How good can the Bills be in 2022?

We know about the high expectations, but can the Bills live up to them?

The Bills have looked good in their two preseason games. They’ve defeated the Colts 27-24 in the preseason opener, and they looked great in a 42-15 win over the Broncos. Josh Allen played one drive and he looked excellent, going 3-for-3 for 45 yards and a 28-yard TD pass to Gabe Davis. Is their preseason success a microcosm of what will be coming the Bills’ way this season?

We are all aware that expectations are very high in Western New York. With the way last season ended, the Bills knew they wanted to come into the 2022 season with a vengeance. GM Brandon Beane and company got the ball rolling early with the signing of Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million deal, which should instantly make the defense more aggressive and efficient.

The season opener on September 8 is what all Bills fans are looking forward to, as Buffalo will be heading to Los Angeles to play the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams. The opener will be Miller’s first game as a Bill, and it will be against his former team with whom he won a Super Bowl with last season. If the Bills can travel to LA and defeat the Rams in Inglewood, it would surely be a statement win. The expectations are so high, and a significant road win to start the season will prove the team’s ability to the world watching.

As a Bills fan, I have said that they deserve more national respect. But, every time I would say that, someone would be there to say ‘Well, what about the loss to Jacksonville?’ I believe a win over the Rams in the opener can help change that perspective for the people remaining out there who are doubting the Bills’ seriousness as a contender.

Just how good can the Bills be in 2022?

When I think about how good the Bills can be, I think about the last five years under head coach Sean McDermott and how he helped to end the 17-year playoff drought in 2017. Following that year, the Bills drafted Josh Allen in 2018 and have since gotten better every season. The Bills, led by the emerging Allen, rose to another level in 2020, as they won their first AFC East Championship since 1995 with a regular season record of 13-3:

Buffalo also won their first playoff game since 1995 in that 2020 postseason, defeating both the Colts (Wild Card) and Ravens (Divisional), but unfortunately were defeated by the Chiefs in the AFC title game. And in 2021, the Bills were bounced from the playoffs by the Chiefs yet again, this time in the Divisional Round.

Ever since McDermott has been with the Bills, there has been a different feeling in Western New York, reminiscent of the Marv Levy and Jim Kelly era. In recent years, the Bills have shown me how good they can be. With the moves they made this offseason, I feel like they will eventually make their way to Glendale, Arizona for Super Bowl LVII.

2022 could be a special season for the Bills, not just for the players and members of the organization, but for their loyal fans. The City of Buffalo has been ready for the Bills to bring home a Super Bowl since 1960, and I think that they have been more than patient. From the 1990-1993 seasons, the Bills went to four consecutive Super Bowls and lost them all, including one heartbreaker which we will never forget. Western New York is ready to see their Bills return to the glory land. Division titles are good, but the team is ready for more.

I will close out by saying that the Bills can be the best in the NFL because of the talent they have accumulated on both sides of the ball. On offense, they have a superstar in Josh Allen, and he’s surrounded by explosive and reliable weapons. And, the running game has looked improved under o-line coach Aaron Kromer, which should take some pressure off Allen. On defense, the signing of Von Miller adds a new dimension, and the revamped pass rush should work in harmony with the already-established lockdown secondary.

Expect the Bills to be in Glendale on February 12, as this season has the potential to provide the best outcome that Bills Mafia has ever seen.