Quarterback clearly is not an issue. After 4 straight seasons with over 4,000 yards and 30 or extra touchdowns, Josh Allen threw for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns on his strategy to being named NFL MVP with a career-best 77.3 QBR final season. He additionally led the group to 13 wins in 2024 together with a 10-1 mark from Week 6 by means of Week 13.
Operating again is one other story. For the second straight 12 months, James Prepare dinner led the Payments in dashing with 1,009 yards and a career-best 16 touchdowns in 2024, tying Baltimore’s Derrick Henry and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead.
Prepare dinner had solely two touchdowns in every of his first two seasons, however that hasn’t stopped the previous second-round choose from demanding a increase. Heading into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract, he is asked for a contract extension with a $15M-plus common annual worth.
The 25-year-old was absent from voluntary OTAs and will maintain out with out a new deal. In that case, second-year working again Ray Davis would assume lead again duties after dashing for 442 yards and three touchdowns with 189 yards and three scores by means of the air in 2024.
On protection, Buffalo used their first 5 draft picks (six of their 9 decisions) on defensive gamers, together with first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who ranked third within the FBS with 5 interceptions in 2023. He’ll look to interchange 30-year-old Rasul Douglas, who stays unsigned, whereas new linebackers Michael Hoecht and Joey Bosa will look to enhance the group’s 18th-ranked pass-rush.
Hoecht will miss the primary six video games of the season for violating the NFL’s PED coverage, however Bosa must be able to go along with 5 Professional Bowl appearances already in his pocket. Luckily for Hoecht and his teammates, few groups have a extra favorable schedule to start out the season.
After opening the season at house in opposition to the 12-5 Baltimore Ravens, the Payments gained’t face a group with a successful report till Week 9 once they host the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in a rematch of final 12 months’s convention championship recreation.
Our take:
ESPN BET has Buffalo favored to win all 17 video games subsequent 12 months, however the Invoice’s aren’t fairly the 1972 Dolphins. Nevertheless, a positive schedule and veteran roster ought to get them again to the AFC Championship recreation, the place they’re prone to meet the Chiefs as soon as once more.
Predicted win whole: 14
