Bills, Browns prepare for “Battle of Lake Erie”

The 2025 NFL season has been a peculiar one to say the least.

With new contenders emerging and “old hats” being tossed in the trash — at least for one year — the aesthetic of the league’s upcoming playoff landscape looks quite unfamiliar from the ghosts of seasons past.

However, while the Wicked Witch of the West may be dead in Kansas City, the Warriors of Western New York are still very much alive thanks to an improbable 21-point comeback win over the New England Patriots (11-3 OVR, 3-1 AFCE) last Sunday, marking their third consecutive victory in similar heart-palpitating fashion.

Now, with the calendar turning toward Christmas, the Buffalo Bills seem to be surging at just the right time.

And while Buffalo (10-4 OVR, 3-2 AFCE) may not end up winning its sixth straight AFC East divisional title when all is said and done, the fact that the team has managed to crawl back into contention after a tough, up-and-down stretch in October and November can’t be ignored.

Led by quarterback Josh Allen, who is playing like a player worthy of another MVP award, and a defense that seemingly makes second-half adjustments like no other contingent in the league, the Bills appear to have found a recipe for success with its current grouping of player “ingredients” on both sides of the ball.

The only question that remains — does Buffalo have enough stockpiled in the pantry to make its Soup du Jour last until February?

Although that question will linger into January, the sentiment that Buffalo was even playoff bound wasn’t always a foregone conclusion, especially after tough losses to the Houston Texans (9-5 OVR, 4-1 AFCS) and Miami Dolphins (6-8 OVR, 3-2 AFCE) just one short month ago.

So, with just one more win and a little extra outside help needed to at least secure a playoff berth, the Bills are hoping to carry their current momentum on the road this weekend when they face off against the Cleveland Browns (3-11 OVR, 0-4 AFCN) in a Week 16 “Battle of Lake Erie” on Sunday.

“Cleveland shows up — their defense, and overall they play hard. They’re talented. They’re talented up front, they’re talented on the back end, in particular with the corner position, and it’s a good combination, and then you watch (Myles Garrett) and you’re going, ‘That’s special.’ You know? So, there’s only a few people, if that, that have ever done (what he’s done) in the league . . . ,” Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott said when speaking to the media on Wednesday.

“I think their offense has actually ratcheted up since (Shedeur Sanders has) been under center. So, that’ll be a big challenge for us.”

Despite their less-than-stellar record, Buffalo can’t afford to overlook the Browns — not now.

After already stumbling in games against Houston, Atlanta, and Miami — which all should have undoubtedly been victories and would have the team in the driver seat of the division instead of  currently looking up to New England — the Bills have no time for slip-ups, even if another AFC East crown seems somewhat improbable.

WIth the playoffs within reach and less than a month away, the time is now to continue riding their hot streak into January instead of riding the rollercoaster of emotions that defined the previous two months of the season.

In order to do so, however, Buffalo will be faced with the challenge of slowing down defensive end Myles Garrett, who McDermott alluded to in his press conference.

The former number one overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft is just 1.5 sacks away from breaking the single-season sack record that was set by Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan during the 2001 season and then again matched by T.J. Watt in 2022. 

Garrett, who was rumored to want out of Cleveland this past offseason before signing a gigantic contract back in March to stay with the Browns, will undoubtedly be looking to do everything he can to get to quarterback Josh Allen in any way shape or form.

It will be up to Buffalo’s offensive line, particularly left tackle Dion Dawkins and right tackle Spencer Brown, to keep Allen upright and out of harm’s way knowing he’ll have a target on his back for the entirety of the afternoon. 

“Just don’t do anything outside of your own shell, I guess. You know he’s going to make plays and you know that’s a given. I think he’s what — a sack-and-a-half or needs two to get (the record)? So, hopefully we can prevent that. But, you know (he’s a) walking Hall-of-Famer out there. So, (you) look forward to those competitions and, you know, just kind of proving yourself or seeing where you’re at and judging yourself, and not shying away from competition,” Bills’ offensive tackle Spencer Brown said in his press conference earlier in the week.

“I think (getting) the win will erase if he gets the record (against me). I mean, the record might sting a little bit. If it does happen on me, I guess it’d be like, ‘Yeah, kids. That’s me right there getting absolutely blasted.’ So, hopefully it doesn’t happen, but, you know, a win is the main focus. If it happens, it happens. But, hopefully (we’ll) walk out of there with a win.”

Aside from Garrett, Cleveland’s second-ranked defense is also led by a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate in Carson Schwesinger, a 2025 second-round pick out of UCLA, at middle linebacker and superstar cornerback Denzel Ward, who has 18 interceptions in his eight-year career, on the back end. Ward has been dealing with a calf injury since Week 14, but told reporters in Cleveland that he was optimistic about returning to play against Buffalo.

Overall, the team has allowed just 37 total touchdowns and 279.1 yards per game this season according to Fox Sports, trailing only Houston in that category.

With that said, it’s clear to see that the Browns pose a different kind of threat than one might think after quickly glancing at their overall record. 

Buffalo will need to be ready for any sort of tricks that Garrett, Schwesinger, Ward, and company may pull out of Santa’s bag come Sunday afternoon.

“(It’s) no easy task every week in this league. I mean, everybody (is) getting paid to do the same thing out there and, you know, this is a really, really good defense that we’re about to face. And, it’s going to be all hands on deck,” Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen said on Wednesday.

“We all know how great (Myles Garrett) is, but he’s not the only guy that they got. You know, they’ve got a really, really great unit — got a really good secondary, you know, two of the top corners in the league, (and) they got one of the best rookies playing their linebacker position. So, yeah you got to be, like I said, all hands on deck and it’s going to take every single guy to go out there and accomplish what we need to accomplish.”

As for the offensive side of the ball, it’s been a season of constant change for Cleveland.

Starting the year under the guidance of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, the Browns have since switched between rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, with Sanders currently manning the position for the remainder of the year.

Since taking over in relief of Gabriel in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, Sanders has started the past four games for Cleveland, tallying 946 passing yards, 74 yards rushing, six total touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing), a 52.2% completion percentage, and six interceptions. 

As for Sanders’ teammates, running back and fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins has amassed a team-high 805 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy lead the way in receiving yards with 667 and 519, respectively. 

Fannin Jr., who is also amongst the rookie class for Cleveland, is tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with four.

Regardless of what the stats may show and outside observers may say, the Browns could certainly give Buffalo’s up-and-down defense fits if they’re able to get the run game going with Judkins and a play-action game going Fannin Jr. and Jeudy.

With that being said, given their struggles with playing down to their competition at times this season, the onus will be on Buffalo’s defense to not allow Cleveland to feel they can hang in the game for too long.

If Buffalo is able to sustain a rhythm on offense with Allen and stymie the Sanders-led Browns early on, it should lead to a joyous afternoon for all heading into the holiday week.

If not . . . well, let’s not even put that into existence.

“I know (Shedeur) got in late in the season, so he’s still finding his way. (But they have a) great running game, a lot of good running backs, a lot of good talented (players) in the receiver room and the tight end room. So, they got a lot of good weapons,” Buffalo safety Cole Bishop said this week.

“You never want to peak too early. You always want to, you know, (peak) towards the later part of the season. (That’s) always when you want to be playing your best ball. And, I mean, you see in that second half (against New England) we all (were) firing on all cylinders. So, if we can just bring that together at the start of the game (it) will be huge.”

Kickoff between the Bills and Browns is slated for 1 p.m. ET at Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

*Author’s note: I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone in the Bills Mafia FAMbase and around the NFL fan landscape a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Being able to get back into writing again has definitely been a blessing for me, and I’m incredibly grateful to anyone that has taken the time to read my articles this season. I look forward to continuing to bring you Bills content heading into the New Year! 

Go Bills!

Editor’s babble: It has been our pleasure to publish John Green’s contributions to our blog. You can also find John on Xwitter @JGreen_PRsports. Happy Holiday season!