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The Josh Allen era has been the most successful stretch of Buffalo Bills football in more than 30 years.
Since Allen arrived in 2018, the Bills have become annual Super Bowl contenders, won multiple AFC East titles, reached two AFC Championship Games, and watched their franchise quarterback develop into one of the best players in football. For most organizations, that would be enough.
In Buffalo, it isn't.
The standard changed the moment Allen became an MVP-caliber quarterback. Division titles stopped being the goal. Playoff appearances became expected. Every season has been measured by one question: Can this finally be the year the Bills win a Super Bowl?
Along the way, there have been plenty of moments that make you wonder how different the conversation around Allen, the Bills, and this entire era might be if just one thing had gone differently.
Here are the five biggest "what ifs" of the Josh Allen era.
It's easy to forget now, but Josh Allen wasn't viewed as a sure thing after his first two NFL seasons.
He showed flashes of brilliance, but questions about his accuracy dominated every national discussion. There were legitimate debates about whether the Bills had drafted a franchise quarterback or simply an incredible athlete who would never develop into a consistent passer.
Then came 2020.
Allen threw for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns, completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, finished second in MVP voting and led Buffalo to its first AFC Championship Game since the 1993 season.
Suddenly, the Bills weren't just a good story. They were one of the NFL's premier franchises. But what if that leap never happened?
Does Buffalo eventually start looking for another quarterback? Does the organization ever become a perennial contender? Does Allen sign the massive contract extensions that followed?
The Bills' entire trajectory changed because Allen became the player Buffalo believed he could be.
Speaking of Allen's breakout season, it's impossible to separate it from the arrival of Stefon Diggs.
The trade immediately transformed Buffalo's offense. Diggs gave Allen a true No. 1 receiver, someone who could consistently win one-on-one matchups and elevate the entire passing game. The chemistry between the two was immediate, and together they formed one of the NFL's most productive quarterback-receiver duos.
Would Allen have still become an MVP candidate without Diggs? Maybe.
But it's hard to imagine his development happening as quickly without one of the league's best route runners catching passes.
The trade didn't just improve the offense. It accelerated Allen's growth and changed the expectations surrounding the franchise almost overnight. Without it, the Josh Allen era might look very different.
This one still sparks debate among Bills fans.
After another postseason disappointment in 2024 that ended with another AFC title game loss to Kansas City, there were plenty of calls for the Bills to make a change. The argument wasn't that McDermott wasn't a good coach. It was that maybe Buffalo had reached its ceiling under him.
Instead, the organization stayed the course. McDermott returned for the 2025 season before ultimately being fired after yet another crushing playoff loss, with Joe Brady taking over.
Would making that move one year earlier have changed anything?
Would the Bills have been able to bring in someone like Ben Johnson or Liam Coen as a new voice that helped Allen and the offense take another step? Would the Bills have finally found a way to get past the AFC's elite? Or would changing coaches have disrupted one of the NFL's most consistent winners?
We'll never know, but it's one of the biggest crossroads of the Allen era.
The "13 Seconds" game gets most of the attention, and rightfully so, but it's easy to forget that the Bills were one win away from the Super Bowl in Allen's breakout season.
Beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium was always going to be a monumental challenge, but imagine if Buffalo had pulled it off.
Allen would have reached a Super Bowl in just his third NFL season.
The pressure surrounding his career would look completely different today. Every conversation about whether he can get Buffalo over the hump would have disappeared before it ever really began.
Instead, the Bills lost a game they led 9-0 in, the Chiefs advanced, and Buffalo spent the next several years chasing another opportunity.
There really isn't another choice for No. 1.
Allen delivered one of the greatest playoff performances in NFL history, throwing for 329 yards and four touchdowns while giving Buffalo the lead with just 13 seconds remaining.
For a brief moment, it felt like this was finally the year.
Then the Chiefs drove into field goal range after a very questionable kicking decision, won the overtime coin toss, and ended Buffalo's season.
It's impossible not to wonder what happens if the Bills simply keep Kansas City out of field-goal range. What if they don't play prevent defense?
Do they beat Cincinnati in the AFC Championship? Do they go on to win the Super Bowl? Does Allen already have a championship ring, changing every conversation about his legacy?
Instead, "13 Seconds" became one of the defining moments not just of Allen's career, but of Bills history. It's the game every fan wishes they could replay.
Continue reading...
Since Allen arrived in 2018, the Bills have become annual Super Bowl contenders, won multiple AFC East titles, reached two AFC Championship Games, and watched their franchise quarterback develop into one of the best players in football. For most organizations, that would be enough.
In Buffalo, it isn't.
The standard changed the moment Allen became an MVP-caliber quarterback. Division titles stopped being the goal. Playoff appearances became expected. Every season has been measured by one question: Can this finally be the year the Bills win a Super Bowl?
Along the way, there have been plenty of moments that make you wonder how different the conversation around Allen, the Bills, and this entire era might be if just one thing had gone differently.
Here are the five biggest "what ifs" of the Josh Allen era.
5. What if Josh Allen Never Took "The Leap" in 2020?
It's easy to forget now, but Josh Allen wasn't viewed as a sure thing after his first two NFL seasons.
He showed flashes of brilliance, but questions about his accuracy dominated every national discussion. There were legitimate debates about whether the Bills had drafted a franchise quarterback or simply an incredible athlete who would never develop into a consistent passer.
Then came 2020.
Allen threw for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns, completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, finished second in MVP voting and led Buffalo to its first AFC Championship Game since the 1993 season.
Suddenly, the Bills weren't just a good story. They were one of the NFL's premier franchises. But what if that leap never happened?
Does Buffalo eventually start looking for another quarterback? Does the organization ever become a perennial contender? Does Allen sign the massive contract extensions that followed?
The Bills' entire trajectory changed because Allen became the player Buffalo believed he could be.
4. What if the Bills Never Traded for Stefon Diggs?
Speaking of Allen's breakout season, it's impossible to separate it from the arrival of Stefon Diggs.
The trade immediately transformed Buffalo's offense. Diggs gave Allen a true No. 1 receiver, someone who could consistently win one-on-one matchups and elevate the entire passing game. The chemistry between the two was immediate, and together they formed one of the NFL's most productive quarterback-receiver duos.
Would Allen have still become an MVP candidate without Diggs? Maybe.
But it's hard to imagine his development happening as quickly without one of the league's best route runners catching passes.
The trade didn't just improve the offense. It accelerated Allen's growth and changed the expectations surrounding the franchise almost overnight. Without it, the Josh Allen era might look very different.
3. What if Sean McDermott Had Been Fired After 2024?
This one still sparks debate among Bills fans.
After another postseason disappointment in 2024 that ended with another AFC title game loss to Kansas City, there were plenty of calls for the Bills to make a change. The argument wasn't that McDermott wasn't a good coach. It was that maybe Buffalo had reached its ceiling under him.
Instead, the organization stayed the course. McDermott returned for the 2025 season before ultimately being fired after yet another crushing playoff loss, with Joe Brady taking over.
Would making that move one year earlier have changed anything?
Would the Bills have been able to bring in someone like Ben Johnson or Liam Coen as a new voice that helped Allen and the offense take another step? Would the Bills have finally found a way to get past the AFC's elite? Or would changing coaches have disrupted one of the NFL's most consistent winners?
We'll never know, but it's one of the biggest crossroads of the Allen era.
2. What if the Bills Had Beaten Kansas City in the 2020 AFC Championship Game?
The "13 Seconds" game gets most of the attention, and rightfully so, but it's easy to forget that the Bills were one win away from the Super Bowl in Allen's breakout season.
Beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium was always going to be a monumental challenge, but imagine if Buffalo had pulled it off.
Allen would have reached a Super Bowl in just his third NFL season.
The pressure surrounding his career would look completely different today. Every conversation about whether he can get Buffalo over the hump would have disappeared before it ever really began.
Instead, the Bills lost a game they led 9-0 in, the Chiefs advanced, and Buffalo spent the next several years chasing another opportunity.
1. What if the Bills Survived the "13 Seconds" Game?
There really isn't another choice for No. 1.
Allen delivered one of the greatest playoff performances in NFL history, throwing for 329 yards and four touchdowns while giving Buffalo the lead with just 13 seconds remaining.
For a brief moment, it felt like this was finally the year.
Then the Chiefs drove into field goal range after a very questionable kicking decision, won the overtime coin toss, and ended Buffalo's season.
It's impossible not to wonder what happens if the Bills simply keep Kansas City out of field-goal range. What if they don't play prevent defense?
Do they beat Cincinnati in the AFC Championship? Do they go on to win the Super Bowl? Does Allen already have a championship ring, changing every conversation about his legacy?
Instead, "13 Seconds" became one of the defining moments not just of Allen's career, but of Bills history. It's the game every fan wishes they could replay.
Continue reading...
