Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

[BillsImpossible]

The AFC East and the AFC West are very similar.

Broncos sit on top of the West, and the Pats sit on top of the East.

San Diego and Kansas City will battle it out for the first Wildcard.

Buffalo and Miami will battle it out for the second Wildcard.

The AFC South is a one team division in the Colts.

The AFC North is the most competitive division in the AFC, flip a coin.

If the Bills finish at 9-7 with a 4-2 divisional record, I think they get in.

4 more wins!

Miami

Jets

Cleveland

Oakland

The next 2 games against the fish and jets are the 2 most important games of the season!

I say that because if the Bills finish at 10-6 with only a 3-3 divisional record, I think another team gets in.

I'd rather finish the season at 9-7 with a 4-2 divisional record.

Scratch that, I'd rather win out and not worry about playoff scenarios!

At least the Bills aren't 2-7, we'd all be talking next year's draft by now.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

Buffalo needs to beat Miami, NYJ, Cle, Oak, and either New England or Denver to have a chance at making the playoffs.

The Green Bay game is pretty meaningless in my opinion, win or lose IF 2 more conference losses occur.

I single out NE and DEN because I honestly don't think they have a shot in either of those games but the chance to steal a game can always happen. Losing to MIA, NYJ, CLE or OAK means they have to beat both NE and DEN and sorry but that just ain't gonna happen.

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

If the last game in New England actually matters for the Bills playoff hopes, I'll be happy.

Week 16 hasn't mattered since 2004.

[CoolBreeze]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

It can be, but it's highly unlikely. The losses in the Houston, and KC games will haunt us. As of now we lose every tiebreaker I think, because of our AFC record. But this is not set in stone as they said this past weekend on NFL Network the top 10 teams in the AFC are very close in record, but they all have more games left inter-conference then not. So that will clear up in the next few weeks. There's always that chance 4 teams bomb and only make 8-8 meaning the tiebreakers not necessary. Anything is possible, but 10-6, or 11-5 are safer bets by far.

[Guest]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

No.

10-6 may not be enough in this year's AFC.

[Mace]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

No.

10-6 may not be enough in this year's AFC.

They honestly need to either win the division outright or have a winning conference record against fellow AFC contenders. Neither seems likely. They're looking real feeble in tiebreakers.

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

The AFC North is most interesting.

The Bengals, Browns, Ravens, and Steelers are in a steel caged fist fight.

The Steelers are the most beat up, but they have the best quarterback.

The Browns are at 6-3 sitting on top of the division.

The Bengals have a tie.

What a cluster F of a division!

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

They honestly need to either win the division outright or have a winning conference record against fellow AFC contenders. Neither seems likely. They're looking real feeble in tiebreakers.

Division records matter more than conference records in tie breakers.

Win-loss is #1.
Division record is #2.
Conference record is #3.

If the Bills finish at 9-7, and 2 teams in the AFC North have the same record, division record wins.

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

It can be, but it's highly unlikely. The losses in the Houston, and KC games will haunt us. As of now we lose every tiebreaker I think, because of our AFC record. But this is not set in stone as they said this past weekend on NFL Network the top 10 teams in the AFC are very close in record, but they all have more games left inter-conference then not. So that will clear up in the next few weeks. There's always that chance 4 teams bomb and only make 8-8 meaning the tiebreakers not necessary. Anything is possible, but 10-6, or 11-5 are safer bets by far.

I don't think the Houston and KC games will haunt the Bills because they're not divisional losses.

If the Bills beat Miami and the Jets to a pulp in the next two weeks, they're in business for the playoffs.

[ServoBillieves]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

Division records matter more than conference records in tie breakers.

Win-loss is #1.
Division record is #2.
Conference record is #3.

If the Bills finish at 9-7, and 2 teams in the AFC North have the same record, division record wins.

TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM

If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken.

1. If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

[Mace]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM

If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken.

1. If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

So like I said, we're looking feeble..

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

So like I said, we're looking feeble..

How so?

The fish, jets, browns, and raiders are all conference games.

[Mace]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

How so?

The fish, jets, browns, and raiders are all conference games.

Heh, past the division we'd need to win outright, we've lost head to head to fellow contenders KC, Houston, and San Diego, 10 teams have a better conference record, and it goes on.....the Jets are not in it, Fish have a better conference record and we play them at home tomorrow, Raiders are not in it, Browns have a better conference record before head to head, if you march down the list, there's a reason we're 10th and fading.

It's not impossible but increasingly unlikely. Denver, New England in NE, Miami at home tomorrow are conference games and mutual opponents for tie breakers, point differential and net points. As I said, again, it looks feeble.

What tie breakers do you think we are winning ?

[imbondz]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

listen we're getting in with a 7-9 record. book it.

[Ed]

Re: Will 9-7 Be Good Enough For A Wildcard Playoff Birth?

This time of year 9-7 always seems to feel like it won't be good enough to get in, but it usually is. There are a lot of games left that look like easy wins for certain teams, but there's also going to be plenty of upsets to come.