Buffalo Bills at or near the top of most Week 17 NFL power rankings
The holiday edition of our power rankings gifts us the ability to discuss an elite-level Bills squad
The Buffalo Bills enter play this week in an enviable position. They have a 12-3 record, have long since clinched the AFC East division title, and have a realistic shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That last point could be irrelevant sooner rather than later depending on the outcome of the Kansas City Chiefs’ matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.
However, the Bills are universally recognized for their success so far this season, both in the traditional standings and in the power rankings. Most outlets have the Bills as at least a top-three team in the NFL, while all of them have Buffalo at least in the top five. After nearly two decades in the NFL wilderness, it’s a pleasant gift for us all to have the chance to watch a Buffalo team that has a shot to win it all each year.
As for our power rankings, we start over at ESPN, where the panelists at the Worldwide Leader have the Bills at No. 4 this week. Alaina Getzenberg was tasked with writing about Buffalo’s rookie of the year, and while she considered wide receiver Keon Coleman, she ultimately decided to nominate running back Ray Davis, which I think is the right move. She notes that Davis has had the more complete season, as he has 92 carries, 369 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 14 receptions, 184 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
Marcus Mosher at The 33rd Team has the Bills all the way down at No. 5 this week. He notes that the New England Patriots led 14-0 over a “sputtering” Buffalo squad, but the Bills’ defense ultimately made enough plays to secure a win. He called quarterback Josh Allen’s performance “subpar” while noting that a defensive touchdown was the difference.
Pamela Maldonado at Sharp Football Analysis has the Bills as the No. 1 team in the league this week. She writes that Buffalo’s victory over the Patriots was “closer than expected,” but it showed the “grit and ability to win even when not at their best.” She also wrote that the close victory kept Buffalo’s “slim” hopes at the AFC’s No. 1 seed alive for one more week.
Alex Kennedy at Pro Football Network has the Bills at No. 4 this week. He was down on their performance against the Patriots—weren’t we all?—noting that the Patriots have been “terrible” on defense for much of the season, yet they were able to hold Buffalo’s high-powered attack in check all evening. He noted quarterback Josh Allen’s performance as one of particular concern.
David Helman at FOX Sports has Buffalo at No. 1 this week. He writes that it wasn’t exactly a surprise that a Buffalo team coming off an emotional, statement victory over the Detroit Lions was flat against a moribund Patriots team. He’s not going to hold it against the Bills, but he does believe that Josh Allen’s MVP candidacy hinges on playing much better over the next two weeks than he did last week.
Eric Edholm at NFL Network has Buffalo at No. 2 overall this week. He writes that Bills fans will likely look at last week’s ugly victory in one of two ways: either they’ll take the “glass half-full approach” and praise the talents of running back James Cook and a defense that came up with big turnovers in big situations, or they’ll take a more negative approach and worry about Josh Allen’s inability to do much against a fairly average New England defense.
Vinnie Iyer at Sporting News has Buffalo at No. 2 this week, also. He writes that the Bills almost suffered a big letdown one week after taking down the Detroit Lions. He thinks that the team should use the next two games, against the New York Jets and those same Patriots again, as a tune-up for the playoffs.
Pete Prisco at CBS Sports has Buffalo at No. 2 this week. He writes that the Bills “nearly had a letdown” against New England, continuing a fairly common theme among most power rankings this week. He thinks that the Bills showed their mettle, though, noting that “good teams find a way to win games like that,” which Buffalo was able to do in the end.
Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk is another person who ranked the Bills No. 2 this week. He asks, “Can the defense hold up in the playoffs?” That’s a great question, Michael. Let’s hope that it does, but for now, we can only wait.
Frank Schwab at Yahoo! Sports ranked the Bills No. 2 this week, as well. He adds to the chorus of writers who noted that Buffalo looked bad last week, but he adds that it’s “impossible” to play at top efficiency in all 17 games. He notes that the Bills might be rest
