The 2026 NFL season is upon us and the Buffalo Bills will get things going on the road on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
The Bills have put some play on the field during the preseason, but much is still to come. Despite no snaps yet to be played during the regular season, national power rankings polls have still been dropped ahead of Week 1.
How did the Bills fare?
Here is Bills Wire's roundup of how the team looks in power rankings ahead of Week 1:
USA TODAY
Buffalo Bills (4): The feel-good vibes in Western New York are hard to ignore, even amid all the changes for what's become a perennial AFC power … and, perhaps for the first time in more than three decades, the AFC's preeminent force.
Pro Football Talk
Bills (No. 5; 0-0): How many grass fields does it take to finish
a football season? (We’re about to find out.)
The Athletic
First game: at Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Mock’s projected win total: 10.8
The defense is undergoing a significant change, entering a 3-4 scheme with six new starters, and that’s part of the reason for hope. The other is a fresh start with coach Joe Brady that could get this team over the hump and into the Super Bowl. Even if last season didn’t go as planned, it’s hard to keep a Josh Allen-led team out of the top five entering the season.
Bleacher Report
5. Buffalo Bills
There isn't a team east of Los Angeles more in Super Bowl-or-bust mode than the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills dismissed their highly successful coach because he couldn't get the team over the hump. They are led by Josh Allen, who has more playoff wins than any quarterback in NFL history without a Super Bowl appearance.
The good news is the team should be in the thick of it in the AFC. The offense has the league's reigning rushing king and a new No. 1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore. The defense ranked seventh in the league last year.
The bad news is that the Bills have been in the thick of it for the better part of a decade, but for whatever reason they come up short in the postseason.
CBS Sports
4. Bills
New coach Joe Brady will bring a much more aggressive approach to this team. That's something that is badly needed.
FOX Sports
7. Buffalo Bills (Previously ranked: 6)
Super Bowl odds: +1000
Summer injuries to WRs Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir were a dangerous reminder that receiver is still a problem for this team. Man, if they can properly address that position, look out.
Pro Football Focus
3. Buffalo Bills
Odds to make playoffs: 77%
Odds to win Super Bowl: 8%
For the first time since 2017, the Bills will have a leader other than Sean McDermott — but promoting former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach should retain Buffalo’s hyper-efficient offense with Josh Allen and James Cook. All eyes are on Jim Leonhard as the Bills’ new defensive coordinator, looking to round out a unit with question marks but talent at all three levels. Buffalo enters the season with the highest division odds (56%) of any team, with a weaker AFC East making the Bills seem like a near-playoff lock for the eighth straight season.
ESPN
Chances to make the playoffs: 84.1%Chances to win division: 67.1%Projected wins: 10.7Strength of schedule: 14th easiest2025 record: 12-5
Biggest strength: Josh Allen. It's pretty simple. The Bills have an opportunity to win a Super Bowl once again this year, despite a first-time head coach, and that's because of who is playing quarterback. Allen, 30, is going into his ninth NFL season and has a new No. 1 receiver in DJ Moore. Breaking records has become commonplace for the 2024 MVP, and Allen gives the team a chance in every game. -- Alaina Getzenberg
Biggest concern: It is a transition year for the new defensive scheme. Coordinator Jim Leonhard has been open about the fact this year's defense will not fully look like his vision for the unit as it transitions from a 4-3 to 3-4 base. There is a mix of new players who fit the scheme specifically and carryovers from the previous regime. How the group comes together will go a long way in determining the unit's success. -- Getzenberg
QB stat to know: Allen's dual-threat ability is unlike anything the NFL has seen. Allen already has 299 passing and rushing TDs combined in his first eight seasons, 40 more than the next-closest player (Patrick Mahomes, 259). In fact, he already has the most through a player's first nine seasons (next closest: Peyton Manning, 288). -- ESPN Research
Best-case scenario for 2026, per FPI: 13-4Worst-case scenario for 2026, per FPI: 8-9
This season is a success if … the Bills reach the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for new coach Joe Brady, that's the bar. Maximizing Allen's tenure is the priority, and anything comparable to or less than what Sean McDermott accomplished won't make for a fully successful season. -- Getzenberg
One key fantasy nugget: Allen gives fantasy managers a major boost when the Bills have the ball on the doorstep of the end zone. He converted 22 of 28 true goal-line carries (78.6%) over the past three seasons. -- Bowen
Bold prediction for 2026: Wide receiver Keon Coleman will record 750 or more receiving yards and at least five touchdowns -- both career highs. Earlier this offseason I thought there was a decent chance he'd be on a different team by now. But Coleman also hasn't been that bad in his first two years, posting a 49 overall score in ESPN's receiver score (just below average) and 1.6 yards per route run. Even though the Bills added Moore, I could see Coleman having a mini breakout in Year 3.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: NFL power rankings roundup: Where the Bills land in national polls ahead of Week 1
