Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Even though the margin was much closer than expected, the Buffalo Bills left SoFi Stadium on Saturday night with another much-needed win over the Los Angeles Chargers to further push towards the playoffs.
Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis returned to form against the Chargers, recording 130 yards on four catches and a 57-yard touchdown reception.
The Chargers' offense, led by back up quarterback Easton Stick, was surprisingly potent against a strong Bills defense, as he recorded 215 total yards and a rushing score.
However, the Buffalo defense came through in the end though, solidifying the victory thanks, in part, to defensive tackle Ed Oliver sacking Stick on one of the last plays of the game.
The Bills' path to the playoffs got a lot easier with their win over the Chargers, along with some help around the NFL. Buffalo extended its win streak to three games, and are now 9-6 and currently in sole possession of the sixth spot in the AFC standings.
According to the New York Times Playoff Machine, the Bills currently have an 89% chance to make the playoffs. With a win on Sunday over the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium, plus a couple of different outcomes league-wide, Buffalo could clinch a playoff berth before its big Week 18 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
Despite the Dolphins defeating the Dallas Cowboys, there is still a route for the Bills to win the AFC East for a fourth-straight season. If the Dolphins lose to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and the Bills win-out, Buffalo would beat Miami based on their head-to-head matchups.
Despite the closeness of Buffalo's win over the Chargers this past Saturday, Howard Simon's confidence in the Bills did not waver.
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Howard is still very high on Buffalo being able to not only win-out and win the division again, but also being able to go on a run in the AFC Playoffs.
After finishing 11-6 and winning the AFC East, Howard has the Bills hosting, and beating the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Wild Card round as the No. 2 seed in the conference.
From there, Buffalo would get another home playoff game against Joe Flacco and the surging Cleveland Browns in the AFC Divisional Round, which Howard feels will result in another Bills victory.
However, the magic ends just short of an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII, as Howard fails to see the Bills get past the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game in Baltimore.
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 and watch the latest edition of "Howard Picks the Bills" available below:
