On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills clashed with the Detroit Lions in one of the most anticipated games of the entire NFL regular season.
As a matter of fact, many feel it was a Super Bowl preview.
Of course, the Bills emerging victorious in a 48-42 shootout as Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen all but locked up the MVP award.
Allen and Jared Goff turned the contest into an offensive spectacle, yet one prominent sports media personality has argued the matchup exposed why neither team is built to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
On the latest episode of his podcast, the polarizing Bill Simmons laid out his skepticism about the Super Bowl chances of both the Bills and Lions.
“Here’s the bad news for Detroit, this is another stat I read. No team has ever allowed 45 points in a home game and then won the Super Bowl,” Simmons said.
Defense – or the lack thereof – was Simmons’ central concern for both teams.
“Buffalo in the last two weeks has given up 86 points, over a 1,000 yards, and 53 first downs in the last two weeks,” Simmons continued. “I know the Josh Allen thing is super fun but this isn’t how you win Super Bowls.
“Somebody is going to get them at some point unless he would have to be superhuman in a way very few guys in the history of the league have just thrown a team on their back to win with the defense he has.”
Simmons pointed out that the Lions’ defensive struggles are even more pronounced.
“But Detroit’s defense is worse, they lost three more guys, they lost McNeill. McNeill might be out for the year,” Simmons said. “So it’s never been a better spot for this Eagles team that everyone gave up on, including me three months ago.”
While Simmons’ concerns about defensive vulnerabilities are valid, they don’t necessarily rule out either team’s Super Bowl aspirations.
Both offenses have been nothing short of spectacular, making the Bills and Lions dangerous in any playoff scenario.
For Detroit, Goff led an aerial assault, throwing for 494 yards and five touchdowns, despite the absence of a strong running game following David Montgomery’s season-ending injury.
Meanwhile, Allen continued his dominant run, accounting for seven touchdown passes and rushing for six more over his last three games.
Both teams’ offenses rank among the NFL’s elite, giving them the firepower to contend against any opponent.
Still, Simmons’ skepticism reflects broader concerns shared by many analysts. Recent defensive lapses have raised questions about both teams’ ability to hold up in a grueling playoff environment.
As we all know, there is no such thing as a 5 or 7 game series in the NFL playoffs. It’s do-or-die in the most unforgiving of ways possible.
It doesn’t matter how great of regular season you’ve had. One bad bounce, you’re done. One bad penalty or turnover, it’s all over.
Neither the Bills nor the Lions look invincible, but dismissing them entirely as Super Bowl contenders is premature.
With offensive talent like Allen and Goff leading the charge, both squads have the tools to make deep playoff runs – perhaps even rewriting the defensive narratives that have haunted them in recent weeks.
Having said that, the injuries are piling up in Detroit to say the least. Although head coach Dan Campbell is trying his best to downplay the ugly situation. Next man up baby.
What are your thoughts on Simmons’ comments?
You can’t win shoot-outs all the time in the NFL, especially in the playoffs where you’re facing the best of the best.
Will poor defense ultimately derail the Super Bowl hopes for both the Lions and Bills???
