Bills playoff picture: Updated playoff berth, AFC East title races

What Buffalo Bills must do for playoff berth, AFC East title, following Week 14.

The Bills lost 24-17 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, but no worries.

A win would have been nice, but the Bills (9-4) still have outrageously good odds at making it to the 2019 postseason.

On Sunday Night Football next week, the nation will once again get a look at the Bills. That crowd could be watching the Bills clinch their second playoff berth in three seasons under head coach Sean McDermott because… that’s it.

If the Bills top the 8-5 Pittsburgh Steelers, they’re in.

But, this upcoming game is the Steelers’ final home game this season. Over the course of their final two regular season games, they’ll play at the Jets and Ravens, respectively, to roundout the year. In a playoff push of their own, Pittsburgh will be motivated to win in the final chance they have to play in front of their own crowd, a crowd they’ve gone 5-2 in front of this season.

It’s a tight race for the AFC playoffs in general thanks to the Bills’ loss to the Ravens, but even if they don’t beat the Steelers, if Buffalo beats either the Patriots or Jets in their final two games, they’re also in.

One win and Buffalo is in the dance.

That’s a straight forward one. How can the Bills still win the AFC East? That’s a little tougher.

AFC East title

The battle for the AFC East is between the Bills and long-time division champ, the Patriots. But there’s a slight hope.

Buffalo has to win out against the Steelers, Patriots and Jets.

If that happens, the Patriots would need to lose at least one of their other final three games, those coming at the Bengals and in New England against the Dolphins in Week 17.

If Buffalo loses to the Steelers, they still have a look at the division, but the Bills have to win their other two games, again, against the Patriots and Jets, while the Pats have to lose to the Dolphins.

Regardless, Buffalo’s Week 16 game in New England will have something attached to it, one way or another, so that’ll certainly make things fun.

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Bills playoff picture: Damien Williams rejoined Chiefs ahead of Mexico trip

Buffalo Bills playoff picture: It appears the Chiefs will have the services of running back Damian Williams against the Chargers on Monday Night Football in Mexico City.

It appears the Chiefs will have the services of running back Damien Williams against the Chargers on Monday Night Football in Mexico City.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Williams, who was listed as questionable coming into Week 11’s final game, made the international journey down south with his teammates.

Williams missed the Chiefs’ practices on Friday and Saturday due to personal reasons. In Week 10 during a Chiefs loss to the Titans, Williams was their starter. Former Bill LeSean McCoy was actually a healthy scratch.

Per Chiefs Wire, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid cited McCoy’s age and workload for the decision to make McCoy inactive. McCoy has also struggled with ball security with KC. Williams had a costly fumble in the Chiefs’ loss to the Titans, too. Other than the fumble, Williams had a productive game, averaging 4.1 yards per carry (77 rush yards) while adding another five catches for 32 yards.

Even Chiefs Wire admits that there’s “no telling” which of those two will be the starting back on Monday Night Football.

The upcoming game against the Chargers on Monday is a big one for the Chiefs and Bills in regards to the AFC playoff picture.

If the playoffs started today, the 7-3 Bills – the first wild-card team – would face the 6-4 Chiefs, who lead the AFC West and hold the fourth seed in the conference.

But the Chiefs have the Raiders right on their backside, who also sit at 6-4.

An added nugget as well: If the Chargers lose this game, their playoff hopes are likely done as well as they enter the game at 4-6.

All three of the aforementioned AFC West squads will be teams the Bills scoreboard watch the rest of the 2019 season. Buffalo has no meetings against any of them down the stretch.

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Bills playoff picture: Texans get two playmakers on offense back

Bills playoff picture 2019, the Houston Texans get Will Fuller, Jordan Thomas back from injury.

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The Texans currently sit in the top spot of the AFC South. But no division is tighter than theirs.

Behind the Texans (6-3), in order, are the Colts (5-4), Titans (5-5) and Jaguars (4-5).

That’s not AFC East with the Jets and Dolphins. Realistically, any of them can rip off a few wins and take the top spot from the Texans, who would then be a in wild card battle with the 6-3 Bills.

Regardless, the AFC South leaders who share the same record as the Bills are getting some reinforcements coming out of their Week 10 bye.

According to Texans Wire, receiver Will Fuller (hamstring) and tight end Jordan Thomas (ribs) returned to practice on Monday.

Fuller was hurt in Week 7 and nearly returned before the Texans’ bye. This season Fuller has 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns.

Thomas is an interesting case. He’s set to play already this week and the Texans have activated him from the injured reserve list. He’s yet to play this season, but Texans Wire called him the preseason “favorite” to be their No. 1 tight end this year. In 2018, Thomas notched four red zone touchdowns while racking up 20 receptions for 215 yards.

In terms of head-to-head meetings, the Bills won’t see the Texans this season, but quarterback Deshaun Watson will have these two playmakers at his disposal moving forward. Houston plays the Ravens in Week 11.

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