Buffalo Bills lead the race to end Super Bowl droughts
There are 12 NFL teams still waiting to lift their first Lombardi Trophy, and Eric Edholm has ranked who’s closest to finally breaking through. He put the Buffalo Bills ahead of the Lions, Texans, and Bengals – and it’s a ranking that’s hard to argue with.
Edholm ranked the dozen Lombardi-less franchises by likelihood of winning their first title, landing on the order of Buffalo, Detroit, Houston, Cincinnati, the Chargers, Jacksonville, Carolina, Minnesota, Atlanta, Tennessee, Cleveland and Arizona.
The rankings come after another year without progress for all these teams. While some have come close over the past decade – including Buffalo’s four consecutive trips from 1990-93 – no one has been able to finish it off.
Why Edholm believes in the Bills’ chances despite turnover
The Bills have gone through plenty of change this offseason after another playoff loss kept them short of expectations. Stefon Diggs was traded away, Gabe Davis signed with Jacksonville in free agency, and Sean McDermott’s staff lost several assistants, including offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
Buffalo still has Josh Allen under centre, though and a front office that’s consistently kept them near contention. Edholm pointed out:
The Bills have what every team needs to win: a top-three quarterback in his prime, Josh Allen. On top of that, the rest of the roster has made them contenders year after year.
Consistency at that level gives you more chances than anyone else. The Bills’ issue hasn’t been getting close – it’s been finishing the job. And being that close is exactly why they’re the best bet.
Why some teams may argue with the list
There’s room for debate outside the top spot. Houston has a promising young quarterback and is coming off three straight playoff appearances, which could make a strong case over Detroit’s current trajectory.
While the Lions at No. 2 makes sense given their roster, injuries have been a problem recently, and a healthy Houston or an improved Cincinnati could easily surpass them. The order between two and five is closer than it might seem on paper.
There are a dozen NFL franchises still searching for their first Super Bowl win, and one analyst has ranked who’s closest to breaking through. Eric Edholm put the Buffalo Bills at the top, ahead of the Lions, Texans, and Bengals—a call that’s hard to dispute.
Edholm’s list for NFL.com orders them as follows: Buffalo, Detroit, Houston, Cincinnati, the Chargers, Jacksonville, Carolina, Minnesota, Atlanta, Tennessee, Cleveland and Arizona.
Why putting Buffalo first makes sense
The Bills have exactly what you look for—a quarterback like Josh Allen who’s in his prime and surrounded by a roster that has been competing at a high level year after year.
Teams that are always in the mix are basically stacking up lottery tickets. The more often you’re there with a real shot, the better your chances of finally getting over the line. For Buffalo, it’s never been about getting close; it’s about making that final jump. And being consistently near the top is exactly why they make sense as favourites to finally do it.
You can make an argument for shuffling things up after number one. Houston has had three straight playoff runs behind their young quarterback, and there’s reason to think their upward path might put it ahead of Detroit soon.
The Lions sitting at number two does have some logic given their squad, but they just went through a season full of injuries, while Houston, if healthy or even Cincinnati could easily pass them. The gap between spots two through five isn’t nearly as clear-cut as it looks on paper.
If nothing else, Edholm nailed the headline pick. Buffalo is still probably the most likely team to break its title drought because sticking around this long with one of the best quarterbacks in football usually leads somewhere—even if history says otherwise so far.
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