Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have the chance to clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 when they go up against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, December 21, but a few things will have to fall into place. They may have to wait until Monday night to get the official word, but either way, it’s looking good for the Bills.
“I feel like we’re close,” Allen said after the team’s win over the New England Patriots last weekend, with a 35-31 final score. “I feel like we still got some things to work on. Obviously, want to start faster in these games, but we’re playing good football right now. I think there’s still some more stuff that we can unlock.”
So, what will it take for the Buffalo Bills to officially be in the playoffs after Week 16? Let’s look at the different scenarios and what it takes to get there.
Buffalo Bills Can Clinch a Playoff Spot in Week 16
The AFC East isn’t decided, and going into Week 16, the two teams at the top are the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. There are four different scenarios where the Bills get that prized playoff spot this weekend.
According to research from the NFL, one way is if the Bills win over the Browns on Sunday, and then the Colts lose or tie to 49ers on Monday, December 22, which is very possible. Another is if the Bills win over the Browns on Sunday and Texans loses or ties to Raiders on Sunday, December 21, which is less likely, since the Texans are favorited to win.
Another way the Bills could make it to the playoffs this weekend is if the Bills tie Browns and the Colts lose to 49ers. Finally, the Bills could also tie the Browns and see the Texans lose to Raiders, and that would also get them to the postseason.
If just one of these four situations happens, Buffalo gets their spot in the playoffs a full two weeks before the regular season ends. The Buffalo Bills have a 99% chance of making the playoffs, according to the NFL’s AFC playoff research, going into Week 16.
The Cleveland Browns game marks the Buffalo Bills’ last road game of 2025. Kickoff is at Cleveland at 1 p.m. ET, and the game will air on CBS.
Looking at the rest of the NFL, only two teams have clinched their playoff spot ahead of Week 16: the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams. Everyone else is still competing for their spot, but the Bills are among the teams with the highest probability of making it to the postseason. With a 99% chance, it’s not a question of if but when.
Josh Allen Talks Buffalo Bills Win Over New England
After the Bills’ win over the Patriots in Week 15, Allen talked about the team’s comeback victory.
“Score-stop-score,” Allen said about the team’s rally. “I think we’ve been pretty dang good at that over the course of the season. Now, obviously, we want to start faster, and we don’t want to continue to put ourselves in these holes that we’re finding ourselves in, but being able to dig ourselves out and be battle-tested coming down the stretch here.”
Allen added, “But, yeah, would love to find ways earlier on in the game to get things going so we don’t have to put ourselves in that situation.”
Josh Allen and Bills Stakes in Browns Game Just Got Higher