Buffalo Bills Notebook: Five Takeaways From Overtime Loss To Philadelphia Eagles
The Buffalo Bills went toe-to-toe with the team with the best record in the NFL but ultimately fell short in a 37-34 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
It was like a clash between two heavyweights on the gridiron. Both teams went back and forth in the second half, but as has been the case as of late, the Bills (6-6) fell short after a 12-yard run into the end zone from Jalen Hurts with 2:41 left in overtime to seal the Eagles' (10-1) victory.
Now with Buffalo at .500, they'll have to be nearly perfect down the stretch of the season if they hope to make the playoffs.
Here are three takeaways from Buffalo's deflating loss to Philadelphia.
Josh Allen's heroics not enough:
If the Bills wanted to have a shot in Philadelphia, they needed Josh Allen to put on his cape and be Superman. Allen was just that, as he completed 29 of 51 passes for 339 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also had nine carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
In total, Allen had a role every time the Bills reached the end zone and accounted for 420 of the team's 505 yards on offense.
But even with Allen putting on that kind of performance in a game Buffalo needed to win to improve its playoff hopes, it wasn't enough. If the Bills are going to work their way back into the playoff picture, they can't afford to waste more performances like the one Allen had today.
Josh Allen had four touchdowns and 420 total yards.
USA TODAY
Tale of two halves defensively:
For three quarters, the Bills defense looked like the unit that began the season as one of the best in football before injuries began to take their toll. Buffalo led 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Then the floodgates opened.
The Eagles scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, then had the game-winning score in overtime after Buffalo took a 34-31 lead. Even with the Eagles having one of the best offenses in football, the Bills' defense has to hang onto a 10-point lead in the second half, given how little the team's margin of error is.
Even with an Allen interception leading to a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, the offense regained the lead twice, only for the defense to blow it on both occasions. If Buffalo finishes the season a game out of a playoff spot, the defense's performance in the second half of this game will be looked at as an opportunity it let fall by the wayside.
Of the Bills' six losses, the defense has allowed a go-ahead score on the final drive in three of them. Whether you want to blame the defense, the coaching, or both, that's a conversation for another point coming up in 3, 2, 1...
Questionable coaching late:
With 20 seconds left in regulation and one timeout, Bills head coach Sean McDermott opted to take a knee and roll the dice on overtime. A headscratcher not just because of the Bills' luck in OT, but because of how the offense had played throughout the game.
Twenty seconds and a timeout is more than enough time to see what can happen with Allen and the offense. If a play or two goes bad, Buffalo could see what happens in overtime. To not take a chance when your team desperately needs a win is a confusing decision by McDermott. One could also argue whether McDermott should have tried to preserve his timeouts on the Eagles' final drive in regulation on the chance Allen could lead a game-winning drive.
All-in-all, it wasn't a great performance all-around for McDermott whether it was related to time management or the defense splitting at the seams from the fourth quarter on. And those struggles have become a trend late in close ballgames for a coach who hangs his hat on defense and is the defensive playcaller.
AFC East all but out of reach:
The Bills' chances of winning the AFC East were already slim.
Now they're all but gone.
Of the Bills' five remaining games, they have the Kansas City Chiefs (8-3) and Dallas Cowboys (8-3) on back-to-back weeks then close out the season against the team they're chasing when they face the Miami Dolphins (8-3) in Week 18. Even games against the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots, who they already lost to, are far from a given.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, have the Washington Commanders (4-8), Tennessee Titans (4-7) and New York Jets (4-7) over the next three weeks. Those three games should be wins for the Dolphins and should put the division all but out of reach barring a huge collapse and the Bills winning out.
Bye week comes at the perfect time:
It's make-or-break time for the Bills if they're going to make the playoffs for a fifth straight year. With the tough trek ahead, having the week to reset couldn't have come at a better time.
The bye week will allow Buffalo to get healthy and focus on what they need to improve. It's also another week for Allen and interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady to build more of a rapport.
If the Bills turn things around in the final five games of the season, the bye week during Week 13 could be viewed as the turning point.
