The AFC playoff picture has the Bills clinched and in control of the No. 1 seed with their win over the Dolphins, who still must hold off division rivals.
It was anyone’s game on Saturday night as the Bills and Dolphins locked horns in Buffalo.
Buffalo had the edge at halftime. Miami stormed ahead in the third quarter. But in the end, Josh Allen and the Bills were too much for the Dolphins to hold back. Tyler Bass’s 25-yard field goal at the death sealed it for the home team and their snow-covered fans.
The result? The Bills are officially heading to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. As for the Dolphins, they have to keep plugging away.
Updated AFC East standings after Bills beat Dolphins
- Buffalo Bills (11-3)
- Miami Dolphins (8-6)
- New England Patriots (7-6)
- New York Jets (7-6)
The outcome of the game was never going to flip the standings in the AFC East. That doesn’t mean there was no impact.
The Bills clinched their playoff place while eliminating the Patriots and Jets in the race for the division title.
The Dolphins opened the door for New England and New York to jump ahead of them in the standings, but their strong performance also suggested that isn’t likely to happen. Playing the way they did on Saturday, they should be capable of a strong finish to the campaign with games against the Packers, Patriots and Jets coming up.
Still, it could get nervy. The Jets face the Lions and the Patriots take on the Raiders on Sunday. If both of the AFC East teams win, the Dolphins could find themselves at the bottom of the division and out of one of the wild card spots by the end of this weekend.
Updated AFC playoff picture with Bills win over Dolphins
- Buffalo Bills (11-3)
- Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-4)
- Tennessee Titans (7-6)
- Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
- Miami Dolphins (8-6)
- New England Patriots (7-6)
Left out:
- Los Angeles Chargers (7-6)
- New York Jets (7-6)
Buffalo’s pursuit of the No. 1 seed stayed on track with the victory. The Chiefs still have to win in order to move to 11-3 but they’re playing the 1-11-1 Texans, so it’s more likely than not they’ll get there. It’s going to remain tight at the top of the standings.
Lower down, the Dolphins control their own destiny, so they can’t let this heartbreaking loss get them down for too long.