Can the Buffalo Bills Actually Capture the AFC East?

Well, the Buffalo Bills took the Snake Plissken rout and escaped from LA. Now, for the most part, they pretty much control their own destiny. The Bills entered their Saturday meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers behind the playoff line, but having won back-to-back games against two strong playoff contenders in the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys. The law of averages, with this team, states that Buffalo will probably lose to the Bolts, because the Bills seem to have trouble with the lower tier of teams.

Sure enough, it did look like it would happen. The Chargers (in their first game since Brandon Staley was fired as head coach) were up 10-0 at the start, but Buffalo took a 14-10 lead at halftime. They had an eight point lead, but three LA field goals made it 22-21 for the home team. This was not good for the Bills, but they did managed to get to field goal range and kill a lot of the clock. Tyler Bass' chip shot made it 24-22, and the Chargers were stopped on a lateral attempt at the final seconds.

So after some hardships, some miscues from Josh Allen, and some losses that should have been wins, the Bills are back above the playoff line at 9-6. As a result of the win, the Miami Dolphins can't lock up the AFC East this week, and the Bills' chances of actually winning the division remain alive. Entering this week, the Bills needed to win out and have the Dolphins lose just one other game (either this week or next week). The reason why the Dolphins need to lose one additional game is because the final week will see the Bills and Dolphins clash in Miami. As for the Los Angeles Chargers, their 2023 season is now over, as this loss eliminated them from playoff contention.

So how did the Bills make it above ground? They have the Pittsburgh Steelers to thank for that. The first half of the Saturday double-dip was the Steelers' home finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, and to say Pittsburgh needed this would be an understatement. In order to get into the playoffs, the Steelers entered this week needing to win out, the Browns to lose twice, the Bills to lose in the final week, and the Broncos to lose a game. They got off to a great start, as they absolutely dominated a Bengals team who was playing without Ja'Marr Chase. The defense intercepted Jake Browning three times, and George Pickens had almost 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns. In fantasy, Pickens had 35.5 points, so those who had him in their semifinal (or quarterfinal in some leagues) matches had to have been celebrating big time.

The Steelers won, 34-11, and their playoff hopes remained alive. Had they lost, they would have had an 0.4% chance of getting in. As for the Bengals, they needed to win out and have the Bills lose one game. Now, the Bengals are behind the playoff line.

The week began with a battle between two NFC teams vying for playoff position: the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints. Here's the thing: as a Green Bay Packers fan, I was giddy for this. Here's why. The Packers' scenario entering Week 16 required winning out, the Lions winning just one of their two games against the Vikings, and the Falcons, Rams, and Saints each losing a game. So as long as this game didn't end in a tie, there would be no complications. The Rams threw that chance out of the window when they absolutely dominated the game. The Saints made it close at the end, but the Rams held on to win 30-22. So one checkbox is filled: the Saints lost.

Entering this week, the Saints actually controlled their own destiny when it came to winning the mediocre NFC South. All they needed to do was win out, no questions asked. Now, they need to win out and get some help elsewhere. As for the Rams, their destiny remains controlled. All they have to do is win out to get in.

So Week 16 kicked off with the Rams gaining an edge in the NFC playoff race, the Steelers keep their faint hopes alive, and the Bills managed to survive a season full of question marks to move above the playoff line. We don't know what the rest of Week 16 will bring, but I know this, it should be absolutely fruitful and intriguing.