Huge strides Bills must take to reach Play…..

Here are the five most likely scenarios to get the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs by the end of Week 17.

The Buffalo Bills have had an incredible turnaround in the 2023 NFL season. After trailing 6-6 and seemingly out of contention, they have won their last three games to move to 9-6 and have a legitimate chance of making the postseason.

Buffalo win plus PIT loss or tie + CIN loss or tie

The Buffalo Bills will play the New England Patriots in Week 17, and since they are 12-point favorites, you would think Buffalo is probably going to win that game. In order to complete this first scenario, two more events must occur: the Pittsburgh Steelers must lose to the Seattle Seahawks, and the Cincinnati Bengals must lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, we will see these two teams in all of the following scenarios as well.

PIT loss or tie plus JAX loss or tie plus BUF win
The second scenario addresses two of the previously discussed outcomes. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss in this scenario is the one thing that makes it different. This might not be realistic to expect given they have a home game in Week 17 against the dismal 2-13 Carolina Panthers.

This particular scenario entails more events for the Bills: in addition to a win by Buffalo and a loss by Pittsburgh, they also need the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts to lose. Is this realistic to expect? The Texans play the Tennessee Titans in Week 17, and they also have a good chance of having their rookie sensation, C.J. Stroud, return from a concussion. The Colts host the Raiders, who are coming off of two significant AFC West division victories.

BUF triumph + CIN defeat or tie + JAX defeat or tie
Here’s another scenario that resembles the second one that was previously described. This one differs simply in that the Bengals are featured instead of the Steelers. If this is the scenario that takes the Bills to the playoffs, it would be shocking given how the Chiefs have been performing lately and who the Jaguars are facing.

BUF win + CIN loss or tie + HOU loss or tie + IND loss or tie Lastly, we are essentially substituting the Bengals for the Steelers in the third scenario. Given the Jaguars’ opponent this week, this scenario might be easier to execute than the fourth, but it still adds a layer of complexity to a playoff scenario that is already challenging to execute.