Ron Jaworski on 2015 Buffalo Bills: "It's a playoff team to me"

The Buffalo Bills haven't been to the playoffs since the 1999 season, but one prominent ESPN analyst thinks that streak is about to end.

"Yes, it’s a playoff team to me," Ron Jaworski told BuffaloBills.com from his golf tournament in East Aurora earlier this week. "The Buffalo Bills will be a playoff team. There will be great energy coming to Western New York once again."

Noted for his analysis of quarterbacks, Jaworski gives the edge to the veteran Matt Cassel over EJ Manuel in the Bills' quarterback competition, and also shares his positive opinion of Rex Ryan in the Q&A with the team.

It's his review of the defense that is the most striking, however. "Jaws" invokes historic units when discussing the Bills' defense, citing that as the main factor behind a potential playoff run.

"I think back to the '85 Bears, and when we think about great defense, we always mention that group. Maybe the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 with that great defense led by Ray Lewis, but I think the '85 Bears is very similar to what Buffalo could have. Now the front seven is dynamic, and if the back end can play like that '85 Bears team? Wow. Could be very interesting."

When a defense that finished No. 4 in the NFL a year ago, well behind the top defense in Seattle statistically, starts being compared to the two greatest defenses in the history of the sport, it's probably time for the offseason to come to a merciful end.