The one where the Buffalo Bills held a Boston tee party.

Did the Buffalo Bills prove anything last Sunday against the New England Patriots? Among quite a few things, the Bills reminded the Patriots that they have a lot of work to do to prove they’re a legitimate playoff team.

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Though the Bills may still trail New England by a game, and despite facing long odds to six-peat as AFC East Champions, it’s clear that so long as quarterback Josh Allen is at the top of his game, the Patriots would be wise to hold off planning celebrations.

So what if New England wins the East? The Patriots just lost a winter-weather game at home in epic fashion to the only team with a winning record on their schedule. Sure, New England defeated Buffalo at Highmark Stadium back in Week 5. But that was then, and now is closer to the truth of what awaits in the postseason. The truth is that quarterback Drake Maye has yet to lead his team to victory with a fourth-quarter comeback performance.

So what does that mean for the Bills’ latest playoff odds, and what about all the latest batch of NFL power rankings? Let’s dive in to the aggregate that is Buffalo Rumblings’ NFL power rankings roundup. After you take a few minutes reading what others have to say about the Bills, be sure to sound off in the comments!

First up we have the latest ESPN playoff odds for the Bills in four key metrics.

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Onward with the ESPN content… Continuing a trend from last week there are more positives developments. Buffalo actually moved down the latter to the four spot, where previously they were at three.

Within the framework of ESPN’s playoff model, Buffalo sits at three in the AFC this week, jumping ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Entering Week 15, the Bills’ odds of making the playoffs now sit at >99% (was 97%); their odds of winning the division jumped to 35% (was 18%). As for earning a playoff bye, Buffalo’s chances there hold steady at 4%, while, interestingly, their odds of making it to the Super Bowl decreased to 15% (was 16%). (ESPN’s latest and full AFC playoff odds chart)

Let’s also take a look at Buffalo’s playoff odds courtesy of The Athletic. In their current 2025 NFL Playoff Simulator, the Bills now has the fourth-best playoff odds in the path to the NFL playoffs, which is interesting when you consider how much better their odds are over any AFC South team.

Now, let’s live in the present and dive into the latest NFL power rankings, passing the mic to hierarchy experts around the country. Ready? (Week 15 Power Rankings for comparison)

ESPN: 5 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“Extension candidate: Linebacker Shaq Thompson”

“The Bills have some huge offensive line decisions this offseason, as center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards are set to become free agents. But Thompson is a logical re-signing this offseason thanks to his play and role off the field in just one year with the team. He has become a vocal leader and made an impact as a starter and backup. The 31-year-old linebacker came to Buffalo after spending 10 seasons with the Panthers.” — Alaina Getzenberg

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NFL.com: 4 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“Josh Allen had just 35 pass yards at halftime, and Buffalo trailed, 24-7, with its division-title dreams seemingly up in smoke. But the Bills rallied with incredible fury, reminding the NFL world just how dangerous they are, especially in a post-Patrick Mahomes playoff environment. The win didn’t clinch anything for Buffalo, but it did reinstill the belief that this team is capable of some magic. We can talk about how the Bills looked woefully unprepared for the start of the game, and they were lucky to only be down 17 points at the break, but we can also have a discussion on how beating the Bills requires keeping Allen and James Cook in check for four quarters. The Patriots couldn’t do that, and I am not sure how many teams outside of the Texans and Broncos might be capable of that in the AFC field. It’s been a strange path, but the Bills are nearly as desperate and dangerous as they’ve recently been.” — Eric Edholm

Pro Football Focus: 3 (up from 4 in Week 15)

“Chance of making playoffs: 99.9%”
“Chance of winning Super Bowl: 9%”

“The battle for the AFC East isn’t over just yet. The Bills rallied from a big deficit for the second time in two weeks against the Patriots in Week 15, defeating their division foe 35-31 on the road. Overcoming slow starts has been the Bills’ penchant in recent games, and it’s served them well so far. Josh Allen (87.5 grade; 4th) and James Cook (80.7 grade; 8th) led the way in the comeback victory.

The Bills are now 10-4 and still second in the AFC East, but they’ve delayed the Patriots‘ celebrations a little longer and maybe thrown a spanner in the works. The defense played better ball in the second half — but still allowed a 52.2% rushing success rate, and is now 25th in success rate in 2025. The offense is rolling, but the elephant in the room is the defensive struggles.” — Thomas Valentine

The Athletic: 4 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“(team) MVP: Josh Allen”

“The Bills were down 21-0 at one point and 24-7 at halftime Sunday, and then Josh Allen happened. Buffalo’s quarterback leads the league in second-half EPA per dropback (0.38) and has 15 second-half passing touchdowns, which is second in the league. Allen’s overall yards per game, completion percentage, passer rating and yards per carry are all better than last year, when he was the league MVP.” — Chad Graff/Josh Kendall

CBS Sports: 9 (up from 10 in Week 15)

“They showed their character in the victory over the Patriots, rallying from 21-0 down. They will be a tough out come playoff time because of Josh Allen.” — Pete Prisco

USA Today: 5 (up from 7 in Week 15)

“What was more important last weekend − their defeat of New England (keeping Buffalo’s AFC East title hopes alive), or Kansas City’s loss (removing a massive impediment on the Bills’ path to Super Bowl 60)?” — Nate Davis

Bleacher Report: 4 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“The Buffalo Bills got a little revenge against the New England Patriots, keeping themselves alive in the AFC East race in the process.

Buffalo got another MVP-caliber performance from Josh Allen in Week 15, but James Cook’s outing might be the one that raises the most eyebrows. New England came in with one of the league’s top run defenses, and Cook went for 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Defense remains this team’s liability. However, it’s a weakness the Bills can overcome when they’re able to lean on their ground game and get mistake-free play from Allen.” — Kris Knox

Sportsnaut: 5 (up from 7 in Week 15)

“What a comeback. The Buffalo Bills trailed 21-zip late in the second quarter and 24-7 at halftime, seemingly ready to give the AFC East to New England. Instead, Josh Allen showed why he’s the reigning NFL MVP, and Buffalo’s defense delivered a second-half performance that felt reminiscent of the comeback versus Cincinnati. At halftime, it seemed like Drake Maye would win MVP, and Buffalo would have to settle for a wild card spot. Now? Buffalo still has its shot at keeping the division crown.” — Matt Johnson

Pro Football Network (PFSN): 6 (up from 7 in Week 15)

“They’re still in second place in the AFC East, but the Buffalo Bills made significant progress towards closing that gap with their 35-31 victory over the Patriots on Sunday. The win saw them bump their record to 10-4 for the 2025 NFL season.

With the win, the Bills have clinched a double-digit win season for their seventh year in a row. Josh Allen further strengthened his case to repeat as the NFL’s MVP, having outplayed Drake Maye by throwing for three touchdowns and no interceptions in the victory.” — Jacob Infante

The Sporting News: 4 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“The Bills were relentless coming back with Josh Allen in New England. That win was a statement of why they look like the team to beat right now. But Buffalo’s run defense can come back to bite them big time with more on the line.” — Vinnie Iyer

Yahoo! Sports: 8 (no change from Week 15)

“The Bills got a really nice win at New England. They also fell behind 21-0, and allowed 385 yards at 7.5 yards per play. They needed Josh Allen to bail them out, and he did. He’s capable of that, but it’s hard to rely on that as a core strategy for multiple games through the playoffs. However, it’s plausible with Allen at quarterback. He might be even more deserving of NFL MVP this season than he was last season, when he won.” — Frank Schwab

New York Post: 3 (up from 7 in Week 15)

“The Bills spotted the Patriots a 21-point first-half lead but rallied to win, 35-31, behind Josh Allen’s three touchdown passes and James Cook’s three touchdowns from scrimmage (two rushing, one receiving). It was the third double-digit comeback by the Bills, who reached 10 wins for the seventh straight year. Joey Bosa sealed the win by batting down a fourth-down pass.” — Ryan Dunleavy

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theScore: 5 (up from 9 in Week 15)

“(unsung hero) Jackson Hawes, TE. The Bills’ run game was already tough enough to stop. Finding a fifth-round rookie who immediately establishes himself among the NFL’s best blocking tight ends takes things to another level. Hawes has also been more involved than expected in the pass game, chipping in three touchdowns.” — Dan Wilkins

FOX Sports: 6 (up from 10 in Week 15)

“That’s two weeks in a row that they were pushed to the brink before QB Josh Allen dragged them back. They’re playing with fire, but would anyone bet against him doing it in the playoffs, too?” — Ralph Vacchiano

Tom Brady with FOX Sports: 3 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“What can you say about the Buffalo Bills? Every time I get high on this team, they disappoint me the next week and Sunday was another Jekyll and Hyde performance. Luckily, they saved their touchdowns for the second half and picked up what could be the biggest win of the year with a huge comeback against the Patriots in Foxborough. Did we get a little too excited about New England in the first half? I’m not saying I did, but maybe some of us did. The race is back on in the AFC East.” — Tom Brady

Pressbox: 4 (up from 6 in Week 15)

“It’s all coming together for them to finally win a Super Bowl.

What could possibly go wrong?” — Glenn Clark

“The Rich Eisen Show”: 4 (up from 6 in Week 15)Computer Cowboy (Ben Baldwin): 2 (up from 5 in Week 15)

That’s it for another week of the always scientifically correct and never indisputable world of NFL power rankings. What’s your take on the latest Bills rankings?