Even though the Buffalo Bills weren’t able to pull off the comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team should be encouraged by their showing against the reigning champions. Yes, you play to win the game, and the way in which Buffalo lost was absolutely heartbreaking. That said, this game showed that the Bills are legit and can go blow for blow with the best the NFL has to offer and should be hard to take down once the playoffs start.
Needless to say, this all assumes that Josh Allen is healthy. The quarterback left the game in a walking boot, but said that he doesn’t think he suffered a major injury. If this injury turns out to be a big deal, the season is over. However, seeing as the severity of the injury is not yet known, let’s assume the former first-round pick is telling the truth.
Josh Allen in a walking boot. Says he doesn’t know how serious but he finished game so doesn’t think it’s big deal. pic.twitter.com/7vsT6PQx9r
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) December 13, 2021
Buffalo Bills Prove Themselves Legit Contenders Against Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the 2014 season, the New England Patriots famously got slaughtered on national TV by the Kansas City Chiefs. However, following the game, Bill Belichick said he felt good about the direction of the team. During the Do Your Job special, the head coach said that the team’s high effort during the blowout showed him that he had the right group of players in the locker room. The Patriots, of course, would use this game as a springboard to win 13 of their next 15 games while ending a decade-long title drought.
Suffice to say, this could be Buffalo’s version of the Chiefs game. At halftime, the Bills faced a seemingly insurmountable 24-3 deficit against the presumptive MVP and the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, despite the long odds, the Bills kept fighting. Josh Allen played one of the best halves of football in his career, sending the game to overtime thanks to his heroic effort. In fact, this game could have easily resulted in a victory had the Bills had a few calls go their way.
This looks like the definition of pass interference. https://t.co/ScwHdOVVpw
— National Football Post (@FootballPost) December 13, 2021
Most 7-6 teams are not legit contenders, but the Buffalo Bills are not most 7-6 teams. Despite the relatively pedestrian record, this team has the heart and talent to make a run for the Super Bowl. You could also make the argument that they are much better than their record indicates, as the loss to Tampa Bay officially makes them 0-5 in one-score games. Winning these close games has more to do with luck than skill, so some positive regression should be coming their way.
The Path to the AFC East Crown
Unfortunately, it appears as though it’s too late for the Bills to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Patriots, Ravens, Titans, and Chiefs all have better records, while the Browns, Bengals, and Colts all share the same 7-6 record. The odds of the Bills leapfrogging every single one of those teams is slim to none, but they can still win the division with a bit of help.
[pickup_prop id=”16946″]
It goes without saying that the easiest path to playoff success is through Buffalo, and the Bills still have a decent shot at the division. First and foremost, they’ll need to take down New England in Week 16. The Bills came close to pulling off the victory last time, and their odds should increase when not playing in a monsoon. After all, the Bills have the better passing attack and should be able to move the ball better in the rematch.
Unfortunately, winning that game alone won’t earn them the division crown. The Patriots have a two-game lead on the Bills, which means that New England will need to lose another game in order for the Bills to win the division. Right now, the team with the best odds of beating the Patriots appears to be the Indianapolis Colts. Next Sunday, New England will travel to Indianapolis, and Bills fans will be rooting hard for the hometown team. If the Patriots beat the Colts, then the Bills would need either the Jaguars or Dolphins to pull off a massive upset.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
