Ever since Josh Allen became a part of the Buffalo Bills in the 2018 Draft as their 7th overall pick, he has brought consistency to the franchise. After his rookie season the quarterback has led the Bills to their longest active postseason streak with seven consecutive appearances from 2019 through 2025. And still, they haven’t been close enough to winning a Super Bowl. Ahead of the 2026 season, Allen has made his dream of winning the Super Bowl clear. However, former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o doesn’t believe so, highlighting some concerns within Allen’s team.
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“What does a different ending look like? A different ending is winning the AFC Championship. We’re not even going to get to winning the Super Bowl. They’ve made it to the AFC Championship before, can they win it? That’s the question,” Te’o said on Good Morning Football Show. “When I look at what’s different about this Buffalo Bills team. I don’t know specifically what’s different.
“You elevate Joe Brady from OC to now head coach. You have Josh Allen, you have DJ Moore. You’re adding to an already really good offense… Defensively, I know there’s a lot of talk, and Willie pointed out a lot of talk about the defense needing to be better. The defense was the number one passing defense in the league last year. Their biggest Achilles’ heel was their ability to stop the run. So, have made those types of adjustments this offseason to handle that? My answer is I don’t know. “
Under Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills have reached the playoffs seven out of eight seasons and missed the playoffs only in his rookie season. In 2018, the Bills quarterback racked up 2,074 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games.
Apart from his rookie season, Allen has consistently thrown for over 3,000 passing yards in each regular season and will be entering the 2026 season with a familiar offense. However, former linebacker Manti Te’o (who played for the Chargers, Saints, and the Bears) believes there are concerns within the team’s defense.
His assessment of the Bills’ run defense is quite true. They finished near the bottom of the league last season, ranking 28th in total rushing yards allowed with 2,315 yards and 30th in yards per carry (YPC) with 5.1 YPC.
As it seems, the Bills head coach Joe Brady is quite aware of their weak zones, and this offseason the team didn’t shy away from addressing them. First off, they replaced defensive coordinator Bobby Babich and brought in former Denver Broncos assistant Jim Leonhard as the new DC.
Leonhard comes in with a decade-long experience coaching football defenses and has shifted the Bills’ defensive scheme toward a 3-4 alignment. This would utilize three heavy down linemen instead of the smaller, lighter 4-3 front that was consistently bullied off the ball during the 2025 season.
Alongside changes in the playing style, the franchise also made a few signings to bring in more depth to counter the run game against them. The signing of veterans Greg Gaines (nose tackle) and Bradley Chubb (OL) are two of the examples.
Other than that, the team also has promising talents, including Deone Walker (DT), Zane Durant (DT), and Kaleb Elarms-Orr (ILB). However, Manti Te’o remains skeptical about the Bills’ chances in the 2026 season, while QB Josh Allen has his eyes set on his first Lombardi.