SB Nation Reacts: Bills by a billion!

Once upon a time Joe Namath guaranteed a Super Bowl victory. This isn’t that story, but is it better?

The Buffalo Bills were all the rage entering the 2022 NFL regular season. Nearly everyone’s Super Bowl pick, what transpired was more a testament to overcoming adversity — to working through trauma. Of course last season’s playoff exit meant a lackluster finish for the Bills. And with that, a change in the conversation.

Of course as long as quarterback Josh Allen continues doing his thing, Buffalo’s football team will remain an elite NFL team. But no longer are they football darlings, destined to win it all in the eyes of all.

The New York Jets now reside in that thought bubble with many who cover the NFL. Change the quarterback, save the franchise. Aaron Rodgers is an all-timer, of which we’re reminded time and again even when he appears human. But has his arrival in New Jersey changed the dynamic in the AFC East? Are the Bills really no longer the front-runners, the team to beat in their own devision — and chasing Gang Green from behind in a quest for Super Bowl supremacy.

By and large, Bills Mafia would say no. At least in the latest SB Nation poll, 72% of voters think highly of the Bills and believe they should win a very key Week 1 matchup on the road against the Jets. It’s win and then go home for Buffalo.

Winning won’t be easy, as no victory in the NFL is a guarantee. But the Bills field a team full of talented players, many of whom are among the elite at their position. For those who don’t think it’s possible Buffalo wins once the lights of Monday Night Football begin to dim, there’s still time to hop on the wagon.

Nationally, there were a few interesting polls this week. The first of those here asks who’ll win NFL Comeback Player of the Year. To little surprise, safety Damar Hamlin leads all others with 35% of voters confident in his chances. While it’s a quarterback-driven league, Hamlin’s story is as unique and inspiring as it is incredible.

The first of those seeks to gauge fans’ thoughts on the 2023 NFL MVP favorite. Perhaps surprising to Bills fans, Josh Allen is a distant fourth in this particular poll.

Looking at potential winners for Offensive Rookie of the Year, tight end Dalton Kincaid doesn’t even appear on the list. While still far too early to call this a slight, it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for Kincaid, as well as those listed below.

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