Bills Central

Wild scenario it would take for Bills to host one last Highmark Stadium playoff game

In all likelihood, Sunday will be the final Buffalo Bills' game ever at "old" Highmark Stadium.
Bills-Raiders 1994
Bills-Raiders 1994 | Long Photography-Imagn Images

How good has Rich/ Ralph/ Highmark Stadium been to the Buffalo Bills? In the playoffs since the place opened in 1973 they are 16-3. On the road in the postseason during that span? 3-13.

As the Bills prepare to close "old" Highmark Sunday in a meaningless game against the awful New York Jets and without star quarterback Josh Allen, the memories are flooding in. So is the realization that it will likely be the last game at the stadium.

MORE: Bills' Highmark Stadium deserves better farewell than no Josh Allen or AFC East title

While it's still technically possible to host a playoff game in the Divisional Round or even the AFC Championship, the chances are microscopically small. Heading into Week 18 the Bills know they will be a Wild Card, but not much else. None of the teams in the AFC are locked into any specific seed.

For a hypothetical example of what it would take for the Bills to host another home playoff game, imagine Wild Card weekend results of them winning at the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Houston Texans winning at the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers upsetting the Jaguars in Jacksonville. That kind of chaos would leave three Wild Card teams plus the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos alive in the Divisional Round and Buffalo, if it's seeded 5th, would host the 6th seed.

To finish as the No. 5 seed, the Bills need to beat the Jets and get losses by the Texans to the Colts and by the Chargers to the Broncos.

An Wild Card team has never hosted an AFC Championship Game.

While awaiting these Hail Mary scenarios, Bills Mafia can fondly recall the stadium that gave them 16 playoff wins and three AFC Championship Game triumph in route to the Super Bowl.

The Best

51-3 demolition of the Raiders that sent them to their first Super Bowl in 1990.

MORE: Bills decline to pursue emergency QB with Josh Allen banged up in Week 18

The Worst

30-27 loss to Jaguars in 1996 Wild Card that was Jim Kelly's final game.

The Wildest

Comeback from down 35-3 to beat Houston Oiler in 1992 Wild Card.

Andre Reed
Andre Reed | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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