Bills officially clinch seventh consecutive playoff berth with Colts' loss
On Monday night, the Buffalo Bills punched their ticket to the playoffs again with the Indianapolis' Colts loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Josh Allen does not take a playoff berth for granted.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback has learned through his eight NFL seasons the sacrifice, commitment and consistency needed to be one of the seven teams representing the AFC.
"Obviously to accomplish everyone's main goal, you've got to make the playoffs and giving yourself a chance to win the lottery," Allen said last Wednesday. "That's your ticket right there is getting into the playoffs."
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott greets quarterback Josh Allen (17) prior to playing the Cleveland Browns
at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
Allen didn't experience those meaningful games as a rookie. In each of the next seven seasons, though, he led the Bills to the playoffs. Twice, they advanced to the AFC championship game. And, on Monday night, despite numerous injuries across its roster, Buffalo punched its ticket again with the Indianapolis' Colts loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bills (11-4) hold the sixth seed in the AFC, trailing the Denver Broncos (first), New England Patriots (second), Jacksonville Jaguars (third), Pittsburgh Steelers (fourth) and Los Angeles Chargers (sixth). Each of the six have clinched a playoff berth. The Houston Texans are the seventh seed and hold a two-game lead over the Colts.
Buffalo's final two regular-season games are at Highmark Stadium, with the Bills hosting the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday and the New York Jets in Week 18. Under coach Sean McDermott, the Bills have reached the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons. Their 17-year postseason drought ended in 2017, with McDermott leading them to a 9-7 record during his first season.
A four-game win streak, including their come-from-behind victory over the New England Patriots on Dec. 14, has the Bills still in contention for a sixth consecutive AFC East title. The Patriots (12-3) have a one-game lead, and they clinched a playoff berth Sunday night with a win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bills lost their top defensive tackle, Ed Oliver, for all but three games because of a torn bicep, while several others, including starting safety Taylor Rapp, suffered season-ending injuries.
Bills running back James Cook has rushed for 1,532 yards and Allen has 37 total touchdowns. Since Week 13, their defense has forced the seventh-most takeaways (seven) and Buffalo has scored a league-best 43 points off those takeaways.