The Buffalo Bills are 22-23 all time in the postseason, counting the AFL years, and 20-21 since the 1970 merger. They have made the playoffs seven straight seasons under Josh Allen, the longest active streak in the NFL, but have not reached a Super Bowl since the 1993 season and have never won one. Buffalo’s most recent playoff game was a 33-30 overtime loss at Denver in the divisional round in January 2026.
Record by Round
| Round | Record |
|---|---|
| Wild Card | 9-5 |
| Divisional | 7-10 |
| AFC Championship | 4-4 |
| Super Bowl | 0-4 |
| AFL Championship (1964, 1965) | 2-0 |
Every Bills Playoff Season
| Season | Record | Playoff results | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12-5 | W 27-24 at Jaguars; L 33-30 (OT) at Broncos | Divisional |
| 2024 | 13-4 | W 31-7 vs. Broncos; W 27-25 vs. Ravens; L 32-29 at Chiefs | AFC Championship |
| 2023 | 11-6 | W 31-17 vs. Steelers; L 27-24 vs. Chiefs | Divisional |
| 2022 | 13-3 | W 34-31 vs. Dolphins; L 27-10 vs. Bengals | Divisional |
| 2021 | 11-6 | W 47-17 vs. Patriots; L 42-36 (OT) at Chiefs | Divisional |
| 2020 | 13-3 | W 27-24 vs. Colts; W 17-3 vs. Ravens; L 38-24 at Chiefs | AFC Championship |
| 2019 | 10-6 | L 22-19 (OT) at Texans | Wild Card |
| 2017 | 9-7 | L 10-3 at Jaguars | Wild Card |
| 1999 | 11-5 | L 22-16 at Titans (Music City Miracle) | Wild Card |
| 1998 | 10-6 | L 24-17 at Dolphins | Wild Card |
| 1996 | 10-6 | L 30-27 vs. Jaguars | Wild Card |
| 1995 | 10-6 | W 37-22 vs. Dolphins; L 40-21 at Steelers | Divisional |
| 1993 | 12-4 | W 29-23 vs. Raiders; W 30-13 vs. Chiefs; L 30-13 vs. Cowboys (Super Bowl XXVIII) | Super Bowl |
| 1992 | 11-5 | W 41-38 (OT) vs. Oilers; W 24-3 at Steelers; W 29-10 at Dolphins; L 52-17 vs. Cowboys (Super Bowl XXVII) | Super Bowl |
| 1991 | 13-3 | W 37-14 vs. Chiefs; W 10-7 vs. Broncos; L 37-24 vs. Washington (Super Bowl XXVI) | Super Bowl |
| 1990 | 13-3 | W 44-34 vs. Dolphins; W 51-3 vs. Raiders; L 20-19 vs. Giants (Super Bowl XXV) | Super Bowl |
| 1989 | 9-7 | L 34-30 at Browns | Divisional |
| 1988 | 12-4 | W 17-10 vs. Oilers; L 21-10 at Bengals | AFC Championship |
| 1981 | 10-6 | W 31-27 at Jets; L 28-21 at Bengals | Divisional |
| 1980 | 11-5 | L 20-14 at Chargers | Divisional |
| 1974 | 9-5 | L 32-14 at Steelers | Divisional |
| 1966 (AFL) | 9-4-1 | L 31-7 vs. Chiefs (AFL Championship) | AFL Championship |
| 1965 (AFL) | 10-3-1 | W 23-0 at Chargers (AFL Championship) | Champions |
| 1964 (AFL) | 12-2 | W 20-7 vs. Chargers (AFL Championship) | Champions |
| 1963 (AFL) | 7-6-1 | L 26-8 vs. Boston Patriots (Eastern Division playoff) | Division playoff |
The Josh Allen Era
Buffalo has made the playoffs every season since 2019 and won at least one playoff game in six straight years, from 2020 through 2025. The problem has been Kansas City: four of the seven exits came against the Chiefs, including two AFC Championship Games and the 13 seconds divisional game in January 2022, when Buffalo led 36-33 with 13 seconds left and lost in overtime. The two most recent exits were different. Cincinnati beat the Bills 27-10 in Orchard Park after the 2022 season, and Denver won 33-30 in overtime in January 2026, a week after Buffalo, playing as a wild card for the first time since 2019, won 27-24 in Jacksonville. Allen is 8-7 as a playoff starter.
The Drought
After the Music City Miracle in January 2000, when Tennessee’s Frank Wycheck lateraled a kickoff to Kevin Dyson for a 75 yard touchdown with 16 seconds left, the Bills missed the playoffs 17 straight seasons. It was the longest active drought in the four major North American sports when it ended on New Year’s Eve 2017, thanks to Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton throwing a fourth down touchdown to beat Baltimore. Buffalo lost 10-3 in Jacksonville a week later, its first playoff game in 18 years.
The Levy Years
From 1988 through 1996, Marv Levy’s Bills made the playoffs eight times in nine seasons, won the AFC four straight years and went 9-1 in AFC playoff games at Rich Stadium. The 1992 wild card win over Houston, from 35-3 down in the third quarter to 41-38 in overtime with Frank Reich at quarterback, remains the largest comeback in NFL playoff history. Full detail on the four title games is on our Bills Super Bowl history page.
Related
Bills Super Bowl history · Josh Allen stats · How the NFL playoffs work · New Highmark Stadium · Bills score today · NFL standings
The Bottom Line
Buffalo is 22-23 in the postseason with two AFL championships, four Super Bowl losses and eight AFC title game trips. The Allen era has produced seven straight playoff seasons and six straight years with a playoff win, but no conference title since January 1994.