Buffalo Bills' big win over the Detroit Lions had a chance to be so much sweeter than it was
The Buffalo Bills went into Ford Field and handed the Detroit Lions, the best team in the NFC, and a team that many considered to be the beast team in a football, a 48-42 loss on the back of a masterful Josh Allen performance. In winning, and with what happened around the league on Sunday, Buffalo […]
The Buffalo Bills went into Ford Field and handed the Detroit Lions, the best team in the NFC, and a team that many considered to be the beast team in a football, a 48-42 loss on the back of a masterful Josh Allen performance. In winning, and with what happened around the league on Sunday, Buffalo missed a golden opportunity for it to be so much bigger than it was.
Last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams looms large. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns, but in the fourth quarter, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes hurt his ankle, and is being labeled as "week-to-week."
If the Bills had beat the 8-6 Rams, they would be sitting on a 12-2 record after beating the Lions, their hardest remaining test of the season. That would have them one game behind the Chiefs for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, a team they hold the tiebreaker over from their head-to-head victory earlier this season.
If Mahomes is set to miss any time, the Chiefs become a wounded animal with remaining games against the Texans, Broncos, and Steelers.
The Bills dropping that game against the Rams, though, puts them two games back. It's the kind of opportunity that hurts to see squabbled away. The Bills will need the Chiefs to drop two of their last three games, while Buffalo handles all three of their remaining matchups (vs Patriots, vs Jets, @ Patriots) to secure the No. 1 seed and have the AFC playoffs go through Orchard Park. It's not likely, but it's possible, especially if Mahomes' injury is more serious than initially thought.
Bills Mafia will have their eyes closely monitoring Mahomes' status in the coming days.
Follow along all year for more Buffalo Bills coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, and make sure to follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
