The Buffalo Bills have had "Super Bowl favorites" attached to their team name pretty much since the start of the offseason. In the span of five years, they've built up and built up to get to this year. The one in which finally, they're not seen as underdogs but rather as the team to beat.

And what made this season truly intriguing was the fact that there seemed to be plenty of teams that could beat them, After all, this was going to be one of the best years in AFC history.

Don't try to tell me you didn't hear conversations of the following nature heading into the 2022 NFL Season:

"Sure, the Bills are the favorites," a Mafia member would say, pretending confidence but with a taste of hesitance hanging in the words that would follow. "But what about the AFC West? They've got three other teams besides the Kansas City Chiefs that could bring them down!"

"There are a billion loaded teams in the AFC," someone would confirm. "It's no sure thing."

"But the good thing is AFC West teams will figure out a way to hurt each other," would come in reassuringly. "That leaves the Bills on a clear path toward the #1 seed and the bye week."

Well. As I sit here typing this on Friday morning, a few hours removed from whatever that Colts – Broncos game was, I think of the same thing plenty of NFL fans are probably thinking. This is not the AFC we thought it was.

Once again, two teams stand above the rest of them. Two high-powered offenses to rule them all. The Bills and the Chiefs and the Chiefs and the Bills.

Don't get me wrong, I know this is the NFL. This is the any-given-Sunday league. But let's dive into where some of the killer AFC teams are sitting after four weeks of the season.

• The 'Let's Ride' Russell Wilson Broncos: It's not working out, y'all. Russell Wilson looks rattled, lacking confidence. As wide receiver K.J. Hamler repeatedly slammed his helmet at the end of Thursday's game, it's easy to realize this is not the contender we thought it was. Not yet.
• The Carr-Adams Skill-Position Raiders: Numbers-wise, they're not doing as bad as their record would suggest. But their struggles have them at 1-3 and they had the 30th hardest schedule coming into the season. It won't get suddenly easier for Josh McDaniels.
• The broken battery Chargers: They're still a question mark because of how many injuries they're dealing with. Justin Herbert is legit so they're still a major threat, but I wouldn't have too much faith in picking them over the Chiefs even at full health.
• Respect to Lamar Jackson: Sure the Bills just beat them. But Lamar remains an MVP candidate even after back-to-back losses with Baltimore. But with a defense that ranks 25th in EPA/play, the Ravens still need to catch up.

And granted, the Bills can't overlook the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals, and so on and so on. But this 2022 season? It isn't about Buffalo overcoming an overloaded conference filled with scary rivals.

It's about beating – once and for all – the boogieman.

The team that made them go all-in on a pass-happy approach and bring in Stefon Diggs. It's about finally getting to the guy that's ended their seasons in back-to-back years with Von Miller leading the charge.

Yet again, it's about beating the Chiefs.

We'll get the first taste of whether or not they can do it in Week 6 when they play each other in Arrowhead Stadium. But the real race might be the one for the AFC bye week and home-field advantage in the postseason.

Featured image via Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports