The Buffalo Bills have spent this decade living on the edge of the Super Bowl without quite getting through the door. They’ve been contenders since 2020, reached the AFC title game twice, and still haven’t sent Josh Allen to the league’s biggest stage.
That backdrop is why the 2022 offseason felt so loaded. Buffalo was coming off the painful “13-seconds” loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the message was obvious: the roster was close, but it still needed one more piece off the edge to finish games.
Brandon Beane went big for that answer, signing Von Miller in free agency after Miller had just won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. The Bills handed him a six-year deal worth $120 million, a move that made it clear Buffalo was pushing all its chips in. For a while, it looked like the bet might pay off.
Justin Fried of FanSided.com named Miller Buffalo’s worst free agency signing in franchise history, and the case is hard to dismiss. As Fried wrote, " The investment looked worthwhile for 11 games, as Miller recorded eight sacks before tearing his ACL on Thanksgiving, and he was never the same player in Buffalo. He went sackless in 12 appearances in 2023 and managed six sacks in a reduced role the following season."
He added, " Buffalo released Miller in March 2025 after getting just 14 sacks in 36 games from its blockbuster acquisition. The Bills paid a premium for a proven championship difference-maker and never even reached the Super Bowl during his tenure."
Miller’s first stretch in Buffalo did exactly what the Bills hoped. He gave them the kind of edge presence they were chasing and helped close games early in his run. But the torn ACL on Thanksgiving in 2022 changed everything.
He missed the first four games of the 2023 season and finished that year with just three total tackles and no sacks in 12 games. In 2024, he bounced back to six sacks and 17 total tackles, but he never fully recaptured the force Buffalo thought it was buying.
The Bills moved on in 2025, releasing Miller and turning to Joey Bosa as the next attempt to fill that role. Bosa opened his Bills tenure well, but finished the 2025 season on a low note.
That’s the sting of the Miller signing for Buffalo. It was a massive swing at the right moment, with the championship window wide open. But the ACL injury took the edge off the move, and the Bills paid for it on the field and financially.
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Bills Fans Have A Real Dalton Kincaid Concern Entering Week 8
Dalton Kincaids Week 8 status is the kind of tight end update Bills fans have learned to watch closely, especially after he was listed as questionable with a chest injury. He managed three limited practices and, even with the designation hanging over him, there is at least some optimism around his availability as Buffalo heads into the weekend.
The concern is more about how the week unfolded than the final label itself. Kincaid came out of the bye in a non-contact jersey, a detail that naturally raised eyebrows, and the Bills are still waiting to see how his body responds as game day approaches. Around the league, other tight ends are dealing with their own late-week injury uncertainty, but for Buffalo the focus remains on whether Kincaid can be ready to go when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Ed Olivers Return Could Change Everything For Buffalos Defense
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His absence has also been felt around him, with Greg Rousseau and Deone Walker both seeing their own production dip during the stretch he has missed. For a defense built on pressure and interior disruption, getting Oliver back would not just be about adding one player to the lineup, it could help restore the edge and energy that have been missing. The bigger question now is whether Buffalo can get that version of the defense back in time to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Enter Ravens Showdown With One Edge Fans Might Be Overlooking
As Buffalo prepares for a marquee matchup with Baltimore, one of its quietest advantages has become impossible to ignore. The Bills special teams unit has surged to the top of Pro Football Focus NFL rankings, a reflection of the steady work being done by kicker Tyler Bass and rookie punter Tommy Doman, who has quickly settled into a meaningful role flipping field position. Head coach Joe Brady has been quick to point out how much that phase of the game matters to Buffalos broader success.
It is the kind of edge that can get lost in the buildup to a heavyweight showdown, but it could matter just as much as the more obvious matchup points on Sunday. Buffalos special teams have been consistently sharp, and with Baltimore on deck, the Bills will be leaning on every hidden yard they can find while fans also sort through the broadcast and streaming details for the game. [Read more 🡒]