Bills' Playoff Scenarios

[JDG]

Well, so far today, the Bills have gotten the three wins today that they absolutely needed to have.... the Bills hung on for dear life against Miami, the Bengals launched a miracle comeback to get their first road win over an opponent with a winning record since, get this, 1990!!!!!, the Chargers held on as the clock ran out on the Broncos, and Jax's 60-yard field goal drifted, get this, "wide right" as time expired. Its too bad that the Jets won, but you can't have everything....

 

So.... here's the outlook for the Bills

 

1) Bills need to win vs. Cleveland, @Cincinnati, @San Francisco,to go to

9-6 and set up a showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the final weekend

of the NFL Season.

 

The Bills will be very heavy favorites against the Browns and 49ers, against what are probably the worst two teams in football at this point. I fully expect it to be a real wild one in the five-way chili city.

 

2) Ravens need to go 2-2 or worse vs. NY Giants, @Indianapolis,

@Pittsburgh, and vs. Miami.

 

Road games against the Colts and Steelers look like our best bet, though

the Ravens are capable of winning either of those.

 

3) Broncos need to go 2-2 or worse vs. Miami, @Kansas City, @Tennessee, and

vs. Indianapolis.

 

The Colts could be locked into their playoff spot by the last week of the

season, so maybe an upset by Miami and a road loss could spare us having to

wait for a long afternoon on the final Sunday.

 

4) Jaguars need to go 3-1 or worse vs. Chicago, @Green Bay,

vs, Houston, and @Oakland

 

So there you have it, 4 Bills Wins, 2 Ravens Losses, 2 Broncos Losses, 1 Jaguars Loss, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree and the Bills could be in the playoffs!

 

5) The wildcard is the Jets... if the Jets lose to the Pats and any two of their remaining three games, we can sneak into the playoffs without catching one of the Broncos, Ravens, or Jaguars.

 

JDG

[YOOOOOO]

If the Jets go 1-3, we have the tiebreaker(assuming the one win isnt against the Pats.....

 

 

@PITT, SEA, NE, @STL

 

If those damn NFC teams can get it back together....It's not impossible...

[Typical TBD Guy]

Its too bad that the Jets won, but you can't have everything....  now, the only way the Bills catch the Jets is if the Jets go 0-4 down the stretch, which I'm going to assume doesn't happen.

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Actually, the Jets can still win 1 more as long as it isn't against the Patriots.

[udonkey]

I love it.

 

To think, some people wanted us to throw in the towel after week 5.

 

THIS is why I continue to love the Bills (and the NFL)!!

[JDG]

Thanks to Greg d'Ville for catching one error on the schedule.... I've corrected it.

 

Thanks also to Yoooo and Kelso for catching me on the Jets. Somehow I was convinced that Conference Record was applied before common games. I guess I should have looked it up more recently than last year. I've fixed that part too.....

 

JDG

[Rubes]

Basically, we need to hope that:

 

Denver loses at least two more (possible, but not that great)

Baltimore loses at least two more (very possible)

Jacksonville loses just one more (very possible)

 

and/or

 

the Jets lose three of four (possible, but not that great)

 

 

and, of course, that we win out (which would also eliminate Cincy)

[BuffOrange]

Is it possible to hate the Pats anymore? It might be, if they lose the ONE time we want them to win. That won't happen though, will it? Personally I see the Jets losing 3, the Ravens losing 2, the Jags 1, I have to admit I'm pumped for the Cincy game.

Regardless of how everything plays out, it would be great if that last game vs. Pittsburgh meant something...it'd be the first quasi-playoff game at home in about 8 years. As Frank Gifford would say, "the Ralph will be rocking".

Of course, this is one of those rare scenerios where even the pessimists like myself are looking at it in a "glass half full" kind of way because everything is predicated on us winning out. I mean, Ravens and Broncos fans have to be looking at our schedule thinking: "no way they win both Cincy and Pittsburgh".

[Greg de'Ville]

Basically, we need to hope that:

 

Denver loses at least two more (possible, but not that great)

Baltimore loses at least two more (very possible)

Jacksonville loses just one more (very possible)

 

and/or

 

the Jets lose three of four (possible, but not that great)

and, of course, that we win out (which would also eliminate Cincy)

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Denver is vulnerable right now. Champ's been a chump of late. The Bronx are gettable.

 

Still, provided the Bills beat the Browns next week, the Cinci outcome will determine whether Our Heroes stay in the hunt or not. It's shaping up to be a huge game for both the Bills and Bungles.

[Rubes]

Denver is vulnerable right now.  Champ's been a chump of late.  The Bronx are gettable.

 

Still, provided the Bills beat the Browns next week, the Cinci outcome will determine whether Our Heroes stay in the hunt or not.  It's shaping up to be a huge game for both the Bills and Bungles.

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Maybe not...if the Bungles lose at New England next week, they are 6-7 and all but knocked out. Perhaps they won't be at the top of their game when we meet?

[Guest Guest_labill_*]

All of that sounds great -- and very realistic possibilities. I think the odds of all the other teams doing (not doing) what they need to do is pretty good. However, the one condition that will be the most difficult is Buffalo winning 7 straight. But what a great streak it will be if and when that happens. And if they do that, they could do what the Pats did and go on long winning streak -- I can't sleep anymore!

[NanaAnna]

Maybe not...if the Bungles lose at New England next week, they are 6-7 and all but knocked out. Perhaps they won't be at the top of their game when we meet?

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Does anyone know if (when for Pats fans... ) the Bengals lose next week that there would be a scenario to have them mathematically eliminated before playing us the very next week?

[JDG]

Does anyone know if (when for Pats fans... ) the Bengals lose next week that there would be a scenario to have them mathematically eliminated before playing us the very next week?

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Nope.... sadly the Bengals cannot be mathematically eliminated next week.

 

But for what its worth, I don't see Marvin Lewis letting this team mail it in the rest of the way either. As the Dolphins showed today, even a team that is eliminated will give you a good game in the NFL.

 

JDG

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Nope....  sadly the Bengals cannot be mathematically eliminated next week.

 

But for what its worth, I don't see Marvin Lewis letting this team mail it in the rest of the way either.  As the Dolphins showed today, even a team that is eliminated will give you a good game in the NFL.

 

JDG

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No way the Bungles make the playoffs at 9-7. Though it would not be a mathematical impossibility, there's simply NO WAY they get in at 9-7.

[Assquatch]

-snip-

However, the one condition that will be the most difficult is Buffalo winning 7 straight.

-snip-

 

They don't have to win 7 straight, only 4. You do know that if you've flipped fifty heads in a row, the odds of another heads is still 50/50, right?

Yes, I realize that will make 7 straight but its not like they have to go out and do that. When you're considering the odds of what they have to do, you only need look at what's left to do. What's already been done is a certainty.

[JDG]

They don't have to win 7 straight, only 4.  You do know that if you've flipped fifty heads in a row, the odds of another heads is still 50/50, right?

Yes, I realize that will make 7 straight but its not like they have to go out and do that.  When you're considering the odds of what they have to do, you only need look at what's left to do.  What's already been done is a certainty.

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Or as the old cliche puts it... its only one game at a time.

 

JDG