Bills fans are going to be feeling this loss against the Philadelphia Eagles for a little bit. Buffalo attempted yet another comeback being down 13-0, and after scoring two touchdowns, the ultimate heartbreaker was on the failed 2-point conversion when Josh Allen couldn’t connect with Khalil Shakir.
That was the final nail on the coffin as Philly beat Buffalo by one, which gave the AFC East to the New England Patriots. While Buffalo is still playoff bound, they are now officially going to have to go on the road.
That’s right, it’s more than likely that the Bills will not play in Highmark again after Week 18. So, once the wild card round comes around, the Bills will be going into away environments to make their hopeful Super Bowl run. The biggest problem with this set up, is that under Sean McDermott, the Bills have never won a road playoff game.
That’s right, Buffalo has only ever won at home in the playoffs since they became a powerhouse so this will be a brand new route that they will have to take. In two of Buffalo’s first three years under McDermott, the Bills went on the road for the playoffs twice against the Jaguars and Texans. Both of those games resulted in heartbreaking losses.
Week 17 game might be huge starting point of tough conversation about Sean McDermott
The Bills are about to enter a playoff format where there will be no Patrick Mahomes and no Joe Burrow. In addition, there may not be a Lamar Jackson depending on what happens in a Week 18 battle between the Steelers and Ravens. So, the Bills may not have to face familiar quarterbacks that have given them trouble in the past.
If the Bills fall short in the playoffs once again to a team that has a young quarterback, first-time head coach, or even the combo of both, that could really start a conversation on whether or not the Bills have hit their maximum potential with Sean McDermott at the lead.
Since 2020, the Bills have lost at home in the playoffs and they have lost on the road in the playoffs. They have lost by a lot and they have lost by a little. That was all against teams like the Chiefs and Bengals, both who will not be in the playoffs.
If Buffalo loses to a team like Jacksonville, or even New England who was considered to be going into a rebuild year this season, there has to be a conversation on whether or not there are other options out in the NFL that could help the Bills finally get past the hump and reach, as well as win a Super Bowl with a generational talent at quarterback in Josh Allen.
Depending on how the playoffs play out for the Bills, this Week 17 loss against the Eagles that ultimately put the Bills on the road could very well be the first talking point as to whether or not the Bills need to make a big change.