Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills are hoping to finally go on another deep playoff run after three consecutive exits in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. That will start with trying to get a win over the Denver Broncos.
Beating the Broncos won’t be easy. They may be the No. 7 seed in the AFC, but they sport one of the NFL’s best defenses and possess an offense that has slowly but surely made strides under rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
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That said, the Bills have made four consecutive trips to the divisional round of the postseason while the Broncos haven’t played a playoff game since Super Bowl 50. That should give Buffalo a clear edge and may allow the Bills to get through to the divisional round, where a tough opponent will be waiting around the corner.
Who could the Bills play next in the playoffs? Here’s what to know about the AFC’s playoff bracket and Buffalo’s path to Super Bowl 59.
Who will Bills play next?
The Bills will play the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round if they beat the Broncos in the wild card round.
The Ravens locked themselves in as Buffalo’s only potential postseason opponent after crushing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild-card matchup on Saturday. Baltimore ran roughshod over Pittsburgh, racking up 299 yards during the contest with Derrick Henry contributing 186 and Lamar Jackson accounting for 81.
The Bills vs. Ravens matchup would be a rematch of their meeting during Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season. The Ravens handedly won that contest 35-10 behind a 199-yard showing from Henry. Baltimore jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead in that game, which was eerily similar to their Saturday night domination of the Steelers, who trailed 21-0 at halftime.
The good news for Bills fans? The game against the Ravens was in Baltimore. If they play again, the Bills will be hosting Jackson and Co. at Highmark Stadium.
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NFL playoff bracket
AFC playoff bracket
Below is a look at what the AFC divisional round matchups would be if the Bills beat the Broncos.
In the event that the Broncos upset the Bills, they would play the Chiefs while the Texans and Ravens would face off in a rematch of their Christmas Day game.
NFC playoff bracket
All three of the AFC playoff matchups are set to be played before the NFC contests on wild-card weekend. As such, the divisional round bracket on the NFC side remains unsettled.
The Eagles vs. Packers game will be the first of the bunch to be played. The conference’s playoff scenarios will become clear after that contest.
