The Buffalo Bills are still looking good when it comes to making the playoffs, but what about the division chances?
Where Will The Bills Finish in the AFC?
The Buffalo Bills pulled out a big victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 to move to 7-3 and stay one game behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East. And while the game won't have much impact in terms of tiebreakers, it does keep Buffalo near the top of the standings in terms of best record in the conference.
But what are the Bills' current playoff odds heading into a big game on Thursday night against the Houston Texans? Where are the currently projected to finish, and what are they chances they'll be able to host a playoff game in the final year of the current Highmark Stadium?
Buffalo Bills Playoff Odds
According to the New York Times (NYT) NFL Playoff Simulator, the Bills are projected to finish 11-6 and have a 92% chance of making the playoffs. That's up slightly from the 91% chance they had after losing to Miami in Week 10.
Looking at the AFC East odds, that also went up ever-so-slightly from 14% last week to 15% this week. It would've been better for them had the Patriots somehow lost to the Jets last week, but, for now, New England remains a full game up at 9-2 heading into its game against Cincinnati this week.
For the No. 1 seed in the conference, those odds have fallen to just 7% due to the Patriots and Denver Broncos both winning last week and the Indianapolis Colts also at 8-2. It would take a major comeback to get that first-round bye this year.
Regarding the chances of winning the Super Bowl, Buffalo is tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the third-highest chance in the AFC at 7%. Above them are the Colts at 10% and the Patriots at 12%.
Buffalo Bills Playoff Matchup Possibilities
With the way things are going, it seems almost a certainty that should Buffalo make the playoffs, they'll have to go on the road. Unfortunately, the team is 0-5 under McDermott on the road, meaning they'll have to do something they've not done since 1993 and only three times in franchise history.
Entering Week 12, the Buffalo Bills have a 7-3 record and sit in 5th in the AFC standings. That would put them on the road against the 4th place Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Of course, the Ravens, who started 1-5 on the year, have quickly found themselves a game back of Pittsburgh with two games against them later in the season. In fact, Baltimore currently has an 81% chance to win the AFC North according to the NYT.
Should the Bills not make a comeback to win the AFC East, other possibilities include going to Indianapolis or even meeting with Denver for a second-straight year should New England take the top seed.
Either way, there's a lot that still has to play out over the final seven weeks of the season. The only thing that really matters right now is for Buffalo to take care of their own business.