But the tide began to turn in 2017, when Buffalo brought in Sean McDermott as head coach. At the time, McDermott arrived from Carolina with a defensive pedigree and a clear mission: to rebuild a fractured culture and restore accountability.

It didn’t take long for that vision to show results. In his first season, the Bills snapped their infamous playoff drought-a drought that had defined a generation of frustration.

Sure, it took some outside help from the Bengals to sneak in, but the message was clear: these Bills weren’t the same old team.

Then came the 2018 NFL Draft-the pivotal moment. The Bills moved up to grab Josh Allen, a strong-armed, raw prospect with sky-high potential.

And now, seven years later, Allen hasn’t just validated that pick; he’s become one of the faces of the league and secured an MVP along the way. From a franchise perspective, it was the kind of quarterback-coach pairing every team dreams about.

Yet here we are, and Buffalo still hasn’t reached the Super Bowl.

That’s not on Allen.

The star quarterback has masked a lot of the Bills’ flaws-extending plays, carrying the offense, willing them to wins. But when he’s not on one of his superhero runs, the cracks become harder to ignore. And lately, those cracks have widened-especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Buffalo’s recent loss to Atlanta wasn’t just a bad game-it was a deeper indictment of a team failing to pull in the same direction. The defense struggled, again.

And while Allen once made up for deficiencies elsewhere, even he has his limits. These aren’t isolated issues.

This has become a pattern.

And that brings us back to McDermott.

It’s a fair question at this point-hard as it may be for Buffalo fans to consider-whether McDermott is still the right voice to lead this team over the next hill. For all the good he’s done in transforming the Bills into a perennial playoff team, the postseason results are hard to ignore.

Since 2020, Buffalo has twice been in position to win the AFC. In both moments, they came up short.

The 13-second collapse against Kansas City in the 2022 Divisional Round is still fresh in the minds of fans. That was a golden opportunity-and it slipped away in historic fashion.

The following postseason, they hosted the Bengals and were thoroughly outperformed in their own building. These weren’t just tough playoff losses-they were reminders that the margin for error in the NFL is razor thin, and the Bills have had chances to capitalize.

So when Colin Cowherd asked on The Herd whether Buffalo is wasting Josh Allen’s prime, it struck a nerve-not because it was out of bounds, but because it echoed what many Bills fans have started to worry about.

“They need to find playmakers. They need to add juice.

And I’m not sure McDermott’s it.”

• Colin Cowherd, The Herd

It doesn’t mean Allen is alone out there. James Cook has flashed at times, and Khalil Shakir has shown potential as a playmaker.

But outside of Allen’s top-tier seasons with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis-when everything clicked-the offense hasn’t been operating at full throttle. Worse yet, there’s been a lack of complementary football.

The offense and defense haven’t consistently supported each other in the moments that matter most.

Now, the Bills find themselves at a crossroads. If this season follows the same blueprint-make the playoffs, win a game or two, then bow out before reaching the Super Bowl-it’s time for Buffalo’s leadership to take a hard look at the bigger picture. Is McDermott still pushing them forward-or has the franchise plateaued under his watch?

Make no mistake: this is a talented roster. Josh Allen is still in his prime, and that window won’t stay open forever. So, the question becomes: will the Bills seize the opportunity they have, or will hesitation and loyalty keep them standing still while other contenders surge ahead?

Whatever happens next, one thing is clear-Buffalo is no longer a team content with just making the tournament. It’s Super Bowl or bust. If that goal stays out of reach, something big has to change.