With the 2020-21 NFL season heading into the conference championships this weekend, this season has had many different storylines dominate the news cycle.
This season fans saw legendary players like Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers in different jerseys for the first time, perennial bottom-dweller teams making playoff runs, rookie records being broken and COVID-19 outbreaks.
Some would look at the Cleveland Browns as the story of the season. They made the playoffs after having an 0-16 and 1-15 record just a few years ago. They dominated a powerhouse in the Pittsburgh Steelers and almost upset the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs.
There is another team that has been on fire this entire season and has consistently proven the doubters wrong as they advance to the AFC championship game: the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills unfortunately have been a subpar team for the better part of the last two decades. Ever since the team made four straight Super Bowls from 1991-1994, it has been downhill from there.
Since the year 2000 until 2017, not only have the Bills not been able to reach the playoffs, they did not have a double-digit winning season. They came close going 9-7 in 2004 and 2014.
To the delight of Bills fans worldwide, 2017 marked the change of an era with the hiring of former Carolina Panthers defensive co-ordinator Sean McDermott. In his first year, McDermott ended the playoff drought and the Bills have never missed the playoffs under his coaching.
Under McDermott, they finally addressed the long problematic quarterback situation with Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Allen has finally emerged as a pro-bowler and gotten his name into contention for MVP with the likes of Aaron Rodgers.
Called ‘a bust’ and a player who wasn’t ready for the grind of the NFL by many draft experts, Allen has proven the haters wrong by breaking all sorts of Bills records. These include passing touchdowns in a season, total touchdowns in a season, and many more.
The Bills were able to put together a top defense and stable offence. They were capable of shutting down opposing offences and putting up over 25 points consistently.
By far the biggest addition to the Bills organization was elite wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Vikings this past off-season.
This season, Diggs has put together a strong case to be considered the best wide receiver in the NFL.
The Allen-Diggs combination has been deadly for opposing defenses. Diggs led the league with 127 receptions, totaling 1,535 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
At the time, analysts gave the winning edge of the trade to Diggs’s old team the Vikings. However, he has found a type of success with the Bills he never had with the Vikings. His old team also failed to make the playoffs this season.
Coming into this season, the expectation for the Bills was to make the playoffs with the new additions. However, betting odds still had the New England Patriots as the favourite to win the division even though Tom Brady was no longer with the team. Some even argued whether or not they could beat out the Miami Dolphins.
The Bills were able to shut down all of the outside noise and focus on playing the best football they could—on the way to a 13-3 record, something which has not been done since 1991. Along with this, they recorded the league’s second best offence behind only the Chiefs and a top 15 defense to go with it.
Going into the playoffs with the momentum they did, they were able to defeat the Colts 27-24 in the wild card round. After that, there was a lot of speculation whether or not they could shut down the best rushing offence in the Baltimore Ravens.
On Jan. 16, the Bills proved the doubters wrong again by dominating Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 17-3 in a defensive mismatch. For the first time since 1993, the Buffalo Bills will travel to Kansas City and play in the AFC Championship game.
Now having Super Bowl winning hopes, the Bills have made all of Bills Mafia proud. Even if they come up short, this season was one to remember and an indication of the bright future ahead.
Featured image by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
