If the Buffalo Bills discard the Denver Broncos from the playoffs on Sunday, they’ll likely get a chance at revenge in the divisional round.
Buffalo could welcome three different teams to Highmark Stadium in the second round: the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans or Los Angeles Chargers.
The Bills were only defeated twice by AFC teams in the regular season, with losses to the Ravens in Week 4 and Texans in Week 5.
Baltimore and Houston combine for three of the four possible unique playoff combinations to determine Buffalo’s divisional round opponent, assuming a Bills win over the Broncos.
Buffalo will know its opponent for the divisional game a day before it kicks off against Denver at 1 p.m. Sunday. The other two AFC games are on Saturday.
No. 4 Houston hosts No. 5 Los Angeles at 4:30 p.m. and No. 3 Baltimore hosts the No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers at 8 p.m. in the other wild-card games.
For the divisional round, No. 2 seed Buffalo would host the remaining team with the second-lowest seed. No. 1 seed Kansas City plays the lowest-remaining seed at home.
At least one lower seed has defeated a higher seed in the wild-card round of the NFL postseason in seven straight years.
Here’s how to determine who the Bills will play next:
Bills playoff schedule for divisional round
Buffalo hosts Baltimore if:
- Baltimore defeats Pittsburgh
Buffalo hosts Houston if:
- Pittsburgh defeats Baltimore + Houston defeats Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo hosts Los Angeles if:
- Pittsburgh defeats Baltimore + Los Angeles defeats Houston
AFC playoff schedule
Wild-card round
Saturday, Jan. 11
- No. 5 Los Angeles at No. 4 Houston, 4:30 p.m., CBS
- No. 6 Pittsburgh at No. 2 Baltimore, 8 p.m. Prime Video
Sunday, Jan 12
- No. 7 Denver at No. 2 Buffalo, 1 p.m., CBS
Bye: Kansas City
Divisional round
- 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18
- 8:15 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18
- 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19
- 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19
AFC championship
- 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26 (CBS)
Super Bowl 59
- 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9 (FOX)
AFC playoff bracket
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
- Buffalo Bills (13-4)
- Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
- Houston Texans (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Denver Broncos (10-7)
