At 8-6 and in the sixth slot for the AFC wild card spot, the Bills have their best chance in years to finally break their playoff drought. They have just two games left, against the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, and each will prove to be crucially important down the stretch. Let's take a look at all the ways in which Buffalo could finally make the playoffs.
1. Win both remaining games against Patriots and Dolphins
If the Bills manage to beat both the Patriots and the Dolphins in their final two games, they will get into the playoffs regardless of other outcomes.
At 10-6, the Bills would beat out the Titans for the final wild card spot. So, the Bills really do control their own destiny, even if both the Ravens and Titans win all their remaining games.
Unfortunately, beating the Patriots on the road as 12.5 point underdogs is definitely no guarantee, so here's how Buffalo could still make the playoffs at 9-7:
2. Lose to the Patriots, beat the Dolphins, finish 9-7
If this scenario happens, here's what would need to happen for Buffalo to make it.
- Titans lose their final two games to Rams and Jaguars,
- Chargers lose one of two games to the Jets and Raiders
If the above happens, the Buffalo Bills would be the 6 seed in the playoffs.
Buffalo would also make the playoffs if:
- The Ravens lose one of their final two games against the Colts or Bengals
If the Ravens, Bills, Titans, and Chargers finish at 9-7, Buffalo will hold the tiebreaker over all three teams and will end up as the 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Rooting interests moving forward: Week 16
The Bills really only have a shot at the playoffs if they finish 9-7 or better, so here's who Bills fans should be rooting for in week 16
- NY Jets over La Chargers
- LA Rams over Tennessee Titans
- Indianapolis Colts over Baltimore Ravens
These results would eliminate the Chargers provided the Bills finish 9-7 and would also guarantee Buffalo a playoff spot at 9-7.
Who fans should root for in Week 17:
Here's who Bills fans should be rooting for in week 17, especially if things don't fall Buffalo's way in week 16:
- Jacksonville Jaguars over Tennessee Titans
- Oakland Raiders over LA Chargers
- Cincinnati Bengals over Baltimore Ravens
The key in a lot of these scenarios is that both the Bills and Ravens finish 9-7.
If that happens, Buffalo will have the tiebreaker over the Chargers and the Titans (provided they do not win their last two games). This is the best chance that the Bills have had to make the playoffs in a long time, so let's see if they can take advantage of their situation and win some road games.
