The Bills kicked off December by claiming the AFC East, for the fifth consecutive season, with five weeks left to go in the season. With the win, they became the first team since 2009 to clinch a division title with 5+ games left in the regular season.
The Bills also improved to 10-2, which is the first time they have had such a record since 1991.
There are five games remaining in the Bills schedule, including a matchup against the NFC leading Detroit Lions and three more division rival games to end the season. Here's what the experts are saying 13 weeks into the season, plus where some of the NFL's analysts have the Bills in their latest power rankings going into the last month of the season.
Take an exclusive look at the best 50 photos from the Buffalo Bills 35-10 win against the San Francisco 49ers on December 1st, 2024.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
The Fox Sports host has said since the Bills defeated the Chiefs that this is the best version of the Bills that he has seen. He believes that they have all of the pieces put together to continue to be successful down the stretch of the NFL season.
"Six straight games, 30 plus points in a driving snowstorm. We've been saying this- When you get Superman, you don't want to overuse him. And for years they didn't have a home run, hitter at running back. Now they do… They've always had a great left tackle. They've rebuilt their offensive line. This is the best version of Buffalo, and I believe in the AFC they've sort of separated… Buffalo is built for this stuff… They're going to win this division, as long as Josh Allen is in his prime, which is five more years… This is the year for Buffalo. They're mostly healthy, they could get the number one seed, they've got a superstar quarterback, good front office, no chaos in coaching… This feels like the year for the Bills."- Cowherd
The former Patriots coach said on The Pat McAfee show that the Bills look like a very well balanced team that can play in any weather condition, especially with a good quarterback.
"I think they've done a good job all the way through, but especially this year that, moving on from Diggs and kind of rebuilding the receiver position. But they're very strong at tight end, so they're, when they're healthy, they're playing a lot of 12 personnel, which I think has also helped the running game. They look like a very well balanced team, especially one that can play in Buffalo, play in bad weather, which if they keep winning, they're going to be doing plenty of. They might even have a shot at the home field for the for the playoffs. So having a team that can play in those conditions with 12 personnel, a good running game obviously a good quarterback, and the defense that can play the run, not just rush the passer and tackle well, that's good formula."- Belichick
Bill Simmons believes that the MVP race is now down to Eagles RB Saquon Barkley and Bills QB Josh Allen, with Allen currently with the lead over Barkley.
"This now feels like Allen's MVP to lose. I feel like we've use the 'MVP to lose…' with different players this year, but he's going to be a one or a two seed, which is one of the, you know, one of the things that usually has it just seems like. I don't know who's taking that from him."- Simmons
Stephen A. Smith believes that Josh Allen is the MVP. After the Bills lost several key pieces in the offseason, Smith said that his expectations for the Bills have been surpassed and that Allen is one of the elite quarterbacks in the game.
"He's the MVP. The way that he has looked right now, the expectations coming into the season for the Buffalo Bills, how they've eclipsed those expectations… Last five years, five AFC East titles. It's 58-20, ranks only second to the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League. First in scoring offense, fourth in total offense, first in scoring defense, second in the NFL in total defense right now, I just look at what I'm seeing from Josh Allen… and you lost Stefon Diggs, you lost Gabe Davis. You got Keon Coleman as a rookie coming in. You acquire Amari Cooper in the middle of the season from Cleveland. And for Josh the Buffalo Bills look like They have not missed a beat. They look absolutely tremendous… You look at Josh Allen right now, he's clearly the leader of the team. He's clearly one of the elite quarterbacks in the game… Josh Allen, no matter what the conditions are, no matter where he is, no matter what adverse circumstances he's faced with, he has shown up. That is what a league MVP is made of right now."- Smith
The former NFL coach believes that not only is McDermott the Coach of the Year, but Allen is the MVP and it is not a close race.
"They got Shakir, Coleman, Kincaid, these guys are not household names and coach, McDermott has done an incredible job of their defense. To me I think Coach McDermott's a Coach of the Year and it's not even close. I think Josh Allen's MVP and it's not even close. I just been ultra impressed by the Buffalo Bills."- Gruden
Sheil Kapadia named six teams that he believes can win the Super Bowl this season and the Bills were one of the six teams that he picked to win it all.
"If I had to pick one team to come out of the AFC at this very moment, it'd be the Bills. This was supposed to be a reset year, but now they look like one of the NFL's most complete teams. Quarterback Josh Allen is playing at an elite level, their offensive line has been excellent, and they can run the ball. Like Detroit, the defense has overachieved, but unlike Detroit, Buffalo's D is getting healthy at the right time. The Bills are currently the no. 2 seed in the AFC, but remember, they beat the Chiefs and own that tiebreaker. If they can make up one game on Kansas City down the stretch, the Bills could steal the top seed, get a first-round bye, and force teams to have to come to Buffalo."- Kapadia
📈POWER RANKINGS
After defeating the 49ers on Sunday night, the Bills rose two spots in ESPN's power rankings. In this week's rankings, the NFL Nation reporters picked a player that could potentially earn their first-time Pro Bowl nomination.
"Rousseau has put together an impressive fourth campaign after the Bills picked up his fifth-year option in the offseason. Beyond leading the team with 6.5 sacks, the 24-year-old D-lineman is sixth in the league in pressure percentage (13.8), tied for sixth in quarterback hits (19) and tied for the third-most tackles for loss (15). There are plenty of Bills candidates for this -- four of the five offensive linemen have not made the Pro Bowl, in addition to nickel corner Taron Johnson -- but Rousseau has put together a campaign worthy of recognition."- Alaina Getzenberg
The Bills did not change position and remain in the second spot in the NFL.com power rankings, following their Sunday night victory over the 49ers.
"Buffalo got to sit back on its Week 12 bye with a 9-2 record, having won six straight, culminating with a big win over Kansas City. Part of the Bills' bye-week viewing likely included the Chiefs' struggles to put the Panthers away, which had to make the week of rest even better. Buffalo all but has the AFC East wrapped up, and it still has a puncher's chance to wrestle away the AFC's top seed from Kansas City, thanks to the head-to-head win and a stretch run that is far easier than the Chiefs'. Buffalo will come out of the bye with a home game against the suddenly sinking 5-6 49ers. There also are games left against the Rams, Jets and Patriots (twice), as well as a showdown against the Lions in Detroit that could serve as a Super Bowl sneak peek. All told, the Bills are in great shape, and they appear to be getting a little healthier, too."- Eric Edholm
The Bills did not change position in The Athletic's power rankings this week. They pointed out that their concern looking into the playoffs would be facing a potent rushing attack.
"There's not much to pick on in Buffalo after the Bills trounced the 49ers at snowy Highmark Stadium on Sunday night, but looking ahead to the playoffs, this team might be vulnerable against a potent rushing attack. The Niners rushed for 153 yards, and Buffalo is 23rd in the number of 10-plus yard runs allowed (46) and 19th in explosive play rate surrendered overall (11.3 percent) this season."- Josh Kendall
The Bills did not change position in USA Today's power rankings this week coming off a victory over the 49ers and their Week 12 bye.
"Should they be considered the league's top team? They have a very strong case after wrapping up their fifth straight AFC East crown and riding a seven-game win streak – during which the Bills are averaging 30.4 points. Like Philadelphia, the Bills just need one slip-up from the team ahead of them in the standings (Kansas City) to move into position for the No. 1 playoff seed."- Nate Davis
Scroll to see photos of Buffalo Bills players wearing their 2024 Buffalo Bills My Cause My Cleats against the San Francisco 49ers, as well as honoree's for each cause who attended the game! My Cause My Cleats is an initiative that allows players and coaches to customize cleats with an organization of their choice to support a cause that is important to them.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers, Regular Season, December 01, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.
