Bills news: Thoughts on Buffalo’s chances of succeeding in Joe Brady’s first year

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 15: Dee Alford #23 of the Buffalo Bills makes his way to the field before a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Buffalo Bills could have cleaned house entirely following last year’s disappointing AFC Divisional Round playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, but instead of bringing in an outside voice to lead Josh Allen and the Bills, Terry Pegula decided to promote Brandon Beane and elevate Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach.

So far through his first offseason, Brady seems to have earned high marks for how he has coached the Bills, but the real test of his mettle as head coach comes when the Bills kick off the 2026 NFL season on the road against the Houston Texans on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by exploring whether Brady can be successful and whether Beane has surrounded Brady with enough player and coaching talent to lead the Bills to that elusive Super Bowl title.

Check out the assessments below and then let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Predicting the 2026 Buffalo Bills

The NFL season is finally upon us, with the league kicking off Wednesday and the Bills beginning their quest for a championship Sunday in Houston. So far, Joe Brady’s tenure has gotten off to a good start. The Bills have a deeper, more talented team than last year, Josh Allen appears to be in MVP form, and the defense, under Jim Leonhard, seems to be more athletic and less predictable than previous units.

Is Brady up to the task of guiding the Bills to a Super Bowl?

“I don’t believe anybody ever rises to low expectations, but there’s not a person in this room or this city or wherever that has higher expectations than I’m always asking of myself,” Brady told the Buffalo News.

We sift through game-by-game predictions for how Buffalo will fare this year; debate who will be the best player on defense; analyze the impact new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will have on a unit that constantly came up short in the playoffs; examine whether the Bills fix the issues that plagued their downfield passing attack last year; offer up bold predictions for how the season will play out; and more!

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