Can the Bills finally bring an end to the NFL's longest playoff drought?

The Buffalo Bills, to the surprise of many, sit atop the AFC East after an impressive 2-0 start to the season. While there are countless examples of teams that have started hot, only to fall back to earth, the Bills may actually have a chance of reaching the postseason for the first time since 1999.

Heading into this year, the odds were certainly stacked against head coach Doug Marrone and company. There were a number of unanswered questions about both the roster and organization as a whole, and few would have been surprised if they ended up with another top-ten selection in the draft next spring.

Among their concerns were losing standout linebacker Kiko Alonso for the year after an offseason ACL injury, some less than impressive preseason play from the quarterbacks, the idea that a rookie seventh-round selection may start at left tackle from day one, the team's looming sale and, of course, an argument at team practice in which Marrone reportedly dared team officials to "go ahead and fire me."

In a tough AFC East, these issues seemed to foreshadow another difficult season in Buffalo. That was, until teams finally got on the field for regular season play.

An opening game in Chicago wasn't an easy place to start, taking on a Bears team widely expected to contend in an extremely tough NFC. However, a strong running game and impressive defensive performance, including two key interceptions of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, carried the Bills to a 23-20 overtime victory.

Granted, upsets happen every week in the NFL, but it was the way the Bills followed up that performance, with a dominant 29-10 home win over the division rival Miami Dolphins, that started to demonstrate what they're capable of this season.

The running game, featuring the highly productive tandem of C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, has and will continue to be the key to the Bills' success, but a number of other factors are also playing their part.

The late preseason return of starting left tackle Cordy Glenn solidified the left side of the offensive line, allowing seventh-round selection Seantrel Henderson to slide to right tackle, beating out second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio for the starting job and standing out thus far.

That group is leading the way for Spiller and Jackson on the ground, but pass protection performances like they put forth in their Week 2 win over the Dolphins, holding All-Pro defensive end Cameron Wake without a sack, helped open the offense up even more.

While quarterback EJ Manuel has yet to play at the level both he and the Bills had hoped for by this point, he can take care of the ball and make the necessary throws when afforded enough time. He also possesses the athletic ability to beat defenses with his legs when the pocket breaks down.

After a productive performance from Sammy Watkins against the Dolphins, in which he caught eight passes for 117 yards and one touchdown, it appears the Bills' first-round rookie wide receiver is also ready to contribute in a primary role within the offense.

The defensive side of the ball features a front, similar to the Bills' offensive line, that can control the line of scrimmage with consistency, in turn elevating the play of the back seven in the process.

Stopping the run as well as they have, surrendering just 83.0 yards per game thus far, will continue to put opposing offenses in third-and-longs, where both the pass rush and secondary can continue to complement one another and capitalize on those obvious passing situations.

Overall, tallying back-to-back wins to start the season hardly means much, but it's the way the Bills have done so that's important.

Dominant play in the trenches is undoubtedly the best way to win games in the NFL and, this year more than any other, should give the Bills a real opportunity to directly challenge the rival New England Patriots for the division crown.

With opposing teams certain to make adjustments in the coming weeks, Buffalo will need to evolve to avoid regression. If the first two games are any indication, however, the Bills may finally find themselves in the playoffs this season.