Buffalo Bills fan confidence peaks after win over Chiefs

The Buffalo Bills have been on bye this week, with plenty of extra time to enjoy the fruits of their Missouri labor last weekend. In defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 6, the Bills are now in first place in the AFC and remain in control of their widely-accepted playoff destiny: a chance at hoisting the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy.

Yes, there’s a massive amount of work to do before even getting a scent of such destiny, and Buffalo can’t enjoy the role of sleeper this season. The spring and summer were full of high expectations from the media and fans, perhaps to such a degree that little room for error existed right out of the gate. Buffalo hasn’t disappointed, finishing 5-1 in what many considered to be the most difficult portion of its schedule. The shot-out-of-a-cannon start to their 2022 season has seen Bills Mafia’s confidence rest at a fever pitch nearly every week so far in our polls.

This week is, of course, no different, with 99% of Bills fans confident in the direction of the team. It’s clear the right moves have been made by general manager Brandon Beane, and the coaching from Sean McDermott on down has been stupendous. Coaching is perhaps the most important piece of any NFL puzzle. A team can have all the talent in the world, yet somehow fail to meet even the most basic of expectations if they’re not taught how to work together and shown where to improve on an individual level. It’s clear McDermott was the right hire, and for that owners Kim and Terry Pegula deserve our applause.

Why 1% of those polled aren’t happy might be the biggest mystery about these Bills. It may take a Super Bowl win before we get everyone (back) on board. Perhaps it’s no small coincidence that Buffalo had 100% fan approval (by our polls) after defeating the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 1.

Lucky for the Bills, they’ll get a chance to further impress the fan base in Week 8 as they welcome the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the loud confines of Highmark Stadium. Maybe a dominant outing against Rodgers will sway the 1% back in favor of the team?

Earlier this week, we asked Bills Mafia to weigh in with their thoughts on how many wins the Bills will finish with in the 2022 regular season. The overwhelming majority of fans (73%) think the team will finish with 14 or more wins.

However, better than a quarter (26%) of respondents believes the ceiling is a far lower 10-13 wins. That would mean at least one in four people thinks Buffalo will suffer a major setback in the remainder of the season. Of course, there’s that 1% showing up again, apparently in full belief the Bills finish with nine wins or less in the 2022 season. I could see that happening if they chose to forfeit the rest of the season—though, even then, it’s quite possibly still a coin toss as to the outcome of a Buffalo forfeiture. This team is that good, folks. Sure, the rest of the AFC East looks vastly improved, and sure there’s always the chance they lay an egg against an inferior opponent. But honestly, it’s time to enjoy the ride!

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