‘I’m not expecting them to win’: Josh Allen faces brutal Super Bowl call as Bills enter Playoffs without safety net

For the first time since 1998, the NFL postseason will begin without Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Patrick Mahomes in the field. That shift alone has pushed the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen into the center of the national conversation.The path looks clearer on paper. Kansas City is not there. Mahomes is not blocking the road again. But as Buffalo prepares to open the playoffs against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a harsher reality is setting in. One prominent analyst does not believe this run ends with a Lombardi Trophy.

Pete Prisco pours cold water on Super Bowl talk despite open AFC path

CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco delivered the verdict earlier this week, and it was blunt. He does not expect the Bills to win the Super Bowl, even with the AFC field missing its usual quarterbacks at the top.“If they want to make me look good, they’ll win it,” Prisco said when asked about Buffalo’s chances. “No, look, if you’re out on the road in the playoffs, if you’re sitting at home and you lose and choke, that’s a whole different story. But you’re out on the road, and if they win, they’re going to win it by winning every game on the road. That’s hard to do. So, I’m not expecting them to win this year.”

That context matters. Buffalo enters the postseason as a road team and opens against a Jaguars squad that finished 13-3 and allowed just 85.6 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the league.

Winning one road playoff game is difficult. Winning every one is rarer.The Bills have lived this cycle before. Allen has lost four postseason matchups to Kansas City. This time, the obstacle is not Mahomes. It is margin for error.

Sean McDermott’s injury updates sharpen pressure on Josh Allen and offense

Bills head coach Sean McDermott acknowledged multiple concerns heading into Sunday’s wild-card game, adding weight to Prisco’s skepticism.Allen is expected to play, but he was visibly limited by a foot injury in the regular-season finale.

Buffalo rested starters in Week 18, but the team has not confirmed how close Allen is to full strength. That matters against a Jacksonville defense that thrives on takeaways.The ground game will also define this matchup. Buffalo averaged 159.6 rushing yards per game this season, the best in the NFL, with James Cook winning the rushing title. Jacksonville counters with the league’s top run defense. If that balance tilts, Allen will be forced into higher-risk throws.Special teams add another variable. Kicker Matt Prater is dealing with a quad injury after failing to finish Week 18. In a playoff game expected to tighten late, that is not a small concern.This is the version of the Bills that enters January. Talented. Tested. Inconsistent. The national narrative will follow them all week, especially with no Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or Lamar Jackson left in the AFC bracket.The window feels open. The pressure feels heavier. Prisco’s message cuts through the noise. Opportunity alone does not win championships. Buffalo still has to prove it can survive every road test in front of it. And until it does, the verdict stands.