The Buffalo Bills (7-2) enter Week 10 of the 2024 NFL regular season fresh off a 30-27 home victory over the Miami Dolphins.
At the start of the year, many everywhere were aware of the Bills’ ranking against the rest of the league. But for nine weeks, the bills have put the NFL world on notice.
Here’s how the Bills are faring in the national media power rankings polls heading into Week 10:
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4. Buffalo notes (-)
WR Amari Cooper has scored just five times in the three weeks since he was hired and missed Sunday’s game with a wrist injury. And that causes absolutely no stress for a Herd headed for a fifth consecutive AFC East crown, but invariably will need Cooper to come big in mid-to-late January. Also, you can bet that Buffalo will have no interest in trading its previously struggling kicker after Sunday. Probably.
USA Today Sports
3. Buffalo notes (+1)
The best teams win when most of the game feels like they’re going to lose.
USA Today Sports
3. Buffalo notes (-)
The Bills outlasted the Dolphins on Sunday to take a huge lead in the AFC East. I’d be shocked if Buffalo struggles enough to even make the division race interesting in the second half of the season.
Of course, I am not interested in what the bills do in November and December. I’m curious to see if they can get over the hump and beat the AFC’s top contenders in the postseason. Given the defense’s continued struggle against the run, I’m concerned.
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3. Buffalo notes (-)
Sunday’s win over Miami not only provided a feel-good moment for Tyler Bass during a shaky stretch, but also marked a big step forward in Buffalo’s pursuit of another division title. Sweeping the Dolphins puts the Bills at 3-0 in the AFC East, and unless the Jets can mount an offense, Sean McDermott and Co. appear to be in contention. certainly have an open road ahead of them. The dramatic victory also revealed some problems. The Bills were sloppy against the run, save for a huge forced fumble by Taron Johnson. They made Tua Tagovailoa look pretty comfortable; he faced minimal heat (one sack, six pressures on 29 dropbacks). The Bills also got off to another slow start and trailed at halftime for the fifth time this season. They don’t always look like a team with a 7-2 record and have returned to their 2023 form, leaving plenty of meat on the bone against their opponents. should dominate. Still, these Bills, with MVP candidate Josh Allen leading the way, can win most games as long as they limit the big mistakes.
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3. Buffalo notes (-)
They need to improve their run defense, but they are running away with the division. Now it’s about sowing the rest of the way.
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3. Buffalo notes (-)
Remember when the Jets were favored to win the AFC East over the Buffalo Bills? That feels like forever ago, when the Bills scored another important divisional win against the Dolphins in Week 9.
It wasn’t always pretty, but Tyler Bass made the game-winning field goal to help the Bills improve to 7-2 on the season. Buffalo has established itself as the clear No. 2 team in the AFC despite an ugly early-season loss to Baltimore.
It looks like we’re on a collision course for the Chiefs and Bills to meet again in the playoffs.
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3. Buffalo notes (-)
Most important game remaining: Week 11 against the Chiefs
This game has an exclamation mark next to it. Not only is it another matchup involving the Bills and the Chiefs, it’s also a chance for the Bills to take a step forward in preparing for the playoffs. The teams have met four times in the regular season since 2020 (the Bills have won three of four), but only one of those games was in Orchard Park (Chiefs won in 2020). During that span, the Chiefs have won all three playoff meetings, including last season. Beating the Chiefs in the playoffs is the big test, but this regular season game carries a lot of significance. – Alaina Getzenberg