Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN/WGR Sports Radio 550) - If the Buffalo Bills are to get to the Super Bowl this February in New Orleans, they may have to go through Kansas City first.
Thanks to the Chiefs' 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, Kansas City has officially clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, meaning the team will, once again, earn a first-round bye to open the playoffs in January. It is the fourth time under quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid where the Chiefs have clinched the conference's top seed entering the playoffs.
While Buffalo's goal of claiming the 1-seed come playoff time is no longer a possibility, the 12-3 Bills are still in the driver's seat when it comes to the No. 2 seed in the AFC standings.
All the Bills need in the final two regular season games against the New York Jets and New England Patriots is just one win to formally secure the No. 2 seed in the conference, meaning Buffalo would possibly get a chance to host, at least, two playoff games at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
While former Bills center, now current radio color commentator, Eric Wood felt it was fairly unrealistic for Buffalo to come away as the No. 1 seed in the AFC in the final handful of games, he does believe there is a perk to potentially having the No. 2 seed wrapped up by the final week of the regular season.
"We could potentially get a mini bye next week, where you can rest some starters heading into Week 18, if the Bills are able to take care of business against the Jets. And then you'd get home field advantage throughout until the AFC Championship Game, if you continue to win, unless Kansas City were to drop one. And I don't think that's completely unrealistic, considering they played with fire throughout this entire season, very few two-score victories," said Wood on Thursday during an appearance with WBEN. "That's where it sits, and realistically, when the Bills dropped a couple early and then dropped that one out at [Los Angeles], you kind of knew this would likely be the Bills' fate."
Wednesday's slate of Christmas games all featured teams that are already locked into the playoffs in the AFC, but may not face the Bills until either the AFC Divisional Round or the AFC Championship Game. Of the group of four teams, Wood feels the Chiefs are starting to get themselves in order ahead f the playoffs.
"Kansas City looks to be getting healthier on offense and more explosive heading into the postseason, which is dangerous considering how dominant their defense has been. And then they played yesterday without Chris Jones on the defensive line, who was out with injury, and the defense still looked good," Wood said. "So they look to be in form [from] where we've seen this past run with Mahomes, where they've been really dominant."
The other team that Wood feels is hitting its stride in the final stretch of the regular season is the Baltimore Ravens. If the Ravens win next week over the Cleveland Browns and the Bills somehow drop both games remaining on their schedule, then Baltimore would clinch the No. 2 seed, putting Buffalo as the 3-seed heading into the postseason.
"Baltimore looks to be rolling," he said. "Lamar Jackson is playing at a super high level, that offense is clicking. And that defense, who's got some new starters this year, a new defensive coordinator, they're starting to play some really good ball."
As for Jackson, the Ravens quarterback and reigning NFL MVP has been playing, once again, in MVP form, throwing for 3,955 yards, 39 touchdowns and just four interceptions, while completing 67.9% of his passes. In addition, Jackson has ran the ball well for 852 yards on 130 carries and four touchdowns.
In fact, Jackson set a new NFL record on Wednesday, becoming the NFL's all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks, surpassing longtime quarterback Michael Vick.
Among the others in consideration for NFL MVP this season includes Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who is, arguably, putting up one of his most impressive campaigns on a team in Buffalo that was considered by many to be "retooling".
In 15 games this season, Allen has completed 63.8% of his pass attempts for 3,549 yards, and 26 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Allen has also accounted for 514 rushing yards on 97 carries and 11 touchdowns, while also registering a receiving touchdown this season.
So who's the NFL MVP in Wood's mind with about a week remaining in the regular season?
"If you're talking Most Valuable Player to a team, it's Josh Allen," Wood said. "This is supposed to be a transition year. You got rid of his top-two receivers from the previous year, and so much has changed, a new offensive coordinator. And then what he's done statistically this year, I think you've got to give it to Josh. What the Ravens have done offensively and Lamar Jackson, he's been super consistent, but the weapons that he has around him and the production that he's had, to me, it's not as valuable, I'll say, as a Josh Allen performance this year."
The Bills and Jets will kick off this Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park at 1 p.m. EST, with Wood joining Chris Brown on the play-by-play call and Sal Capaccio along the sidelines.