Home-field advantage in the playoffs doesn’t guarantee anything — the Bills learned that last season — but it certainly helps. Buffalo’s path to the ultimate home-field advantage took a hard hit on Sunday.
The Bills suffered a 44-42 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles, struggling to contain a healthy Matthew Stafford-led offense. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp combined for more than 250 yards, and even a second half full of Josh Allen heroics couldn’t beat the Rams’ offensive fireworks.
Buffalo already clinched the AFC East title, ensuring the team’s playoff run will start at home. A first-round bye, however, is looking like an uphill battle after the Bills’ third loss of the season.
Here’s a look at the updated AFC standings and where the Bills, Chiefs, and Steelers stand in the race for the conference’s top seed.
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AFC playoff standings
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Chiefs | 12-1 |
| 2 | Bills | 10-3 |
| 3 | Steelers | 10-3 |
| 4 | Texans | 8-5 |
| 5 | Chargers | 8-4 |
| 6 | Ravens | 8-5 |
| 7 | Broncos | 8-5 |
The Chiefs’ lead atop the AFC stretched to two games with the Bills’ loss and Kansas City’s win over the Chargers.
The Bills and Steelers, in a virtual tie for the No. 2 seed, are still well clear of the Texans (8-5), but earning the No. 2 seed could be the difference between playing the divisional round at home or on the road.
Bills playoff picture
The Bills’ chances of landing the No. 1 seed took a major blow on Sunday, and the Chiefs’ “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the Chargers could make it a real uphill climb for Buffalo. A Chiefs win would create two games of separation between the two contenders, meaning the Bills would need Kansas City to slip up at least twice over its last four games if they wanted to pull even atop the AFC.
The Bills already clinched the AFC East, so they are guaranteed a top-four seed in the AFC.
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Chiefs playoff picture
The Chiefs can breathe a bit easier after the Bills’ loss, as a Buffalo win and Kansas City loss would have dropped Patrick Mahomes and co. to the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
Instead, Kansas City took care of business against L.A., locking up the division title and a likely top-three seed in the AFC.
Steelers playoff picture
The Steelers gained a game on the Bills with their win and Buffalo’s loss on Sunday, putting them in a virtual tie for the No. 2 seed in the AFC. A Chiefs loss would put Pittsburgh in a strong position to make a run at the No. 1 seed. The Steelers host the Chiefs on Christmas, so they would control their own fate against Kansas City.
At 10-3, the Steelers have a two-game lead atop the AFC North and could lock up the division as soon as Week 16 if they can finish off a season sweep of the Ravens.
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