Ranking the Best 5 Buffalo Bills Teams of All Time

The Buffalo Bills exit their bye week as the betting favorites to win Super Bowl LXI.

Because Buffalo has never hoisted a Lombardi Trophy, this 2026 squad is firmly on track to reach the franchise's all-time summit.

As the second-half push begins, let's look back and rank the five greatest teams in Bills history.

5. 2024 Bills

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Josh Allen

The Snapshot: This team is representing the 2020s, as I could have just as easily made the case for a 13-3 2020 team that was even more dominant offensively and went to the AFC Championship, a 13-3 2022 team that matched that squad with a franchise-best 6.13 yards per play and sent eight guys to the Pro Bowl, or even an 11-6 2021 team that still boasts the highest average margin of victory in team history. These Bills went 13-4 in Josh Allen's lone MVP season, coming closer to the Super Bowl than any other squad from this era. 

Key Stat: An NFL-best plus-24 turnover differential (32 takeaways to just eight giveaways). The offense tied the all-time NFL record for the fewest turnovers in a single season (six interceptions, two lost fumbles).

The Case for Greatness: Allen was sensational from wire to wire en route to MVP honors, pushing the Chiefs to the brink in an unforgettable 32-29 AFC title game duel at Arrowhead.

The Case Against: Sean McDermott's defense relied heavily on takeaways rather than down-to-down dominance. When the turnover faucet dried up, they struggled against elite quarterbacks and finished outside the top 10 in scoring defense

4. 1965 Bills

AP Photo/Bill Wippert

The Snapshot: The Lou Saban-coached Bills repeated as champions in 1965, finishing 10-3-1 with quarterback Jack Kemp winning AFL MVP and Saban earning Coach of the Year honors.

Key Stat: This remains the most recent champion in professional football to shut out its opponent in the championship game, with Buffalo smashing the Chargers 23-0 to capture the title. 

The Case for Greatness: Buffalo sent seven players to the AFL All-Star Game, while four earned First-Team All-AFL honors to anchor the league's No. 1 scoring defense

The Case Against: In an eight-team league, Buffalo's offense ranked just third in scoring, suffered a midseason slump, and stumbled to three losses and a tie during the regular season.

3. 1964 Bills

AP Photo/Mark Duncan

The Snapshot: The first champion in franchise history led the league both offensively and defensively in a dominant campaign from start to finish. 

Key Stat: Their .857 winning percentage stemming from a 12-2 regular-season record remains the highest in franchise history. 

The Case for Greatness: These Bills won their games by an average margin of 29-17 before easily disposing of the Chargers in the AFL title game. And they placed 10 players in the AFL All-Star Game, including six First-Team All-AFL selections

The Case Against: As with the '65 squad, this team predates the AFL-NFL merger in an eight-team league.

2. 1991 Bills

AP Photo/Mark Duncan

Jim Kelly

The Snapshot: This 13-3 juggernaut featured eight Pro Bowlers, three first-team All-Pros and five future Hall of Famers in a Super Bowl campaign. 

Key Stat: The Jim Kelly-led offense averaged 5.92 yards per play, which was the best in team history until the Josh Allen era. 

The Case for Greatness: Thurman Thomas was league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year as the Buffalo offense had its most prolific yardage season in franchise history. They put up 24 points in a Super Bowl XXVI loss to a historically dominant Washington team.

The Case Against: While the K-Gun reached its peak this season, the defense declined significantly from 1990 and actually became somewhat of a liability. They were also much less competitive in the Super Bowl than they were in '90. 

1. 1990 Bills

AP Photo/Mike Groll

Bruce Smith

The Snapshot: The most complete Bills team in modern league history fell one 47-yard field goal short of winning the Super Bowl following a 13-3 regular season. 

Key Stat: They not only led the NFL in scoring, but these Bills put up 95 points in their two AFC playoff games before falling 20-19 to the Giants in Super Bowl XXV.

The Case for Greatness: This team had 10 Pro Bowlers, compared to eight in 1991. It came the closest the franchise has ever come to winning a Lombardi, thanks to a historic offense and a stout D led by Defensive Player of the Year Bruce Smith. 

The Case Against: The 1964 and 1965 teams were league champions, while this team fell short. 

The 2026 Verdict: Can This Team Crash the Top Five?

AP Photo/David Becker

Josh Allen

Of course the answer is yes. Despite significant defensive struggles, Buffalo's offense has been so dominant over a 5-1 start that the Bills remain on track for the AFC's No. 1 seed.

The Bills could easily end up with the MVP in Allen, and at least a few All-Pros among Allen, James Cook, Greg Rousseau, and Deone Walker. The defense has a top-10 ceiling based on talent, and the offense is operating at a historic pace with 32.8 points per game thus far. 

If these Bills can continue on the current trajectory and win 14-plus games before making a run to the Super Bowl, they may be the best version of the team in history. If they win that game, it's a no-brainer. But if they fall short of a Super Bowl appearance yet again, we'll likely just be weighing this team against the 2024, 2022, 2021 and 2020 squads for the No. 5 spot on this list next year.