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The Buffalo Bills braved the elements and took down the Chicago Bears on December 24 to clinch their third straight AFC East title, and ended it with a viral appearance from the quarterback who once started over Josh Allen.
The Bills held dynamic Bears quarterback Justin Field mostly in check in the 35-13 win, limiting him to 119 passing yards and a season-low 11 rushing yards. He was evaluated for an injury before the team’s final last-gasp drive, paving the way for former Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman to close out the game — with an unfortunate ending.
Bills Fans React to Peterman’s Appearance
Bills quarterback Josh Allen found Dawson Knox for a 13-yard touchdown with 1:03 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 35-13 lead and put the finishing touches on the win. When the Bears took possession, Peterman came under center and completed three of his first four passes for 25 yards to reach the 50-yard line.
With four seconds left in the game, Peterman then heaved a Hail Mary attempt to the endzone and was intercepted by Bills safety Jaquan Johnson to end the game.
The interception sparked some reactions from commentators and Bills fans, who remembered Peterman as the quarterback who threw 12 interceptions in 130 career pass attempts with the Bills.
“Nathan Peterman coming in just to throw an end of the game interception is very mean but also hilarious,” tweeted Barstool Sports commentator Dan Katz.
“It’s only fitting for the game to end on a Nathan Peterman interception. Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!” tweeted Bills reporter Ryan Talbot.
The win was a significant one for the Bills, moving them to 12-3 and clinching their third straight AFC East title. The Bills also remained in first place overall in the AFC, with a key matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals coming next week.
Peterman’s Troubled Tenure With Bills
Peterman’s appearance on Saturday marked another chapter in his shaky career. The Bills drafted Peterman in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and he had one ill-fated start in his rookie season, throwing threw five interceptions on 14 attempts against the Los Angeles Chargers — in just the first half alone. He was pulled at halftime for regular starter Tyrod Taylor.
The Bills traded Taylor that offseason and drafted Josh Allen, but it was actually Peterman who initially won the starting job after training camp that year as the Bills aimed to develop Allen slowly.
But Peterman’s tenure as starter did not last very long, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports noted.
“Again, things went disastrously,” he wrote. “Peterman started Buffalo’s first game of the season, completing just five of 18 passes for 24 yards and two interceptions against the Ravens. He was benched in favor of Allen and took his place on the bench.”
The Bills released Peterman midway through the 2018 season, and he went on to have stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and Bears, but has rarely seen the field since then. Before Saturday’s appearance, he had just six pass attempts in his three seasons since leaving the Bills, completing three of them with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
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