3 reasons the Buffalo Bills can get to Super Bowl 56
By John Buhler
1. Brian Daboll will be back for another season as offensive coordinator
The single greatest thing the Bills have going for them is they have undoubtedly hit on the quarterback position. Josh Allen is indeed the second coming of Jim Kelly in Western New York. The former first-round pick out of Wyoming took a quantum leap in year three as the starter. The biggest reason for this is his terrific working relationship with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
With six of the seven head-coaching vacancies filled already, Daboll is not going to get one of professional football’s 32 most coveted positions this offseason. He was a serious candidate most notably for the Los Angeles Chargers gig that went to former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Expect Daboll to be a top-tier first-time head coach in the next cycle.
So what this means for the Bills is Daboll will continue to get to put in the work developing Allen as a passer. Considered to be the rawest of the five first-round quarterback prospects in 2018, Allen has emerged as arguably one of the two best. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod this year and will likely finish third in NFL MVP voting behind Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in that order.
Ultimately, any slight progression from Allen as a passer and Daboll as an offensive coordinator will take this defensive-minded team under McDermott and transform it into a Super Bowl 56-bound team. Again, the Bills will have to beat Kansas City in the playoffs. That may not be possible, but if any team is capable of pulling it off next year, it has to be Daboll, Allen and the Bills.
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So who else besides the Bills stand as the Chiefs’ most formidable challenger out of the AFC next year? Let’s start with two teams out of the AFC North in the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. Both clubs feel like playoff locks next year. After that, we need to pay attention to what the Indianapolis Colts do if they get the right quarterback to replace Philip Rivers in retirement.
The gap between No. 1 and No. 2 is vast, but the Bills have what it takes to make Super Bowl 56.