The Bills didn’t take a snap in Week 7, and somehow they still came out of it looking like one of the biggest winners in the AFC.
That’s the kind of bye week Buffalo just had. The Patriots stumbled, the standings tightened in the Bills’ favor, and now Buffalo has a real opening to keep climbing.
The Bills sit a game-and-a-half ahead of New England in the AFC East, with a chance to stretch that edge to two depending on how things break this week. They’re also only one Patrick Mahomes interception away from grabbing the AFC’s top seed.
Right now, Buffalo and Kansas City both sit at 5-1, but the Chiefs own the tiebreaker. Buffalo’s lone loss came against an AFC team, while Kansas City’s came against an NFC opponent, which gives the Chiefs the better conference record.
That settles nothing for the long term, though. The two teams will meet on Thanksgiving, and that’s where Buffalo gets its cleanest shot to sort things out for itself.
Until then, there’s plenty worth watching in Week 8. A few results could make Buffalo’s path a whole lot smoother.
First up, the Bills obviously need to take care of business against Baltimore. The Ravens are coming off that ugly loss to Cincinnati, but that doesn’t exactly make Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry less threatening.
If anything, they come in with a little extra edge. For Buffalo, this game is about more than just a win.
It’s a chance to strengthen its grip on the AFC East, improve its conference record, and maybe even move into first place in the AFC if Denver takes care of Kansas City.
Buffalo also has a very straightforward reason to pull for Miami. It feels odd, sure, but the Patriots visiting the Dolphins is one of those spots where the Bills can quietly gain ground.
New England’s loss to Chicago last week already gave Buffalo some breathing room, and another Patriots defeat would widen that gap even more. Miami hasn’t done much to inspire anyone this season, but the Dolphins did beat the Jets last week, and asking them to beat another division rival is not exactly outrageous.
A New England loss helps Buffalo a lot more than it helps Miami.
The Jets can also do Buffalo a small favor by losing to Las Vegas. Neither team is really threatening the AFC field right now, so this one is more about the details.
Buffalo already beat the Raiders, so another Las Vegas win would help the Bills a bit in strength of victory. And, yes, the Jets are still the Jets and still in the AFC East, which is reason enough to root against them every time they take the field.
There’s also a cluster of other AFC games Buffalo should be watching closely. Tennessee over Cincinnati would knock the Bengals back a step without creating any extra trouble for the Bills.
Indianapolis beating Jacksonville would be useful too, since the Jaguars are sitting in the AFC’s No. 4 seed and Buffalo would rather not see them get comfortable there. Cleveland against Pittsburgh is another one where the Bills should lean toward the Steelers; the Browns are in the No. 3 spot, and a Steelers win would keep the AFC North crowded and tight.
The Chargers don’t matter much in the AFC race at 0-6, but their game against the Rams still has a Buffalo angle. The Bills already have a win over Los Angeles, so a Rams victory would help in strength of victory. No harm in taking that boost if it’s there.
And then there’s the one that matters most.
Kansas City at Denver is the game Buffalo really wants to go its way. The Chiefs are the only team standing in the Bills’ way at the top of the AFC, and the Broncos have a shot to do something about it.
Yes, Denver is 5-2, so a win would make them a little more annoying in the playoff picture down the line. But that’s a future problem.
A Chiefs loss, paired with a Bills win, would put Buffalo in the best possible position for the conference’s top seed. If the Broncos can make Patrick Mahomes miserable for an afternoon, Buffalo will take it.
In the NFC, Buffalo has two more rooting interests worth noting. The Lions over the Vikings would help the Bills in strength of victory, since Buffalo already beat Detroit. And Chicago over Seattle would help with strength of schedule, with a chance for strength of victory later in the season.
A few games don’t move the needle for Buffalo at all: Falcons-Buccaneers, Cardinals-Cowboys, and Eagles-Commanders.
As for the bye list, Houston, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco all sit out this week.
Week 7 gave Buffalo almost everything it could have asked for. Week 8 offers another chance to cash in on it.
Of course, that means leaning on the Broncos to beat Mahomes, the Dolphins to beat the Patriots, and the Titans to win a football game. Nobody said rooting interests had to be realistic.
In Other News...
James Cook Faces A Huge Bills Test Against Baltimore
Buffalos ground game has been one of the biggest reasons the offense has stayed on schedule, with James Cook carrying the load and giving the Bills a steady threat between the tackles and on the edges. He has piled up 627 rushing yards and six touchdowns, production that has helped make the run game a real part of Buffalos identity rather than just a changeup.
The next test is a serious one, though, because Baltimore brings a top-10 run defense into the matchup and will force the Bills to prove their rushing attack can travel against a sturdier front. For Buffalo, that puts extra weight on Cooks role, especially with offensive coordinator Joe Brady already zeroing in on ball security as a point of emphasis. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Could Be Headed For A Maxx Crosby Deadline Debate
The trade deadline chatter around Maxx Crosby is starting to feel like the kind of conversation that could follow the Bills right up to Nov. 10. Buffalo has been mentioned alongside the Lions and Cowboys as a possible landing spot for the Raiders edge rusher, a reminder that teams looking to sharpen their defenses are keeping a close eye on the market for difference-makers, especially with the price of star defenders climbing into the multiple first-round-pick range.
For the Bills, the appeal is obvious even without the full mechanics of a deal coming into view. Crosby would fit the profile of a player who can change the tone of a defense in a hurry, and Buffalo is the sort of contender that has to at least weigh whether a swing of that size is worth it. The bigger question is whether the market gets even more complicated from here, because once a player of Crosbys stature starts drawing this much attention, the deadline can turn into a bidding war fast. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Head Into Ravens Game With Key Roles Still In Doubt
The Bills are heading into their matchup with the Ravens with a handful of important roles still unsettled after the final practice of the week. Joe Brady confirmed six players are listed as questionable, including DJ Moore and Dalton Kincaid, while the team has not officially ruled anyone out as it prepares for one of its biggest tests of the early season.
Greg Gaines was added to the injury report late after tweaking his lower body during Friday practice, adding another layer of uncertainty to Buffalos depth chart. On the back end, Damar Hamlin is set to start at safety with C.J. Gardner-Johnson serving a suspension, giving the Bills at least one clear answer as they sort through the rest of the roster before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]