It will take at least until the end of the month to get a true handle on how much progress the Buffalo Bills have made since last season.

Assuming they reach the playoffs, the ultimate measurement will, of course, be determined by how far they advance.

For now, the measuring must go beyond the win-loss record, because 8-3 is exactly where the Bills were after 11 games in 2019.

When you take a closer look, though, it's reasonable to say the team is better. It's also reasonable to think that it has what it takes to stick around longer in the postseason.

"Really, as long as we take care of what we need to do on our end, we'll have a good shot of beating anybody," wide receiver Cole Beasley told reporters during a video call Wednesday.

Start with how the Bills have stacked up against a tougher schedule.

Through 11 games last year, Bills opponents had a combined record of 31-79, counting the Miami Dolphins once, even though the two teams had played twice by that point. This season, their opponents have a combined record of 60-50, counting the New York Jets once.

"I like where we are," coach Sean McDermott told reporters. "I like the way we're improving through the course of the season."

The Bills justifiably have been criticized for struggling to close out games, which surfaced for the seventh time this season in Sunday's 27-17 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers and left a lingering scar after they blew a 16-point lead on the way to last January's wild-card loss at Houston. They've also rightfully been maligned for being mostly ineffective when running or in stopping the run.

Yet, they have made enough strides to overcome those shortcomings to sit alone atop the AFC East, with a clear path to winning a division the New England Patriots owned for the past 11 years.

The biggest stride has come in their formidable passing attack, which is the main driver of NFL success. The Bills are averaging 268.1 yards through the air, compared with 213.5 after 11 games last season. That is the primary reason they are averaging 27.2 points per game, compared with 21 at the same point in 2019.

Josh Allen has elevated his performance, in part because of the work he has invested to make himself a smarter and more accurate passer, and in part because the Bills added one of the game's best receivers in Stefon Diggs. Cole Beasley has also emerged as a difference-making force from the slot.

When healthy, John Brown, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, provides a solid deep-threat complement to Diggs. And rookie Gabriel Davis is tied with Diggs for the team lead with four touchdown receptions.

Allen has 22 passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns this season after having 15 and seven, respectively, a year ago after 11 games, and has thrown for nearly 700 more yards.

"I can only speak for the offense, but we're better as an offense this year than last year," Beasley said after Wednesday's practice in preparation for Monday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers. "Just new guys, having the personnel in there, and then lot of new guys from last year being in the offense for a full year helps. I know it's helped with me, getting used to running all these new routes that I may not have run before.

"And then, just being together and knowing one another helps as well. Me and Josh's relationship this year is way better than it was last year, on the field and off the field."

The Bills' running game has only made its presence felt twice, in wins against the Patriots and Chargers. It is averaging 104.3 yards per game, a big drop from the 139.2 it averaged through 11 games last year.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll makes no effort to conceal the fact he takes a pass-first approach. The pass-run ratio also can change, depending the strength of the opponent's run defense, but usually the running game is treated as more of a garnish than the main course.

As Daboll noted this week, “We’re a week-to-week team. Balance is important if it’s working. If (the run or the pass) is not working, then you better not have too much balance. You better do the other thing more.â€

Compared to last year, it can be said the Bills' defense isn't working as well, either. Through 11 games in 2019, the Bills allowed only 15.7 points per game. Now, that number has swelled to 25.6. Rushing and passing yards allowed per game also have jumped significantly, though the Bills' tougher schedule has included six of the league's top eight offenses in yards per game and the defense continues to improve. 

The five teams left on the Bills' schedule have a combined record of 32-23, which is slightly less daunting than the 35-20 collective mark entering the same stretch in '19. The Bills had a 2-3 finish last year, including a meaningless loss in the season finale against the Jets because they already clinched a wild-card spot.

Only two of this season's remaining opponents, the 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 7-4 Dolphins, have winning records. Thanks to a Covid-19 outbreak that forced them to face the Baltimore Ravens Wednesday, the Steelers' Dec. 13 Sunday night game at Bills Stadium will be their third in 11 days. The Bills already have beaten Miami.

Still, they need to shore up some areas if they are to successfully navigate the road ahead.

One is cutting down turnovers. The three they had in the fourth quarter against the Chargers helped make the triumph unnecessarily tougher. So did the Bills' nine penalties Sunday and their maddening habit of allowing desperation passes to be completed.

Additionally, the team continues to get healthier, with linebacker Matt Milano returning from injured reserve Wednesday and the offensive line being mostly intact.

"I think, like there always is, there's a gap between where we are and where we're trying to get to," McDermott said. "And I think that's having the right attitude, that's being curious about how we can close that gap, being curious about chasing excellence and knowing that we'll never get there but we're always in pursuit of it. I think that's a healthy approach and that's really where we are with this year's team."

McDermott does his best to avoid being drawn into making comparisons. He'll sometimes do it with teams for which he has previously coached to illustrate a point.

But he would prefer the 2019 Bills and the 2020 edition to be viewed through separate lenses.

"I'm a big believer in each team is different because of the personalities of the people that make up the team each year," McDermott said. "I'm a big believer in trying to put our team this year, like I was last year, in a position to be successful and I think we've got to continue to do that, week in and week out with game plans, week in and week out, with how we handle our schedule, in particular, down the stretch here.

"I think the biggest thing is being healthy and playing our best football here down the stretch."