Instant reaction: Does Amari Cooper make the Bills favorites in the AFC?

Josh Allen entered this season with quite a bit to prove. Allen was seen as one of the top QBs in the league for a few seasons, but of course, there will always be doubters. Those doubters attributed his success to Stefon Diggs or said that Allen turns the ball over too much.

Well, heading into the 2024 season, Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans leaving Allen with a wide receiver core of Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtin Samuel and Mack Hollins. It's not the most star-studded group of pass-catchers, so there was a ton of pressure on Allen.

Of course, Allen got the Buffalo Bills out to a 4-2 start to the season. Then the Buffalo front office took matters into their own hands, trading for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper to strengthen Allen's offense.

The Buffalo Bills become favorites in the AFC after landing WR Amari Cooper

Adding Amari Cooper to the Bills offense will certainly make them favorites in the AFC, if they weren't thought of as favorites already.

Allen has proven that he doesn't need a star wide receiverto be successful. He's also defeated the idea that he's a turnover prone quarterback who is throwing interceptions left and right. This season, with a depleted WR core, Allen has tossed ten touchdowns with no interceptions. Now the addition of Cooper will bring even more stability to his offense.

Buffalo should be seen as the top dog in the AFC despite their two losses. The only teams that should be considered on their tier in the conference are the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens.

Now these top four teams are in a tier of their own in the AFC. Baltimore wallopped the Bills earlier in the season, 35-10, thanks to Derrick Henry's monster 199-yard game. But Baltimore also has a huge stain on their record with a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Texans have a big stain on their 5-1 record with a 34-7 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs are undefeated, but they have looked incredibly underwhelming for most of the season. If Kansas City catches fire, which is always possible, this is a completely different discussion.

But for now, the Bills are among the top teams in the league with their two losses being to the Ravens and the Texans. Adding Cooper makes the Bills a completely different team than the team that lost to these two powerhouses.

I understand that the Bills lost to two of the teams at the top of the AFC, but it's better to lose to the best than to lose to a team like the Raiders. There is an argument to be made for each of the top four teams in the AFC to be the "top dog." Each team would be a good answer to the question of "best in the AFC" in their own right.

Buffalo had one big weakness on offnese, and they went out and fixed it.