Early Week 6 results place Bills in danger of losing division lead, AFC standing

The Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Chargers and Broncos all won on Sunday afternoon, which puts the pressure on Buffalo to keep pace with a win over the Falcons this week.

Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) reacts against the New England Patriots during the first half | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills were already under the gun to rebound from a Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots with a win over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

And based on the results from the NFL’s early-Sunday slate, even more pressure has been heaped on the Bills as they prepare for this week’s non-conference affair.

The Bills entered Week 6 tied with fellow AFC No. 1, the Colts, at 4-1 on the year. Buffalo was alone atop the East division, leading New England by one game in the loss column. But after the Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos all walked away with victories on Sunday afternoon, the Bills’ standing in both the AFC East and the conference is now in jeopardy.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is forced out of bounds by Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa during second half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Oct. 5, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If the Bills are to fall at the hands of the Falcons on Monday night, that would push them to second place in the AFC East, based on the head-to-head tiebreaker the Patriots earned with last week’s victory at Highmark Stadium. A loss to Atlanta would also diminish their conference standing, as, on Sunday, the Colts improved to 5-1, the Steelers pushed their record to 4-1, while the Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and Patriots are all sitting at 4-2.

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Buffalo burst out of the gates to begin the year, racking up four straight victories over lesser opponents. But after their loss to a competitive Patriots team last week, they are suddenly being pressed within the division for the first time in years and are one loss away from falling into the middle of the pack within the conference.

Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa tackles New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during first half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Oct. 5, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bills are 4.5-point favorites on Monday night against Atlanta, and many are expecting them to roll on their way to a 5-1 mark heading into their Week 7 bye week. But we have seen this team play down to its competition throughout the year, and the Falcons have some impressive offensive weapons along with a more than capable defense.

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If quarterback Michael Penix Jr. can get things together and put forth a reasonable effort, this will be a much closer game than some are imagining it may be.

The Bills are on upset alert this week, and a loss would prove highly detrimental to their early-season positioning both in their division and conference.

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