Bills playoff picture: Clinching scenarios for ‘Monday Night Football’

The Buffalo Bills can clinch their playoff spot during Monday Night Football when the Indianapolis Colts face the San Francisco 49ers. Bills players and fans will be curled up in their house all warm and cozy while in Indy, two playoff hopefuls battle it out.

Updated AFC standings

1. Denver Broncos 12-3 (clinched playoff berth)
2. New England Patriots 12-3 (clinched playoff berth)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars 11-4
4. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-6
5. Los Angeles Chargers 11-4
6. Buffalo Bills 11-4
7. Houston Texans 10-5
8. Indianapolis Colts 8-6
9. Baltimore Ravens 7-8

How the Bills can clinch a playoff spot

Now that Buffalo has 11 wins, they need one of the teams in the AFC wild card picture to pick up their seventh loss to secure a playoff spot. If the Colts lose Monday, their best possible record would be 10-7 and they would be unable to match or pass Buffalo.

A Colts would also secure playoff spots for the Jaguars and Chargers for the same reason.

How the Bills can clinch a playoff spot if the Colts win on Monday night

Buffalo can’t clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 if the Colts beat the 49ers. Buffalo would need to win either of their remaining games against the Philadelphia Eagles or New York Jets OR the Indianapolis Colts would have to lose one of their final two games against the Jaguars and Texans.

The Bills would also clinch a playoff spot if the Texans lose their final two games to the Chargers and Colts.

The doomsday scenario would have the Chargers, Colts, Jaguars, and Texans all make the playoffs at 11-6 or better with the Bills on the outside looking in due to a tiebreaker.