What the Bills’ 3rd Consecutive Division Title Means

With a decisive 35 – 13 win against the Chicago Bears, the Buffalo Bills clinched their third consecutive AFC East title.  This is their 11th division title since the AFL/NFL merged in 1966 and one more division title in 2023 would match their longest streak in Buffalo’s history, when they won four straight from 1988 to 1991.

The win also extended Buffalo’s current winning streak to six games and keeps them in the lead for the AFC’s top seed heading towards the playoffs.

The team leaned on the rushing attack against the Chicago Bears, rolling up a total of 254 yards on just 31 carries, for an incredible 8.2 yards per carry.  Maybe more impressive, Josh Allen accounted for only 41 of those yards.  Devin Singletary paced the team with 106, while James Cook added another 99 yards.

Choosing an MVP in this game would have to go to the entire offensive line.  They played extremely well and in a game that was missing Pro Bowl center, Mitch Morris made it all the more impressive.  In addition to the rushing numbers, the line only gave up one sack.

While the Chicago Bears aren’t exactly a measuring stick for the team’s performance, it was good to see the rushing game continue to roll, as they seem to be finding a groove down the stretch and certainly at the perfect time here late in the season.

With a massive Monday night showdown looming against the Cincinnati Bengals, it will be important for the offensive line to continue to improve and control the line of scrimmage.  Give Allen time, and he’ll shred any defense, open holes in the run game and Singletary and Cook will make defenses pay.

Getting that number one seed will be important not only for home field advantage but just as important, if not more so, is getting that first round bye. The Bills injuries have been extensive this season and having an extra week to recover would be a huge advantage for the Bills after an exhausting and grueling 17 game season.  According to team rankings.com, the Buffalo Bills have the third toughest schedule up to this point in the season.

Fortunately for the Bills, they control their own destiny and with another win this weekend, will be that much closer to their, and Bills Mafia’s, Super Bowl hopes.