5 Team AFC Wildcard Race

[BillsImpossible]

http://www.nfl.com/standings

Division winners look like a lock.

New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver.

5 teams are battling for 2 wildcard playoff spots.

Steelers 4-3
Jets 4-2
Raiders 3-3
Dolphins 3-3
Bills 3-4

9 games remain. The Steelers still have to play the Bengals twice, Seattle and Denver.
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=PIT

10 games remain. The Jets still have to play the Bills twice, the Giants, Miami, and New England again.
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=NYJ

10 games remain. The Raiders have a difficult schedule ahead.
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=OAK

10 games remain. The Dolphins have the most difficult remaining schedule, but Week 17 against the Pats probably won't mean much to the Patriots.
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=MIA

9 games remain. The Bills have the, "easiest," schedule out of all 5 teams.
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=BUF

Looking like 9-7 will be good enough to get in to the playoffs this year.

Divisional games matter most.

Steelers, Raiders, Dolphins, Jets and Bills.

Pick 2.

Steelers (5th seed), Bills (6th seed).

[Mr. Pink]

The Bills are more likely to lose the rest of their games than to make the playoffs.

If you think this squad in the tailspin that they are in are gonna go on a run where they win 7 of 9 games you're in fantasy land.

[Scumbag College]

Get healthy and win the first two games against the Phins and Jets after the bye...then we can daydream about this being a potential playoff team.

[BillsImpossible]

The Bills are more likely to lose the rest of their games than to make the playoffs.

If you think this squad in the tailspin that they are in are gonna go on a run where they win 7 of 9 games you're in fantasy land.

6 out of 9 with a healthy and well rested Taylor, Watkins, Harvin, Henderson, Karlos Williams, and Miller is not dreaming.

7 out of 9 is fantasy land, yes, but it's not impossible in today's NFL.

Had the Bills been totally healthy for the entire season so far, they'd be in the Wildcard drivers seat right now.

[EDS]

6 out of 9 with a healthy and well rested Taylor, Watkins, Harvin, Henderson, Karlos Williams, and Miller is not dreaming.

7 out of 9 is fantasy land, yes, but it's not impossible in today's NFL.

Had the Bills been totally healthy for the entire season so far, they'd be in the Wildcard drivers seat right now.

Would they? What if Rothlisberger, Pouncey and the rest of the Steelers were healty for the entire season?

[BillsImpossible]

Would they? What if Rothlisberger, Pouncey and the rest of the Steelers were healty for the entire season?

They would probably have a better record than they have today, just like the Bills.

What's your point?

[Uncle Jesse]

I've said all along, 9-7 will get you in this year. The only way this happens for us, is we get most everyone back next weekend, especially Taylor and Watkins. (Miller should def be back, obv.)

[Skooby]

Phins look much better than us now, so I'd like to see how we do against them before even thinking about this. We couldn't beat the Jags on a neutral field, so this seems like a dream.

[chris66]

Bills havent strung consecutive wins yet this year and you expect them to go 7-2 down the stretch.
Right now Miami has a better shot than the Bills.

[Pinkerton Security]

Phins look much better than us now, so I'd like to see how we do against them before even thinking about this. We couldn't beat the Jags on a neutral field, so this seems like a dream.

Its crazy how we can literally destroy the Phins and Colts, yet a couple weeks later the Phins do look better than us.

I do think once we get healthy (mostly Tyrod, Sammy, Karlos and John Miller) we will be a much better team. I feel like our D is getting gassed from being on the field so long since our O can't put together a drive to save their lives.

[Topas]

I think we are more close to the race for the first overall pick than we are to the playoffs...

[Victor7]

The fact that we have the easiest schedule scares the **** out of me. You just know the Bills specialize in making the possible impossible.

[Bill Cody]

Playoffs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE)

[sukie]

Of all the teams we play of this so called "easy" schedule, How many don't consider their schedule easy because it contains "Buffalo"?

[Ed]

I'm not sure I buy the Dolphins suddenly being a good team again just because they beat a couple terrible teams coming off of their bye. I think they'll get smacked back to reality tomorrow night. I'm assuming/hoping the Bills will be a lot healthier when they host the fins, and I still expect a win if that's the case. At that point the fins would be 3-5 and have lost the tie-breaker with the Bills. With a tough remaining schedule they would almost be out of it.

I expect the Raiders to start fading quickly and drop out of the playoff discussion, but I'll be rooting for them to beat the Jets and Steelers over the next couple weeks.

The Steelers have a pretty tough schedule and I still think their defense is bad. Not sure when Big Ben will be back, but will he even be 100%? Either way I'm expecting them to lose this weekend.

The Jets are in a good spot at 4-2 and seem to have an easier schedule. I would give them the best chance to make it right now, but it's just really hard to envision Fitzpatrick and Gailey helping to lead a rival to the playoffs.

The Bills season so far has been a big disappointment for me and I can't say I like our chances at 3-4, but I'm not going to act like this team can't beat anybody because EJ and a number of backups lost a game in London. I really just want to see what this offense can do with Tyrod and everyone else healthy. I don't know what to expect from the D, but I still like our players and I like Rex as a defensive coach, so I have a difficult time believing that they can't get their **** together and improve.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm not sure I buy the Dolphins suddenly being a good team again just because they beat a couple terrible teams coming off of their bye. I think they'll get smacked back to reality tomorrow night. I'm assuming/hoping the Bills will be a lot healthier when they host the fins, and I still expect a win if that's the case. At that point the fins would be 3-5 and have lost the tie-breaker with the Bills. With a tough remaining schedule they would almost be out of it.

I expect the Raiders to start fading quickly and drop out of the playoff discussion, but I'll be rooting for them to beat the Jets and Steelers over the next couple weeks.

The Steelers have a pretty tough schedule and I still think their defense is bad. Not sure when Big Ben will be back, but will he even be 100%? Either way I'm expecting them to lose this weekend.

The Jets are in a good spot at 4-2 and seem to have an easier schedule. I would give them the best chance to make it right now, but it's just really hard to envision Fitzpatrick and Gailey helping to lead a rival to the playoffs.

The Bills season so far has been a big disappointment for me and I can't say I like our chances at 3-4, but I'm not going to act like this team can't beat anybody because EJ and a number of backups lost a game in London. I really just want to see what this offense can do with Tyrod and everyone else healthy. I don't know what to expect from the D, but I still like our players and I like Rex as a defensive coach, so I have a difficult time believing that they can't get their **** together and improve.

[Dozerdog]

Jacksonville was supposed to be easy

[YardRat]

Jacksonville was supposed to be easy

/end thread

[BrianCarr]

Jacksonville was supposed to be easyThere are no "easy" teams.

[swiper]

The Bills appear to be the only easy team.

[sudzy]

The Bills just lost to Jacksonville. There is no such thing as an easy schedule after that.

[BillsImpossible]

It's not easy to win against any NFL team with half of your team's starting offense on the mend.

A 3-4 record looks bad, but I think the Bills record is a bit deceiving at this point.

If the Bills get healthy, winning games will get a lot easier.

[don137]

The next two games will set the tone for the rest of the season. However, if EJ starts another game the season is over. If you can't overcome EJ's mistakes to beat the worst team in football then the chances of beating any decent team is slim.

[Meathead]

if i was confident we could get early season tyrod the rest of the way i think they could reasonably get the six or seven wins they need from here on out. but with his injury and his recent lackluster play when not running thats a lot more hard to visualize. and after that disaster with a nice second half rebound but still didnt get it done against the worst team in the league, it appears ej really is nothing more than a decent backup who will hurt more than help if you have to start him too many times

so honestly getting those six/seven wins just feels like a bridge too far right now. hope im wrong. but i probably wont be

[jamze132]

Gees.

I bet we win 2-3 games tops the rest of the season. I'd LOVE to be wrong but I'm hardly ever.

[Bill Cody]

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts the Bills would have a Merry Christmas

[swiper]

It's a testament to the poor quality of the league, and their goal for parity, that a team as bad as the Bills have been, are in the race for the play-offs. They want more teams in the play-offs? I just want to see good football. And unless your a Bronco, Packer, Patriot or Bengal there hasn't been an awful lot to go around. Are the Panthers using smoke and mirrors?

Roger Goodell has been bad for the NFL for so many reasons.

[stuckincincy]

Sunday's OAK, HOU, and KC wins didn't help. Let's hope for an IND loss against CAR tonight.

Playoff picture:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace

[Ed]

Sunday's OAK, HOU, and KC wins didn't help. Let's hope for an IND loss against CAR tonight.

Playoff picture:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace
I'm glad Oakland beat the Jets. It gives the Bills the chance to move ahead of the Jets now if they win their next two. Overall I think this weekend went really well for the Bills. The Jets, Steelers, and Fins all started the week ahead of the Bills and all three teams lost. And now Pitt has a pretty abysmal conference record of 1-4. San Diego losing at Baltimore just about knocks them out at 2-6. I guess having KC and Houston both lose would have been the perfect scenario since they both would have dropped to 2-6 also, but they're both still playing serious catch up at 3-5. I don't know that Indy losing tonight really means much to the Bills since someone has to win the South.

If the Bills beat the Fins this week they'll move ahead of whoever loses the Pitt/Oakland game and could move ahead of the Jets if they somehow lose to the Jags.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Sunday's OAK, HOU, and KC wins didn't help. Let's hope for an IND loss against CAR tonight.

Playoff picture:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace

The NY-OAK game was kind of a wash since we are in competition with both of them.

Houston is garbage and their season is basically over. They may not win another game outside their own division.

Kansas City might gain some steam but at least we get to play them later to hopefully take the H2H.

And as said above Indianapolis is irrelevant since they are almost certainly winning their division.

[stuckincincy]

The NY-OAK game was kind of a wash since we are in competition with both of them.

Houston is garbage and their season is basically over. They may not win another game outside their own division.

Kansas City might gain some steam but at least we get to play them later to hopefully take the H2H.

And as said above Indianapolis is irrelevant since they are almost certainly winning their division.

I was glad to see OAK win, making them both 4 - 3. Plus BUF has two whacks at the Jets.

[Ed]

I wanted the Raiders to win yesterday because I thought the Jets were the better team and have an easier schedule, but Oakland looked pretty good yesterday and the Fitzpatrick injury could really change the Jets season. Either way I still think the Raiders are going to lose quite a few games down the stretch and the Bills have to take care of the Jets on their own if they want to grab a WC spot.

It looks like the early odds have the Bills as -3 over the fins, Steelers are -5 over the Raiders, and Jets are -2.5 over the Jags.

[Skooby]

I like when the Jets lose, it's disparaging for them & should help the Bills beat them (twice).

[BillsImpossible]

If the Bills beat the Dolphins, sweep the Jets, and lose in New England, they will have a 4-2 division record.

Remaining schedule:

Dolphins
at Jets
at New England
at Chiefs
Texans
at Eagles
at Washington
Cowboys
Jets

Current Records:

Steelers 4-4
Raiders 4-3
Jets 4-3
Bills 3-4
Dolphins 3-4

If the Bills win, Miami will be 0-4 in the AFC East.

[BillsImpossible]

Dolphins 3-4
at Jets 4-3
at New England 7-0
at Chiefs 3-5
Texans 3-5
at Eagles 3-4
at Washington 3-4
Cowboys 2-5
Jets *

28 combined wins vs. 30 combined losses.

* not counting the Jets record twice.

The Jets went from boom to bust in 1 week. They were great two weeks ago, and now they're Alpo.

It's absolutely amazing how 1 game can change a team's entire season in the NFL.

[Uncle Jesse]

Phins look much better than us now, so I'd like to see how we do against them before even thinking about this. We couldn't beat the Jags on a neutral field, so this seems like a dream.

I'm gonna guess our roster looks a litter different Sunday than it did in London. Players generally matter.

[Uncle Jesse]

Gees.

I bet we win 2-3 games tops the rest of the season. I'd LOVE to be wrong but I'm hardly ever.

Ooooo, I want action on this. Any amount of money, you pick. Bills win 4 or more the rest of the way, I win. If not, you win. What price???

[Mr. Pink]

Ooooo, I want action on this. Any amount of money, you pick. Bills win 4 or more the rest of the way, I win. If not, you win. What price???

Oddly enough, I think this team is only winning 4 more games.

[yordad]

Call me crazy, but I think the Bills are the best team on that list.

Steelers 4-3
Jets 4-2
Raiders 3-3
Dolphins 3-3
Bills 3-4

[BuffaloRedleg]

Parity

[BillsImpossible]

Oakland vs. Pittsburgh

Who should Bills fans route for in this game?

Probably the Raiders, but not sure.

[stuckincincy]

Oakland vs. Pittsburgh

Who should Bills fans route for in this game?

Probably the Raiders, but not sure.

PGH is currently 4-4 and OAK is 4-3. Oak is 4-2 in the AFC, PIT is 1-4.

Go with PIT.