Running Out of Steam: The Bills’ Late-Season Struggles
December 29, 2025
The Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles met in a division-sealing game on Sunday, but it was very different from the outcome of years past.
Both teams have had beleaguered seasons, both not playing up to the standards of perennial playoff contender and defending Super Bowl champion. The Eagles have suffered several head-scratching losses, and the Bills have had the ability to score 35 in a quarter, and as few as 13 points this season.
The Eagles came into the day having already secured the division, and the Bills presented a huge test of a playoff contender before the playoffs begin. The Eagles will have to play a wild card game, and this was their last real test before the postseason.
The Bills came into the game with an outside chance of winning the AFC East, a title they’ve held for years while the New England Patriots have floundered, going through several quarterback fixes and coaching changes through the years. No longer can they boast that label; the Bills lost the game, 13-12 with their lowest point output of the season. There were several moments where inexplicable mistakes were made by reigning MVP Josh Allen and James Cook. The Bills had the chance to win the game in the waning stages, as Allen forced the ball over the goal line to pull within 1. The ensuing two-point conversion was unsuccessful, and the Bills lost a rare home game, in their second-to-last home game in Highmark Stadium. There will be no home playoff games in Orchard Park this year.
The window to win the AFC East yearly may have abruptly shut on the Bills, as the Patriots coasted to a win over the New York Jets, securing their first division title since the 2019 season, when a guy named Tom Brady still played for the Pats.
Since Allen came into the division and Brady left, the division has belonged to Buffalo. Things have gotten a little bit more complicated, as the Patriots now have a playoff-tested and experienced coach in Mike Vrabel and a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, who is an MVP contender in 2025. The Patriots have bounced back in a tremendous way, surging to the top of the standings and thrusting themselves into the best possible position since their most dominant era in team and NFL history.
The question begs, has Buffalo’s time at the top ended? Will they be able to get past the current playoff contenders, loaded with newcomers and free of past challengers like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and (possibly) Lamar Jackson. Is this Buffalo’s best chance to win a championship, having to go on the road for playoff games, without top weapons and lacking the teeth of previous defenses?
Brandon, Author
Brandon spends his days managing a plumbing warehouse and his nights obsessing over the Broncos — and somehow still finds time to write for Broncos Wire. A diehard fan with orange and blue running through his veins, he’s currently training his toddler to boo the Chiefs on sight. Insightful, loyal, and just petty enough to be entertaining, Brandon brings the fandom fire every week.
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