL cities, and his offensive rankings ranged from 20th to 32nd in yards per game. Apart from coordinating the high octane Alabama offense in 2017, Daboll lacked experience coordinating an efficient offense, or aid the growth of a developing quarterback. The Bills gambled that Daboll's scheme would complement Allen's skillset, and that he could improve the league's 29th ranked offense in 2017. But the available personnel on the offensive side of the ball did not lend kindly. 

The 2018 Bills mightily regressed. The team opened 2-7, gave up an average of 27 points per game, ranked in the cellar in yards per game on offense, and even saw a veteran player retire at halftime. The team was dismissed from playoff contention early on, mostly due to the impotence of the offense, horrid protection up front, and a defective receiving core. The 2018 Bills were at a similarly insufficient comparability to Allen's college teams at Wyoming, with Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones, and Andre Holmes starting at receiver, an aging LeSean McCoy in the backfield. The offense ranked 30th in yards per game and scoring in 2018, undermining the defense which ranked 2nd in yards allowed and 1st against the pass.

In spite of the limited supporting cast, Allen flashed glimpses of superstar ability in his rookie season. He grasped Bills Mafia's excitement by the horns in his second NFL start, when he led the Bills to a 27-6 victory over an exceptionally talented Minnesota Vikings team, and hurdled Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Barr on a third down conversion. From there, Allen finished the season throwing for 2,074 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and also led the team in rushing with 631 yards on the ground and 8 touchdown runs. The rookie's inaccuracy concerns continued to surface, when Allen completed just 52.8 percent of his passes in 2018. He finished the league 24th in total QBR (49.8) and 32nd in quarterback rating (67.9). Allen's athleticism, playmaking ability, and surprising mobility captured the hopes of Bills Mafia, and stood out as bright spots in a 6-10 season, but inconsistency and roller coaster mechanics implied he was one of the league's worst performing quarterbacks. 

The following offseason, general manager Beane prioritized fostering the growth of Buffalo's young quarterback. On opening day, the Bills fielded 9 new starters on offense, with the only exceptions being Allen and his left tackle, Dion Dawkins. Beane struck up free agent deals across the offense, including wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley, and center Mitch Morse. The receiving core and offensive line were completely replaced with new faces, to make Allen more comfortable in his development. While the Bills went shopping, Allen honed in on his accuracy and decision making. Practicing timing-based throws, averting the dreaded "hero-ball" where Allen tries to force chunk plays, and learning to throw the ball away when the read isn't there.

A year later, the Bills began to see returns on their investments, and modest growth in their quarterback.

The Bills signed wideouts John Brown (#15) and Cole Beasley (#10) in the 2019 season (Courtesy of Adrian Kraus).

Playoff caliber

Allen was named team captain entering year two of his NFL career, and saw strides in his performances. Allen completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 3,089 passing yards, and threw 20 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. His accuracy improved marginally from his rookie year, but he protected the football far more efficiently, and still threatened defenses with his arm and his legs. Allen also led the NFL with 5 game-winning drives, and 4 fourth quarter comebacks. Brown and Beasley registered career seasons in Buffalo, totaling a combined 149 receptions for 1,838 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches. Rookie running back Devin Singletary bursted onto the scene and made an immediate impact from the Buffalo backfield. 

Buffalo's defense followed up on a strong 2018 season with an emphatic campaign in 2019. The Bills defense ranked 4th in total defense and 2nd in points allowed. The trio of Hyde, Poyer, and White led the way as they did in the 2017 season when McDermott brought each of them in together, and played their best football in 2019. White was named first team All-Pro in his third year in the NFL, and locked down A-list wideouts all season long. 

The Bills signed safeties Micah Hyde (#23) and Jordan Poyer (#21) in 2017, and the duo has played together every year since McDermott's hiring (Courtesy of Jeffrey T. Barnes).

McDermott's Bills were better than ever before, and they finished the season winning 10 games for the first time since 1999. The Bills clinched the number 5 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 10-6 record, and their second playoff berth in 3 years. But for most of 2019, the Bills flew under the radar in the scope of the NFL juggernauts. Fans outside of Buffalo hadn't watched Bills football all season, and overlooked their hot start because "it's the Bills." As the Bills were emerging, they had to overcome a narrative of doubt and ridicule that was in place for the past 2 decades. The only way to do that, to snatch the national spotlight, would be to perform in primetime, and beat the household name contenders.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Bills played in the national spotlight, and seized the occasion. Allen and the Bills marched into Dallas to battle the Cowboys, as millions of turkey-stuffed Americans witnessed the full rebirth of an NFL franchise. CBS reported the Bills-Cowboys contest rated as the most watched regular season game in the NFL in 3 years, and the most-watched Thanksgiving game in 27 years. The Bills defeated the Cowboys 25-16, in a showcase of Allen's growth in year two, a turnover platter on defense, and a lopsided win for the road team unreflected on the scoreboard. The Thanksgiving spotlight thrust millions of eyes on the Bills, and epitomized a national coming out party. No longer were the Bills the little engine that could, the playoff darlings from 2017, the lovable losers. The narrative was changing.

Buffalo returned to the postseason in 2019, despite falling short of the Patriots atop the AFC East again. The Patriots had their number in both divisional showdowns in 2019, intercepting Allen 3 times in an offensive meltdown in Buffalo, and stopping the Bills in a red zone stand in Foxboro. The Bills breathed down New England's neck all season, before ultimately falling two wins behind first place. A gap still existed separating the 6 time Super Bowl champs from the newly aspiring Bills. The Bills settled for a Wild Card spot again.

Unfortunately for Bills Mafia, an impressive regular season did not galvanize the Bills into the postseason. After leading 16-0 in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the 2019 Wild Card Round, the Bills fell in overtime, 22-19. Once the game began to slip through Buffalo's fingers, the Bills wideouts were unable to come to their quarterback's rescue. A defensive calamity in the second half and an erratic performance from Allen produced yet another heartbreak, and another postseason loss. Buffalo's best season in 20 years was overcome by a sour ending, a devastating playoff exit. Even as the Bills normalized playoff berths under McDermott, an 0-2 record in the postseason was hard to ignore, and the comeback loss to Houston was even harder to forget.

Moving fast

The wheels fell off for the Bills in the 2019 postseason, but it was also a culmination of the glaring weakness at wide receiver. While Beasley and Brown were noticeable upgrades from Allen's receiving core in 2018, the absence of a true number one receiver was inhibiting the development of Allen and the Bills offense. When the lead dwindled in Houston, costly drops by Brown, Dawson Knox, and Duke Williams forced the Bills to settle for field goals and to punt the ball away. The Bills front office understood loud and clear, and delivered with a seismic trade. 

In the 2020 offseason, Beane acquired the finishing touch of the Bills offense by acquiring Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a flurry of draft picks. The Bills sent 3 draft selections from the 2020 draft, including their first rounder, as well as a 4th round pick in 2021, to trade for Diggs. Beane was reportedly keen on trading for Diggs at the 2019 trade deadline, and had inquired about his availability with the Vikings on multiple attempts to no avail. Minnesota's price dropped in the offseason, and Beane seized the opportunity to acquire a number one receiver for Allen. In 5 years with the Vikings, Diggs tallied 365 catches for 4,623 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns, and he finished the 2019 season as the NFL's leading receiver in deep throws (20 or more yards). Diggs brought an impressive track record to Buffalo, but was still pegged as a leap of faith in league circles. In Minnesota, Diggs grew mistrustful of the Vikings organization and frustrated with a short volume of targets, and his relationship with the team unraveled. The Vikings sent Diggs away for an onslaught of draft capital, and to restore harmony in the locker room. But a commonality of Buffalo's acquisition of Diggs - the Bills took a gamble. Like the others, Diggs would soon pay off. 

Under McDermott, the culture of the Bills organization matured year after year, and 2020 was expected to be another stride in the right direction in their climb back to the Super Bowl. Now that the long-standing playoff drought was snapped, the Bills were not to be satisfied with playoff appearances. It was a goal in 2017, but an expectation in 2020, as was winning the division and ending the Patriots' reign of dominance, winning a playoff game, and winning a Super Bowl. The Bills had not won the division or a playoff game since 1995, and have not appeared in a Super Bowl since 1993. Demons once seen unimaginably conquerable in Buffalo were now feasible, and widely anticipated. 

Josh Allen developed into one of the best performing quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL season (Courtesy of AP Photo).

Breaking the glass ceiling

The Bills began the 2020 season firing out of Allen's cannon arm. Allen played the best football of his career, and was unrecognizably exceptional. After never passing for over 300 yards in a single game in his first 2 seasons, Allen threw for over 300 yards in each of his first 3 games in 2020, and 10 total touchdown passes. He refined his decision-making and accuracy over the offseason, and saw his improvements pay off in flying colors. The man at the face of the Houston collapse was nowhere to be seen, instead an MVP candidate wearing his uniform. He refined his decision-making and accuracy over the offseason, and saw his improvements pay off in flying colors. The addition of Diggs into the offense metamorphose Allen's quarterbacking. Diggs himself ascended into the number one receiving role, and finished the season as the NFL's leading receiver in catches (127) and yards (1,535), and was named first team All-Pro. 

Allen ended the season completing 69.2 percent of his passes, and throwing for 4,544 yards, and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His jump from completing 53 percent of his passes in his rookie season, and completing 69 percent by his third season is the largest two-year jump in NFL history. A prospect once feared to have incurable accuracy problems finished with the 25th most accurate season by a quarterback in NFL history. Allen also shattered franchise records for most passing yards and passing touchdowns in a single season, in just his third year in the NFL. Allen's 2020 season was not only great, but historic, and catapulted the Bills to their best season in a quarter-century. He earned the second most votes for MVP in the NFL Honors, only behind Aaron Rodgers, and ahead of even Patrick Mahomes. The offense ended the year as the 2nd best offense in yards per game and scoring, climbing all the way from 30th in 2018.

In their quest to slay the dragons in Foxboro, the Bills swept the Patriots in 2020. The Bills narrowly edged the Patriots in Week 8 by a score of 24-21 to earn their first home win over their divisional opponents since 2011, and slaughtered them in Gillette Stadium 38-9 in Week 16. The Bills sealed the division title prior to their New England clash in the penultimate game of the season, but the game marked a consequential shift in the division. In just one night, the Bills culminated 20 years of anguish and disappointment at the hands of the Patriots into triumph, vengeance, and authority. They snatched the division away from their big brothers in New England, and claimed it as their own. Allen ended the game with 4 touchdown passes, including 3 to Diggs. 

Stefon Diggs scored 3 touchdowns in a 38-9 victory over the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football (Courtesy of Stew Milne).

The Bills secured the AFC East, and finished the season at a franchise-best 13-3 record and the number 2 seed in the AFC playoffs The offense finished second in yards per game and scoring, and roared into the playoffs riding a 6 game winning streak, and the hottest team in football. In the first round, they faced the Indianapolis Colts, and survived a ferocious comeback attempt to win 27-24. Another demon vanquished in the NFL postseason for the Bills, a playoff win. While they were at it, they proceeded to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round 17-3, and return a Lamar Jackson interception back 100 yards for a pick six to seal Buffalo a trip to the AFC Championship. 

A win in the title game would send the Bills back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 27 years. But they were cut off by the Chiefs, who steamrolled through the Bills, by a flatteringly narrow scoreline of 38-24. The high octane Buffalo offense ran out of gas in Kansas City, and the defense was sliced apart by Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl holders. Buffalo's historic 2020 season was over, and they missed out on the chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy. But the loss couldn't undermine the new reality in Buffalo, that the Bills are Super Bowl contenders once again.

The Bills fell short of a Super Bowl berth, losing to the Chiefs in the 2020 AFC Championship 38-24 (Courtesy of Jeff Roberson).

Entering the 5th year of the McDermott regime, and the 4th year with Allen under center, the Bills have officially entered their Super Bowl window. The Bills seem to have found their franchise quarterback in Allen, a steady hand at head coach in McDermott, and assembled one of the league's most talented rosters with continuity going into 2021. 

Twenty of 22 starters from 2020 are projected to return, barring the ascension of rookies elevating up the depth chart. The mastermind of the roster, Brandon Beane, who was later named NFL Executive of the Year in 2020 following the trade for Diggs, began the offseason extending free agents Matt Milano, Daryl Williams, and Jon Feliciano, each a crucial starter for the Bills. Each player resigned on a hometown discount and cited the culture in Buffalo as a key influence for resigning, and wanting to be a part of another run at the Super Bowl, instead of signing somewhere else for a larger paycheck. Beane also inked deals with free agents Emmanuel Sanders, Matt Breida, and Jacob Hollister, grooming the roster with even stronger depth heading into the new season. 

The reconstruction efforts for McDermott and Beane were methodical and challenging, and the search for an answer at quarterback was dreadfully extensive. But after 2 decades of wallowing in the dark, the Bills have finally glued themselves back together. Allen's development trajectory based on his first 3 years in the league is electrifying, and McDermott's coaching and leadership has successfully redefined the culture in Buffalo from a laughing stock to a juggernaut. The demons of the playoff drought, their long-standing submission to the Patriots, and 25 year dry spells of division titles and postseason victories are now ghosts of Bills pasts. 

The Buffalo Bills are back.

But their journey is still incomplete. The Bills are thinking about February football.