The loss in the pouring Buffalo rain couldn’t have come in a more brutal fashion for the Buffalo Bills. After being shut out by the Eagles at home through three quarters, the Bills mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback, only to fall just short on a failed two-point conversion with five seconds remaining in the game. Philadelphia went on to win in Buffalo, 13-12.
The loss eliminates the Bills from the AFC East race for the first time since 2019. They had won the division for five straight seasons, but now the Patriots have locked up that title and a home playoff game. The Bills have already secured a playoff berth, but they’ll have to wait until Week 18 to learn which wildcard seed they’ll have — currently, Buffalo sits in the No. 7 seed, but they are tied with the Texans and Chargers at 11-5 and that order could still shuffle.
Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott on the Decision to Go for Two
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 28: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass during the first quarter of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
After the game, Bills HC Sean McDermott was asked about why he decided to go for two. Trailing 13-6 in the closing moments, the Bills scored a touchdown on a Josh Allen quarterback sneak with just five seconds remaining. Instead of attempting a potential game-tying extra point, McDermott chose to go for two and the win.
“Wanted to be aggressive going for the win,” McDermott said in his post-game press conference. “We feel like [there’s] only a certain amount of time left at that point, and we felt like we had a great call, a great opportunity to go win it — I want to be aggressive, I’m not going to sit back.”
The decision was complicated by a play earlier in the fourth quarter. Trailing 13-0, the Bills scored a touchdown midway through the fourth, but the extra point was blocked by Eagles DT Jalen Carter, keeping it a seven-point game. McDermott was asked if that play factored into his decision to go for two.
“Potentially,” McDermott replied. “It wasn’t everything, but I trust Josh Allen with the ball in his hands, and I’d do it over again.”
The Buffalo Bills Have a Difficult Path Through the AFC Playoffs
Securing a playoff berth is no mean feat, especially this season with such a loaded playoff field in both conferences. In the AFC, no wildcard team will have fewer than 11 wins, and there’s potential for all three wildcard teams to finish the year with 12 wins, depending on Week 18’s results.
Still, the Bills have made it harder on themselves than it could have been. Being a wildcard team means Buffalo will have to play on the road throughout the playoffs, and unless they win the tiebreakers to make the No. 5 seed, they’ll have to face one of the Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Texans, or Chargers on the road in the first round. That’s a tough draw, but if anyone could lead the Bills to a road playoff win, it would be reigning league MVP Josh Allen.
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