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After going 17 seasons without making the playoffs and then finally qualifying this season on a prayer of play, you’d think most powerhouse media outlets would automatically rate the Buffalo Bills as the lowest of all the playoff teams in their respective power rankings, right?
Wrong.
While it’s not much higher, all but two of five outlets that we track (ESPN, CBS, Bleacher Report, NFL.com, and Sports Illustrated) had the Bills ahead of the Tennessee Titans, who are the fifth seed in the AFC. For all of them, though, the Bills and Titans check in as their lowest-rated playoff teams.
Here’s a roundup of where the Bills ranked in the power rankings of these five outlets.
ESPN: 14
The “worldwide leader in sports,” as it likes to refer to itself, was one of the outlets that ranked the Titans above the Bills. The Titans check in at No. 12. The Bills moved up one spot from last week.
“The Bills made the playoffs? Checks notes. The Bills made the playoffs! Sure, they had a relatively light schedule, but they still had to win those games. Their 7-2 record against teams who finished .500 or worse was their best since 2008.” - ESPN
CBS: 11
This Bills moved up three spots last week.
“They are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Sean McDermott has done an amazing job this season.” - CBS Sports
Bleacher Report: 14
This is the other outlet that ranked the Titans above the Bills. Like ESPN, The Titans also check in here at No. 12. The Bills moved up four spots from last week’s edition.
“I can't say enough about the Buffalo Bills and what they've been able to accomplish this season. Even if they can't move past Wild Card Weekend, getting to the playoffs is a huge accomplishment. This is a credit to Sean McDermott and how he's changed the culture of this organization.” - Bleacher Report
NFL.com: 12
The Bills moved up five spots here from last week.
Sports Illustrated: 12
And lastly, the Bills moved up five sports here. The highest vote Buffalo received from one of the members of SI’s staff was 11th overall, and the lowest was 19th.