I feel bad for the Philadelphia Eagles defense after this Buffalo Bills game. This was a dominant performance that deserved a comfortable win. This was a cold, ugly game where throwing the ball cleanly was always going to be harder and physicality was going to win out. Against Josh Allen, one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in football, the defense played fast, violent, disciplined football and never let the Bills’ offense settle. This felt like a unit fully comfortable in its identity, unlike the offense.
Defense
This was a reminder that good run defense is never about one player. Early on, James Cook made Quinyon Mitchell miss in space, so they went after him again. The Bills ran the exact same concept, clearly testing the perimeter again, and this time, Mitchell stepped up and made the tackle. The Bills had the best rushing attack going into the game, but they never found a rhythm on the ground after the opening drive. The defense deserves credit for that. This wasn’t just interior dominance; this was edge discipline, secondary involvement, and linebackers flying downhill with confidence. Everyone on the defense did their job. That’s how you shut down a run game with a quarterback as mobile as Josh Allen and a back as talented as James Cook.
I love watching this Eagles’ secondary in action. The communication is so good. It’s satisfying to watch if you enjoy this style of defense. This is also a perfect example of how Vic Fangio is maximizing Jalyx Hunt. He is not a dominant one-on-one pass rusher, and that’s fine. What he is is an elite athlete who becomes extremely dangerous when used on stunts and in space. The stunt here is beautifully timed, the coverage holds long enough, and Hunt cleans up the play. These “clean-up sacks” matter just as much as any other sack, and Fangio clearly understands how to deploy Hunt to accentuate what he does well rather than forcing him into losing matchups.
The Eagles rarely give up explosive pass plays, and they did give up 3 in this week, but this is the only one that was a ‘proper’ completion. I think this is an excellent concept to attack Cover 8 (half-quarter-quarter), and I think they catch Cooper DeJean out. Adoree’ Jackson has the flat, so Marcus Epps has to carry the vertical. Reed Blankenship has to take the crossing route, which leaves DeJean as the one I think is at fault. What’s more interesting to me is the structural stress Buffalo created by running trips away from Quinyon Mitchell. This is something I mentioned last week! By doing that, they effectively remove the Eagles’ best cover corner from the play. Washington did this last week, Buffalo copied it here, and it’s something offenses will continue to explore.
Despite that, Cooper DeJean still made his presence felt all over the game. On this play, he ends up matched on a tight end and has to balance run responsibility with handling the crossing route. He executes it perfectly, tracks Dawson Knox across the formation, and finishes with a huge hit that limits the play to just two yards. It’s disciplined, violent, and exactly what Fangio wants from his nickel defender. This defense forces offenses to earn every inch. It’s also hilarious to see Knox sliding off the field.
This was another moment where Jalyx Hunt’s athleticism showed up in a big way. Buffalo likes to use empty quarterback draws with Josh Allen, just like the Eagles do with Jalen Hurts. Reed Blankenship takes a poor angle here, and if Hunt isn’t able to recover, this could easily turn into a massive gain. Instead, Hunt closes ground incredibly quickly and shuts the play down. He may not win cleanly off the edge, but his speed consistently shows up on the field. Nolan Smith was a 1st round pick, and Hunt was a 3rd round pick. If you only watched this Eagles’ defense the past couple of weeks, that would surprise you. Hunt moves differently.
This three-play sequence might have been my favorite stretch defensively in the game. First down, second down, third down hits by three different defenders. Carter, in particular, looked far more like himself here, playing with explosion and violence. This defense’s identity is rooted in physicality. They rally to the football, they finish tackles, and they hit with intent. That tone is what separates them from most units in the league. They are physical as well as smart.
Jordan Davis was the tone-setter. He continued his outstanding run of form. He was excellent against the run once again and played a huge role in limiting the Bills’ rushing attack, which has given other defenses serious problems. Davis consistently held his ground, absorbed double teams, and prevented Buffalo from creating vertical movement inside. When the Eagles can control the middle like this, everything else on defense becomes easier.
I would be surprised if the Eagles didn’t play more single-high coverage and send more five-man pressures than usual in this game. Fangio clearly identified that Buffalo frequently empties the backfield (mentioned in the preview!) and leaves Josh Allen unprotected. Sending a second-level rusher in those situations makes perfect sense. This is what high-level game planning looks like. Small weekly adjustments that directly target what an offense wants to do best. Vic Fangio, at his best.
This third-and-15 felt like a breaking point for the Bills. Watching it live, it genuinely looked like they were out of answers. Josh Allen doesn’t even attempt to extend the play or create something off-script. If the Eagles’ offense had managed anything in the second half to build a three-score cushion, this could have been a shutout. When this defense wasn’t exhausted late, they were completely overwhelming a very good offense.
There isn’t much you can do about two of Buffalo’s explosive plays late in the game. One was a freakish contested catch, and the other saw Cook make a ridiculous grab over Epps despite tight coverage. Sometimes players make great plays. If opposing offenses have to rely on low-percentage, highlight-reel catches to generate explosives against this defense, that’s a trade-off the Eagles will happily accept. This stuff happens.
Marcus Epps deserves credit for his performance here. I mentioned this last week but I think he should be the starting safety until the end of the season. He has been consistently solid, and in this game, he was a genuine force in run defense. The Eagles’ goal-line defense was outstanding, and Epps was a big reason why. Jordan Davis breaking through another double team on this play directly helps Epps finish the stop.
This was exactly what you want to see from a top NFL defense. Fundamentals, effort, and rallying to the football. Zack Baun makes the stop here, but it’s a true team play with multiple defenders converging. This defense does not give cheap yards.
Once again, Jalyx Hunt shows why you don’t need to be a great one-on-one pass rusher to be effective. He doesn’t win cleanly here, but his movement, speed, and athleticism create big plays. Hunt is the guy finishing these plays now, and he’s doing it consistently.
Despite everything I have said above, the Eagles should have lost this game. Fangio sends Cooper DeJean on the two-point attempt, which is aggressive and risky. Jihaad Campbell ends up matched on Khalil Shakir, which isn’t ideal, but he does have inside help and still misplays it slightly. Ultimately, Josh Allen simply misses the throw. For anyone arguing that the offense didn’t lose this game or that the game management worked, the truth is that the Eagles got lucky. This conversion should have been completed. The idea that this defense could have ended up on the losing side of this game is absurd, given how well they played before fatigue set in.
Final Thoughts
This was an elite-level defensive performance that deserved a comfortable win. The Eagles controlled the run, pressured Josh Allen, and played with elite physicality and discipline. The only reason this game felt close late was that the offense completely collapsed in the second half, leaving the defense out there too long. If the Eagles get even league-average offensive support in January, this defense is good enough to carry them a very long way. They are going to play some outstanding offenses in the playoffs, but I think this defense is going to be up to the test.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
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