The Buffalo Bills have all the offensive firepower to make a Super Bowl run. But for Josh Allen and his team, that Super Bowl window feels like it’s closing, and NFL legend Cris Carter just pointed out the biggest crack in the foundation.

“Their defense, I don’t believe, is good enough to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. So to me, they are still a talented team, but a little bit short,” the NFL legend and eight-time Pro Bowler said on the December 24 episode of Fully Loaded.

The main department they need to work on is their defense. They have the second-lowest tackles (826) among the 32 teams. However, the secondary has given enough chances to turn around the games. The Bills have the fifth-most forced fumbles (13) and are sixth in interceptions (13). So, they have made moves but failed to stop the rival offense from scoring.

In the last three games (Week 14-16), they have won matchups with five or fewer points difference. Yet, with more accurate planning, they could have dominant victories. In the Week 15 game against the New England Patriots, they allowed quarterback Drake Maye to complete 14 of 23 passes (60.9% completion rate). On the other hand, Josh Allen completed 19 of 28 passes (67.9% completion rate).

This is special as Drake Maye is leading the league in pass accuracy (70.9% completion rate). These things give confidence to Allen.

The other big factor is injuries to his two main rivals in the AFC. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is out with an ACL and LCL injury. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is also dealing with a back issue and might miss the playoffs.

However, the Bills also need better player management, particularly for their offensive line. Otherwise, it could hurt them badly in January.

Josh Allen is set to play without a key offensive lineman

The key reason behind their wins is the offensive protection that Allen has. In their Week 16 game against the Cleveland Browns, they held off the defensive end Myles Garrett from breaking the single-season sack record (22.0). Left tackle Dion Dawkins played well despite losing 14 pounds in the week because of an illness. But Week 17 has started differently.

Ahead of the final two games of the regular season, the Browns signed their 6-foot-4, 315-pound center, Kendrick Green. He didn’t play this year but provided crucial depth to the Bills’ offensive protection. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in the third round (87th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.

He played 15 games in his rookie season before moving to the Houston Texans in 2023. In two years, he played 21 games. The Bills signed him to their practice squad in March this year. But now, they have parted ways with him, so the Bills have to be extra careful with their roster.

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Before that, Josh Allen suffered a setback when the Chiefs signed his former backup quarterback Shane Buechele. He and Allen often worked together on their passing form. With these pieces missing, things may turn out difficult for the Bills in case of any mishaps. Therefore, with the playoffs on the horizon, this AFC East team needs to be on its toes!