NFL: Buffalo Bills will be in the playoffs in 2014 if…

And: Marrone’s squad can learn how to beat the teams in its own division with a little consistency, especially the biggest fish in the AFC East pond in the New England Patriots.

Dating back to the league’s realignment and the creation of eight divisions in 2002, only the Detroit Lions (18-54), Cleveland Browns (18-54), Oakland Raiders (24-48) and Washington Redskins (24-48) have a worst win-loss record vs. divisional foes than the Bills (25-47) the last 12 seasons.

We will take it a step further. During the team’s last playoff appearance in 1999 (when the division was made up of five teams instead of four), the Bills were a combined 5-1 against the Miami Dolphins, Pats and New York Jets, their current division rivals (they also split with the Indianapolis Colts in ‘99). That season, they swept Miami and New England and split with New York.

Since 2000, Buffalo is a combined 28-56 vs. the Patriots (3-25), Jets (11-17) and Dolphins (14-14) and a year ago, the Bills swept Miami.

While this deficiency may border on the obvious and is certainly a factor for some other teams around the league (see the Minnesota Vikings), it’s worth noting that there is also not another club in the NFL that has finished last in its division each of the last six years.