AFC Playoff Picture: Where Do Buffalo Bills Stand After Week 13 Bye?

The Buffalo Bills are just one game back of a playoff spot in the AFC.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 4, 2023

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The Buffalo Bills sat comfortably at home on Sunday while most of the NFL toughed it out in games that could very well decide how the playoff picture shapes up.

While the Bills' 6-6 start wasn't ideally what they had hoped for, Buffalo is still eyeing a playoff spot in one of the most crowded fields we've seen in recent memory.

After the Miami Dolphins won their ninth game of the year, the Bills now sit three games back in the AFC East with five games to go. While not impossible, the Bills face long odds to win the division and will likely have to set their sights on one of the conference's three Wild Card slots.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen / © Bill Streicher, USA TODAY

After the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns lost to NFC West opponents on Sunday, they now sit at 7-5, leading the way in the Wild Card race.

The Indianapolis Colts, who won their fourth straight game by beating the Tennessee Titans, also sit at 7-5 and are in the playoff picture.

The Houston Texans, who lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, pulled out a big last-minute win against the Denver Broncos, who came into the game with the league's longest streak at five games. They are also 7-5, but sit in 8th place.

The Broncos, who are now 6-6, are in 9th and are just ahead of the Bills by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Bills sit in 10th, but could fall to 11th if the Cincinnati Bengals improve to 6-6 with a win tonight on the road against the Jaguars.

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In order to jump a game on the other Wild Card hopefuls, the Bills will likely have to finish with at least three, but probably four wins in their last five games.

With the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots and Dolphins on the schedule, the margin of error for the Bills is razor thin and every game from here on out becomes a "must-win."

Published Dec 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.