Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN/WGR 550) - The wait is finally over for Buffalo Bills fans in Western New York and across the globe. The 2022 regular season is finally upon us!
With the season set to get underway on Thursday, the expectations of the Bills this year are sky high across the league among NFL pundits, personnel and fans alike. Those expectations are only heightened among Bills fans near and far.
"I have very high expectations," said Bills fan Will Bradley, owner and operator of Fans of Buffalo on Wednesday while getting ready to head to Los Angeles at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. "I want to see a Super Bowl win, honestly. I know it's tough to ask for it and it's a lot, it's not easy to get, but this is the team. They can definitely do it, we've just got to put it together."
"I think the Bills need home field advantage if they want to go all the way. Hopefully that's what we'll get," added Bills fan Ralph Moline from Buffalo. "Hopefully [Thursday] will be the start of it, 1-0 and a little better than last year. So it is what it is, we'll see what happens."
A number of Bills fans have already flocked to Los Angeles for Thursday night's contest, while many fans were at the airport early Wednesday morning to catch a flight to Southern California.
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As for the Bills, they traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, leaving Buffalo just after 1 p.m. ET with a small group of Bills fans in attendance cheering the team on as they left.
"I live and die with these guys on Sundays, Thursday, Mondays, whatever, whenever," said Bills fan Dave from West Seneca.
"We're here every time they leave," added Bills fan Judy from Lancaster. "My husband and I are retired. We've been doing it for the last three years. ... It's just something that we've waited years and years for this. Again, we hope it happens this year."
While the bar is set very high for this Bills team heading into the 2022 season, there have been some people that consider this year to be a "Super Bowl or bust"-type of season. Meaning if the Bills do not win the Super Bowl this upcoming year, it is unknown whether or not they will have another chance to get to the big stage.
Given all that has happened with this Bills team over the past two seasons - playoff runs that ended with losses in 2020 and 2021 to the Kansas City Chiefs - in addition to the past failures of the franchise coming short in four-straight Super Bowls in the 1990s, some fans are ready to see the Vince Lombardi Trophy make its appearance in Buffalo.
"I think this is the year," said Bills fan Mike Marino from South Buffalo. "Last year, I thought it could have been the year, but this year I think our chances are even better. The team looks good, coaching staff has been with us for a long time. So Super Bowl or bust this year."
"I'm in that boat, which is hard, just because we can only do worse from there. So that's as good as you can get. Hopefully they can do it," added Bills fan Eric Watson from Williamsville.
However, given the talent the Bills have assembled in Buffalo over the past few years and the age of the core group of players in place, many Bills fans believe the window to win the Super Bowl remains wide-open.
"We want it really bad, but I don't think bust," said Bills fan Dave from Lyndonville. "I mean, they've got a great team, got a good future ahead of them. There's a lot of other good teams out there. It's one thing to be a favorite, but still, a favorite's about 20% chance of winning at all. So it's going to be tough, and that's what makes last year so hard because they were so close. As good as they are, it's still going to take some work to get it done."
"I think with Josh Allen, we're a young team, and I don't believe that at all," Moline added. "I believe this team is better than the team in the '90s. I think it's more united, they're more of a team, and those guys bickered all the time. This is a football team, so I'm excited. I think that our future is very, very bright in Buffalo."
Along with the hype and the expectations of this Bills squad heading into the season, some fans are even so bold to provide some hefty predictions, aside from the many who are picking the Bills to finally go all the way this time.
"I think, obviously, the big guys are gonna have good years - Allen, Diggs - but I think [James] Cook's gonna have a breakout year too, as a rookie," said Bills fan Lee from Buffalo.
"I want to say, at least, 15 wins. 15 wins," Bradley predicts. "This team's good. We've got a tough schedule, but I think we're gonna get over the hump. This [defensive] line, I think that puts us over the hump. In K.C., the biggest thing was Patrick Mahomes being able to run around a little bit too much. Now we've got Von Miller, it's gonna be great man. I think the defense will be getting after it."
"I'm looking at a [Gabriel] Davis and [Isaiah] McKenzie. I think McKenzie is gonna just rule the slot for us. Gabe Davis is just a big strong guy and a great end zone target," Dave from West Seneca said. "[Also] looking for some of these young defenders to step up too. Can't wait to get 'Tre Day' [Tre'Davious White] back."
As for Judy, all she's hoping for is one thing out of this squad:
"I just hope none of them get hurt. That's the mother and the grandmother in me."
Hear more from Bills fans and their expectations for the 2022 season available in the player below: