Buffalo Bills: Not much movement in the latest round of power rankings
This is a recap of where the Buffalo Bills sit in some power rankings ahead of Week 16.
The Buffalo Bills are clicking at just the right time with four straight wins and winning seven of their last eight games. Their latest win on Saturday over the Denver Broncos was enough to clinch the AFC East for the first time in 25 years.
This is where the Buffalo Bills are ranked in the latest round of power rankings before Week 16.
ESPN: Buffalo Bills move up one spot
Last Week: 2
This week, ESPN looked at the most underrated player on each team and Marcel Louis-Jacques picked Cole Beasley.
"While most of the focus on the Bills’ wide receiver corps has deservedly been on Stefon Diggs, Beasley has put together the best season of his career. He has set personal highs in receptions, yards and yards per catch, and with two games left, he is just 50 yards from his first 1,000-yard season. Beasley is a safety net for quarterback Josh Allen, and this offense would have a difficult time moving the ball without him — even with Diggs’ spectacular numbers."
There is no question that Cole Beasley is a key part of this offense and as Louis-Jacques wrote, has become that safety net for Josh Allen. The way he is able to create separation on these quick, short routes is remarkable and makes it easy for the Buffalo Bills quarterback.
NFL.com: Bills move up two spots
Last Week: 4
The biggest move in the power rankings this week was on NFL.com that had them at four last week but moved up two spots to number two.
"Buffalo piled up 534 yards of total offense, led by playmaking wideouts Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley, who will soon become the first Bills receivers to go over 1,000 yards in the same season since Peerless Price and Eric Moulds back in 2002. The Bills are a rising tidal wave headed for the great wall that is the Kansas City Chiefs."
As Dan Hanzus, the Bills appear set to be on a collision course with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the hope is that the matchup takes place in the AFC Championship Game and not the Divisional Round. If the Bills want to guarantee that, they will need to hold onto the second seed, which is where they currently stand after the Steelers loss to the Bengals.
Bleacher Report: Bills remain at three
Last Week: 3
This week for the power rankings on Bleacher Report, the Buffalo Bills remained at three. In their write up on the Bills, they wrote about what their focus lies:
"Twenty-five years later, the Bills are kings of the division once again after blasting the Broncos in Denver. But as Allen told his teammates after the game, the Bills have their sights set higher than just an AFC East title."
While it was great to see them win the AFC East division, and this certainly should be celebrated, this team is much better than just division champions. This isn’t to say they are going to win the Super Bowl but there is no reason this team shouldn’t be able to make a deep playoff run this winter.
CBS Sports: Buffalo Bills rank 3rd
Last Week: 3
Similar to Bleacher Report, Pete Prisco at CBS Sports kept the Buffalo Bills at number three.
"They are flying high on offense now. The Bills have already won the AFC East, which is the first time since 1996. They will be dangerous come playoff time."
It has been a combination of improvements on both sides of the ball but the offense is really clicking. They are averaging 34.8 points per game over the last six games and scored over 40 points in two of those games, something they didn’t in the previous 24 games.