Bills' Keys to Success in 2021 NFL Season

The Buffalo Bills will likely be the first team mentioned in the conversation over which franchises can compete with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.

Buffalo has brought back the majority of the core that propelled it to the AFC Championship Game. It even got better offensively with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders in free agency.

For the Bills to challenge the Chiefs once again, they need to evolve their offense for another season with quarterback Josh Allen and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll at the reigns.

Buffalo does not have to reinvent its offensive system, but some tweaks can make it look even stronger than it did during Allen's breakout season in 2020.

The evolution of Josh Allen has been one of the best developments from the quarterback position over the last few years.

The 25-year-old took his game to new heights in 2020, when he produced 4,544 passing yards. That was a 1,500-yard increase from his sophomore campaign.

Allen experienced gains in almost every major passing category, including passing yards, touchdown passes, yards per attempt and quarterback rating.

The scary part for opposing defenses is that the Wyoming product will only get better as the season progresses. As long as he stays healthy, he should eclipse most of the single-season bests he set in 2020 because of the added 17th game.

The challenge for Allen and Daboll is to come up with new wrinkles in the offense to help Allen create even more mismatches throughout four quarters every week.

Sanders' addition to the wide receiver corps will aid in finding more ways to pick apart defenses, as will the development of Zack Moss and Devin Singletary in the ground game.

Buffalo's offensive ceiling feels like it is unlimited with all the options at Allen's disposal, and if he works well with Daboll again, the Bills could exceed the high expectations set after last season.

Buffalo has two quality young running backs in its stable, but at least one of them needs to take a step forward in development to give the team the most complete offense it can have.

Singletary was the favored back in the first half of 2020, while Moss saw more action in the second half of the campaign and in the postseason.

Moss was a three-time 1,000-yard rusher at Utah. If he earns the bulk of the touches, he has the potential to reach that threshold for the first time as a professional.

The addition of a high-quality running back to the Buffalo offense is vital to throw different looks at defenses and to keep Allen in the pocket more.

The quarterback can still threaten defenses with his legs, but the Bills need to protect his health with one game added to the regular-season slate.

If Moss turns into a 1,000-yard back, Buffalo can match up with Kansas City in almost every facet of the offense.

The Bills still need a tight end to put up even half the numbers Travis Kelce has, but if they have a running back who is comparable to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, they will be much better prepared for any showdowns with the Chiefs.

Buffalo finished the 2020 campaign with no players on the roster who had more than five sacks. A.J. Klein and Mario Addison led the defensive unit with five sacks each, while Jerry Hughes had 4.5 takedowns.

The Bills addressed the pass-rushing need in the draft with the selections of Gregory Rousseau and Carlos "Boogie" Basham. Second-year man A.J. Epenesa should provide a boost in that department as well.

Those three players need to combine with Hughes and Addison, the two veterans on the defensive line, to provide a more ferocious pass rush. If that is the case, the Bills should have an easier time flipping the field to Allen and the offense.

Defensive tackles Ed Oliver, Star Lotulelei and Vernon Butler can also add to the improved pass-rushing totals. Oliver had the most sacks of any defensive tackle last season with three.

If everything comes together on the interior, the Bills should produce at least two players with six or more takedowns by season's end.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.