AFC playoff picture : Buffalo Bills now control their own destiny

Just a few weeks ago, some fans had thrown in the towel on the Buffalo Bills 2023 season. I get it, the Bills were sitting at 6 - 6 and were the 11th seed in the AFC. It appeared grim but some still held out hope that Buffalo would right the ship. I wrote about this at the time and reminded fans of the past three seasons, where the Bills closed out regular seasons with at least four consecutive wins.

Buffalo beat the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend behind Josh Allen's three touchdowns, extending their current winning streak to three games. The win, coupled with losses by the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans, has put the Bills in the sixth spot in the AFC playoff race. Buffalo now officially controls their destiny in their pursuit of a playoff berth.

It's crazy to think that the Bills could be in a position to take the number two seed heading into the AFC playoffs. Of course, that's dependent on the Miami Dolphins losing to the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, and of course, the Bills taking care of business against the New England Patriots. But let's take a look at how the AFC playoff race currently stacks up.

AFC Playoff Picture

1. Baltimore Ravens (12 - 3)

2. Miami Dolphins (11 - 4)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (9 - 6)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8 - 7)

5. Cleveland Browns (11 - 5)

6. Buffalo Bills (9 - 6)

7. Indianapolis Colts (8 - 7)

In The Hut

8. Houston Texans (8 - 7)

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (8 - 7)

10. Cincinnati Bengals (8 - 7

11. Las Vegas Raiders (7 - 8)

12. Denver Broncos (7 - 8)

The Denver Broncos can say whatever they want about the Russell Wilson situation but it seems to me they've thrown in the towel on the season. For the Raiders, they aren't out but I don't see the Chiefs losing both of their final two games of the regular season. The real intrigue is in the wildcard race and the AFC South division.

With three of the four AFC South teams tied at 8 - 7, it's anyone's guess who takes the crown there. The 8 - 7 teams are all still alive for a spot but Buffalo simply needs to win these final two games and get that playoff spot secured. Once in, I think things could be very interesting from there for all Bills fans.

The 2024 NFL Draft will be here before we know, so let's talk draft