With Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and several other proven veterans returning to the roster and an added wealth of promising young talent, the Bills once again have high expectations for the 2023 season.
How do they measure up to those of analysts across the league? Here are some of the ranking projections from some of the top reporters in the NFL.
In his Week 1 Football Morning in America Column, Peter King believes the Bills will go 11-6 and make it to the Super Bowl. Here's his reasoning:
"I say Josh Allen returns to more efficient form, Von provides a late-season defensive boost and they finally get off the schneid in Kansas City in the playoffs. Allen's too good, and too determined, to let the end of 2022 leak into 2023."
Nate Davis picked the Bills to win the AFC East and get the No. 1 seed in the AFC behind a rejuvenated defense led by Von Miller.
"This team could do significant damage while perhaps spending far more time under the radar during the regular season." – Davis
FOX Sports' Henry McKenna cited the Bills' tough schedule, with away games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, as the reason Buffalo loses five games this season.
"The AFC East is going to be a brutal test for Buffalo. This is the toughest year for the Bills in the Josh Allen era. … It might look like an underestimate in the way of 12 wins, but this is a tough schedule." – McKenna
Brian Blewis predicts that, despite the AFC East being one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the Bills will end the season on top.
"Even if Kincaid isn't an elite tight end right away, his versatility in the passing game should provide them with a much needed boost. The schedule is tough, but elite teams led by quarterbacks like Allen prevail." – Blewis
While Vinnie Iyer thinks the Bills will have a strong season, he picked the New York Jets to win their first division title since 2002.
"The Bills are transitioning a little with their personnel to provide the opening to give up the division, but they are still a strong wild-card team." – Iyer
Orr predicts that, after a 13-3 record in 2022, the Bills will slip to 9-8 and miss the playoffs.
"The Bills' schedule is stacked in a way that doesn't allow for many consistent runs, and their end-of-season winning streak is miraculous considering the depth and quality of their opponents." – Orr
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, Will Brinson, John Breech and Jared Dubin all picked Buffalo to come out on top in the AFC East, while Brinson picked the Bills to best the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
"Just six teams were unanimously picked to make the playoffs, while 24 teams (75% of the league) got at least one vote for a playoff spot. Only eight didn't receive a single vote. (13 teams didn't receive a single playoff vote last year.)" – CBS
With Allen's unmatched playmaking ability, he is one of the best quarterbacks the NFL has to offer. Schein predicts that 2023 is the year Allen finally is named Most Valuable Player.
"In addition to predicting the quarterback will win his first MVP … I think he'll put Buffalo on his back and seize the No. 1 seed in an absolutely loaded AFC." – Shein
As he prepares to return to a non-preseason football game for the first time since suffering cardiac arrest in January, Hamlin's inspiring story will earn Comeback Player of the Year honors, as predicted by Nick Shook and a group of NFL.com analysts.
"[Hamlin is] returning to the field to finish the job he started years earlier. That determination alone makes this choice easy." – Shook
"The Jets have the hype as offseason darlings, but the Bills are extra focused after last season's emotional roller coaster ended with a listless home playoff loss. Buffalo also still has the best quarterback in the division in Josh Allen , who'll lead an even more prolific offense after the addition of rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid." — Marc Ross
