Midway through this NFL season, the Buffalo Bills were the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl. The Bills then lost a few games they were not expected to and became too dependent on Josh Allen. But the Bills have got their mojo back. Buffalo now controls their destiny toward winning the AFC East. If they defeat the New York Jets this Sunday, they win the division and clinch at least one home playoff game.

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The Bills have not been to the Super Bowl since Jim Kelly and the K-Gun offense back in the early 1990's. The last three decades have been tough on Buffalo fans, but here are the three reasons I believe they will reach Super Bowl LVI.

You need to fall before you can ascend the mountain. We have seen this across the sports landscape many times. Not just in football, it happens in basketball and baseball too. Last season, the Bills won the AFC East and made it all the way to the AFC Championship, only to get flattened by the Kansas City Chiefs.

When professional athletes get that close to playing for the ultimate prize, it makes them that much hungrier. The Bills basically ran it back with almost all of the same players. They slayed that beast earlier this season when they crushed the Chiefs in Kansas City. They know they can win in Arrowhead.

Another key reason the Bills will reach the Super Bowl this season is the newfound running game. For most of the season, Bills head coach Sean McDermott put too much of the offense on Josh Allen. They either threw the ball seemingly every play or Allen rushed it.

Don't get me wrong, Josh Allen is an amazing athlete who is as good of a runner as we have at QB this side of Lamar Jackson.

They had gone back and forth over the last two seasons between Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Finally, they appear to have decided. Singletary is the starting tailback and has done a great job. Over the last three games (all wins), Buffalo has found their way on the ground.

Singletary has 58 carries for 245 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Those are not spectacular numbers, but they are essential to success in the postseason. Whether the Bills are playing at home in frigid Buffalo in January, or in Kansas City, Cincinnati or Nashville, it will be cold.

There might be inclement weather. It could be raining, or snowy, or very windy. In that case, you need to have some ability to run the football. The Bills are finally starting to show that they can do that.

The final reason I believe the Bills will reach Super Bowl LVI is their defense.

Buffalo has everything you look for in a playoff defense. First and foremost, they take the ball away. They are 3rd in the NFL with 30 takeaways. The Bills lead the league in total defense, allowing under 287 yards per game. They are one of the best in the league at getting off the field, ranking 4th in the NFL allowing opponents to convert on 3rd down 46.6% of the time.

This Bills team has the talent, it has the needed experience after last season, they have the hunger and the belief that they can reach the pinnacle of the sport.