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Part I: The Bills’ D gives away the game to the Eagles
First and foremost, thank you for a REAL football game, Bills and Eagles!
It’s been a struggle this NFL season — as we all know, there have been a lot of complaints about a lack of offense, and talent pools stretched thin — but on Sunday, the Bills and Eagles reminded us what a quality football product can look like.
The conditions were tough, the rain was torrential, and the footing wasn’t particularly great. But gosh darn it, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts — two of my favorite players in the world — did everything they possibly could to make it work out there. Allen was throwing ROCKETS despite the weather. Hurts, as always, was all grit and grind. Fighting until the end, keeping his team focused under immense pressure down the stretch.
And unfortunately, yet again — when it was time to ante up and go all-in — the Buffalo Bills’ defense failed them miserably with the game hanging in the balance. In overtime, up by three points with the Eagles on the counterattack, the Bills’ D got to a critical point: 3rd-and-4 with iffy field position, they could have forced Nick Sirianni and the Eagles into very difficult decision-making. Make the stop there, and what do the Eagles do? Try another ridiculously long field goal with Jake Elliott, or go for it with everything on the line?
But the hypothetical scenarios didn’t matter, as the Bills’ D folded up like a cheap suit once again. You sag off into soft coverage? You let DeVonta Smith — really, one of the best all-around receivers in the game — get WIDE open on a simple out-route for a critical first down?
We’ve seen this before with this supposedly ‘solid’ Buffalo D: Remember the epic back-and-forth with the Chiefs in the playoffs a couple of seasons ago? Allen and the Bills’ offense did everything they possibly could to win that game. With time totally against them, Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs STILL got it done against that supposedly good Bills’ D. To make matters worse, they let freakin’ Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill catch the key balls!
Then, of course, last year, in rough playoff conditions, that didn’t seem to matter to Joe Burrow and his Cincy O. In Buffalo, on their turf, in their kinda conditions, the Bills’ D couldn’t make a key stop all game long. This defensive unit simply doesn’t come through when it needs to, no matter what the year seemingly.
And now? The Bills – one of the best teams in the NFL, in my opinion — are now 6-6 with their backs against the wall.
Do they have the balls to respond in the coming weeks?
Part II: Is Bryce Young ever going to show us anything?
Seriously, how was this kid the first overall pick in the NFL Draft?
How was he taken before the great CJ Stroud?
How was he even taken before Anthony Richardson, who is a raw quarterback but a dominant physical athlete?
All season long, Young has shown us nothing. Lot of interceptions, wobbly passes and surprisingly questionable decisions. I thought maybe this week would be different in a head-to-head rookie battle against Will Levis and his mediocre Titans.
But… nope! More of the same. Young shows no WOW factor. He doesn’t throw touchdowns. He doesn’t connect on long plays. He doesn’t rally his teammates. There is no ‘juice’ here.
And where is the light at the end of the tunnel for the Panthers and their fans, if any? Maybe Marvin Harrison Jr. in the draft, or something? Who knows, but it’s freakin’ ugly in Carolina right now.
Young has to show us something. Show us some pizazz. Some poise. Some talent. Something.
In the meantime, Stroud is flashing generational talent over in Houston.
This may go down as one of the worst No. 1 overall selections in league history.
John Frascella is a published sports author who has been covering the NFL for 20 years. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @LegendSports7 for all things NFL, NBA and MLB throughout the year.
