Buffalo Bills

Lore & Background

During the 2017 season, the Buffalo Bills emerged as the primary obstacle preventing the Chargers from returning to the playoffs. After improving from a 5–11 record to finish 9–7, the Chargers found themselves entangled in a complex standings scenario. The league determined that four teams—the Chargers, Titans, Bills, and Ravens—were tied for the two available Wild Card positions. The tiebreaker rules favored Tennessee and Buffalo, granting them the spots while San Diego was eliminated. This outcome marked another missed opportunity for Los Angeles, extending their playoff drought to four years despite a winning record.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of the 2017 season turned on a single Week 11 matchup at home against the Bills. In this contest, the Chargers handily routed Buffalo, snapping a two-game losing streak to improve their record to 4–6. The victory was fueled by a chaotic performance from rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman, who threw five interceptions in the first half alone before being pulled for starter Tyrod Taylor. Despite this dominant regular-season win over Buffalo, the Bills later capitalized on tiebreakers when the season concluded. They claimed one of the two Wild Card spots in the four-way tie that also included the Chargers, Titans, and Ravens, effectively ending Los Angeles' 2017 playoff hopes.

Reader's Guide

For fans reviewing the 2017 season, the Buffalo Bills represent both a triumph and a tragedy. The game itself was a success for the Chargers; they defeated the Bills decisively in Week 11 at home, utilizing Buffalo's mistake of starting Nathan Peterman to force five first-half interceptions. However, the broader context reveals that this win was not enough to secure a postseason berth. When the dust settled on the regular season, the Chargers, Bills, Titans, and Ravens were locked in a four-way tie for two Wild Card spots. The NFL's tiebreaker procedures selected Buffalo and Tennessee, leaving the Chargers as the only team among the four with a winning record to miss the playoffs.

Did You Know?

• The Chargers finished the 2017 season in a four-way tie with the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens for two Wild Card spots.
• In Week 11 against Buffalo, rookie Nathan Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half alone before being replaced by Tyrod Taylor.
• Despite finishing with a winning record of 9–7, the Chargers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season due to tiebreakers favoring the Bills and Titans.