The Buffalo Bills put together a remarkable run to take the AFC East crown and clinch the No. 2 seed in the AFC for the 2023 NFL playoffs. As they head into their game with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wild Card Weekend, Buffalo’s path in terms of the Divisional Round of the postseason is already set.
With the assistance of the free PFN NFL Playoff Predictor, let’s examine the Bills’ playoff scenarios and potential opponents for the Divisional Round and AFC Championship Game.
What Are the Buffalo Bills’ Playoff Scenarios If They Win This Weekend?
Buffalo enters Monday knowing that if it wins, the only Divisional Round playoff scenario they have is to host the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium.
With the other two AFC Wild Card Weekend games already completed, the game between the Bills and Steelers will set the direction of the Divisional Round in stone.
MORE: How Did the Bills Win the AFC East?
The way that the NFL playoff bracket works means that the No. 1 seed hosts the lowest-remaining team from the Wild Card Round. As the No. 2 seed, Buffalo cannot be the lowest-ranked seed, so they will host the second-lowest-ranked team in the Divisional Round — if they progress through Wild Card Weekend.
If the Bills do prevail against the Steelers, they will host the Chiefs on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 6:30 p.m. ET. If they win that game, they would have the opportunity to host the AFC Championship Game if the No. 4 seed Houston Texans beat the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
Buffalo won’t be thinking about the Chiefs until they clear Pittsburgh on Monday, but when they do turn their attention to Kansas City, they’ll have mixed feelings. All-time, the Bills have a 29-24-1 record against the Chiefs — but a 2-3 postseason record.
Buffalo is 3-2 against the Chiefs in its past five meetings, including a 20-17 win on the road in Week 14 of this season. However, the two losses in that time were both postseason games, with the Bills’ path to the Super Bowl having been ended by the Chiefs in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs.
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The last of those two losses was a heartbreaking loss 42-36 when the Bills looked to have won the game with 13 seconds to go. That game even led to a change in the playoff overtime rules. Buffalo will be desperate to avenge those losses, and home advantage could be the difference here.
The last five meetings between the two teams have all been in Arrowhead Stadium, but the Bills have also lost three straight at home against the Chiefs. The last of those games was in the 2020 season during Josh Allen’s breakout campaign.
That game was notable in itself because it was moved from Thursday Night Football to Monday afternoon due to COVID protocols. The game kicked off at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, with the Chiefs winning 26-17 in a relatively tight battle that was eventually settled with a Harrison Butker field goal with two minutes remaining.
The Bills will be desperate to reverse their losing streak in playoff games with the Chiefs. Their last postseason victory against them came in 1994 when they won 30-13 in the AFC Championship Game before losing by the same score to the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!