FOOTBALL: Playoff berth within Bills' grasp in matchup vs. hapless Browns

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The Buffalo Bills will look to secure a playoff berth for the seventh straight season on Sunday when they visit the Cleveland Browns.

Buffalo (10-4) is also keeping an eye on first place in the AFC East after rallying from a 21-point deficit to defeat the New England Patriots 35-31 last Sunday. The Bills have won the division title in each of the past five seasons.

Before focusing on the division race, the Bills must take care of business against Cleveland. A win over the Browns, combined with a loss by either the Houston Texans (9-5) or the Indianapolis Colts (8-6), would officially clinch Buffalo’s spot in the playoffs.

The Bills feature the NFL’s top rushing offense, averaging 158.5 yards per game. They also rank third in the league in total offense (381.2 yards per game) and scoring (29.4 points per game).

Quarterback Josh Allen has been central to Buffalo’s success. The reigning NFL MVP has accounted for 37 total touchdowns this season, including 25 passing scores and 12 rushing touchdowns. Allen threw three touchdown passes against New England last week, while running back James Cook totaled 111 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns, with two coming on the ground and one through the air.

“We’ve been tested in close games and tight situations, and we’ve found ways to win some,” Allen said. “We’ve lost a couple, but I feel like we’ve learned a lot from those losses. This is an extremely tight unit. We practice what we preach when we say we love each other, care about each other, and don’t want to let each other down.”

Tight end Dawson Knox caught two touchdown passes last week and could see an increased role if fellow tight end Dalton Kincaid remains limited by a knee injury. Kincaid did not participate in Wednesday’s walk-through practice, along with defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (ankle), kicker Matt Prater (right quad), and left tackle Dion Dawkins (illness).

Cornerback Christian Benford (toe) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow) were limited in practice on Wednesday after missing last weekend’s game.

The Bills added kicker Michael Badgley to the practice squad earlier in the week and are expected to elevate him for Sunday’s contest.

While Buffalo enters the matchup riding a three-game winning streak, Cleveland (3-11) has dropped three consecutive games, including a 31-3 loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday.

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders struggled in that defeat, throwing for 177 yards and an NFL career-high three interceptions.

Despite the performance, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski praised Sanders for maintaining his composure and focus.

“He’s got the same attitude every single day,” Stefanski said Wednesday. “You have to be able to turn the page after a loss in this league, and you also have to do it after a win. You can’t carry the previous game with you, and I think he does a great job of that.”

Sanders will face a difficult challenge against Buffalo’s defense, which ranks second in the NFL in passing yards allowed at just 169.5 yards per game.

Cleveland had nine players miss practice on Wednesday, including star defensive end Myles Garrett, who was given a rest day. Garrett recorded 1.5 sacks last week to raise his season total to 21.5, just one shy of the NFL single-season record shared by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021).

Other Browns who did not practice included tight end David Njoku (knee), guard Joel Bitonio (knee), tackle Jack Conklin (concussion), and cornerback Denzel Ward (calf). -Field Level Media/Reuters