Buffalo Bills Week 15 AFC playoff race rooting interests

Here’s how the Buffalo Bills can continue their climb back up the AFC playoff ladder in Week 15.

Summarized by AI ⓘ

What is the story about?

A lot went the Buffalo Bills’ way in Week 14. A big win over quarterback Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals helped their case for a long postseason run. With four weeks of a full NFL schedule of games left to play, there’s plenty that’s still undecided, including who this year’s AFC East champion will be. The Bills can keep that undecided by redeeming their early season loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon.

While it will take help from their not-so-friendly division neighbors, the Miami

Dolphins and the New York Jets, a sixth straight crown for Buffalo isn’t impossible. Here’s a look at how things stand before we get into the heart of Week 15 action this weekend.

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AFC East Week 15 standings

New England Patriots (11-2)
Buffalo Bills (9-4)
Miami Dolphins (6-7)
New York Jets (3-10)

AFC Playoff Picture heading into Week 15

Denver Broncos (11-2)
New England Patriots (11-2)
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
Buffalo Bills (9-4)
Houston Texans (8-5)
Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
New York Jets (3-10)
Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
Tennessee Titans (2-11)

Buffalo’s big win moved their playoff chances off the edge of extinction as they slid up one spot in the AFC Playoff Picture. The Patriots had a bye, and while it didn’t do anything to help the Bills move closer to the AFC East’s top spot, it did drop New England down to the conference’s two seed.

The Chiefs continue to slide and while technically still in the hunt, their season is looking more and more like a wash every week. The Colts have gone from being the AFC’s early season darlings to outside the playoffs looking in. Indianapolis is in the hunt, but they’ve lost their hunter as quarterback Daniel Jones added a season-ending Achilles injury to his already fractured fibula and has gone from hobbled to done for the season. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are playing Trading Spaces as they stay on a carousel of wins and losses bouncing the AFC North’s lead back and forth with the loser being relegated to odd-man-out (of the playoffs).

There’s a lot of football to be played in the next month, and the NFL schedule makers know what they’re doing with plenty of drama to unfold in these next few weeks. So, here’s a look at how we’d like to see things go during Week 15. Get ready Bills Mafia, it’s going to be another wild weekend!

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AFC East Week 15 Bills rooting interests

Buffalo Bills (9-4) over New England Patriots (11-2), Sunday 1 p.m. EST (CBS)

This is the no-brainer one, right? You didn’t need me to tell you that we want a Bills win. But, even more importantly, we want a Patriots loss. If New England wins on Sunday, the crown is theirs. What a great week we would all have if we had to watch the Patriots put those hats and t-shirts away.

Of course, the Bills have to keep winning, and the New England will need a loss to either Miami or the Jets, but first things first — Buffalo needs to take care of business in Foxborough, MA on Sunday.

Go Bills!

New York Jets (3-10) over Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4), Sunday 1 p.m. EST (CBS)

I know… division rivals. But the Jets aren’t exactly rivals. They aren’t threatening anyone in contention for a playoff spot. But the Jaguars? They’ve climbed their way back up to a division title spot (well, in part due to the the Colts’ recent landslide). While the battle between Jacksonville and Indianapolis doesn’t affect the Bills directly, should Buffalo regain the AFC East, having more wins than the other division leaders would result in some extra games at the soon-to-be gone forever Highmark Stadium.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) over Miami Dolphins (6-7), Monday 8:15 p.m. EST (ESPN)

I know, I just said that the idea is to not let other division leaders get more wins. This is a little different. First, the Bills hold the tiebreaker over the Steelers. Second, Miami is trying to sneak back into the playoffs, and, well, I just don’t want to see that happen. Third (and maybe most importantly) a Pittsburgh win makes a January trip to Baltimore less and less likely regardless of what Lamar Jackson and the Ravens do.

Week 15 games that impact Bills’ playoff hopes

Cincinnati Bengals (4-9) over Baltimore Ravens (6-7), Sunday 1 p.m. EST (CBS)

A Ravens loss, coupled with wins by both Buffalo and Pittsburgh, will virtually ensure that quarterback Josh Allen won’t be playing in Baltimore this January. There would still be one more Steelers win needed to guarantee it, but one week at a time. So, the way to go here is to root for a huge game for Joe Burrow and keep your fingers crossed that he fixes the turnover issues he had in the fourth quarter in Buffalo.

Arizona Cardinals (3-10) over Houston Texans (8-5), Sunday 1 p.m. EST (FOX)

Houston is a problem. They’re keeping things much too close for comfort in the wild card race. The Bills’ loss to the Texans back in November could come back to haunt them like the Ghost of Christmas Past and force them to take a trip back to Houston if they aren’t careful. It’s imperative that Buffalo stay ahead in the seeding, because Josh Allen might have been a cowboy, but he and Texas do not jive.

Kansas City Chiefs (6-7) over Los Angeles Chargers (9-4), Sunday 1 p.m. EST (CBS)

Here I am again begging you not to shoot the messenger. It’s one of those weeks where a Kansas City win is what we need to be pulling for — even if you (like me) refuse to cheer for them. The Chiefs aren’t going to be among the AFC’s Top Seven at the end of this week no matter what happens, but a Chargers loss makes room for the Bills to move up a spot. You don’t have to get your chopping arm warmed up, but it’s okay to grin a little if KC comes out on top of this one.

Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) at Denver Broncos (11-2), Sunday 4:25 p.m. EST (CBS)

Okay, I didn’t pick a winner here. My rule is to always go with “what we know” — but in this case, we don’t know anything. If the Bills win, then the Patriots lose. If the Patriots lose, a Broncos loss keeps the top of the AFC unchanged —- and that’s okay. That makes it easier for Buffalo to get a top seed if everything aligns in the final three weeks of the 2025 NFL season. But, if the Bills should lose, then obvioulsy the Patriots win. The petty part of me doesn’t want to see New England get the one seed, so I will be rooting for a Denver win to still keep the top of the conference the same. Since we will know how our Bills fare before this game starts, I’m not making a decision until then.

Seattle Seahawks (10-3) over Indianapolis Colts (8-5), Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST (CBS)

The Colts now have a 44-year-old quarterback who hasn’t taken a snap in five years. Phillip Rivers is going from having his name on the Hall of Fame ballot to having his name on the Come Back Player of the Year ballot. Regardless of who is under center, the chances of Indianapolis pulling off a win are slim. But just in case, root against them. This is the same scenario as with the Jaguars above. Should the Colts win the AFC South —- something that seemed like a given a month ago but now is looking like a long shot —- we don’t want them to have too many wins. We’re still rooting for the improbable (but not impossible) case of Buffalo winning the AFC East.

Remainder of Bills’ NFL Week 15 rooting interests

Here, it’s all about a few things: Rooting for outcomes that improve Buffalo’s overall SOS or SOV, NFC vs. AFC, or taking the team that will better-position the Bills in the playoff race.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) over Atlanta Falcons (4-9) – SOV (Result: Falcons won)
Cleveland Browns (3-10) over Chicago Bears (9-4) – SOS
Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) over Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) – SOS
Carolina Panthers (7-6) over New Orleans Saints (3-10) – SOV
Tennessee Titans (2-11) over San Francisco 49ers (9-4) – Draft Order

Games that do not impact the Bills in Week 15

Washington Commanders (3-10) at New York Giants (2-11)
Detroit Lions (8-5) at Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
Minnesota Vikings (5-8) at Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)

Teams on Bye
None

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