Buffalo Bills Week 8 rooting interests

The Buffalo Bills play football this weekend, fresh off their bye week. The last time we saw them on a field it sure didn’t look look great. But that was Week 6, and this is Week 8, and we’re going to hope for a fresh start and getting our football world back on its axis.

Right now, the Bills are the AFC’s five seed and a half game (plus a tie breaker) out of first place in the AFC East. That’s not something any of us had on our Bingo cards back in September. But that doesn’t mean they can’t climb back to the top of the AFC East with things falling into place over the next couple of weeks.

So, with all that in mind, here’s a look at what the standings look like before we begin a weekend full of big games.

AFC East

1. New England Patriots (5-2)
2. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
3. Miami Dolphins (1-6)
4. New York Jets (0-7)

AFC Playoff Picture heading into Week 8

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

The Chiefs are creeping their way closer to a playoff spot but still have two division rivals ahead of them. The Bengals took a big step toward righting their ship behind Joe Flacco while they wait for December when it’s thought that Joe Burrow will return. Everyone below them in the standings is a rapidly sinking ship, so we need to hope that the Bills stay above that line at the same time as rooting against those who threaten to raise the bar.

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AFC East Week 8 Bills rooting interests

Buffalo Bills (2-4) over Carolina Panthers (4-3), Sunday 1 p.m. EDT (Fox)

This one goes without saying, but root for the Bills… in a big way. A big, dominant win would do a lot to boost morale — both in the locker room and among Bills Mafia. Nothing has been easy for Buffalo this season, and this one is not likely to be any different — but we can hope. If the Bills’ offense can return to the efficient juggernaut they were last season, they could start putting games away.

The Panthers have no idea who’s going to be their quarterback on Sunday. Bryce Young suffered an ankle injury last week and was replaced by Andy Dalton. High ankle injuries usually indicate a couple weeks out of the lineup so it was assumed it would be Dalton under center this week. But now, the Panthers are hinting that they want to see if they can get Young out there. How mobile will be be?

Will the Bills’...