Hard to overlook the Titans and Jets coming up, but the Dolphins sites are clearly on the #1 seed and the game against the Ravens will probably decide that. Assuming a win against the Titans on Monday Night. (Will Levis can't handle this Defence) It would be really cool if the Bills did beat the Chiefs because we'd maintain our 3-game lead on the Bills and open a 2-game lead on the Chiefs. But part of me just wants to see the Bills go away. I don't want Week 18 to matter to them. I still want to see the Chiefs win. I want to see the Bills below .500 and be able to laugh at them. The Phins need to beat the Ravens or Cowboys for anyone to take them seriously going into the playoffs. 11-6 with 3 L's to close out the season won't make any of us feel good about this team.
Three reasons to root for the Bills: 1. The #1 seed is super important: you play one less playoff game and it's home field advantage rest of the way. So that should trump any fears about playing the Bills. 2. We're unlikely to win out, which means it's nice if KC, Jags and Ravens lose a bit more. The Ravens game however is likely a must-win unless the Ravens lose twice to other opponents (e.g., 2 losses out of Jags, SF, Pitt). 3. Bills are unlikely to make the playoffs anyway.
I think its the Chiefs and it really isn't about the division. Dolphins control their own destiny for the #1 seed but if they don't take care of business there is only one wild card opponent worth fearing and its the Bills. Bills winning gives them a real shot.
That may be true for a WC opponent, but it's not true if we have to travel to KC or Baltimore to win over there in the winter, with the inevitable home field advantage (minimum: ref bias) they'll have. If your goal is just winning one playoff game, then sure focus on getting the Bills out of the picture. But if you want to go all the way, the Bills don't matter. What matters is home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and everything else should be subordinate to that. Of course, none of us can influence the outcome so this is just friendly banter.
Optimistic side says they will win out and therefore it doesn't matter. Pessimistic side says they lose to Dallas and Baltimore in which case its all at risk if Buffalo wins the next two. KC wins and Miami wraps up the division in week 15 then they are playing with the houses money. Maybe KC loses a game they shouldn't lose which isn't unrealistic given how they have looked.
If Buffalo goes into Arrowhead and pulls off a victory there that exercises the demons, I'd be concerned it could launch them into an unlikely playoff run, especially with recent injuries and other teams above them struggling. Say what you will about the Bills and their struggles this year, I see them as one of the most dangerous opponents Miami could face in the playoffs if they made it in. Being a division opponent makes them all the more dangerous. Living in Western NY, I want the Bills to lose so I can swim in the tears of Bills fans and not have to worry about Miami facing them in the playoffs because if the Bills somehow make it in, they're going to be the team nobody wants to play.
Worth looking at the playoff picture from the Bills side, not our side. Basically, they need to win out and we need to go 2-3. If they don't win out, it's really hard because they have to leapfrog 4 teams!! Two of those have one more win, and the other two 6-6 teams (Denver and Cinci) have the tiebreaker over the Bills. Bills are very unlikely to make the playoffs, even with a win over KC, especially given their recent play (3 losses out of their last 4 games, and 5 losses out of the last 8, including losing to 2-10 NE). So I think you'll be a happy camper in the end.
