The Buffalo Bills have endured a tumultuous season: sacked coaches, injuries, off-field controversies, and some disastrous losses have blighted Buffalo’s season.

However, the Bills are still standing. Somehow, through all the drama, they are still alive. After Buffalo’s 31-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, the Bills now hold a 63% chance of making the playoffs.

Buffalo has hit form at the perfect time, but their early season issues hamper them. With an 8-6 record, the Bills are ninth in the AFC. Losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos are also on Buffalo’s ledger. Those teams own head-to-head tiebreakers over Buffalo.

Buffalo needs help from others to get into the playoffs. Fortunately for the Bills, help could be on the way. They are just two games behind the Miami Dolphins. Per Tankathon, the Dolphins have the toughest remaining schedule with games against the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens in the next two weeks.

The Bills’ strength of schedule ranking is 24th. Buffalo will visit the Dolphins in Week 18. If the Bills win their next two games and Miami lose one, that Week 18 matchup will decide the AFC East winner.

Buffalo must keep winning and hope that other results help them.

Who do the Bills still have to play?

• Week 16 at Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 17 vs. New England Patriots
• Week 18 at Miami Dolphins
• READ NEXT:
  

  Injury Report: Buffalo Bills Suffer Major Losses on Defense Ahead of Week 16 Matchup Against Los Angeles Chargers

  The Buffalo Bills and head coach Sean McDermott will be without defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, and will likely be without safety Micah Hyde for this week’s intraconference matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.

  Phillips will not be on the team for the remainder of the regular season as he went to IR with a wrist injury. The injury seemingly occured on this play against the Dallas Cowboys:

Hyde’s last game was against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 10, and he has been out with a neck stinger since. Hyde participated in practice this week, but according to coach Sean McDermott on WGR 550 Sports Radio it.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips will be missed on the inside

Phillips is an anchor on the interior defensive line for the Bills. Not only that, but the Bills are relatively thin at the position as they make a run at the postseason.

Ed Oliver, Linval Joseph, Tim Settle and Poona Ford are the healthy defensive tackles on the Buffalo roster. DaQuan Jones is still injured and will not play against the Chargers, despite the opening of his practice window. There are two more practice squad defensive tackles that are available for elevation.

Ford was a healthy scratch in recent games, and he will likely be the tackle that is filling in for Phillips. Phillips has 2.5 sacks this season, and one of those sacks came during the game in which he sustained the injury. Phillips started nine of the 14 games he played in this season.

 The Buffalo Bills back end is not the same without safety Micah Hyde

Despite coming off of one of the best defensive performances on the year, the Bills will still miss veteran Micah Hyde in the secondary. Hyde accrued 49 tackles, two interceptions and five pass break-ups in the 12 weeks he played.

Hyde amassed over 70 tackles in four of the six seasons he played with the Bills. The two seasons in which he did not, 2018 and 2022, were seasons that did not see Hyde play a full season.

The former Green Bay Packer has 639 tackles and 24 interceptions throughout his entire career. He started 126 times in his over a decade-long career.

Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp replaced Hyde in his absence. Rapp had a season-high eight tackles against the Cowboys. He now has 39 total tackles on the season. Rapp and Hyde are both in the top 10 in tackles for the Bills this season.

Get More College Football Content

For more news and trends in the college football world, click here or follow me on Twitter @KusleikaAndrew.