NFL Week 14 takeaways: Bills playoff bound? How far can Joe Flacco take the Browns?
1 year ago

NFL Week 14 takeaways: Bills playoff bound? How far can Joe Flacco take the Browns?

New York Times  

Cover 7 | Sunday A daily NFL destination that provides in-depth analysis of football’s biggest stories. GO DEEPER Joe Flacco's renaissance pushes Browns to win over Jaguars Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens survived the Los Angeles Rams in overtime to take the lead in the race for the AFC’s top seed, a half-game ahead of the Miami Dolphins, who play the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. I said last week when the Browns lost to the Rams that it was one of the best passing games I’ve seen from a Browns quarterback in a long time. But making the playoffs will hinge largely on a team’s ability to make plays on offense and defense and limit mistakes, so the Bucs rank slightly higher on my confidence meter. GO DEEPER What we learned in NFL Week 14: The Cowboys make a statement, the Chiefs are frustrated and more GO DEEPER Joe Flacco has found comfort in leading a Browns team he's learning on the fly “The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now.

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History of this topic

NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Bills, Eagles peaking, plus worst-case scenarios
2 weeks, 6 days ago

NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Bills, Eagles peaking, plus worst-case scenarios

New York Times  

The Week 14 NFL Power Rankings don’t want to be a downer, but since we did best-case scenarios last week, it’s only fair to consider the worst-case scenarios for all 32 teams. Up next: vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. Buffalo Bills Last week: 3 Sunday: Beat San Francisco 49ers 35-10 Worst-case scenario: Derrick Henry going wild in the playoffs …

NFL Week 13: Steelers-Bengals and 4 more games with biggest impact on playoff odds
3 weeks, 5 days ago

NFL Week 13: Steelers-Bengals and 4 more games with biggest impact on playoff odds

New York Times  

Thanksgiving is here, and that means it’s time to really start diving into the NFL playoff picture. So, let’s get started: Team Current playoff odds Playoff odds with win Playoff odds with loss Dolphins 32.8% 49.2% 23.2% Packers 93.9% 96.5% 89.5% The Dolphins have the third-highest swing in playoffs odds going into Week 13 at 26%. GO DEEPER NFL best …

Bills Prepare to Host Rival Dolphins in Intense AFC East Showdown
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Bills Prepare to Host Rival Dolphins in Intense AFC East Showdown

Associated Press  

The Miami Dolphins are looking to bounce back from a tough 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in their next game. The Bills are coming off a 13-1 record and are looking to extend their winning streak against the Dolphins. The game will be televised on CBS and has a spread of 6. The Dolphins will be without starting safety …

Bills and Steelers, both counted out a month ago, to meet in playoffs after late-season rallies
11 months, 1 week ago

Bills and Steelers, both counted out a month ago, to meet in playoffs after late-season rallies

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Stefon Diggs can’t speak to how Buffalo’s opening-round playoff opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, turned around their season and secured the AFC’s seventh and final playoff berth on the final weekend. “Four more” is what Diggs whispered into quarterback Josh Allen’s ear on Sunday, after the Bills capped an unlikely run by beating Miami. “That’s been the …

QB Joe Flacco’s road success in playoffs gives Browns boost as they visit Texans in AFC wild card
11 months, 1 week ago

QB Joe Flacco’s road success in playoffs gives Browns boost as they visit Texans in AFC wild card

Associated Press  

BEREA, Ohio — Joe Flacco knows the ins and outs, the perils and pitfalls of the road in the NFL playoffs as well as anyone. As Cleveland’s quarterback and his new-ish teammates prepare for Saturday’s AFC wild-card game in Houston, Flacco’s experience — and success — on the road in the postseason is giving the Browns an extra boost of …

Bills show ability to overcome their flaws by rolling into playoff meeting against Steelers
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Bills show ability to overcome their flaws by rolling into playoff meeting against Steelers

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Let’s dispense with predictions, because enough people — Buffalo Bills fans included — already have been proven wrong by a team that has defied the odds and the eye test by earning a playoff berth, never mind the AFC’s No. All it takes for proof is the montage of national media naysayers spliced together in a …

Analysis: Bills, Cowboys were the NFL’s biggest winners in Week 18, securing the No. 2 seeds
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Analysis: Bills, Cowboys were the NFL’s biggest winners in Week 18, securing the No. 2 seeds

Associated Press  

On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. Matthew Stafford watched Carson Wentz lead the Rams to a comeback win over the 49ers to clinch the NFC’s sixth seed. Lions coach Dan Campbell said “it’s not good news ” but not as bad as it seemed when LaPorta was carted to the locker room. The …

NFL playoffs schedule, TV and streaming options for wild-card weekend: Full bracket
11 months, 2 weeks ago

NFL playoffs schedule, TV and streaming options for wild-card weekend: Full bracket

New York Times  

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will return to Detroit for a wild-card round matchup against his former team in primetime, with the Lions quarterbacked by Jared Goff, a former Ram. Here’s a look at how it all shakes out: NFC matchups The Green Bay Packers snagged the final wild-card berth by beating the Chicago Bears for the 10th consecutive …

Everything you need to know about the 2023-24 NFL playoffs, from how to watch to tiebreakers
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Everything you need to know about the 2023-24 NFL playoffs, from how to watch to tiebreakers

New York Times  

Three … two … one … happy 2024 NFL playoffs! Fourteen of the league’s 32 teams get to take their shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy, with seven teams — the four division winners and three wild-card teams — from each conference surviving Week 18. The Baltimore Ravens cruised past the Miami Dolphins to clinch the top spot in the …

Bills looking to clinch AFC East, playoff berth against a Dolphins team they’ve dominated recently
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Bills looking to clinch AFC East, playoff berth against a Dolphins team they’ve dominated recently

Associated Press  

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The only thing that stands in the way of a fourth straight AFC East title for the Buffalo Bills is a Miami Dolphins team they’ve beaten nine times in their past 10 meetings. “It’s been survive and advance, win or go home.” There’s much more at stake this week than when the Bills beat Miami 48-20 …

NFL Week 18 playoff standings and projections: Which teams have best chance to make postseason?
11 months, 3 weeks ago

NFL Week 18 playoff standings and projections: Which teams have best chance to make postseason?

New York Times  

The Bills’ win over the Dolphins on Sunday Night Football clinched the AFC East title and finalized the AFC playoff matchups. You can find the full wild-card weekend schedule here. Clinched playoff berth NFC 1. Texans “The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now.

Bills set up AFC East-deciding finale at Miami with 27-21 win over Patriots
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Bills set up AFC East-deciding finale at Miami with 27-21 win over Patriots

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills acquired cornerback Rasul Douglas at the trade deadline to shore up a depleted defense and reverse the team’s slide in the standings. “I don’t know what we gave up to get him,” safety Micah Hyde said of the deal in which Buffalo also acquired a fifth-round draft pick by sending a third-round selection …

QB Joe Flacco’s improbable comeback with Cleveland has Browns in playoffs, eyeing bigger wins
11 months, 3 weeks ago

QB Joe Flacco’s improbable comeback with Cleveland has Browns in playoffs, eyeing bigger wins

Associated Press  

CLEVELAND — In a surreal moment seemingly clipped from a Disney movie, Joe Flacco stood on the field and posed for a family photo with his wife, Dana, and their five children as delirious Browns fans serenaded them with chants of “M-V-P, M-V-P.” Welcome to Cleveland. Another chapter was added to the NFL’s most improbable story of 2023 Thursday night …

Joe Flacco throws 3 TD passes and Browns clinch unlikely spot in playoffs with 37-20 win over Jets
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Joe Flacco throws 3 TD passes and Browns clinch unlikely spot in playoffs with 37-20 win over Jets

Associated Press  

CLEVELAND — Joe Flacco has turned a seemingly cursed season into a charmed one. Cleveland’s quarterback for just over a month, Flacco passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns and the Browns clinched an unlikely playoff berth — just their second since 2002 — despite numerous injuries this season with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets on Thursday …

Surging Bills can’t ease up with Belichick’s Patriots up next, having lost to them already
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Surging Bills can’t ease up with Belichick’s Patriots up next, having lost to them already

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Forget the myriad scenarios — 14 in total — that would give the Buffalo Bills their fifth consecutive playoff berth if they beat or tie New England on Sunday. “The one thing I’ve learned in this league is to expect the unexpected,” Morse said, dismissing speculation about Belichick’s tenure ending in New England after 24 seasons. …

Joe Flacco’s revival in Cleveland has the Browns on the verge of clinching a playoff spot
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Joe Flacco’s revival in Cleveland has the Browns on the verge of clinching a playoff spot

Associated Press  

BEREA, Ohio — When they signed Joe Flacco in near desperation last month, the Browns hoped the veteran quarterback could keep them in the playoff mix. He’s really steadied the ship and we’ve been thankful to have him.” Deshaun Watson returned to the Browns’ facility on Tuesday for the first time since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. As fate would have …

The Bills look like playoff contenders again. Now they have to prove it over their final 3 games
1 year ago

The Bills look like playoff contenders again. Now they have to prove it over their final 3 games

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Given up for done after consecutive losses in early November, the Buffalo Bills have their fans clambering back onto the bandwagon and checking out the latest playoff projection simulators to verify what their eyes apparently fail to see: a bona fide contender. And the team could have made it easier by not blowing late leads to …

What we learned in NFL Week 15: Beware the Ravens and Bills, trouble in Pittsburgh and more
1 year ago

What we learned in NFL Week 15: Beware the Ravens and Bills, trouble in Pittsburgh and more

New York Times  

In Orchard Park, N.Y., the Bills put the rest of the AFC on notice. Here’s all that stood out from Week 15, and an updated look at the playoff picture in the AFC and NFC: Ravens stay in front in AFC Somehow, it seems, the Ravens have flown under the radar this season, overshadowed in their own conference by Miami’s …

NFL playoff picture after Week 15: Eagles fall to Seahawks, lose control over NFC’s top seed
1 year ago

NFL playoff picture after Week 15: Eagles fall to Seahawks, lose control over NFC’s top seed

New York Times  

Read the latest on the NFL playoff picture. Remaining schedule: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, vs. Carolina Panthers, at Tennessee Titans Odds: To make playoffs: 72.6 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 2 percent Cleveland Browns Quarterback Joe Flacco, who turns 39 next month, has eclipsed 300 yards in back-to-back games, and he’s thrown for …

Joe Flacco has found comfort in leading a Browns team he’s learning on the fly
1 year ago

Joe Flacco has found comfort in leading a Browns team he’s learning on the fly

New York Times  

The Cleveland Browns have a starting quarterback for the rest of the season. After he threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s win over a Jacksonville Jaguars team Cleveland could see again in the playoffs, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski conceded that Flacco would be the starter. “I appreciate you guys having me.” “It had gotten to the point …

Bills enter their bye week at 6-6 and stinging from a series of close calls and late-game collapses
1 year ago

Bills enter their bye week at 6-6 and stinging from a series of close calls and late-game collapses

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It’s not one thing that has led to the Buffalo Bills’ struggles with closing out victories this season. And that leaves coach Sean McDermott using the team’s long-awaited bye week off to come up with some necessary solutions if the inconsistent Bills intend to mount a late-season playoff push. “We’re this close.” And yet, the three-time …

What we learned in NFL Week 12: Colts, Broncos flip the AFC playoff script and more
1 year ago

What we learned in NFL Week 12: Colts, Broncos flip the AFC playoff script and more

New York Times  

A year ago at this time, the Denver Broncos were mired in a five-game losing streak. Whether the Broncos and Colts remain contenders in a crowded AFC playoff race will reveal itself over the coming weeks, but their surprising revivals this season — coupled with that of the Houston Texans, who despite a loss Sunday are 6-5 and in the …

Inconsistent Bills have already surpassed last season’s loss total
1 year, 1 month ago

Inconsistent Bills have already surpassed last season’s loss total

Associated Press  

CINCINNATI — The Buffalo Bills entered their prime-time matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals holding an early playoff spot in the AFC. We didn’t do enough things right tonight to win.” And it cost the Bills a chance to tie the Dolphins for first place in the AFC East after Miami lost to Kansas City earlier Sunday. It was a rematch …

What we learned in NFL Week 4: Contending Bills, slumping Steelers and a rookie QB shines
1 year, 2 months ago

What we learned in NFL Week 4: Contending Bills, slumping Steelers and a rookie QB shines

New York Times  

Forty minutes after one of the finest afternoons of his successful, seven-year tenure in Buffalo, Bills coach Sean McDermott sat at the postgame dais and praised his team’s preparation and performance. Here’s what we learned from the afternoon slate of games in Week 4: Josh Allen and the Bills make a statement The marquee game of the NFL’s fourth weekend …

NFL playoff picture in Week 18: Seahawks clinch with Packers loss to Lions
1 year, 11 months ago

NFL playoff picture in Week 18: Seahawks clinch with Packers loss to Lions

New York Times  

Half of the 14-team NFL playoff field features teams that didn’t make the postseason last year, and two of those teams, the Dolphins and Seahawks, entered Week 18 needing help from other teams to get into the tournament. Odds: To win conference: 31.9 percent | To win Super Bowl: 16.3 percent The Bills’ 35-23 win against the Patriots means a …

Potential expanded NFL playoffs impact: Jets, Commanders, Saints back in mix
1 year, 11 months ago

Potential expanded NFL playoffs impact: Jets, Commanders, Saints back in mix

New York Times  

The NFL is still trying to figure out how to proceed after Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest resulted in the cancellation of Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game, a matchup between two AFC heavyweights that carries heavy playoff implications. Current playoff teams Entering Week 18, there are 11 NFL teams that have already clinched playoff berths under the seven-team postseason format. That …

AFC-leading Bills overcome elements, beat White, Jets 20-12
2 years ago

AFC-leading Bills overcome elements, beat White, Jets 20-12

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Greg Rousseau and the Buffalo Bills didn’t want to let down Von Miller. “We knew we’ve got to step up,” said Rousseau, who had two sacks and forced a fumble in the same week the Bills learned Miller would miss the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair a torn right knee ligament. “We …

NFL playoff picture after Week 14: Patriots hang tight with league’s toughest schedule ahead
2 years ago

NFL playoff picture after Week 14: Patriots hang tight with league’s toughest schedule ahead

New York Times  

Week 14 has featured a loss for one team in the hunt for a No. Remaining schedule: at Chargers, vs. Texans, vs. Cowboys, at Jaguars Odds: To make playoffs: 88.3 percent | To earn bye: 0.0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 4.0 percent Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals didn’t have Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd or Hayden Hurst, but they still …

Bills-Patriots kick off week filled with playoff-type games
2 years ago

Bills-Patriots kick off week filled with playoff-type games

Associated Press  

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills head to New England looking for their first division win of the season. The Bills already lost to Miami and the New York Jets and will face all three of their division rivals over the next three weeks as the jumbled AFC East has a chance to send four teams to the playoffs. BEST …

Bills beat Browns 31-23 after snow shifts game to Motor City
2 years, 1 month ago

Bills beat Browns 31-23 after snow shifts game to Motor City

Associated Press  

DETROIT — The Buffalo Bills dug out of their snowy homes and got their groove back in the Motor City. Josh Allen threw a go-ahead, 5-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs late in the first half and Buffalo beat the Cleveland Browns 31-23 on Sunday after the NFL moved the Bills’ home game due to several feet of snow blanketing …

Bills clinch AFC East title with 27-10 win over Jets
2 years, 11 months ago

Bills clinch AFC East title with 27-10 win over Jets

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Safety Jordan Poyer and the Buffalo Bills persevered through a bumpy season to put themselves in a position to win their second consecutive AFC East title. Everybody just came into work every day and just worked.” In essentially bookending their season with a four-game winning streak to match their 4-0 run from Weeks 2-5, the Bills …

Allen’s uncertain status clouds Bills’ playoff chances
3 years ago

Allen’s uncertain status clouds Bills’ playoff chances

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The mere sight of Josh Allen limping into the post-game interview room with his left foot in a protective boot cast an ominous cloud over the Bills’ hopes of remaining in the playoff picture in the final four weeks of the season. A day later on Monday, coach Sean McDermott was unable to shed much light …

Bills appear in denial as playoff hopes begin to sink
3 years ago

Bills appear in denial as playoff hopes begin to sink

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills appear to be in denial identifying their shortcomings and the challenges ahead in staying afloat in the AFC playoff picture. Though the signs have been apparent for much of the season, the lack of self-awareness became evident following a 14-10 loss to New England on Monday night, when the Bills withered in the …

Bills not content with first AFC East title in 25 years
4 years ago

Bills not content with first AFC East title in 25 years

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Defensive end Jerry Hughes was so caught up in the euphoria of the Bills clinching their first division title in 25 years, the team’s longest-tenured player missed what was printed on the front of the championship T-shirt. That’s why we’re able to accomplish such great things.” The Bills have won seven of eight to stop New …

Resurgent Bills narrow in on 1st AFC East title since 1995
4 years ago

Resurgent Bills narrow in on 1st AFC East title since 1995

Associated Press  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Brandon Beane could have easily stayed in Carolina, where he spent 19 years working his way up the Panthers’ front-office ranks, if only because it felt comfortable and safe. And I think at the end of the day, hopefully, we can get that done this year.” What appeared unimaginable in January 2017— when the Bills were …

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