Bills playoff picture: Updated chances for Buffalo to make 2025 NFL postseason in Week 16

Daniel Chavkin

Bills playoff picture: Updated chances for Buffalo to make 2025 NFL postseason in Week 16 image

The AFC playoff race is heating up, as the Buffalo Bills in particular are jockeying for postseason seeding.

Entering this week, the Bills were just one-game back of the New England Patriots in the race for the AFC East title, and were comfortably in wild-card positioning in the overall playoff picture. Then, the Bills won a close battle against the Cleveland Browns, only helping their case.

With just two games left in the regular season, Buffalo can still enter the playoffs as one of several possible seeds. Of course, the Bills' have their eyes set on the division, which would guarantee them at least one home game.

Here's how the Bills' road to the playoffs looks in Week 16.

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AFC playoff picture

After the early slate on Sunday, the Bills remain in line for a wild-card spot in the AFC playoffs. At 11-4, Buffalo currently is tied with the Los Angeles Chargers and currently holds the No. 6 seed in the standings.

The win today means that the Bills need a loss by either the Houston Texans on Sunday or Indianapolis Colts on Monday to clinch a playoff spot. However, Buffalo still has its eyes on the AFC East title, which would likely jump the team up all-the-way to the No. 2 seed.

RankTeamRecord
1.Denver Broncos12-2
2.New England Patriots11-3
3.Jacksonville Jaguars10-4
4.Pittsburgh Steelers8-6
5.Los Angeles Chargers11-4
6.Buffalo Bills11-4
7.Houston Texans9-5
8.Indianapolis Colts8-6
9.Baltimore Ravens7-7
10.Kansas City Chiefs6-9
11.Miami Dolphins6-9
12.Cincinnati Bengals5-10
13.New York Jets3-12
14.Tennessee Titans3-12
15.Cleveland Browns3-12
16.Las Vegas Raiders2-12

MORE: Updated chances for the Chargers to make the playoffs

AFC East standings

The Bills are fighting with the New England Patriots for the division crown, and the Patriots currently have a one-game lead. If New England were to lose and drop to the same record as Buffalo, though, the Bills would own the tiebreaker between the two teams.

Both the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are eliminated from playoff contention for this season, but both teams may play a factor in deciding the division during Week 18.

RankTeamRecord
1.New England Patriots11-3
2.Buffalo Bills10-4
3.Miami Dolphins6-9
4.New York Jets3-12

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Bills schedule 2025

DateOpponentTime (ET)TV Channel
12/28vs. Eagles4:25 p.m.Fox
TBDvs. JetsTBDTBD

Buffalo closes the season with two home games, one against a playoff team and one against a last-place team. First, the Bills host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, but the Eagles already clinched their division this week. Finally Buffalo ends the regular season against the New York Jets.

MORE: How can the Packers make the playoffs?

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