Historical significance of Bills losing AFC East after five straight titles

The Bills AFC title streak ends with five and finds themselves on the wrong side of history.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) meets Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) on the field after the game. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills owned the AFC East for five straight years. That streak died in Week 17 with the 13-12 loss to the Eagles, and just like that, the division flipped back to the New England Patriots.

Here’s the gut punch — the Bills are the first team in NFL history to win five-plus consecutive division titles without making a Super Bowl.

When Sean McDermott took over as the head coach in 2017, the Bills hadn't qualified for postseason play in 17 years, let alone won a division title. That was due in large part to a guy named Tom Brady, but McDermott and the Bills finally ended not only the playoff drought, but also took their first of several AFC East titles in 2020.

Josh Allen keeps Bills in contention for years to come

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks for an open receiver during second-half action against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The good news is the Patriots lost the division title twice during their reign from 2001 to 2019, so this might be a hiccup in what could be a continued run by the Bills. As long as quarterback Josh Allen remains behind center, the Bills will always have a shot at the division title.

Why five straight didn’t turn into Super Bowl trip

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes after a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

If you ask this question to a Bills fan, you'll likely get different answers.

Is head coach Sean McDermott the main reason?

Many fans believe so and blame him for the 13-second game. We'll never truly know what discussions took place on the sidelines during those final seconds of regulation and overtime, and McDermott isn't a "point the finger" kind of guy.

The other issue is the Bills' defense.

Through five years of division titles, the defense was a big issue during the postseason. There were times the defense was ranked in the top five or ten, but once the playoffs started, they often didn't play up to that level.

The third reason for the lack of Super Bowl appearances, injuries.

The Bills have struggled with injuries over the last few seasons. The year they signed Von Miller could have been very different had he not torn his ACL and lost for the season. In recent years, guys like Matt Milano and Christian Benford have struggled to stay healthy throughout the season and, more importantly, during postseason play.

Wild Card doesn’t mean 'done' in Buffalo

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III runs the ball against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Another positive note, the Bills went into the playoffs in 1992 as a wildcard and advanced to the Super Bowl. Additionally, there are several instances of wild-card teams advancing to the Super Bowl. So let's not count the Bills out just yet in 2025.

Quick AFC East history lesson

Buffalo Bills quarterback Jack Kemp (15) in action against the New York Jets at War Memorial Stadium. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

The history of the AFC East dates back to the AFL's inception in 1960, which included the Bills, Patriots, the New York Jets, formerly known as the Titans, and the Houston Oilers. The Miami Dolphins later joined in 1966. After the AFL and the NFL merged in 1970, the Oilers were moved out of the division, and the Baltimore Colts, later moved to Indianapolis, joined the division.

The Patriots hold the record for division titles with 23. The Bills are second with 15, followed by the Dolphins with 13, then the Colts with six, the Jets with four, and the Oilers with three.

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