The last time the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs, they earned their playoff berth in the dramatic fashion. It took a Week 17 victory against the Dolphins coupled with a Baltimore Ravens loss to propel the Bills to a playoff spot.
However, their fate was not solidified that season until the famous last-minute 49-yard touchdown pass on fourth down from Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd to officially quell the Ravens’ playoff hopes.
This year, Buffalo may not have to wait as long to earn their postseason spot. Even so, it will include a familiar participant from the 2017 playoff picture.
Buffalo faces off against the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. In order for the Bills to clinch a playoff berth, they need to take care of their own business at New Era Field. First, Buffalo needs to defeat the Ravens.
That’s only the first step in the process. After that point, things are a bit more complicated.
The Bills will need help from some underdogs to officially be a part of the 2019 postseason as early as Week 14.
Here are the other situations that need to fall into Buffalo’s favor this weekend:
- The Oakland Raiders need to lose or tie against the Tennessee Titans
- The Houston Texans need to lose to the Denver Broncos
- The Indianapolis Colts need to lose or tie versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Now, the number of things that need to occur for Buffalo to clinch this weekend is a bit daunting. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. After all, the Bills weren’t supposed to silence the crown in Dallas and demoralize the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in front of a national audience.
Even if the Bills were to lose this weekend, there is still some good news. The team will still hold a playoff spot after this weekend no matter the outcome of Week 14 action, as the Bills currently have a two-game cushion on the next Wild Card team, currently the 7-5 Pittsburgh Steelers.
But a victory this weekend will further declare that the Bills should be considered among the best in the AFC this season. A win will also keep them within arm’s reach of the AFC East-leading New England Patriots and (dare I say) have a shot at dethroning the six-time champions from the top of the division by the end of the season.
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