That was a pretty good weekend for the Bills, even if the path to the win still felt a little murky. Buffalo got the result it needed, Kansas City took a loss, and for one night at least, Patrick Mahomes was the one left staring at the clock when it hit zero.
The only thing that would have made Week 8 cleaner would have been a Patriots loss. But New England held up its end, and that’s the one result Buffalo couldn’t quite get. Still, when the dust settled Sunday night, the Bills were alone at the top of the AFC, and that’s exactly where they want to stay.
So with Buffalo heading to Minnesota on Monday night, there’s plenty to watch around the league before the Bills kick off. Here’s the board for Bills Mafia.
Buffalo’s own game is simple enough: root for the Bills over the Vikings. A win in Minnesota would keep Buffalo in control of its own road to the No. 1 seed, no matter what the rest of the conference does on Sunday.
The Patriots are the biggest concern in the AFC East, and they’re the only team to beat Buffalo so far. Green Bay can help by handing New England a loss, which would give the Bills a little more room at the top of the division before the teams meet again in Week 13.
Miami is buried at the bottom of the division with just one win, so there’s no reason to help the Dolphins climb. That means pulling for Detroit over the Dolphins and keeping another AFC East rival down where it is.
The Chiefs are still lurking near the top of the AFC, which makes the Jets one of those rare teams Bills fans can actually get behind for a day. A New York win would help Buffalo’s hold on the conference lead, and the Jets are far enough back that it’s a tolerable tradeoff.
Just this once. J-E-T-S!
JETS! JETS!
JETS!
Elsewhere in the AFC, Buffalo has plenty of reasons to hope for the right outcomes. Jacksonville is too close for comfort in the standings, so the Ravens are the pick there. That game also gives Buffalo a boost in strength of victory after the Bills just beat Baltimore.
Cincinnati at Atlanta is another easy one. The Bengals are sitting at 5-2, and Atlanta can help by sending them to a third loss.
Denver is right behind Buffalo in the AFC standings, so the Panthers are the team to back there. Yes, that comes with a hit to Buffalo’s strength of schedule, but with the Bills and Broncos set to meet on Christmas Day, a Broncos loss in November works just fine.
Indianapolis may not matter in the AFC race right now, but the Colts can still do Buffalo a favor by beating Dallas. The reason has nothing to do with the standings and everything to do with the Jets, who own Indianapolis’ 2027 first-round pick. The more the Colts win, the worse that pick becomes.
Cleveland at New Orleans also matters because of the standings. The Browns are close enough to the top of the AFC that Buffalo would rather see them lose again, and the Saints are the team asked to handle that job.
And then there’s Houston at the Chargers. Buffalo needs Los Angeles to finally win a game, because the last thing anyone wants is for that 0-7 start to turn into the first overall pick in next year’s draft.
In the NFC, the Rams are the preferred side over Washington because of strength of victory, while Chicago is the choice over Tampa Bay because of strength of schedule.
The rest of the byes don’t move the needle for Buffalo.
For now, being on top of the AFC is a good problem to have. The Bills just have to keep glancing over their shoulder, watching the Patriots, the Chiefs, and yes, even the Jets, while waiting for their own turn on Monday night.
In Other News...
Bills Face Growing Tackle Concern Ahead Of Monday Night
The Bills injury report brought a little good news on the second day of practice, with Ty Johnson back on the field and Dalton Kincaid upgraded to full participation. But the bigger concern remains up front, where Dion Dawkins and Alec Anderson are still sidelined and Spencer Brown is working in a limited capacity as Buffalo prepares for Monday night.
For a team trying to keep its offense steady in a prime-time matchup, the tackle situation is the one to watch most closely. The Bills have some movement elsewhere on the report, but the status of their edge protection will loom largest as the week goes on, especially with Minnesota also dealing with a notable injury update of its own. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen And Bills Line Face A Brutal Test In Minnesota
Spencer Brown knows the Bills are walking into one of the leagues toughest defensive environments in Minnesota, where Brian Flores has built a pressure-heavy scheme that forces quarterbacks to process quickly and the offensive line to hold up under constant stress. The Vikings have the NFLs top scoring defense, and their aggressive blitz approach makes this a particularly sharp test for Buffalos protection plan and for Josh Allens ability to stay composed when plays break down around him.
For the Bills, the challenge is not just identifying where the rush is coming from, but surviving long enough to let Allen do what he does best when structure starts to disappear. His mobility gives Buffalo a possible answer to the Vikings pressure, and Browns comments made clear that the line knows how demanding the assignment will be, even before the first snap is taken. [Read more 🡒]
Dalton Kincaid Still Leaves Bills Fans Waiting On One Week 9 Answer
Dalton Kincaid gave the Bills a much better look on Friday, turning in a full practice after being limited earlier in the week. For Buffalo, that is the kind of late-week progress that usually matters most at tight end, especially when the offense is trying to keep its options open heading into Week 9.
The final injury report still leaves a little room for caution, but Kincaids workload trend points in the right direction. Around the league, Jake Ferguson is dealing with a low-ankle sprain in Dallas and Hunter Henry remains in question for New England with a foot injury, a reminder that the tight end spot can swing quickly from day to day. For the Bills, the only thing left now is the last bit of confirmation. [Read more 🡒]