Coming off their victory against the Saints on Thanksgiving, the 7-4 Bills now have a six-game race to fulfill their preseason hopes and hype. They’ve experienced highs and lows, ranging from blowing out the Chiefs on the road to losing to the hapless Jaguars.
With three division games remaining — including two against the red-hot Patriots — the Bills’ season could still go a number of ways.
Here are five things that must happen for the Bills to capitalize on their potential and make a deep run in the playoffs.
Neutralize the Patriots
While the Bills have been up and down over their last six games, the Patriots have won six straight and are now a legitimate threat to take the AFC East and the top seed in the conference. It’s the familiar foe Bills fans have long hated for its decade-plus dominance in the matchup. Even though the Bills dominated last season, that festering feeling hasn’t subsided.
The Patriots are the biggest threat to the Bills accomplishing their goals. If they can successfully cast aside the Patriots to capture the AFC East for the second year in a row, the Bills will at the very least begin their playoff journey in Orchard Park. A win over the Patriots on “Monday Night Football” will put the Bills in the driver’s seat in the division, and with winnable games against the Panthers,
