On a raw, rainy Sunday night at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles showed up and overcame an absent second-half offense, nasty weather conditions and the Super Bowl-contending Buffalo Bills, 13-12.
The Eagles are 11-5 and remain alive for the No. 2 seed in the NFC, with a victory over Washington next week, and some help if San Francisco and Detroit can beat the Chicago Bears.
The Eagles’ defense won this game and sent Bills’ mafia into hiding under witness protection after making a mess of Buffalo’s offense for most of the game.
The Eagles sacked Buffalo’s Josh Allen five times for 51 yards, and kept constant pressure on him. Buffalo entered the game as the NFL’s No. 4-rated offense, averaging 373.1 yards a game. The Eagles held Allen and the Bills to 331 yards. The Bills were the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense, averaging 158.9 yards a game, spearheaded by the NFL’s leading rusher, James Cook III. The Eagles held Buffalo to 120 yards rushing, close to 40 yards lower than its average, and Cook to 74 yards, making them a one-dimensional team.
Defensive back Cooper DeJean was a Tasmanian devil, making a career-high nine tackles, and Jalen Carter made an auspicious return from shoulder surgery with a sack, a blocked extra point and a blocked pass.
The Eagles somehow survived a wretched second half of offense. Jalen Hurts finished the game completing 13 of 27 for 110 yards, though went 0-for-7 in the second half.
The Eagles had one first down in the second half and 16 yards of total offense to Buffalo’s 210, and 14 first downs. The Bills had the ball for 11:19 of the fourth quarter, running off 29 plays to the Eagles’ seven. In the second half, the Eagles had the ball overall for 8:45 to the Bills’ 21:15.
It is a wonder anyone on the Eagles’ defense had any legs left in the fourth quarter.
Despite the plethora of flaws, this victory goes into the value bin. It displayed how well the Eagles could play against a Super Bowl-caliber team that was still playing for something. If there was any doubt that the Eagles are still not viable repeat Super Bowl champions, this victory validates that.
There was a mountain of good, some bad and a mountain of ugly offense in the Eagles’ 13-12 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The Good
Adoree Jackson coming up to stop Bills’ tight end Dawson Knox at the Eagles’ one in the final seconds of the game.
Jalyx Hunt’s second sack and the Eagles’ fifth overall early in the fourth quarter for a 19-yard loss to the Eagles’ 46. Buffalo started the drive late in the third quarter at the Eagles’ 41 and actually went backward with just under 13 minutes to play. The Eagles had five sacks for minus-51 yards. Hunt finished with seven tackles and two sacks for minus-29 yards.
Zack Baun coming up to stop Josh Allen on a fourth-and-goal on a stubborn goal line stand with 2:16 left in the third quarter. It ended the first chance Buffalo had of getting on the scoreboard, and the Eagles made two critical stops inside the three to deflate Buffalo’s rising momentum. Baun finished with six tackles.
Safety Marcus Epps coming up to stop James Cook III on a third-and-goal at the Eagles’ three with 2:45 left in the third quarter. Epps and DeJean led the Eagles with nine tackles each.
Jordan Davis taking down Cook for no gain at the Buffalo 32 on the Bills’ first play of their third drive in the second half.
Moro Ojomo getting the Eagles fourth sack on the Bills’ second second-half drive, an eight-yard takedown at the Bills’ 45, forcing the Bills into second and long. The Eagles were caving in the entire Buffalo offensive line, curling back the tackles, so Allen could not escape outside, and peeling back the interior front, so Allen could not step up, either.
The Eagles holding the Bills to a three-and-out on Buffalo’s first drive of the second half.
The Eagles first half. They dominated one of the premier AFC teams with a 13-0 lead. The Eagles gained 174 total yards of offense to Buffalo’s 121, sacking Allen three times for minus-24 yards, forcing a fumble that resulted in the lone touchdown in the half. Hurts was 13 for 20 for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Saquon Barkley rushed for 51 yards on 11 carries, including a 16-yard run. In five drives, the Bills never reached the red zone, going punt, fumble, punt, punt, and one play before the first half ended. In contrast, the Eagles went TD, FG, FG on their last three drives of the half. The Eagles were getting to Allen without any extra help, with Carter, Hunt and Jaelan Phillips each recording sacks. The Eagles held Allen to 8 passes completed on 11 attempts for 97 yards, and held the NFL’s leading rusher, James Cook III, to 41 yards on 10 carries.
Carter obliterating Bills’ right guard O’Cyrus Torrence for a nine-yard sack on Allen, back to the Buffalo 24 on the Bills’ fourth drive. The play forced a third-and-19, and gave the Eagles back the ball with just over two minutes in the first half. Carter later blocked the Bills’ extra-point attempt with 5:11 to play, preserving the Eagles’ 13-6 lead. He batted down an Allen pass in the red zone on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 46 with 1:40 to play.
DeJean upending Cook on the first play of the Bills’ fourth drive. DeJean’s low hit literally turned Cook head over heels, and it looked like Cook lost the ball, but the officials said he was down by contact.
Jake Elliott’s 47-yard, second-quarter field goal, after missing five field goal attempts the previous five games. It gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead with 5:03 left in the first half. The kick concluded the Eagles’ fourth drive, which was helped considerably by three third-down conversions, one a holding call on Buffalo linebacker Mike Milano on a third-and-12 that put the ball on the Bills’ 34. Elliott later nailed a gimme 28-yarder with 8 seconds left in the first half to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead. Fortunately, it was all they needed.
Hurts hitting A.J. Brown scrambling free of a sack on a third-and-10 to the Bills’ 41 on the Eagles’ fourth drive. Hurts looked done a few times on the play, hopping around in the pocket, before breaking right and catching Brown in stride down the sideline.
Hurts hitting DeVonta Smith for an 11-yard reception on a third-and-four at the Eagles’ 40 on the Eagles’ fourth drive. Hurts showed great poise staying in the pocket and delivering to Smith, who made a diving catch and gave the Eagles a fresh set of downs.
Dallas Goedert scoring his career-best 11th TD this season on the Eagles’ third drive, courtesy of a Buffalo fumble. No one bothered picking up Goedert at the line of scrimmage. He only leads the Eagles in touchdown receptions this season.
Hurts hitting A.J. Brown on a 27-yard reception down the field off a bootleg on the Eagles’ third drive to the Bills’ 14. Five plays later, the Eagles took a 7-0 lead.
Jaelan Phillips’ seven-yard strip sack on the Bills’ second drive that set up the Eagles’ only touchdown. Phillips beat Bills’ right tackle Spencer Brown and slung a shoulder into Allen, jarring the ball free. Jihaad Campbell was there to fall on the loose ball at the Buffalo 45.
Hunt sacking Allen for a 10-yard loss back to the Buffalo 41 on the Bills’ first drive on a third-and-seven. It was the first good thing the Eagles did. Hunt later had a huge 19-yard sack in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Bad
The Eagles going three-and-out on their first drive of the second half.
The Eagles going three-and-out on their first series—with three-straight passes against one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses.
The Eagles starting the game with an illegal formation penalty on the opening kickoff.
The Ugly
The Eagles’ second half offense. The drive chart reads: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, end of game. The Eagles had one first down in the second half—one—and had a paltry 16 yards of total offense to Buffalo’s 210, and 14 first downs. The Bills had the ball for 11:19 of the fourth quarter, running off 29 plays to the Eagles’ seven. In the second half, the Eagles had the ball overall for 8:45 to the Bills’ 21:15.
Epps, who had played so well, getting tuned by Brandin Cooks for a 36-yard completion to the Eagles’ 10 with 1:09 to play.
The Eagles going four-straight three-and-out drives in the second half, while Hurts went 0 for 7 in the second half.
Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell grabbing Joshua Palmer and being called for interference with 5:12 left in the third quarter. Mitchell did grab Palmer’s collar with his left hand. Two plays later, Mitchell was later burned by Tyrell Shavers for a 32-yard completion to the Eagles’ seven, making it the first time the Bills reached the red zone.
Cameron Latu touching the ball at the Bills’ one when he was standing on the goal line, giving Buffalo the ball at the Bills’ 20 on their second drive of the second half. It was a great punt by Braden Mann, and Latu could have pinned Buffalo at its one-yard line, but lost track of where his feet where, when they came down on the goal line. Latu did not have to touch the ball down at all.
The Eagles blowing a timeout in the first 90 seconds of the second half. It is the 16th game of the season. Special teams should know what personnel should be on the field at this stage of the season. Mistakes like that, considering how poorly the Eagles’ special teams played the first half against Washington last week, can be costly in the playoffs.
Brandin Cooks blowing by Cooper DeJean for a 50-yard bomb on Buffalo’s second drive at the Eagles’ 30, which the Eagles made up for with a Phillips’ sack and Campbell fumble recovery.
Epps being flagged for holding on a third-and-five at the Buffalo 43. The penalty negated a Zack Baun sack, when Epps was caught grabbing Khalil Shakir.
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