Power rankings: Where the Bills rank heading into Week 14
The Buffalo Bills (10-2) head into Week 14 fresh off of a 35-10 home win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Coming into the year, many were all over the place when ranking how the Bills stacked up against the rest of the league. But, through 13 weeks the Bills have put the NFL world on notice.
Here’s how the Bills fare in national media power rankings polls heading into Week 14:
USA Today
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Should they be considered the league’s top team? They have a very strong case after wrapping up their fifth straight AFC East crown and riding a seven-game win streak – during which the Bills are averaging 30.4 points. Like Philadelphia, the Bills just need one slip-up from the team ahead of them in the standings (Kansas City) to move into position for the No. 1 playoff seed.
Pro Football Talk
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If the Raiders hadn’t blown their chance to beat the Chiefs, the Bills would be the top seed in the AFC.
Bleacher Report
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Josh Allen is the MVP…everywhere you go. Take a look in Highmark Stadium, snowing once again with broken tables and happy fans aglow.Sunday’s effort against the San Francisco 49ers showed exactly why Allen is at the forefront of the conversation for the league’s best player. The near-whiteout conditions were less than optimal. Yet, as always, the quarterback made the necessary plays, even untraditional ones, in helping lead his team to victory and yet another AFC East title.Because the prettiest site you’ll see is the lateral that will be at the goal line’s front door.
NFL.com
USA Today Sports
They’ve wrapped up the AFC East, so the mission now moves to clinching the AFC’s top seed. Tough games versus the Rams and Lions remain, but the Bills benefitted from the Ravens’ loss on Sunday, which makes it more likely that the battle for the No. 1 spot boils down to Kansas City vs. Buffalo. It’s nice when Josh Allen can drop back 17 times and the Bills can score 35 points with ease. They’ve now scored 30-plus points in six straight contests. The rushing attack hummed early. Allen essentially threw a TD pass to himself and ran for another score in the second half. Buffalo forced three fumbles and controlled the game in all three phases against a desperate 49ers team. There are not a lot of nits to pick here, and it was great to see linebacker Matt Milano — who hadn’t played since Week 5 of last season, thanks to multiple injuries — back in a 37-snap effort. His return could really be a game changer for the Bills’ defense.
CBS Sports
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They are the AFC East champs, but that isn’t the prize this team wants or needs. It’s bigger than that. Josh Allen is now the MVP favorite.
33rd Team
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The Buffalo Bills have some great wins this year, but their victory against the 49ers might have been the most impressive. In the snow, they dominated the 49ers in a game that was never competitive.Buffalo has a massive home-field advantage and the best bad-weather quarterback in the league. If the Bills can secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC, it’s hard to imagine anyone going to Buffalo and winning.
ESPN
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First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Defensive end Greg RousseauRousseau has put together an impressive fourth campaign after the Bills picked up his fifth-year option in the offseason. Beyond leading the team with 6.5 sacks, the 24-year-old D-lineman is sixth in the league in pressure percentage (13.8), tied for sixth in quarterback hits (19) and tied for the third-most tackles for loss (15). There are plenty of Bills candidates for this — four of the five offensive linemen have not made the Pro Bowl, in addition to nickel corner Taron Johnson — but Rousseau has put together a campaign worthy of recognition. — Alaina Getzenberg
