Bills might still miss the playoffs despite contesting for the AFC East title on SNF against the Dolphins next week

Week 18 will decide which team takes #2 spot in AFC, the Bills or the Dolphins.

Bills might still miss the playoffs despite contesting for the AFC East title on SNF against the Dolphins next week

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass over New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) during the second half in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Image via IMAGO)

The Buffalo Bills went from turnover merchants to almost on the verge of competing once again in the postseason. Before going into their bye week, they had just a 14% chance of making it to the playoffs. Now, after four straight wins, they are 10-6 for the season and find themselves in the 6th spot in the AFC playoff picture.

Their latest matchup against the New England Patriots was far from pretty. But they managed to carve out an all-important 27-21 win on Sunday. As a result, it skyrocketed their playoff chances to 95%, as per the New York Times. Not only that, Sean McDermott‘s side can even finish as high as second (48% chance) in the AFC seed.

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One thing the Bills can scratch off their to-do list is the #1 spot. The Baltimore Ravens already bagged that one by dismantling the Dolphins earlier in the night. However, McDermott should encourage his team to not take their foot off the gas just yet.

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The Bills would have clinched the playoffs by now if some of the results throughout the night had gone in their favor. For now, they hold their destiny in their hands. But it’s a massive one; if they fail to win their remaining game, things might get a bit dicey.

The Buffalo Bills playoff scenario

Week 17 saw Mike Tomlin record another winning season as the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) edged past the Seattle Seahawks. That’s one of the things the Bills fans would have prayed against happening. Because it made the playoff race even trickier.

Bills might still miss the playoffs despite contesting for the AFC East title on SNF against the Dolphins next week
Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen (Image via Sky Sports)

The Bills’ last game of the season will travel down south and face the Miami Dolphins, who currently occupy the #2 AFC seed. So to remove the Dolphins from that sport, Josh Allen and Co. must record a win. That’s not all. They need both the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) and the Steelers to lose their final games.

The Bills can get into the playoffs with either:

To make matters worse, neither of them are playing home games. The Jaguars travel to the Table Toppers Ravens while the Steelers visit Tennessee. On top of that, there’s even a possibility that the Bills miss out on the playoffs completely. If they lose and both the Steelers and Jaguars win, that’s the end of Buffalo’s chances.

So all things considered, the Buffalo Bills are not out of the woods just yet. They must win against the Dolphins to lock in their place.

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