One reason why every NFL team can win Super Bowl
By Nick Villano
The NFL is unique in that its short schedule and relatively short careers allow for parity each season. That gives us the confidence to say that in some universe, any team can win if everything goes right.
The NFL is unique in that it only takes one hot streak to win a Super Bowl. Other sports can get hot at the right time and win it all, but they have to make the playoffs after an 82 or 162-game schedule first. Teams can become surprise Super Bowl contenders at any moment. A 17-game schedule with teams making the playoffs just over .500 means anything can happen.
While last year’s Super Bowl matchup (Eagles vs. Chiefs) was pretty chalk, some years a complete surprise makes a run. Cincinnati did it just two years ago, arriving on the scene scorching hot and leaving a trail of dust through the AFC before a Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams. A few years prior, Nick Foles led the Philadelphia Eagles to its first Super Bowl win.
There are examples throughout history. One thing every team has now is hope. Just last season, everyone expected Geno Smith to lead the Seattle Seahawks to the number-one overall pick. Instead, he made the playoffs. The New York Giants got the best possible Daniel Jones, and they even won a playoff game. Jacksonville not only fully bounced back under Doug Pederson, but they made a historic comeback to beat the Chargers. It was the Jaguars’ first playoff win in their 2017 run to the AFC Championship.
How do we assess each and every team with the ultimate goal in mind? We’ll go division by division (just so we don’t have to start with the Arizona Cardinals).
NFL Predictions 2023: One reason every team can win the Super Bowl
Buffalo Bills – Stars and Experience
The Buffalo Bills should be one of the favorites to win it all. They’ve won 37 games over the past three seasons. Josh Allen is one of the top quarterbacks in football, and he has a plethora of weapons surrounding him. This high-powered offense keeps the Bills in games all year long.
The Bills haven’t been able to get over the hump in the postseason. Two years in a row, they’ve lost against another top AFC team in the Divisional Round. Last season, it was the Bengals. The year before, it was the Chiefs. Ironically, both those teams lost in the AFC Championship Game, but that’s for another list.
That experience will help the Bills get over the hump. Stefon Diggs has a ton of playoff experience now (six seasons worth of playoff games), Von Miller is a Super Bowl champion, and the rest of the Bills stars now know what they need to win. It’s been a game of inches for the Bills, and if just one inch goes the other way, this team could easily win the Super Bowl.