Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Do these articles really have to exist? No, but they do now.
Welcome to the "In the Hunt" breakdowns for the Buffalo Bills.
As of right now, according to the New York Times Playoff Machine, Buffalo currently has a 15% chance of making the postseason. Let’s go game by game and see what needs to happen:
Sunday, Dec. 10: Bills at Chiefs - 4:25 p.m. EST
The Bills winning will always be an obvious need.
At the start of the season, this game looked like the usual challenge. Now? The Kansas City Chiefs look legitimately vulnerable. So are the Bills, but this game now levels itself back to even again.
Buffalo’s offense has been buzzing as of late, while Kansas City’s defense has been solid. The Chiefs offense has been an issue more than not, with their receivers becoming a major issue.
Can a depleted Bills defense focus on Travis Kelce enough to make the Chiefs sweat?
Buffalo needs this win. A loss drops them to 11% odds with everything else going right. You don’t want to know how low it gets in the worst-case scenario.
Thursday, Dec. 7: Patriots at Steelers - 8:15 pm. EST
Welp, so much for help.
The New England Patriots have been the better side of hapless ever since upsetting the Bills in Week 7. While it would be nice to mock the Patriots for having the wheels fall off, our fan base can’t really dance on their graves too much, since losing to them is how the Bills are where they are in the first place.
As for this game, it is entirely realistic to expect the opportunistic Steelers defense to outscore New England’s pathetic offense that swaps Mac Jones and “Mac Jones clone” Bailey Zappe under center on a regular basis.
WHAT BUFFALO NEEDS: New Engl- (throws up)
Sunday, Dec. 10: Colts at Bengals - 1 p.m. EST
This game is a slightly-sharp double-edged sword.
If the Indianapolis Colts win, they stay as a Wild Card team. If the Cincinnati Bengals wins, they stay ahead of Buffalo.
It becomes a matter of which team do you trust to start collapsing on themselves.
I think the Colts are that team. Yes, the Bengals lost Joe Burrow for the year and must rely on Jake Browning to get them back in the race. However, the Bengals are a better roster. The Colts, somehow, keep winning games.
Indianapolis will play a pivotal role for many teams in the race in the coming weeks, including their own fate in the division.
WHAT BUFFALO NEEDS: The Bengals. Get a team currently holding a playoff spot out of there.
Sunday, Dec. 10: Jaguars at Browns - 1 p.m. EST
The Cleveland Browns got a bit of luck to match their quarterback injury woes.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has a high ankle sprain, which means he’s likely out against a tough Browns defense. C.J. Beathard will be under center in a game that Bills fans will need a Jaguars win.
While Jacksonville needs to keep pace in the AFC South, it is unlikely, based on a short week that Lawrence will play.
High ankle sprains are tricky, which means any rest that can be afforded for Lawrence should be taken.
Cleveland has been doing just enough all season, as Deshaun Watson hasn’t been a game changer before his season-ending injury. If Cleveland gets replacement-level play from Joe Flacco, their defense is more than capable against a backup quarterback in Beathard.
WHAT BUFFALO NEEDS: Jacksonville. If the Colts overtake the Jaguars for first place, that will lower Buffalo’s odds even further, as another head-to-head loss tiebreaker would emerge to shut the door.
Sunday, Dec. 10: Texans at Jets - 1 p.m. EST
Cool, cheering for another hapless AFC East rival that Buffalo inexplicably lost to.
The Houston Texans currently sit in eighth place in the AFC, but seem like the biggest threat to take one of the Wild Card spots.
Even worse, the New York Jets aren’t sure who is starting under center against the Texans. Is it Zach Wilson? Trevor Siemian? Newly signed Brett Rypien? Aaron Rodgers on one leg? The ghost of Chad Pennington?
Maybe this wasn’t the week to write this article. It’s making me sad.
WHAT BUFFALO NEEDS: The Jets. At least Tim Boyle isn’t playing?
Sunday, Dec. 10: Broncos at Chargers - 4:25 p.m. EST
Finally, a game where there might be hope. (*gets instructions over headset*) Wait, Los Angeles as in the Chargers? ****.
If the Bills have been masters of heartbreak this season, the Chargers are the kings of it. Nonetheless, Buffalo needs the help of Los Angeles here to get the Denver Broncos to stumble.
Somehow, the Broncos are in the race (and ahead of Buffalo thanks to a certain number of players on the field). Denver rode a five-game winning streak to get ahead of Buffalo and into the Wild Card race.
Denver is inconsistent, while the Chargers find new and inventive ways to lose football games. However, this is also a divisional matchup, so throw all logic out of the window.
WHAT BUFFALO NEEDS: The Chargers. Time to really see which team is more frustrating to watch.
Monday, Dec. 11: Titans at Dolphins - 8:15 p.m. EST
Somehow, this game matters.
Buffalo’s playoff odds can increase 4-5% with a Tennessee Titans win. That said, the Miami Dolphins have steamrolled bad teams this year. Don’t expect this one to be any different.
While Miami has fed on losing teams all season, the Dolphins have done what Buffalo hasn’t this year: Beat teams they are supposed to. While a Dolphins slip up would be nice, don’t expect much here.
This is what I get for being such a hater of the Titans. Tennessee has four games left against AFC teams, and can tell the story of the fate of the Texans and, to an extent, the Bills.
We need to rely on the ham sandwich of the NFL to help tell the playoff story.
WHAT BUFFALO NEEDS: Tennessee. Chances are slim and yield a small boost, but the Bills put themselves here where every point matters.
In a perfect world and everything goes in Buffalo’s favor, their playoff odds rocket back to 45%. In the worst scenario, they fall to 2%.
While stranger things have happened, Bills fans need the likes of the Patriots, Jets and Titans to win make this almost dirty. Almost.
