The Buffalo Bills got thrown to the ground and lost ground on Thursday.
Buffalo’s 23–19 defeat to the Houston Texans dropped the Bills to 7–4, pushed Houston to 6–5, and gave the Texans the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Bills fell one spot in the AFC playoff standings and watched their playoff odds slip from 92% to 87%, per NFL.com.
The good news? There’s still a full slate of games this weekend that can help Buffalo.
Here’s who Bills fans should root for in Week 12.
New England Patriots (9–2) at Cincinnati Bengals (3–7)
Who to root for: Bengals
If the Bills want any chance at catching the Patriots in the AFC East, New England needs to lose a game. The Patriots are on an eight-game winning streak. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow practiced this week but wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is suspended one game for spitting on Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Ramsey last week. A Bengals upset would be a major gift to Buffalo.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6–4) at Chicago Bears (7–3)
Who to root for: Bears
The Steelers are am immediate threat to the Bills’ positioning. Pittsburgh is currently the No. 4 seed because it leads the AFC North but the Baltimore Ravens are climbing back in the division race with four straight wins. A Pittsburgh loss gives Buffalo a better record then the Steelers heading into their Week 13 matchup.
Jacksonville Jaguars (6–4) at Arizona Cardinals (3–7)
Who to root for: Cardinals
Jacksonville is currently a wild-card team with the seventh and final AFC playoff spot. The best-case scenario for the Bills is keeping as many teams as possible in the 5–6 loss range.
Indianapolis Colts (8–2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5–5)
Who to root for: Toss-up
This is a tough one, especially since the Bills lost Thursday and have weaker AFC East title odds. If the Chiefs win, it keeps the door cracked open for the Bills to get into the No. 1 seed conversation, but Kansas City’s playoff hopes are rejuvenated even though the Bills own the tiebreaker If the Chiefs lose, the Bills’ archenemy which has eliminated them them from the playoffs in four of the last five seasons will have bleak playoff chances, but Indianapolis would improve to two games ahead of Buffalo.
The Chiefs don’t hold many relevant tiebreakers because they lost to the Bills, Chargers and Jaguars.
New York Jets (2–8) at Baltimore Ravens (5–5)
Who to root for: Jets
Former Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor could give Buffalo an assist. New York is benching Justin Field and starting Taylor against the surging Ravens, who began the season 1-5.
Cleveland Browns (2–8) at Las Vegas Raiders (2–8)
Who to root for: Browns
This game is more minor but comes down to strength-of-victory tiebreak help because the Bills play the AFC North this year.
Atlanta Falcons (3–7) at New Orleans Saints (2–8)
Who to root for: Saints
Buffalo lost to Atlanta earlier this season and the Bills beat New Orleans. A Saints win boosts the Bills’ SOV.
NFC matchups with indirect impact
These games don’t affect AFC standings directly, but SOS/SOV effects matter. Each of these matchups provides slight boosts to Buffalo’s strength-of-victory or hurts the SOV of other AFC contenders.
Teams on bye week
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills’ playoff path just got harder. Here’s who to root for this weekend
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
