2017 NFL win/loss projections for all 32 teams

Buffalo Bills

It’s getting old. When are the Buffalo Bills going to make the AFC Playoffs again? Could it be this year? Maybe, but probably not and here’s why. Buffalo has made some questionable moves this offseason. Hiring Sean McDermott as head coach is fine, but firing former general manager Doug Whaley the day after the 2017 NFL Draft felt wrong. If the Bills knew that they wanted Brandon Beane to join McDermott from Charlotte, why wait until April to do it?

That being said, there are things to like about the Bills next year. They won’t be the worst team in the AFC East, that would be the New York Jets. The arch rival Miami Dolphins seemed to have been blessed with a perfect storm of a weak schedule and a newfound running game to make the 2016 AFC Playoffs as the No. 6. In short, the Dolphins aren’t back in the playoffs this January.

The Bills have solid running game and an above-average offensive line. McDermott is a sound defensive backs coach and Tyrod Taylor is more than competent at quarterback. Buffalo could be as bad as 5-11 if it hits the fan or could make the AFC Playoffs as a No. 6 seed at 9-7. If the Bills can win at home when it’s cold outside, maybe the playoff draught stops at 18?

Frankly, their biggest problem on the field is the receiving game. Taylor can and will have to make plays with his feet, as No. 1 wide receiver Sammy Watkins can’t be relied upon due to always being injured. If LeSean McCoy continues to play at a Pro Bowl level, Buffalo could be a sleeper in the AFC. Thankfully the Ryan Bothers circus has left town.

The problem is that the Bills organization is still highly dysfunctional. Unlike the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, this is not a step-up franchise by any means. Buffalo feels like a team that could be one game away from secure a playoff spot in Week 16 and blow both games in the final two weeks. At the end of the day, it’s the same old, sorry Bills up in Orchard Park.

Projected Record: 7-9, Misses AFC Playoffs