Buffalo Bills Week 10 rooting interests: The Bills are firmly in control

We can officially start a countdown to seeing Buffalo get that “z” next to their name in the NFL standings.

Not everything went the Buffalo Bills’ way in Week 9, but enough did that they’re sitting in a very favorable position — the two seed — as we start the second half of the 2024 NFL season. Losses by both the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, plus a bye for the Pittsburgh Steelers were stacked on top of Buffalo’s win — via a 61-yard field goal from Tyler Bass — last week. Now, the Bills control all but one race for the top seeds in the AFC.

Now Buffalo is on a (very short) countdown to claiming their fifth-straight AFC crown and a couple of wins (and one team helping) away from being able to sit on top of the entire conference. While it’s a tall order, it’s possible and not unthinkable.

Here’s a look at the current AFC standings as we enter Week 10.

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (7-2)
2. New York Jets (3-6)
3. Miami Dolphins (2-6)
4. New England Patriots (2-7)

Complete AFC Playoff Picture

1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)
2. Buffalo Bills (7-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
4. Houston Texans (6-3)
5. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
7. Denver Broncos (5-4)
8. Indianapolis Colts (4-5, 3-3 in AFC)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-5, 2-3 in AFC)
10. New York Jets (3-6)
11. Tennessee Titans (2-6, win over MIA)
12. Miami Dolphins (2-6, loss to MIA)
13. Cleveland Browns (2-7, 2-3 in AFC)
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7, 2-4 in AFC)
15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7, 2-5 in AFC, .444 SOV)
16. New England Patriots (2-7, 2-5 in AFC, .389 SOV)

Just a quick reminder before we dive into this week’s games: the Bills do not have any positive tie-breaker scenarios should they end up in a tie with either Houston or Baltimore at the end of the season. Head-to-head matchups are number one on the list of ways that the NFL breaks ties in the standings (Need a refresher? Go back two weeks and read up here). That means, that we need the Texans and Ravens to lose as often as possible.

In regard to other playoff contenders, the Bills do not face off against the Steelers, Chargers, or Broncos before the end of the regular season. While it’s unlikely that Denver or Los Angeles usurp the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West and just as unlikely that the Bills lose their stronghold on top of the AFC East, the possibility is still mathematically there.

That means that, not only are we rooting for them to lose each week, we have to pay attention to common opponents and Strength of Victory (SOV) scores — at least until there is enough distance between this trio of AFC teams and the Bills.

So, now that we know what our priorities are, let’s look at what games are important to the future fate...