Cover photo taken from WROC.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
It took longer than I expected, but we’ve finally reached a 2024 playoff team with the Buffalo Bills, who still have their sights set on their first Super Bowl after once again experiencing the agony of a playoff exit at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Honestly, there’s not much to say about the Bills that we don’t already know by heart. Reigning MVP Josh Allen is an absolute unicorn of unicorns at QB who finally got his recognition with that elusive award last season (even though I would’ve given it to Lamar Jackson), ranking first in EPA/play and QBR. They won the AFC East for the fifth season in a row, doing so faster than any team has won any division in league history. They were truly elite across the board last year, finishing second in EPA/play on offense and 12th on defense, along with ranking in the top six in both pass rush and run stop win rates.
In the end, it wasn’t enough. Despite 2024 being tabbed as the year that Buffalo finally got over the Mahomes hump, a 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship sent the Bills to a drab 0-4 playoff record against the Chiefs. This team is still trying to get back to their first Super Bowl since 1993 and capture that elusive first Lombardi, but the best player of the generation continues to stand in their way.
It’s no one’s fault — Allen now sits atop NFL history in playoff yards per game and TD-INT ratio and these teams are built to keep up with and defeat the Chiefs. It’s not like the 13 seconds or Damar Hamlin fake punt debacles. Blame a fourth down spot if you want, but if you can’t get a yard convincingly enough with the season on the line, maybe you don’t deserve to win. Especially if you get the ball back and can’t get a first down. It’s the little things. It always is with the Bills.
So, is this the year? It certainly might be. The offense essentially remains the exact same, returning a full offensive line that ranked fourth in pass block win rate a year ago while getting some more juice at WR with Josh Palmer replacing Amari Cooper. Khalil Shakir will continue to be a menace in the slot while Keon Coleman hopefully develops into a true WR1. James Cook led the NFL in touchdowns a year ago with 18 out of the backfield; hopefully he’ll be on the field amidst a contract dispute.
All the while, the defense also remains largely similar, just younger — the Bills spent their first five draft picks on that side of the ball. Unc replaces unc as Joey Bosa replaces Von Miller off the edge while Tre’Davious White returns to the secondary. This unit is eventually what unraveled the championship hopes a year ago, giving up 44 to the Rams, 42 to the Lions — albeit in a win — and 32 to the Chiefs in the final six weeks of the year. Seems like something that HC Sean McDermott should have more buttoned up by now, but alas.
So, Josh will still be amazing. The offense should continue to be a well-oiled machine. The defense has the blend of young studs and veteran talent to rank towards the top 10 once again. They’ll sleepwalk to an AFC East title and will be in contention for a 1-seed. That’s the expectation. That’s the standard.
The only remaining question: is it enough to finally get it done?
X-Factor: The Football Gods
The Bills are easily one of the most snakebitten franchises in professional sports. Wide right. The Four Falls. The Music City Miracle. 13 seconds. Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Josh Allen. Nothing to show for it. It’s almost like they pissed off some higher entity that’s constantly punishing them for it. The fact of the matter is this: the Bills are Super Bowl or bust every year. And they seemingly always have the talent to get it done. But something stupid happens in the playoffs, and it ruins everything. If they can play that one clean game — that one game with no supernatural craziness to spoil the season, they can and will win it all. We’ll see if the Football Gods allow it.
Team MVP: QB Josh Allen
There’s not much more I can say about Josh, who’s simply one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever watched. Every single week I sit down and watch the Bills, there’s one or two plays where I go, “Oh, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Between his arm, legs, strength and size, he’s probably the most unique quarterback the league has ever seen. It’s honestly pretty cool to see how he’s completely shattered the ceiling of the potential he had when coming out of Wyoming six years ago. The best and most recent part of that development has been the long-awaited departure of the horrible turnovers. Gone are the days of forcing throws for no reason and trying to make everything into a big play — Allen only threw six picks last year! So, this selection needs no explanation. The only thing to look out for is how much better he can be after a 3,731-yard, 28-touchdown season (with 12 rushing touchdowns to boot!). Despite a subpar receiving core, the sky remains the limit.
Breakout Candidate: WR Keon Coleman
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t big on Coleman coming out of Florida State last year. I’m honestly still not very high on him. I didn’t think he should’ve been a first round pick, and I doubt his ability to become a true WR1 in this league. But, if there was a time to prove me wrong, it’s now. A rookie season with 29 catches, 556 yards and four touchdowns can be a launching pad to a sophomore campaign with closer to 50-60 catches and perhaps even 1,000 yards. Shakir is still probably the main target for Allen — and even Cook catches a ton of balls out of the backfield — but you could argue that if the Bills are finally going to get over the hump, Coleman turning into a stud would be a huge reason why.
Record Prediction: 14-3
The Bills have the ninth-easiest schedule in football based on 2024 winning percentage in large part thanks to the AFC East being an absolute joke. But, it’s also very manageable outside of the division — Buffalo somehow gets Kansas City, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati and Philadelphia all at home. The toughest road trip is probably at Houston, where I have them dropping a game due to how poor Allen played against that elite defense last year. Anything lower than 12 wins would probably feel like a disappointment. Whether or not 14 is good enough for the 1-seed is an irrelevant issue. The Bills’ schedule starts in the postseason, where they need to beat whoever whenever and finally put themselves in a position to bring a title to Buffalo.
Next up: 
Miami Dolphins
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