The Buffalo Bills fell one win shy of a Super Bowl appearance last season, and are hellbent on exorcising old playoff demons and finally reaching championship status.
NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund can't wait to see how the Bills -- now bigger and better -- perform in 2021 with rather high expectations inside and outside the locker room.
"This is a super exciting team," Frelund told "After Hours with Amy Lawrence" on Friday. "They addressed needs in free agency, meaning, they got themselves in a position where they were able to add youth along their defensive front. They drafted two pass rushers, and that's going to make a big difference, because now you're adding youth to veterans and you have that nice mix of experience but fresh legs. I'm excited for that.
"I'm excited for the run game to get a little bit stronger. Because if there's one area where Josh Allen could use a little bit of help, it'd be just taking a little bit of pressure off the dependency on the pass. But then you bring in a vet like Emmanuel Sanders and he's off to the races because you've already got Stefon Diggs there. They've got some guys in their second year now that are going take huge steps forward, and it's going to be super fun to watch."
Buffalo will be led by fourth-year quarterback Josh Allen, who was a breakout star last season. In 16 games, the 25-year-old completed a career-high 69.2% of his passes for 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns. He also added eight rushing scores and a receiving touchdown en route to an AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, the Bills' offense ranked second in the league in yards (396.4) and points (31.8) per-game.
The Bills will open the 2021 season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, Buffalo is currently the favorite (-155) to win the AFC East, and the franchise's +1500 odds to win Super Bowl LVI rank third-best in the NFL.
The entire conversation between Frelund and Lawrence can be accessed below:
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