Bills need help from Packers this week to clinch AFC East in Week 13

The Buffalo Bills are in a great spot, both in their division and in the entire AFC. They are currently the #2 seed if the playoffs were to start before Week 13 begins. This is a far cry from last year, where through 12 games in 2023, they were 6-6, and then fired then offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. That firing came after a brutal loss against the Denver Broncos two weeks prior and were 5-5.

Currently, the Bills are at 9-2 and play Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers on December 1st. So far, the 49ers are not looking like the team that went to the Super Bowl just last season. If the Bills can take care of the 49ers this week, it will help further them from teams like Pittsburgh, Houston and Baltimore for a top-two seed.

This current Buffalo Bills team, who saw a lot of changes from veteran players to younger and newer faces, were projected to take a step back this year. Many analysts said this could have been the year that Miami or the Jets could overtake the Bills for the division. As shown, this is clearly one of the best teams in the AFC still and also have a stranglehold on this division. It's not Tom Brady and the Patriots for the 20 years they dominated the AFC East, but it's a great start so far.

In fact, if the Buffalo Bills win the division this year, it will be their longest streak of winning the division. Their longest streak they achieved were 4 years in a row in 1988-1991 and their current streak, 2020-2023. This is most certainly a historic year for the Buffalo Bills. Being counted out by the national media and achieving their success now is a testament to how resilient the Bills are and how well coached they are, along with how well Josh Allen is playing.

This Thursday on Thanksgiving, the Miami Dolphins play the Green Bay Packers. Given the history of the Dolphins, they could be due for a loss given it's in Green Bay in cold weather. The Dolphins are playing well as of now, but the Packers being at home could give the Dolphins some fits. As stated by Sal Capaccio, if the Bills win and the Dolphins lose, the Bills will be the AFC East Champions for the 5th year in a row, which will be the first time in team history.

If this happens, it could mean a lot for Buffalo when it comes down to playoff seeding and in terms of resting starters. In order for the Bills to clinch the #1 seed, they would have to have at least the same record as the Chiefs considering the Bills have the tiebreaker. This is a huge development for the Bills considering they never have had a bye week in the playoffs. Having an extra week to not play in the wild card round, along with being able to rest another week and be able to maximize the health on their roster in the playoffs could mean a deep run in the playoffs.

Considering the Bills have been banged up, especially last year, has been their downfall in the playoffs. Having a healthy defense in the playoffs, along with enough weapons on the offense to help Josh Allen can be the difference between a win and a loss.

More Bills Coverage: