Tag: NFL Playoffs

49ers have chance to play spoiler vs. Cardinals

The San Francisco 49ers can’t make the playoffs, but they have a chance to play spoiler vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers’ chase for the 2020 postseason is over, but they can still have an impact on the playoff picture starting in Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Arizona is 8-6 and sits with the No. 7 seed going into the penultimate week of the 2020 season. They’re one game ahead of the No. 6 seed Bears at 7-7. That means with just two games remaining, the Cardinals clinch a playoff berth with a Week 16 win and a Chicago loss.

San Francisco can’t eliminate the Cardinals from the postseason, but they can delay their entry into the tournament. While the motivation of a playoff berth may have subsided following the 49ers’ elimination, the chance to keep division rivals out is the next best thing.

They could have a chance to play spoiler in consecutive weeks as well if the Rams knock off the Seahawks to keep Seattle from clinching the NFC West title, so the 49ers should get used to that role.

 

Bills propose plan to host 6,700 fans at home playoff game

Latest updates from Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Buffalo Bills hosting fans for a playoff game.

The Buffalo Bills have submitted a plan to New York State in regard to allowing fans at their stadium for a game in a few weeks.

According to multiple reports, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday that there is a proposal on the table, submitted by the team, which would allow 6,700 to attend an upcoming game at Bills Stadium.

That contest would be the team’s first home playoff game since 1996. The Bills (11-3) recently clinched the AFC East title which comes with hosting at least one postseason game.

Fans that potentially would enter the stadium for that contest must abide by certain protocols, though. Fans would be required to have a negative test result for COVID-19 beforehand and contact tracing of fans would be conducted:

This latest update does not mean the Bills will have fans, but it appears to be a step in the direction of doing so. The Bills, who were sending out customized cell phone wallpapers to fans at the time of Cuomo’s briefing, have yet to release a comment.

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Bills move into No. 2 seed in AFC after Steelers loss

Buffalo Bills are currently No. 2 seed in AFC after Steelers loss to Bengals on Monday Night Football Week 15.

A big week got even bigger for the Buffalo Bills in the late hours of Monday evening.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost nothing short of a shocker on Monday Night Football to round out Week 15’s festivities in the NFL. The two-win Cincinnati Bengals, now the three-win Bengals, beat the Steelers 27-17.

Pittsburgh simply could not overcome a slow start in this one. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger only had seven yards passing in the first half.

The Steelers entered the game as 14.5 favorites in some sportsbooks, but still lost in Cincy.

After starting the year with 11-straight wins, Pittsburgh’s third loss of the year and in a row puts them in a tie with the Bills at 11-3 overall in the AFC playoff picture. But with the loss, the Bills move up from the third to second-seed in the playoff picture because of the head-to-head tiebreak Buffalo has on the Steelers. Buffalo topped the the Steelers, 26-15, on Dec. 13.

The loss to the Bengals is certainly the most alarming loss in the third-game losing skid for Pittsburgh, with the first two coming against Washington and Buffalo, respectively. The Football Team is, at minimal, in the fight to win the NFC East still. The Bengals were already looking toward the 2021 NFL Draft.

Heading into Week 16, the Bills can now clinch the No. 2 seed in the AFC postseason. To do so, Buffalo must beat the New England Patriots on next week’s Monday Night Football contest while the Steelers must lose to the Indianapolis Colts at home. Winning out would also do the trick for the Bills.

The Steelers’ loss is the cherry on top for perhaps the best weekend in Bills recent Bills history. Buffalo won their first AFC East title since 1995, while the New England Patriots were also knocked out of the playoffs this past weekend which… just feels nice.

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49ers officially eliminated from postseason

The San Francisco 49ers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs with their loss to the Dallas Cowboys and an Arizona Cardinals win.

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The San Francisco 49ers on Sunday still had a mathematical chance to make the playoffs after they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 41-33 at AT&T Stadium. That mathematical chance evaporated when the Arizona Cardinals snuck past the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona for their eighth win of the year.

Eight was the magic number for the 49ers, but their loss to Dallas dropped them to 5-9 for the year and made reaching Arizona’s eight wins for the No. 7 seed a mathematical impossibility.

San Francisco has realistically been out of the hunt for awhile with their injuries mounting and recovery times pushing past their open 2020 playoff window. They needed three victories in a row and some help to make the playoffs. Losing to Buffalo in Week 13 pushed them to the outside of the playoff picture. Falling to Washington in Week 14 made the picture even fuzzier. Week 15’s loss to Dallas blacked out the picture entirely.

Now all eyes go to the draft where the 49ers’ wins and losses will have more of an impact with their 2020 season now effectively over with two games to go.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo updates fans potentially attending playoffs at Bills Stadium

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on fans potentially being allowed at Buffalo Bills playoff games.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo provided his latest thoughts on fans attending games at Bills Stadium in 2020 on Friday.

With only one game left in Orchard Park during the regular season, most are actually looking toward 2021. However, not the 2021 season, the upcoming NFL postseason with this season’s playoffs on the horizon which will begin after the new year.

According to Cuomo, it’s not out of the question that the Bills could have some fans in their venue whenever and whomever comes to town in January. With Buffalo more-than-likely winning the AFC East this season, a home playoff game is in the cards.

However, it’s still not up to Cuomo, it’s up to the science. Cuomo said Dr. Howard Zucker, the Commissioner of Health for New York State will play a big part in the decision.

“We are still looking at it. After we had that [previous] conversation the infection rate went wild in Western New York. The infection rate is now coming down,” Cuomo said. “I’m going to be curious to see where we are when the Bills are in the playoff. Where we are that first week in January.”

Some teams around the NFL have allowed fans, as Cuomo had mentioned on Friday as well. However, some, such as Buffalo’s upcoming opponent, the Denver Broncos, did allow fans to attend games earlier this season. But due to an increase in COVID-19 infection rate, stopped doing so.

The Broncos had no fans Week 1, then Denver had fans at home in Week 2, 7, 8, 11, and now won’t for Weeks 12, 15 and 17.

Another example is the Barclay’s Premier League, the highest division of soccer in England. The EPL recently rolled out a tier-based plan to allow fans back in. The first allowed for 2,000 fans to attend games.

However, after only letting fans back in about two weeks ago, teams playing in London are no longer allowed to have them again because their infection rates in the area quickly jumped back up above the threshold for COVID-19 infection rate. Like the Broncos, those teams reverted back to no fans.

It appears that finding a happy medium in terms of allowing fans in the stands is a tough situation all around the globe… unless you’re Florida.

At minimum, it doesn’t sound like fans are off the table for Bills Mafia in the coming weeks. Folks will have to just do what Sean McDermott would suggest… their due diligence, and potentially do their best to stop the spread of the virus so folks can attend their protentional upcoming home playoff game.

“It depends on where you are on that infection rate and where you are on that hospital capacity. I would love nothing more – on a personal level – to see Buffalonians enjoy this moment,” Cuomo said.

For what it’s worth as well, places like Denver which did allow fans did not let fans tailgate prior to kickoff.

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Throwback Thursday: Bills won last AFC East title on this day

Buffalo Bills last won AFC East title in 1995 on this day.

The AFC East title is on every mind around western New York in recent days. Much of that has to do with Week 15 of the NFL’s current season.

The Bills (10-3) lead the division right now heading to their upcoming matchup with the Denver Broncos (5-8) on Saturday. They can secure that crown with a win in just two days time.

Also, here’s just something about this date as well.

The thought of the Bills’ upcoming game could give one an anxious feeling because it’s been a long time since the team won the AFC East. In fact, the Indianapolis Colts, no longer in the division, more recently won it (1999).

But in terms of Buffalo, when did their late AFC East title win happen? It was 25 years ago from Thursday:

This win occurred December 17, 1995. That date saw Buffalo beat the Miami Dolphins in Orchard Park, 23-20. While quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas were still guiding the ship that year, this Week 16 meeting in ’95 was highlighted by the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Steve Christie. The kicker booted three field goals in the contest, including a final one in the middle of the fourth quarter for the win.

While 2020’s Bills will hope for a similar outcome, the team can still win the AFC East and lock up a playoff berth with a loss and some help around the NFL this weekend. Here’s a rundown of their current playoff scenarios heading into Week 15:

How the Bills can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15

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8 storylines to watch for during Bills at Broncos

Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos storylines to watch in Week 15.

It’s Wednesday so the Buffalo Bills are now turning their attention to their next opponent. After a primetime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills will head back out west one more time to face the Denver Broncos (5-8) at Mile High, again on primetime, of sorts. The game was flexed to a Saturday kickoff.

With that, here are eight storylines to follow this week as the Bills (10-3) are set to face the Broncos in Week 15:

How the Bills can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15

Buffalo Bills playoff scenarios heading into Week 15.

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Now that the dust has settled in the NFL following a ridiculous back-and-forth Monday Night Football game between the Browns and Ravens to end Week 14, we now know the entirety of what needs to happen for the Bills to advance to the 2020 postseason.

Entering Monday, the Bills would’ve locked up a playoff berth if the Browns won. Alas, the Ravens did. But after that, here’s how things look.

It’s a short list.

Win.

If the Bills (10-3) beat the Broncos (5-8) on the road on Saturday in Week 15, they’re not only in, the AFC East title would be locked up, too. But even if the Broncos pull off the upset, the Bills can still get their first division title since 1995.

It’ll come via the Patriots, too.

If the Bills lose, they can win the AFC East if:

  • The Patriots (6-7) beat the Dolphins (8-5) on the road

The Patriots cannot win the AFC East, but must win out to have a shot at a Wild Card spot.

In the same scenario with a Bills loss, a playoff berth again can be clinched if:

  • The Ravens (8-5) lose this week against the Jaguars (1-12)

In terms of other rooting interests, the Bills can move up the conference standings with:

  • A win and Steelers (11-2) loss to the Bengals (3-8-1)

To find a way to first, the Chiefs (12-1) need to lose two more games in their final three while the Bills must win out. The Chiefs visit the Saints in Week 15.

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