Buffalo Bills Revamp Roster to Overcome AFC Playoff Hurdle

The Buffalo Bills have bid farewell to several key veterans in the hopes of finally delivering a Lombardi Trophy. Their biggest challenge is getting past the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC playoffs.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks to lead his team to victory

The Bills realized they needed a different approach to defeating the best teams in the AFC during the postseason. They parted ways with Stefon Diggs, Mitch Morse, Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, and other veterans who helped win four consecutive AFC East titles.

A Fresh Start for the Bills

Division titles are nice, but not enough to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, two teams that have ended the Bills’ postseason runs the past four seasons. The Bills’ roster isn’t as strong on paper, but perhaps that’ll allow for a new core group to emerge and force the coaching staff to get creative on the field.

Biggest Gamble: Trading Stefon Diggs

The Bills traded their best wide receiver to the Houston Texans and will have nothing to show for it this season because they gained a 2025 second-round pick. With Josh Allen on the roster, there’s no waiting for next year, as the Bills will need Khalil Shakir, newcomer veteran Curtis Samuel, and rookie Keon Coleman to fill the void left by Diggs and Gabe Davis, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.

Toughest Stretch of the Season

The new-look Bills could run into trouble early in the season, with four road games in the first six weeks of the season. After starting the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals, the Bills will go on the road to face the Miami Dolphins for their first of two meetings. Then, they’ll return home to battle the Jacksonville Jaguars before a three-game road trip against the Baltimore Ravens, Texans, and New York Jets.

Breakout Player to Watch: TE Dalton Kincaid

Expect Kincaid to better his numbers from last season, when he had 73 catches for 673 yards and two scores. Kincaid might become Allen’s No. 1 pass catcher with Diggs no longer on the field. Coleman might need time to find his footing in the NFL, and Samuel and Shakir are downfield threats, but might not be suited for the role of No. 1 pass catcher.

Best-Case Scenario: Allen Wins First MVP

Last season, Allen threw for 4,306 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions, and added 524 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns. That wasn’t good enough to win his first career MVP, but he might achieve it in 2024, even if his numbers decline with a less-is-more approach in the post-Diggs era in Buffalo.

 Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks to lead his team to victory

If the Bills are winning more and Allen’s throwing fewer interceptions, this could finally be the year they represent the AFC in the Super Bowl and deliver the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. But it would be much sweeter to do that if they knock off the Chiefs in the postseason—the team that has given the Bills three playoff losses in four years.

Worst-Case Scenario: The Bills’ Reset Ends Up Being More of a Rebuild

Many are expecting the Bills to be O.K. without a few veteran players who have been instrumental in the team’s success the past few seasons because they still have Allen on the roster. But what if Allen goes through what Aaron Rodgers went through during his final years in Green Bay with a young receiving corps?