Power rankings: Bills’ loss to Eagles doesn’t move needle

Before Bills Mafia gets apoplectic, let’s remember Buffalo has lost at least six games in five of HC Sean McDermott’s seven seasons. And despite Sunday’s close shave at Philly, the offense is pretty much humming now – QB Josh Allen tying Hall of Famer Steve Young for the most career games (8) with at least 300 yards passing and 50 yards rushing.

Last Week: 10

Sean McDermott needs to go. That was the third time this season the Bills’ defense has blown a lead with under two minutes to play. Their playoff hopes seem to fade more by the week, and they have their head coach to thank for it.

Just when it looked like the Jenga tower was going back up, they pulled it back down.

The Bills did just about everything right against the Philadelphia Eagles. They had a great first half and sustained long scoring drives in the second half.

However, their decimated defense struggled to stop the Eagles in the second half, leading all the way to the end of regulation, where Philadelphia drove a bit down the field.

Whenever everything looked over, Jake Elliott hit a 59-yard field goal to even the game up at 30. The game had playoff vibes the entire way through.

Last Week: 8

Week 12 Result: Lost at Philadelphia 37-34 (OT)

Sunday in Philadelphia, the Buffalo Bills had a golden opportunity to make a huge statement—to not only get back to two games over .500 but to show that they remain a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And for a time, it looked like the Bills were going to pull it off.

Instead, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts tore the Bills’ still-beating heart from their chest with a game-winning touchdown run in overtime. Now, a fourth straight AFC East title is all but certainly out of the picture. And making the playoffs at all is no sure bet.

After the devastating loss, veteran safety Micah Hyde allowed that this one hurts—and that it’s a continuation of a theme that has dogged the team all season.

“You’d definitely like to get that win, get some momentum going into the bye and KC (in two weeks), but you got to live with it, swallow it, and find a way to correct the things that we haven’t been able to correct in the first 12 games,” Hyde told reporters. “That’s the NFL, man. You’re on one side or the other. We’ve been fortunate enough around here for a long time to be on the winning side, and it seems like this year, every game comes down to the last two minutes. It’s unfortunate. We could have nine or 10 wins. But that’s a fantasy land and in real life we understand what our record is.”

Now the Bills enter their bye week in desperation mode—and with a trip to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs and a home date with the Cowboys coming after, the season is in very real danger of spiraling out of control.

(Last week: 12)

Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 37-34 in overtime

Best case: Super Bowl

We’re having a hard time giving up on the Bills even though they lost for the third time in four games Sunday. The reason? That very game. Buffalo gained 505 yards and went toe-to-toe with the defending NFC champions in Philadelphia. The Bills are fifth in scoring (27.33 per game) and fourth in scoring margin (101). It’s not going to be easy to claw back into the picture with the Chiefs, Cowboys and Dolphins still on the schedule, but if they do …

Up next: Bye

Buffalo’s playoff hopes are not dead, but they’re fleeting after the Bills couldn’t pull off what would have been an impressive road victory at Philadelphia in soggy conditions. Josh Allen put on his cape at times, and Joe Brady made some nice play calls, but it wasn’t enough, thanks to: two missed kicks; Allen’s fourth-quarter pick; a few defensive breakdowns; some bad luck on the fumble/non-fumble front; and the miscommunication with Gabe Davis on the throw in overtime. Yep, a handful of plays killed the Bills’ best offensive showing since the Miami game back in Week 4 and another step forward for Allen, who weaponized his legs far more than he has in recent games. Now, following this week’s bye, Buffalo is tasked with a trip to Arrowhead, followed by a home game against the surging Cowboys. Each loss just feels existential now.

That was a tough loss against the Eagles to drop them to 6-6 as they head to the bye. The margin for error for this group is small the rest of the way.

Before Monday night’s game, DVOA’s playoff odds gave Buffalo a 14 percent chance of making the postseason. The Bills really needed that win over the Eagles, outplayed Philadelphia, had a big lead and gave it away. It’s hard to tell if this is a really unlucky team or there’s some fatal flaw that is causing the Bills to lose a bunch of games it has no business losing, but there’s a good chance it costs them a postseason spot.

Week 12 ranking: 10

Offense: 2
Defense: 12
Special teams: 2

This is largely a reflection of the team’s issues closing out wins, with the Bills holding a 2-6 record in one-score games. The team holds a plus-101 point differential through 12 games, the 268th team to be plus-100 or better through 12 games but the second team to not have a winning record (1950 Eagles). Buffalo’s many injuries on defense have hurt some of the unit’s production, and some of the offense’s inconsistencies over the course of the season aren’t reflected here. Overall, the Bills’ FPI rankings reflect the team’s inability to close out games.