Bills face must-win against Chargers

The Buffalo Bills have to find a way to win on Sunday. After benching quarterback Tyrod Taylor this week for rookie Nathan Peterman, the Bills are trying to salvage what appeared to be a promising season only two weeks ago.

Buffalo was originally taking on the look of a tanking team before the year began. The Bills traded Ronald Darby and Sammy Watkins away before the regular season, making many see them as a team without much promise in 2017. Incredibly, they roared to a 5-2 start including wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos, making people believe in the ragtag group from western New York.

Since, things have gone downhill. Buffalo was blown out on a Thursday night at MetLife Stadium by the New York Jets before getting hammered 47-10 by the New Orleans Saints in their own building. Taylor was miserable in the contest, throwing for 56 yards and an interception on 8-of-16 passing.

With that as the backdrop for this weekend, the Bills have no choice but to go across the country and win, or face the very real possibility that they will once again miss the playoffs. Buffalo has not reached the postseason since 1999, the longest active draught in the league.

Peterman will be making his first start, going against one of the best defensive fronts in the game. Los Angeles has Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram coming off the edges, a duo as fearsome as any in the league. The assignment is made even tougher for Peterman when you consider that Buffalo is without left tackle Cordy Glenn, who has already been declared out with ankle and foot injuries.

Should Buffalo lose the game, it will drop to 5-5 and could fall into a tie with the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and/or Baltimore Ravens if any of those teams are able to win. The Bills also face one of the toughest schedules the rest of the way with a pair of games against the New England Patriots and a Week 12 trip to Arrowhead Stadium for a tilt with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Buffalo wasn’t expected to do much this year, but after starting so hot, expectations and hopes ballooned. Now, a fifth-round rookie who started his final two college seasons for the University of Pittsburgh is now thrust into the limelight, hoping to deliver on the fading promise this team once had.

A win over the Chargers would cure plenty of ailments, but a loss would only amplify them in a season that is growing short on time for those scrambling to find a seat in January football.