Pittsford, N.Y. (WBEN) - Expectations for the Buffalo Bills heading into the 2022 season are extremely high among many fans locally in Western New York, as well as a number of football pundits across the league.
Many people believe the Bills are built to, once again, be in contention to representative the AFC in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. It was thought in 2021 that the Bills were on their way to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles until their late loss in the AFC Divisional Round to the Kansas City Chiefs.
While this Bills team is still very young and likely to have many more years of success coming its way, many fans and others in football circles sometimes tend to compare the Bills of today to the teams of the 1990s that went to four-consecutive Super Bowls between the 1990 and 1993 season. While the era of football in the '90s was quite different to today's game, many fans want to make arguments as to which team was better, or who would win in a matchup today.
But which of those Bills teams were more endeared by the fans and the community? The Bills of the '90s with Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith or the Bills of today with Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Von Miller and company?
While times are different in today's world with social media and other outlets having such an influence, there are still plenty of those who still love the Bills of the '90s, despite losing in all four appearances they made in the Super Bowl.
"I'm all about the '90s Kelly era, because I grew up in that era," said Bills fan Eileen Yatteau from Brighton while attending training camp at St. John Fisher University. "I followed them and went to many games, and watched them in the Super Bowl all those times. So I'm gonna go with the Kelly era."
"I think there's traits with both teams. This team has a little work to do to be the equivalent of the '90s team, they were pretty endeared," added Rich, who was at Bills camp with his wife, Karen from Macedon. "We obviously liked Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, but Josh Allen's a great quarterback. He is definitely the [future of the franchise]."
There are also many fans who got the chance to watch the Bills of the '90s who feel this team now in Buffalo is more endeared, despite the team having only gotten as far as the 2020 AFC Championship Game.
"We're more beloved to this team now because of our drought, because of not being in the playoffs, having this caliber a team for all those years," said Bills fan Mike Ryan visiting training camp from Tonawanda. "It is a tough question. I do love the '90s teams, they were fantastic, but this team is something special."
"The '90s gave me a lot of questions. Granted, you can't take Kelly's ability on the field away from him, but off the field, he left a lot to be desired," explained Linda Stevens of Cheektowaga, taking in the training camp experience. "Where this team, they're more like a family. They all stick together, the coaches, everybody. It's just such a different feeling."
When looking at this team Bills team before the football has even been kicked off for the 2022 season, many fans can see the potential for this group to go far and beyond where the '90s Bills ever got to. Some fans who hold the '90s era of Bills football close to their hearts will even go as far to say this group now may be just as loved before getting a chance to win the Super Bowl.
"Josh is really rolling with the punches, I think he takes all this in stride and it's great. People just rally around him, and the whole team actually," Yatteau said of this year's squad. "I can just see it just from three years ago when we were here at camp, just the amount of people that are here this year. So it's great, it's awesome. Everybody's very hopeful in Western New York."
The effects of the hype generated by this Bills team heading into 2022 has certainly been felt by even those who may not be the biggest football fans.
"I mean, I've seen people that aren't even interested in football become interested in it now. It's brought so much to the community and everything, it's just amazing," Stevens said. "Hopefully I'll live to see a Super Bowl."
But what happens if this Bills team can eventually win a Super Bowl? Does that change anyone's opinion who say the '90s Bills were more endeared?
"They gotta go four times, but if they win, that's a different deal," joked Rich.
"My expectations are they will, but it's a wait-and-see game," Stevens added. "You never know what's gonna happen, but they have the ability and the enthusiasm to do it. So hopefully they will."
