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There was nothing artistic about what went down at the igloo named Solider Field Saturday afternoon, but the Buffalo Bills did the only thing they needed to do: Win the game.
And because they defeated the Chicago Bears 35-13, they are AFC East champions for the third year in a row, and they maintain their tenuous grip on the No. 1 seed in the AFC bracket for yet another week.
The Bills started sluggishly in a poorly played first half, kicked things into gear just long enough in the third quarter to grab the lead, and then slogged it out the rest of the way for their sixth consecutive victory, though coach Sean McDermott will have plenty to discuss with his team given all the mistakes that were made.
Let’s be honest: Had the Bills been playing most other teams as opposed to the now 3-12 Bears, it might have made for a disappointing Christmas that in Buffalo is already being ruined by the blizzard of the century.
What stood out Saturday is that the Bills won with Josh Allen playing one of those games that just make you scratch your head and say, “I thought he was beyond days like this?”
Allen has had a great season, there’s no denying that. It’s scary to think where the Bills would be without him. But he has been unnecessarily careless with the ball at times and this was certainly one of those games.
He threw two more interceptions, both on just absolute bone-headed decisions, now has 13 which is tied for the league lead, and he could have had at least two other picks.
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However, with Allen struggling most of the way, the Bills turned to their running game and hammered the Bears for a season-high 254 yards as James Cook (99 yards) and Devin Singletary (106) ran through gaping holes even though the Bills did not have center Mitch Morse, and then lost his replacement, Ryan Bates, for a short time.
