So much for a stress-free Sunday of football.
Just days after the Buffalo Bills moved to 7-4 following a 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans, Buffalo found themselves getting no help in the AFC playoff standings.
Prior to losing on Thursday Night Football, Buffalo held the conference’s top Wild Card spot. They fell to No. 7 in the conference, the final Wild Card spot, after the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Arizona Cardinals in overtime. Buffalo now has the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 5) and Jaguars (No. 6) ahead of them and a few familiar teams fighting for a spot right behind them.
The three spots occupied after Buffalo are the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), Houston Texans (6-5) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-5). Houston has the head-to-head win over Buffalo after their recent matchup, but Buffalo has a head-to-head win over the Chiefs. The Steelers, meanwhile, are next on Buffalo’s schedule. That matchup, being played at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m., will either help Buffalo maintain their Wild Card status or potentially knock them into the “in the hunt” graphic.
Pittsburgh enters the game after dropping a 31-28 matchup to the Chicago Bears. It was quite the effort by Pittsburgh as they were without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but they fell short on the road. Following the loss, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated that Rodgers is expected to play against Buffalo.
Pittsburgh plays their best football at home. They are currently 4-2 this season at Acrisure Stadium. Buffalo, like Pittsburgh, plays its best football at home. The Bills’ record on the road this season is 2-3. If the Bills make the playoffs, it will likely be as a Wild Card team so Buffalo needs to start winning on the road. Their first test will be on Sunday against Pittsburgh. With plenty riding on the game, Buffalo needs to show that they can handle the challenges that come with playing away from Highmark Stadium.
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