The Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) have won three straight after defeating the Buffalo Bills(11-5) 13-12 at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
With the win, the Eagles have won 11-plus games in four straight seasons, which is the second-longest streak in team history.
The Bills, who clinched a playoff spot last week, can no longer win the AFC East after the loss. The New England Patriots are AFC East champions.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Philly’s ‘Big 3’ and their outstanding performances on Sunday:
-OLB Jalyx Hunt had a huge game for the Eagles. He had seven tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. Hunt had a big sack in the fourth quarter that took the Bills out of field goal range.
-After missing three games following a shoulder procedure, DT Jalen Carter played like a man on a mission on Sunday. The Pro Bowler had a sack, tackle for loss, and a huge extra point block, which kept the score 13-6.
-The Eagles’ offense stalled in the second half, but fortunately for Philadelphia, punter Braden Mann did a great job booming the ball. He totaled 388 yards on seven punts (55.4 avg.), including two punts of 60-plus yards (65 and 62) and two punts inside the 20-yard line, pinning the Bills at the BUF 10 and BUF 17.
Honorable Mention:
-Dallas Goedert recorded his career-high 11th touchdown reception this season, which was the Eagles’ only touchdown of the game. Goedert set the Eagles tight end record for single-season receiving touchdowns, also becoming the first Eagle to total 11-plus receiving touchdowns in a season since 2022.
-LB Jihaad Campbell had seven tackles and a fumble. That fumble recovery after Josh Allen lost the ball, helped set up the Philly’s only touchdown.
End of the Day:
It wasn’t impressive, but it was a win, and when you’re beating the Bills on the road, that’s impressive, no matter how you did it.
The Bills had a chance to win it after scoring a touchdown late in the fourth quarter after deciding to go for two, but the two-point conversion failed after Allen’s pass sailed wide. Buffalo should have kicked the extra point. The Bills were home and had all the momentum. Plus, the Eagles’ offense had stalled.
Speaking of Philly’s offense, they had a good rhythm in the last two games and in the first half against the Bills, but lost it in the second half. Hurts(13-27, 110 yards, TD), for the second game this season, did not complete a pass in the second half. The Eagles recorded only 16 total yards in the second half, and became the first team in league history to have no points and completions in the last 35 years in the second half of a game.
The rainy weather may have contributed to the team’s offensive struggles, but going forward, that has to get better.
As they enter Week 18, the Eagles have an opportunity at the number two seed, but they need help. Philadelphia must beat the Commanders at home and hope the Bears lose to the Lions at Soldier Field, which could happen.
Do the Eagles prioritize health over seeding? The team should prioritize health. If a player is banged up, they’re not playing. Philly could beat the Commanders without many of its starters, but it should be interesting to see what Nick Sirianni does next week.
What’s Next:
The Eagles host the Commanders next Sunday.
One More Thing…
-A.J. Brown produced his franchise-record fourth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards. Brown is one of four NFL players with 1,000-plus receiving yards every year since 2022. He has reached 1,000-plus receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons.
–Nick Sirianni (65) also surpassed Greasy Neale (64, 1941-50) for the 2nd-most wins by a head coach in franchise history (including playoffs), trailing only Andy Reid (140, 1999-2012).
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