Josh Allen passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns, including two to receiver Gabriel Davis, to lead the Bills to a 31-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
The victory sets up a battle for first place in the AFC East against the New England Patriots in Foxborough next Sunday. The Patriots lead the Bills by one game after losing to the Colts on Saturday. The Bills would possess the tiebreaker with a win next week by virtue of division record.
New England beat Buffalo, 14-10, in Week 13.
The Bills (8-6) hold the seventh seed in the AFC and have a 72-percent chance to make the playoffs following the win, according to The New York Times playoff machine. They are one of five 8-6 teams in the conference, along with Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Baltimore.
Cincinnati moved into first place in the AFC North with a win over Denver. Indianapolis and Los Angeles hold the fifth and sixth seeds, owning the tiebreaker over Buffalo based on conference records. Buffalo owns the tiebreaker over Baltimore based on win percentage in common games.
The Steelers, at 7-6-1, are also in the hunt. Las Vegas, Miami, Cleveland, and Denver are all 7-7.
The Bills have three regular-season games remaining. Following their visit to New England, they conclude the season with home games against Atlanta and the New York Jets.
