The Patriots will clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Bills next weekend. If New England loses in Buffalo, it will need help to back into the postseason.
Entering Sunday, there was a scenario in which the Bills wouldn't have anything to play for in the Week 18 matchup. The Patriots hypothetically could've faced Buffalo's backups, with Case Keenum playing at quarterback in place of Josh Allen.
Those hopes died Sunday in Kansas City.
The Chiefs earned a 27-24 victory over the Denver Broncos to improve their record to 13-3. As a result, the Bills, who are 12-3 and will visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, will have something to play for next weekend.
If Buffalo wins its final two games, it will clinch the AFC's top seed and a first-round bye. If Allen and company fall to Cincinnati, they still could clinch the top seed with a win over the Patriots and losses from the Bengals and Chiefs in their regular-season finales.
Cincy will host the Baltimore Ravens, while Kansas City visits the Las Vegas Raiders.
This conversation only is taking place because the Patriots earned a season-saving win over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. New England needed a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive, and gutted out a 23-21 triumph at Gillette Stadium.
Now Bill Belichick's team faces the unenviable task of going to Buffalo with its season basically on the line. And if the Patriots are going to get the job done and punch their postseason ticket, they'll need to do so against the Bills' best players.
