The Buffalo Bills have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last four seasons. In that span, Buffalo has won 11 or more games, and is one of just two teams to advance to the divisional round every year (the Kansas City Chiefs being the other).
Making deep playoff runs obviously isn't enough for Buffalo. It wants to win that elusive NFL title, and is confident its goal of winning it all will happen. Head coach Sean McDermott knows winning a championship will come if his team continues to play deep into January.
"It's not a matter of if. It's just a matter of when," McDermott said of winning the Super Bowl, via The Athletic. "That is the relentless pursuit."
McDermott isn't flawed in that assessment. He has a franchise quarterback in Josh Allen who elevates the Bills, similar to Steve Young with the San Francisco 49ers, John Elway with the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts. All three ended up winning Super Bowls for their respective franchise, each making constant deep playoff runs before finally getting over the hump.
McDermott can also look at Andy Reid, who he worked for as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2010. Reid needed 21 seasons to finally win a Super Bowl title -- and now has three in the last five years.
The Bills appear to be on the verge of capturing a Super Bowl title, based on how well they have fared under McDermott. He has six winning seasons in seven years with the Bills, compiling a 73-41 record (.640 win percentage) and a 5-6 playoff record. The Bills won four consecutive AFC East titles for the first time since 1988-1991 and are one of only two teams to win 10-plus games and make the playoffs in each of the last five years (Chiefs are the other).
Buffalo had just two winning seasons this century prior to McDermott's arrival, with no 10-win seasons (McDermott has five consecutive 10-win campaigns). The Bills haven't had a run of success like this since Marv Levy and Jim Kelly were taking them to four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990s.
McDermott is having a Reid-esque run of success with the 10+ win seasons, but no championship to show for it. He thinks that will change if the Bills keep making deep playoff runs.
"I believe we're doing things the right way," McDermott said. "You only fail if you quit, and I've never done that. I've never been about that. Whatever it is, you always figure it out. You always find a way to get there.
"The only thing left to do for us at this point is win an AFC Championship and win a Super Bowl."
