Bills suddenly looking firm in AFC playoff picture

The Buffalo Bills dominated the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. In doing so, they’ve firmed up plans for the first weekend of January.

Due to geography, the Bills are doomed to an eternity of playing in the Wild Card round even if they make the playoffs — or at least until Tom Bray retires. Still, after not reaching the postseason from 2000-16, closing in on a second berth in three years must be ultra-satisfying.

Buffalo was supposed to be the turkey on Thanksgiving for Dallas. Instead, the Bills carved up the Cowboys — and that’s it for the puns — winning 26-15 in a fashion that was much more authoritative than the score suggests.

Josh Allen was near perfect, avoiding turnovers and only throwing five incomplete passes. There defense was dominant behind rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver an standout corner Tre’Davious White. It all adds up to Buffalo being 9-3 and having a firm grasp on the top wild card spot in the AFC.

Looking at the competition in the Wild Card picture, the Bills likely need only one more win to make the playoffs. Two would certainly do the trick, but even beating the lowly New York Jets in a few weeks almost certainly locks up a trip, and maybe even gives Buffalo the fifth seed.

While nothing is certain, the Bills are likely going to see either the Houston Texans or Kansas City Chiefs come Wild Card weekend. In either case, Buffalo would be a decided underdog, although playing Kansas City at Arrowhead would create a much larger spread than Houston.

Regardless, the Bills deserve a moment to be celebrated. Going into the day, Buffalo had only beaten a single team with a winning record — the Tennessee Titans — and that was a 14-7 game that included Marcus Mariota and four missed Tennessee field goals. Unimpressive.

Thursday’s rout of Dallas proved Buffalo deserves some attention.

While it’s true the Cowboys themselves aren’t over .500, they have some of the best talent in the league. Beating a team of such caliber demands a few recalculations of who the Bills are.

Next Sunday, Buffalo will have another test of epic proportions. The Bills welcome in the Baltimore Ravens, who are currently 9-2 and about to face the San Francisco 49ers. If Buffalo takes down the MVP favorite Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, talk will shift about the Bills being a fun story to them being a force to reckon with.