A Bills loss on Monday Night Football almost guarantees Chiefs the 1 seed

It’s been a week of a lot of talk. The buildup to this Monday Night Football matchup has been fierce. It’s the Bills and Bengals in a game that holds heaps of weight in the AFC playoff race.

The Bills are winners of six in a row. The Bengals have won seven straight.

Joe Burrow has the most total touchdowns in the NFL since Week 3 with 36. Josh Allen leads the NFL in deep passing yards since the beginning of 2021. Burrow is a Pro Bowler in 2022. Allen is a Pro Bowler in 2022.

The Bengals are still the reigning AFC Champions, while the Bills currently hold the number one seed in the AFC. The storylines in this game and leading up to it are, and have been, endless.

But at the end of the night tonight, a Bills loss could have major implications on the playoff picture. In short, if the Bills lose, they essentially hand the number 1 seed over to Kansas City.

Allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to take over the number one seed would be worst-case scenario for the Buffalo Bills.

We all remember what happened in the playoffs last year, and we need not go back to that moment. At least, this time, the overtime rules will be different if it gets to that point.

But, let’s not go that far down the line just yet. The short-term implications of Buffalo losing to Cincinnati include Kansas City firmly holding the number one seed in the playoffs at 13-3, with the Bills and Bengals trailing them at 12-4.

In Week 18, the Chiefs take on the Las Vegas Raiders, who are clearly moving on from Derek Carr and will enter a very, very interesting offseason. Kansas City should have no problem locking up the top seed next week with a win over Vegas.

Then, there’s the Bills, who host the New England Patriots in Week 18 with the playoffs on the line for Bill Belichick and company. If the Patriots win, they’re in. It’s a win-and-in situation for New England, and normally a team like the Bills shouldn’t be worried about the talent on a roster like New England.

But, it’s Belichick, and that changes things. If Belichick has a chance to get in, look out. There’s not a more well-prepared coach for his opponents, maybe in the history of this league, than Belichick.

Let’s say the Bills lose to New England and end the year at 12-5, going into the playoffs with two-straight losses … yeah, actually, let’s not go there. Let’s just hope for a win tonight, period.