The Bills have compiled an impressive number of funny losses this year. It started opening night. Aaron Rodgers was lost for the season four snaps into his Jets career, and backup Zach Wilson threw for just 140 yards. The Bills, who led by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, lost in overtime on a punt return TD. One of the Patriots’ two wins this season came when Mac Jones got the ball with two minutes left and marched them 75 yards to beat Buffalo. Another came after the Broncos missed a field goal at the gun, only to get another chance when the Bills had too many men on the field.
Sunday’s 37-34 loss to the Eagles was another funny one, though that may not apply if you’re a Bills fan. The Bills held the Eagles in check for about 35 minutes and then gave up 30 points the rest of the way. They lost despite having 127 more yards. They lost despite running 92 plays. Not every game in NFL history has a full play-by-play, but Washington holds the “unofficial” record with 110 plays in a 41-38 OT win over Detroit in 1990. The Lions blew a 21-point lead in that one. The Bills never held a lead that big in Sunday’s game, but they blew the game nonetheless.
They missed two field goals. One was blocked by the Eagles’ 300-plus pound lineman. But the other was just wide. In the fourth quarter Josh Allen threw an interception that set the Eagles up for a short-field touchdown. But Buffalo still had the game in its hands even though the Eagles’ Jake Elliott hit a 59-yard field goal to tie it with 20 seconds left.
The Bills, a team that famously allowed Kansas City to drive into field goal range in 13 seconds in a playoff game, kneeled on the ball to go for overtime. They had two timeouts! It was unlikely they’d get down into range; it was not impossible. Buffalo’s screwup in overtime was on the field; Josh Allen missed a wide-open Gabe Davis on a play that would’ve been a game-winning touchdown. After a Buffalo field goal, the Eagles drove down for the winning touchdown. About the only thing Bills fans could take away after the loss was that it was a tremendous game, and a fantastic jersey matchup. It was yet another Game of the Year that the Bills lost, which I believe is a Buffalo tradition on par with wings and that trough urinal in The Old Pink.
So, yeah. The Bills have lost in some really funny ways this year, and if you’re a Buffalo fan that could make you furious. But there was another team on the field yesterday, one that rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and stole a game in overtime they really did not have much business winning. Their fans are furious.
Obviously not every Eagles fan is frothing at the mouth at their 10-1 team, but in my world everyone is so freaking angry after a game where the Eagles rallied for a thrilling win with a Jalen Hurts touchdown. He had two rushing TDs and three passing TDs. The Eagles won a game where they finished with just two healthy linebackers. They won a game where the Bills had 40 minutes in time of possession. They are very obviously walking an edge here, as it was their fifth game this year where their opponent had the ball with a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter or OT. (I’m not counting the Vikings game in Week 2, where Kirk Cousins got the ball down six points with seven seconds left at his own 17.)
The Eagles keep piling up wins, though. That does not mean people are happy. “Brian Johnson has become a lightning rod for fan discontent,” the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote of the offensive coordinator following a game where the Eagles scored 37 points. Fans also complained about the fourth straight game where the Eagles trailed at half and, for the game, were out-gained by around 100 yards. That all four of these games were wins dulls criticism, but only a little.
Ryan Phillippe almost crashed his car because of this game. Never mind that he is driving three hours and somehow watching a football game at the same time. It’d be the Eagles' fault if something bad happened!
The team is peeved, too! “I have had a ton to clean up and I have not executed to the level of my standard,” Jalen Hurts said. Somehow this man is the favorite for MVP. It’s been an incredible season with several close wins. But it could absolutely be the Bills’ season instead, and I am grateful for that.
Is that going to make me happy? Absolutely not. C’mon, Eagles. Get it together.
