The Bills snapped a three-game losing streak in Cincinnati when they beat the Bengals, 16-12. It wasn’t a very encouraging win, but it counts in the standings all the same.
It also did quite a bit to boost the team in the eyes of the national media, most of whom knocked the team up a few notches in their power rankings after they returned to .500 with the win.
SBNation’s list has the Bills at 14, up four spots from last week. They jumped their opponent, the Bengals, as well as the Saints, Cardinals, and Vikings. Minnesota fell despite eking out a 30-24 victory over Arizona, while New Orleans lost to the Panthers on Thursday Night Football.
Over at NFL.com, Elliott Harrison also moved the Bills up four spots, from 17 to 13. He notes the rash of injuries that have beset the Bills, but dings Tyrod Taylor for badly missing a third-down throw to Percy Harvin that would have iced the game. Aside from jumping the Cardinals, the Bills also moved past Week 11 losers in the Texans, Eagles, and Ravens.
Keeping with the theme, ESPN also moved the Bills up four places, from 21 to 17, while lauding their league-leading efforts in rushing yardage and touchdowns. The aforementioned Bengals, Cardinals, and Saints all dropped behind the Bills, who also managed to leapfrog the Titans (who stayed put at 19 after a loss).
Finally, the Bills returned to the outskirts of The MMQB’s Fine Fifteen, coming in at 18. They don’t go into detail for teams in the 16-20 range, but the Buccaneers (17) and Panthers (20) are also newcomers this week. That trio knocked the Packers, Bengals, and Titans out of the list.