ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills could be the No. 2 seed and host a playoff game next weekend, and yet, they could also miss the postseason entirely.
It all just depends on what happens in two games elsewhere in the NFL, long before Buffalo kicks off Sunday night in South Florida, in a game that will be shown right here on Channel 2.
Here's who Bills fans should root for this weekend in those two games.
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) at Baltimore Ravens (13-3), 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Who to root for: Baltimore.
The reason? If the Steelers lose their regular-season finale, the Bills are in the playoffs, so the only suspense would be whether Buffalo would be the 2, 6, or 7 seed in the playoffs. The Ravens have already secured home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs, so they might chose to rest their starters, which won't help.
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) at Tennessee Titans (5-11), 1 p.m. Sunday
Who to root for: Tennessee.
The reason? It's the exact same reason as the Steelers game above. The Bills are in if either the Steelers or Jaguars lose in Week 18, meaning the security of knowing that the Sunday night game is about seeding, not survival.
Of course, the most straightforward way for the Bills to make the postseason would be to beat the Dolphins in Miami, but that game — No. 272 — is the final one of this NFL regular season. Only after that game will the AFC playoffs be set, with dates and times for wild-card weekend soon to follow.