NFL: 5 most likely teams to reach the AFC Championship game

Will a home playoff game parlay into a conference championship appearance?

A few weeks ago, we would have tabbed the Buffalo Bills as the No. 3 team that would be most likely to reach the AFC Championship game in 2020. Despite third-year quarterback Josh Allen not yet ascending to a Pro Bowl level, he has a fantastic team built around him, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The synergy between head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane has become simply undeniable at this point. From their days together in Charlotte with the Carolina Panthers, it’s pretty cool to see them both flourish together in the biggest jobs of their lives. For the first time since 1996, one could argue the Bills are the favorite to win the AFC East.

No, it will not be pretty, but a W is a W. The Bills have to play one way to win, which is play fantastic defense, run the football and not turn it over. Leslie Frazier has his defense in an incredible spot, while Brian Daboll will be an NFL head coach one day due to his creativeness in play design, as well as how his offense perfectly complements a strong defensive-minded team.

For the Bills, getting to the AFC Championship game is this year’s team’s ceiling. We’re going to need to see Allen take a quantum leap at the quarterback position if we want to reasonably believe the Bills are going to their first Super Bowl since Jim Kelly was their quarterback. Overall, Buffalo has a roster capable of winning double-digit games and multiple postseason games, too.