I was optimistic heading into this game, as Buffalo has played well against quality teams. Shockingly, it was the defense that played great against Philadelphia, and the Bills’ offense was flustered. Josh Allen made one too many mistakes; an early fumble led to the Eagles’ lone touchdown, and an overthrow late handed the win to Philadelphia.
Game Recap
I expected this to be a fiery, high-scoring matchup, with both offenses lighting up the scoreboard the way the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears did on Monday Night Football. On paper, the ingredients were there—explosive playmakers, aggressive play-calling, and two teams capable of scoring in bunches. Instead, much to the surprise of fans on both sides, the game turned into a grind-it-out defensive battle.
Buffalo’s defense delivered one of its best performances of the season, holding the Philadelphia Eagles to just 13 points, consistently winning at the line of scrimmage, and coming up with timely stops that should have tilted the game in the Bills’ favor. They limited big plays, tightened up in the red zone, and gave the offense multiple opportunities to take control of the game.
That’s where the frustration sets in. Despite being handed excellent field position and momentum at key moments, the offense struggled to capitalize, settling for missed opportunities rather than putting the game away. At this stage of the season—especially with Super Bowl aspirations—that margin for error is razor thin. You can’t ask much more from a defense that plays at that level, and you won’t beat elite teams in January if offensive inefficiency wastes performances like this.
What’s the Breaking Point?
Fans remain divided on HC Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane‘s future. McDermott remains one of the best coaches in the league with his 97-50 record. Despite the success in Buffalo, some fans are eager for change as he makes as many mental errors as Josh Allen.
Pros: Josh Allen gets an offensive-minded head coach and a GM willing to make aggressive moves. The past two seasons, we’ve acquired Amari Cooper and then Brandin Cooks at the deadline in hopes they would add a spark after Stefon Diggs departure, but it just hasn’t happened.
Cons: Our defense takes a step back. Beane and McDermott are great at making even the average NFL player perform well in this scheme, and a new regime may struggle the first year or two to replicate the defense’s success.
My Opinion: The Bills should keep McDermott for now, but let Brandon Beane go. I love him, but the multiple wasted contracts on free agents, paired with some lackluster draft picks and questionable trade deadline moves, have made me question his ability.
Playoff Picture
The Buffalo Bills are locked in, but we can no longer win the division. The New England Patriots ended a 5-year streak where the Bills have owned the AFC East, but we are locked in as the wildcard. We won’t know exactly what seed we will be until after week 18.
A Look Ahead
Unless some wildcard teams get some upsets, week 18 will likely be the last game at Highmark Stadium, where the Bills host the Jets. After that, the playoffs begin, and we will face off against one of the division winners in the AFC.
Check out all of my previous articles alongside all regular season articles available here: 2025 Season Series, and make sure to use code DL10 for 10% off all memberships! Also, tune in on YouTube to view our most recent video, where we discuss the Chiefs missing the playoffs and needing a soft reset.
