Is Bills' Super Bowl Window Closed After Playoff Loss To Chiefs?
The Buffalo Bills have been one of the NFL's best and most-talented teams in the 2020s, but they have not been able to get over the playoff hurdle.
Facing off against the metaphorical dragon that is the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, this game was supposed to be different. The Bills finally had home-field advantage, they were hot with six wins in a row coming in and the Chiefs' offense was the weakest it has been the Patrick Mahomes era. Despite all those factors going for them, the Bills failed to slay the dragon once again in a heartbreaking 27-24 loss.
As with any playoff defeat, Buffalo is now left to lament on what could have been. This time, though, the Bills will have more to lament than just this season, as this may have marked the end of their Super Bowl window.
© Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY
There are several reasons to be concerned about the Bills' long-term future, the first of which being the age of their current stars.
Von Miller is 34 and coming off an injury-riddled campaign in which he didn't record a single sack. Stefon Diggs is 30 and the second half of the season was the worst stretch of his career. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are 33 and 32 respectively, and the former may have just played his final game in a Bills uniform. Tre'Davious White is 29 and has suffered two season-ending injuries in the past three years. All those examples go to show that the Bills' current core is getting old and quickly.
Secondly, Buffalo's salary cap situation is not looking pretty to say the least. The Bills have handed out massive deals to their star players, and it's resulted in them being almost $44 million over the cap for next season. They'll have their work cut out for them just to become cap-compliant, even more so with some deals like Miller's being virtually unmovable.
Thirdly, the AFC is a gauntlet and the Bills haven't shown that they can get through it in the postseason. Case in point, despite the Chiefs looking more vulnerable than they ever have under Mahomes, and the Bills still couldn't beat them.
There's also other titans in the conference like the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, the latter of which had a down season with Joe Burrow dealing with injuries. Up-and-coming teams like the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are also chomping at the bit to unseat some of the top dogs. Even the Bills' own division won't be easy, as the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, assuming Aaron Rodgers comes back strong, will provide stiff competition.
All factors considered, it seems very possible that this may have been the Bills' last good shot at a Super Bowl for a long time.
