Three weeks ago, the Bills’ ranking in the AFC was on more tumultuous ground. Buffalo was amidst a two-game losing streak to the divisional-leading Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. The Ravens clocked Buffalo, giving Sean McDermott’s squad a wake-up call.
The Bills fell in Houston by a field goal, 23-20. A 3-2 record then slotted Buffalo as the fourth seed in the AFC by virtue of leading the AFC East. The Kansas City Chiefs held the top spot in the AFC and NFL and won every game despite less-than-stellar play from perennial MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Buffalo’s first three games set things up for a fast start. The Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars could have been good or bad this year. All three teams currently sit somewhere in the middle, with Arizona leading the NFC West halfway through the season.
With eight games in the books for the 2024 season, Buffalo has righted the ship toward a path that many believed they would be on during the season.
Examining the Bills Ranking in the AFC Halfway Through the Season
A Circuitous Path to the Present
A lot can change from week to week in the NFL. One team can look like the top squad in the league in one game and then completely lay an egg the following week. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in Pittsburgh but then got leveled by the Detroit Lions 47-9 the following week in Dallas.
While the Amari Cooper trade has helped Buffalo, the results were more varied than just getting a top-level receiver. Cooper is a proven veteran, but his addition opened up the rest of the passing attack. Khalil Shakir can eat up targets from the slot and torment the second level of opposing defenses.
Keon Coleman has seen more targets, including 125 yards against the Tennesse Titans and a highlight touchdown grab and 70 yards in Seattle in Week 8. Buffalo escaped New Jersey with a 23-20 win over the Jets, but the trade can be seen as a pivotal point in the first part of the 2024 season.
The Bills Ranking vs. the Rest of the AFC
Buffalo sits atop the AFC East at 6-2 through eight games this year. The Bills have a 4-2 mark in the AFC with losses to the Ravens and Texans. While those tiebreakers work against Buffalo, other factors have shifted conference dynamics since Week 5. The current playoff picture is a bit different in Week 8.
How the playoffs would look if the season ended today. pic.twitter.com/87FddVTU1v
— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
- Kansas City (leads AFC West) – 7-0
- Houston (leads AFC South) – 6-2
- Pittsburgh (leads AFC North) – 6-2
- Buffalo (leads AFC East) – 6-2
- Denver (2nd AFC West) – 5-3
- Baltimore (2nd AFC North) – 5-3
- Los Angeles Chargers (3rd AFC West) – 4-3
Houston is 6-2 through the same eight games but is going through the turmoil Buffalo endured four weeks ago. The Texans fell to Minnesota and Green Bay, which doesn’t affect their conference record. However, after their game with the Indianapolis Colts, the AFC South leaders lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the season.
Sweeping the Colts puts the Texans even further atop their division. Houston will likely win the AFC South but played better ball to start the year. The offensive line allowed 22 sacks, including three games with four sacks each this year. In 2023, Stroud was sacked 38 times. He’s fumbled three times in 2024, losing two.
Baltimore lost to Cleveland, dropping their record to 5-3. With Mike Tomlin switching to Russell Wilson under center, the Pittsburgh Steelers currently lead the AFC North at 6-2. The passing attack looks rejuvenated, with Wilson hurling the ball downfield to George Pickens.
Put the ball right where it needed to be
: #NYGvsPIT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2
: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/0Y8tEJI6YE
— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
Buffalo may currently be the fourth seed, but they’re no longer the fourth-best team in the AFC. Houston’s losses may drop them to that spot if they’re unable to address their injury and offensive line issues.
If Pittsburgh wins the AFC North, the loss to the Ravens is less damaging for Buffalo. Things can change a lot in the final eight games of the season, but the Bills could easily claim the second or third seed. Until the Chiefs falter, no one else is assuming the top spot in the AFC.
Main Image: Tina Maclntyre-Yee – USA Today Sports
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