Media Mashup: Buffalo Bills Week 12 Power Rankings

What were you thankful for last week? Stefon Diggs being a clutch player? Ed Oliver’s monster game? Just getting back to putting multiple wins together? The Buffalo Bills scraped out an ugly win against a gusty opponent after no practice for two weeks and no rest. It’s good enough for me, but what does the media say? Let’s get the low-down on Buffalo from the Week 12 Power Rankings.

NFL.com: 5th

Author: Dan Hanzus

Last Week: 4th

“Two games at Ford Field in five days and a pair of victories for the Bills, who look like a team finding its footing after some midseason turbulence. The 28-25 win on Thanksgiving was decided by Tyler Bass’ 45-yard field goal in the final seconds, but we’ll remember the winning drive for the 36-yard missile from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs that put Buffalo in scoring position in instantaneous fashion. Very few quarterbacks can hang a throw on a clothesline from that distance, and Allen managed it with a balky elbow that continues to give him issues. In other injury news, Von Miller exited the win with a knee issue that will put him on the shelf for an unknown duration. Buffalo’s defense will not be the same without its closer.”

theScore: 6th

Author: theScore Staff

Last Week: 5th

“While a record-setting snowfall caused logistical chaos, the Bills stayed cool under pressure to score back-to-back wins in Detroit. Getting healthy remains a primary concern for the club as Von Miller and Dion Dawkins’ health statuses remain in limbo.”

Bleacher Report: 4th

Authors: NFL Staff

Last Week: 4th

“The Buffalo Bills are back in first place in the AFC East after outlasting the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. But that victory may have come at a high price. Veteran edge-rusher Von Miller was carted to the locker room with a right knee injury. Per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN, Miller didn’t tear his ACL, but the severity of the injury has yet to be determined, and head coach Sean McDermott has already ruled Miller out for Week 13.”

“Losing Miller for any amount of time would be a big blow to a team already thin on the edge. Miller ranks third in the league in pressures behind Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Patriots edge-rusher Matthew Judon, per Getzenberg. No other Bills player has more than 12 pressures. Buffalo’s next three games are intradivision, and the Bills are 0-2 in the AFC East. McDermott said the team will just have to find a way.”

“[Miller’s] a future Hall of Famer for a reason… That said, we’ve got to move forward this week. And the person or the people responsible to step in and step up have got to do the job, and that’s the way it goes.”

Sean McDermott on Von Miller’s injury

The Ringer: 3rd

Author: Austin Gayle

Last Week: 3rd

“Josh Allen threw for 253 yards, including a 36-yard strike to Stefon Diggs that helped set up the game-winning field goal, and led his team in rushing in the Bills’ come-from-behind victory over the Lions on Thanksgiving. Even as he’s dealt with a nagging elbow issue, it’s clear that Allen elevates his teammates and he’s one of the primary reasons Buffalo holds one of the top records in the AFC despite an onslaught of injuries on defense. That injured list now includes star pass rusher Von Miller, who is expected to miss significant time, if not the rest of the season, with a knee injury.”

ESPN: 3rd

Author: ESPN Staff

Last Week: 3rd

Realistic expectation: Winning a Super Bowl.

“It’s realistic even though the Bills are not looking as sharp since the team’s bye. These next three weeks will go a long way toward determining just how possible winning it all will be for Buffalo. Securing home-field advantage in the playoffs will be a priority. The team is currently 0-2 in AFC East play and has three straight games against division opponents — at Patriots, vs. Jets and vs. Dolphins — next. If the Bills can come out on top in those games, there’s no reason they couldn’t go all the way.” – Alaina Getzenberg

The Athletic: 5th

Author: Bo Wulf

Last Week: 5th

“As the Bills prepare for life without Von Miller in the short-term future, the defense got a boost with the soft-launched return of cornerback Tre’Davious White, who played 16 official snaps through the first two defensive drives versus Detroit in his first appearance since returning from a torn ACL. Though the Bills’ pass rush is deep with Miller, it stands to reason they can compensate for any dropoff up front with better coverage on the back end. Even if the Patriots don’t offer the most explosive passing attack, three straight AFC East games loom as an important stretch for a Bills team still trying to work its way out of a funk.”

NBC Sports: 3rd

Author: Josh Schrock

Last Week: 3rd

“The Bills seem to have avoided disaster with Von Miller’s knee injury. Still, missing the star pass rusher for at least two games could wind up being the difference between an AFC East crown and a wild-card spot.”

CBS Sports: 4th

Author: Pete Prisco

Last Week: 4th

“The loss of Von Miller for a period of time will impact the defense in a big way. They have to hope he’s not out for a long time.”

Fox Sports: 6th

Author: David Helman

Last Week: 5th

“This isn’t about the Lions, who have proven themselves as a capable opponent. But the last-second Thanksgiving win continues what is now a month-long trend for the Bills offense, which can’t seem to find much series-to-series consistency. More will be needed from Josh Allen moving forward.”

Yahoo Sports: 5th

Author: Frank Schwab

Last Week: 5th

”A tight win over the Lions isn’t what championship dreams are made of, but the Bills dealt with a lot over a week’stime and got two wins before a mini-bye. Let’s assume with some time to rest and reset, they’ll be fine.”

USA Today: 4th

Author: Nate Davis

Last Week: 2nd

“OLB Von Miller was supposed to be Buffalo’s difference-maker in 2022. Now his knee injury might mean the difference between a Super Bowl – and maybe even the AFC East crown – and another Lombardi-less winter in Western New York.”

Sporting News: 4th

Author: Vinnie Iyer

Last Week: 4th

“The Bills saw Josh Allen get closer to his real passing and running self in Detroit, even though was a bit of an extra grind for the right result. They need to keep figuring out more things offensively again with the Patriots next on a Thursday.”

WalterFootball.com: 1st

Author: Walter Cherepinsky

Last Week: 1st

“The Bills aren’t even playing well right now, and yet they’re winning for the most part. They beat the Browns and Lions, and they would have defeated Minnesota had they taken over at the 1-yard line rather than the 1-inch line. Buffalo will snap out of its “slump” soon and begin dominating again.”

Sportsnaut: 4th

Author: Matt Johnson

Last Week: 3rd

“The Buffalo Bills will likely get Tremaine Edmunds, Greg Rousseau and AJ Epenesa back soon, but now Von Miller is out indefinitely. Minus their top edge rusher and a game-changing player, there are new concerns about the defense. It’s also fair to wonder how long Josh Allen’s elbow will hold up before a setback with him returning to 40-plus attempts. The Bills are still one of the best NFL teams in 2022, but injuries have raised a few red flags.”

Athlon Sports: 4th

Author: Bryan Fischer

Last Week: 4th

“Ford Field sure felt like home last week for the Bills, even if the play wasn’t the crispest. Now attention will turn to Von Miller and hoping he’ll be good to go when the team really needs him.”

Power Rankings Summary

Not much in the way of movement this week, but we can take some solace in knowing that the Buffalo Bills just came through their most troublesome weeks of the season with two consecutive wins. The loss of Von Miller for any length of time is a big deal though, and needs to be monitored. Outside of a few exceptions, the Buffalo Bills do seem to be getting a little healthier.

Sample Size	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth	Average
15	1	0	3	6	3	2	Fourth

For last week’s power rankings, click here, and come back next week for a fresh round of Power Rankings as the Buffalo Bills visit the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football; Part one of an epic AFC East gauntlet to end the season. Have a “Power Ranking” that you think I should include? Reach out to @IestynTHarris on Twitter to let me know!

Featured Image: Nic Antaya/Getty Images