The Buffalo Bills are on a three-game win streak and beaten three opponents with a combined three losses in their other 12 games, so they should be in pretty elite company in the NFL power rankings, right? Wrong.
The highest we saw the Buffalo Bills was over at NFL.com, where Eliot Harrison slotted them at number 11, four spots higher than a week ago. “If the defense performs as it has the last three weeks, some integral parts get healthier (please, Sammy Watkins) and LeSean McCoy continues to rip off Shady-style runs, anything is possible,” says Harrison saying the AFC is wide open. There’s not much to be upset about here; buffalo is the top team with two losses. The 29th-ranked San Francisco 49ers come to town this week.
Also placing that at 11 was The MMQB’s Peter King. From 16 a week ago, King has LeSean McCoy running the Bills up into the upper third of teams to the very top of the two-loss pile.
SB Nation’s power rankings moved the Bills up into the top half of the league, from 19 to 15. That’s four spots behind the three-loss Bengals, but that’s not a very big slight considering Cincinnati's recent playoff pedigree. This week’s opponent, the 49ers, are 31st.
Over at ESPN, the Bills also jumped up. After landing 20th a week ago, Buffalo is now 16. The “Worldwide Leader” notes the change at offensive coordinator has been successful but places the 2-3 Cardinals who the Bills have already beaten at 10(!), the 2-3 Bengals at 8, and the 1-4 Panthers at 13. Carolina actually moved up two spots after being beaten on Monday night. The 49ers are 31st here, too.
It will be tough for the Bills to move up without a loss by someone ahead of them. If the Bills lose, they’ll likely sink like a stone.