Buffalo Bills 2026 NFL season preview, analysis and predictions
The Buffalo Bills enter the 2026-27 regular season with plenty of question marks and pressure.
The firing of head coach Sean McDermott after their disappointing divisional round defeat to the Denver Broncos sent shockwaves throughout Buffalo, but a familiar face in Joe Brady will take charge. Although this is a major move, Brady will try to reinvigorate Buffalo’s offence, and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will aim to improve a defence that gave up 24 and 33 points in two playoff contests last season.
Although there are multiple changes to the coaching staff, QB Josh Allen is still the locker room leader and will have this team ready for Week 1.
Let’s get into how the Bills can navigate the upcoming season.
Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of NFL game odds and NFL futures.
Buffalo Bills NFL futures
The Bills are once again one of the best teams in the AFC, and here are the odds for multiple futures markets that you can bet on this season:
- Win the Super Bowl (+1000)
- Win the AFC (+510)
- To be the No. 1 seed in the AFC (+530)
- To win the AFC East (-130)
- To make the playoffs (-320)
- Regular season wins: Over 10.5 (+100) | Under 10.5 (-120)
The Bills have the shortest odds to win the AFC and second-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl. A major reason is that they have multiple stars, and you can bet on futures markets for them too. Here are a few markets:
- Josh Allen to win MVP (+650)
- James Cook to win Offensive Player of the Year (+2500)
- Joe Brady to win Coach of the Year (+1500)
Buffalo Bills squad strengths
The biggest strength of this Buffalo Bills team is QB Josh Allen. Allen did everything he could in last year’s playoff exit, throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 66 yards. However, two costly interceptions were the difference, a recurring theme for the 2024 MVP. I expect him to clean up his play even more this season, and Buffalo aided Allen by trading for WR DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears in the offseason. Allen will now have Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, and rookie Skyler Bell, along with TEs Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
Buffalo’s offence won’t rely on their passing game, though; their rushing attack will be elite once again. Star RB James Cook led the league with 1,621 rushing yards last season, and he, along with Allen, will be the focal point of a Bills rushing attack that led the league in rushing yards per game last season (159.6). If Buffalo wants to make a deep playoff run, they’ll need to depend on their rushing attack.
Buffalo Bills squad weaknesses
The Bills’ biggest weakness last season was their front seven, and it is once again their only weakness I can identify this season. Now, they did acquire LB Bradley Chubb in free agency, and DL Ed Oliver will be their main man on the defensive line. Additionally, Buffalo signed safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone, alongside cornerback Dee Alford, which should allow them to play more one-on-one coverage next season.
Jim Leonhard will also implement a new 3-4 defensive base, a major change to McDermott’s 4-3 base. Without a doubt, this will take time for Buffalo to learn and implement, so we could see some high-scoring Bills games at the start of the year. However, so long as Leonhard has this defence playing well by the postseason, Bills fans will be content.
The final weakness for Buffalo is out of their control, but it is their schedule. Although they finished second in the AFC East last season, it almost looks like they have a first-place schedule. They start the year taking to the road to face the Houston Texans before playing the Lions, Chargers, Patriots, and Rams. Their only “easy” games come in the division against the Jets and Dolphins, so they will have their hands full all season.
Josh Allen Over 24.5 passing touchdowns (-110)
This Bills team will go as far as Allen can take them, and the former MVP has 25+ passing TDs in each of the last six seasons. Although Buffalo will rely on their rushing attack for most games, there is no doubt that Allen will need to be efficient in the red zone. He’s averaged 31.7 passing TDs per season since his sophomore year, and although Cook will once again eat into that number, 25+ passing TDs feels completely doable.