:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71841224/1446133531.0.jpg "NFL playoff bracket 2023: Who will Bills play in the Wild Card Round?")
The Buffalo Bills are heading to the 2023 NFL playoffs and have locked in the No. 2 seed in the AFC bracket. As a result, the team will host the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card round next weekend.
This will be an AFC East clash to kick things off in the postseason and the two teams split the season series this year. The Dolphins took the first matchup in scorching hot temperatures in Miami back in September before the Bills won a classic in the snow at home in December.
Entering the season as the preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, Buffalo was able to secure its third straight AFC East title with 13 wins and its fifth trip to the postseason in six years. The highlight of the Bills' year included them toppling the Kansas City Chiefs in mid-October, seemingly putting them on a path towards clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC. However, the cancellation of their Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals as a result of Damar Hamlin collapsing from cardiac arrest prevented them from securing the top seed. As a result, a potential rematch against the Chiefs in the AFC title game would be held at a neutral site if the two teams advance that far.
Miami was extremely streaky this year, experiencing both a five-game winning streak and a five-game losing streak in the campaign. The Dolphins' season was defined by the health of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was put into concussion protocols at multiple points throughout the season. With backup Teddy Bridgewater also out, the team managed to scrap its way into the postseason third-stringer Skylar Thompson starting in their Week 18 win over the Jets.