Not long ago, the Buffalo Bills were on the verge of missing the NFL Playoffs for the first time since Josh Allen’s rookie season in 2018.
Buffalo was 6-6 after a painful overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12 and on the outside looking in when it came to the AFC playoff picture.
Following their bye week, the Bills went into Arrowhead to face the Kansas City Chiefs and won by three points. The following week, they defeated the red-hot Dallas Cowboys by a score of 21 points. Even though they battled against an injury-plagued Los Angeles Chargers club in Week 16, they still won 24-22.
Buffalo, now 9-6 and in sixth place in the AFC East, can officially punch its fifth consecutive postseason ticket in Week 17. And, despite the fact that it didn’t seem conceivable a few weeks ago, Sean McDermott’s team still has a chance to take the AFC East from the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo Bills clinching possibilities for Week 17
With a win versus the Patriots and some help, the Bills can clinch a postseason spot.
To punch their postseason ticket, the Bills must first beat or tie the New England Patriots, as a loss negates all of the scenarios outlined below.
Given the overall level of opponents Buffalo has previously defeated, this Week 17 meeting doesn’t appear to be much of a matchup at all.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots, on the other hand, are coming off a thrilling 26-23 victory over the Denver Broncos. And, given how the 2023 NFL season has gone thus far, there is no such thing as a sure certainty.
Even if the Bills win, they’ll still need a lot of help to secure a postseason spot. There are 14 different ways Buffalo might make the playoffs. But, because nine of them include an unlikely Bills-Patriots tie, let’s focus on the five that entail a Buffalo victory:
The Bills win against the Patriots, while the Steelers lose/tie against the Seahawks and the Bengals lose/tie against the Chiefs.
The Bills win against the Patriots, while the Steelers lose/tie against the Seahawks and the Jaguars lose/tie against the Panthers.
The Bills win against the Patriots, while the Steelers lose/tie against the Seahawks, the Texans lose/tie against the Titans, and the Colts lose/tie against the Raiders.
The Bills win against the Patriots, while the Bengals lose/tie against the Chiefs and the Jaguars lose/tie against the Panthers.
The Bills win against the Patriots, while the Bengals lose/tie against the Chiefs, the Texans lose/tie against the Titans, and the Colts lose/tie against the Raiders.
A Bills victory also keeps them in contention for the AFC East title, but only if the 11-4 Dolphins lose to the Baltimore Ravens, which is very likely given how the Ravens are performing right now.
In this scenario, a Buffalo victory and a Miami defeat set up a Week 18 confrontation between the Bills and the Dolphins to decide the division. But first, let’s see how Week 17 goes.
