ESPN analyst gives simple reason why Bills are contenders in 2024 NFL season

ESPN's reasoning for why the Buffalo Bills are legitimate contenders in the 2024 NFL season is very simple.

Anthony Miller | Sep 17, 2024

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With Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season in the books, analysts around the sports media world are giving their thoughts on which clubs are for real, and which of the teams that have gotten off to a hot start will fizzle out before long.

ESPN’s Ben Solak recently wrote an article breaking down his takeaways through the first two games of the season, including a section in which he determined if each 2-0 team is a "contender" or "pretender." Solak led with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, expectedly calling them contenders.

“Do I need to explain this one?" he wrote. "No. 15 plays quarterback.”

The writer then moved on to the Buffalo Bills, again calling them a contender for a very simple reason.

“Do I need to explain this one? No. 17 plays quarterback.”

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There are several reasons why Buffalo has been one of the league's best teams through two games, but Allen is likely the most significant. Allen has firmly entrenched himself in the early NFL MVP conversation as he has completed 73.8% of his passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns. His ability to run the ball has also played a factor in those considerations, as he's rushed for 41 yards and two additional touchdowns.

Though Solak circles Allen as the reason why the Bills are contenders (which, honestly, fair), one player does not make a team; thankfully, Buffalo’s entire roster has looked pretty strong through two games. Third-year running back James Cook has picked up 198 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns, and the defense has been humming over the last six quarters as players like Greg Rousseau, Von Miller, Christian Benford, Rasul Douglas, and Ja’Marcus Ingram have shined. Allen will obviously be tasked with leading the team to the postseason (which he’s demonstrably capable of doing), but the general roster looks robust enough to make some noise once they get there.

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