Buffalo Bills: Latest power rankings agree on Bills’ place in NFL

This is a recap of where the Buffalo Bills rank in the latest power rankings after Week 13.

This week the Buffalo Bills had their best showing of the season and it just so happened to come on primetime against a good San Francisco 49ers team. While it didn’t give them a bump in some power rankings, the four listed below have the Bills at all the same spot.

ESPN: Buffalo Bills stay at five

Last Week: 5

This week the power rankings on ESPN looked at one player or coach with the most at stake over the final month of the year. Marcel Louis-Jacques named tight end Dawson Knox as that one person on the Bills:

"The Bills’ second-year tight end has underwhelmed in 2020. Part of that is due to injuries and COVID-19, but he hasn’t done much to build on an inspiring rookie season."

Dawson Knox is not a bad choice but for me, if there is one player with the most to prove down the stretch it is cornerback Levi Wallace. He has been with the team one more year than Knox and hasn’t really been able to lock down the starting job.

He has been up and down for most of the season and follows up a promising performance against the Chargers with a lackluster game against the 49ers. If he is able to show some consistency in the final month, he could end up being the starter next season.

NFL.com: Buffalo Bills move up to spots to number 5

Last Week: 7

The Buffalo Bills moved the most on the NFL.com power ranking among the four power rankings listed. They jumped two spots from seven to fifth overall.

"Buffalo looked like a team ready to raise its ceiling on Monday night. Out front was Josh Allen, who played the best game of his pro career in a 34-24 win over the 49ers. Allen carved up Robert Saleh’s defense for 375 yards while becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to complete 80 percent of his passes with four touchdowns in one game."

While the stat line was impressive, the fact that he did it against the 49ers puts it even more in context. 49ers’ defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is one of those coordinators that is likely to get looks for head coaching jobs this offseason because of the job he has done over the past few seasons.

Bleacher Report: Buffalo Bills remain at number five

Last Week: 5

The Buffalo Bills, similar to the power rankings on ESPN, were already fifth and didn’t get a bump with a win over the San Francisco 49ers, remaining at fifth overall.

"If the Bills can down a wounded Pittsburgh Steelers team Sunday in Buffalo, it will go a long way toward legitimizing the team as a threat to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LV.And given how the two teams looked in Week 13, it’s not a stretch to imagine the Bills doing just that."

The performance against the 49ers, combined with a Steelers loss to the Washington Football Team, has opened the discussion of who is the second best team in the AFC. Fortunately, the Buffalo Bills are able to answer that this week as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football.

CBS Sports: Buffalo Bills move up one spot to number five

Last Week: 6

Pete Prisco at CBS Sports had the Buffalo Bills at sixth last week but moved him up one to fifth overall this week.

"Josh Allen is at his best when the team plays fast and loose. He was outstanding against the 49ers. Will they play fast this week against the Steelers?"

I agree with Prisco in the fact that Josh Allen looked relaxed and completely in control from the opening whistle. He drove the offense down the field on their opening drive and even after getting stopped at the one yard line on fourth down, and then seeing the handoff fumbled in his own end zone on the first play they were back on the field, he came back and was nearly perfect.

If Allen can play with this level of confidence, the Buffalo Bills are going to be very tough to beat and absolutely need to be considered when discussing Super Bowl contenders.