Josh Allen has led the Buffalo Bills to a 6-2 record, placing them at the top of the AFC East. This weekend, he has the opportunity to make history in front of Bills Mafia as they face off against their biggest rival, the Miami Dolphins. With a rushing touchdown on Sunday, Allen could move into second place for rushing touchdowns in team history. Currently, he has 56 career touchdowns, just one behind O.J. Simpson’s 57, while Thurman Thomas holds the record with 65.
Allen began the 2024 NFL season with 53 career rushing touchdowns and scored two in the Bills’ Week 1 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. However, a wrist injury, some struggles on offense, and a reduced need for him to run the ball have limited him to just one rushing touchdown in his last seven games, which was against the Jets in Week 6.
This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given that Allen is a quarterback, while the players he’s pursuing are Hall of Fame running backs. Last season, he and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts set an NFL record for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season, each scoring 15.
Week 8 was a great weekend for Buffalo Bills fans. The Bills achieved a convincing victory against an opponent that had a winning record at the time. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets continued their downward trend. The New England Patriots won, but it was at the expense of the Jets, leaving the Bills with nearly as many wins as the rest of their division combined.
Additionally, two teams ranked above Buffalo in the AFC standings lost, dropping one out of the top four, which will impact playoff home-field advantage.
After last weekend’s games, Buffalo didn’t rise in the standings but gained the opportunity to move up this week.
Week 9 kicked off with the New York Jets facing the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football. Despite the difficulty, Bills fans had a vested interest in hoping for a Jets win, which they achieved convincingly.
With the Texans losing, Buffalo climbed to third in the AFC, behind the Kansas City Chiefs (1) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2).
Here’s a look at the current AFC standings as we head into Week 9:
AFC EAST
– Buffalo Bills (6-2)
– New York Jets (3-6)
– Miami Dolphins (2-5)
– New England Patriots (2-6)
Complete AFC Playoff Picture
– Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)
– Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2, 4-1 in AFC)
– Buffalo Bills (6-2, 4-2 in AFC)
– Houston Texans (6-3, 5-1 in AFC)
– Baltimore Ravens (5-3, 2-2 in AFC)
– Denver Broncos (5-3, 2-3 in AFC)
– Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
– Indianapolis Colts (4-4)
– Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)
– New York Jets (3-6)
– Miami Dolphins (2-5)
– Cleveland Browns (2-6, 2-2 in AFC)
– Las Vegas Raiders (2-6, 2-4 in AFC)
– Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6, win over NEP)
– New England Patriots (2-6, win over NYJ)
– Tennessee Titans (1-6)
For a refresher on NFL tiebreakers, you can check last week’s update, but the short version includes head-to-head records, division wins/losses, common game records, conference records, strength of victory, and strength of schedule, followed by a coin toss if necessary. Let’s aim to avoid that situation.
Now, let’s look at which games could affect Buffalo’s standings this week.
Buffalo Bills (6-2) vs. Miami Dolphins (2-5)
– Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (CBS)
Bills fans definitely want to “Squish the Fish.” A win would mean a sweep over the Dolphins, currently in third place. Miami only held second place due to an early bye week, but with Tua Tagovailoa back, they are looking to improve.
Maintaining the head-to-head tiebreaker is crucial. A win would extend Buffalo’s division lead to over four games, potentially allowing them to clinch their fifth consecutive AFC East title before facing another divisional opponent.
If the Bills win, they will stay in third place in the AFC regardless of other game outcomes since the Steelers are inactive this week.
New York Jets (3-6) vs. Houston Texans (6-2)
– Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT (PRIME)
Despite being a divisional rival, it made sense for Bills fans to cheer for the Jets. If they can beat the Texans, it would help Buffalo. Since the Bills can’t improve their position against Houston due to a prior loss, they’ll root for any opponent facing them until there’s more separation in the standings.
Tennessee Titans (1-6) vs. New England Patriots (2-6)
– Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (FOX)
It’s satisfying to root against the Patriots, who used to dominate the AFC East. Buffalo has beaten the Titans, which is relevant for strength of victory calculations, especially considering the tight tie-breaking scenario with the Steelers.
Other AFC Games
– Denver Broncos (5-2) vs. Baltimore Ravens (5-3) – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (CBS)
– Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (FOX)
– Cleveland Browns (2-6) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (CBS)
– Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST (CBS)
– Indianapolis Colts (4-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-2) – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST (FOX)
– Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST (ESPN)
NFC Games Affecting the Bills
– Dallas Cowboys (3-4) vs. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (FOX)
– New York Giants (2-6) vs. Washington Commanders (6-2) – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST (FOX)
– Arizona Cardinals (4-4) vs. Chicago Bears (4-3) – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST (CBS)
– Detroit Lions (6-1) vs. Green Bay Packers (6-2) – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST (FOX)
– Seattle Seahawks (4-4) vs. Los Angeles Rams (3-4) – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST (FOX)
Games That Don’t Impact the Bills
– New Orleans Saints (2-6) at Carolina Panthers (1-7)
– NFL Teams on Bye: Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2), San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
If the Bills win, they will secure third place in the AFC, and with favorable outcomes from other games, they could potentially rise to second. Here’s how the AFC Playoff Picture might look if Buffalo gets the right breaks:
– Kansas City Chiefs (7-1)
– Buffalo Bills (7-2)
– Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
– Houston Texans (6-3)
– Denver Broncos (6-3)
– Baltimore Ravens (5-4)
– Los Angeles Chargers (4-4)
– Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
– Cincinnati Bengals (4-5)
– Miami Dolphins (2-6)
– Cleveland Browns (3-6)
– New York Jets (3-6)
– Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
– Tennessee Titans (2-6)
– Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)
– New England Patriots (2-7)
Now, we know which teams to support and which ones to oppose during Week 9!
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