The Buffalo Bills have clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC bracket and will compete in the NFL playoffs in 2023. The Miami Dolphins will visit the club the following weekend as part of the AFC Wild Card round. The first postseason game will feature an AFC East matchup between these two teams, who split the regular season meetings this year. Before the Bills won a classic in the snow at home in December, the Dolphins won the first game in sweltering heat in Miami back in September. That said, let's look at our Bills 2023 NFL Playoffs predictions after their Week 18 win.
Many considered the Bills as the favorites to win the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season. For the most part, they have lived up to that expectation. It is no surprise then that they have secured their third straight AFC East title with 13 wins. They have also made their fifth trip to the playoffs in six years. One of the standout moments of their season was their victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in mid-October. That put them in a good position to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. However, the Damar Hamlin injury led to the cancellation of their Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. That prevented them from securing the top seed. This means that if both teams make it to the AFC championship game, a potential rematch would take place at a neutral site.
Looking at the current playoff landscape, the Bills will host the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium for their Wild Card Round matchup. In last year's playoffs, the Bills faced another divisional opponent, the New England Patriots. Buffalo won that one, breaking the tie between the two teams during the regular season. This year, the Bills and the Dolphins have split their season series. We have the Bills as the heavy favorites in their Wild Card Round matchup.
With all these in mind, here are our four bold 2023 NFL Playoffs predictions for the Bills after their Week 18 win.
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— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 9, 2023
4. Diggs-Davis combo will be on fire
Stefon Diggs had seven receptions out of 10 targets for 104 yards and one touchdown in the Bills' 35-23 win over New England. In the fourth quarter, he scored a 49-yard touchdown that helped give the Bills a comfortable lead. For the regular season, Diggs had 108 catches for 1,429 yards and 11 touchdowns on 154 targets and will look to continue this strong performance in the playoffs.
Gabe Davis caught three out of 10 targets for 39 yards in the same game. While he tied Stefon Diggs for the most targets on the team, he was unable to make the most of the opportunity. Davis, who was expected to have a big year in his third season after a strong performance in the playoffs, struggled to find consistency this season. He ended the regular season with 48 catches for 836 yards and seven touchdowns on 93 targets. He had at least 88 yards and a touchdown in three games but also had fewer than 40 yards in eight of his 15 appearances. If Davis can return to his top form in the playoffs, starting with the game against the Dolphins, the Bills will quickly forget about his underwhelming season.
We believe that both Diggs and Davis will have strong performances in the playoffs. We predict that they will combine for 150+ yards in every game and be on fire.
3. Josh Allen will be the best player in the entire postseason
In Sunday's win over the Patriots, star QB Josh Allen completed 19 out of 31 passes for 254 yards. He also had three touchdowns and one interception. Allen also tallied nine rushing attempts for 16 yards. Early in the second quarter, Allen's four-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox helped give the Bills a 14-7 lead. However, he was intercepted at the Patriots' three-yard line in the final minute of the first half. That prevented the Bills from going into halftime with the lead.
Allen did bounce back with a 42-yard touchdown pass to John Brown in the third quarter and a 49-yarder to Stefon Diggs in the fourth. Those brought his TD:INT ratio to 35:14. In addition, he had seven rushing touchdowns in 16 games, just two short of his career highs in both passing and rushing touchdowns. Allen's successful season helped the Bills earn the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a home playoff game against the Dolphins to kick their postseason off.
We expect Allen to be no less than the best player in the 2023 NFL Playoffs. Yes, he should be better than Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, or whomever you're thinking of right now. He has the size, arm, IQ, and chutzpah to carry this team. The only chink in his armor would be those INTs. Still, you cannot be a risk-taker without throwing some picks here and there, right? Despite that, we'll still take Allen any day.
2. Bills will get playoff payback against the Chiefs
The Bills have been preparing for this time of year and played well against the Patriots. They had strong performances on offense, defense, and special teams. The biggest question for their game against the Dolphins is whether or not Tua Tagovailoa will play. Without him, the Dolphins offense is significantly weaker. Also, Miami's chances of an upset decrease significantly. We fully expect the Bills to overpower the Dolphins in this game.
Looking ahead, the Bills will face the Bengals in the Divisional Round. This should develop into a high-scoring game between Allen and Burrow. We do expect the Bills defense to hold strong. As such, Allen will lead the team to the AFC Championship Game. In the third round, the Bills will face their longstanding rival, the Chiefs. It would be a rematch of last year's playoff game. Recall that the Bills already defeated the Chiefs earlier this season on the road. Meanwhile, the NFL will hold this game at a neutral venue. We should see another close matchup here. However, we have Allen outperforming Mahomes and guiding the Bills to the Super Bowl.
1. Bills will win Super Bowl LVII
The Bills are looking for revenge in Super Bowl LVII as they face off against their old rival, the Dallas Cowboys. We see the Cowboys defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC. However, that is a prediction for another day. The Bills are seeking revenge for their two Super Bowl defeats from 30 years ago, when the Dallas dynasty won three Super Bowls in four years.
This time, the Bills, who have the fifth-ranked scoring offense and second-ranked scoring defense in the league (as of this writing), should succeed. They have proven themselves with victories over the Rams, Ravens, Dolphins, and Chiefs. The Bills also have key players such as Diggs, Davis, Singletary, and Rousseau ready to step up.
Much of the team's success will depend on Allen's performance. We expect him to excel under pressure despite his propensity to turn the ball over. Still, we anticipate that under the bright lights of State Farm Stadium in Arizona, the Bills will triumph and lift the Super Bowl trophy.
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