Can the Bills make the playoffs? Exploring Josh Allen-led Buffalo's postseason chances after thrashing Cowboys

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday to improve to 8-6 and improve their playoff chances. Their 31-10 win at home means that their chances of making the postseason, which had seemed bleak after their crushing overtime loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, are suddently better.

That's not to say that they are through yet. They are on the bubble and must win their games to have an opportunity to go beyond the regular season. When the season began, the Bills were not expected to be in this place, but they are here because they lost some winnable games during the season.

However, they have found form at the right time. We explore how things are right now for Buffalo and what they need to make the postseason.

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What are the Bills' chances of making the playoffs heading after beating the Cowboys?

The Buffalo Bills are ranked ninth in the AFC, two spots behind the last Wildcard spot for the playoffs. But the good news for them is that they are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts, who have the same record and occupy the final postseason spots.

The Houston Texans also have the same win-loss ratio, with the Cleveland Browns one game ahead at 9-5 after their thrilling win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Bengals have lost Joe Burrow for the season, and Jake Browning has acquitted himself well. But they could conceivably lose two to three of their remaining games, as they have to play the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns, both of whom have a better record.

Next week, they play the Pittsburgh Steelers in a divisional game, with Mike Tomlin looking to preserve his record of never having a losing season in the league and that is a tough one too.

The Houston Texans play the Cleveland Browns and then have two games within the division with the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. For the Colts, that final game against the Texans might be the toughest assignment, as they face the Atlanta Falcons and the Las Vegas Raiders before their season-ender.

Therefore, for Josh Allen to lead the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs would need some help from other teams, with the final game between the Texans and the Colts possibly mattering beyond just the pair.

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Projecting wins and losses from rest of Josh Allen's schedule

For Josh Allen, having led the the Bills to an 8-6 record, there are two paths to make the postseason.

They have to play the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins in their final game of the season. The first two teams have a losing record, and Buffalo should look to win these games. If they win all three and the Bengals trip up, given that the Texans and Colts face each other, they should be through as a Wildcard entry.

However, Sean McDermott could yet lead them to a divisional win as well. The Dolphins are 10-4 but face the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens in the next two weeks.

Their opponents also have the same winning record as them and could win those games. Even though Miami is two games ahead of Buffalo, if they lost their next two, they face the Bills in the season finale tied with a 10-6 record if Josh Allen can inspire them to wins in the next two weeks.

Whoever wins that game then will end up with the AFC East title. If the Buffalo Bills do so, the Wildcard calculations will not matter, as they will have a home game in the first round of the postseason and consign the Miami Dolphins to navigate a game away on the road.