Bills Mafia has two games to root for on Sunday before game vs. Bengals
The Buffalo Bills know just how much is at stake versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Earlier this week, I wrote about how the game meant much more than just playoff seeding as it's an opportunity for the Bills to get one of the biggest wins in years. However, most of us will […]
The Buffalo Bills know just how much is at stake versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Earlier this week, I wrote about how the game meant much more than just playoff seeding as it's an opportunity for the Bills to get one of the biggest wins in years.
However, most of us will be thinking about playoff seeding all weekend long. How couldn't we?
So let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. Is there anything Bills Mafia should be rooting for on Sunday while on an "off-day" as fans await Monday's primetime showdown?
Short answer: Yeah, sure.
Long answer: Yes but I mean, don't get your hopes up. The only outcome to root for is a Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Denver Broncos. Bills Mafia should also root for another game as a Plan B (more on that later).
Crazier things have happened -I think- but the Bills need the Broncos to snap a 14-game losing streak versus the Chiefs to have a shot at clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 17.
The Bills would also need to win themselves for that scenario to play out.
Now, beating the Bengals on the road is no easy task. And a loss could prove very costly for the Bills. After all, this isn't a #1 or #2 discussion only. If Buffalo loses on Monday, they could drop to #3 when the regular season ends.
Let's look at some of the most likely scenarios.
If Bills beat the Bengals:
Buffalo is likely getting the #1 seed. They'd still have to play to win versus the Patriots in Week 18 since the Chiefs would still be alive in the conversation if they win out.
While they're still coached by Bill Belichick, the Patriots remain a favorable match up for the Bills and will likely be heavily favored as the home team. The tough part of getting the job done will be Monday's game in Cincinnati.
If Bills lose to the Bengals:
Now we're talking trouble. Not only do the Bills lose control of their own destiny in this scenario but they'd drop to the No. 3 seed in the conference.
In that case, Bills Mafia will be rooting for the Baltimore Ravens to beat the Bengals in Week 18 to finish the season in second place of the AFC.
This could get extra complicated if the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend as it would mean (combined with the hypothetical Bengals' W in this scenario) that the Ravens won't be fighting for the AFC North's division title anymore. Which in turn means they could rest Lamar Jackson and other starters in the regular season finale.
So for Week 17, just to be safe… Go Ravens, I guess.
The thing is, for home-field playoff implications, the difference between the #2 and #3 seeds is massive deeper in the playoffs.
Right now, there's no need to sweat these combinations too much. All the Bills need to do is worry about themselves. Just win twice and get that bye week.
Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
