Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Bills are, once again, champions of the AFC East for a fifth-straight season after dominating the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, 35-10, in the snow at Highmark Stadium.
With their win this past Sunday, the Bills became the first team to clinch a division this early in the season since the 2009 Indianapolis Colts clinched the AFC South.
The Bills returned from their bye week healthier, thanks to the return of veteran linebacker Matt Milano, who hasn't played since Week 5 in the 2023 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
One issue that both teams had to contend with on Sunday night was the weather, as the lake effect snow machine kicked into gear at Highmark Stadium. The snow continued to fall during the duration of the game, making conditions on the field a bit treacherous for the players.
Despite going three-and-out on the opening drive of the game, the Bills were able to take over the game by finding the end zone over the next three drives. This included an exhilarating 65-yard touchdown run from James Cook, as well as a 97-yard drive right before halftime to give the Bills a 21-3 lead.
To start the second half, the 49ers were inside the Bills' five-yard line, looking to find any way of getting back into the contest. However, Bills safety Taylor Rapp forced a fumble of fullback Kyle Juszczyk at the one-yard line, keeping the 49ers out of the end zone and swinging all momentum back in Buffalo's favor.
A little later in the third quarter, the biggest play of the game came when Bills quarterback Josh Allen tossed a short pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper close to the goal line. With Cooper bottled up, he decided to lateral back to Allen, who then took the football to the pylon for one of the staple plays of the NFL season.
In the win, Allen not only set the franchise record for most total touchdowns in Bills history, passing Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly, but he also became the first quarterback in NFL history to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the game game.
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With the division now wrapped up, there is still a battle for the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoff picture. As the Bills contend with the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, they will take their next two games on the road against NFC opponents.
Up first is a matchup with the the Los Angeles Rams this coming Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.
While the Rams' 2024 season started off a bit slower, thanks to some key injuries on both sides of the football, they have bounced back to now sit at 6-6 in the standings, and remain in contention for the NFC West.
If the Rams are to remain in the race for the division this coming Sunday, they may be ready to play a more desperate game against the Bills on home field.
Howard Simon is feeling quite relaxed heading into the final stretch of the 2024 season.
In his Week 14 edition of "Howard Picks the Bills", Howard not only has the Bills beating the Rams to secure an eighth-straight victory this season, he also has Buffalo earning a 14-3 record, with the only blemish on the remaining schedule coming from the Detroit Lions in Week 15.
This is also the first edition of "Howard Picks the Bills" where Howard is picking the Bills in the postseason.
Based on his picks and how the Chiefs finish out the 2024 season, Howard has the Bills finishing as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, earning themselves a first-round bye.
Starting in the AFC Divisional Round, Howard picks the Bills to earn a victory against rookie standout quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos, earning Buffalo a trip to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2020.
However, this game will not see a rematch of the Bills and Chiefs, rather Buffalo would be taking on Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers. No matter the opponent, though, Howard is more than confident in the Bills, picking them to beat the Steelers and make the trip to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX against the Lions.
With revenge on their minds from their Week 15 loss, Howard believes the Bills will be able to top their Rust Belt foes in order to win the franchise's first Super Bowl!
Be sure to follow along on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the latest picks from Howard by using the hashtag #HowardPicksTheBills. You can also track all of Howard's picks throughout the season with Brayton Wilson's picks tracker on X: @BraytonJWilson.
You can listen to, as well as watch the latest edition of "Howard Picks the Bills" below: