The one where we’re asking if it matters once the playoff spot is locked in.
Anyone who’s watched at least half a dozen Buffalo Bills games during the 2025 NFL season understands that they struggle to stop
the run, and that Josh Allen is still incredible, somehow still putting up stats with a less-than-supportive cast of wide receivers. Make no mistake, running back James Cook III is a huge part of the reason for Buffalo’s success in 2025. The Bills go as Allen & Cook do this season.
That makes for a bit of head scratching over the latest batch of NFL power rankings. Some of you will be excited to know that this is the penultimate look at such lists for this season, just one more to go for Week 18. But for how much the Bills continue to win, as good teams do no matter the flaws and circumstance, they seem to have lost favor with the majority of power ranking “experts.”
Did Buffalo struggle to put away an inferior Cleveland Browns team? You’ll find no argument from me there. But it’s not worth getting too caught up in all that mess. Some of the same folks who push aside the Bills for how they won in Cleveland also went out of their way to praise the Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye’s comeback win against a Baltimore Ravens team that played most of the game without quarterback Lamar Jackson (and for some reason refused to give running back Derrick Henry another snap with almost 13 minutes of game clock left).
Okay, Maye finally got his fourth-quarter comeback win. New England also beat the Ravens in similar fashion to Buffalo’s Week 1 win over Baltimore. They also may have lost if the Ravens simply thought to involve Henry on offense, you know — instead of benching him after he scored a long touchdown run in the second half.
This season has been all about the turnover at the top, and for some that appears to be incomplete if Allen and the Bills aren’t on the outside looking in. Oops. Guess what? They’re back, and it may not matter much where they end up seeded.
So what does that mean for the Bills’ within the latest batch of NFL power rankings? Let’s live in the present and dive into the latest NFL power rankings, passing the mic to hierarchy experts around the country. Ready? After you take a few minutes reading what others have to say about the Bills, be sure to sound off in the comments! (Week 16 Power Rankings for comparison)
ESPN: 7 (down from 5 in Week 16)
“(Bills) Rookie of the year: Tight end Jackson Hawes”
“This is very close between Hawes and defensive tackle Deone Walker, who has started 14 games this season. The edge goes to Hawes, a fifth-round pick, for his significant impact in helping James Cook III deliver one of the best rushing seasons in team history (1,532 yards). Despite being drafted as a blocking tight end, Hawes has also emerged as a solid target for quarterback Josh Allen, catching 15 of 18 targets for 187 yards, 13 first downs and 3 touchdowns. He should receive an even bigger role moving forward.” — Alaina Getzenberg
NFL.com: 3 (up from 4 in Week 16)
“The Bills survived a tough game at Cleveland. The Browns had two fourth-quarter possessions while facing a three-point deficit, but Sean McDermott’s defense got a pair of much-needed stops. Before that, it was a fire drill, as Cleveland ran the ball efficiently and Shedeur Sanders made some wild plays. The Bills’ D remains a concern, and they’re still going to need more from players not named Josh Allen and James Cook. But let’s also give credit where it’s due: This is Buffalo’s sixth consecutive season with 11 or more victories, the longest active streak in the NFL. It really hasn’t been easy at times this year, but there’s a mental toughness baked into this roster that can’t be dismissed. Unfortunately for Buffalo, New England came back to beat Baltimore on Sunday night, slimming down the Bills’ already-lean chances of winning a sixth straight AFC East crown.” — Eric Edholm
Pro Football Focus: 2 (up from 3 in Week 16)
“Chance of winning Super Bowl: 11%”
“The Bills were dragged into the mud by an excellent Browns’ defense, but ground out a win thanks to an excellent rushing performance from James Cook (82.5 grade; 6th). Cook carried the ball 16 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns, ripping off three runs of 10 yards or more while Josh Allen (88.7 grade; 3rd) and the passing game struggled.
Allen was pressured on 43.5% of his dropbacks, but credit still needs to be given for grinding out a win against a tough defense on the road. But, the Bills haven’t been all that convincing recently.” — Thomas Valentine
The Athletic: 4 (unchanged from Week 16)
“One concern: The run defense”
“This group of wide receivers isn’t going to scare teams, but the Bills’ biggest concern is a run defense that ranks 31st in the NFL in EPA per rush. With Josh Allen and James Cook playing well, that’s what could really hold this team back as the playoffs near.” — Chad Graff/Josh Kendall
CBS Sports: 9 (unchanged from Week 16)
“They seemed to struggle to get going in the victory over the Browns, but they found a way. They can’t play that way this week against the Eagles … or they will pay.” — Pete Prisco
USA Today: 8 (down from 5 in Week 16)
“They escaped with a win … but struggling against the Browns while trying to manage QB Josh Allen’s foot injury is something to monitor even as the stars seem to be aligning elsewhere for this crew.” — Nate Davis
Bleacher Report: 5 (down from 4 in Week 16)
“Good teams find a way to win when they don’t play their best—and that’s what the Bills did in Cleveland Sunday.
In a game where Josh Allen completed just 12 passes and threw for just 130 yards, the Bills rode big games from running back James Cook and edge-rusher Gregory Rousseau to a three-point win that keeps them hot on the heels of the New England Patriots in the AFC East.
The AFC is both a gauntlet and wide open—there’s no clear team to beat in the conference, and the No. 1 seed is very much in play—especially after Denver fell at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That top seed would likely mean more to the Bills than any other AFC team, given what January weather in Buffalo is usually like.” — Gary Davenport
Sportsnaut: 6 (down from 5 in Week 16)
“We will start with the good news for the Buffalo Bills. They were victorious on the road in Week 16, with James Cook (117 rushing yards and two touchdowns) demonstrating that this team does not need Josh Allen to go into beast mode to win. With that said, the issues in the Bills’ passing game and this defense’s inability to stop the run (allowing 143.1 rushing yards per game this season) are glaring issues that will be further exposed in the playoffs.” — Matt Johnson
Pro Football Network (PFSN): 5 (up from 6 in Week 16)
“It was a closer game than the Buffalo Bills had likely hoped, but they stayed competitive in the race atop the AFC East and won 23-20 over the Browns on Sunday. The win brought their record up to 11-4 and gave them their fourth win in a row in the final stretch of the 2025 NFL season.
Heading into a presumed playoff appearance, it’s clear the Bills have a dangerous weapon in James Cook. He finished Sunday with 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns, further adding to what’s been an All-Pro season for Buffalo’s star running back.” — Jacob Infante
The Sporting News: 8 (down from 4 in Week 16)
“The Bills were caught in a tough battle down the road in Cleveland as Josh Allen’s clunker against a tough defense was saved by James Cook and the running game. The defense was fortunate to face a team with limited weapons to survive.” — Vinnie Iyer
Yahoo! Sports: 7 (up from 8 in Week 16)
“The Bills played with fire on Sunday. They were outgained by the Browns 294-259, and the Browns had 22 first downs to 16 for Buffalo. Cleveland could have easily won that game, which wasn’t a great look for a Bills team that everyone seems to be convincing themselves can win the AFC out of a wild-card spot. It was a tough game for the Bills to get up for, but Buffalo’s deficiencies are not going away. There isn’t much on offense aside from Josh Allen and James Cook. The defense is 24th in DVOA. It’ll be tough for them to win three straight road games in the AFC playoffs.” — Frank Schwab
New York Post: 2 (up from 3 in Week 16)
“James Cook ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns to pick up the slack as Josh Allen labored through a foot injury suffered early in a 23-20 victory against the Browns. When it wasn’t Cook, Ty Johnson also scored on the ground. Allen was held without a rushing or passing touchdown for the third time this season in the Bills’ fourth straight win.” — Ryan Dunleavy
theScore: 7 (down from 5 in Week 16)
“(holiday gift for Bills Mafia)🎁 Ed Oliver’s return. The Bills’ defense ranks 31st this campaign with minus-0.11 EPA/rush, marking Buffalo’s worst output in that metric since at least 2000. Oliver returning to the interior defensive line for the first time since Week 8 could help mitigate this fatal flaw in the postseason.” — Dan Wilkins
FOX Sports: 8 (down from 6 in Week 16)
“Their hopes of winning the AFC East for a sixth straight year remain alive. But barely beating the Browns isn’t a way to convince anyone they deserve it.” — Ralph Vacchiano
Tom Brady with FOX Sports: 3 (up from 6 in Week 16)
“The Bills won their fourth straight against the Browns on Sunday to keep the AFC East Race alive for another week. It wasn’t pretty, but come on, is it ever pretty when you’re playing on the lake in Cleveland in late December? Buffalo got the win, Myles Garrett didn’t destroy anyone, and they can just get out of town and keep it moving.” — Tom Brady
Pressbox: 4 (up from 6 in Week 16)
“Nice: A seventh straight trip to the playoffs, the longest active streak in the NFL
Naughty: They’re clearly forcing their coach to try to do his job blind.” — Glenn Clark
That’s it for another week of the always scientifically correct and never indisputable world of NFL power rankings. What’s your take on the latest Bills rankings?
