The comeback kids did it again.
The Buffalo Bills fell behind 21-0 to the New England Patriots after 20 minutes. But they play 60.
And so when the clock ran out on Sunday afternoon in Foxboro, it was Bills 35, Pats 31.
New England still maintains a one-game lead in the AFC East Division. The Patriots will be favored to finish the job and snap the Bills' streak of five consecutive division titles.
But Buffalo has sent a clear warning to the rest of the NFL: This team can beat anyone, in any circumstance.
The comeback thing is getting a little dicey, sure. But wins are wins, be they in Week 1 from down 40-25 to the Ravens, last week in the snow against the Bengals or this week against a major division rival.
The win, improving the Bills to 10-4 and dropping the Patriots to 11-3, is crucial even if the division doesn't come back. Buffalo is now very, very close to being locked in to a wild card spot and a playoff berth.
And if you let this team in the bracket, with any seed, they can beat anyone.
The Bills, even as a wild card team, would be favored to beat any team in the AFC. They were even favored on Sunday to win in New England, and they proved that right, even after the nightmare start.
The Steelers? Bills favored.
The Jaguars? Bills favored.
The Broncos? Bills favored.
The Patriots again, or the Chargers, or the Texans? Bills favored, favored, favored.
The Kansas City Chiefs were officially eliminated from the postseason Sunday.
The Ravens are still alive, and Lamar Jackson is dangerous. But Baltimore hasn't looked like itself for the entire second half of the season.
All this to say: It's not a matter of whether the Bills could make it out of the AFC. These Bills should win the AFC. They have a clear path to playing in the Super Bowl for the first time since January 1994.
They've got their Superman, Josh Allen.
They've got their brilliant back, James Cook.
They've got defensive playmakers, like Matt Milano, Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa.
This Bills team has flaws, sure. They probably don't want to fall behind a good team 21-0 again.
But they're also good enough to overcome that. They can overcome pretty much anything.
The rest of the NFL should look out. Because even when it looks like these Bills are down, they're not out.
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