Bills Central

Major update to Bills playoff opponent after Broncos loss

The Buffalo Bills playoff opponent took a turn after the recent results of the Broncos vs Bengals game, leading to a wild week 18 NFL finish.

Kevin Massare

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals / AP Photo/Seth Wenig
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After the Cincinnati Bengals' thrilling overtime victory over the Denver Broncos, the AFC number 7 seed is still wide open. According to Playoff Status, the Bills have a 61% chance to still play the Denver Broncos.

Although most people still think the Bengals are the next likeliest team to play the Bills, they only have a 6% probability of making the playoffs. The Colts (22%) and the Dolphins (11%) all have a higher probability. The Colts' odds jumped the most after the game, going from 11% to 22%. They have a soft schedule and would control their destiny if the Broncos lose again.

The Bengals still need to beat a Pittsburgh team at home who will be playing for the division. They will also need the Broncos, Colts, and Dolphins to lose another game.

ESPN's probabilities are also very similar. They have the Broncos at 75%, Colts at 16%, Dolphins at 10%, and the Bengals at 7%.

The Broncos loss does add some excitement to the finish of the AFC playoff race, but the Broncos will have the first chance to clinch at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, who will most likely be resting their starters without anything on the line.

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Kevin Massare
KEVIN MASSARE

Kevin has spent over a decade covering, writing, and podcasting about the Bills. He has experience working with multiple networks and has a deep-rooted history within the Bills community. His opinion-based commentary is accompanied by a data and analytics-based approach. You can commonly find him talking about playoff scenarios and playoff seeding projections.