Patrick Murray Click on photo for larger image

Mularkey keeps his eyes on the road ahead
By Patrick Murray
Tuesday, November 30, 2025

ORCHARD PARK — Right now, Mike Mularkey refuses to look back on what could have been. Instead, he continues to look forward, focusing on what could be.

The first-year Buffalo Bills head coach knows that the odds of the Bills getting a postseason berth are unlikely. Still, Mularkey, like Al Gore, refuses to concede. And can you really blame him?

Four games into the season the question was not whether the Bills had a chance of making the playoffs, but if the Bills had a chance of winning a game. Now, with the Bills having won five of their last seven, including their first road victory of the season, the expectations are much higher at One Bills Drive.

First off, Buffalo’s next four opponents have a combined record of 11-33. If the Bills can run that table, they would be 9-6 heading into the season finale against the powerful Pittsburgh Steelers. All of a sudden, a game that looked like a miserable reason to head out to Ralph Wilson Stadium in January becomes a meaningful contest. If only it weren’t for that 0-4 start that saw the Bills lose two games by three points and one by two points along with a 31-17 loss to New England.

“It’s hard to even talk about the start. It’s totally out of our control now,” Mularkey said. “It’s obviously disappointing, but we can see how we finish the thing and not worry about what anybody else does.”

To Mularkey’s credit, the Bills did not pack it in after the slow start. In fact, the Bills have scored at least 20 points in each of their five wins, and have put up 75 points in the last two weeks. By comparison, Joe Gibbs’ Washington Redskins have failed to score 20 points in a game all season.

Mularkey believes the turning point came in Buffalo’s 37-17 win over the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 21. That was the game that saw the Bills rally from a 10-0 deficit.

“That was the defining moment that these guys are a special group,” Mularkey said. “It’s obvious that you have to be mentally tough when you overcome an 0-4 start. There have been many times that they had chances to say ’That’s it’ because they experienced it in the past. But not one of them has done that yet.”

In the tough American Football Conference, a 10-6 record may not be enough to get into the playoffs. Maybe coming out with a win or two in the early going would have made the road to the postseason a little easier. But that’s not Mularkey’s concern now.

“You can’t take something back that’s happened. Obviously you think about it. But it’s nice that we still have a chance even with that start,” Mularkey said. “Maybe that’s something you go back in the offseason and wish you could’ve and would’ve. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

All the Bills can do now is run the table and hope for the best. But having the opportunity to run the table is a lot better than watching the Bills run for the bus.
View Printable Story

Add a comment