Wait, what? Isn’t this the bandwagon everyone’s hopping off? Yup. But the mass exodus seems rash — and it’s opening up all the premium seating!

Look, it’s not hard to see why the vibes are down. In January, Buffalo was knocked out of the playoffs by Kansas City for the third time in the past four seasons. In March, the cap-strapped Bills hemorrhaged a number of longtime core players, including C Mitch Morse, WR Gabe Davis, CB Tre’Davious White and S Jordan Poyer. In April, the Stefon Diggs drama ended with a trade to Houston.

Despite all that, though, Buffalo still has two major assets: an elite quarterback and a head coach who annually fields a strong defense. Josh Allen and Sean McDermott have another thing working in their favor, too: AFC East ownership, with the Bills boasting four straight titles. And looking around the division, they still feel like the cream of the crop to me. The Jets could certainly make a push, but that roster’s full of potential pitfalls. The Dolphins ultimately proved to be a paper tiger last season, and now they’re hollowed out in the trenches. Lastly, the Patriots are clearly rebuilding.

It’s been a difficult 2024 for the Bills thus far, but hopping off the bandwagon feels premature. After all, if you’ll allow me to close out this offseason hype vehicle with a good old-fashioned cliché, it’s always darkest before the dawn.